The Complete Martial Caster

by ThatGuyMontag

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The Complete Martial Caster v1.1

The sword wielding mage on the frontlines remains an enduring fantasy that many want to play. While many classes and subclasses gesture at providing this experience, it's clear from the amount of time people spend crafting and tweaking their characters that what we have available often isn't ideal or doesn't quite capture what players have in mind when they imagined their character. Worse, there are many explicit and implicit game rules that often make playing this style of character Rules As Written a headache and the various solutions, whether as class features or even some feats, are often just design taxes that get in the way of fulfilling a very common fantasy.

The goal here is simply to collect several of these fixes into either feats, or variant Class Features while expanding on the options available for this sort of character.

Design Note WotC designed several classes to fill this particular martial caster niche causing a patchwork of similar features. This means I have needed to "step on the toes" of some subclass features to make every feature capable of standing on its own.

This document uses Full Casting Class to refer to the following classes: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

Martial Caster:

When you gain a level as a full casting class you may opt to receive one of the following instead of gaining a spellcasting level. For example, a Cleric chooses Martial Training at level 3: For the purpose of preparing spells, spell slots as well as Domain Spells, they count as a 2nd level Cleric. For all other purposes, including class features, they count as a level 3 Cleric.

You may choose any options you are eligible for at 1st level, including if you multiclass. If so, you gain cantrips and class features, but no spell slots as per your class until you gain another level in the class.

1. Martial Training

  • Gain proficiency in all Simple and Martial weapons.
  • You may choose a style from the list of Fighter fighting styles.
  • You gain Proficiency with Medium armour & Shields.
  • Choose either shields or weapons. They may now be used as a focus for your spellcasting.

2. Magical Smite

  • when you hit a creature with a melee weapon Attack, you may choose the damage type of any spell you currently know or have prepared, excluding force. You can expend one spell slot to deal damage of that type to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each Spell Level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8.

3. Extra Attack

Requires Character Level 6+

  • When you take the attack action you may attack twice instead of once. You can cast a cantrip in place of one of those attacks. A character which gains this feature may not benefit from the Divine Strike or Potent Spellcasting class features.
Design Notes

The key assumption in this section is:

Spell Casting Level = A Class Feature.

This is what players are trading off when they multiclass a spellcaster and the idea is to provide a simpler way to do this: in both cases they're trading one set of class features with another set. As such the first 2 features have been broadly balanced against comparable multiclasses. They should not be seen as a replacement to multiclassing: strictly speaking I would recommend multiclassing to either of these. They are here purely to provide options for players who want them.

Extra Attack is different. There is just no way to design it in a way that's comparable to multiclassing. That said, it is clear from looking at martial casting classes such as the Valor Bard or the Bladesinger that WotC doesn't see giving casters an extra attack as a huge jump in power for spellcasters. It is still clearly a feature that has to come into play in later levels, roughly level 6, which is why it has a level requirement: making it incompatible with Divine Strike and Potent Spellcasting is explicitly to keep the feature in line with WotC's design.

It is however also completely reasonable to think this feature needs to be put off till level 7 or 8 or even removed. As written I think it is balanced but that may be different depending on your player's build or table. I would however urge GMs to try it first and only remove it if it turns out to be a problem: this is an important feature for creating the feel of a frontline spellcaster.

Feats

Feat: Eldritch Vanguard

Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic Feature

Clad in magic and armour, you have trained to stand in the heart of the battle, a symbol of martial and magical might to rally your allies and strike terror in your foes.

  • As an action, you can touch a suit of armor that isn’t being worn or carried by anyone and instantly don it, provided you aren’t wearing armor already. You are proficient with this suit of armor until it’s removed.

  • As a Bonus Action on your turn you may spend a spell slot to create a temporary magical barrier around yourself or a creature or object within 30'. Roll 1d8 for each spell level and give the target that many Temporary HP. As long as these temp HP remain, if the target of your barrier is attacked you may use your reaction to immediately teleport to a space you can see within 5 feet of the attacker. After the triggering attack is resolved you may then make an Attack of Opportunity against the attacker.

  • This feat counts as proficiency in light, medium or heavy armour for the purposes of requirements.

The Attack of Opportunity is deliberately to trigger Warcaster. It has not been playtested: I do not know if it's fair.

