The BattleMage Players Handbook
Character Creation
Available Races
Only those that can “pass” for human are allowed. Players are allowed to have non-human traits but are expected to keep them covered or not noticeable from more than 10 feet away with a casual glance.
- Human (Bavarian, Iberian, Gallic, Seyrune)
- Human (Foreigner) — −1 Social Standing Table Roll
- Half-Elf — −2 Birth Order Table roll
- Half-Orc (Rare) — −2 Birth Order Table roll
- Half-Ogre (Rare) — −2 Birth Order Table roll
- Daemon-Touched (Very Rare) — −3 Birth Order Table roll
Initial Age
The empire begins intense Battlemage training at a very young age. Depending on the season and the time of testing students will be either 13 or 14 when they start school. (12+d2)
| Age Bracket | Human / Daemon | Half Orc/Ogre | Half Elf | Starting Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth | 10–13 | 8–11 | 13–23 | WIS −2, STR −1, DEX +1 |
| Young Adult | 14–20 | 12–15 | 24–40 | WIS −1, CON +1 |
| Mature | 21+ | 16+ | 41+ | STR +1 |
Half elves will remain Youths with childlike features for all the school years while Half Orcs and Half Ogres start off as young adult.
Social Standing Table
| Roll (d20) | Status | Starting Gear | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 or less | Commoner | Dagger, Ringmail | 2d6 |
| 6–10 | Merchant / Tradesfolk | Sword, Chainmail | 4d10 |
| 11–14 | Military / Gentry | Sword, Chainmail | 2d10 |
| 15–17 | Minor Noble | Sword, low quality Cuirass | 4d10 |
| 18 | Landed Knight | Sword, Cuirass | 5×4d10 |
| 19 | High Noble | Fancy Sword, Silver Gilded Cuirass | 10×4d10 |
| 20 | Royal Blood | Artifact Sword, Magic Gold Gilded Cuirass | 100×4d10 |
Commoner — Born of peasants, laborers, and the indentured. Upon entry to the Academy, commoners are issued only a wooden sword for their first year.
Merchant / Tradesfolk Lineage — Children of skilled craftsmen or guild members. They arrive with a proper sword and chainmail.
Military / Gentry — Offspring of veteran officers or landed gentry. Begin with solid chainmail and a serviceable blade.
Minor Noble — Descended from minor knightly lines. Issued a low-quality cuirass in addition to their sword. Characters are referred to as Junker/Jungfrau.
Landed Knight — Knightly families granted lands for service to the crown. Arrive in a proper cuirass and fine sword. Referred to as Esquire.
High Noble — Bearers of well-known family names. Wear silver-gilded cuirasses and carry finely wrought blades. Referred to as Lord/Lady.
| Roll (1d10) | Rank | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Baron | Holds a fortified Estate or Castle in the territory of a Count or Margrave. |
| 5–6 | Viscount | Oversees a small territory or city district, often subordinate to a Count. |
| 7–8 | Count | Governs a county-sized territory; politically influential in regional matters. |
| 9 | Margrave | Military governor of a border province; commands troops and fortifications. |
| 10 | Duke | Ruler of a duchy; one of the most powerful lords in the Empire after the Emperor. A Duke can have their own Knight Order. |
Royal Blood — Kin to the Imperial line. Their armor is gold-gilded and enchanted. Referred to as Your Highness or His/Her Serene Highness.
Birth Order & Intra-Family Status Table
| Roll (2d4) | Status Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or less | Stigma-Born | Rumored bastard; often sent to military or clergy. Not permitted to use family name. |
| 3 | Unacknowledged | Illegitimate; not permitted to use family name unless legitimized. |
| 4 | Fostered Ward | Raised by allies or vassals; uncertain standing within the house. |
| 5–6 | Youngest Born, or Overlooked | 3rd or more in line. Destined for military. |
| 7 | Middle Born | Balanced opportunity. Often must prove worth through deeds. |
| 8 | First Born | First in line to inherit the Family. |
Minimum Stats for BattleMage
- Strength: 14
- Intelligence: 16
- Dexterity: 13
BattleMage Experience
| Level | Experience | d8 | Proficiencies Weapons/Magic | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 2/3 | Initiate |
| 2 | 4,500 | 2 | 2/3 | White Rose Apprentice |
| 3 | 9,000 | 3 | 2/4 | Red Rose Apprentice |
| 4 | 20,000 | 4 | 3/4 | Silver Rose Apprentice |
| 5 | 40,000 | 5 | 3/5 | WhiteMagus |
| 6 | 80,000 | 6 | 3/5 | RedMagus |
| 7 | 150,000 | 7 | 4/6 | PurpleMagus |
| 8 | 240,000 | 8 | 4/6 | SilverMagus |
| 9 | 400,000 | 9 | 4/7 | GoldMagus |
| 10 | 600,000 | 10 | 5/7 | BattleMage |
| 11 | 1,000,000 | 11 | 5/8 | BattleMage |
| 12 | 1,500,000 | 12 | 5/8 | BattleMage |
| 13 | 2,000,000 | 13 | 6/9 | Arch Magus |
| 14 | 2,500,000 | 13+2 | 6/9 | Arch Magus |
| 15 | 3,000,000 | 13+4 | 6/10 | Arch Magus |
+500,000 XP per level above 15
Elemental Alignment
A BattleMage’s deepest bond is to their attuned element. They may only master spells outside their chosen element if those spells are one level lower than their maximum spell tier.
