Power Mage (5e Class)

The Power Mage

What is a Power Mage?

A mad goblin, trapped for years in his tiny workshop, cackles with glee as he connects the final wire, completing his incredible invention. He stands back, hefting the heavy backpack up onto his shoulders, attaching the various wires to his body. Finally, he reaches his hand out to touch the flame of his candle, and muttering a word of arcane power, puts it out, sparks of electricity zipping up his arm. An elf walks through her forest, surveying the trees that have so long been her home and duty. Noticing a fallen Elm, struck by lightning and collapsed upon its companions, she touches it, and saying a word of arcane power, disintegrates it, green sparks flowing into her staff.

It has been hypothesized by numerous arcane scholars of renown that given that practically anything can be accomplished using the manipulation of the weave, so, truly, is it not that the weave is all? Power mages are the few of these academics that have taken this notion to the extreme, and created an art of the manipulation of this energy. Absorbing, storing, and then releasing the energy from the world around you, all this is central to the Power Mage.

Creating a Power Mage

A Goblin, enthralled with his new invention, travels the tunnels of his underground home. Taken from Pinterest.

Creating a Power Mage, much like creating a wizard, demands that your backstory is dominated by at least one significant event. What lead you to discover the science of power magic? Were you trapped in a room, forgotten, tinkering for decades until your device was perfected? Did you discover an ancient artifact, capable of storing vast quantities of magical energy? Were you a scholar, excommunicated from your research facility when your research went into areas the rest deemed too dangerous?

Quick Build

You can make a Power Mage quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Sage background. Third, choose the mage hand, light, and mending Cantrips, along with the following 1st-level spells: magic missile and shield.

Class Features

As a Power Mage you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per Power Mage level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 1d6 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Constitution modifier per Power Mage level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Quarterstaffs, Short Swords, Spears, Glaives, Rapiers
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Dexterity
Skills: Choose one from: Arcana; History; or Investigation

Equipment

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

• (a) Rapier or (b) Spear
• (a) Component Pouch or (b) Arcane Focus (Can double as your Power Source)
• Scholar's Pack
• Power Source/Battery
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 2d4 * 10 Gp in funds.

Table: The Power Mage

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Absorption Actions	Maximum Joules	Spells Known	Maximum Spell Level	Cantrips Known
1st	+2	Spell Absorption, Absorption Actions	1	4	2	1	3
2nd	+2	—	1	6	3	1	3
3rd	+2	—	2	8	6	2	3
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Physical Attack Absorption (40%)	2	10	7	2	4
5th	+3	—	3	12	9	3	4
6th	+3	—	3	14	10	3	4
7th	+3	—	3	16	11	4	4
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	18	12	4	4
9th	+4	—	3	20	14	5	4
10th	+4	Additional School of Magic, Physical Attack Absorption (50%)	3	22	15	5	5
11th	+4	—	3	24	16	6	5
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	26	16	6	5
13th	+5	—	4	28	17	7	5
14th	+5	—	4	30	17	7	5
15th	+5	Disintegrate Object	4	32	18	8	5
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	36	18	8	5
17th	+6	—	4	42	19	9	5
18th	+6	Improved Disintegrate Object	4	52	20	9	5
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	58	21	9	5
20th	+6	—	5	60	22	9	5

Spell Casting

As a power mage, you can channel the energy you collect from your environment (Referred to as Joules) to cast Conjuration, Evocation and Illusion Spells (Along with spells from the additional school of magic you chose at level 10). To cast a spell, you expend a number of joules equal to the level of the spell you are casting.

Learning Spells

Every time you advance a level, you may pick a certain number of non-ritual spells from the Conjuration, Evocation or Illusion schools and the additional school of magic you chose at level 10, the number of spells being determined by your level (See the Power Mage table). You may only choose spells with a level equal to or under your MSL (Maximum Spell Level), which can also be found in the Power Mage table. You always have these spells prepared.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from any of the listed schools of magic. You learn additional Power Mage cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Power Mage table. Casting a cantrip requires no joules.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Power Mage spells, since you create your spells by shaping the energy from your power source/battery, a skill which requires much study. 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 Power Mage 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 an use an arcane focus (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your Power Mage spells.

Power Source

Your power source can best be imagined as a battery, which stores energy you collect from your environment for later use in spellcasting. Your Power Source can take any shape you wish, however, it must always have a volume of at least 125 cubic cm. Your Power Source is replenished through AAs (Absorption actions), and any short/long rests you choose to take (See Environmental Absorption). If you attempt to absorb more energy than your Power Source can hold, the additional energy is lost and simply disappears. However, you should still keep track of how many Joules over you have gone (reset this number after each long rest), as if you try to absorb more than 2 times your power source’s maximum your power source will be destroyed. Your Power Source can also be destroyed by attacking enemies if they specifically target it. The Power Source has an AC equivalent to yours and hit points equal to your level * 4 - The number of Joules it currently contains (Including those which went over it's limit). If your power source is destroyed in either of these ways, it will explode, dealing 1d4 force damage for every Joule it contained (Including those which went over it’s limit). You must spend 2 days and 100 Gp to repair it.

