Fencing Magician (5e Class)

Fencing Magician

Fencing magicians are both wizards and expert fencers. This duality permeates all that they do. They do not have the power of wizards, or the maneuvers of other combat classes, and they fight mainly by thinking on their feet. Their strikes are precisely placed and deadly, albeit they have to sacrifice their own defense to remain agile enough to make such strikes. Fencing magicians do not have the strength or durability typical of warriors, and favor speed and precise strikes over brute force.

Simultaneously, but separately, they train their bodies and minds in reading an opponent’s movements and striking when and where it has the greatest effect, and in understanding the inner workings of the arcane. This divided focus is problematic for the perfection of either, and the two studies tug the Fencing magician in opposite directions. Uniting these two disciplines is the distant, unobtainable goal of every Fencing magician. Fencing magicians access spells through study and practice, but they do not have the specialization or raw power of wizards because of their simultaneous focus on their fencing.

Fencing magicians can be of any race, but the organisations that teach fighting and magic together are rare. Typically temples of Tymora teach fencing, and many members of the church are wizards and arcanists. However, they do not teach the two as a single discipline. Each Fencing magician is forging his or her own path trying to bring together in a harmonious whole their fencing and their use of magic.

Fencing magicians typically have faith in Lady Luck, but this is not required or can be waived. Tieflings are believed to have been instrumental in the origins of the Fencing magician.

Conflicted Combatant

As a dedicated wizard and clever fencer, you try to balance both your callings, the blade and the spell. While your intelligence undoubtedly improves both, they are very different and separate disciplines. Your path will be long and difficult. But, incessant training and study will slowly bear fruit. Throughout your training you will gradually improve both of your disciplines, aiming always to balance the two.

Creating a Fencing magician

Creating a Fencing magician character demands a backstory dominated by two very different conditions. Where did you learn your tumbling or fencing skills and, after this, how were you exposed to magic? How did you then discover you had an aptitude for it? Can you balance your physical training with your newfound talent for magic? Do you have the discipline to excel in both? Did you encounter an arcanist or a war wizard? Why do you favor physical combat prowess in balance with your use of magic? Why are you traveling or adventuring? Is it to grow your knowledge of the arcane, to learn better fencing techniques or are you just traveling wherever the road takes you?

Quick Build

You can make a Fencing magician quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the soldier or noble background. Third, choose a rapier, leather armor and an explorer's pack as your starting equipment. Finally, at level 2, choose the acid splash, ray of frost and true strike cantrips, along with the following 1st-level spells for your spellbook: burning hands, charm person, mage armor, magic missile and shield.

Class Features

As a Fencing Magician you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Fencing Magician level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Fencing Magician level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: light armor, medium armor, shield
Weapons: simple weapons, martial weapons (light and finesse weapons only), light crossbow
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Dexterity and Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Perception, Religion.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) rapier or (b) shortsword
• (a) longbow and quiver with 20 arrows or (b) a shortsword
• (a) explorer's pack or (b) dungeoneer's pack
• (a) Leather armor, a spellbook and a component pouch or (b) if its used character starting wealth: 6d4x10

Table: The Fencing Magician

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
			1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Fencer’s Strike, Alacrity	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Spellcasting, Lightly Armored Arcanist	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Fencing School, Skilled	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Magic Fencing Technique	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Boundless Leap	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Fencing School Feature	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	—	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Fencing School Feature	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	Arcane Renewal	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	—	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Boundless Leap Improvement	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	Fencing School Feature	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	—	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Fencing School Feature	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Bladeweave	4	3	3	3	2

Fencer’s Strike

When you attack with a light or finesse weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls.

You can't add this bonus if you have disadvantage on your attack rolls against a target, or if the creature has advantage on attacks against you.

Alacrity

As a result of your constant training, your mind and body are starting to function together nigh-instantly and you can react and attack with astonishing speed. At the beginning of your turn (without taking an action) you can activate alacrity giving you the following benefits until the end of your turn:

• Your speed is doubled
• You gain a +2 bonus to AC
• You have advantage on your Dexterity saving throws
• You gains an additional action on this turn. This action can be used only to take the Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action.

When the effect ends, on your next turn you can only move at half your speed and you can only take an action or a bonus action (but not both),as you become exhausted. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Lightly Armored Arcanist

At 2nd level, while wearing a light or mithral armor, you have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a spell when you take damage.

