The Battle Mage

by Arizonaranger

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The Battle Mage

Battle Mage

Armed with nothing but a sword and a book a single solider kneels alone on a battle field surrounded by enemies. His foes lock eyes with him confident of his soon to be defeat but then with a gesture a brilliant flash of light shoots out from his hand turning two of them to dust. The man stands up longsword in hand brushing what not too long ago had been men off his shoulders. Screaming some unknown incantation the man stands up striking his sword down on one of the two remaining men causing him too vanish and finally as the last man runs for his life a single ball of burning hot fire shoots through the air and bursts forth through the last mans chest causing him to drop to his knees grab at his chest and fall. Once again the solider sits alone, beginning to run his hands through his spellbook he licks his fingers and turns the pages after all something in there could save his life.

Battle Mages embody both the determination of fighters and the lust for learning of Wizards combining both together to become both learned masters of combat and spellcasting, filling the battle field with swift clean cuts and enemies turned a cinder.

Students and Warriors

Battle Mages as their name suggests are mages bred for battle. They often learn the Arcane for one purpose and one purpose only and that is to use it to harm others that said the manner in which they harm others can shift from battle mage to battle mage some work as protectors taking work under royalty where their unique set of talents can be put to good use. Others find themselves fighting on the battle field where they collect the blood they need for some of their rituals. While a Battle Mage will forever be a student to a wizard and forever a grunt compared to a fighter their unique mix of both the arcane and the martial allows them to keep pace with masters of both when the time comes.

Fighting Spirit

Battle Mages despite the second half of their names belong in battle as their skills are often made for it so it is easy to find them to take on mercenary work even the most scholarly of them cannot resist a good fight as they see it as a chance to put their skills to the test and even gain some new ones. it is through this endless lust for skill and experience that they grow as powerful as they do.

Creating a Battle Mage

As you go through the process of creating a Battle Mage consider these questions; what lead you to to your interest in both the arcane arts and martial combat? Were you considered too frail to get by on your own god given strength? Perhaps you have a lust for power that you feel cannot be quenched by common training or maybe you began searching the arcane out of desperation in an uncertain time.

Work with your DM to determine what drives you and how this might affect the future in your adventuring career. Your drive to learn about the Arcane might send you into ruins of old where your martial abilities are tested. How do you keep track of the knowledge you gleam? perhaps you keep it all in your head or maybe you keep it in a spellbook like a wizard maybe you tattoo it across your body so that you may have access to your spells at any given time as you think it unwise to be caught unprepared consider these things as to how you can characterize your Battle Mage.

Quick Build

You can make a Battle Mage quickly by following these suggestions. First put your ability score in Dexterity, followed by Intelligence then Constitution. Second Choose the Sage Background.

Battle Mage                                                        spell slots per level
Level Proficiency Bonus Features Cantrips Known Spells Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st +2 Bound Weapon, Spell Casting 2 2 2
2nd +2 Arcane Strike 2 2 2
3rd +2 Arcane initiation, Arcane Recovery 2 3 3
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement, Arcane Versatility 2 3 3
5th +3 Extra Attack 2 4 4 2
6th +3 Adept Arcanist 2 4 4 2
7th +3 Arcane initiation Feature 2 5 4 3
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement, Arcane Versatility 2 5 4 3
9th +4 2 6 4 3 2
10th +4 Disorienting blow 3 6 4 3 2
11th +4 Magical Knack 3 7 4 3 3
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement, Arcane Versatility 3 7 4 3 3
13th +5 3 8 4 3 3 1
14th +5 War Magic 4 8 4 3 3 1
15th +5 Arcane initiation Feature 4 9 4 3 3 2
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement, Arcane Versatility 4 9 4 3 3 2
17th +6 4 10 4 3 3 2 1
18th +6 4 10 4 3 3 2 1
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement, Arcane Versatility 4 11 4 3 3 3 2
20th +6 Arcane initiation Feature 4 11 4 3 3 3 2

Class Features


  • Hit Dice: 1d10 per Battle Mage level
  • Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
  • Hit Points at Higher Levels: d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Battle Mage level after 1st


Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, Battle Axe’s, Flails, Longswords, Morning Stars, Rapiers, Short Swords, Tridents, War picks, War Hammers, Whips
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation and Religion


Equipment

You start with the equipment, in the following background:
(a) A Chain shirt and a shield or (b) Scale Mail
(a) A Longsword, (b) Two Simple Weapons
(a) A Spear (b) Any Simple Weapons
(a) A scholar's pack, (b) An explorer's pack


Bound Weapon

At 1st level you learn a ritual that creates a magical bond between yourself and one weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual and the weapon of choice cannot be a ranged weapon or have the heavy or two handed property, at the conclusion of the hour you touch the weapon and forge the bond with it, you may only bind yourself to up to two bound weapons at any one time if you attempt to bond with a third weapon, you must break the bond with one of the other two.


