Warmage | Base Class

Waving a black-and-red checkered banner, a dragonborn king charges into the fore. At his sides are Warmages of all houses, a chessboard of elite arcanists, poised to turn the tide of battle.

The undisputed masters of cantrips, Warmages turn the most fundamental types of magic into a deadly and precise art.

Cantrip Masters

While other spellcasters aspire to grander and more complex spells, Warmages refine and master the most fundamental magic: cantrips. Warmages wield their magic in the same way that a warrior uses a sword, bow, or axe—as weapons to be perfected, not as an unknowable force to be feared. In contrast to sorcerers and wizards, their magic is a trainable skill, one that can be mastered by almost anyone with discipline and aptitude. Therefore, Warmages stand among the most fearsome of spellcasters, with only the most rudimentary of spells.

Strategic Geniuses

Warmages have a long and storied history as masterful strategists and tacticians, both in grand battles and personal skirmishes. If a Warmage is outgunned or outmanned, they’ll try to outthink their foes, which works more often than not. Warmages demonstrate an efficient kind of pragmatism, owing perhaps to their ability to solve many problems with just a few magical tools.

Aligned Free Agents

While some Warmages are fully self-taught, the majority join a house: a loose confederation of Warmages who practice together and share secrets of the trade. Houses teach invaluable battlefield strategy, but each individual house also touts their own brands of tactics and styles of magical tricks. The House of Knights, for example, emphasizes armor and martial prowess, whereas the House of Kings emphasizes battlefield strategy. By way of metaphor, houses that value honor and teamwork above all else brand themselves after games of strategy, whereas those who epitomize self-reliance name themselves for games of chance. This division in the Warmage houses is representative of a schism that dates back to the earliest Warmage masters. Legend has it that the first two masters separated when one decided to found a college. The other, out of spite, built a casino outside its grounds.

Core Warmage Traits

Primary Ability	Intelligence
Hit Point Die	D8 per Warmage Level
Saving Throw Proficiencies	Constitution and Intelligence
Skill Proficiencies	Choose 2:Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Arcana, Athletics, History, Investigation,  Medicine, Perception, and Survival
Weapon Proficiencies	Simple weapons
Tool Proficiencies	One gaming set of your choice
Armor Training	Light armor
Starting Equipment	Choose A or B: (A) Leather Armor, Dagger, Arcane Focus (Staff), Gaming Set of your choice, Explorer’s Pack and 22 GP; or (B) 50 GP

Becoming a Warmage…

As a Level 1 Character

• Gain all of the traits in the Core Warmage Traits table.
• Gain the Warmage’s level 1 features, which are listed in the Warmage Features table.

As a Multiclass Character

• Gain the Hit Point Die trait from the Core Warmage Traits table.
• Gain the Warmage’s level 1 features, which are listed in the Warmage Features table.

Warmage Features

Level	Prof. Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Cantrip Bonus Dice	Tricks Known
1	+2	Spellcasting, Arcane Initiation, Warmage Edge	4	—	—
2	+2	Reliable Cantrip, Warmage Tricks	4	—	2
3	+2	Warmage Subclass	5	—	3
4	+2	Ability Score Improvement	5	—	3
5	+3	Arcane Surge	6	1	4
6	+3	Tactical Insight	6	1	4
7	+3	Subclass feature	6	1	5
8	+3	Ability Score Improvement	6	1	5
9	+4	—	7	1	6
10	+4	Subclass feature	7	1	6
11	+4	Arcane Surge Improvement	7	2	7
12	+4	Ability Score Improvement	7	2	7
13	+5	—	8	2	8
14	+5	Strategic Deflection	8	2	8
15	+5	Subclass feature	8	2	9
16	+5	Ability Score Improvement	8	2	9
17	+6	—	9	3	10
18	+6	Subclass feature	9	3	10
19	+6	Epic Boon	9	3	10
20	+6	Master Warmage	10	4	10

Warmage Class Features

As a Warmage, you gain the following class features when you reach the specified Warmage levels. These features are listed in the Warmage Features table.

Spellcasting

You have learned the simple, yet potent brand of spellcasting for which Warmages are known.

Cantrips. You know four Warmage cantrips of your choice. Force Dart, Prestidigitation, Quickstep, and Shocking Grasp are recommended. Whenever you gain a Warmage level, you can replace one of your cantrips from this feature with another Warmage cantrip of your choice. You can’t replace a cantrip that is a prerequisite for a Warmage trick, unless you replace the trick at the same time.

You learn additional Warmage cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips column of the Warmage Features table.

If another Warmage feature gives you cantrips, those cantrips don’t count against your number of cantrips known, but otherwise count as Warmage cantrips for you.

Spellcasting Ability. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Warmage spells.

Spellcasting Focus. You can use an Arcane Focus as a Spellcasting Focus for your Warmage spells.

