Spellbound Steel

Also at 1st level, you can conjure metal weapons and armor with a thought. As a bonus action, you can create a one-handed simple or martial melee weapon, summoning the metal out of thin air. As an action, you may use it to make a melee spell attack, dealing the weapon's damage + your Charisma modifier on a hit.

You can use this summoned weapon as a spellcasting focus for your sorcerer spells. The weapon disappears if you let go of it or become incapacitated.

Sword and Sorcery

At 6th level, your connection to your weapon allows you to seamlessly interweave spellcasting and combat. When you use your action to attack with your Spellbound Steel weapon, you can make two attacks.

Additionally, when you cast a spell, you can expend one sorcery point to make one Spellbound Steel attack as a bonus action.

Steel-Edged Spells

Also at 6th level, you gain further mastery over your metallic magics. When you cast a ferromancy spell that deals damage, you can choose to deal bonus damage to one target equal to your Charisma modifier.

Additionally, when you cast a non-ferromancy spell that deals damage, you can expend 1 sorcery point to change all the spell's damage to your choice of piercing or slashing and treat the spell as if it had the ferromancy tag.

Quicksteel Coating

At 14th level, your magic summons armor plating to help defend you against your foes. The first time after every long rest that you expend a sorcery point, you gain temporary hit points equal to your sorcerer level. While you have these temporary hit points, your armor class is increased by 3. If these temporary hit points are depleted, you can restore them as a bonus action by expending 3 sorcery points.

Heart of Iron

At 18th level, your command over iron and steel reaches legendary heights. You gain the following benefits:

• When you use your action to attack with your Spellbound Steel weapon, you may expend 1 sorcery point to make a third attack.
• Anytime you deal piercing or slashing damage, you may reroll any 1's or 2's on the damage dice one time. You must use the new roll.
• You gain a +2 bonus to your armor class.

Ironheart Origin quirks

The following are some optional quirks for a player of this subclass to choose from.

Appendix 1: Spell Sources

Spells used are available in these collections, all of which are free to use and reference for any purpose.

• Spells That Don't Suck is a set of spells by Omega Ankh and somanyrobots, creating replacements for problematic spells contained in first-party WotC materials. These are marked with ^SDS.
• So Many Spells is a set of wholly original spells written by somanyrobots. These are marked with ^S.
• Kibbles' Casting Compendium is the complete set of spells written by KibblesTasty. These are marked with ^K.

Appendix 2: Metal Spells

The following spells can be considered to have the ferromancy tag.

Appendix 3: New Spells

Blade Mirage

1st-level illusion (ferromancy)

• Classes: Bard, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (a melee weapon worth at least 1 sp)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.

You twist illusions around a melee weapon you are holding. When you cast the spell, and on each subsequent turn for the duration as a bonus action, you can create feinting blows with the illusory copies of your blade, distracting your target and giving you advantage on the next weapon attack against that target before the end of your turn. The spell ends early if you let go of the weapon you cast it on.

As an action, a creature that can see you can make an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. On success, you no longer gain advantage from using the illusionary blades when making a feint against that creature, rendering the spell impotent against that creature.

Conjure Weapon

2nd-level conjuration (ferromancy, ritual)

• Classes: Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (an empty scabbard)
• Duration: 1 hour

You conjure worked steel in the shape of a weapon. The conjured weapon has all the properties of any weapon you choose. It counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. If you select a weapon with the ammunition property, you can produce up to 5 pieces of ammunition for it.

Incandescent Blade

7th-level evocation (ferromancy)

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (a nonmagical dagger or sword, which is consumed)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You take hold of a small sword, and turn it into an enormous white-hot blade of glowing metal. The sword gives off dim light in a 20-foot radius, and an overwhelming heat that deals 2d6 fire damage to all other creatures starting their turns within 5 feet of you.

While wielding the sword, you can use your action to make a melee spell attack against one or two adjacent creatures within 10 feet, dealing 3d8 fire and 3d8 slashing damage on a hit. Alternately, you can use your action to attempt to impale one creature within 15 feet. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take 6d8 fire and 6d8 piercing damage. If this reduces them below 30 hit points and they are not immune to fire damage, they are incinerated, dying instantly and turning to ash. After attempting to impale a creature in this way, the spell ends.

Infernal Shackles

2nd-level conjuration (ferromancy)

• Classes: Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a link from a chain burned in a fire that killed at least one creature)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Chains of burning black iron spring from the ground and attempt bind a creature you can see within range. The target creature must make a Strength saving throw. On failure, it takes 3d6 fire damage and its movement speed is reduced to zero for the duration of the spell. On success, they take half as much damage and are not bound.

At the end of each of their turns, the target repeats its saving throw. On a success, the chains broken and the spell ends for that target. On a failure, it remains bound and takes an additional 2d6 fire damage as it is seared by the chains.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell with a 3rd level spell slot or higher, you can target an additional creature for each spell slot level above 2nd.

Iron Garden

4nd-level transmutation (ferromancy)

• Classes: Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (20-ft. radius)
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous

Iron spikes lance upwards from the ground in all directions around you, impaling creatures within 20 feet of you. Creatures in the target area must succeed a Dexterity saving throw, or take 6d8 piercing damage, and their movement speed drops to zero until the end of their next turn. On a success, they take half as much damage, and their movement speed is not reduced to zero.

Until the start of your next turn, when a creature moves into or within the area, it takes 1d8 piercing damage for every 5 feet it travels. At the start of your next turn, the spikes rust away to dust.

At Higher Levels. When cast with a 5th level or higher spell slot, the initial damage increases by 1d8 for each level spell slot level above 4th.

