Wizard: Ancient Magicks
A wizard subclass by DragonZaid.
The Second Age saw a vast region of Gielinor conquered by Zaros and his armies. Among the most significant of his military forces were his mages. These wizards wielded the power of the Ancient Magicks, a combat-oriented study of magic consisting of the ancient elements of blood, ice, shadow, and smoke. When Zaros was defeated and his followers hunted down and exterminated, the knowledge to wield these elements was nearly lost. However, a few ancient texts and immortal beings have managed to survive to pass down their knowledge to capable wizards willing to learn from them and harness the Ancient Magicks once again.
Ancient Power
At 2nd level, you've begun to learn the secrets of the ancient magicks. You have a pool of points, Ancient Power, representing your ability to manipulate the four elements of ancient magicks. You have a number of Ancient Power equal to your Intelligence modifier. You can expend 1 Ancient Power to use one of the following abilities:
- Blood Blitz. When you deal necrotic damage with a spell of 1st level or higher, you regain hit points equal to twice the spell's level.
- Ice Blitz. When you deal cold damage with a spell of 1st level or higher, you can chill a target with magical ice. Choose one creature targeted by the spell that failed its saving throw or that was hit with a spell attack. The creature's speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the spell already reduces the target's speed, the speed reduction is increased by 10 feet.
- Shadow Blitz. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that inflicts the blinded condition, creates magical darkness, or creates an illusion, you can cause shadows to linger in a nearby creature's vision. Choose a creature within an area affected by the spell, that is targeted by the spell, or that is within 30 feet of you. The next time that creature makes an attack roll, it must roll a d6 and subtract the number rolled from the attack roll.
- Smoke Blitz. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that deals poison damage, inflicts the poisoned condition, or creates an area that is heavily obscured by something other than darkness (such as fog cloud), you can buffet a creature with toxic smoke to inflict lingering damage. Choose a creature within an area affected by the spell, that is targeted by the spell, or that is within 30 feet of you. The creature takes 1d6 poison damage at the start of its next turn.
You regain any expended Ancient Power after you finish a long rest.
Alter Element
At 6th level, you've learned to channel spells into the ancient elements. When you cast a spell that deals acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder damage, you can change its damage type to cold, necrotic, or poison. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, and regain all uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Improved Techniques
Also at 6th level, you've improved upon the basic ancient magicks techniques through study and practice. You gain the following features:
- When you use Blood Blitz, you can also impede outside influences to your victim's lifeforce. Choose one creature targeted by the spell that failed its saving throw or was hit with a spell attack. The creature can't regain any hit points until the start of your next turn.
- When you use Ice Blitz, instead of slowing a creature, you can cause it to be restrained by ice until the start of your next turn.
- When you use Shadow Blitz, the creature also suffers a -2 penalty to their AC until the start of your next turn as shadows hinder its ability to see incoming attacks.
- The poison damage you deal with Smoke Blitz ignores resistance. When you use Smoke Blitz, the targeted creature becomes poisoned until the start of your next turn. If it was already poisoned, the poison damage it takes at the start of its next turn increases to 2d6.
Burst Spells
At 10th level, your ancient magicks have grown potent enough to affect multiple creatures at once. When you use Blood Blitz, Ice Blitz, Shadow Blitz, or Smoke Blitz, you can impose the feature's negative effects on another creature within 15 feet of the original target of the feature. If the second creature didn't fail a saving throw or get hit with a spell attack, it must make a Constitution saving throw, avoiding the effect on a success.
You can use this feature once, after which you must expend 1 Ancient Power (in addition to the original cost of the Blitz feature) to use it again.
Barrage Spells
At 14th level, you've improved the reach of your ancient elements even further. When you use your Burst Spells feature, you can target two additional creatures instead of one.
Might of Zaros
Also at 14th level, your command of the ancient elements has climaxed. Your pool of Ancient Power increases to twice your Intelligence modifier, and you gain the following features:
- When you use Blood Blitz, you can spend 1 additional Ancient Power to increase the number of hit points you regain to four times the spell's level.
- When you use Ice Blitz, you can spend 1 additional Ancient Power to encase the target in a solid block of ice. Instead of being restrained, the target is petrified. The ice thaws and the target returns to normal at the end of your next turn.
- When you use Shadow Blitz, you can spend 1 additional Ancient Power to cause shadows to linger on the target for a longer time. The target's AC is reduced and it suffers the penalty to the first attack roll it makes on each of its turns for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the target makes a Wisdom saving throw, ending the effect on a success.
- When you use Smoke Blitz, you can spend 1 additional Ancient Power to buffet the target with smoke for a longer time. The target takes the poison damage at the start of each of its turns and is poisoned for the next 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the target makes a Constitution saving throw, ending the effect on a success.
