Ferromancer
A lightly armored half-elf runs to the edge of the rooftop in the silence of the night, as a small group of miscreants walks and laughs in the streets below. Jumping down in a single, graceful leap, her hands shimmer as she traces two shapes in the air with her fingers. Two spinning blades, one engulfed in flames and the other emanating piercing cold, spin around her body at incredible speeds as she takes aim at her mark.
Surrounded by rampaging orcs, a halfling with a tattered, billowing cloak grins as metallic glimmers of light burst all around him. Before the savages could take another step forward, a blossom of jagged darts pulses from the halfling's body, piercing his foes with ease.
Combining psionic capabilities with the mystical power of conjuration, Ferromancers wield magically summoned metal weapons, flinging them at targets or applying them defensively as satellites or shields. This odd mixture of abilities makes Ferromancers formidable and unpredictable opponents, capable of turning the tide of battle with a single fling of a blade.
Metal and Magic
A Ferromancer does not dabble in traditional spellcasting, as their powers do not lie within the arcane realm. Instead, they learn to conjure metal from thin air, and control its movement with their telekinetically-gifted minds.
Preferring different types of conjured weapons, and different styles of fighting with said weapons, Ferromancers appear in all shapes and sizes, ranging from stealthy assassins, flinging razor-sharp blades with pinpoint precision, to armored defenders, hurling a four-bladed glaive at scores of opponents.
Creating a Ferromancer
When creating a character based on this class, the most important aspect to consider is the fighting style of the Ferromancer. Do you prefer slender, gracious movements, or powerful slashes of floating blades? Will you focus on the sheer number of weapons, creating an aura of metal, or will you imbue your conjurations with potent magic?
How did you learn you had telekinetic properties? Were you accepted as an extraordinary member of society, or were you shunned by your peers for being different? Is there someone willing to capture you, to extract the mystical ability of ferromancy from you? Did you train alone, or did you have someone equally gifted to set you on the right path?
Conjuring deadly weapons whenever they please, Ferromancers set out into the world for any number of reasons, good or evil. Your alignment should match the way you were treated by the world, and the way you wish to treat the world back, now that you have the capabilities to rise above most of it. Characters of any alignment should consider the motive for travelling across the land - Is it to help as many people as you can, earning your place within society? Are you on a quest to avenge or save a loved one, doing whatever it takes to further that goal? Or do you seek more power, trying to become a fearsome warlord without peer?
Quick Build
You can make a Ferromancer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength or Dexterity should be your highest scores, depending on the type of weapon you wish to use, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the Hermit background.
Class Features
As a Ferromancer, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit dice: 1d8 per Ferromancer level
Hit points at 1st level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit points at higher levels: 1d8 + your Constitution modifier per Ferromancer level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, rapier, scimitar, shortsword
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Performance and Stealth
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
• (a) a rapier or (b) two simple weapons
• (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
• leather armor or clothes
The Ferromancer
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Focus Points | Number of Weapons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Summon Metal, Focus | 1 | 1 |
| 2nd | +2 | Magnet Stride | 2 | 1 |
| 3rd | +2 | Ferromancy School | 3 | 1 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 1 |
| 5th | +3 | Uneasy Presence | 5 | 2 |
| 6th | +3 | Ferromancy School feature | 6 | 2 |
| 7th | +3 | Enchanted Weaponry | 7 | 2 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 8 | 2 |
| 9th | +4 | Focused Mind | 9 | 2 |
| 10th | +4 | Masterful Summoning | 10 | 2 |
| 11th | +4 | Ferromancy School feature | 11 | 3 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 12 | 3 |
| 13th | +5 | Metal Manipulation | 13 | 3 |
| 14th | +5 | Magnetic Force | 14 | 3 |
| 15th | +5 | Psionic Aura | 15 | 3 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 16 | 3 |
| 17th | +6 | Ferromancy School feature | 17 | 4 |
| 18th | +6 | Disciplined Focus | 18 | 4 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 19 | 4 |
| 20th | +6 | Telekinetic Mastery | 20 | 4 |
Summon Metal
Beginning at 1st level, you can use your action to conjure variously shaped pieces of weaponry, which can orbit or levitate around you freely as long as they occupy your space. Weapons can take the shape of any simple melee weapon made of metal that lacks the Two-handed property, but all weapons currently summoned must be of the same type. You may specify the appearance of these weapons, up to your DM's discretion. You are considered proficient with the weapons you summon. The amount of weapons you can summon at once are detailed in the Ferromancer table. You can use an action to switch between different weapon sets or dismiss them.
