Warmage

Warfare in the 'Verse weds arcana and technology across star systems. Coalition warmages field specialized blaster gauntlets that let them fire off spells automatically, in bursts, or as deadly beams.

Starting at 7th level, you are fitted with a neural implant, granting you unparalleled battlefield awareness. You can use an action to gain knowledge of the general lay of the land within a 1-mile radius of yourself. This knowledge only extends to surface-level or obvious features (natural or artificial) and doesn't detect creatures of any sort. Additionally, you have a +5 bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) score.

By 10th level, you can requisition magic items from the Coalition's armory for short-term use. When you finish a long rest, choose one of the following magic items, which is teleported to you: two attractor mines (which use your spell save DC), a dome projector, a gravity nullifier, a jetpack, a ring of spacewalking (which is attuned to you automatically), or a universal translator. This item remains in your possession until you finish a long rest, at which time it is teleported back to the Coalition's armory.

Starting at 15th level, your tactical uplink synchronizes you with your allies, granting you a decisive tactical advantage. While you are within 120 feet of an ally, you know the exact location of any creature that your ally sees. Additionally, you can use a cantrip to target a creature that your ally can see, as long as that creature isn't in cover from your ally's perspective. This cantrip is fired like a mortar, ricocheted off obstacles, or fired through thin barriers to hit its target.

At 18th level, you are granted access to the Coalition's vast fleet of orbital drones, which are teleported to your location. You can cast the spell orbital hardlight cannon without expending a spell slot or material components.

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

The House of Bishops adopts warmages with true arcane potential, expanding on essential magic principles with true spellcasting. Such warmages might be easily confused for wizards or sorcerers, for they don the same garb and wield many of the same spells, but the warmage focus on perfection still holds precedence over garnering a vast array of spells.

At 7th level, you learn the find familiar spell and can cast it as a ritual. The spell doesn't count against your number of spells known.

When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite.

At 10th level, your warmage spells deal double damage to objects and structures. Additionally, when you cast a warmage spell that requires a spell attack roll, you can cast it at up to double its normal range. If its target is beyond its normal range, you have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Starting at 15th level, when you cast a warmage spell that affects other creatures that you can see, you can choose a number of them up to your Intelligence modifier. The chosen creatures automatically succeed on their saving throws against the spell, and they take no damage if they would normally take half damage on a successful save.

At 18th level, you learn a powerful magical trick. As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend a number of spell slots with a combined level of 6 or more to regain an expended use of your Arcane Surge.

Warmages who join the House of Cards approach combat the same way they do games of chance, with high stakes, and calculated gambles. Each warmage of this house wields a special deck of cards tied to the very threads of fate, through which they can empower their magic with deft flurries of hands. However, while these warmages command incredible power, their magical surges are at the whims of the cards, and so they must make strategic, ingenious plays to master them.

At 7th level, you've mastered a very risky card trick using your Deck of Fate. On your turn, you can choose any number of cards from your hand and place them on the bottom of your deck (no action required), losing 2 hit points per card you chose. You then draw until you have five cards in your hand again.

At 10th level, you can use your bonus action to gain one of the following effects, chosen by the GM:

Beginning at 15th level, once on each of your turns when you draw a card from your deck as part of your Deck of Fate feature, you can declare a suit (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades) and check the top card of your deck. If you guessed the suit correctly, you can take the Dash, Disengage, or Use an Object action as part of the bonus action used for the feature.

Beginning at 18th level, you are a deckmaster. Whenever you would draw one or more cards from your deck, draw twice as many. Put half of the drawn cards on the bottom of your deck and the other cards in your hand.

Every warmage understands the importance of precision, but the House of Darts flaunts a competitive excellence when it comes to landing shots. Daggers, bolts of magic, and of course, darts are their weapons of choice, but they don't stop at mere bullseyes. A wide array of trick shots set these warmages apart from their contemporaries, even if they lack the grand strategies or discipline of the more martial colleges.

Beginning at 7th level, when you cast a cantrip that allows you to make multiple spell attacks, such as force weapon or magic daggers, you can use your bonus action to make one additional spell attack with that cantrip.

Starting at 10th level, as a reaction when an attacker you can see within 60 feet makes an attack against you or a friendly creature you can see within 30 feet of you, you can make a ranged spell attack using magic daggers to interrupt the attack. If the result of your roll is greater than the result of the attacker, you can reduce the attack roll targeting you by 5 (to a minimum result of 1).

At 15th level, you master the house's signature technique for recovering darts. Whenever you cast the magic daggers cantrip, you can replace one of your spell attacks with a special Vanishing Toss that embeds a magic dagger in an object you can see within range. You can use your bonus action to teleport to the dagger as long as you are within 500 feet of it.

