Powder Mage

A grizzled veteran of the Khazan Semenovski Vanguard steps up to the barricade and stares down the monstrous creatures that would assault the walls of Kazangrad. The other soldiers hunker down and watch as the veteran, their captain, crushes a powder charge in his mouth. He can feel the alchemical power fuel him as he brings his musket up to his shoulder and lines up a shot.

The young revolutionary rebel in Northwick skulks on the rooftops waiting for the Brute Boys escort to get close to him. The escort was delivering a shipment of black powder, unlocking for them the rebel was a practised powder mage. Reaching out with his senses to ignite that shipment. Looks like the Brute Boys will have to use clubs for a while.

## Blackpowder is Power

The world is threatened by beasts supernatural and otherwise. People have to adapt and develop new technology and tactics to defend themselves from these monsters and other people that would take what's theirs. There are those that would develop the new concept of black powder into something more...magical.

Powder mages originated from Khazanov, their leading academics tinkering with the concept of splashing in some Ether Weave crystals into black powder and exposing it to their best soldiers, creating powder mages over time. Arcane soldiers able to manipulate black powder in more ways than intended. By ingesting it, sensing it and igniting it. Their powers allow them to redirect bullets, enter heightened physical states with the use of powder, cast basic spells to further aid them in their missions and have a certain degree of control over explosions.

Powder mages while started out as elite soldiers of standing and mercenary armies, many have taken a life to adventuring. Putting their wants and needs of glory and fame over that of a soldier's duty and honor. They are paid large sums of coin to assassinate, bodyguard, escort, bounty hunt etc by those that have use of a powder mage's unique skill set. Sadly, some succumb to their addiction to powder and rot in gutters and ghettos with powder blindness. While black powder is a great source of power and strength to a powder mage, it takes its toll on the body and can be their downfall.

## Creating a Powder Mage

As you create a powder mage, think about how they got their powers first and foremost. Were you a Khazan soldier in the vanguard defence of cities, later transformed into a powder mage. Or perhaps a curious academic in Claudia that perhaps miscalculated an experiment. Maybe you had a sorcerer bloodline deep within your family but one day was exposed to raw black powder, infusing itself with you. Or a Brummy freedom fighter that found a Khazan wizard to transform you into a powder mage to fight against the injustice.

Does your character flaunt their power as a sign of rank among other soldiers or simply a means to your ends.

### *Unique Terms and Rules*

* ***Ammunition:*** Ammunition can be said as Ammo or Powder Charge. Its made up of an iron ball and black powder wrapped together in thin paper.

* ***Maximum Ammunition:*** You can carry a maximum of 120 ammunition at any time. This takes into account the iron balls and blackpowder in terms of weight and cubic space for balance.
* ***Gold Allergy:*** When one becomes a powder mage, they develop an allergy to gold. If gold enters your bloodstream or is exposed to the inside of your body, you lose your *Spellcasting* feature.
* **Powder Blindness:** Powder Blindness is the sad effects of when a powder mage becomes addicted to black powder. Each failed save gives the powder mage 1 point of Powder Blindness. The effects of each point are shown on the table below:

A powder mage suffering from Powder Blindness can cure 1 point of it by not ingesting any black powder for 3 days. Points of Powder Blindness are not affected by any effects that grant disease immunity.

### Quick Build

You can make a powder mage quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the soldier background.

### Class Features

* **Hit Dice:** 1d10 per powder mage level
* **Hit points at 1st Level:** 10+ your Constitution modifier
* **Hit points at higher levels:** 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier for each level over 1st

### Proficiencies

* **Armor:** light, medium armor
* **Weapons:** Simple weapons, rapier, shortsword, simple firearms
* **Tools:** Tinker's Tools
* **Saving Throws:** Strength, Dexterity
* **Skills:** Choose two from Athletics, Acrobatics, Arcana, Intimidation, Perception, Survival or Investigation

### Equipment

You start with the following equipment in addition to the equipment granted by your background.

* (a) a musket or (b) a flintlock pistol
* (a) three bombs or (b) a grenade
* (a) rapier or (b) any two simple weapons
* Explorer's pack, leather armor, bayonet, 20 of any ammunition

## Sixth Sense

At 1st level, you are attuned to the magical weave that flows through all things. You are always under the effects of the *Detect Magic* spell.

Additionally, you can sense the presence of black powder within 120ft of you. You know the exact location and size of the source, whether it be a medium-sized keg or ruffian carrying a flintlock pistol with a few rounds of ammunition.

## Powder Trance

At 1st level, on your turn, you may enter into a powder trance as a bonus action, by ingesting one piece of ammunition to reap the physical benefits of the magical high.