Level 1: Arcane Initiation

Choose where you first learned the basics of magic.

Making Your Own Initiation
You can work with your GM to create an Arcane Initiation to suit your character’s background. Choose two cantrips of your choice from any class’s spell list; one cantrip should be suitable for combat, and the other for utility. Avoid choosing cantrips that are otherwise exclusive to another spellcaster. Also choose one skill.

Adventurer. You picked up your magic informally by traveling with a dozen different mages over the years. You learn the Mage Hand and Ray of Frost cantrips and you gain proficiency in the Perception skill.

Arcane Event. An influx of insidious magic left an imprint on you. You learn the Message and Sorcerous Burst cantrips and you gain proficiency in the Insight skill.

Circus Performer. You learned a few simple tricks to participate in a sideshow or circus act. You learn the Minor Illusion and Starry Wisp cantrips and you gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill.

Mercenary. You mastered the fundamentals of war magic to engage in battle with similarly armed arcanists. You learn the Mending and True Strike cantrips and you gain proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Temple Initiate. A monastery or temple educated you in the ways of gentle healing magic. You learn the Sacred Flame and Spare the Dying cantrips and you gain proficiency in the Religion skill.

Tower Apprentice. You apprenticed under a spellcaster for some time, who taught you the fundamentals of arcana. You learn the Prestidigitation and Shocking Grasp cantrips and you gain proficiency in the Arcana skill.

Self-Taught. You taught yourself all the fundamentals of magic from a dusty old tome or abandoned scroll. You learn the Fire Bolt and Light cantrips and you gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.

Survivalist. To survive in the wild, you taught yourself to cast simple spells. You learn the Druidcraft and Shillelagh cantrips and you gain proficiency in the Survival skill.

Level 1: Warmage Edge

Once per turn when you cast a Warmage cantrip, you can improve the spell, gaining the following benefits.

Intelligence to Damage. Add your Intelligence modifier to one damage roll of the spell if you don’t already add it.

Improved Cantrip Upgrade. Starting at Warmage level 5, you improve one damage roll of the spell, adding extra dice to the damage roll as shown on the Cantrip Bonus Dice column of the Warmage Features table.

Level 2: Reliable Cantrip

When you cast a Warmage cantrip at a creature and you miss with the attack roll or the target succeeds on a saving throw against the cantrip, the target takes the cantrip’s minimum amount of damage (if any) but suffers no additional effect from the cantrip. You can apply Warmage Edge to this damage (which also deals minimum damage), but you can’t use this damage to trigger Warmage Tricks. For example, if you cast Force Dart and miss, you can apply Warmage Edge to deal Force damage equal to 1 plus your Intelligence modifier.

Level 2: Warmage Tricks

You learn to use Warmage tricks, special techniques that alter the way you fight, move, and cast your spells. You learn two tricks of your choice for which you
meet the prerequisites. Warmage Tricks are described in the “Warmage Tricks” section later on in the class’s description.

Prerequisites. If a trick has a prerequisite, you must meet it to learn that trick. For example, if a trick requires you to be a level 5+ Warmage, you can select the trick once you reach Warmage level 5.

Replacing and Gaining Tricks. Whenever you gain a Warmage level, you can replace one of your tricks with another one for which you qualify. When you gain certain Warmage levels, you gain more tricks of your choice, as shown in the Tricks column of the Warmage Features table. You can’t pick the same trick more than once unless its description says otherwise.

Level 3: Warmage Subclass

You gain a Warmage subclass of your choice. A subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Warmage levels. For the rest of your career, you gain each of your subclass’s features that are of your Warmage level or lower.

Level 4: Ability Score Improvement

You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Warmage levels 8, 12, and 16.

Level 5: Arcane Surge

Once on each of your turns, when you deal damage with a Warmage cantrip, you can double the number of damage dice dealt by the spell, as if you scored a Critical Hit. If you use this feature to improve a spell that has already scored a Critical Hit, the cantrip deals triple the number of damage dice in total.

You can use this feature twice. You regain one of its expended uses when you finish a Short Rest, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest. You gain an additional use when you reach Warmage level 11.

Level 6: Tactical Insight

You gain a bonus to saving throws against spells and other magical effects equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum bonus of +1). You don’t gain this bonus to Intelligence saving throws.

Level 14: Strategic Deflection

When a creature casts a spell that forces you to make a saving throw to avoid damage, you can take a Reaction to attempt to redirect some of the spell’s energy to a new target. If you succeed on your saving throw against the spell, choose another creature you can see within the spell’s range or up to 30 feet away from you, whichever is closer, to make a saving throw against the spell, using your spell save DC. The chosen creature can be the original spellcaster. On a failed save, the creature suffers the effects of the spell as if you had cast the spell and it had been the original target or been within the area of the spell.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.

Level 19: Epic Boon

You gain an Epic Boon feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.