As an action, you can make a melee attack roll or a ranged attack roll using your Dexterity modifier in a range of 30 feet, as many times as you have weapons. Multiple weapons can target multiple creatures. The damage you deal with these attacks depends on the type of weapon you summoned, but always uses your Dexterity modifier. To use your summoned weapons, you must have your hands free to make the necessary motions.
Instead of summoning mundane weapons with your action, you can instead touch a simple magic weapon made of metal and cause it to hover in your space like it was summoned by you, duplicating it to match the number of weapons you can summon. Duplicated weapons are considered magical and copy the effects of the original weapon, but any charges or limited effects of the weapon are consumed from the original.
Focus
Starting at 1st level, your training of body and mind allows you to harness ferromancy to its larger potential. You gain Focus Points, equal to your Ferromancer level, which can then be spent to enhance attacks and further improve your fighting capabilities.
Once a focus point is expended, you must rest before regaining them. You replenish all focus points after completing a short or a long rest.
Some of your focus features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Focus save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
You start with these features fueled by focus points:
Whirlwind Strike
You can spend 1 focus point to rapidly spin your weapons around your form as an action, attacking every creature within 5 feet of you. Make a separate attack roll for each creature affected.
Distracting Weapon
After making an attack against a creature, you can spend 1 focus point to keep your weapon orbiting around its target, distracting it in the process. Until the start of your next turn, the target has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes.
Forceful Attack
After you hit a target with one of the weapons' attacks, you can spend 1 focus point to attempt to knock the target off their feet. They must make a Strength saving throw, falling prone on a failure. Large creatures make the saving throw with advantage, while Huge and larger creatures cannot be affected at all.
Magnet Stride
Starting at 2nd level, you learn to utilize the magnetic forces surrounding your summoned metal, allowing you to propel yourself forward while moving. You can gain 10 feet of movement and double your jump distance for one turn. You can use this feature the number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier. The uses replenish after a short or a long rest. On 9th level, the movement speed bonus increases to 15 feet, while on 16th level it becomes 20 feet.
Ferromancy School
When you reach 3rd level, you choose one of the three specializations offered to every student of ferromancy, allowing them to further focus their training in a direction of their choice. The options at your disposal are a Guardian, an Elementalist, or a Steeldancer, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your school grants you features at 3rd and again at 6th, 11th and 17th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th 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.
Uneasy Presence
Starting at 5th level, your uncanny abilities paired with dangerous hovering weaponry make you particularly frightening to your foes. As an action, you may spend 1 focus point to attempt to unnerve an enemy. A humanoid creature you can see and that can see you within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Focus save DC. If they fail, they are frightened of you for 1 minute. The frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turn, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Enchanted Weaponry
When you reach 7th level, your summoned weapons are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Additionally, attacks with your summoned weapons ignore spell effects that would increase a creature's armor class, such as shield or mage armor.
Focused Mind
Starting at 9th level, your mind becomes attuned to constant concentration required to maintain your abilities. You can use an action and 1 focus point to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.
Masterful Summoning
At 10th level, you have developed extraordinary control over your summoned weapons, allowing you to increase their power. Your summoned weapons' damage die increases by one tier (1 to 1d4, 1d4 to 1d6, 1d6 to 1d8, 1d8 to 1d10 etc.).
Metal Manipulation
At 13th level, you gain partial control over the metal around you, allowing you to manipulate more objects than the ones you summoned. As an action, you can spend up to 3 focus points to move a Large or smaller metal object in a direction of your choice. For every focus point you spend, you may move an object up to 10 feet. The object must not weigh more than 100 pounds.
If the object is being worn or carried by another creature, it must make a Strength saving throw. If failed, you pry the object from them if they are carrying it, or move them along with the object if they are wearing it. You are not able to move Huge or larger creatures this way.
Magnetic Force
At 14th level, you learn how to manipulate the magnetic fields surrounding you and extend them outward. As an action, you can make any number of creatures that use metal as a weapon or armor within 30 feet of you roll a Constitution saving throw. If they fail, they make attack rolls with disadvantage and attack rolls against them have advantage until the end of your next turn. You may use this feature again after a short or a long rest.
Psionic Aura
At 15th level, the presence of your mind naturally deters effects that would hinder it. You gain advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws.
Disciplined Focus
At 18th level, your mastery over your focus is honed to perfection. You add your Intelligence modifier to initiative rolls, and when you roll for initiative and have no focus points remaining, you regain 5 focus points.
