Warmage
Warmage
Warmage
An elf recites the motions for the simplest spell she The House of Knights, for example, emphasizes
knows, repeating them until she knows they are armor and martial prowess, whereas the House of
perfect. With a single, precise stroke, she unleashes Kings emphasizes battlefield strategy.
a wave of arcane energy, focused into a searing blue By way of metaphor, houses that value honor
beam. and teamwork above all else brand themselves after
A tiefling waves her hands to conjure floating games of strategy, whereas those who epitomize
greatswords of humming blue energy that dance self-reliance name themselves for games of chance.
about in mesmerizing and deadly arcs. One blade This division in the warmage houses is representative
takes on an aspect of fire, and the other lightning, as of a schism that dates back to the earliest warmage
she begins to cleave through the goblinoid horde. masters. Legend has it that the first two masters
Waving a black-and-red checkered banner, a separated when one decided to found a college. The
dragonborn king charges into the fore. At his sides other, out of spite, built a casino outside its grounds.
are warmages of all houses, a chessboard of elite
arcanists, poised to turn the tide of battle.
Creating a Warmage
The undisputed masters of cantrips, warmages Warmages come from all walks of life, so as you
turn the most fundamental types of magic into a build yours, consider where you first learned the
deadly and precise art. fundamentals of magic, which you would go on to
perfect. You might have picked up cantrips from a
Cantrip Masters fellow adventurer or in the early stages of wizarding
While other spellcasters aspire to grander and more training. You could even be self-taught. Choose an
complex spells, warmages refine and master the Arcane Initiation which best fits your character’s
most fundamental magic: cantrips. Warmages wield history with magic.
their magic in the same way that a warrior uses a Moreover, consider how you feel about magic as
sword, bow, or axe—as weapons to be perfected, not a whole. Are you envious of other spellcasters, or are
as an unknowable force to be feared. In contrast to you confident you could best them regardless? Did
sorcerers and wizards, their magic is a trainable skill, you once pine to be a wizard, but found you could
one that can be mastered by almost anyone with never muster enough true magic to form a spell slot?
discipline and aptitude. Therefore, warmages stand Did you choose warmagistry to hone your talents
among the most fearsome of spellcasters, with only to their absolute peak, or did you choose it to wield
the most rudimentary of spells. power no warrior can equal?
Lastly, consider your prospective warmage
Strategic Geniuses House. Though you don’t choose one until reaching
Warmages have a long and storied history as 3rd level, your aspirations might shape which house
masterful strategists and tacticians, both in grand you favor the most. If you would like to dabble with
battles and personal skirmishes. If a warmage greater arcane magic, the House of Bishops is the
is outgunned or outnumbered, they’ll try to best fit. If the clashing of swords at the frontlines
outthink their foes, which works more often than piques your interest, consider the House of Knights.
not. Warmages demonstrate an efficient kind of
pragmatism, owing perhaps to their ability to solve QUICK BUILD
many problems with just a few magical tools. You can make a Warmage quickly by following
these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your
Aligned Free Agents highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Make
While some warmages are fully self-taught, the Strength your third highest if you plan to take the
majority join a house: a loose confederation of House of Knights. Then choose the chill touch, force
warmages who practice together and share secrets dart, force weapon, and phantom grapnel cantrips,
of the trade. Houses teach invaluable battlefield and the Adventurer Arcane Initiation. Pick any
strategy, but each individual house also touts their background that emphasizes your magical discipline.
own brands of tactics and styles of magical tricks.
157
THE WARMAGE
Classes
CANTRIP
PROFICIENCY CANTRIPS BONUS TRICKS
LEVEL BONUS FEATURES KNOWN DICE KNOWN
1st +2 Spellcasting, Arcane Initiation, Arcane Fighting Style 4 0 —
2nd +2 Warmage Edge, Warmage Tricks 4 0 2
3rd +2 Warmage House 5 0 3
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 5 0 3
5th +3 Arcane Surge 6 1 4
6th +3 Tactical Insight 6 1 4
7th +3 Warmage House feature 6 1 5
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 6 1 5
9th +4 — 7 1 6
10th +4 Warmage House feature 7 1 6
11th +4 Arcane Surge improvement 7 2 7
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 7 2 7
13th +5 — 8 2 8
14th +5 Strategic Deflection 8 2 8
15th +5 Warmage House feature 8 2 9
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 8 2 9
17th +6 — 9 3 10
18th +6 Warmage House feature 9 3 10
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 9 3 10
20th +6 Master Warmage 10 3 10
EQUIPMENT
CLASS FEATURES You start with the following equipment, in addition
As a warmage, you have the following class features. to the equipment granted by your background:
HIT POINTS • Leather armor, a dagger, and any simple weapon
Hit Dice: 1d8 per warmage level • (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution • (a) an explorer’s pack or (b) a scholar’s pack
modifier • A gaming set
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your
Constitution modifier per warmage level after 1st Spellcasting
At 1st level, you begin to learn the simple, yet potent,
PROFICIENCIES
brand of spellcasting for which warmages are known.
