The Magician V1.6

Magic, for most casters, comes from an external force. Wizards tap into the Weave, Warlocks have a pact, Clerics have Gods. True power, according to a magician, comes from within. Unlike other casters, a Magician’s power comes from within. Wielding the energy that holds their own life together, Magicians force their thoughts to become reality through sheer force of will. This path is not meant for the faint of heart, however. Often, this means that a careless magician attempting to perform magic they were unprepared, or otherwise not ready for, can be left withered or worse.

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PART 1 | The Magician

Class Features

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per magician level

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Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier

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Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per level after 1st

Proficiencies

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Armor: All Armor, Shields

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Weapons: Simple Weapons, Longsword, Rapier, Shortsword

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Tools: None

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Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence

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Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion

 

 

Equipment

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

(a) a rapier, (b) a longsword, or (c) any simple weapon

(a) chain mail and a shield, or (b) chain shirt and a shield

(a) an Adventurer’s Pack or (b) a Scholar’s pack

A gem of your choice worth 50 Gold

Energetic Casting

You’ve studied the workings of magic and how to cast spells, channeling the energy of life to produce works of wonder. To observers, your spells appear to happen simply by your say so. However, casting in this way is dangerous and draining to the energy your body needs to survive.

What’s in a Word

When you gain this feature, you choose an exotic language in which to be proficient. Regardless of the components listed in a spell, for you, the spell has only a verbal component, even if the spell did not list a verbal component originally. The verbal components of spells you cast must be vocalized in this language proficiency. If a spell lists specific components, those must still be provided, however.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Draining to Cast

Casting spells in this fashion costs your body the same amount of energy as performing the same feat would cost if done without magic. Both the benefit and the bane of this method is that these feats are performed all at once, rather than over an extended amount of time.

As a result, casting spells of too high of a level can leave a caster physically weakened, withered, or worse.

When you cast a spell, you take damage equal to a number of d6’s, determined by the level of the spell being cast. For example, casting a 2nd level spell drains you of 2d6 HP. Taking damage in this way does NOT cause a concentration check if you are concentrating on a spell.

If you cast a spell that drains your HP to 0, you must immediately make all death saving throws. If you die, the spell is automatically cast at 5th level, regardless of what level it had been intended to be cast at. If you survive, the spell fails.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level spells of your choice from the Magician Spell List The Spells Known column of the Magician table shows when you learn more Magician spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you can cast, as shown on the table. For instance, when you reach 5th 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 Magician spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Magician spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Caster’s Mark

All Magicians have a mark on their body in a location of their choice (normally the palm of the dominant hand). This mark aids with the channeling of energy, and glows slightly when magic is being cast. Holding something with this hand or otherwise covering the mark does not affect casting.

Psychic Fatigue

Even though you power your spells with the energy of your body, channeling still enacts a toll on your mind as well. Each time you cast a spell, you lose one point toward your psychic fatigue total. When your total hits 0, you are unable to cast more spells, regardless of your total HP at that point. Your Psychic Fatigue resets at the end of a long rest.

Because this fatigue is caused by the channeling of energy, and not the loss of energy itself, you still lose a level of psychic fatigue when you cast a spell in a way that does not cause you to take damage, such as with the Energy Gems feature.

Mental Strike

For a magician, their most basic skill is the ability to touch the minds of others. The most skilled magicians are able to harness this power into a seemingly unending deluge of mental pressure, resting control of the bodies of others or driving them insane. At 2nd level, you learn the Mental Strike Cantrip, the details of which are located at the bottom of this document.

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PART 1 | The Magician

 

 

Energy Gems

Skilled magicians are able to use gems of sufficient size and purity as a form of battery, from which they are able to deposit and withdraw energy, so as to not overexert themselves in a moment of immense need.

Also starting at second level, prior to taking a long rest, you may choose to deposit hp into a gem. In order to do so, a magician must take damage as though they are casting a spell. Instead of the spell taking effect, however, the magical energy is instead placed inside the gem. When casting a spell of the level stored in a gem you are in possession of, you can instead empty the gem and cast the spell without taking the damage that would normally be needed to cast the spell.

For example, prior to taking a long rest, Morzan chooses to take 2d6 damage and charge a gem with a 2nd level spell. The following day, he casts the spell burning hands, and empties the gem. The spell is cast, and Morzan does not have to pay the 2d6 HP for having cast the spell.

You may charge only a number of gems equal to your proficiency bonus, and a gem can only be charge with a spell slot based on its value, based on the following chart.