Once you have bound yourself to a weapon you gain the following benefits:

  • When you attack with a Bound Weapon you can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls.

  • You can use your Bound Weapon as a Spellcasting focus for your Battle Mage spells.

  • You can't be disarmed of that weapon unless you are incapacitated. If it is on the same plane of existence, you can summon that weapon as a bonus action on your turn, causing it to teleport instantly to your hand.

  • If you make a ranged attack with one of your bound weapons, it instantly returns to your hands provided it has the thrown property.

Spellcasting

As a student of both the arcane magics and martial technique you begin learning spells in downtime that compliment your combatant skills.

Cantrips

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the Battle Mage spell list. You learn an additional Battle Mage cantrip of your choice at 10th level and again at 14th Level.

Spell Slots

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


For example, if you prepare the 1st-level spell Shield and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Shield using either slot.


Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the battle mage spell list.


Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the Battle Mage spells you know with another spell of your choice from the Battle Mage spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Battle Mage spells, since you learn your spells through 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 Battle Mage spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Intelligence modifier modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast a Battle Mage spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your Battle Mage spells.

Arcane Strike

Starting at 2nd level, you can seamlessly weave your spellcasting and weapon strikes in unison. As a bonus action on your turn choose a Battle Mage spell of 1st level or higher, that you know, that you can perform the components for, that has a casting time of 1 action, a range other than self, that can affect a creature and expend a spell slot of a minimum level that the spell can be cast at.


The next creature you hit with your bound weapon and only that creature must succeed on a saving throw against the spell effect unless the spell is an attack roll in which case you ignore any disadvantage due to being within 5 feet of a hostile creature but otherwise roll to hit as normal. If the spell has any additional effects on the environment this is instead changed to the amount of spaces that the creature occupies unless this would exceed the radius of the original spell.


Whenever you use this bonus action and until you hit with a weapon attack you must hold concentration (as if concentrating on a spell). In addition to the normal requirements of concentration this also ends early if you would at any point be unable to perform the components of the spell. Then if the spell requires concentration you must continue to concentrate for the duration of the affect.

Arcane initiation

Most Battle Mages eventually stop dabbling in the arcane arts in the broad sense and instead choose a specialization focusing their time and energy into perfecting a specific school so that they may continue to perfect their martial talents in symbiosis. Now choose between the Evoker, The Abjurer or The Illusionist all detailed at the end in the class description. At 3rd level your subclass of choice grants you additional features and again at 3rd, 7th, 15th and 20th level.

Arcane Recovery

You have learned to regain some of your magical energy by focusing inward. Once per day when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than one-quarter your Battle Mage level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 4th level or higher.


For example, if you're a 8th-level Battle Mage you can recover up to two levels worth of spell slots. You can recover either a 2nd-level spell slot or two 1st-level spell slots.

Ability Score Imporvement

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.

Arcane Versatility

Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can do one of the following, as you shift the focus of your arcane practice:

  • Replace a Cantrip you know with another cantrip from the battle mage spell list.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover if you do so with your bound weapon you can cast one of your Battle Mage cantrips in place of one of those attacks.

Adept Arcanist

Starting at 6th level As a reaction when you fail to make a constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell you can give yourself a bonus to the roll equal to your Intelligence Modifier (minimum of +1) potentially turning a failure into a success.


In addition, whenever you are forced to make a saving throw against one of your spells known you gain a bonus to the save equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1).


You can use either of these abilities a number of times per day equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining the ability to use both of them upon the completion of a long rest.

Disorienting Blow

Starting at 10th level Whenever you take the attack action and hit a creature with a weapon attack it has disadvantage on any saving throw it makes against any spells you cast until the end of your next turn.

Magical Knack

Starting at 11th level you may not be able to cast many spells but you are more often than not acquainted with them whenever you see a spell cast within 30 feet of you you can use your reaction to roll intelligence (Arcana) to discern what level and school it is as well as its effects (DC = 10+ the spells level).


In addition you gain two exotic language proficiencies of your choice.