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons CANTRIPS
Tools: One artisan’s kit of your choice, one gaming You know four cantrips of your choice from the
set of your choice warmage spell list. You learn additional warmage
Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in
Skills: Choose two from: Acrobatics, Animal the Cantrips Known column of the Warmage table.
Handling, Arcana, Athletics, History, Investigation, Additionally, when you gain a level in this class,
Medicine, Perception, and Survival you can choose one of the warmage cantrips you
know and replace it with another warmage cantrip.
158
SPELLCASTING ABILITY SELF-TAUGHT
Warmage
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your You taught yourself all the fundamentals of magic
warmage spells, since you learn your spells from a dusty old tome or abandoned scroll. You
through practice and mental discipline. You use learn the fire bolt and light cantrips.
your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your
SURVIVAL
spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your
To survive in the wilderness, you taught yourself
Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw
to cast simple spells. You learn the druidcraft and
DC for a warmage spell you cast and when making
shillelagh cantrips.
an attack roll with one.
Arcane Fighting Style
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus
Warmages learn that magic is the purest of weapons,
+ your Intelligence modifier
and can be wielded just as easily as any other. At 1st
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency level, choose one of the following fighting styles:
bonus + your Intelligence modifier
BLASTER
SPELLCASTING FOCUS You gain a +1 bonus to the saving throw DCs of your
You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus warmage spells.
for your warmage spells.
Arcane Initiation
Warmages come from all backgrounds and walks
of life. At 1st level, choose where you first learned
the basics of magic. The cantrips offered by your
initiation don’t count against your number of
cantrips known.
ADVENTURER
You picked up your magic informally by traveling
with a dozen different mages over the years. You
learn the mage hand and ray of frost cantrips.
CIRCUS PERFORMER
You learned a few simple tricks to participate in a
sideshow or circus act. You learn the dancing lights
and minor illusion cantrips.
ELDRITCH EVENT
An influx of insidious magic left an imprint on you.
You learn the chill touch and message cantrips.
MERCENARY
You mastered the fundamentals of war magic to
engage in battle with similarly armed arcanists. You
learn the arc blade and true strike cantrips.
TEMPLE
A monastery or temple educated you in the ways
of gentle healing magic. You learn the sacred
flame and spare the dying cantrips.
TOWER APPRENTICE
You apprenticed under a spellcaster for some time,
who taught you the fundamentals of arcana. You
learn the prestidigitation and shocking grasp cantrips.
159
DEFLECTOR
When you have at least one hand free and a creature
Ability Score Improvement
Classes
160
WARMAGE TRICKS
Warmage
The following tricks are presented in alphabetical
order. If a warmage trick has prerequisites, you must
meet them to choose it. You can choose the trick at
the same time that you meet its prerequisites. A level
prerequisite refers to your level in this class.
perts
BISHOP'S MANEUVER Warmages: Ex agic.
tm
in being bad a
Prerequisites: 10th level, House of Bishops
You can take the Disengage action as a bonus action.
When you do so, your walking speed increases by 10
feet until the end of your turn.
BLASTING CANTRIP
Once on each of your turns, when you deal force
damage to a creature with a warmage cantrip, you
can push the creature up to 10 feet away from you in
a straight line.
BLINDING LIGHT
Prerequisite: light cantrip COMMANDER'S STEED
When you use the light cantrip to target an object Prerequisites: House of Kings
you are holding, you can direct a flare at a creature You learn the find steed spell and can cast it at
you can see within 10 feet of you, which must make will without expending a spell slot. Your steed is
a Constitution saving throw against your spell save more resilient than most; its hit point maximum is
DC. On a failed save, the target is blinded until the increased by an amount equal to your warmage level.
start of your next turn. After a creature has failed a
saving throw against this trick, it has advantage on all CORROSIVE CANTRIP
saving throws against it for the next 24 hours. Once on each of your turns, when you deal acid
damage to a creature with a warmage cantrip, you can
CASTLE cause the acid to erode the target’s defenses. The next
Prerequisites: 10th level, House of Rooks time a creature makes an attack roll against the target
As an action, you can choose a willing Small or before the start of your next turn, the target takes a
Medium creature you can see within 120 feet of you. penalty to its Armor Class equal to half your warmage
You both teleport, swapping places. level (up to a maximum of −5) for that attack.
Once you use this trick, you can’t use it again
DIRECTED MOMENTUM
until you finish a short or long rest.
Prerequisites: 10th level, House of Lancers
CHIVALROUS PRESENCE Once on each of your turns, when you score a critical
Prerequisite: House of Knights hit with a melee attack or reduce a creature to 0 hit
You gain proficiency in the Insight and Persuasion points with one, you can make an unarmed strike
skills, and you have advantage on ability checks you against a second target. If the target is within range of
make to interact with nobility. Additionally, other your Shock Trooper feature, you can lunge toward it.
creatures can always discern when you’re telling the On a hit, the target takes an extra 1d8 force damage.
truth.