Telekinetic Mastery
At 20th level, you have ascended to a higher level of control over the world around you. You can spend 4 focus points to cast telekinesis as an action. You have advantage on Constitution saving throws made to maintain concentration on the spell.
Ferromancy Schools
Depending on the skill set and aptitude of a Ferromancer, as well as their preferred fighting style, most trainees in this mystic art choose one of three distinct paths to guide and specialize their training.
Rarely are there dedicated schools or training grounds for any particular school, as those gifted with the power of ferromancy are too few and far between to form such societies. Instead, gifted students of the art usually train by themselves or under a single master, who passes onto them their knowledge and capabilities.
Guardian
Brave and steadfast, those who follow the Guardian school of ferromancy focus their training on defensive techniques as well as improved weapon conjuring. Aiding their teammates and mercilessly swinging at their opponents, Guardians are invaluable allies and very capable warriors.
Hardened Body
Starting when you choose this school at 3rd level, your body embraces your training as a steadfast defender. You gain proficiency in medium armor. Additionally, you gain 3 maximum hit points, and you gain 1 more for every level gained in this class.
Summon Shield
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to summon a protective metal barrier which hovers around you. Summoning or dismissing it requires a bonus action and it can be simultaneously active with your other weapons. The barrier provides a +2 bonus to your armor class. When a creature within 30 feet of you is attacked, you can use a reaction to make the barrier hover close to them, providing the armor class bonus to that creature instead of you until the beginning of your next turn.
At 9th level, the barrier's armor class bonus increases to +3, and at 16th level it increases to +4.
Large Armaments
At 6th level, you learn the complicated method of summoning even larger weaponry, giving you access to a wide variety of weapons. You gain proficiency with martial weapons, and can summon them using your Summon Metal feature as long as they lack the Heavy property.
When using Forceful Attack, Large creatures are now affected normally while Huge creatures can be affected but make the saving throw with advantage.
Psionic Shielding
At 11th level, you learn to manifest protective barriers with nothing but your mind. You can spend 2 focus points to cast shield on yourself or a creature within 30 feet of you.
Iron Defense
At 17th level, you master the art of conjuring defensive boons. As an action while your barrier is summoned, you transform it into a widespread psionic shield. You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage, and every creature of your choice within 30 feet of you gains a +4 bonus to their AC. This effect lasts for 10 minutes, and you can use it again after completing a long rest.
Elementalist
Followers of the Elementalist school of ferromancy discipline their minds to its fullest extent, gaining such control over their summoned weapons that they are able to imbue them with the very power of the elements. Mystical and unpredictable by nature, Elementalists utilize the power of their intellect in ways seldom understood by ordinary folk.
Elemental Inbuement
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this school, you begin to utilize the elements around you to your advantage in combat. As a bonus action, you may imbue any number of your summoned weapons with an elemental effect. For each weapon affected, you must spend 1 focus point. The available elements are acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison or thunder. You have the option of imbuing each weapon with a different element.
The damage type of those weapons changes to the chosen elemental type and you add a bonus to damage rolls with those weapons equal to your proficiency modifier. This effect lasts for 1 minute.
Uncanny Intellect
Starting at 3rd level, your mind is getting used to sharpening its focus in perilous situations. You can add your Intelligence modifier to attack and damage rolls of your summoned weapons instead of Dexterity.
Additionally, whenever you are supposed to make a saving throw with an ability other than Intelligence, you can spend 1 focus point to make an Intelligence saving throw instead.
Elemental Burst
At 6th level, elemental power grows stronger in you, and you can to harness it in more violent ways. Instead of making an attack roll with an imbued weapon, you can use it to unleash a burst of energy in a 10-foot radius within 30 feet. You must spend 1 focus point to detonate a weapon this way.
Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. If failed, they take 4d6 damage of the type you originally chose. If they succeed, they take half as much.
The explosion dissipates the elemental effect, returning the damage output of the weapon to normal.
At 9th level, the damage of the Elemental bursts increases to 5d6, while at 16th level, it increases to 6d6.
Energy Absorption
At 11th level, you attune your body even further to the elements you wield. While one of your weapons is imbued with elemental damage, you have resistance to that damage type.
Master of the Elements
At 17th level, your perfected mastery of the elements allows you prolonged control over them. The duration of your Elemental Imbuement feature is extended to 10 minutes.
