MAGE

Most mages claim to study magic for its intellectual rewards, but they also often profit from its practical applications. Varying widely in temperament and motivation, mages share but one thing in common - an avid love of spellcasting.

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QUICK BUILD

You can make a mage quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest attribute score, followed by Endurance or Agility. If you choose to join the school of Illusion, make Personality your next best score. Second, choose the sage background. Third, choose the mage hand, light, and ray of frost cantrips, along with the following 1st level spells for your spellbook: burning hands, charm person, feather fall, mage armor, and magic missile, and sleep.

 

CLASS FEATURES

As a Mage, you gain the following class features:

 

HIT POINTS

Hit Die: 1d6 per mage level

Hit points at 1st Level: 6+ your endurance modifier

Hit points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your endurance modifier per mage level after 1st

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PROFICIENCIES

Armor: None

Weapons: light crossbows, Short Blade and Staves

Tools: None

 

Saving Throws: Intelligence & Willpower

Skills: Pick 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 quarterstaff or (b) a dagger

• (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack

• a spellbook

 

SPELLCASTING

As a student of arcane magic, you have a spellbook containing spells that show the first glimmerings of your true power. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the mage spell list.

 

CANTRIPS

At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the mage spell list. You learn additional mage cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Mage table.

 

SPELLBOOK

At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st-level mage spells of your choice. Your spellbook is the repository of the mage spells you know, except your cantrips, which are fixed in your mind.

 

PREPARING AND CASTING SPELLS

The Mage table shows how much magicka you have to cast your mage spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend magicka, as noted in the spell's description and the Magicka Cost table found in chapter 10. You regain all expended magicka when you finish a long rest.

    You prepare the list of mage spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of mage spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your mage level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you can cast.

    For example, if you're a 3rd-level mage, you can cast a prepared spell at either 1st or 2nd level. With an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your spellbook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell magic missile, you can cast it at either 1st or 2nd level. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.

    You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of mage 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.

 

SPELLCASTING ATTRIBUTE

Intelligence is your spellcasting attribute for your mage spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting attribute. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a 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 modifier

 

RITUAL CASTING

You can cast a mage 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.

 

LEARNING SPELLS OF 1ST LEVEL AND HIGHER

Each time you gain a mage level, you can add two mage spells of your choice to your spellbook. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you can cast, as shown on the Mage table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook (see the “Your Spellbook” sidebar on page 114 of the Player's Handbook).

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MAGICAL FOCUS

At 1st level, you tap into a deep wellspring of magic within yourself. This wellspring is represented by Focus Points, which allow you to create a variety of magical effects.

 

FOCUS POINTS

You have 2 focus points, and you gain more as you reach higher levels, as shown in the Focus Points column of the Mage table. You can never have more focus points than shown on the table for your level. You regain all spent focus points when finish a long rest.

 

FLEXIBLE CASTING

You can use your focus points to gain additional magicka, or sacrifice magicka to gain additional focus points. You learn other ways to use your focus points as you reach higher levels.

    Creating Magicka. You can transform unexpended focus points into one spell level worth of magicka as a bonus action on you turn. The Creating Magicka table shown the cost of creating magicka of a given spell level. You can create magicka no greater in spell level than 5th.

    Any magicka you create with this feature vanishes when you finish a long rest.

 

CREATING MAGICKA

 Spell Slot                Focus

    Level                Point Cost

      1st                          2          

     2nd                         3    

     3rd                          5          

     4th                          6    

     5th                          7          

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    Converting Magicka to Focus Points. As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend magicka of spell level to gain a number of focus points equal to the same level.

 

ARCANE TRADITION

When you reach 2nd level, you choose a school of magic that you have an innate mastery over: Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Illusion, Mysticism, or Restoration, all detailed at the end of the class description.

    Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th and 14th level.

 

METAMAGIC

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to focus your magic to suit your needs. You gain two of the following Metamagic options of your choice. You gain one additional option at 10th and 17th level.

    You can use only one Metamagic option on a spell when you cast it, unless noted otherwise.

 

CAREFUL SPELL

When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell's full force. You spend 1 focus point and choose a number of creatures up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw.

 

DISTANT SPELL

When you cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can spend 1 focus point to double the range of the spell.

    When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can spend 1 focus point to make the range of the spell 30 feet.

 

EMPOWERED SPELL

When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 focus point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one). You must use the new rolls.

    You can use the Empowered Spell even if you have already used a different metamagic option during the casting of the spell.

 

EXTENDED SPELL

When you cast a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can spend 1 focus point to double its duration, to a maximum duration of 24 hours.

 

HEIGHTENED SPELL

When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, you can spend 3 focus points to give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.

 

QUICKENED SPELL

When you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can spend 2 focus points to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.