DRAINING CANTRIP
CLOAK OF FEATHERS Whenever you deal necrotic or poison damage to
Prerequisite: House of Rooks a hostile creature with a warmage cantrip, you can
While you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield, siphon some of its life force. You gain temporary hit
your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your points equal to half your warmage level, which last
Intelligence modifier. for 1 minute.
161
ENCRYPTOGRAM FLEXIBLE RANGE
Prerequisite: cryptogram cantrip Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t
Classes
Your knowledge of ciphers has improved your impose disadvantage on your ranged spell attack
magically clandestine communications. When you rolls. Additionally, when you cast a warmage cantrip
cast the cryptogram cantrip, its limit is 20 characters, that requires a melee spell attack, its range increases
instead of 8, and only the specified recipient can read to 10 feet.
the message.
FOLD
EXPLOSIVE CANTRIP Prerequisites: 10th level, House of Cards
Once on each of your turns, when you deal fire You have learned to graciously accept defeat using
damage to a creature with a warmage cantrip, you your Deck of Fate. As a reaction when you are hit by
can cause it to explode. Each creature within 5 feet an attack, you can play your entire hand to cast the
of the target, except you and the target, must succeed shield spell without expending a spell slot.
on a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save Once you use this trick, you can’t use it again
DC or take half the fire damage dealt to the target. until you finish a short or long rest.
EXTENDED RANGE GAMBLE
Whenever you cast a warmage cantrip that has a Prerequisites: House of Cards or House of Dice,
range of 5 feet or greater, its range is doubled. cheat cantrip
You are always under the effects of the cheat cantrip.
FIELD MEDIC
Additionally, when you miss with an attack roll,
Prerequisite: House of Bishops
or you fail an ability check or saving throw, you can
You learn the spare the dying cantrip, which doesn’t
reroll the d20 and must use the new roll. Once you
count against your number of cantrips known.
use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish
Additionally, when you cast spare the dying on a
a short or long rest.
creature that has 0 hit points, the target regains 1
hit point and gains temporary hit points equal to INFINITE VARIATION
your warmage level, which last for 1 minute. Once a Prerequisite: prestidigitation cantrip
creature regains hit points from this trick, it can’t do You have become exceptionally skilled at using the
so again until it finishes a long rest. prestidigitation cantrip to mimic other spells. When
you cast prestidigitation, you can use it to emulate the
effects of any other cantrip that doesn’t deal damage,
even one that is not on the warmage spell list. To
do so, you must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence
(Arcana) check, otherwise the spell fails. Intelligence
is your spellcasting ability for a cantrip cast using this
trick, and it counts as a warmage cantrip for you.
ICY CANTRIP
Once on each of your turns, when you deal cold
damage to a creature with a warmage cantrip, you
can numb the target with a frigid blast. The first time
the target makes an attack roll before the end of its
next turn, subtract half your warmage level from the
attack roll.
KNIGHT'S AEGIS
Prerequisites: 10th level, House of Knights, force
buckler cantrip
When you cast the force buckler cantrip, you can
concentrate on it for up to 1 minute. The spell doesn’t
end early if you are hit by an attack.
162
LEADING EDGE TACTICS The illusion can’t replicate a creature, but it can
Warmage
Prerequisites: House of Lancers deal damage to a creature within its 5-foot cube. If
You always have a plan when engaging the enemy. the illusion is of an object that can deal damage, a
Attacks against you have disadvantage during the creature that enters the object’s 5-foot cube or begins
first round of combat. You can’t use this feature when its turn there must make an Intelligence saving throw
you are surprised. against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the
creature takes 1d6 damage of a type appropriate to
LIEUTENANT'S DEMAND the illusion. This damage increases by 1d6 when you
Prerequisites: 10th level, House of Kings
reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level
You can cast the spell command at will without (4d6). This damage can’t trigger Warmage Edge or
expending a spell slot. any warmage tricks.
MAGE HAND KNACK MYSTICAL ARMOR
Prerequisite: mage hand cantrip You can cast the mage armor spell on yourself at will,
Your skill with the mage hand cantrip allows you without using a spell slot or spell components.
to use it as an extension of yourself. When you cast
the spell and as a bonus action on your subsequent MYSTICAL ATHLETE
turns, you can use one of the following effects with Prerequisite: quickstep or springheel cantrip
the hand: When you cast the quickstep cantrip, your speed
Press. The hand pushes against a Large increases by 20 feet instead of 10 feet. When you
or smaller creature within 5 feet of it. Choose a cast the springheel cantrip, your jumping distance
direction away from that creature. Every foot of increases by 20 feet instead of 10 feet. If you know
movement in that direction while the hand is both of these cantrips, you can cast both of them as
pressing against it costs the creature 1 extra foot of part of the same bonus action.
movement. The hand continues to push against the MYSTICAL WEAPONMASTER
target until the spell ends or you use your bonus Prerequisite: force weapon or magic daggers cantrip
action to use a different effect with the hand. When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll with
Punch. The hand strikes one creature or object the force weapon or magic daggers cantrips, you can
within 5 feet of it. Make a melee spell attack for the reroll the die and must use the new roll.
hand. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 force damage.
