#predatory rabbit

(art by YanoLidge on DeviantArt)

The classic image of the wizard is something that has developed not just from fantasy media, but also from the game itself. Nobody questions these days that a mage should dress in light, voluminous clothing and have basically no swordsmanship training. Why would they? Swordplay distracts from the studies of the arcane and wearing armor restricts the movements required for grandiose somatic gestures that are clearly required for most spellcasting. Not at all a transparent attempt at game balancing by making the mages bad at something and fragile to make up for the fact that they can tell the laws of physics to go stuff it a number of times per day.

But interestingly, while previous editions had whole rules for the ways that armor physically hindered spellcasting, those restrictions are gone now, with only the premise that the wizard really didn’t train in such things being the only reason they have not… But what if they did?

Trained by war colleges that were more concerned with practical application of magic rather than advanced theory, war mages are not just trained to wear armor and wield weapons alongside casting spells (albeit still not as good as a magus or a nonmagical swordsman), but they are also trained in using magic to support armies, providing artillery support as well as magical protection for large groups at once. Of course, they have their own drawbacks and perhaps understand the deeper mysteries of magic less than someone wholly dedicated to the arcane, but ask any soldier and they’ll tell you which they’d rather have at their back when the battle is joined.

So yes, it’s time for another class archetype, specifically for the wizard, for a mage that is not afraid to sometimes get into the thick of it alongside other warriors.

Like other class archetypes, the war mage makes some changes at level 1. Firstly, they receive training in light and medium armor, but do not gain the defensive robes ability. Next, they learn how to shield block as well as how to use martial weapons. They must belong to the school of battle magic (granting them a specialization in blasting and defensive spells), but they do not have an arcane thesis they are working on, nor do they start with a bond (they can get that later, more on that in a bit). They do, however, have the ability to convert any spell slot they have prepared into a spell that improves the accuracy of their next attack, heighted to the power of the sacrificed spell slot.

A plethora of changes, but now we get to the dedication for the archetype. This grants training in warfare lore, as well as training on how to manipulate the forces of area-effect spell to shove around those affected, forcing them into a tactically advantageous position.

Those familiar with field dressing can add phantasmal bandages and medical aid to a friendly spell cast on an ally, helping to tend to their wounds even as they bolster them with magic.

By manipulating the specifics of the shield spell, these mages can instead cause it to project a replica of the shield they currently wield, gaining better defenses on the fly, but also letting them project the shield to protect nearby allies instead.

Sometimes in war one must not only cast normal magic, but more powerful effects by way of rituals as well. Not only are some war mages trained to better ignore distractions while casting so-called siege rituals, but they also learn a basic one as well as others further down the line. (Since “siege” is not an actual descriptor for rituals, assume that any ritual that came from the Battlecry! book and requires the use of the Warfare Lore skill to be such a ritual).

Rather than leave their martial skill as basic weaponry, some of these wizards train with more advanced weapons, and those that learn how to bespell their weapons improve the extra harm done with them.

Part of the effectiveness of being a living artillery piece is the terror a mage can inspire with explosions and other widespread magical attacks. And some war mages learn to leverage that quite effectively, striking terror into the hearts of foes even as they rain down death from the heavens.

With special techniques, many learn how to create an array of magical shields around nearby allies, which can be sacrificed like a normal shield spell to absorb the brunt of an incoming hit.

Those with a defensive bent turn their shields into their very own bonded items, allowing them to be drained to power their magic. What’s more, they can infuse their shield with some spell energy to heighten the potency of the spell they recast with the shield.

Some master melee combat so well that they perfect the critical technique of the weapon, and even unleash greater surges of destructive energy with a bespelled blow.

The most dangerous thing about being a spellcaster in the middle of a battlefield is that there are lots of people with sharp implements that would rather the wizard not cast those spells, and are willing to express that feeling by using those implements. However, war mages that truly master their craft know how to ready and brace themselves before casting to keep their guard up and not provoke such attacks, at least with their lower-level magics.

If you plan on being a very combat-focused wizard, this archetype is a very fun option. Admittedly you are locked into a school that doesn’t give much emphasis on utility casting, and you lose out on your bonded item and your arcane thesis, so it’s not like this is a strict improvement on the class, merely a shift in priority. That being said, you can dip into it for some combat versatility, go in deep to become a somewhat competent pseudo-magus, and otherwise build for blasting and party protection to your hearts content.

I have to imagine that there is something of a rivalry between some academic wizards and war mages. It’s not a wholly inaccurate statement to say that such battle wizards have not grasped the full mysteries of the arcane. Some might even call them dabblers. For their part, of course, war mages understand that they might not be able to quote the esoterica quite so readily, but they do have knowledge in other areas, particularly tactics, camaraderie, and good practical sense.

The casualties of war are numerous, and they are not limited to humanoids. Animals both wild and domestic often end up dead either through direct action or starvation due to the loss of their owner. Such was the case of Mildred, who rose again as an undead terror known as a predatory rabbit. Currently, the eerie thing is in the care of the cruel warmage Votaa, who enjoys tormenting prisoners with it.

When a new threat appears in the middle of a battlefield, the party’s squad and enemy forces alike are forced to retreat underground to escape the new threat. Given the circumstances, the warmage leader of the enemy forces agrees to a truce until a way out is achieved. Will this alliance lead to disaster, or newfound respect.