Magus

A gnome wrapped in furs trudges through the howling wind and deep snow. A shadow falls over her and a horde of perytons swoops down, screeching at her but the gnome merely looks at them and grins. She splays her hands and three huge fireballs, a blast of cold air, and two bolts of lightning all fly from her into the monsters, who all fall dead at her feet.

A warrior staggers back from combat toward his elven ally. The elf grabs his arm and he feels several waves of energy flow through him making him, faster, stronger and tougher. He charges back into battle and the elf prepares to cast more spells.

Two magic users duel in a busy street. They face each other while the crowds watch in anticipation. One waves his wand and sends bolts of energy at the other but they are blocked by a magic shield followed by several spells cast all at once. The first magic user blinks in surprise before she is incinerated.

As sentient creatures explore the world and push at its limits they begin to stretch the weave of magic that fits into it. After many centuries of this the result is a weave that is thin in some places but stronger in others. The magus studies this warping and exploits it, utilizing the art of the maestrumancy, gaining the ability to cast many spells at once.

Maestrum Users

Unlike an ordinary spellcaster a magus does not use spell slots to channel their spells, rather they exploit warps and twists in the weave to cast many spells at once. To do this they must first build up their spells within a magical containment called a maestrum. As they add spells to these maestrums the maestrum becomes more and more powerful until it cannot contain any more, the magus can then activate it and all the spells are cast at once.

This ability to cast multiple spells at once can be devastating but the time required to build up to it can leave them vulnerable. As such while they may be more powerful than more orthodox spellcasters in the right circumstances, they must be much more careful in how they use their maestrums for risk of being overwhelmed by others’ more consistent spells.

Sages and Adventurers

Magi are similar to wizards in that they study magic in great detail but while wizards focus on spells magi focus more on the weave itself and how it affects spells and how spells affect it. This avenue of magic is far less broad than alternatives and mastery in it has very few practical applications. As such while magi may be just as intelligent and skilled as their fellow wizards they have a lot less versatility in the arcane arts.

This rarely matters much though since the main reason any magi takes up their path is for the overwhelming power and strength that it offers. Magi are rarely ever found pouring over scrolls and unlocking new magical secrets, instead they travel the world and battle hideous monsters with their great and powerful magic.

Creating a Magus

Becoming a magus is a difficult and grueling path of intensive study and constant practise that cumulates in explosive magical power. As you create your magus character consider what was it that made this end result so attractive to you. Do you seek arcane might to right some previous wrong, or to seek revenge against some former adversary.

What was it that got you through the countless hours of study and practise? Did you enjoy learning new mysteries about the wonders of the weave? Or did you loathe it, but find the end goal worth it in the end? Where did you receive this training and who did you receive it from? Magi are rare in almost any world and so how long did you have to search in order to find someone willing and able to teach you? Or perhaps you taught yourself these skills through research, an even more difficult path.

Quick Build

You can make a magus quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the sage background. Third, choose the fire bolt and mage hand cantrips, along with the 1st level spells mage armor, magic missile, and shield.

Class Features

As a magus you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per magus level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifer per magus level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: None
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Tools: None

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Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two skills from Athletics, Acrobatics, Arcana, History, Perception, Religion, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment in addition to the equipment granted by your background.

• (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
• (a) a quarterstaff or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• a crossbow with 20 bolts, and 2 daggers

Maestrumancy

Your time spent studying and practising arcane magic have allowed you to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spell casting and the end of this class description for the magus spell list.

Cantrips

You know two cantrips of your choice from the magus spell list. You learn additional magus cantrips at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips known column of the Magus table.

Maestrums

The Magus table shows you how many maestrums you have. When you cast a spell you do not expend a spell slot, rather you expend a maestrum. To expend a maestrum you must first cast the spell using its normal casting time and providing all its components, however when this happens the spell is not cast, instead it enters the maestrum and is contained there. You must maintain concentration on the maestrum, as if concentrating on a spell. You can add more spells to the maestrum in the same way as the first one as long as they can fit within its capacity (see maestrum size).

You can concentrate on these maestrums for as long as you wish however they otherwise obey all the rules for concentration. When your concentration ends, either as a result of outside stimuli or because you decide to end it (which you can do as a free action, even on another creature’s turn), all the spells stored within the maestrum are cast at the start of your next turn. You control how they are cast, in what direction, targeting what creature, etcetera. If you are incapacitated when the spells are cast they are cast targeting random targets but they do not target you or include you in their area of effect unless the spell has a range of self.

You can concentrate on one maestrum and one spell at a time and you can never concentrate on more than one maestrum until you reach 20th level in this class

You regain expended maestrums when you finish a short rest.