Feat: Fluid Form

Requirement: Spellcasting or Pact Magic Class Feature

For the most powerful shapechangers, their body is whatever it needs to be. Through study and magic ritual you are well on your way to being such a shapechanger.

  • If your character succeeds a saving throw against a hostile spell or effect which changes your character's form, instead of cancelling the effect, you may choose to treat it as though the spell was cast by yourself or an ally.

  • When any spell or feature cast by yourself or an ally changes your character's form, you may choose which stats are altered by the effect. If you do, while altered you may cast and maintain concentration on spells with a target of Self, or spells where you are the spell's only target. Your form counts as a spell focus for the purposes of spells cast in this manner. Any components with a cost count as held by you if they were in your inventory when your form changed and are consumed as usual.

  • While using this feature, when you return to your original form you suffer half the damage suffered while shapeshifted on top of the spill-over damage from any attack which ends your form. This extra damage cannot count as Massive Damage and will not kill your character.

  • If the form is Tiny or smaller, you have a maximum Str of 6.

Feat: Infused Archery

Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic Feature

Magic is a discipline of endless variety and methods. Tapping into ancient forms you have learned to enhance your spellcasting through the use of specially prepared ranged weapons.

  • Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can infuse a ranged weapon you are proficient with. While wielding that weapon you can use your spellcasting ability modifier instead of Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls. While infused you ignore both the Loading and Ammunition properties on the weapon.

  • When casting a spell you may choose to imbue the spell in a magically created piece of ammunition and fire it from your weapon. If the spell has a range of Touch, make a Ranged attack. If hit, the target suffers the positive or negative effects of the spell. If the spell has a range of 5’ or greater, treat the point where the missile lands as the origin of the spell effect. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier. Regain all uses after a short or long rest.

Feat: Magical Alacrity

Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic Feature

Magic crackles through your veins quickening your blood and speeding your reactions.

  • Increase your movement speed by 5 feet.

  • You may use the spellcasting stat of the class feature which gives you access to this feat instead of Dex for Initiative rolls, as well as for Athletics and Acrobatics skill checks relating to speed or agility.

  • You can dash as a bonus action. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier. You regain all uses of this feature after a short or long rest.

Feat: Magical Vigor

Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic Feature

Whether through intense training, ancient rites or mystic tattoos, you have learned how to channel magic through your body, strengthening the flesh.

  • Magic flows through your body, fortifying you. Your hit point maximum increases by your level and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level.

  • You may use the spellcasting modifier of the class feature which gives you access to this feat instead of your Str when making Str ability checks.

Feat: Spell Aegis

Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic Feature

Concentrating on the defensive uses of magic, you have learned how to use both mundane and magical shields as part of your spellcasting.

  • You gain proficiency with shields. You may use your shield as a spell focus.

  • You learn the spell Shield. You may cast this spell with slots gained from the class feature which gives you access to this feat. This spell does not need to be prepared, nor does it count towards your number of spells known.

  • As a reaction to an attack or effect which hits you and which causes damage in an area, and before rolling any saving throws you may spend a spell slot. Roll 1d8+1d8 for each level of the spell and add your character’s level. The total is a pool of temporary hit points that you may split between any number of targets of your choice within 30ft. These temporary hit points vanish at the end of the triggering attack.

Feat: Spellsword

Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic Feature

You have become accustomed to wielding both weapons and spells. To this end, you've created a magical fighting style to seamlessly blend your martial and magical prowess.

  • Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can touch a melee weapon you are proficient with. While wielding that weapon you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls. While under this effect the weapon counts as a focus for your spells. This benefit lasts until you use this feature on a different weapon.

  • Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn and have multiple attacks, you can cast a cantrip in place of one of those attacks.

New Spell

Bond Weapon

Transmutation Cantrip

  • Casting Time: 1 bonus action
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: V, S, M [a specially prepared melee weapon involving a ritual which costs 50gp to complete]
  • Duration: 1 minute

The weapon you are wielding is imbued with magical power. For the duration, you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of melee attacks using that weapon, and the weapon’s damage die becomes 1d8 if it is 1d6 or lower. The weapon also becomes magical, if it isn’t already. The spell ends if you cast it again or if you let go of the weapon.

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