Steeldancer
Recognizable by their perfected poise and smooth movements, followers of the Steeldancer school of ferromancy practice complex and unique ways to utilize their weapons to their fullest extent. Learning multiple offensive and defensive techniques to prevail against their enemies, Steeldancers are deceptively gentle Ferromancers who are true masters of combat with summoned weapons.
Focused Movement
Starting when you choose this school at 3rd level, you learn to traverse the battlefield with unusual grace and quickness. You can Dash or Disengage as a bonus action.
Additionally, whenever you make a Dexterity saving throw against an effect which halves the damage you take on a success, you can spend 1 focus point to make the effect deal half damage on a failure, and no damage on a success.
Steeldancing
Starting at 3rd level, your training in various fighting techniques with summoned weapons allows you to perform specialized combat moves, called "steeldances".
When you receive this feature, you choose 3 steeldances (detailed in the list below) that you can use. You learn a new steeldance at 7th, 10th and 15th level. Each time you learn new steeldances, you can also replace one dance you know with a different one.
Superior Awareness
At 6th level, your training has put you in a heightened state of awareness. You have advantage on initiative rolls, and you can spend 1 focus point to negate surprise at the beginning of combat.
Nimble Step
At 11th level, your movement flows like water and very few things can hinder it. Your movement speed increases by 20 feet and you gain advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Dexterity (Athletics) checks.
Steel Virtuoso
At 17th level, your summoned weapons become an extension of you, and you learn to dance effortlessly. You receive three free uses of a known steeldance of your choice. The steeldance must not have a level requirement higher than level 7. This feature replenishes after a long rest.
Steeldances
Dances are presented in alphabetical order.
Ethereal Pirouette. (requires 7th level) As an action, you can spend 2 focus points to imbue your weapons with ethereal properties and launch them against foes. Your weapons' damage type changes to force until the beginning of your next turn and they strike each creature in a 15-foot cone originating from you. Make a separate attack roll for each creature.
Focus Frenzy. (requires 15th level) As an action, you can spend 4 focus points to continue making attack rolls against a single target as long as you keep hitting it. Subsequent attacks after the first one do not add your Dexterity modifier to the damage roll.
Graceful Deflection. As a reaction, you can spend 1 focus point to use your weapon to knock an arrow or a similarly sized projectile off course. Roll a d12 and add your Dexterity modifier. If the total damage of the projectile is greater than the number you received, subtract the number you rolled from the damage roll of the projectile. If the number is greater, you may make an attack roll against the attacking creature using your summoned weapon's attack and damage modifier.
Hypnotic Strike. When you hit a creature with an attack, you can spend 1 focus point to give advantage to the next attack roll against it.
Iron Crescendo. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 focus point and increase the power of your weapons. Your weapons gain +3 to damage rolls until the start of your next turn.
Jagged Flourish. (requires 10th level) As an action, you can spend 3 focus points to target every creature of your choice in a 30-foot radius with a single attack. Make a separate attack roll for each creature.
Magnetic Sway. (requires 7th level) As an action, you can spend 2 focus points to move your foes within your magnetic aura. Every creature of your choice within 30 feet of you that uses metal as a weapon or armor must make a Strength saving throw. If failed, they are either pushed 15 away from you or pulled 15 feet towards you. All creatures are affected by the same effect.
Orbiting Swerve. (requires 7th level) When you hit an attack roll against a creature, you can spend 2 focus points to deal additional damage to the target each time it is hit with a weapon attack until the beginning of your next turn. The damage is equal to your weapon's damage die.
Perfected Stance. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 focus point to gain advantage on attack rolls until the beginning of your next turn.
Piercing Thrust. (requires 15th level) When you make an attack roll with a summoned weapon, you can instead choose to target a 30-foot line originating from you with each attack. You must spend 1 focus point for each line you create. Make a separate attack roll for each creature.
Psionic Riposte. When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can spend 1 focus point to make one melee attack against them as a reaction.
Staggering Chant. As a bonus action, you can spend focus points equal to the number of summoned weapons to charge them with a tense, vibrating force. The weapons deal additional 1d6 thunder damage until the start of your next turn and their targets must make a Strength saving throw. If failed, the target is pushed 10 feet in a direction of your choosing.
Waltz of Steel. (requires 10th level) As an action, you can spend 2 focus points to surround yourself in a 10-foot wide whirling veil of metal for 1 minute. When a creature of your choice enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage.
Weaving Dance. When a creature makes an attack against you, you can use a reaction and spend 1 focus point to roll 1d8 and add the number rolled to your AC until the end of your next turn.
Created by MJ.