* You gain a bonus to your attack rolls equal to your Powder Trance bonus as shown on your class table.
* You gain a bonus to Strength (Athletics) and Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks equal to twice your Powder Trance Bonus as shown on your class table.
* Your senses open up and are more finely attuned, giving you advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. You can see up to 2 miles away with no difficulty as if objects were up close to you.

Your trance lasts for 10 minutes. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious. You can also end your trance on your turn as a bonus action.

You can enter a Powder Trance a number of times equal to twice your Powder Trance Bonus every long rest without any drawbacks. If you decide to enter a Powder Trance beyond your safe limit, at the end of your turn make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, you gain 1 point of Powder Blindness. See above in *Unique Terms and Rules*

## Spellcasting

At 2nd level, you have gone through the vigorous training that it takes to become a powder mage. Your power comes from the alchemical concoction of black power, a new and volatile substance that is now spreading far and wide throughout the realms.

**Preparing and Casting Spells**

The powder mage table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your powder mage spells. To cast on of your powder mage spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of powder mage spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the powder mage spell list. When you do so, choose a number of powder mage spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your powder mage level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of powder mage spells requires time spent in concentration.

**Spellcasting Ability**

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your powder mage spells. You can use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a powder mage spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

* **Spell save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
* **Spell attack modifier** = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

**Spellcasting Focus**

You can use a firearm or pinches of black powder as your spellcasting focus or materials for your powder mage spells.

## Bullet Acceleration

Starting at 2nd level, you can magically accelerate the speed and power of your bullet to deal significantly more damage when it hits the target. When you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal additional damage to the target. The extra damage is 2d6 for a 1st level spell slot, plus 1d6 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d6. The additional damage is the same type of damage of that of the weapon it was fired from.

## Powder Mage Specialty

At 3rd level, you specialize into a particular role of powder mage. Choose one from Marksman and Bombardier. You gain additional features at 7th, 11th and 15th level.

### **Specialty Spells**

Each specialty has a list of associated spells. You gain access to these spells at the levels specified in the speciality description. Once you gain access to a speciality spell, you always have it prepared. specialty spells don't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.

If you gain a specialty spell that doesn't appear on the powder mage spell list, the spell is nonetheless a powder mage spell for you.

## Double Shot

Beginning at 5th level, you load up two bullets into your firearm and guide them both to their target. Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn with a simple firearm, you can attack twice expending two pieces of ammunition. But you can only use this feature against one target.

## Combustion

At 6th level, not only can you sense sources of black powder, you can also ignite it at the click of your fingers. When you sense a source of black powder with your Sixth Sense feature, as an action you can expend one piece of ammunition to cause one source of powder to explode. You can send up to five pieces of ammunition to explode five sources of black powder. Additionally, the range in which you can sense black power from your Sixth Sense feature, increases to 180ft.

If a source of powder is loaded in a firearm, the weapon acts as if it misfired.

## Improved Powder Trance

At 10th level you gain additional benefits when entering your Powder Trance

* You gain a bonus to saving throws equal to your Powder Trance bonus as shown on your class table.
* Your movement speed increases by 10ft.

## Improved Bullet Acceleration

By 14th level, you are skilled enough now to add an overkill amount of powder to each shot you make. Whenever you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack by a firearm, the creature takes an extra 1d6 damage.

## Killer Instinct

At 18th level, you are always on alert and ready for action. When you roll initiative you may choose to immediately enter a Powder Trance and gain advantage on your initiative roll. You must still expend a piece of ammunition to enter the trance.

Additionally, you cannot be surprised.

## Archmages Trance

At 20th level, your Powder Trance allows you to become so hyper-focused that accelerating your bullets and aiming true become second nature to you. While in a Powder Trance you gain the following additional benefits:

* You gain a bonus to damage rolls equal to your Powder Trance bonus as shown on your class table.
* Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to the damage you dealt in the killing blow. These temporary hit points remain until the end of your next turn.

## Bullet Dancer Specialist

Bullet Dancers are the elite gunmen of powder mages. Able to shoot further and recover faster from an initially poorly aimed shot.

### **Specialty Spells**

You gain specialty spells at the powder mage levels listed.

### **Distance Floating**

At 3rd level, you are able to propel your shots further than the firearm would allow by floating your bullets while they travel through the air. The range of all simple firearms for you is tripled.

### **Angle Floating**

At 7th level, you can recover and potentially save a poorly aimed shot by magically changing the angle of a bullet mid-flight. When you miss with a ranged weapon attack by a firearm, you can use your reaction by expending a piece of ammunition to reroll the attack.

Additionally, you can target two different creatures when you use your Double Shot feature.

### **Advanced Angle Floating**

At 11th level, you can curve bullets around corners and cover.