 

SUBTLE SPELL

When you cast a spell, you can spend 1 focus point to cast it without any somatic or verbal components.

 

TWINNED SPELL

When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, you can spend a number of focus points equal to the spell's level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 focus point if the spell is a cantrip).

   To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell's current level.

 

ATTRIBUTE SCORE IMPROVEMENT

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one attribute score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two attribute scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

 

SPELL MASTERY

At 18th level, you have achieved such mastery over certain spells that you can cast them at will. Choose a 1st level mage spell and a 2nd level mage spell that you know. You can cast those two spells at their lowest level without expending magicka. If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend magicka as normal.

    By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange one or both of the spells you chose for a different spell of the same level.

 

SIGNATURE SPELLS

When you reach 20th level, you gain mastery over two powerful spells and can cast them with little effort. Choose two 3rd level spells that you know as your signature spells. You can cast each spell once without expending any magicka. When you do so, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

    If you cast either spell at a higher spell level, you must expend magicka as normal.

 

ARCANE TRADITIONS

The study of magic is ancient, stretching back to the dawn of time. It is firmly established in the world of Nirn, with various traditions dedicated to its complex study.

    The most common arcane traditions in Tamriel revolve around the schools of magic. Mages through the ages have cataloged thousands of spells, grouping them into six categories, called schools.

 

SCHOOL OF ALTERATION

The School of Alteration involves the manipulation of the physical world and its natural properties. Mastering alteration magicks requires an understanding of the fundamentals of nature, as the spells within are bound by nature's rules.

Casting alteration spells is akin to convincing a greater power that it is easier to change reality than it is to leave it alone. Those that are familiar with this magick understand that expressing a spell as a subtle change, a diversion of nature's elements, is easier than creating it anew.

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ALTERATION PRODIGY

Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to learn an alteration spell is halved.

 

ARCANE WARD

Starting at 2nd level, you can weave magic around yourself for protection. When you cast an alteration 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 mage 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.

 

PROJECTED WARD

Starting at 6th level, when a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to cause your Arcane Ward to absorb that damage. If this damage reduces the ward to 0 hit points, the warded creature takes any remaining damage.

 

DAMPEN ELEMENTS

Beginning at 10th level, when you or a creature within 30 feet of you takes acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, or poison, radiant, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to grant resistance to the creature against that instance of the damage.

 

SPELL RESISTANCE

Starting at 14th level, you have advantage on saving throws against spells. Furthermore, you have resistance against the damage of spells.

 

 

SCHOOL OF CONJURATION

Conjurers use their magical knowledge to open a connection to Oblivion. Centuries ago, the Direnni mages and sorcerers formalized many of the rituals, chants, and incantations that are still used today.

    When a mage uses conjuration magic, they create a connection from their mind to the summoned entity. It is a tenuous link, meant to lure, hold, and dismiss, but in the hand of a master, it becomes much stronger.

    Detractors of conjuration believe that the pursuit of summoning and control is desperate and dangerous, however, conjurers understand the risks of their power. As a mage of the School of Conjuration, you have learned how to summon powerful elemental daedra to serve as guardians and protectors, and sometimes as servants and familiars. Unlike the unpredictable dremora, the nonbelligerent atronachs are much more reliable servants, as they are not aligned with any daedric prince.

 

CONJURATION PRODIGY

Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to learn a conjuration spell is halved.

 

MINOR CONJURATION

Starting at 2nd level when you select this school, you can use your action to conjure up an inanimate object in your hand or on the ground in an unoccupied space that you can see within 10 feet of you. This object can be no larger than 3 feet on a side and weigh no more than 10 pounds, and its form must be that of a non-magical object that you have seen. The object is visibly magical, radiating dim light out to 5 feet.

    The object disappears after 1 hour, when you use this feature again, or if it takes any damage.

 

ATROMANCER

Starting at 2nd level, you learn the conjuration spell Conjure Atronach.

 

Conjure Atronach

Cast Time: 1 action

Range: 5 feet

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

 

You summon a powerful daedric atronach that appears in an occupied space within range. The atronach disappears when it drops to 0 hit points, or when the spell ends.

    Roll initiative for the atronach, which as its own turns. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don't issue any commands to the atronach, it defends itself from hostile creatures, but to otherwise takes no actions.

    As you gain mage levels you can summon more powerful companions. See the table below for what type of creature you can summon. The spell costs an amount of magicka determined on the challenge rating of the atronach summoned.

 

MAGE CONJURE ATRONACH

Mage Level    Spell Level    Challenge Rating

2nd                  1st                    ¼                               

3rd                   2nd                  ½                                  

5th                   3rd                   1                                

7th                   4th                   2                                  

9th                   5th                   3                                

11th                  6th                   4                                

13th                  7th                   5                                

15th                  8th                   6                                

17th                  9th                   7                                

 

ELEMENTAL BOND

At 6th level, you share a bond with your conjured Atronach. While you summon an Atronach with your conjure atronach spell, you gain unique benefits based on the atronachs element. A cold-flame atronach can benefit from your choice of either the flame atronach or frost atronach feature.