Level 20: Master Warmage

Whenever you roll Initiative and have no uses of Arcane Surge left, you regain one expended use of it.

Warmage Tricks

Warmage trick options appear in alphabetical order. Those without Warmage level prerequisites appear first.

Blasting Cantrip

Once on each of your turns, when you deal Force damage to a creature with a Warmage cantrip, you can push the creature up to 10 feet away from you in a straight line.

Blinding Light

Prerequisite: Light Cantrip

When you cast the Light cantrip on an object you are holding, you can direct a flare at a creature you can see within 10 feet of you, which must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target has the Blinded condition until the start of your next turn. A creature that fails its save against this effect is immune to it for 1 minute, after which it can be affected again.

Corrosive Cantrip

Once on each of your turns, when you deal Acid damage to a creature with a Warmage cantrip, you can cause the acid to erode the target’s defenses. The next time a creature makes an attack roll against the target before the start of your next turn, the target takes a penalty to its AC equal to half your Warmage level (up to a maximum of −5) for that attack.

Draining Cantrip

Whenever you deal Necrotic or Poison damage to an enemy with a Warmage cantrip, you can siphon some of its life force. You gain Temporary Hit Points equal to half your Warmage level, which last for 1 minute.

Explosive Cantrip

Once on each of your turns, when you deal Fire damage to a creature with a Warmage cantrip, you can create an explosion in a 5-foot Emanation originating from the target. Each creature other than the target and yourself within the Emanation makes a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking half the Fire damage rolled on a failed save, or no damage on a successful one.

Extended Range

When you cast a Warmage cantrip that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can double its range. You can also double the length of Lines, the size of Cones and Cubes, and the radii of Cylinders, Emanations, and Spheres created by your Warmage cantrips.

Field Medic

You learn the Spare the Dying cantrip. You can cast this cantrip as a Bonus Action. Additionally, when you cast it on a creature that has 0 Hit Points, the target regains 1 Hit Point and gains Temporary Hit Points equal to your Warmage level, which last for 1 minute.

Once a creature regains Hit Points from this trick, it can’t do so again until it finishes a Long Rest.

Flexible Range

Being within 5 feet of an enemy doesn’t impose Disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with Warmage cantrips. Additionally, when you cast a Warmage cantrip
that requires a melee spell attack, you can increase its range to 10 feet.

Icy Cantrip

Once on each of your turns, when you deal Cold damage to a creature with a Warmage cantrip, you can numb the target with a frigid blast. The first time the target makes an attack roll before the end of its next turn, subtract half your Warmage level from the attack roll.

Mage Hand Knack

Prerequisite: Mage Hand Cantrip

Your skill with the Mage Hand cantrip allows you to use it as an extension of yourself. You can cast the spell as a Bonus Action instead of an action. You can also control the hand as a Bonus Action on each of your turns, and can use one of the following abilities when you control the hand.

Press. The hand pushes against a Large or smaller creature within 5 feet of it until the start of your next turn. Choose a direction away from that creature. Every foot of movement in that direction while the hand is pressing against it costs the creature 1 extra foot of movement.

Punch. The hand strikes one creature or object within 5 feet of it. Make a melee spell attack for the hand. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 Force damage.

Seize. The hand attempts to grapple a Small or smaller creature within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a Strength or Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC (it chooses which), or it has the Grappled condition. The escape DC equals your spell save DC. The hand continues grappling the target until the
spell ends or you take a Bonus Action to control the hand.

Mystical Armor

You can cast Mage Armor on yourself without expending a spell slot. While under the effects of this spell, you can add your Intelligence modifier, instead of Dexterity, to your Armor Class.

Mystical Athlete

Prerequisite: Quickstep or Springheel Cantrip

When you cast the Quickstep cantrip, your Speed increases by 20 feet instead of 10. When you cast the Springheel cantrip, the distance of your jumps increases by 20 feet instead of 10 feet. If you know both of these cantrips, you can cast both of them as part of the same Bonus Action.

Mystical Retort

You learn the Vicious Mockery cantrip. Additionally, when a creature you can see makes an attack roll against you, you take a Reaction to cast Vicious Mockery targeting the attacker. If the creature fails its saving throw, the attacker has Disadvantage on the triggering attack roll, instead of its next attack roll, potentially causing the attack to miss.

Once you cast this cantrip as a Reaction, you can’t do so again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.

Mystical Vision

You can cast the Detect Magic spell without expending a spell slot.

Phantom Hookshot

Prerequisite: Phantom Grapnel Cantrip

You can cast the Phantom Grapnel cantrip as a Bonus Action. If you do so, its range is reduced to 15 feet. When you cast the spell as an action, the target is pulled an additional 10 feet toward you by the spell.

Radiant Cantrip

Once on each of your turns, when you cast a Warmage cantrip that deals Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Poison, or Thunder damage, you can change the damage type to Radiant.