War Magic

Starting at 14th level on your turn whenever you take the attack action and critically hit or reduce a creature to 0 hit points you can use a bonus action to cast a spell.

The Evoker

Once a Battle Mage learns the basics of the arcane many choose to further enhance their training by specialising in the art of Evocation after all when one cannot cut through an enemy it seems fitting to simpily blow them up. While this is certainly not the path less travelled it is certainly one where many have reaped great rewards by expressing their explosive personality.


You learn additional spells as you gain levels as shown on the Evoker Spells table the following spells count as Battle Mage spells for you but don’t count against your Spells Known. If you already know one of these spells or wish to replace them more you may do so with another spell of the Evocation school of the same level from the Battle Mage or Wizard Spell lists.

Battle Mage Level Spells
3rd Burning hands, Chromatic Strike, Firebolt
5th Aganazzar's Scortcher, Scorching Ray
7th Fireball, Ashardalon's Stride
13th Elemental Bane, Fire Shield
17th Destructive Wave, Holy Weapon

Enhanced Cantrip

Starting at 3rd level Your martial training in the magic of Evocation has enhanced your Evocation spells and Cantrips you gain the following benefits.

  • Whenever you cast a ranged Evocation spell that requires an attack roll, being within 5 feet of a hostile creature no longer imposes disadvantage on the attack roll.

  • Whenever you hit a creature with an attack roll with an Evocation Cantrip, each creature of your choice within 5 feet of the target creature takes damage of its type equal to your Intelligence modifier (Minimum of +1).

Proficent Evocation

At 7th level whenever you cast an evocation spell choose a number of creatures equal to your proficiency bonus to automatically succeed on the saving throw and take no damage if they would normally take half.


In addition whenever you roll damage for an Evocation spell that you cast or are concentrating on, you can reroll any 1 or 2s.


Offensive Defense

At 15th level whenever you or an ally within 30 feet of you are hit by an attack you can use your reaction to cast a Evocation Cantrip.


To Destroy All That's Been Done

At 20th level as an action you can imbue yourself with the essence of Evocation choose one of the following damage types Acid, Cold Fire, Lightning, Thunder or Poison and for 1 minute gain the following Benefits:

  • You gain immunity to the chosen damage type.
  • Whenever you are hit with an attack the attacker takes 2d12 damage of the chosen type.
  • Whenever you make a melee weapon attack you add 2d12 damage of the chosen type to the damage roll.
  • Whenever you deal damage to a creature with the chosen damage type you bypass any resistance it may have.
  • Whenever you roll dice to determine the damage you deal with a Evocation spell you cast you treat any dice rolled as having rolled their maximum.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

The Abjurer

Sometimes called guardian angels much to the shagrin of clerics everywhere Abjurers operate as protectors on the battle field sending out shields to block Missiles and Auras that allow even the weakest solider to shake off otherwise mortal wounds. Abjurers are known for their calm loving demeanor but also unfathomable wrath at the sight of those who would dare hurt that is under their protection.


You learn additional spells as you gain levels as shown on the Abjurer Spells table the following spells count as Battle Mage spells for you but don’t count against your Spells Known. If you already know one of these spells or wish to replace them more you may do so with another spell of the abjuration school of the same level from the Battle Mage or Wizard Spell lists.

Battle Mage Level Spells
3rd Shield, Absorb Elements, Blade Ward
5th Aid, Lesser Restoration
7th Dispel Magic, Counterspell
13th Banishment, Aura of Purity
17th Greater Restoration, Circle of Power

Enhanced Cantrip

Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the Blade Ward cantrip as a bonus action. In addition whenever you cast it, for the duration of the spell you gain a +2 bonus to AC.


You can cast it as a bonus action a number of times per day equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.


Armor Bond

Starting at 3rd level you gain proficiency with heavy armor.


In addition as an Abjurer you have a special relationship with Armor it being an extension of your magic you are now able to bond with it in the way you bond with your weapons. As part of the same ritual you use to bond with your bound weapon you can also bond with a set of armor, this armor does not affect the amount of weapons you may bond with. Once bound with armor you gain the following benefits:

  • If the armor normally has a strength requirement, it lacks that for you.
  • The armor attaches to you and can’t be removed against your will.
  • You can conjure the armor onto your person, donning it instantly as you would with your bound weapons.
  • You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands.

Abjuring Reflexes

Starting at 7th level Whenever an ally within 30 feet of you that you can see is attacked or subjected to a saving throw, you can use your reaction to cast an abjuration spell on them provided the spell normally has a casting time of 1 reaction, expending the spell slot, potentially causing an enemy attack to miss or reduce the damage they take.