Gem Value	Spell Level
50gp	1st
100gp	2nd
500gp	3rd
1000gp	4th
5000gp	5th

At 17th level, you are able to fill 2 gems using energy stolen from living things around you during a long rest. Gems filled in this way cannot be charged with a spell above 3rd level.

Magician’s Brotherhood

At 3rd level, the differences between the various types of magicians becomes more evident. Choose a Magician’s Brotherhood to gain the features of at higher levels. Your choices are: Brotherhood of the Bound Ones, Brotherhood of Spirits, Brotherhood of the Tongues, or The Forsworn. All choices are explained at the end of the document.

Mind Breaker

Beginning at 5th level your ability to fight with blade and mind as one grows. When you deal psychic damage or land a melee attack, you deal additional psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Additionally, if you are wielding a one handed weapon and have nothing in your other hand, the energy from your caster’s mark allows you to deal an additional 1d8 psychic damage, as well.

Mental Fortitude

Your mastery over mind has steeled you to attempts others make to influence you. Additionally, you are able to enter the minds of your allies and strengthen their resolve.

At 6th level, as a bonus action, you are able to end one charm or frighten effect on yourself or an ally. Additionally, you gain resistance to psychic damage.

Passive Vigil

Upon reaching 10th level, your mind is no longer located only in your own body. You are able to use this fact to explore the world around you and check for danger.
If you have not already, you learn the spell Detect Thoughts. Additionally, you can cast it once per day without taking damage and without invoking psychic fatigue using this class feature. When cast in this way, it also does not require concentration.

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PART 1 | The Magician

 

 

Shared Burden

Your ability to touch the minds of others has grown to the capacity to allow for the use of the mental energy of others to be used in conjunction with your own in order to cast spells.
At 14th level, when you cast a spell, you can share the damage from casting it with a number of creatures equal to the level of the spell being cast. When you do this, you take ½ of the damage required, and the other ½ is shared equally among all participants of the spell.

You can do this only once per short or long rest.

Stolen Will

The domineering presence of your mind makes it such that you are now able to rip the energy needed to fuel a spell out of other living beings.

At 18th level, as part of casting a spell, you may choose a target to bear the burden that should be yours. This target must make an Intelligence saving throw against your spell save DC.

If the creature fails, it takes the damage required for the spell to be cast. If the target does not have enough HP to cast this spell, the remaining deficit is paid by you.

If the creature passed the save, the spell is still cast, but the damage is paid by you, instead.

You may use this feature once per long rest.

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PART 1 | The Magician

 

 

Magician’s Brotherhoods

Anyone can become a Magician, as the energy needed to cast spells is located in all living beings. However, the knowledge needed to learn these arts are closely guarded secrets known to the Brotherhoods. Each Brotherhood has a different specialty, meant to empower their magic in a specific way.

Brotherhood of the Bound Ones

The Brotherhood of the Bound Ones creates a powerful mental bond with a magical creature or entity as a way to strengthen both individuals. In addition to being able to hear the thoughts and feel the emotions of one another, the Magician and Bond are also able to share the load required to cast spells.

Kindred Spirits:

At 3rd level, you forge a bond with a magical creature or entity. When you choose this feature, you choose its general appearance. Your bond uses the following stat block. Your bond shares your initiative and acts immediately after you in combat.

Additionally, you may share the damage needed to cast a spell equally with your bond a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.

Additionally, you may choose one of the following three options for your bond:

Mount: Your bond can be used as a mount. It also gains an attack (Hoof or Claw, depending on the appearance of your companion). This attack has a reach of 5 feet, and deals 2d4+str+pb damage. The to hit bonus uses your PB. Additionally, your bond is able to wear barding.

Companion: It gains a magical attack that deals force damage and has a range of 60 feet. Its attack and damage is calculated the same as the mount’s attack. Additionally, you can choose for your familiar to be small. If you do, it also has a flying speed of 30 feet.

Soul: Your bond can move through walls as though they were not there. If it ends its turn inside of a wall, it takes 1d10 force damage and is pushed back to the nearest open space. Additionally, it gains 2 skill proficiencies of your choice. Your companion, regardless of the shape of its body, appears to be spectrally translscent.

Shape Offense:

At 5th level, the magic of your bond allows you to shape the abilities that growth would otherwise give your bond. Choose one of the following features for your bond to gain:

Elemental Breath: As an action, your bond now has an elemental breath attack that deals damage in a 15 foot cone.

It deals 3d8 damage, in an element matching the element that your bond is resistant to. A creature in this area may make a dex save, taking only half of the damage on a success. The DC for this save is the same as your spell save DC.
This feature may be used three times, and regains its uses on a long rest.

Force beam: As an action, your bond is able to exude a magical beam that deals 2d8 force damage in a 15 foot line.

