Aaron L
Hero
I've been talking with my brother over the past few weeks about how Dwarves, being a Proud Warrior Race™ all about beards, axes, and hammers, and smashing skulls with said axes and hammers, should have an answer to the Bladesinger, IE a Wizard tradition with some decent melee combat ability. If the Elves can have Wizards who know how to fight, then Dwarves damn sure should, too! (I'm actually an Elf guy, myself: I love Elves, but I have nothing against Dwarves and thought they should get some love, too... plus it's a fitting idea for them.)
So, I came up with this idea. It's based on the Bladesinger Tradition and mostly just cobbled together out of same-level abilities from other Arcane Traditions, with a few things from other classes mixed in.
Arcane Tradition
Designed by Aaron M. Litz
Dwarven Mage-at-Arms
Deep in their mountain citadels and Underdark strongholds, the Dwarves have their own traditions of Arcane Magic and their own special Wizard Traditions. Dwarven Wizards don't shy away from combat as much as those of most other races, due to their race's strong martial traditions, and also because their hardier physiques and stronger Constitutions make them more durable than the average Wizard. This sturdiness of body, combined with the weapon instruction all Dwarves receive as part of their basic education, means that a Dwarven Wizard is apt to heft his axe and strike down anyone foolish enough to try to get in close and “take care of the frail Wizard” hurling Fireballs at them.
This combination of martial prowess with Dwarven Wizardry also has a second, less apparent advantage, considering the kinds of opponents that Dwarves must face in the Underdark; the Drow, Duergar, Illithid, Aboleth, and all other manner of twisted Aberrations and tentacled Evil things that slither and squirm in the dark recesses of the underworld, developing Magic Resistance from the strange radiations of the Deep Earth. Having a stout axe or hammer ready, and knowing how to use it, is a necessity even for a Wizard when magic fails in the dark depths of the earth.
Thus, the Dwarven Arcane Tradition of the Mage-at-Arms combines elements of the School of Abjuration and the tactical Wizardry of War Magic with plain old combat prowess. Woe be it to any Fighter who thinks he can get the better of a Dwarven Mage-at-Arms simply by closing to do melee with them; he will be rudely disabused of that foolish notion in short order.
Mage-at-Arms Features
2nd: Fighting Style, Arcane Ward
6th: Extra Attack
10th: Durable Magic
14th: Battle Magic
The Mage-at-Arms is a particularly Dwarven Tradition of magic mixed with fighting skill and is mostly practiced by members of that race, but over the centuries a few master Mages-at-Arms have taught the discipline to deserving apprentices of other races they trained in the Dwarven Wizardly Tradition, who appreciate having some practical skill at arms to rely upon in case they find themselves in situations their magic fails them. It is therefore still predominantly practiced by the Dwarves, but it can be found scattered among members of almost every race, excepting the Elves (who vastly prefer the Tradition of Bladesong.)
FIGHTING STYLE (Taken from Fighter 1st Level Ability/Paladin and Ranger 2nd Level Ability)
Beginning when you select this Tradition at 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty to complement your spellcasting abilities. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
DUELING
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
GREAT WEAPON FIGHTING
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
You also gain proficiency with a single martial melee weapon and with light armor. (As Bladesinger Arcane Tradition)
ARCANE WARD (Taken from Abjurer Arcane Tradition 2nd Level Ability)
Starting at 2nd level, you can weave magic around yourself for protection. When you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, you can simultaneously use a strand of the spell's magic to create a magical ward on yourself that lasts until you finish a long rest. The ward has hit points equal to twice your wizard level + your Intelligence modifier. Whenever you take damage, the ward takes the damage instead. If this damage reduces the ward to 0 hit points, you take any remaining damage. While the ward has 0 hit points, it can't absorb damage, but its magic remains. Whenever you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, the ward regains a number of hit points equal to twice the level of the spell. Once you create the ward, you can't create it again until you finish a long rest.
EXTRA ATTACK (Taken from Bladesinger Arcane Tradition 6th Level Ability)
Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
DURABLE MAGIC (Taken from War Mage Arcane Tradition 10th Level Ability)
Beginning at 10th level, the magic you channel helps ward off harm. While you maintain concentration on a spell, you have a +2 bonus to AC and all saving throws.
BATTLE MAGIC (Taken from College of Valor Bard 14th Level Ability)
At 14th level, you have mastered the art of weaving spellcasting and weapon use into a single harmonious act. When you use your action to cast a wizard spell, you can take one weapon attack as a bonus action.
*****
As you can see I mostly just cobbled it together from bits and pieces of other Arcane Traditions (Abjurer and War Mage) that seemed to fit, with just a hint of a single Fighter class ability for flavor, and the 14th level College of Valor ability to cast a spell and make a single attack in a round seemed like a fitting capstone ability (well, 14th level "capstone" anyway.) I spent the evening writing it up and just finished putting it together about an hour ago, and the only thing I'm not 100% sure about balance-wise is Fighting Style, but I went ahead with it thinking it compared favorably to Bladesong, and the end result feels pretty good to me. I think this is a perfectly fitting Arcane Tradition for a Dwarven Wizard, and in fact I have a wonderful little picture-story in my head of a Dwarven Mage-at-Arms and an Elven Bladesinger standing side-by-side ready to break an onrushing tide of Orcs and Hobgoblins bearing down on them, sort of Gimli and Legolas if they were both Wizards who kicked ass.
