Scar Caster

Empowered Scars

At 2nd level, you are able to direct arcane energies through your scars at will. As an action, you cause your scars to glow with power. While this feature is active, you have advantage on intimidation checks, and you glow with dim light in the color of your choice to a distance of 10 feet. Additionally, while empowered, your scars can function as an Arcane Focus. This ability lasts for 1 minute, and you can dismiss it at any time as a bonus action. You can use this ability once per long rest. If you wish to use it more than once per long rest, you may do so, but you to take 1d6 force damage with every subsequent use.

Scar Casting

At 6th level, you gain the ability to channel spells through your scars in order to increase their power. Whenever you cast a spell using a spell slot, and that spell can be cast at a higher level, you may do so using energy directed through your scars. Instead of using a higher level spell slot, you can instead choose to take 1d4 force damage for each spell level increase.

For example, if you wanted to cast Arcane Missiles at 4th level, you could expend a 2nd level spell slot, and then expend the remaining 2 levels using your scars, causing you to take 2d4 force damage.

Channeling magical energy through your scars in this way temporarily alters your blood. When you use this ability, you are unable to gain hit points until the end of your next turn (temporary hit points may be gained and used normally). You also cannot use this ability to cast spells using higher level spell slots than you currently have access to. The self-inflicted damage caused by this ability does not cause you to lose concentration on other spells, and this damage cannot be reduced or prevented in any way.

This wizard subclass is adapted and rebalanced from an idea with the same name, posted on dandwiki.com

Scar Storing

At 10th level, you may spend time carving magical spells as scars into your flesh, as a living spellbook. Doing so requires 2 hours per spell level (which cannot be taken as a part of a long rest), your maximum HP is reduced by 2 points for each spell level. Any spell carved in this way must be a Wizard spell already known to you, although it does not need to be prepared. The total combined level of all the spells carved this way may not exceed your Intelligence Modifier. Spells of a higher level than 3rd are too powerful and complex to be carved in this way. These scars remain as a part of you permanently, and cannot be removed or healed except by use of a Greater Restoration or Wish spell.

The spells depicted in these scars are always prepared for you. You can choose to cast them using spell slots as normal, or you can also cast them completely through your scars, using no spell slots, but taking damage from your scar casting feature for every spell level.

Greater Scar Empowerment

At 14th level, you gain further control over the energy that you channel through your scars. While your Empowered Scars feature is active, the arcane magic suffuses your being and strengthens your fortitude, giving you these additional benefits:

• You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws, if you did not already have it.
• You have immunity to the Frightened and Paralyzed conditions.
• If you had any levels of Exhaustion, they are reduced by one. (But they return to normal when the effect ends)
• If you are not wearing armor, you may use 13 + your Intelligence Modifier for your AC value instead of any other armor calculation.