Seize. The hand grabs a Small or smaller MYSTICAL VISION
creature and attempts to grapple it. The creature You can cast the detect magic spell at will without
must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity expending a spell slot.
(Acrobatics) check (its choice) against your spell save PHANTOM HOOKSHOT
DC or be grappled by the hand. The hand continues Prerequisite: phantom grapnel cantrip
to grapple the target until the target uses an action to
You can cast the phantom grapnel cantrip as a bonus
break the grapple on its turn, the spell ends, or you
action. If you do so, its range is reduced to 15 feet.
use your bonus action to use a different effect with
When you cast the spell as an action, creatures are
the hand.
pulled an extra 10 feet toward you by the spell.
MINOR SHADOW ILLUSION
RAPID FORTIFICATION
Prerequisite: minor illusion cantrip
Prerequisite: mending cantrip
When you create the image of an object in an
You can cast the mending cantrip as an action or a
unoccupied space using the minor illusion cantrip,
bonus action. If you cast it as an action, you can use
you can fill it with fibers of shadowstuff, causing it
one of the following effects:
to become partially real. No matter what form the
semi-real object takes, it still must be no larger than • You can restore a single nonmagical object, such
a 5-foot cube. It has AC 10 and 5 hit points, and it as a door, cart, or window, to pristine condition
weighs 5 pounds. You can only have one semi-real if at least half of its parts are present. This object
illusion at a time. While this semi-real object exists, can be no larger than 10 cubic feet, or 1 cubic foot
the cantrip requires your concentration. if it is exceptionally complex (such as a clock).
163
Checkmate! King m • Your signature focus gains a number of charges
e. equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum
Go fish!
Classes
SILENT CANTRIP
Once on each of your turns when you deal thunder
damage to a hostile creature with a warmage cantrip,
you can create a 15-foot-diameter sphere of magical
silence (as per the silence spell), centered on yourself
or the creature (your choice), which lasts until the
start of your next turn.
SPLIT FIRE
Prerequisite: 5th level
• You can create simple fortifications, such as When you cast a warmage cantrip that requires
sealing a door shut, adding wooden planks to a a single spell attack roll, you can select multiple
window, or building a short stone wall (no larger creatures and make a spell attack roll against each
than 10 cubic feet). You must have the materials one. You can target a number of creatures equal to
present to use this ability. the number of damage dice the cantrip deals, and
split your damage dice up amongst your targets, to a
SNAKE EYES minimum of 1 die of damage per target. Each attack
Prerequisites: 10th level, House of Dice must target a different creature.
If you roll a 1 or 2 on a Die of Fate, you keep the die For example, fire bolt deals 3d10 damage. You
instead of giving it to the GM. can choose to target three creatures and deal 1d10
damage to each creature, or you can target two
SEVERE CANTRIP creatures, dealing 1d10 damage to one creature and
When a creature rolls a 1 on a saving throw against 2d10 damage to the other creature, or you can target
one of your warmage cantrips, it automatically fails one creature for 3d10 damage.
the save and takes twice the number of damage dice
dealt by the spell, as if you scored a critical hit. The STATIC CANTRIP
additional damage only applies to the creature that Whenever you deal lightning damage to a hostile
rolled a 1. creature with a warmage cantrip, you can sap part of
the energy into a charge, which clings to your body
SIGNATURE FOCUS until the start of your next turn. While charged, you
Prerequisite: 5th level can use your reaction when you take damage from
When you finish a long rest, you can place a unique a creature you can see within 5 feet of you to deal
sigil on a simple or martial weapon, which becomes lightning damage equal to half your warmage level to
your signature focus until you use this ability again. the creature.
This weapon becomes magical, and you can use it as
a spellcasting focus for your warmage spells. Your UNERRING STRIKE
Prerequisites: 10th level, true strike cantrip
signature focus is bonded to you, and gains a number
of special abilities: When you cast the true strike cantrip, you can
concentrate on it for a number of rounds equal to
• As a bonus action, you can call your signature your Intelligence modifier. You gain advantage on
focus to your hand, as long as you are on the the first attack roll you make against the target on
same plane of existence as it. each of your turns while maintaining concentration
• You can add your Intelligence modifier, instead of on true strike.
your Strength or Dexterity modifier, to attack and
damage rolls using your signature focus.