Maestrum Size

Your maestrums are all the same size and this size increases as you go up in levels, as shown in the maestrum size column of the Magus table. The size of a maestrum dictates how many spells can be put into it, how many spaces it has for spells. Each spell takes up a number of spaces in a maestrum equal to its level. For example a 1st level spell takes up 1 space, while a 2nd level spell takes up 2. For example if you have a maestrum with four spaces you can put four 1st level spells into it, or two 2nd level spells, or one 3rd level spell and one 1st level spell, or some other combination.

You can only cast spells of a certain level depending on your magus level, as shown in the max spell level on the Magus table. When casting spells through maestrums you are not using spell slots and so cannot increase the level of a spell as you would by casting it through a higher level spell slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 3 1st-level spells of your choice from the magus spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Magus table shows when you learn more magus spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level lower than or equal to your maximum spell level as shown in the max spell level column of the Magus table. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the magus spells you know and replace it with another spell from the magus spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for you magus spells, since your magic draws from your intense study and practise. 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 magus spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus (see chapter 5, "Equipment") as a spellcasting focus for your magus spells.

Arcane Scholar

Your studies into unexplored areas of magic have given you great insights into the many ways of casting spells. Select one cantrip from any spell list, that cantrip is added to your list of cantrips known and counts as a magus cantrip for you.

Eldritch School

At 2nd level you choose the way in which you utilise your magic and the spells you focus on. Choose Apothecary or War Caster, both detailed at the end of the class description. The school you choose grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 14th, and 18th level.

Rapid Spell

At 3rd level you are skillful enough to cast spells faster. When you add a spell to a maestrum and that spell has a casting time of 1 action, you can add it to the maestrum as a bonus action instead.

Once you use this feature you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Starting at 10th level you can do it twice between rests.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase two of your ability scores by 1 or one of your ability scores by 2. As normal you cannot increase any ability score above 20 using this feature.

Enhanced Maestrum

When you reach 9th level you gain the ability to enhance a maestrum and increase its size. As a bonus action you can increase the size of a maestrum you have not yet expended by 1.

Once you use this feature you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

When you reach 13th level you can do this twice between rests and can potentially increase the size of a maestrum by 2.

When you reach 15th level you can do this three times between rests and potentially increase the size of a maestrum by 3.

When you reach 17th level you can do this four times between rests and potentially increase the size of a maestrum by 4.

Unstoppable Magic

When you reach 20th level you gain the ability to concentrate on 2 maestrums at once.

Eldritch Schools

There are different schools of maestrumancy that approach it in different ways. The eldritch school you choose grants you additional abilities based on your approach.

Apothecary

An apothecary is a magus who focuses on supporting their allies and themselves while bringing about their enemy's demise through subtle means. They craft potions and drugs with which they infuse with potential magic power and can be powerful allies or terrible foes.

Arcane Elixir

When you choose this school at 2nd level you gain the ability to brew powerful potions and drugs. You gain proficiency with alchemist's supplies.

If you spend 1 hour in one place with alchemist's supplies you can craft a magical potion which functions as a maestrum. While crafting the potion you can cast spells and add them to it in the same way you would add them to a maestrum. If the spell's casting times exceed the brewing time of the potion the crafting time of the potion is extended to match them.

The potion is double the size of your normal maestrums and can hold extra spells because of this. When you create it you expend two maestrums. The potion retains its magic for 12 hours before it becomes useless. You can have two potions active at once, if you create another before one of the first two has been consumed the oldest one loses its magic and becomes useless.

While the potion retains its magic a creature holding it can smash the bottle as an action causing all the spells to target random creatures within their range. Alternatively a creature can drink it in which case all the spells target that creature.

Master Brewer

When you reach 6th level you can always craft your arcane elixir in 1 hour and any spells that extend its creation time have their casting times shortened to match it.

In addition you may have up to four potions active at once.

Potion Artisan

When you reach 14th level your mastery of potions extends to potions made by other people. When you see a potion you can instantly identify what it is and when you drink one that causes you to regain hit points you regain the maximum amount of hit points possible.

Perfect Crafter

When you reach 18th level choose two potions of rare or less rare rarity. If you spend ten minutes with your alchemist's supplies you can craft one of those potions without consuming anything.

War Caster

A war caster is a magus who uses their magic for the complete destruction of their enemies through any means possible. They do not mess about with crafting and brewing but simply rely on the power of their spells and the ferocity fo their maestrums to obliterate all in their path.

Empowered Maestrum

When you choose this school at 2nd level you can add one extra 1st level spell to each of your maestrums as long as that spell deals damage.

Battle Mage

When you reach 6th level your mastery in battle extends beyond just spells, you gain proficiency with light and medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.

Arcane Fury

When you reach 14th level you are inspired by the death of your enemies. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with an attack or spell you can cast a cantrip that deals damage as a reaction.

Invincible Combatant

When you reach 18th level you have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects, and resistance to the damage of spells.

In addition when you are hit by a weapon attack you can use your reaction to gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage against the triggering attack.

Magus Spells

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