Chaos Mage (5e Subclass)
Chaos Mage
Chaos mages are specialist wizards who have chosen to master the unpredictable art of casting wild magic, a form of arcane magic noted for its erratic behavior and random effects. Chaos mages believe that the attempts of others to codify and define magic was a useless pursuit that could end only in failure. Instead, they seek out what they consider magic in its purest form, accepting the risks that came along with wild magic in exchange for the chance to realize even more power in the random chance of a single spell. Like other practioners of wild magic, chaos mages draw their power from the entropic power of the planes, particularly the elemental and paraelemental planes, which they gain through unusually potent exposure to the forces that ran there, such as through birth on one such plane or surviving the infection of a slaad tadpole.
While all spellcasters must accept the fact that magic is a powerful and often unpredictable force, most believe that through the proper training and diligence it is something that one can learn to control. Like their sorcerous brethren, chaos mages reject this precept, believing instead that controlling arcane magic is a futile goal that only limited one's potential to preconceived ideas of order. Instead, chaos mages embrace the randomness of unrefined wild magic, channeling it through their bodies like an electrical current, rather than trying to contain or control it. In many cases, this gives chaos mages a degree of power uncommon to other mages. At other times, however, the forces with which a chaos mage dabbles backfires, a risk that all chaos mages accepted as a natural consequence of playing with proverbial—and sometimes quite literal—fire.
This unusual approach towards magic means that most chaos mages prefer to operate alone. Chaos mages feel that they have little to learn from the stretct practices of other arcanists and likewise feel they have nothing to give that those with the right attitude and gifts couldn't already acquire on their own. This does not, however, mean that all chaos mages are cloistered individuals, hiding themselves away, though many were. Some are true heroes, who use their unusual grasp of the arcane to fight tyranny and injustice wherever they go—whether by choice or as a consequence of one of their wild surges whisking them off to places unknown. Others are villains, wielding their power as a weapon to oppress or destroy others. Yet others are truly mad, believing it is their purpose in life to spread as much chaos and instability as possible.
| Dice Roll | Consequence of Scribing a Spell |
|---|---|
| 2-3 | You pay the full cost in time and gold to transcribe the spell, but fail to learn the spell and all your work mystically vanishes from your spellbook. If you were learning the spell from a scroll, it's magic is not lost due to your failure. You may try to learn the same spell again after performing a long rest, but if you roll this same result a second time, you may not attempt to learn that specific spell again until you gain a level in this class, even if from another source. |
| 4-5 | You transcribe the spell normally, but it takes 50% longer than usual and you must spend 50% more gold on special inks and materials. |
| 6-8 | You transcribe the spell normally. |
| 9-10 | You transcribe the spell normally, but it takes only half as long as normal and you only spend half as much gold on special inks and materials. |
| 11-12 | You transcribe the spell normally, but it takes only half as long as normal and you only spend half as much gold on special inks and materials. In addition, you learn and scribe one additional spell of the same level or lower into your spellbook at the same time, chosen by the DM. |
- Student of Chaos
Beginning at 2nd level, you learn to rely on your gut instincts and base hunches when working magic, rather than all those years of study and research your master engrained in you. You may choose to use Charisma as your spellcasting ability form this point forward instead of Intelligence. Once this choice is made, it is permanent.
Additionally, you gain proficiency in Intelligence (Arcana), and you learn the prestidigitation cantrip as a bonus cantrip.
Finally, whenever you attempt to learn a spell from a scroll or spellbook and transcribe it into your own spellbook, roll 2d6 and consult the following table to determine how well it goes. At 8th level you can roll 3d6 and use the two highest results. At 13th level you can roll 4d6 and use the two highest results.
- Wild Surge
Whenever you cast a wizard spell, you may voluntarily choose to channel more arcane energy into the effect than is typically required. Doing so grants you one—and only one—of the following benefits with that spell, which you may choose each time you cast a spell in this fashion:
- You may add your spellcasting ability to the spell's damage. If multiple damage dice are rolled, such as with a fireball spell, the bonus is only applied once. If multiple bolts or effects are created that each deal individual damage, such as with a magic missile spell, the bonus applies to the first bolt or effect that hits.
- Your saving throw DC for the effect is increased by +1. This improves to +2 at 10th level, and +3 at 20th level.
- The duration or range (choose one) of the spell is increased by 50%. This improves to 100% at 15th level.
However, when you do cast spells in this manner, you are also forced to make a Wild Surge roll as channeling that much energy is unpredictable and often times dangerous. You must also roll for a Wild Surge if one of your spells is dispelled or counterspelled, but this is considered an involuntary surge, meaning class features that rely on voluntary surges are not triggered.
You do not have to roll for a Wild Surge when casting cantrips, but still gain one of the aforementioned benefits. You may still choose to voluntarily trigger a Wild Surge with your cantrips; it's simply not required in order to gain one of these benefits. Even chaos mages learn to master some magic!
- Torrent of Power
At 6th level, once per short rest, whenever you cast a spell that deals acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, poison, or thunder damage, you may substitute that damage type with one other type from the same list. Each time you trigger a voluntary wild surge, you regain this class feature.
Additionally, whenever you would be affected by a random effect—such as when unleashing a wild surge (voluntarily or otherwise), using certain magic items such as a rod of wonder, or are targeted by spells like prismatic spray—you may roll twice and choose the outcome between one of the two rolls. At 14th level, you may instead roll three times and choose one of the results.
- Eye of the Storm
Beginning at 10th level, whenever you cast a spell that would affect an area, you can choose to create pockets of relative safety within the effect. You can choose a number of squares equal to spellcasting ability, plus whatever square you are currently in if you so desire. Creatures within those squares automatically succeed on their saving throws against the spell, and they take no damage if they would normally take half damage on a successful save. Doing so automatically triggers a Wild Surge, though creatures within the pockets of safety are unaffected by the surge whether its effect is harmful, beneficial, or otherwise.
- Master of Chaos
At 14th level, whenever you use a magic item that has charges, you may voluntarily trigger a Wild Surge in exchange for not expending any charges from the item.
And lastly, whenever you voluntarily cause a Wild Surge with one of your spells of 1st level or higher (but not other sources of Wild Surges including the previous feature), you may spontaneously convert one of your prepared spells into any other spell you know from your spellbook. The knowledge simply springs into your mind's eye, replacing the previously prepared spell.
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