Magus Strider (5e Class)

Magus Strider

These warriors are equally trained in mobility and the use of a blade as the brandishing of elemental power to devastate their foes. They are easily identified as their arcane powers manifest in the form of elemental cowls and sheathes of destructive power on their weapons. Though many of these elemental warriors use their powers to aid others and ward the powerless from the wicked, it is a sad fact that some more nefarious sorts abuse these powers for their own personal gain.

Creating a Magus Strider

Magus striders are, much like sorcerers, born with arcane power. Unlike most sorcerers, however, these warriors are often raised within conclaves overseen by paladins, archfighters and archmagi. They are groomed from a young age to contain their power and shape its use. This being said, in rare cases, when a magus strider is born, this fact is carefully hidden from family and community so that the child might live a quiet peaceful life. Tragically, this often results in the strider losing control of their power and potentially killing somebody. Keeping all of this in mind, if you wish to create a magus strider character, you should ask the following questions. Was I raised in a conclave, or was my magic kept a secret? What ideals was I raised with? Do I believe my magic to be a source of power, or a means of protection?

Quick Build

You can make a Magus Strider quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the Sage or Acolyte background.

Class Features

As a Magus Strider you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Magus Strider level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Magus Strider level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: None
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Wisdom
Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Persuasion and Religion.

Equipment

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

• (a) A longsword or (b) Any martial melee weapon
• A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows
• (a) An Explorer's Pack or (b) A Priest's Pack or (c) A Scholar's Pack
• (a) An Arcane Focus or (b) A Holy Symbol
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4x10 Gold Pieces in funds.

Table: The Magus Strider

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	Features	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	0	0	Unarmored Defense	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	2	3	Spellcasting, Magus Cowl	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	2	3	Arcane Discipline	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	2	5	Ability Score Improvement	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	2	5	Extra Attack, Magus Charge	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	2	6	Magus Ward	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	2	6	Discipline Feature	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	3	6	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	3	8	Magus Stance, Channel Energies	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	3	8	Magus Edge	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	3	9	Extra Attack (2)	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	3	9	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	3	11	—	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	3	11	Magus Cowl Improvement	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	3	12	Discipline Feature	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	3	12	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	3	13	—	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	3	13	Improved Magus Stance	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	3	15	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	3	15	Discipline Feature	4	3	3	3	2

Unarmored Defense

A magic barrier protects you. Beginning at 1st level, while wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.

Magus Cowl

Beginning at 2nd level, your magic and your body begin to synchronize, granting you offensive and defensive abilities alike. This magical synchronization takes the form of a Magus Cowl. Your Cowl is only active while you are not wearing armor and not wielding a shield. While your Cowl is active, you may add your Charisma modifier to the damage rolls of your strider cantrips. Beginning at 14th level, your Cowl now provides resistance to damage from spells while it is active.

Spellcasting

You were blessed - or cursed - with an arcane bloodline. You draw on your inborn arcane power to cast your spells, bending the elements as tools in combat. (Note that you may not cast any strider spells or cantrips while you are wearing armor or wielding a shield.)

Cantrips

At 2nd level, you know 2 cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn additional cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Magus Strider table.

Spell Slots

The Magus Strider table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell thunderwave and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast thunderwave using either slot.

Spells Known of 2nd Level and Higher

The Magus Strider table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your strider spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot of equal or greater value to the spell. Upon completion of a long rest, you regain all expended spell slots.

The Spells Known column of the Magus Strider table shows when you learn more strider spells of your choice. (From Sorcerer spell list) Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, when you reach 6th level in this class, you may learn a new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

As a strider spellcaster, you may forget a single spell and learn a new one in its place when you gain a level in this class. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your strider spells, as your power comes from your ability to manifest your will and desires. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a strider spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus or holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for your strider spells.

Arcane Discipline

Upon reaching 3rd level, you decide to take up an Arcane Discipline. You may choose from Blade Caster or Ward Caster, both detailed at the end of the class description. You gain features from your chosen Discipline at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 15th and 20th level.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, when you use your action to make a weapon attack, you may make two attacks. At 11th level, you gain an additional attack, allowing you to make three weapon attacks. This feature requires that you not be wearing armor or wielding a shield.

Magus Charge

Beginning at 5th level, while you are not wearing any armor or wielding a shield, your movement speed increases by 10 feet.

Magus Ward

Beginning at 6th level, while you are unarmored and not wielding a shield, you may add your Charisma modifier to all saving throws you make.

Magus Stance

Beginning at 9th level, while unarmored and not wielding a shield, when you use your action to cast a strider cantrip, you may use your bonus action to make a single weapon attack.

Channel Energies

Beginning at 9th level, upon completing a short rest, you regain a spell slots with a total value not exceeding your Charisma modifier.(Minimum 1) (Example: A Magus Strider with a +3 Charisma modifier could regain one 1st level spell slot and one 2nd level spell slot.) You can not gain spell slots beyond your maximum limit in this way.

Magus Edge

Beginning at 10th level, your weapon attacks now carry elemental power. While unarmored and not wielding a shield, your weapon and unarmed attacks now deal your Charisma modifier in additional damage of one of the following types: fire, cold, or lightning. You must choose the damage type upon gaining this feature and it may never be change from that point on.

Improved Magus Stance

Beginning at 18th level, while unarmored and not wielding a shield, when you use your action to cast a strider spell, you may use your bonus action to make a single weapon attack.

Blade Caster

Blade Casters are warriors who wield magic and weapons hand in hand to bring ruin to their foes.

Blade Bond

Beginning at 3rd level, when taking this archetype, you gain the ability to create a bond with a weapon over an hour long ritual. While bound to a weapon, you can not be disarmed of it, and as a bonus action, you may shunt it into an extra-dimensional space or conjure it into your hands. At any point, if you wish to make a different weapon into your bound weapon, you must perform the ritual again, and you may make any weapon that is not an artifact or sentient item into your bound weapon. Your bound weapon gains one of the following traits, decided by you when binding it.

Reach. If the weapon doesn't have the reach quality, it now does.

Finesse. If the weapon doesn't have the finesse quality, it now does.

Sanguine Edge

Beginning at 3rd level, when making a weapon attack, you may empower it with magic. You may expend a 1st level spell slot or 6 hit points to deal an additional 2d8 points of fire, cold, or lightning damage. (Your choice) For each spell slot beyond 1st or additional 7 hit points, you deal an additional 1d8 damage, for example, by expending a 3rd level spell or 18 hit points allows you to deal an additional 4d8 damage.

Mobile Warrior

At 7th level, you can move with extreme quickness. You can take the dash action action as a bonus action. In addition, you gain proficiency in the Athletics or Acrobatics skill (choose one).

Blink Strike

At 15th level, you can move with impressive speed after casting spells against your foes. When you cast a damaging spell that only target's one creature, you can teleport to that creature's position and make a single attack as a bonus action.

Ward Caster

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Multiclassing

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Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the <!-class name-> class, you gain the following proficiencies:

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