You ignore half and three quarters cover when attacking with a simple firearm. Additionally, if a creature has full cover, but you are aware of their position, you can make an attack roll against the target with disadvantage and a -5 penalty to the attack roll.

### **Trance Sniper**

At 15th level, when you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack with a firearm and expended spell slots in the way granted by your Bullet Acceleration feature, you can choose to roll maximum damage. Once you use this feature you can't do so again until you finish a short rest.

## Grenadier Specialist

Grenadiers are bigger and more aggressive than your traditional powder mage. They prefer being in the front of the fight tossing explosives and causing carnage.

### **Specialty Spells**

You gain specialty spells at the powder mage levels listed.

### **Empowered Detonations**

At 3rd level, you can increase the harming power of an explosion by guiding the blast to a specific creature. When you throw an explosive and damage a creature in the blast, you can expend a spell slot to deal an additional 2d6 fire damage, plus 1d6 for each spell level higher than first, to a maximum of 5d6, to the target.

At 6th level, you can use this feature when you use your Combustion feature as well.

### **Shaped Charge**

At 7th level, you can guide the direction of explosions. Whenever there is a black powder explosion within range of your Sixth Sense, you may use your reaction to spend 1 spell slot and choose any number of creatures within the area of the explosion. Those creatures are unaffected by the explosion.

### **Grenadier's Resolve**

At 11th level, you are used to fighting on the frontline. While in a Powder Trance, you are immune to being charmed or frightened.

### **Explosive Rounds**

At 15th level, you can empower your bullets to explode on impact. When you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack with a firearm and expended spell slots in the way granted by your Bullet Acceleration feature, each creature within 10ft of the target takes the additional damage granted by your Bullet Acceleration feature. You must expend one piece of ammunition for each creature you wish to affect in this way.

## Iron Mask Specialist

Iron Masks are powder mages that favour their magical power in combination with black powder. They like flaunting their prestige by wearing an iron mask when heading into battle.

### **Specialty Spells** Edit

You gain specialty spells at the powder mage levels listed.

### **Arcane Adept**

At 3rd level, you have practised enough of the basic principles of magic to learn your own set of cantrips. When you choose this archetype, you learn two cantrips of your choice from the Wizard's spell list. These cantrips count as powder mage cantrips for you.

You learn an additional cantrip at 7th, 11th and 15th level.

### **Charged Misfire**

At 3rd level, you can use the ignited powder from a misfire to charge and fuel basic magical power. When your firearm misfires, you can immediately use your reaction to cast a cantrip regardless if it requires an action or bonus action.

### **Rapid Spellshot**

At 7th level, you can use your spellcasting and firearms in unison with each other. When you cast a cantrip or spell with your action, you can make one firearm attack as a bonus action. You cannot benefit from your Double Shot feature when used in this way.

### **Arcane** **Reserves**

At 11th level, like ammunition and black powder, you have a backline reserve of arcane power when needed. Whenever you are required to expend a spell slot, whether by using your Bullet Acceleration feature or casting a spell, you can choose to not expend the spell slot. When you do, you gain one point of exhaustion.

### **Powder Trance Ordnance**

At 15th level, by using black powder you can significantly increase the potency of your spells in a number of ways while in a Powder Trance. When you are in a Powder Trance you gain the following benefits when casting spells:

* You can increase your spell save DC by your Powder Trance Bonus as shown on your class table by expending pieces of ammunition equal to twice the spell's level.
* When you cast a spell that requires you to target a single creature, you can target additional creatures equal to your Powder Trance Bonus as shown on your class table by expending 5 pieces of ammunition per additional creature.

## Spell List

### 1st level

* Absorb Elements
* Alarm
* Color Spray
* Catapult
* Detect Poison and Disease
* Disguise Self
* Earth Tremor
* Expeditious Retreat
* Goodberry
* Identify
* Jump
* Longstrider
* Mage Armor

### 2nd level

* Animal Messanger
* Arcane Lock
* Beast Sense
* Blindness/Deafness
* Darkness
* Darkvision
* Dragon's Breath
* Enhance Ability
* Flaming Sphere
* Heat Metal
* Magic Weapon
* Pass Without Trace
* Silence
* Skywrite

### 3rd level

* Conjure Barrage
* Daylight
* Dispel Magic
* Elemental Weapon
* Erupting Earth
* Glyph of Warding
* Magic Circle
* Stinking Cloud
* Wall of Sand

### 4th level

* Confusion
* Fabricate
* Freedom of Movement
* Hallucinatory Terrain
* Merlin's Elegant Carriage
* Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound
* Wall of Fire
* Zastil's Technique

### 5th level

* Circle of Power
* Cloudkill
* Conjure Volley
* Immolation
* Teleportation Circle