Black Mage

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Overview & Creation

A Lalafell stands before a horde of kobolds, blood thirsty they dash towards him. With a few skillful waves of his staff, a large fireball erupts from the gem inlaid at the end of the staff, causing a massive fiery explosion, leaving nothing but ash.
A woman wearing dark robes grins as she waves her wand before a guard refusing her entry. With a few choice words and a spell, the guard happily steps aside, unlocking the passage before falling unconscious due to illness.
An Elezen laughs at his reflection as he inspects his body after tapping into the powers of the void. His eyes glow red and his teeth bare fangs, signs that his mastery of magic is growing.
A black mage is a powerful ally who wields forbidden magic stolen from the void. This raw energy manifests itself into devestation spells and effects. Their power is only rivaled by their thirst to increase that power.

 

A Dark Past

In days long past, there existed an evil clan and arcane art known as black magic— a potent magic of pure destructive force born forth by a sorceress of unparalleled power. Those who learned to wield this instrument of ruin came to be called black mages, out of both fear and respect for their gift. Yet great power served to corrupt the judgment of mortal man, and so he unknowingly set out upon the path of ruin. Adventurers who take the black will become agents of devastation, capable of annihilating those who oppose them through little more than the force of their will.

 

Ties to the Void

In order for a mage to don the black, they must extensively research what they call the void. This is another plane of existence from which Black Mages draw knowledge from in order to unlock power within themselves. Most black mages are able to explore the knowledge gained from the void through tomes and texts now, but some who thirst for new power may attempt to tap into the void directly. Black Mages continue to grow within their craft through continuing their study of the dark arts.

 

Creating a Black Mage

Black Mages are earnest in their desires and reasons for taking the black. More often than not it is in the pursuit of power or out of sheer curiousity. You must know why you are pursuing this power, or why you are curious about the dark arts. You must also decide where you began to dip your toes into the world of black magic. Did you join a cult of mages who studied the art? Perhaps a proper school which provides the proper materials to explore black mage. Maybe you were taken under the wing of a mentor who has mastered the art.

 

Quick Build

You can make a Black Mage quickly by following these suggestions. First make Intelligence your highest ability score, following with Constitution. Second select the Destroyer discipline. Third take the scholar background. Fourth, take the Firebolt, Ray of Frost, Thaumaturgy and Thunderclap cantrips and the first level spells Burning Hands and Witch Bolt.

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Class Features

Enochian

At 1st level, you have learned the secrets to Enochian. When you cast spells, residual aether builds in your body which empower your spell casting. You gain one stack of Enochian each time you expend a spell slot. Stacks of Enochian will remain in your body for up to 1 minute before dissipating. Each time you cast a spell, the dissipation time for all stacks restarts. For each stack of Enochian aether in your body, your damage dealing spells deal an addition point of damage. If a spell deals damage multiple times, this bonus is applied once. At 1st level you may hold a maximum of one stack of Enochian in your body, this limit increases at the 3rd, 6th, 10th, 14th and 18th levels.

 

Magical Discipline

At 2nd level, you choose the discipline you belong to as a Black Mage. Destroyer, Inflictor, or Void Soul, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your archetype choice grants you features at the 2nd, 6th, 10th and 14th level.

 

Ability Score Improvement

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.

 

Surecaster

Beginning at the 18th level, you may expend 4 Enochian stacks to achieve an impregnable state of mind. You pass all concentration checks automatically for the next 10 minutes.

 

Resonating Aether

Beginning at the 20th level, you gain 3 Enochian stacks when you roll initiative.

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Starting Equipment

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

• a dagger
• a spell casting focus (a cane, staff, wand or similar object)
• (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a scholar's pack

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Spellcasting

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know 4 cantrips of your choice from the Black Mage spell list. You learn additional Black Mage cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Mage table.

 

Spell Slots

The Black Mage 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.

 

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know 2 1st-level spells of your choice from the Black Mage spell list. The Spells Known column of the Black Mage table shows when you learn more Black Mage spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st, 2nd or 3rd level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Black Mage spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Mage spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For a full list of Black Mage spells, see the Eorzean Spell List document.

 

Spellcasting Ability

The spellcasting ability for your Black Mage spells changes depending upon the discipline you select. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Black Mage spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

 

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a rod, cane, wand or other similar equipment as an arcane focus (found in chapter 5 of the player's handbook) for your Black Mage spells.