Element Paths
- Air — Movement, lightning, sound, speed (A)
- Arcane — Pure magic, force, dispelling, mana (R)
- Earth — Defense, stone, gravity, iron (E)
- Fire — Burning, explosive, wrathful (F)
- Ice — Freezing, control, delay, piercing (I)
- Water — Healing, flowing, cold, mist (W)
- Void — Forbidden, entropy, shadow, mind (V)
Weapon Proficiencies
BattleMages start with 2 weapon proficiencies and gain one additional every 3 levels (4th, 7th, 10th, etc). They can Specialize and even Double Specialize at later levels.
Magic Proficiencies
Starting BattleMages get 3 magic proficiencies and an additional every 2 levels (3rd, 5th, 7th, etc).
Available Magic Proficiencies:
- 1-Hand Spell Casting
- Spell Focus (rod, staff, and wand): +1 Initiative when casting
- Spell Focus (Weapon)
- Non-Verbal Casting
- Blind Targeting
- Elemental Intensity: target receives −2 to saves against caster’s elemental spells
- Elemental Strength: +1 per die Damage
- Elemental Range: increased Range × 1.5
- Mana Training: +1 mana per level
- Magic Proficiencies: PER roll to understand how much mana a target has
- Hide Presence: At will the Caster can become part of the background
- Spell Mastering: Adds 1 spell to Master
- Detect Magic on Touch: After touching a person or thing, the caster gets a free detect magic
- Decisive Speed: +3 to initiative roll once per combat
- Counter: At the top of the round, the character can decide to defend
- Familiar Spell Casting: 1st level spell per day for each 4 levels of spell caster
- Familiar Wizard Magic Item Use: The character’s familiar can use a single magic item
- Additional Familiar: Can be acquired up to 3 familiars total
- Resistance to your Element: (½ or ¼ on save)
- Mastered Cantrip — Present Spell book to page
- Mastered Cantrip — Create/manipulate elemental energy
- Mastered Cantrip — Translate
- Mastered Cantrip — Calm animal
- Mastered Cantrip — Loud Voice
- Mastered Cantrip — Speak Through Familiar
- Mastered Cantrip — Any from Unearthed Arcana
Cantrips
A Mastered Cantrip can be cast at anytime with no mana cost. The Battlemage can cast 2× level free cantrips per day, or spend 1 mana for another 2× level in cantrips.
Language Arcanum
At level 1 Battlemages learn the language Arcanum. Read Magic and Write Magic can be done on a 3 or 4d6 INT roll for most tasks — no spell needed.
Spells and Mana
Mastered Spells
| Level | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | Mana |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 |
| 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 |
| 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 |
| 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 18 |
| 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 22 |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 28 |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 32 |
| 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 36 |
| 12 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 40 |
| 13 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 44 |
| 14 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 48 |
| 15 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 52 |
| 16 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | 56 |
| 17 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | 60 |
| 18 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 64 |
| 19 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 68 |
Spellcasting
While a traditional wizard prepares a vast array of spells in advance, the BattleMage embraces efficiency and instinct. Their magic is powered by a mana pool. Each spell cast draws directly from their reserves — 1st-level spells cost 1 mana, 7th-level spells cost 7, and so forth.
Spell Mastery and Learning
| Intelligence | Elemental Mastery | General Mastery | Learn New Spell | Mana Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 85% | 50% | 65% | +1 |
| 17 | 90% | 55% | 75% | +2 |
| 18 | 95% | 60% | 85% | +3 |
| 19 | 99% | 65% | 95% | +4 |
| 20+ | 99% | 70% | 97% | +5 |
On Mastery
A spell once mastered becomes part of the BattleMage’s permanent arsenal. Mastered spells require no preparation and may be cast freely using mana. Mastered spells cannot be interrupted by taking damage in that round.
Known Spells (Not Mastered)
The Battlemage can learn other spells and keep them in their books. Opening the book and casting costs the same mana but causes the caster’s AC to drop (rear AC while reading). Spells cast in this manner can be interrupted by taking damage over the level of the spell caster in one round.
Recovering Mana
| Method | Recovery Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rest 1 hour | 1 mana per level | Requires no activity |
| Normal Activity 1 hr | ¼ level | Minor tasks, no combat |
| Mana Potion | 1d8+2 mana | Instant, single use, 100sp |
| Greater Mana Potion | 2d8+4 mana | Instant, single use, 400sp |
| Rations | 1 mana | Basic food, 2cp |
| Fresh Cooked Meal | 1d4 mana | Successful cooking, 1sp |
| Great Meal | 1d4+2 mana | Requires fresh herbs, 5sp |
| Great Meal (Monster) | 2d4+4 mana | Requires monster kill, 10sp |
| Meditation (Success) | 1 mana/level per 15 min | INT check, max 4 successes/hour |