Guardians Respite

Starting at 15th level whenever you successfully remove a magical effect, prevent damage or reduce damage with an abjuration spell, you gain temporary hit points equal to the level of the spell slot expended + your Battle Mage level.

Bastion of Protectors

At 20th level you stand tall as a true guardian of all. As an action you can give yourself resistance to all damage for 1 minute in addition, you can cast the Shield spell at-will, including as part of your Abjuring Reflex’s feature.

The Illusionist

Illusionists are known for nothing but their deceptive nature and due to this are seldom found on battle fields rather they tend to operate in the shadows along with rogues operating as spies or investigators where their skills of deception are best put to use either keeping secrets from others or finding out said secrets they walk with a vague aura of mysteriousness as having a Battle Mage of illusion on your side can often make you ask if they are on your side at all.


You learn additional spells as you gain levels as shown on the Illusionist Spells table the following spells count as Battle Mage spells for you but don’t count against your Spells Known. If you already know one of these spells or wish to replace them more you may do so with another spell of the illusion school of the same level from the Battle Mage or Wizard Spell lists.

Battle Mage Level Spells
3rd Disguise Self, Silent Image, Minor Illusion
5th Invisibility, Phantasmal Force
7th Major Image, Fear
13th Greater Invisibility, Staggering Smite
17th Mislead, Dream

Practiced Deceptor

You gain proficiency in the Deception skill. In addition you can use your intelligence modifier instead of charisma when attempting to Deceive or Persuade someone about something that isn’t true or to avoid having you tell the truth when prompted.

Enhanced Cantrip

You gain new ways to use the minor illusion cantrip. When you cast the spell you can target a creature within 5 feet of the illusion to make a intelligence saving throw vs your spell save DC on a failure choose one of the following effects:

  • The creature is frightened until the end of its next turn.

  • An ally within 5 feet of it can use its reaction to make one weapon attack against the target.

Duplicity

Starting at 7th level You add your intelligence modifier to your initiative and Whenever you roll initiative you can create 3 illusionary duplicates of yourself causing attack rolls against you to be made with disadvantage, whenever a duplicate successfully causes an enemy to miss it vanishes.


You can use this feature a number of times per day equal to your intelligence modifier regaining the ability to do so on a long rest.


In addition whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack it has disadvantage on checks or saves to perceive things as illusions until the start of your next turn.

Tricksters Strike

Starting at 15th level while within 5 feet of an illusion you cast that the target creature believes to be real you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature and deal an additional 2d6 physic damage on a hit.


Master of Illusion

At 20th level you can cast the following spells at will: Disguise Self, Invisibility, Major Image, Greater Invisibility as if you had expended a 5th level spell slot to cast them provided you have not removed them from your spells known.


Your illusions appear real to physical interaction, requiring a successful intelligence (investigation) check against your spell save DC to believe otherwise.


If you begin your turn in combat with no duplicates from your duplicity feature you regain one duplicate.

