Black Mage
Here are some questions to keep in mind when creating a Black Mage.
Why did you learn black magic? How did you learn black magic?
Are you self-taught, or did a master teach you? Where or how did you hear about black magic? What are your goals as a Black Mage?
Features Table
| Level | Prof Bonus | Features | Cantrips | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Spell Casting, Elemental Caster (+1) | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Black Mage Specialization | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | — | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Elemental Perception | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Black Mage Specialization feature | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Elemental Absorption | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Elemental Caster (+2) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | Black Mage Specialization feature | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 14th | +5 | — | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 15th | +5 | — | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Elemental Caster (+3) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 17th | +6 | Black Mage Specialization feature | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Elemental Mastery | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20th | +6 | Black Mage Supremacy | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Class Features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d4
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 4 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d4 (or 3) + your Constitution modifier per Rogue level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: none
- Weapons: daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
- Tools: none
- Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
- Skills: Arcana and choose 2 from History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion.
Starting Equipment
You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background.
- (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
- (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
- (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
- A spellbook
Multiclassing
Ability Score Minimum: Intelligence 13
Spell Casting
This class is a student of elemental based arcane magic, you have a spellbook contains spells which are mostly elemental in nature.
Preparing and Casting Spells
At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st level spells from the Wizard spell list of your choice. Each time you gain a level, you can add two spells of your choice to your spell book of a level for which you have a spellslot. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spell book as well. All the spells must be in the Wizard spell list.
The Black Mage table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. You prepare the list of black spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your black mage level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Cantrips
At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn additional cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the cantrips known column of the Black Mage table.
Ritual Casting
You can cast a spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don’t need to have the spell prepared.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your spells.
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your spells, since you learn your Spells through dedicated study and memorization. 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 black mage 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 modifierElemental Caster
As a black mage, you are a master of offensive magic, particularly spells dealing with the elements fire, ice, and lightning. Whenever you cast a spell that deals any of the previously mentioned elements damage type, you can add +1 for each dice rolled to the damage. On the 11th level this bonus is increased to +2, and on 16th level this bonus is increased to +3. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Black Mage Specialization
A Black Mage usually specialize in a elemental type, which grants him special abilities. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Elemental Perception
When you reach 6th level, you gain proficiency in the Perception skill.
Additionally, you may use an action to look at a creature within 60ft. of you. You must make a Perception check with a DC of 15 + half of the challenge rate of the creatue (round down), with a success you can learn the creature’s vulnerabilities, resistances, and immunities. If you fail the check, you may not use it again on that type of creature until you finish a long rest.
Elemental Absorption
At 10th level, as a reaction agains a spell that target you, of a spell area that included you whose damage type inclused fire, cold or lightning. You may reduce to zero the damage from an spell, also regain a spell slot on the same level as the spell used against you. You regain use of this feature after you finish a long rest.
Elemental Mastery
At 18th level, you gain mastery over the elements. When you cast a spell that deals fire, cold, or lightning damage, you can choose to change the damage type to one of the other two types. Additionally, when you deal damage with a spell of these types, you can reroll a number of damage dice up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one). You must use the new rolls.
Black Mage Supremacy
At 20th level, you achieve unparalleled control over elemental magic. You can cast a spell of 1st through 5th level that deals fire, cold, or lightning damage without expending a spell slot. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Additionally, when you cast a spell that deals fire, cold, or lightning damage, you can ignore resistances to that damage type, this resistances lasts until you use this featuer again.
Black Mage Specialization
2, 7, 13, 17
Fire Mage
Serious Fire Power
Starting at 2nd level, whenever you roll a 1 on a damage die for fire damage, count it as if it was the highest possible roll. A 1 on a d6 would be 6 and a 1 on a d10 would be 10.
Penetrating Blaze
Starting at 7th level, as a bonus action you can choose a creature within 60ft. of you, you can ignore the fire resistance from the choosen creature. At 13th level, you can reduce a creature’s immunity to fire damage to resistance for you.
Inner Fire
Starting at 13th level, you gain resistance to fire damage.
Master of the Flames
At 17th level you larn the spell Fireball and can cast fireball at it’s lowest level without expending a spell slot. If you want to cast this spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal. In addition the fireball spell is always prepared and does not count against the number of spells that are available for you to cast.
Lightning Mage
Current
Starting at 2nd level, whenever you use a spell that deals lightning damage on an enemy, they must succeed a Strength saving throw equal to your spell save DC, on a fail save the creature loses it’s reaction.
Lightning Jump
Starting at 7th level, whenever you cast a spell that targets a single target and deals lightning damage to a creature, you may have lightning jump from the target creature to another creature that haven’t been afected by this spell within 10ft. This next target also needs to make a save against the spell and suffers that safe effects of this one.
At 13th level, lightning jump’s jump distance increases to 30ft.
Inner Spark
Starting at 12th level, you gain resistance to lightning damage and are immune to the deafened condition.
Master of the Storms
At 17th level, you learn the spell Lightning bolt and you can cast lightning bolt at it’s lowest level without expending a spell slot. If you want to cast this spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal. In addition the lightning bolt spell is always prepared and does not count against the number of spells that are available for you to cast.
Ice Mage
Frigid Temperatures
Starting at 2nd level, when you use a spell that deals cold damage to a creature, they must make a Constitution saving throw equal to your spell save DC. If they fail, their movement speed is reduced by 10ft, until the start of your next turn. Frigid Temperatures move speed reduction does not stack more than once.
Chilled Aura
Starting at 7th level, as an action, you can activate or deactivate your chilled aura. Any creature that start their turn within 10 feet of you takes 2d6 cold damage.
At 13th level, the range increases to 20 feet.
Frostbitten
Starting at 13th level, you gain resistance to cold damage.
Master of the Frost
At 17th level, you learn Ice Storm spell and you can cast ice storm at it’s lowest level without expending a spell slot. If you want to cast this spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal. In addition the ice storm is always prepared and does not count against the number of spells that are available for you to cast.