Additional School of Magic

At 10th level, you may select an additional school of Magic to add to the Conjuration, Evocation and Illusion schools. This school counts both towards the spells you are able to cast and the spells you are able to absorb.

Energy Absorption Levels 1-3

The main ability of the Power mage is to absorb elements of it's environment and convert these into energy it can use.

Environmental Absorption

As a magic user, you passively absorb a bit of magic from your environment. As such, you gain a certain amount of energy (Referred to as Joules) after each long and short rest.

Long Rest

1 + Character Level Joules

Short Rest

Character Level / 2 (Rounded up) Joules

Absorption Actions

Absorption actions are what determine how many times you can absorb things during a given combat. Much like reactions, absorption actions can be taken when someone (You or one of your party members) is attacked. You may only use one absorption action per combat round, and it does not (Unless otherwise noted) consume your action. You regain all expended Absorption actions at the end of combat.

Spell Absorption

Starting at level 1, you can absorb incoming projectile spells (As well as projectile spells your allies produce, although I’m not sure why you’d want to) and convert the energy used to cast them into power you can later fire back at those same enemies! When absorbing a spell, you must move to somewhere on that spells trajectory. If the spell’s trajectory is within 5 feet of you, this movement is included in the AA (Absorption Action), however, if it is not, you can choose to expend your movement for your turn to move to the desired spot in the spell's trajectory. If you would like to absorb a spell, you must make an intelligence check against a DC (10 + (2*The spell level)). If you succeed, you absorb half the level of the spell (Rounded up) in Joules and the spell has no effect. However, if you fail, you take double the damage the spell would have done. You may only absorb spells with levels under or equal to your current MSL, and the spells you can absorb are limited to the Evocation, Conjuration, Abjuration and Illusion schools of magic (Plus the additional school you select at level 10). If the spell creates multiple projectiles (Such as with Scorching Ray), you may only absorb only one of the projectiles. This does not affect the number of joules you absorb.

Joules from spells

Spell level / 2 (e.g., lvl 9 spell = 4.5 joules absorbed, rounded to 5)

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your 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.

Energy Absorption Levels 4-20

Physical Attack Absorption

Starting at level 5, you can make an attempt to absorb an incoming physical attack against yourself or one of your allies (You can also attempt to absorb outgoing attacks from your allies). Much like with spell absorption, you can only absorb attacks that were made within 5 feet of you, if you wish to absorb attacks that were made outside of this area you must expend your movement to get to the attackers location. When you attempt to absorb a physical attack, add 2.5 * (Your Dexterity Modifier + Your Intelligence Modifier) to 40 (Or 50, depending on level. See the Power Mage table) . This will be the chance of you successfully absorbing your opponent's attack. Roll a percentile, if this is under or equal to the value you previously calculated, then you successfully absorb the attack and the target takes no damage. If, however, you roll above this value, you take 1.5 * The amount of damage the weapon would have done. If you successfully absorbed the attack, you absorb the amount of damage the weapon would have done / 10 in joules (Round to the nearest joule if this is not an integer, if it rounds to 0, you receive no joules).

Chances of absorbing a physical attack

2.5 * (Your Dexterity modifier + Your Intelligence modifier) + 40 (Or 50, depending on level. See the Power Mage table)

Joules absorbed from a physical attack

Damage attack would have dealt / 10 (Round to nearest Joule, if 0, you receive no energy)

Example

My ally is 5 feet to my left, and is being shot with a light crossbow. I use my absorption action to rush in front of my ally, attempting to catch the bolt and absorb its energy. I am 6th level, so my base percentage for physical attacks is still 40%. My intelligence modifier is +4 and my dexterity modifier the same, so together they are 8. I then multiply this by 2.5 (20) and add it to the base of 40% chance to absorb (60% total). I roll a percentile, and seeing that it is a 48 (Below or equal to 60) absorb the crossbow bolt's energy. The original damage roll for the crossbow was 5, divided by 10 this is 0.5, which rounded up is 1. I hence absorb 1 joule from the crossbow bolt.

Disintegrate Object

Starting at 15th level, you gain the ability to disassemble objects on an atomic level, converting them into pure energy. You may do this any time, and as many times as you wish outside of combat. During combat you may only absorb objects on your turn, and doing so consumes your action and an absorption action. You may only absorb objects under 5 kilos in weight, and may absorb a maximum of 15 kilos between long rests. An object is worth twice its weight in kilograms in joules. You may absorb inanimate objects and nonmoving flora. You may only absorb objects that are touching nothing but you. For example, you can disintegrate a strawberry plant that you picked up from the ground (It is not touching anything but you), but you cannot absorb a door (It is touching its hinges).

Joules absorbed from disintegration

2 * Weight of object in kilos

Improved Disintegrate Object

Starting at 18th level, you can absorb objects up to 8 kg in weight, and may absorb a maximum of 24 kilos between long rests.

The Power Mage's Spell List

You can learn all of the spells on the basic Wizard spell list.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Power Mage class, you must meet these prerequisites:

Intelligence 13 or Dexterity 13

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Power Mage class, you gain the following proficiencies:

Light Armor, Arcana

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