164
WARMAGE HOUSES BISHOP SPELLCASTING
Warmage
WARMAGE SPELLS —SPELL SLOTS—
Each warmage is defined by their chosen House, LEVEL KNOWN 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH
which teaches them valuable skills and offers a
3rd 3 2 — — —
confederation of allies they will keep for the rest of
4th 4 3 — — —
their lives. Named for games of strategy and games of
chance, each house emphasizes a unique approach to 5th 4 3 — — —
spellcasting and combat. 6th 4 3 — — —
7th 5 4 2 — —
House of Bishops
8th 6 4 2 — —
The House of Bishops adopts warmages with arcane
potential, expanding on essential magic principles 9th 6 4 2 — —
with traditional spellcasting. Such warmages might 10th 7 4 3 — —
be easily confused for wizards or sorcerers, for they 11th 8 4 3 — —
don the same garb and wield many of the same 12th 8 4 3 — —
spells, but the warmage focus on perfection still holds
13th 9 4 3 2 —
precedence over garnering a vast array of spells.
14th 10 4 3 2 —
SPELLCASTING 15th 10 4 3 2 —
When you choose this house at 3rd level, you gain
16th 11 4 3 3 —
the ability to cast spells more potent than cantrips.
17th 11 4 3 3 —
Spell Slots. The Bishop Spellcasting table
shows how many spell slots you have to cast your 18th 11 4 3 3 —
spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these 19th 12 4 3 3 1
spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or 20th 13 4 3 3 1
higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you
finish a long rest. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you
Spells known of 1st-Level and Higher. You can replace one of the wizard spells you know with
know three 1st-level wizard spells of your choice, two another spell of your choice from the wizard spell
of which you must choose from the conjuration and list. The new spell must be of a level for which you
evocation spells on the wizard spell list. have spell slots, and it must be a conjuration or
The Spells Known column of the Bishop evocation spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you
Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard gained at 3rd, 8th or 14th level.
spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must Warmage Edge. You can deal additional
be a conjuration or evocation spell of your choice, damage with your warmage spells of 1st level or
except for the spells learned at 8th, 14th, and 20th higher using your Warmage Edge feature, as if they
level, and must be of a level for which you have spell were cantrips. You can’t add Warmage Edge damage
slots. to the magic missile spell.
WARMAGE HOUSES
NAME DESCRIPTION
House of Bishops Dabblers in true arcane magic, gaining spell slots to supplement their cantrips
House of Cards Plays a magical game of cards to enhance their combat prowess
House of Dice Gamblers with an innate power to control fate
House of Kings Leaders and commanders with a wide array of maneuvers at their disposal
House of Knights Frontline combatants, fortified with magical armor
House of Lancers Monastic warmages who channel cantrips through their unarmed strikes
House of Pawns Versatile cantrip masters that can assume tricks from any house
House of Rooks Arcane assassins and spies
165
ARCANE STUDY Additionally, you can use your Intelligence
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in two of the modifier, instead of Charisma, for Charisma
Classes
166
HANDS
Warmage
NAME CARDS BENEFIT
Straight Any five sequential You deal an extra
cards of any suit. 12 damage.
Flush Any five cards of the You deal an extra
same suit in any order. 10 damage.
Three of a Any three of the same You deal an extra
Kind number. 6 damage.
Pair Any two of the same You deal an extra
number. 2 damage.
Hearts Any two hearts. You gain temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Spades Any two spades. Your speed increases by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.
Diamonds Any two diamonds. You gain a +1 bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn.
Clubs Any two clubs. You gain a +1 bonus to saving throws until the start of your next turn.
you can take the Dash, Disengage, or Use an Object determines the roll’s outcome. Once you expend a
action as part of the bonus action used for the Deck Die of Fate, it goes to the GM, who can use it to add
of Fate feature. it to a roll made by an NPC or monster. Once the
GM has used a die, it passes back to you, and so on.
ACE IN THE HOLE
When you finish a long rest, you regain all of your
By 18th level, you have become a deckmaster.
expended Dice of Fate, whether or not the GM has
Whenever you would draw one or more cards from
used them.
your deck, draw twice as many. Put half of the cards
Beginning at 7th level, you have an additional
drawn on the bottom of your deck and the other
two Dice of Fate, and you can add two Dice of Fate to
cards in your hand.
your damage rolls with warmage cantrips.