Spell List

Cantrips (0 level)
  • Acid Splash
  • Blade Ward
  • Booming blade
  • Chill touch
  • Control Flames
  • Create Bonfire
  • Dancing Lights
  • Firebolt
  • Flaming Burst (HB)
  • Friends
  • Frostbite
  • Green-flame blade
  • Mage hand
  • Maddening Slash
  • Mind Sliver
  • Minor Illusion
  • Poison Spray
  • Prestidigitation
  • Shocking Grasp
  • Sword Burst
  • Thorn Whip
  • Thunderclap
  • Toll the Dead
  • True Strike
1st level Spells
  • Absorb Elements
  • Burning hands
  • Catapult
  • Charm Person
  • Chromatic Orb
  • Chromatic Strike (HB)
  • Comprehend languages ®
  • Detect Magic ®
  • Earth Tremor
  • Expeditious Retreat
  • False Life
  • Feather Fall
  • Find Familiar ®
  • Frost Fingers
  • Ice Knife
  • Identify ®
  • Jim’s Magic Missile
  • Mage Armor
  • Magic Missile
  • Searing Smite
  • Shield
  • Thunderwave
  • Wrathful Smite
  • Witch Bolt
2nd Level spells
  • Animated Weapon (HB)
  • Agarazzars Scorcher
  • Branding Smite
  • Blindness/Deafness
  • Blur
  • Dragon’s Breath
  • Enlarge/Reduce
  • Flying Weapon (HB)
  • Hold Person
  • Invisibility
  • Kinetic Jaunt
  • Magic Weapon
  • Maximilian's Earthen Grasp
  • Melf’s Acid Arrow
  • Misty Step
  • Mirror image
  • Rime’s Binding ice
  • Scorching Ray
  • Shadow Blade
  • Shatter
  • Snilloc's Snowball Storm
  • Tasha’s Mind Whip
  • Web
3rd Level spells
  • Ashardalon's Stride
  • Bestow Curse
  • Blinding Smite
  • Blink
  • Counterspell
  • Dispel Magic
  • Elemental Weapon
  • Erupting Earth
  • Fear
  • Fireball
  • Fly
  • Haste
  • Hypnotic pattern
  • Lightning Bolt
  • Leomund's Tiny Hut ®
  • Protection From Energy
  • Phantom Steed ®
  • Slow
  • Spirit Shroud
  • Thunder Step
  • Tidal Wave
  • Water Breathing
4th level spells
  • Banishment
  • Blight
  • Charm Monster
  • Confusion
  • Death Ward
  • Dimension Door
  • Elemental bane
  • Fire Shield
  • Greater Invisibility
  • Staggering Smite
5th level spells:
  • Animate Objects
  • Banishing Smite
  • Contact other plane
  • Danse Macabre
  • Dawn
  • Destructive Wave
  • Hold Monster
  • Holy Weapon
  • Legend Lore
  • Steel Wind Strike

Supplemental Spells

Animated Weapon

2nd Level Transmutation


Casting time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, M (A weapon worth at least 1 sp)
Duration: 1 minute (Concentration)


You touch a weapon and imbue it with partial sentience. The weapon gains the flying sword stat block but deals an amount of damage consistent with the weapons type if the weapon is magical it also ignores resistance to non-magical damage and causes any magic based effects to take place that would happen as if you had attacked with the weapon so long as they do not require you to use any actions.


The weapon takes its turn immediately after yours and lasts until the spell ends or until it loses all it's hit points at which point it falls to the ground as an object. On its turn it can use an action to communicate information with you giving you provided it has said information, the information it can relay is not complex and is given to you via vibrations that the sword makes such as using it's blindsight to tell you where nearby enemies are removing the disadvantage you have against them for that round.


While within your grasp the sword isn't treated as a flying weapon and is instead treated as an object. The sword can return to your grasp as a bonus action on its turn immediately teleporting to you.


Classes: Wizard, Battle Mage

Chromatic Strike

1st level Evocation


Casting time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Components: S,M (A weapon worth at least 1sp)
Duration: 1 minute (Concentration)

You touch a weapon and imbue it with elemental energy You choose between acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder for the damage type. For the duration of the spell whenever you hit with the weapon the weapon deals an additional 1d4 damage of the chosen type.


The spell ends early if you drop the weapon or are disarmed for any reason.


Classes: Artificer, Wizard, Battle Mage

Flaming Burst

Evocation Cantrip
Casting time: 1 action
Range: 5 feet
Duration: Instantaneous


You choose a creature or object within 5 feet of you to make a Dexterity saving throw, on a failure they take 1d12 fire damage.


At Higher Levels: Starting at 5th level the damage delt by this cantrip increases to 2d12, 3d12 at 11th level and 4d12 at 17th level.


Classes: Artificer, Wizard, Battle Mage

Flying Weapon

2nd level transmutation
Casting time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Components: V,M (A weapon worth at least 1 sp)
Duration: 1 minute (Concentration)


You touch a weapon and cause small angelic wings to appear on its sides, for the duration of the spell the weapon has the thrown property with a range of 60/120. In addition after you throw the weapon and after you hit or miss a creature the weapon instantly flies back into your hand allowing you to make another attack provided you can make multiple in a turn with the attack action.


Classes: Artificer, Wizard, Battle Mage


Maddening Slash

Enchantment Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (5-foot radius)
Components: S, M (a melee weapon worth at least 1 sp)
Duration: 1 round
You brandish the weapon used in the spell’s casting and make a melee attack with it against one creature within 5 feet of you. On a hit, the target suffers the weapon attack’s normal effects and has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than the attacker until the start of its next turn.

Classes: Wizards, Artificers, Battle Mage

Credits

Written/Art by Mjoyze / Anunqualifiedhuman


Criticsm/Editing/Suggestions Old Gus,


Special Thanks too The people of r/dndnext who gave a number of useful criticism on early drafts.

 

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