Spellcasting

Regardless of what others say, you are a wizard; or at least studying to be one. You just started a bit late and have to catch up with the rest of the class while trying to excel and keep your fencing instructor happy. At 2nd level, you gain the ability to cast a limited number of wizard spells. Your spells are drawn from the Wizard spell list and your spellcasting ability is Intelligence. Intelligence governs the number of spell you can prepare and affects the spell DC of spells cast by you.

Spellbook

At 2nd level, you have a spellbook containing four 1st-level wizard spells of your choice. Your spellbook is the repository of the wizard spells you know, except your cantrips.

Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher

Each time you gain a Fencing Magician level, you can add one wizard spell of your choice to your spellbook for free. The spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Fencing magician table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook.

When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.

Copying a spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the wizard who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation.

For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have copied the spell to your spellbook, you can prepare it just like your other spells.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Fencing Magician table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast a spell, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of wizard spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of wizard spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + proficiency (minimum of one spell) per spell level, and you are able to prepare one fewer than this total for each level of spells above 1. The spells prepared must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of wizard spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

• Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
• Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your Fencing Magician spells.

Arcane Warrior

At 2nd level, you learn two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. They count as Fencing Magician spells for you, and Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the wizard spell list.

Fencing School

At 3rd level, you adopt a particular school of fencing as your specialty: School of Protection,School Dueling or School of Two-Weapon Fighting. Your specialty also gives you additional features at 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th levels.

Choose one of the following options for your archetype. The choice provides additional benefits at various levels.

Skilled

At 3rd level, you are always watching and learning, observing and thinking. You gain proficiency in one additional skill of your choice from the fencing magician skills list.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of you choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Magic Fencing Technique

At 5th level, you finally learn how to integrate both of your calls in one unique way of combat. You can use your bonus action to infuse a finesse or light weapon you are wielding with a spell. The spell must be of 1st level or higher, must have a casting time of one action. You must have the components or the casting focus in hand to infuse the spell on your weapon.

The spell continues infused on the weapon as long as you keep concentration on it (as if your were concentrating on a spell), being released on a successful attack. When you hit a creature with an infused weapon, the spell is released, targeting only that creature. If the spell has an area effect, or targets multiple creature, it affects only the target when released by an infused weapon.

Boundless Leap

Starting at 6th level, as your fitness and arcane prowess improves, your natural agility and grace are bolstered by magic, and you become able to make astounding jumps. When you make a jump, you can use your Dexterity instead of your Strength to calculate the distance covered, and you add your Intelligence modifier as a bonus to both long jumps and high jumps.

At 14th level, you may pounce towards your enemies. Once in each of your turns, when you hit a target with a melee weapon attack after jumping in his direction, you gain a bonus to the damage of your attack equal to you Dexterity modifier.

Arcane renewal

Starting at 11th level, when you read through your spellbook during brief rests, some of the thoughts and associated arcane energies interact with your thoughts about fencing, movement, position, deflection, feint, diversion and striking, invigorating you. After finishing a short rest, you can regain a combined number of spell slots equal to your Intelligence modifier. The highest spell slot you are able to recover is 3rd-level spell slots.

In addition, you regain one hit point for each level of spell slots regained.

Bladeweave

At 20th level, you have finally created a new discipline by unifying your fencing and magic. You can intuitively read the small magical vulnerabilities and weaknesses of an opponent you fight, and leverage this knowledge to bolster your spells against the opponent for a brief time. As such, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack with a weapon that has the light or finesse property, the creature has disadvantage to any spell cast by you until the end of your next turn.

Fencing School

School of Protection

You can anticipate a foe with uncanny accuracy and you are rarely unprepared for an attack or off-balance. Fencing Magicians of the protection school are careful, waiting the best moment to make a decision, relying in countering the movements of their enemies when a mistake is made.

Shield Fencer

When you chose this school at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with shields. While wielding a shield, when a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.

Arcane Shield

At 3rd level, you learn how to integrate defensive spellcasting into your style of fighting. You learn the cantrip blade ward, and you can cast this cantrip as a bonus action.

In addition, you learn how to extend the effects of this cantrip to your allies. This cantrip now can target a creature within 30 feet.

