School of the Dark Arts (5e Subclass)
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School of the Dark Arts[edit]
Wizard Subclass
In great libraries of archmages and magical universities, deep in basements, hidden by shelves, and sealed behind magical wards are the unspeakable arcanas that any proper wizard knows is better off not being known about. Bloom magic, witchings and infernal translations are dangers that hold tantalizing knowledge for those wizards bold enough to wade into the darkness.
Some wizards of the School of Dark Arts look to master the most dangerous forces to serve as magical wardens. Others look into the shadows and see only a truth that most are too frightened to accept and the power it offers. Too often earnest wizards step forward as the well-intentioned former and find themselves become the terrifying latter, twisted by the knowledge they‘ve unearthed.
- Dark Artist
When you choose this School of Magic at 2nd level, you are able to accrue power through your dark magics. When a creature fails a saving throw against or is hit by a spell of 1st-level or higher you cast and take damage from it, you gain 1 Dark Energy. You can spend an amount of Dark Energy equal to twice the level of a spell to cast a spell you know of 5th-level or lower without using spell slots. The spell cast through Dark Energy must be able to cause damage.
Alternatively, you can spend 1 Dark Energy to roll one additional damage die from the type of dice rolled for that spell. You lose all your unspent Dark Energy after finishing a long rest.
- Unsealed Power
Starting at 6th level your delve into forbidden arcana is not without reason. Great power lies hidden, waiting for those willing to embrace it, as long as you are willing to pay for it. When you cast a spell using a spell slot, you can roll a d6 and lose the amount of hit points rolled on the die, to cast at one level higher then the spell slot you spend, up to a maximum level equal to your highest level spell slot.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum once). You regain all uses after completing a long rest.
- Soul Shard
Because of the danger of dark magic, experienced practitioners find ways to protect themselves. Starting at 10th level, after finishing a long rest, you can place a shard of your soul into a small trinket of your choice, which becomes magical. While the trinket is intact, when you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can roll any number of your unspent Hit Dice and recover hit points equal to the number rolled in the die. After recovering this way, the trinket then shatters and becomes useless.
If you create a soul shard trinket when you already have one, the stored soul migrates, and the first trinket loses its power.
- Dark Lord
Starting at 14th level your study has allowed you a master's understanding of the dark arts. You gain both of the following abilities:
- Overwhelming Power. When you use a spell slot to cast a spell of 5th-level or lower that causes damage, you can treat the spell as being cast with a 6th-level spell slot instead of the slot used.
- Price of Greatness. As an action, you can roll a d6 and lose a number of hit points equal to the amount rolled. You regain expended spell slots of a total level equal to or lower than the amount of hit points lost.
After using one of these abilities, you may not use that particular ability again until you finish a long rest.
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