Flashdaggers

1st-level conjuration (ferromancy)

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous

You summon a spray of knives, hurling them at a creature you can see within range. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 5d4 piercing damage on a failure or half as much on a success.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 2d4 per slot level above 1st.

Keen Weapon

1st-level transmutation (ferromancy)

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 15 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You point at a metal weapon and magically enhance its sharpness or hardness. Until the spell ends, the target weapon deals an extra 1d4 damage of its damage type on a hit.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the spell can target an additional weapon for each two slot levels above 1st.

Lead to Gold

3rd-level transmutation (ferromancy)

• Classes: Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a quantity of base metal worth up to 10gp)
• Duration: 1 hour

You reshape a quantity of base metal, transforming it into valuable gold. You can transform up to 10 gp worth of base metal into a quantity of gold worth ten times as much. The metal's general form does not change. After the spell ends, the metal returns to its original material.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the spell's duration increases by 1 hour per level above 3rd. If cast with a 9th-level spell slot, the duration is permanent.

Liquid Armor

2nd-level conjuration (ferromancy)

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a small steel plate)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You touch a willing creature, and immediately create a flowing layer of steel over its skin. The target's AC can't be lower than 16, and they have resistance to the next 2 instances of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage they suffer. Once all these instances are spent, the spell ends.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the target is resistant to 1 more instance of damage for each slot level above 2nd.

Molten Shard

3rd-level conjuration (ferromancy)

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 90 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous

You summon a white-hot piece of metal and hurl it towards a creature you can see within range. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 2d8 piercing and 2d8 fire damage, and the shard embeds itself in the target's flesh. While the shard is embedded, the target makes all its attacks at disadvantage, and takes an additional 1d8 fire damage at the end of each of its turns. Any creature within 5 feet can remove the shard by succeeding on a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

Quicksilver Lash

3rd-level conjuration (ferromancy)

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (several droplets of quicksilver)
• Duration: Instantaneous

You transform a few drops of quicksilver into a massive whip, striking out at your enemies. Make a melee spell attack against a creature within range. If the attack hits, the target takes 6d8 slashing damage, and a Large or smaller target must make a Strength saving throw. If they fail the saving throw, you can pull them toward you up to 30 feet and knock them prone.

Shape Metal

Transmutation cantrip (ferromancy)

• Classes: Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 minute

You rest your hand on a Tiny or Small metal object and alter its properties. You can manipulate it in one of the following ways:

• You alter its weight, reducing or increasing it by up to half.
• You alter its appearance. You can make it look like any other metal, adjust how reflective it is, and make minor changes to its texture.
• You alter its form, bending or stretching it up to half its length.
• You enhance its malleability, granting advantage to attempts to craft or sculpt it while you maintain this effect.
• If it is a blade, you sharpen or dull its edge, increasing or reducing its next damage roll by 1 point.
• You can harden an object, increasing its hit points by your level.

After 1 minute, or as soon as you cast the spell again, the object returns to normal.

Shard Rain

7th-level conjuration (ferromancy)

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 120 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a handful of gold slivers)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You create a terrible storm of jagged metal, raining down in a 100-foot-high column with a 30-foot radius. Every creature within the area of effect must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 9d8 piercing damage on a failure or half as much on a success. If a Large or smaller creature fails by 5 or more, they are pinned to the ground, becoming restrained. Any creature within 5 feet can use their action to pull the shard free, attempting a Strength (Athletics) check against your spell save DC and freeing the target on a success.

Silver Wind

4th-level conjuration (ferromancy)

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a small silver mirror)
• Duration: Instantaneous

You summon a hail of silver needles at a point within range, flinging them in a direction of your choice. The needles form a line 5 feet wide and 30 feet long. All creatures within their path must make a Dexterity saving throw, suffering 6d8 piercing damage on a failure or half as much on a success. Shapechangers and other creatures susceptible to silver have disadvantage on this saving throw, and on a failure, cannot change their form until the end of their next turn.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the spell's damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th.

Steelskin

6th-level abjuration (ferromancy)

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a handful of steel shavings)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You touch a creature and transmute their skin into a fine layer of worked steel. Until the spell ends, the target's armor class can't be lower than 19, and they have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. At the start of each of the target's turns, they gain 10 temporary hit points.

Unburden

1st-level transmutation (ferromancy)

• Classes: Inventor
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 hour

A creature you touch no longer suffers the penalties to movement speed or to their Dexterity (Stealth) checks from wearing medium or heavy armor, and is no longer encumbered from carry weight unless they are carrying more than twice the weight that would encumber them.

Vorpal Weapon

5th-level transmutation (ferromancy)

• Classes: Inventor
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a weapon worth at least 1 cp)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You touch a weapon and imbue it with power. Until the spell ends, the weapon becomes indescribably sharp, ignoring resistance to slashing damage, and gains the Siege property, dealing double damage to inanimate objects such as structures. If a weapon has a modifier of less than +3 to attack and damage rolls, its modifier becomes +3 to attack and damage rolls for the duration of the spell.

Additionally, if a critical strike of this weapon would leave a creature with less than 50 hit points, the target creature is decapitated, killing it.

Whirling Daggers

2nd-level conjuration (ferromancy)

• Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a shard of metal)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
• Replaces: Cloud of Daggers

You fill a 5-foot-diameter sphere with whirling daggers in a space of your choice within range for the duration. A creature takes 4d4 slashing damage when it enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there.

As an action, you can cause the daggers to point and shoot at a creature within 30 feet of the sphere. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, targets take 4d4 piercing damage, or half as much damage on a miss. Hit or miss, the spell ends.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 2d4 for each slot level above 2nd.

Change Log