The dagger disappears after 10 minutes or if you use this ability to throw another Vanishing Toss.

Beginning at 18th level, if you have recorded ten or more unique numbers using your Bullseye feature, you can use your action to clear all of your recorded numbers and throw a burst of darts. Each creature in a 60-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 1d8 force damage for each unique recorded number on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

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

The House of Dice throws out the warmage convention of meticulous, deliberate spellcasting in favor of wild, chaotic magic that presses the odds. Everything from their magical bursts to their enchanted sets of dice can fail horribly, so it's auspicious that they often keep their fingers on the scales of fate. These warmages have mastered not only a repertoire of cantrips, but also techniques to manipulate fortune itself, allowing them to risk everything, and more than often come out on top.

By 7th level, you can subtly cheat your dice. Once on each of your turns when you roll a d6, you can flip the die upside down. Note that on a balanced d6, the top and bottom numbers add up to 7, so you can determine the bottom number by subtracting the top number from 7.

Starting at 10th level, the winds of chance follow your die rolls, rather than vice versa. When you make an attack roll or ability check with disadvantage on your turn, you can attempt to invert fate as a bonus action. Expend a Die of Fate and roll it; on a 5, you ignore disadvantage on the roll, on a 6, you instead have advantage on the roll.

Beginning at 15th level, you can channel the chaotic energy of your dice in an instant. As a reaction when you take damage from a creature you can see, you can expend two Dice of Fate to make a Chaos Roll.

Starting at 18th level, when you roll initiative, roll a d6. You steal that many Dice of Fate back from the GM.

The renowned House of Go predates the other warmage colleges by centuries. Unlike its successors, the strategies pioneered by the House of Go focus upon formations and cooperation, rather than individual excellence. Which isn't to suggest that warmages of this college are anything other than brilliant strategists—they rival the House of Kings in this regard. Rather, the footsoldiers of the House of Go are greater than the sum of their parts, fluidly adopting motions to isolate and flank their foes.

Starting at 7th level, you can spend 10 minutes planning an encounter in exact detail. When you do so, you can share your plan with up to six allies within 30 feet of you who can hear or see you and who can understand you. Each ally that understands the plan can gain advantage on an attack roll or ability check it makes within the next 10 minutes. If an ally rolls initiative during this time, it can't use this feature to gain advantage after the end of the first round of combat.

Once you use this feature to make a plan, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Beginning at 10th level, while you are in a formation, any critical hit against you or an ally in your formation becomes a normal hit.

By 15th level, your formation moves as if your allies were links in a chain. Whenever you move on your turn, you can spend movement to allow willing allies in your formation to move to locations you choose. You must spend movement separately for each ally you wish to move.

By 18th level, you can play out the last few moves of the game in rapid succession. On your turn, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a warmage cantrip, you can cast another cantrip as a bonus action. You can apply Warmage Edge to this cantrip, even if you have already used it on your turn.

Warmages who train in the House of Kings specialize in tactics and strategy, learning age-old maneuvers to give them the edge in combat. Natural-born leaders, Kings work best with a cadre of supporters to perform their tactics and overwhelm the enemy. Moreso than all other warmages, those in the House of Kings treat life and death as little more than a game of strategy to be understood and conquered.

Starting at 7th level, you and each friendly creature within 120 feet of you that can see you ignores nonmagical difficult terrain..

Starting at 10th level, friendly creatures within 10 feet of you add your Intelligence modifier to their saving throws against spells and magical effects that deal damage.

At 15th level, you learn the following stratagem:

Beginning at 18th level, when you roll initiative, choose a number of friendly creatures up to your Intelligence modifier that can see or hear you. Each of the chosen creatures gains a battle die, without you having to expend any battle dice.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, damage roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it makes the roll before deciding to add the battle die, but must decide before the GM determines the roll's outcome. Once the battle die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one battle die from this feature at a time.

The House of Knights has a long and storied tradition of melding melee combat and swordplay with the warmage's simple spellcasting. Unlike other warriors, however, Knights carry neither swords nor shields into combat, for they can forge both out of magical force at a moment's notice.

Beginning at 7th level, when you cast a cantrip that allows you to make multiple spell attacks, such as force weapon or magic daggers, you can use your bonus action to make one additional spell attack with that cantrip.

Starting 10th level, you learn to forge a hardened magical barrier between you and your foes. As a bonus action on your turn, you can gain a number of temporary hit points equal to twice your warmage level, which last for 1 minute.

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

At 15th level, you can spend your entire movement to teleport up to half your speed to an unoccupied space you can see.

