Arcane Tradition: Martial Arcana
Some schools of arcane thinking focus on training wizards for war, while others train wizards to embrace a particular school of magic. Other traditions elect to teach wizards to use their time and magic to turn their bodies into weapons. Some wizards choose to adapt their extensive education to specialize in alternative uses of transmutation, evocation and abjuration magics, combining them with their physical prowess to further strengthen themselves, with a nearly monastic dedication.
Magic Martial Arts
Starting when you choose this tradition at 2nd level, you use a constant magic defense to protect your body. While you do not wear armor or use a shield, your AC becomes 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence modifier. If you are incapacitated or if you are within an antimagic field, this effect is suspended. Additionally, your fists count as a martial melee weapon worth 1gp for determining the material components of spells that require a weapon, and you can make an unarmed strike if a spell would require you to make an attack with a melee weapon.
Arcane Unarmed Strikes
Also at 2nd level, you can use your magic to strengthen and guide your attacks. You can choose to use your spellcasting ability for attack and damage rolls with unarmed strikes. When you do so, the damage die becomes a d4, and the attack deals force damage. If you take the Attack action on your turn and make an unarmed strike, you can use a bonus action to make another.
The damage for your arcane unarmed strikes increases when you reach higher wizard levels. At 5th level, the damage of the attack increases by 1d4 (2d4), and again at 11th level (3d4) and 17th level (4d4).
Infused Strikes
Starting at 6th level, you can imbue your fists with one wizard spell that you can cast, then make a single unarmed strike. If the attack hits, the spell attack roll for the imbued spell, or the first one if there are several (subsequent ranged spell attacks are not made at disadvantage), hits the target automatically and is considered to be part of the unarmed attack. The target suffers the attack's normal effects, and is subject to the effects of the spell, expending a spell slot accordingly. If the attack has advantage, the target's initial saving throw against the spell, if there is one, has disadvantage. If the attack misses, the spell has no effect. Area spells originate from the target's space.
The spell you cast with this feature must have a casting time of 1 action, or require an action to activate if you are already concentrating on it (such as witch bolt), have a range other than self, and be cast using a spell slot between 1st- and 5th-level. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until the end of your next turn.
Deflect Arcana
When you reach 10th level, you know how to ward yourself against hostile spells. When you are hit with a spell attack roll, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by 1d10 + your Intelligence modifier + your Wizard level. If you reduce the damage to 0, you can expend a spell slot of equal level (unless the spell was a cantrip) to cast the spell yourself.
Alternatively, if you reduce a spell's damage to 0 in this way, you can choose to regain a spell slot of the same level as the spell you use this feature on. If the spell is of 6th-level or higher, you only regain a 5th-level spell slot. You can only absorb a spell in this way once, regaining the ability to do so when you complete a short or long rest.
Ideal Technique
By 14th level, you know how to exceed your limits when you need to. When you use your action to cast a wizard spell, or to use your Infused Strikes feature, you can use a bonus action to make one unarmed strike.
Additionally, when you use your action to cast a spell of 1st-level or higher, you can use your bonus action to make a number of unarmed strikes equal to the half the level of the spell (rounded up). You can do this once, and regain the ability to do so when you complete a long rest.
New Spells
The following section contains new spells that are either themed around, or would assist, a character using the Martial Arcana subclass.
Bigby's Precocious Pugilism
1st-level evocation
- Classes: Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S, M (a moderate amount of alcohol or other distilled spirits)
- Duration: Instantaneous
You wreath your fists in power while preparing yourself for retreat, then make a melee spell attack against a creature you can reach. On a hit, the target takes 3d4 force damage. Whether you hit or not, you gain the benefits of the Disengage action.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d4+1 for each slot level above 2nd.
Corrosive Palm
2nd-level conjuration
- Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You conjure a barrage of acid in the palm of your hand as you strike a creature with it. Make a melee spell attack against a target within reach. On a hit, the target takes 2d8 acid damage, and must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, its AC is reduced by 1 until the end of its next turn as the acid corrodes its armor and weakens its defenses. Creatures without armor have advantage on the save. Whether you hit or not, the target takes 1d8 acid damage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage you deal on a hit increases by 1d8 for every slot level above 2nd.
Lightning Leap
4th-level evocation
- Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You imbue your body with electrical energy and leap into the air, coming down with magical force. You leap into the air and fall back down onto a point you choose within 30 feet. Creatures within 10 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d6 lightning damage and is stunned until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half damage and suffers no other effect.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage dealt by the spell increases by 1d6 for every slot level above 4th.
Mage Fist
2nd-level transmutation
- Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S, M (knuckles made of iron or silver)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You imbue your fists with arcane energy and strike. Choose one stance from the list below. When you cast the spell, and as an action on subsequent turns until the spell ends, you can make a melee spell attack against a target within reach, which deals 2d6 + your spellcasting ability modifier damage, the type of which is determined by the stance you chose. You can change your chosen stance using a bonus action.
Electrifying Fist. The attack deals lightning damage. When you hit a creature with the attack, a bolt of lightning jumps to another target within 5 feet of the first, dealing lightning damage equal to your spellcasting ability modifier.
Flaming Fist. The attack deals fire damage. When you hit a creature with the attack, it takes fire damage equal to your spellcasting ability modifier at the start of its next turn. Your fists shed bright light out to a distance of 5 feet, and dim light for another 5 feet.
Forceful Fist. The attack deals force damage. When you hit a creature with the attack, it is pushed back 5 feet.
Freezing Fist. The attack deals cold damage. When you hit a creature with the attack, its walking speed reduced by 10 until the end of its next turn.
Negative Energy Fist. The attack deals necrotic damage. Whenever a creature you hit with the attack would regain hit points until the end of your next turn, it instead takes necrotic damage equal to your spellcasting ability modifier.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd-level or higher, the damage of the attack increases by 1d6 for every two slot levels above 2nd.
Masterful Reach
3rd-level transmutation
- Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard, Warlock
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: 1 minute
You empower a creature, adding extensions of energy to their body to enhance their striking distance. For the duration of the spell, the target's melee attacks have a reach of 10 feet.
Sweeping Kick
2nd-level evocation
- Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You sweep your leg out, striking with forceful magical energy. Make a melee spell attack, which targets up to 3 creatures within reach. Each creature is targeted by the same attack roll, and each must be adjacent to one of the other targets. On a hit, the target takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage, and is
pushed back 10 feet in a straight line. Additionally, choose one of the targets you hit. After being pushed, it must make a Strength saving throw, falling prone on a failed save.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 3rd.
Thunderous Bash
3rd-level evocation
- Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You build up booming energy, releasing it as you punch. Make a melee spell attack against a creature you can reach. On a hit, the creature takes 4d8 thunder damage and must make a Strength saving throw. On a success, it is pushed back 5 feet and suffers no other ill effect. On a failure, the target is pushed back 20 feet, and if it collides with an object or a wall, it and the target take 1d4 bludgeoning damage for every 5 feet traveled. If the object or wall the target hits is reduced to 0 hit points, the target goes through the target, continuing backward for the remaining distance, which can cause another collision.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the initial damage increases by 1d8, and the number of feet the target is pushed back on a failed save is increased by 5, for each slot level above 3rd.
Other Notes
For more great spells that work well with this tradition, and a martial caster in general, check out Metabot's Magical Maneuvers. For an alternate version of the mage fist spell, see the previous post.
Credits
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Content created using GMBinder.
Artist Credits:
Earth Mage by Dmitry Grebenkov.
Elemental Monk D&D by Jesika Art.
