Mimic Mage (5e Class)

Mimic Mage

Cackling madly, a young elf jumps into the path of an incoming lightning bolt. He collapses to the ground, twitching - but a moment later pulls himself to his feet, grinning wildly, and flings an identical lightning bolt back at the opposing wizard.

A mimic mage is something of a magical savant. Incapable of learning spells through study, they learn by directly experiencing the Weave.

Creating a Mimic Mage

How did your character first discover their powers? What was the first spell they experienced? Was it Cure Wounds cast by the village healer to mend a broken bone, or Eldritch Blast cast by a warlock on a mad rampage? The first spell your character gained (and how they gained it) is a great starting point for building a Mimic Mage.

Quick Build

You can make a Mimic Mage quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Folk Hero background. Third, choose Frostbite (cantrip) and Chromatic orb (1st level) as your starting spells.

Class Features

As a Mimic Mage you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Mimic Mage level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Mimic Mage level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Shortswords
Tools: Choose one
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Perception, Insight, Stealth, History, and Investigation

Equipment

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

• (a) any simple weapon or (b) a shortsword
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• leather armor
• 10 gp

Table: The Mimic Mage

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	First Level Spell Charges/Long Rest	Second Level Spell Charges/Long Rest	Third Level Spell Charges/Long Rest	Fourth Level Spell Charges/Long Rest	Fifth Level Spell Charges/Long Rest
1st	+2	Spell Mimicry, Mimic Spellcasting, Feel the Weave	2	0	0	0	0
2nd	+2	Instinctive Forcefield	2	0	0	0	0
3rd	+2	Weave Sense	3	1	0	0	0
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	2	0	0	0
5th	+3	Improved Mimicry	4	2	1	0	0
6th	+3	—	4	2	1	0	0
7th	+3	Personal Space	5	3	2	1	0
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	5	3	2	1	0
9th	+4	—	6	3	2	1	1
10th	+4	Counter Cast	6	3	2	1	1
11th	+4	Greater Magics	7	4	2	1	1
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	7	4	2	1	1
13th	+5	Greater Magics II	7	4	2	2	1
14th	+5	Perfected Sense	8	4	2	2	1
15th	+5	Greater Magics III	8	5	2	2	1
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	8	5	2	2	1
17th	+6	Greater Magics IV	9	5	2	2	1
18th	+6	Force Shell	9	5	2	2	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	9	5	2	2	2
20th	+6	Intuitive Maintenance	10	6	3	2	2

Spell Mimicry

A mimic mage cannot learn spells through study like a wizard, nor do they channel divine power like a cleric; rather, they intuitively understand how to cast spells by experiencing their effects. While you can only learn spells when they are directly cast on you, you have the potential to learn any spell that could be cast on you. Your memory is limited however; you have a maximum number of spells known (of first level or higher) equal to your proficiency bonus plus your Wisdom modifier. There is no limit to the number of cantrips you can remember.

If you have this class feature, you cannot learn spells using any feature of any other class. This does not prevent you from learning spells through feats or racial traits, and your class features will apply to any spells learned in this way.

Mimic Spellcasting

Each spell that you know of first level or greater has a number of charges determined by your level, as shown on the table above. You may cast any spell that you know without expending material components by expending one of that spell's charges. Charges are not shared between spells; each spell has its own charges that must be tracked individually. Reset all your Spell Charge totals to their base values whenever you finish a long rest.

Feel the Weave

Whenever you become a target of a spell or whenever a spell causes you to attempt a saving throw, you may attempt a Wisdom save. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + the spell's level. If you succeed, you intuitively understand how to cast the spell; add it to your list of spells known (with full spell charges). If you fail, you overstress your mind and take psychic damage equal to twice the spell's level. Note that learning a spell through the use of this feature does not necessarily mean you can cast it immediately - a first-level Mimic Mage can learn Fireball if he is hit by it and passes the Wisdom save, but he will not be able to cast it until he reaches fifth level and gains third-level spell charges. Also note that if this would increase your known spells beyond your limit, you must choose a spell to forget.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for all spells, so you 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 spells 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

Instinctive Forcefield

Beginning at 2nd level, you instinctively project a low-grade forcefield around your body, providing protection from distant attackers. Your AC against ranged attacks increases by 3.

Personal Space

Beginning at 7th level, you gain a degree of control over your forcefield. Any hostile creature within 10 feet of you that attempts to move in your direction must make a Strength save against your spell save DC for each 5 feet they attempt to move. On a failed save, they remain where they are and lose all remaining movement for the turn.

Force Shell

Beginning at 18th level, you may condense your forcefield around yourself as an action, granting you immunity to all damage until the end of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you may not use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Weave Sense

Your connection to the weave functions as a sixth sense, alerting you to magic in your vicinity. Beginning at 3rd level, you are always aware of magic within 60 feet of you. You sense the direction of the magic and its general intent (harmful, helpful, or otherwise), but you do not sense its exact location unless you can physically see it. This sense detects both active spellcasting and passive magical effects, and can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.

Counter Cast

Beginning at 10th level, your weave sense improves, increasing to a range of 120 feet and allowing you to instantly identify what school of magic spells or magical effects you sense belong to. In addition, whenever a creature within range of your weave sense casts a spell for which you have Spell Charges, you may expend two of that spell's Spell Charges as a reaction to counter their spell.

Perfected Sense

You can now perfectly interpret the information you receive from the Weave. Beginning at 14th level, your mastery of your weave sense allows you to detect all creatures and objects within range, granting you blindsight of everything within range of your sense.

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.

Improved Mimicry

Beginning at 5th level, you may expend any number of Spell Charges when you cast a spell of first level or higher. For each Spell Charge you expend beyond the first, increase the casting level of the spell by one, up to a maximum of ninth level, as well you can now learn more spells, instead of your proficiency bonus plus your Wisdom modifier, your proficiency bonus plus your Wisdom modifier*2.

Greater Magics

Some spells are simply too complex to be easily cast, even for you. While your class features allow you to learn spells of any level, casting spells of sixth level or greater is difficult.

Beginning at 11th level, you may expend any number of hit dice as a bonus action on your turn. Designate a spell, the divide twice the number of hit dice expended by the level of the spell (round down) and add that many Spell Charges to the designated spell, up to a maximum of your Wisdom modifier. You may use this feature to add Spell Charges to sixth-level spells.

Greater Magics II

Beginning at 13th level, you may use this feature on seventh-level spells.

Greater Magics III

Beginning at 15th level, you may use this feature on eighth-level spells.

Greater Magics IV

Beginning at 17th level, you may use this feature on ninth-level spells.

Intuitive Maintenance

At 20th level, you may expend an additional Spell Charge whenever you cast a spell that requires concentration. If you do, casting other concentration spells does not break your concentration on this spell. If you take damage while concentrating on multiple spells while using this class feature, roll concentration saves individually for each spell.

Multiclassing

Important note: This class prevents you from learning spells through any class feature other than the Mimic Spellcasting feature of this class.

You must have a Wisdom score of at least 13 to multiclass into or out of this class, and you cannot multiclass into this class if you know any spells of 1st level or greater.

Note to DMs

This class is only as powerful as you allow it to be. If there's a spell that you think this class shouldn't have access to, simply don't cast it on them. With that said, this class requires you to work with your player. It's not unreasonable from a story perspective for their character to seek out new types of magic to experience, and you should give them the opportunity to expand their spell list (especially with the first and second level spells that are the bread and butter of a Mimic Mage, and also the most likely for a PC to have cast on or against them).

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