House of Dice CHAOS ROLL
The House of Dice throws out the warmage Also at 3rd level, you can expend two of your Dice of
convention of meticulous, deliberate spellcasting Fate as an action, rolling them on the table below to
in favor of wild, chaotic magic that presses the create a chaotic surge of energy.
odds. Everything from their magical bursts to
2d6 Effect
their enchanted sets of dice can fail horribly, so it’s
auspicious that they often keep their fingers on the 2 You cast fireball, centered on yourself.
scales of fate. These warmages have mastered not 3 Your AC is reduced by 2 until the start of
only a repertoire of cantrips, but also techniques your next turn.
to manipulate fortune itself, allowing them to risk 4 You fall prone.
everything, and more than often come out on top. 5 Each creature other than yourself within
60 feet of you can speak only in a
BONUS PROFICIENCIES babbling nonsense language, and can’t
Starting when you choose this house at 3rd level, perform the verbal components of spells
your light fingers and unscrupulous tactics help you until the start of your next turn.
win the day. You gain proficiency in the Sleight of 6 A 5-foot-radius sphere of butterflies,
Hand skill and dice sets, if you don’t already have it. insects, or doves fills a location you
choose within 60 feet of you, heavily
DICE OF FATE obscuring the area until the start of your
At 3rd level, you gain four Dice of Fate, which are next turn.
d6s. Whenever you make an attack roll, ability check, 7 You gain 7 temporary hit points and keep
saving throw, or damage roll, you can expend one the Dice of Fate instead of giving them to
Die of Fate and add it to the roll. You can wait until the GM.
after you make the roll before deciding to expend 8 You become invisible until the end of
the Die of Fate, but must decide before the GM your next turn, as per the invisibility spell.
167
9 An object within 60 feet of you chosen House of Kings
by the GM explodes, dealing no damage
Classes
to you or your allies, and dealing 3d6 fire Warmages who train in the House of Kings specialize
damage to one creature caught in the in tactics and strategy, learning age-old maneuvers
blast. to give them the edge in combat. Natural-born
10 You teleport up to 60 feet to an leaders, Kings work best with a cadre of supporters
unoccupied space you can see. Each to perform their tactics and overwhelm the enemy.
creature within 5 feet of the destination More so than all other warmages, those in the House
must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw of Kings treat life and death as little more than a
against your spell save DC or take 2d6
game of strategy to be understood and conquered.
force damage.
11 Choose a creature you can see within BONUS PROFICIENCIES
60 feet of you. That creature takes 4d6 When you choose this house at 3rd level, you gain
necrotic damage and you regain hit proficiency with medium armor, as well as battleaxes,
points equal to the necrotic damage lances, longswords, tridents, and warhammers.
dealt.
12 You cast lightning bolt and can add the BATTLE TACTICS
Dice of Fate to the damage roll. At 3rd level, you learn stratagems that are fueled by
special dice called battle dice.
LOADED DICE Battle Dice. You have two battle dice, which
By 7th level, you can subtly cheat your dice. Once are d8s. A battle die is expended when you use it.
on each of your turns when you roll a d6, you can You regain all of your expended battle dice when you
flip the die upside down. Note that on a balanced d6, finish a short or long rest, or when you roll initiative.
the top and bottom numbers add up to 7, so you can Your battle die changes and more battle dice
determine the bottom number by subtracting the top become available when you reach certain levels in
number from 7. this class, as shown on the table below.
TWISTED FATE Warmage Level Battle Dice
Starting at 10th level, the winds of chance follow 3rd 2d8
your die rolls, rather than vice versa. When you make 7th 3d8
an attack roll or ability check with disadvantage on 13th 3d10
your turn, you can attempt to invert fate as a bonus
19th 4d10
action. Expend a Die of Fate and roll it. On a 5, you
ignore disadvantage on the roll. On a 6, you instead Using Battle Dice. Once per turn, you can
have advantage on the roll. expend a battle die to perform a stratagem of your
choice. Your stratagem options are detailed at the
ROLL THE BONES
end of the subclass description.
Beginning at 15th level, you
Saving Throws. When a stratagem calls for a
can channel the chaotic energy
saving throw to resist its effects, the saving throw DC
of your dice in an instant. As a
is equal to your spell save DC.
reaction when you take damage
from a creature you can see, LEAD FROM THE FRONT
you can expend two Dice of Starting at 7th level, you and each friendly creature
Fate to make a Chaos Roll. within 120 feet of you that can see you ignore
nonmagical difficult terrain.
STEAL LUCK
Starting at 18th level, when you TACTICAL MASTER
roll initiative, roll a d6. You Starting at 10th level, friendly creatures within 10
steal that many Dice of Fate feet of you add your Intelligence modifier to their
back from the GM. saving throws against spells and magical effects that
deal damage.
STRATAGEM:CHECKMATE
At 15th level, you learn the following stratagem:
168
When you hit a creature with a weapon or spell an attack against the target adds the battle die to their
Warmage
attack, you can use your bonus action and expend a attack roll.
battle die to direct one of your companions to strike. Mystic Counsel. You can use a bonus action
When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can and expend one battle die to give counsel to a
see or hear you that is within reach of the creature creature that can hear you within 30 feet of you.
you hit. The friendly creature can immediately use its Once in the next minute when the creature makes a
reaction to make one weapon attack or cast a cantrip saving throw against a spell it can choose to roll the
that requires an attack roll, adding the battle die to battle die and add the result to the saving throw.