When you deal Radiant damage with a Warmage cantrip, you can reroll one of the cantrip’s damage dice, and you must use the new roll. The number of damage
dice you can reroll increases by 1 when you reach Warmage levels 11 (2 dice) and 17 (3 dice).

Rapid Fortification

Prerequisite: Mending Cantrip

You can cast the Mending cantrip as an action or a Bonus Action. If you cast it as an action, you can use one of the following effects.

Repair. You can restore a single nonmagical object, such as a door, Cart, or window, to pristine condition if at least half of its parts are present. This object can be no larger than 10 cubic feet, or 1 cubic foot if it is exceptionally complex (such as a clock).

Fortify. You can build simple fortifications, such as sealing a door shut, adding wooden planks to a window, or building a short stone wall (no larger than 10 cubic feet). You must have the materials present to use this ability.

Severe Cantrip

When a creature rolls a 1 on the d20 for a saving throw against one of your Warmage cantrips, it suffers a Critical Failure. It fails the save regardless of its  modifiers or the spell save DC. If the spell deals damage, you roll all of the spell’s damage dice twice and add them together, then add any relevant modifiers. This additional damage applies only to the creature that rolled a 1.

Silent Cantrip

Once on each of your turns immediately after you deal Thunder damage to an enemy with a Warmage cantrip, you can create a 5-foot Emanation of magical silence originating from the target, which lasts until the start of your next turn. Any creature or object entirely inside the Emanation has Immunity to Thunder damage, and creatures have the Deafened condition while entirely inside it. Casting a spell that includes a Verbal component is impossible there.

Static Cantrip

Whenever you deal Lightning damage to an enemy with a Warmage cantrip, you can sap part of the energy into a charge, which clings to your body until the start of your next turn. While charged, you can take a Reaction in response to taking damage from a creature you can see within 5 feet of you to deal Lightning damage equal to half your Warmage level to the creature.

Force Aegis

Prerequisite: Level 5+ Warmage, Force Buckler cantrip

When you cast the Force Buckler cantrip, you can concentrate on it for up to 1 minute. The spell doesn’t end early if you are hit by an attack.

Mystical Weaponmaster

Prerequisite: Level 5+ Warmage, Force Weapon or Magic Daggers Cantrip

When you cast Force Weapon or Magic Daggers, you can take a Bonus Action to make one additional spell attack with that cantrip.

Split Fire

Prerequisite: Level 5+ Warmage

When you cast a Warmage cantrip that requires a single spell attack roll, you can select multiple creatures and make a spell attack roll against each one. You can target a number of creatures equal to the number of damage dice the cantrip deals, and split your damage dice up amongst your targets, to a minimum of 1 die of damage per target. Each attack must target a different creature. For example, Fire Bolt deals 3d10 damage at level 5. You can choose to target three creatures and deal 1d10 damage to each creature, or you can target two creatures, dealing 1d10 damage to one creature and 2d10 damage to the other creature, or you can target one creature and deal 3d10 damage.

Bishop’s Maneuver

Prerequisite: Level 10+ Warmage, House of Bishops

As a Bonus Action, you can expend spell slot to teleport to an unoccupied space you can see. The number of feet you can teleport equals 15 feet times the level of the spell slot expended.

Castle

Prerequisites: Level 10+ Warmage, House of Rooks

As a Magic action, you can choose a willing Small or Medium creature you can see within 120 feet of you. You both teleport, swapping places.

Once you use this trick, you can’t use it again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.

Commander’s Steed

Prerequisite: Level 10+ Warmage, House of Kings

You can cast the spell Find Steed without expending a spell slot and regain the ability to do so when you finish a Long Rest.

Force Breastplate

Prerequisite: Level 10+ Warmage, House of Knights

While you have all of your Hit Points, you have Resistance to all damage.

Spellstrike

Prerequisite: Level 10+ Warmage, Arc Blade, Burning Blade, Frigid Blade, or True Strike Cantrip

Whenever you cast Arc Blade, Burning Blade, Frigid Blade, or True Strike, you can make two attacks as a part of the spell instead of one. You can only apply the bonus damage to one of the attacks.

Warmage Subclasses

A Warmage subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Warmage levels, as specified in the subclass.

Name	Description
House of Bishops	Dabblers in true arcane magic, gaining spell slots to supplement their cantrips
House of Kings	Leaders and commanders with a wide array of maneuvers at their disposal
House of Knights	Frontline combatants, fortified with Heavy armor
House of Pawns	Versatile cantrip masters
House of Rooks	Arcane assassins and spies

Get all 12 Warmage subclasses in the Complete Warmage!

Warmage Spell List

Warmages are known for a simple, yet potent brand of spellcasting based around cantrips rather than leveled spells.

Click here for the Warmage spell list