Starting at 18th level, you can summon a whirlwind of mystical weapons, striking at a legion of foes in a single swipe. As an action on your turn, you can make a melee spell attack against up to five creatures you can see within 30 feet of you, with a separate attack roll for each target. On a hit, a target takes force damage equal to 2d10 + your Intelligence modifier.

Warmages who join the House of Lancers are trained in fluid martial arts and meditative asceticism, melding the stoic discipline of monks with potent spellcasting. As such, they are unarmed elemental warriors, self-reliant and capable of feats unmatched by their peers. However, Lancers are notoriously neutral and abstain from the politics of the other warmage houses.

Lancers derive their name from an ancient precursor to the pawn, a piece remembered only in early variants of chess. It is a relic from a forgotten age, rife with symbolism.

Starting at 7th level, whenever you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution check, you can use your Intelligence modifier instead of the normal modifier.

Additionally, difficult terrain doesn't cost you extra movement.

By 10th level, you can deflect bolts of energy with your bare hands. As a reaction when you are hit by a ranged spell attack or a ranged weapon attack that deals cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, or radiant damage, you can use your reaction to deflect the bolt. The damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Intelligence modifier + half your warmage level (rounded down).

Starting at 15th level, you can lunge up to 30 feet using your Shock Trooper feature. This movement causes you to teleport through creatures and objects, blinking to the target in an instant. You can't teleport into an occupied space.

Starting at 18th level, you can cast spells with superhuman speed. As an action, you can expend a use of your Arcane Surge feature to cast three different cantrips that have a casting time of 1 action or 1 bonus action. You can't use your Arcane Surge feature on any of these cantrips.

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

Warmages who join the House of Lancers are trained in fluid martial arts and meditative asceticism, melding the stoic discipline of monks with potent spellcasting. As such, they are unarmed elemental warriors, self-reliant and capable of feats no monk or warmage could hope to match. However, Lancers are notoriously neutral in almost all matters, and stand apart from the politics of the other Houses.

Lancers derive their name from an ancient precursor to the pawn, a piece remembered only in early variants of chess. Remote monasteries still play using this ancient set of rules: a smaller board, fewer pieces, and lancers replacing the dutiful pawns. It is a relic from a forgotten age, rife with symbolism.

Starting at 7th level, whenever you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution check, you can use your Intelligence modifier instead of the normal modifier.

In addition, moving through difficult terrain no longer costs you additional movement.

By 10th level, you can deflect bolts of energy with your bare hands. As a reaction when you are hit by a ranged spell attack or a ranged weapon attack that deals cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, or radiant damage, you can use your reaction to deflect the bolt. The damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Intelligence modifier + half your warmage level (rounded down).

Starting at 15th level, you can lunge up to 30 feet using your Shock Trooper feature. This movement causes you to teleport through creatures and objects, blinking to the target in an instant. You can't end your movement in an occupied space.

Starting at 18th level, you can cast spells with superhuman speed. As an action, you can expend a use of your Arcane Surge feature to cast three different cantrips that have a casting time of 1 action or 1 bonus action. You can't use your Arcane Surge feature on any of these cantrips.

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

By far the most prominent warmage house is that of the Pawns. Warmages who join the House of Pawns learn to stretch their skill with cantrips to its limits. Pawns can master any cantrip or trick known to the other warmage houses, for they embody the adaptability all warmages aspire to.

Beginning at 7th level, if you target a creature with a cantrip, that creature can't make opportunity attacks against you for the rest of the turn, whether you deal damage with the cantrip or not.

At 10th level, you can choose a second option from the Arcane Fighting Style class feature.

Starting at 15th level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to your initiative rolls. Additionally, when you roll initiative and you aren't surprised, you can move up to your speed.

Starting at 18th level, your magic always finds its way to your foes' most vulnerable spots. Once per turn when you roll damage for a warmage cantrip, you can choose one damage die and treat it as having rolled its maximum value.

The clandestine members of the House of Rooks make adept spies, assassins, and scouts, though they might just as easily pick up jobs run by rogues and brigands. In addition to their suite of cantrips, Rooks are light on their feet and know a few tricks to magically open doors in utter silence.

Beginning at 7th level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to all Dexterity checks you make. Additionally, when you fall and aren't incapacitated, you can subtract up to 60 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage.

At 10th level, as a reaction when you take damage from a creature you can see, you raise a defensive illusion to protect you from further harm. Attacks made against you have disadvantage until the start of your next turn.

By 15th level, you're extremely difficult to pin down. If you move more than 15 feet on your turn, any additional movement you make doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

Starting at 18th level, you can vanish without a trace, slip behind enemy lines, and dive in for the kill. You can cast the invisibility spell once, targeting only yourself, without using a spell slot or spell components. While you are invisible, your speed is doubled, and you can make one attack or cast one warmage cantrip without ending the spell.

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