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Air & Storm Atronach

While you have an air or storm atronach companion, your speed increases by 10 feet.

    Additionally, you can fly in short bursts. You gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed. If your turn ends and you are not on a creature, solid object, or ground, you fall.

 

Earth, Stone, & Iron Atronach

While you have an earth, stone, or iron atronach companion, your skin assumes a stony appearance. If you aren't wearing armor, you gain a base AC of 13 + your Endurance modifier.

 

Flame Atronach

While you have a flame atronach companion, a magical warmth surrounds you, keeping you warm as though you are near a campfire. As a bonus action, you can shed bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20-feet.

   Additionally, as an action, you can magically ignite a flammable object you touch with your hand – an object such as a torch, a piece of tinder, or the hem of drapes.

 

Flesh Atronach

When you summon a flesh atronach companion, you gain 1d6 temporary hit points per challenge rating of the atronach summoned. These hit points vanish once the spell ends.

 

Frost Atronach

While you have a frost atronach companion, you gain the ability to walk on water.

    Additionally, you leave a 60-foot long trail of ice on the ground behind you. This trail is considered difficult terrain and any creature that tries to cross the path must succeed a DC 10 Agility saving throw or fall prone.

 

Water Atronach

While you have a water atronach companion, you gain the ability to breathe under water, and you have a swim speed equal to your walking speed.

 

FOCUSED CONJURATION

Beginning at 10th level, while you are concentrating on a conjuration spell, your concentration can’t be broken as a result of taking damage.

 

ELEMENTAL SOUL

Starting at 14th Level, your elemental bond with your Atronach improves. While you have a conjured Atronach active, you gain the following benefits:

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Flame Atronach

While you have a flame atronach companion, you gain resistance to fire damage.

 

Water & Frost Atronach

While you have a frost or water atronach companion, you gain resistance to cold damage.

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Earth, Stone, & Iron Atronach

While you have an earth, stone, or iron atronach companion, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

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Air & Storm Atronach

While you have an air or storm atronach companion, you gain resistance to lightning and thunder damage.

 

Flesh Atronach

While you have a flesh atronach companion, you gain resistance to poison damage, and are immune to disease and the poisoned condition.

 

SCHOOL OF DESTRUCTION

Mages of the School of Destruction express their magical power in a form that involves the harnessing of the natural elemental energies.

Critics see destruction magic as crude and simplistic, whereas those who embrace the study of harnessing the destructive potential of magicka see their work as practical.

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DESTRUCTION PRODIGY

Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to learn a destruction spell is halved.

 

ELEMENTAL MASTERY

At level 2, you choose one type of element to have exceptional power over.

 

Cryomancer

You prefer the cold of elemental frost, freezing your enemies in their tracks. Whenever a creature takes cold damage from a spell that you cast, the target's speed is also reduced by 15 feet until the end of your next turn. If the spell already reduces the target's speed, use whichever reduction is greater.

    When you reach 11th level, you reduce the target's speed by 20 feet.

 

Electromancer

You are a natural with electricity, blasting your enemies with lightning. Each time you attack a creature with a spell that deals lightning or thunder damage, the target's magicka points are also reduced by 1d4.

    When you reach 11th level, you reduce the target's magicka by 1d6.

 

Pyromancer

You have a gift for wielding fire, and you use it to burn your enemies to cinders.

    When you cast a spell that deals fire damage, you can reroll the lowest damage die. If the new roll is higher than the original, use it when calculating the damage.

    When you reach 11th level, you can reroll the lowest 2 damage rolls.

 

Venomancer

You are most comfortable around deadly poisons, and can use it to disintegrate your enemies armor.

     The first time you deal acid or poison damage to a target, you reduce their AC by 1.

    When you reach 11th level, the first time you deal acid or poison damage to a target, you reduce their AC by 2.

    This benefit has no effect on magical or natural armor.

 

INESCAPABLE DESTRUCTION

Starting at 6th level, the Mage's ability to channel elemental energy becomes more potent. Any damage dealt by your Elemental Mastery ignores any resistance to that same elemental damage.

 

EMPOWERED DESTRUCTION

Beginning at 10th level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the damage roll of any destruction spell you cast.

 

IMPROVED ELEMENTAL MASTERY

At 14th level, you choose an additional Elemental Mastery. You can not choose the same mastery twice.

 

 

SCHOOL OF ILLUSION

Illusion is a surprisingly useful school that is concerned with magicka's ability to alter the perception of objects without changing their physical compositions. By warping imperceptible energies, or removing sensual data, you can create darkness, extinguish light, and suppress sounds.