the attack’s damage roll. Stalemate. When you hit a creature with an
attack, you can expend one battle die as a bonus
GRANDMASTER
action to hold that creature in place. Until the end of
At 18th level, when you roll initiative, choose a
its next turn, the target can’t willingly move unless it
number of friendly creatures up to your Intelligence
first takes the Disengage action.
modifier within 60 feet of you that can see or hear
you. Each of the chosen creatures gains a battle die. House of Knights
You don’t expend battle dice for this feature. The House of Knights has a long and storied
Once within the next 10 minutes, a chosen tradition of melding melee combat and swordplay
creature can expend the battle die when it makes an with the warmage’s simple spellcasting. Unlike other
attack roll, ability check, saving throw, or damage warriors, however, Knights rarely carry swords or
roll, adding the battle die to the roll. The creature can shields into combat, for they can forge both out of
wait until after it makes the roll before deciding to magical force at a moment’s notice.
expend the battle die, but must decide before the GM
determines the roll’s outcome. A creature can have BONUS PROFICIENCIES
only one battle die from this feature at a time. When you choose this house at 3rd level, you gain
proficiency with medium armor and martial weapons.
STRATAGEMS
The stratagems are presented in alphabetical order. FORCE BREASTPLATE
Blitz. As a bonus action, when you hit a At 3rd level, plates of magical force reinforce your
creature with an attack, you can expend one battle armor. While you are wearing light or medium
die to maneuver one of your comrades into a more armor or are under the effects of mage armor,
advantageous position. Choose a friendly creature you can add your Intelligence modifier, instead of
within 60 feet that can see or hear you. That creature Dexterity, to your Armor Class.
can use its reaction to move up to half its speed MYSTICAL WEAPON
without provoking opportunity attacks from the Also at 3rd level, you learn the force weapon cantrip,
target of your attack. which doesn’t count against your number of cantrips
Check. When you hit a creature with an attack, known.
you can expend one battle die as a bonus action to Additionally, you possess a weapon made
force that creature to flee. The target must make a entirely of magical force. Whenever you would draw
Charisma saving throw. A creature that is immune a weapon, you can summon this weapon to your
to being frightened automatically succeeds on this empty hand and transform it into any simple or
saving throw. On a failed save, the target must martial weapon of your choice. This weapon deals
immediately use its reaction, if available, to move up force damage on a hit instead of its normal damage
to half its speed directly away from you. type. Whenever the weapon leaves your hand, it
Flash of Brilliance. When you make an vanishes into a pocket dimension until you summon
Intelligence or Wisdom check, you can expend one it again.
battle die to add it to the check. You can choose to
use this stratagem after the ability check is rolled but FLURRY OF BLADES
must decide before the GM says whether the check Beginning at 7th level, when you cast a cantrip that
succeeds or fails. allows you to make multiple spell attacks, such as
Gambit. When you hit a creature with an attack, force weapon or magic daggers, you can use your
you can expend one battle die to give your allies an bonus action to make one additional spell attack with
opening. The next creature other than you to make that cantrip.
169
KNIGHT'S WARD • You can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage
Starting 10th level, you learn to forge a hardened of your unarmed strikes.
Classes
magical barrier between you and your foes. As a • Your unarmed strikes count as melee weapons for
bonus action, you can gain a number of temporary the purposes of warmage spells.
hit points equal to twice your warmage level, which • When you use the Attack action with an unarmed
last for 1 minute. strike on your turn, you can make one unarmed
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again strike as a bonus action.
until you finish a short or long rest.
SHOCK TROOPER
TACTICAL MANEUVER Starting at 3rd level, you can rapidly close the
At 15th level, you can spend your entire movement distance between you and your foes. Whenever you
to teleport up to half your speed to an unoccupied make a melee attack on your turn against a creature
space you can see. you can see, you can lunge up to 15 feet toward your
FIELD OF BLADES target before making the attack. Doing so doesn’t
Starting at 18th level, you can summon a whirlwind spend movement or provoke opportunity attacks.
of mystical weapons for a flurry of strikes. As an You can perform this movement even if it causes you
action on your turn, you can make a melee spell to travel through the air, though you fall after making
attack against up to five creatures you can see within the attack if you have nothing holding you aloft.
30 feet of you, with a separate attack roll for each MYSTICAL PHYSICALITY
target. On a hit, a target takes force damage equal to Starting at 7th level, whenever you make a Strength,
2d10 + your Intelligence modifier. Dexterity, or Constitution check, you can use your
House of Lancers Intelligence modifier instead of the normal modifier.
Additionally, difficult terrain doesn’t cost you
Warmages who join the House of Lancers are trained
extra movement.
in fluid martial arts and meditative asceticism,
melding the stoic discipline of monks with potent DEFLECT ENERGY
spellcasting. As such, they are unarmed elemental By 10th level, you can deflect bolts of energy with
warriors, self-reliant and capable of feats unmatched your bare hands. As a reaction when you are hit by
by their peers. However, Lancers are notoriously a ranged spell attack or a ranged weapon attack that
neutral and abstain from the politics of the other deals cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, or radiant
warmage houses. damage, you can use your reaction to deflect the
Lancers derive their name from an ancient bolt. The damage you take from the attack is reduced
precursor to the pawn, a piece remembered only in by 1d10 + your Intelligence modifier + half your
early variants of chess. It is a relic from a forgotten warmage level (rounded down).
age, rife with symbolism.