So, waddaya think? Is it underpowered mushy hogwash, so soft and Nerf-like you'd have to be crazy to pick it? Just about right, all warm and bushy and bristly like a Dwarf's big fluffy beard? So badly overpowered it makes you sick and gives you awful cramps just thinking about it? Any comments, questions, critiques, complaints, or threats? Let me know!
So, I came up with this idea. It's based on the Bladesinger Tradition and mostly just cobbled together out of same-level abilities from other Arcane Traditions, with a few things from other classes mixed in.
Arcane Tradition
Designed by Aaron M. Litz
Dwarven Mage-at-Arms
Deep in their mountain citadels and Underdark strongholds, the Dwarves have their own traditions of Arcane Magic and their own special Wizard Traditions. Dwarven Wizards don't shy away from combat as much as those of most other races, due to their race's strong martial traditions, and also because their hardier physiques and stronger Constitutions make them more durable than the average Wizard. This sturdiness of body, combined with the weapon instruction all Dwarves receive as part of their basic education, means that a Dwarven Wizard is apt to heft his axe and strike down anyone foolish enough to try to get in close and “take care of the frail Wizard” hurling Fireballs at them.
This combination of martial prowess with Dwarven Wizardry also has a second, less apparent advantage, considering the kinds of opponents that Dwarves must face in the Underdark; the Drow, Duergar, Illithid, Aboleth, and all other manner of twisted Aberrations and tentacled Evil things that slither and squirm in the dark recesses of the underworld, developing Magic Resistance from the strange radiations of the Deep Earth. Having a stout axe or hammer ready, and knowing how to use it, is a necessity even for a Wizard when magic fails in the dark depths of the earth.
Thus, the Dwarven Arcane Tradition of the Mage-at-Arms combines elements of the School of Abjuration and the tactical Wizardry of War Magic with plain old combat prowess. Woe be it to any Fighter who thinks he can get the better of a Dwarven Mage-at-Arms simply by closing to do melee with them; he will be rudely disabused of that foolish notion in short order.
Mage-at-Arms Features
2nd: Fighting Style, Arcane Ward
6th: Extra Attack
10th: Durable Magic
14th: Battle Magic
The Mage-at-Arms is a particularly Dwarven Tradition of magic mixed with fighting skill and is mostly practiced by members of that race, but over the centuries a few master Mages-at-Arms have taught the discipline to deserving apprentices of other races they trained in the Dwarven Wizardly Tradition, who appreciate having some practical skill at arms to rely upon in case they find themselves in situations their magic fails them. It is therefore still predominantly practiced by the Dwarves, but it can be found scattered among members of almost every race, excepting the Elves (who vastly prefer the Tradition of Bladesong.)
FIGHTING STYLE (Taken from Fighter 1st Level Ability/Paladin and Ranger 2nd Level Ability)
Beginning when you select this Tradition at 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty to complement your spellcasting abilities. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
DUELING
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
GREAT WEAPON FIGHTING
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
You also gain proficiency with a single martial melee weapon and with light armor. (As Bladesinger Arcane Tradition)
ARCANE WARD (Taken from Abjurer Arcane Tradition 2nd Level Ability)
Starting at 2nd level, you can weave magic around yourself for protection. When you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, you can simultaneously use a strand of the spell's magic to create a magical ward on yourself that lasts until you finish a long rest. The ward has hit points equal to twice your wizard level + your Intelligence modifier. Whenever you take damage, the ward takes the damage instead. If this damage reduces the ward to 0 hit points, you take any remaining damage. While the ward has 0 hit points, it can't absorb damage, but its magic remains. Whenever you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, the ward regains a number of hit points equal to twice the level of the spell. Once you create the ward, you can't create it again until you finish a long rest.
EXTRA ATTACK (Taken from Bladesinger Arcane Tradition 6th Level Ability)
Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
DURABLE MAGIC (Taken from War Mage Arcane Tradition 10th Level Ability)
Beginning at 10th level, the magic you channel helps ward off harm. While you maintain concentration on a spell, you have a +2 bonus to AC and all saving throws.
BATTLE MAGIC (Taken from College of Valor Bard 14th Level Ability)
At 14th level, you have mastered the art of weaving spellcasting and weapon use into a single harmonious act. When you use your action to cast a wizard spell, you can take one weapon attack as a bonus action.
*****
As you can see I mostly just cobbled it together from bits and pieces of other Arcane Traditions (Abjurer and War Mage) that seemed to fit, with just a hint of a single Fighter class ability for flavor, and the 14th level College of Valor ability to cast a spell and make a single attack in a round seemed like a fitting capstone ability (well, 14th level "capstone" anyway.) I spent the evening writing it up and just finished putting it together about an hour ago, and the only thing I'm not 100% sure about balance-wise is Fighting Style, but I went ahead with it thinking it compared favorably to Bladesong, and the end result feels pretty good to me. I think this is a perfectly fitting Arcane Tradition for a Dwarven Wizard, and in fact I have a wonderful little picture-story in my head of a Dwarven Mage-at-Arms and an Elven Bladesinger standing side-by-side ready to break an onrushing tide of Orcs and Hobgoblins bearing down on them, sort of Gimli and Legolas if they were both Wizards who kicked ass.
So, waddaya think? Is it underpowered mushy hogwash, so soft and Nerf-like you'd have to be crazy to pick it? Just about right, all warm and bushy and bristly like a Dwarf's big fluffy beard? So badly overpowered it makes you sick and gives you awful cramps just thinking about it? Any comments, questions, critiques, complaints, or threats? Let me know!