A creature in this area may make a dex save, taking only half of the damage on a success. The DC for this save is the same as your spell save DC.

This feature may be used three times, and regains its uses on a long rest.

Soulcraft: Your bond imbues your weapon with elemental damage, causing it to deal an extra 1d8 damage of a type matching the damage type it is resistant to.

This effect lasts for up to a min, during which time your companion must concentrate as though concentrating on a spell.

This feature may be used once per long rest.

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PART 2 | The Brotherhoods

 

 

Defensive Growth:

Upon reaching 9th level, your bond’s abilities grow again. Choose one of the following abilities:

Bonded Protection: Your bond can, as a reaction, reduce the damage of an attack by 1d10 damage. In order to use this, the target for whom you are reducing damage must be within 5 feet.

Prophecy: Your bond can, as a bonus action, utter a cryptic prophecy that grants disadvantage to the next attack that targets a chosen creature.

Flying: Your bond gains a flying speed of 30 feet. If it already had a flying speed, it increases by an additional 30 feet.

Perfected Bond

At 13th level, prolonged mental contact with your bond has left a lasting impression on both parties. As a result, you and your bond always know the exact location of one another, and can communicate telepathically up to a mile away from each other. Even beyond this distance, you are aware of the other’s general emotional state.

Shared Lives

At 20th level, your life and the life of your bond are so entwined that the line where one being ends and the other begins no longer exists. You can now share the damage caused by casting spells an unlimited number of times per day.

Brotherhood of the Spiritualists

The natural world is rife with elemental spirits. Most of these spirits are more than content to mind their own, seemingly blind to the passage of time and the wants of mortals. The Magicians of this brotherhood, however, see these spirits for what they are: motes of mental energy, waiting to be used. Although some view the practice as distasteful, this brand of magician enslaves, in most cases, temporarily, these spirits in order to power their spells, avoiding the negative effects that they should normally be forced to bear for such castings. It should not be said, however, that these spirits are without protection of some kind. Rarely, the spirits are too powerful for the magician to dominate, and instead they wrest control of the magician, creating a powerful undead abomination, known as a shade, that can only be killed by piercing its heart.

Spirit Binding:

Beginning at level three, you are able to conjure elemental spirits and bind them to your will, forcing them to suffer the ill effects of casting.

You are now able to ritual cast Magician spells, so long as they have the ritual tag. When a spell is ritual cast, it does not count against your psychic fatigue, and you do not take damage for casting.

You learn the Find Familiar Spell

You are able to, up to a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, force your familiar to bare the burden of your casting. Doing so allows the spell to be cast without causing yourself damage, and dispels your familiar.
After the last use of this feature, your familiar cannot be resummoned until the end of a long rest.

Elemental Focus:

Starting at 5th level, you have forced a collection of elemental spirits to cling to you, and are able to draw on their power more readily. Spells of first level or higher that deal fire, ice, lightning, or thunder damage deal an extra d8 of that type.

Shifting Form:

At 9th level, you gain the ability to draw power from more hearty spirits, taking some of their defenses for yourself. As a reaction to taking melee damage, you may gain the effect of the spell blur until the end of your next turn. You are able to do this a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier. You regain all uses of this ability on a long rest. 6 PART 2 | The Brotherhoods

 

 

Sustaining Spirits

Beginning at 13th level, you no longer need to eat, drink, or sleep, as the energy you siphon away from the spirits is enough to sustain your body. Additionally, one of your elemental gems is filled by your spirits per long rest. The spirits will not fill a gem with a spell above third level.

Improved Binding

At 20th level, when you ritual cast a spell, you may fill an empty gem with enough energy to cast a first or second level spell, so long as filling the gem would not place you over your maximum allotted gems.

Brotherhood of the Tongues

The Tongues are magicians that dedicate themselves to the study of grammary, or the manipulation of words. Through careful wording of spells, Tongues are able to push their spells to do more work, or complete the same amount of work for less energy. Their command over language also makes them the most beguiling of magicians, with many also working as lawgivers and merchants.

Linguistic Command

At third level, your expert knowledge in the workings of your chosen language allows you to word your spells in a way that conserves energy. A number of times per long rest equal to your proficiency bonus, you can choose to take half of the damage needed to cast a spell.

Healing Chant

Beginning at 5th level, you are able to describe the exact forms of healing you wish your spells to impart. When you cast a healing spell, you may roll an additional d8.

Contingency Gem

At 9th level, when you fill a gem with energy, you may sing into the gem a contingency.
Upon filling a gem, you may state what spell you wish for it to cast, and under what conditions it is to be cast. The spell will be cast from the gem, without needing an action from the magician. In order to target an individual, that person must be in contact with the gem.