IMPROVED SHOCK TROOPER
INTERCEPT TECHNIQUE Starting at 15th level, you can lunge up to 30 feet
Starting when you choose this house at 3rd level, you using your Shock Trooper feature. This movement
adopt the monastic principle of offensive protection. causes you to teleport through creatures and objects,
While you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield, blinking to the target in an instant. You can’t teleport
your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your into an occupied space.
Intelligence modifier. If you are under the effects
FLURRY OF SPELLS
of the mage armor spell, your AC equals 13 + your
Starting at 18th level, you can cast spells with
Dexterity modifier or your Intelligence modifier (your
superhuman speed. As an action, you can expend
choice). You can’t use a shield and gain this benefit.
a use of your Arcane Surge feature to cast three
HAND-TO-HAND ARCANA different cantrips that have a casting time of 1 action
Also at 3rd level, you learn the Lancers’ secret or 1 bonus action. You can’t use your Arcane Surge
unarmed combat technique, granting you the feature on any of these cantrips.
following benefits: Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again
• You can use Intelligence instead of Strength for the until you finish a long rest.
attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes.
170
House of Pawns House of Rooks
Warmage
By far the most prominent warmage house is that The clandestine members of the House of Rooks
of the Pawns. Warmages who join the House of make adept spies, assassins, and scouts, though
Pawns learn to stretch their skill with cantrips to its they might just as easily pick up jobs run by rogues
limits. Pawns can master any cantrip or trick known and brigands. In addition to their suite of cantrips,
to the other warmage houses, for they embody the Rooks are light on their feet and know a few tricks to
adaptability to which all warmages aspire. magically open doors in utter silence.
PROMOTION ROOK STRIKE
When you choose this house at 3rd level, you gain Starting when you choose this house at 3rd level, as
the adaptability of the quintessential warmage. a bonus action, you can gain advantage on the next
You learn one warmage trick of your choice, which attack roll you make on your turn. Alternatively,
doesn’t count against your number of warmage tricks you can impose disadvantage on a saving throw a
known. Additionally, whenever you learn a warmage creature makes against a warmage spell you cast
trick, you can choose a trick that has the House of before the end of your turn.
Bishops, House of Kings, House of Knights, or House Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again
of Rooks as a prerequisite, as long as you meet all of until you finish a short or long rest, or until you reduce
the trick’s other prerequisites. a creature to 0 hit points with a warnage cantrip.
ADAPTIVE ARCANIST RASP
Also at 3rd level, you learn to emulate the Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the knock spell at
spellcasting prowess of other warmages. When you will without expending a spell slot. When you cast
finish a short or long rest, choose one warmage the spell in this way, it has a casting time of 1 minute
cantrip. You learn this cantrip, which doesn’t count and the spell’s casting is completely silent.
against your number of cantrips known, until you
ARCANE ACROBAT
choose a different one with this feature.
At 7th level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to
PAWN STORM all Dexterity checks you make. Additionally, when you
Beginning at 7th level, if you target a creature with a fall and aren’t incapacitated, you can subtract up to
cantrip, that creature can’t make opportunity attacks 60 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage.
against you for the rest of the turn, whether you deal
FLEETING DECOY
damage with the cantrip or not.
Beginning at 10th level, as a reaction when you take
ADDITIONAL ARCANE FIGHTING STYLE damage from a creature you can see, you raise a
At 10th level, you can choose a second option from defensive illusion to protect you from further harm.
the Arcane Fighting Style class feature. You can't take Attacks made against you have disadvantage until the
the same Arcane Fighting Style option more than start of your next turn.
once.
ELUSIVE STEP
OPENING MOVE By 15th level, you’re extremely difficult to pin down.
Starting at 15th level, you can add your Intelligence If you move more than 15 feet on your turn, any
modifier to your initiative rolls. Additionally, when subsequent movement you make doesn’t provoke
you roll initiative and you aren’t surprised, you can opportunity attacks.
move up to your speed.
FLASH OF FEATHERS
FUNDAMENTAL MASTERY Starting at 18th level, you can cast the invisibility
Starting at 18th level, your magic always finds its spell once, targeting only yourself, without
way to your foes’ most vulnerable spots. Once per expending a spell slot or spell components. While
turn when you roll damage for a warmage cantrip, you are invisible, your speed is doubled, and you can
you can choose one damage die and treat it as having make one attack or cast one warmage cantrip without
rolled its maximum value. ending the spell.
Once you use this feature to cast invisibility, you
can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
171