    While it might not be as flashy as the schools of destruction or alteration, illusion magic is not bound by the laws of nature as they are. Even if it is limited to only affecting the target and the caster, many are drawn to illusion for its ability to take ordinary objects and make them seem like something other than what they are.

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ILLUSION PRODIGY

Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to learn an illusion spell is halved.

 

IMPROVED MINOR ILLUSION

When you choose this school at 2nd level, you learn the minor illusion cantrip. If you already know this cantrip, you learn a different mage cantrip of your choice. The cantrip doesn't count against your number of cantrips known.

    When you cast minor illusion, you can create both a sound and an image with a single casting of the spell. 

 

MALLEABLE ILLUSIONS

Starting at 6th level, when you cast an illusion spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can use your action to change the nature of that illusion (using the spell’s normal parameters for the illusion), provided that you can see the illusion.

 

ILLUSORY SELF

Beginning at 10th level, you can create an illusory duplicate of yourself as an instant, almost instinctual reaction to danger. When a creature makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to interpose the illusory duplicate between the attacker and yourself. The attack automatically misses you, then the illusion dissipates.

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

 

ILLUSORY REALITY

By 14th level, you have learned the secret of weaving shadow magic into your illusions to give them a semi-reality. When you cast an illusion spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose one inanimate, non-magical object that is part of the illusion and make that object real. You can do this on your turn as a bonus action while the spell is ongoing. The object remains real for 1 minute. For example, you can create an illusion of a bridge over a chasm and then make it real long enough for your allies to cross.

    The object can’t deal damage or otherwise directly harm anyone.

 

 

SCHOOL OF MYSTICISM

One of the oldest and yet least understood schools of magic is the school of Mysticism. These experiments with the most arcane aspects of magicka allows a mage to alter the nature of magic itself.

    The practice of mystical arts is considered to be chaotic in comparison to the far more predictable and ascertainable schools. Mysticism seems to derive power from its conundrums and paradoxes. The act of experimentation can influence magicka by its very existence.

    Students and philosophers of mysticism must be patient and dedicated to their art. The complicated and irrational aspects of this field of study make the development of new innovations much more gradual than other pursuits. It is said that mysticism requires the practitioner to divorce their mind from logic and embrace a temporary sort of insanity.

 

MYSTICISM PRODIGY

Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to learn a mysticism spell is halved.

 

SEER

Starting at 2nd level when you choose this school, glimpses of the future begin to press in on your awareness. When you finish a long rest, roll two d20s and record the numbers you rolled. You can replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made by you or a creature that you can see with one of these foretelling rolls. You choose to do so before your roll, and you can only replace a roll in this way only once per turn.

    Each foretelling roll can only be used once. When you finish a long rest, you lose any unused rolls.

 

MYSTICISM EXPERT

Beginning at 6th level, casting mysticism spells comes so easily to you that it expends only a fraction of your spellcasting efforts. When you cast a mysticism spell of 2nd level or higher, you regain an amount of magicka points equal to the cost of a spell that is a lower level than the spell cast but can't be higher than 7 magicka points.

 

SIXTH SENSE

Starting at 10th level, you can use your action to increase your powers of perception. When you do so, choose one of the following benefits, which lasts until you use this feature again, are incapacitated, or finish a short or long rest.

    Darkvision. You gain darkvision to a range of 60 feet.

    Ethereal Sight. You can see into the Ethereal Plane within 60 feet of you.

    Greater Comprehension. You can read any language.

    See Invisibility. You can see invisible creatures and objects within 10 feet of you that are within line of sight.

 

ORACLE

Starting at 14th level, the visions in your dreams intensify and paint a more accurate picture in your mind of what is to come. You roll three d20s for your Seer feature, rather than two.

 

 

SCHOOL OF RESTORATION

The School of Restoration involves control over life forces.

 

RESTORATION PRODIGY

Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to learn a restoration spell is halved.

 

VIGOROUS HEALING

Starting at 2nd level, your healing spells are more effective. Whenever you use a spell of 1st level or higher to restore hit points to a creature, the creature regains additional hit points equal to 2 + the spell's level.

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HEALING MIRROR

Beginning at 6th level, the healing spells you cast on others heal you as well. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that restores hit points to a creature other than you, you regain hit points equal to 2 + the spells level.

 

SPELL BREAKER

Beginning at 10th level, when you restore hit points to an ally with a spell of 1st level or higher, you can also end one spell of your choice on that creature. The level of the spell you end must be equal to or lower than the level of the spell slot you use to cast the healing spell.

 

GRAND HEALING

Starting at 14th level, when you would normally roll one or more dice to restore hit points with a spell, you instead use the highest number possible for each die. For example instead of restoring 2d6 hit points to a creature, you restore 12.

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