When cast in this way, concentration spells must still be concentrated on, as per usual concentration rules. Finally, it is up to the DM to determine if the condition for the casting of the spell has been properly met.

Sophist

At thirteenth level, you gain expertise in Persuasion, Intimidation, Deception, or Performance.

Name of All Names

Upon reaching twentieth level, you complete your magnum opus, discovering the Name of All Names. More So than any other word you may know from your chosen language, this word gives you command over reality. This word is, at the same time, all words and not a word at all.

By uttering The Name and imbuing it with your intentions, you may cause one of the following effects to happen:

Rend- You speak the Name at a creature as an action. It makes an intelligence saving throw. If it fails, any magical effect it has is immediately rendered inert.

Disenchantment- You speak the Name at a magic item as an action. It is treated as though it entered an antimagic field for 1 minute.

Counter- You speak the Name at a creature casting a spell as a reaction. The spell the creature was casting fails.

Disrupt- You speak the Name at a person capable of casting spells. They must make an intelligence saving throw. If they fail, they are unable to concentrate on spells for the next minute.

Empower- You invoke the Name as part of a casting of a spell. If the spell would cause a saving throw, all enemies have disadvantage on the saving throw, and all allies are spared from the effect. If the spell would cause an attack role, it is a critical hit.

You may use this trait only once, and regain the ability to do so once during a long rest.

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PART 2 | The Brotherhoods

 

 

The Forsworn

The Forsworn are not a Brotherhood. Rather, it is a catch-all term for any magician that does not belong to one of the others. As a result, The Forsworn are a discordant collection of criminals excised from the other Brotherhoods, solitary magic practitioners, sell swords, adventurers, disposed of Magician journeymen, and even shades. Without the relative protection that a Brotherhood grants, the abilities of The Forsworn, nonetheless, have solidified into a more or less unofficial cannon that is significantly more combat oriented than the Brotherhoods.

Mind and Blade

You are flawless in your ability to seamlessly swap between fighting with your body and with your mind. When you miss a melee weapon attack, you may use your bonus action to cast the cantrip Mental Strike. Additionally, you may choose to gain the benefits of either the dueling or defense fighting style.

Multiattack

Beginning at level 5, attack twice instead of once when you take the attack action.

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Drain Vitality

When you reach level 9, you gain the ability to heal yourself with magic.

In order to do this, name the healing spell you wish to gain the effect of, and make a melee spell attack against a creature. If the spell attack hits, the creature takes the damage you should have taken for casting a spell, and you are healed by the amount dictated by the spell.

You can use this feature only once per short rest.

Misery

When you reach 13th level, When you cast a spell from an energy gem, enemies within 5 feet of you must make an int saving throw or become frightened.

Shaded Secret

Without the guidance of a Brotherhood, you have sought the secrets other magicians fear, stealing for yourself the secrets to a shade’s power. At 20th level, if you die while you have energy stored in a gem, your body dissolves. It reforms in 1 hour at the location of the gem with as much hp as was stored in the gem (1d6/ spell level)

If you have more than one gem, you may choose which gem to reform at, and regain all of the stored HP across all of your gems. This does, however, cause all gems used to shatter.

Finally, you may store energy in an additional gem.

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PART 2 | The Brotherhoods

 

 

Magician Spells

1st level Spells

Absorb Elements

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Alarm

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Bless

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Burning Hands

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Catapult

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Charm Person

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Command

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Comprehend Languages

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Cure Wounds

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Detect Magic

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Divine Favor

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False Life

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Frost Fingers

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Grease

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Ice Knife

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Inflict wounds

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Jump

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Longstrider

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Magic Missile

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Magnify Gravity

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Shield

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Shield of Faith

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Sleep

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Thunderwave

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2nd Level Spells

Burning Sphere

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Blur

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Calm Emotions

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Continual Flame

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Crown of Madness

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Darkvision

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Detect Thoughts

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Dragon’s Breath

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Enhance Ability

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Flameblade

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Heat Metal

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Hold Person

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Magic Weapon

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Mind Spike

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Prayer of Healing

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Rime’s Binding Ice

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Scorching Ray

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Shatter

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Tasha’s Ming Whip

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Warding Wind

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Wither and Bloom

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Zone of Truth

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3rd Level Spells

Aura of Vitality

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Bestow Curse

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Counterspell

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Crusader’s Mantle

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Daylight

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Dispel Magic

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Fast Friends

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Feign Death

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Fireball

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Flame Arrows

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Glyph of Warding

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Haste

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Leomunds Tiny Hut

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Lightning Bolt

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Life Transference*

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Meld into Stone

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Remove Curse

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Revivify

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Slow

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Spirit Shoud

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Thunder Step

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Tongues

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4th Level Spells

Aura of Life

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Blight

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Death Ward

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Dimension Door

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Elemental Bane

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Charm Monster

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Confusion

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Fire Shield

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Freedom of Movement

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Ice Storm

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Raulothim’s Psychic Lance

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Storm Sphere

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Wall of Fire

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Watery Sphere

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PART 3 | The Spells

 