Eldritch Fortitude

At 7th level, you become tougher and more resistant to effects through your training. You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws.

Covering Maneuver

Starting at 10th level, while wielding a shield, you can use a reaction to give yourself or any creature within 5 feet advantage on Dexterity saving throws. Alternatively, you can impose disadvantage to an attack made against you or a creature within 5 feet. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you complete a short or a long rest.

Impenetrable Guard

Beginning at 15th level, your defensive posture is impeccable, making you a hard target to hit. While you are wearing an armor you are proficient with and wielding a shield, the first attack made against you in each round is made at disadvantage.

Shield Wall

When you reach the 18th level, your ability to create magic protections are unmatched. You can spend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to protect a number of creatures you can see within 60 feet equal to your Intelligence modifier with the blade ward cantrip.

In addition, the range of your Arcane Shield feature increases to 30 feet.

School of Dueling

An artful flourish, a feint, exploiting the resulting gap and the opponent is outmatched. Masters of the dueling school are specialized in one-on-one fights, seeking to perfect the art of arcane fencing by winning fights against a powerful individual.

Magic Duelist

At 3rd level, when you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. In addition, you can now use a light or finesse weapon as a spellcasting focus for your Fencing Magician spells.

Reliable Thrust

When you chose this school at 3rd level, you learn how to use your magic to turn missed strikes into hits. You learn the spell true strike, that now lasts for 1 minute or until the target move out of the range of the spell.

When you cast this cantrip against a target within 5 feet, if no other creature is within 5 feet, you can use your bonus action to make a melee attack with a finesse or light weapon, as a bonus action. In addition, for the duration of the spell, the target have disadvantage against any attacks made against you while you are within 5 feet of it and no other creature is within 5 feet of you.

Parrying Blade

At 7th level, you gain +1 armor class if wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons.

Graceful Walk

At 7th level, you learn how to move with grace and swift precision. You can now ignore difficult terrain.

Arcane Riposte

At 10th level, when a creature makes an attack against you and misses, you can use your reaction to cast a cantrip against that creature. You can use this feature twice, being unable to use it again until you complete a short or a long rest.

Parrying Magician

At 15th level, when you are targeted by an attack, you can use your own attacks in a defensive manner,as a reaction. You roll an melee weapon attack, melee spell attack or ranged spell attack, depending on the attack that targets you. If you roll a number equal or higher the number rolled against you, you take no damage from the attack.

If you are targeted by a spell of 1st level or higher, you must cast a spell of the same level or higher to be able to parry the attack.

You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, being unable to use it again until you complete a short or a long rest.

Deadly Riposte

At 18th level, you can now use your arcane riposte to cast a spell of 1st level or higher against the creature. In addition, when you start a combat have no uses of Arcane Riposte, you gain an additional use.

Two-Weapon Fighting School

Two weapons for the two disciplines. Much like your split focus on your two difficult callings, you will have to work hard and long to master them. Adepts of the two-weapon fighting style learn how to use magic and swordfighting as one in combat.

Dual Wielder

At 3rd level, when you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Invisible Hand

When you chose this school at 3rd level, you learn the spell mage hand. You can command your mage hand as a bonus action. In addition, you gain the following uses for your mage hand:

• You can command your mage hand, as an action, to perform an attack with a finesse or light weapon, as if you were on its position.
• As a bonus action, you can use your mage hand to make an attack as part of a two weapon fighting action.
• When you use your action to cast a spell, you can cast it from the mage hand position.

Main Gauche

At 7th level, you gain a +1 bonus to your armor class when wielding a light or finesse weapon in each hand. This bonus increases by +1 at 15th level.

Flurry of Strikes

At 10th level, while wielding one weapon in each hand and a third carried by your invisible hand, you can use your bonus action to make one attack with each extra weapon. The first attack you make is made with advantage.

You can use this feature once, being unable to use it again until you complete a long rest. You gain one additional use at 15th level (2) and another at 18th level (3).

Iron Storm

At 18th level, all the attacks made with your Flurry of Strikes feature are made with advantage.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the fencing magician class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Dexterity and 13 Intelligence.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the fencing magician class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor,medium armor (mithral only), simple weapons and martial weapons (finesse and light weapons only).

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