 

5th Level Spells

Cone of Cold

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Dominate Person

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Geas

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Hold Monster

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Immolation

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Modify Memory

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Synaptic Static

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Telekinesis

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Wall of Force

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Flame Strike

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Mass Cure Wounds

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Holy Weapon

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Destructive Wave

*Note about Life Transference and similar spells:

Spells where the casting of them, such as Life Transference, do not cause a Magician to take the damage normally needed to cast spells, aside from the damage listed in the spell’s effect. It does still cause Psychic Fatigue, however.

Mental Strike

Cantrip

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

60 feet, 1 target that you can see

Components:

V

Duration:

Instant

You reach out with your mind and attempt to dominate or otherwise drive your target insane. Make a spell attack against your target. If the attack hits, the target takes 1d8 psychic damage and had disadvantage on the next attack roll or saving throw it makes.

This spell’s damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8) and 17th level (4d8)

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PART 3 | The Spells

 

 

Magic Items

Belt of Beloth the Wise

Wondrous item, Legendary (requires attunement by a Magician)

While attuned to this item, your spell attack bonus, spell save DC increase by 3.

This belt has ten diamonds hidden around its circumference. A magician can take 1d6 damage to fill two of the gems with energy. When drawing energy from the belt, a magician may drain multiple gems to power higher level spells, according to the chart. A magician cannot use this belt to cast spells higher than what they would otherwise be able to cast. The belt, for the purpose of the energy gem feature, counts as a single energy gem.

Spell Level	Gems Needed
1	2
2	4
3	6
4	8
5	10

Additionally, you may spend the following amount of gems to cast the following spells:

1 gem: Shield

3 gems: Blur

5 gems: Counterspell

7 gems: Death Ward

9 gems: Wall of Force

Finally, if you are in possession of a Sword of the Battle Mage or a Fire Blade, that weapon also functions as a Vorpal sword.

Fire Blade

Any Sword, Very Rare (requires attunement by a Magician)

This blue sword has a gem embedded in the pommel. A magician can store up to 3 levels of energy in the pommel. Additionally, the magician get a bonus to attack rolls made with this weapon equal to their intelligence modifier.

Rather than being able to use the energy in the pommel to cast spells, the sword gains 1 charge for every level of spell the magician attempts to store into the blade. If the sword has at least 1 charge, it can be used to cast the cantrip Green Flame Blade an unlimited number of times.

The magician atuned to this sword can also cast the following spells from the blade by spending the denoted amount of charges:

Searing Smite: 1 Charge

Elemental Weapon (fire): 2 Charges

Additionally, when targeted by an effect that deals fire damage, the blade will attempt to cast Absorb Elements. If cast properly, the blade will gain one charge. If the blade gains more than 3 charges, however, it is treated as though it is under the effect of Heat Metal.

If it has more than three charges at the end of a short rest, it loses all charges above 3. This weapon does not count as an energy gem for the purpose of class features.

Sword of the Battle Mage

Any Sword, Uncommon, Rare, or Very Rare (requires attunement by a Magician)

The pommel of this sword has an energy gem capable of holding an amount of energy dependent on the rarity of the magic item, as shown in the chart. This gem counts as an energy gem for the purpose of class features.

Additionally, the magician get a bonus to attack rolls made with this weapon equal to their intelligence modifier.

Spell Level	Rarity
1st	Uncommon
2nd	Rare
3rd	Very Rare

Finally, magic of the sword allows you to get the additional psychic damage from the Mind Breaker class feature, even if you have a shield in your other hand.

Specific Swords

There exists a number of named swords wielded by specific legendary Magicians as well. These function as either a Fire Blade and a Sword of the Battle Mage, as well as Moonblade from the DMG. An example is below:

Zar’rok (Misery): This weapon has a blood red blade 3.5 feet in length and matching sheath. Both are marked with a matching symbol. The grip is wrapped with copper, and the pommel is set with a deep red gem. In addition to the properties of a Very Rare Sword of the Battle Mage, it grants a +2 to initiative rolls and scores a critical on a 19 or 20.

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PART 4 | The Treasure

 

 

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PART 5 | The Credits