 

Ritual Casting

You can cast any Black Mage spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

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Subclass Options

Bringers of the end

Unabated use of black magic lead to the downfall of the society in which black mages find their roots alongside the white mage's overuse of white magic. Black Mages wield incredibly destructive powers which set their world on a path to destruction once before, and careless use of this power could do so again. An Annihilator specializes in powerful, destructive magic, an Inflictor uses enchantments and poison to cripple their foes, and a Void Soul has offered their body to the voidsent, causing unforeseen change in their body in exchange for power.

 

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Annihilator

Annihilators are black mages who specialize in maximizing the effects of their magic. Fires which burn hotter and ice which freezes more deeply. They are ever chasing more potent magics to show the world.

 

Expanded Spell List

 

Raging Aether

Beginning at the 2nd level, when you cast a damaging spell, your ranged spell attacks gain a bonus equal to the number of Enochian stacks currently held in your body. Your damage dealing spells which require a saving throw have the difficulty of the check increased by a number equal to the number of Enochian spells held in your body.

 

Eyes of the Glyph Master

Beginning at the 6th level, your magical studies have warped your mind and understanding of the world. You can read all writing.

 

Leylines

Beginning at the 10th level, you have learned to connect naturally occuring lines of power to create a magical glyph on the ground briefly. As a bonus action you may create this magical field. While you stand within this 5ft. radius circle, you may expend an Enochian stack to cast a spell as a bonus actions instead of an action. You do not gain another Enochian stack from this spell. The glyph remains on the ground for a number of rounds equal to your Intelligence modifier. You may create your leylines once before requiring a short rest.

 

Devestating Force

Beginning at the 14th level, when you cast a damaging spell you may spend 2 Enochian stacks during damage calculation to reroll all damage dice which resulted in a 1. You must use the resulting rolls.

 

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Inflictor

Inflictors are experts at causing their foes a wide arrangement of negative effects and taking control of their foes. From charms to curses, an Inflictor seeks to cause their foes great misery as punishment for standing in their way.

 

Expanded Spell List

 

Deep Suggestion

Beginning at the 2nd level, you may spend 1 Enochian stack to inflict disadvantage on your targets saving throw against enchantment spells you cast.

 

Mind Jack

Beginning at the 6th level, you gain proficiency in the Insight skill and may use it to identify specific enchantment and charm spells affecting that creature. If you know that spell, you may spend the appropriate spell slot and one Enochian Stack to transfer control of the enchantment to yourself and refresh the duration of the spell.

 

Unshaken Will

Beginning at the 10th level, when you must make a wisdom saving throw, you may spend 1 Enochian stack to roll with advantage and add your proficiency bonus to the roll.

 

Mental Anguish

Beginning at the 14th level, you may spend Enochian stack to empower enchantment spells you cast. The target creature makes a constitution save against your spell save DC. On a failed save your spell causes their body to undergo decay, dealing #d6 necrotic damage, where number is equal to your Intelligence ability modifier, and half as much on a successful save.

 

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Void Soul

A Void Soul is a Black Mage who has decided to dive deep into the dark secrets of their craft. In their studies they've discovered ways to directly draw power from the void, learning powerful dark magics which they wield with authority.

 

Expanded Spell List

 

Soul Siphon

Beginning at 2nd level as a free action you can spend one enochian stack to change the damage type of any spell to necrotic damage. If you deal damage in this way you recover hit points equal to 1d6 + you Charisma modifier. The die value gets upgraded to a d8 at 6th level, d10 at 11th level and d12 at 14th level.

 

Devil on the Shoulder

Beginning at 6th level, as an action you are able to force your dark influence into the minds of others. A creature you see within 30ft. of you makes a Charisma saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a success, they resist your attempt to influence them, on a failure your thoughts appear in their mind. You can make suggestions to the creature via telepathy, make Charisma skill checks against the creature and attempt to force them to say something. If you fail a Charisma skill check your mental link is broken. If you attempt to force the creature to say something, they repeat their Charisma check and on a failure speak the words you've specified, and on a success repel you from their mind. While you are linked to the creature you perceive everything they perceive. Your material body falls unconscious and if it takes any damage you awaken, breaking your mental link.

 

Ebony Offense

At 11th level, necrotic damage you deal is unaffected by resistances. As a bonus action, you may spend two enochian stacks to overcome necrotic damage immunity for your next spell.

 

Dreadful Might

Beginning at the 14th level, the might of your dark magics fills foes with fear. When a creature takes damage from one of your spells, you may spend 2 Enochian stacks. The damaged creature makes a Charisma saving throw against your Spell Save DC, becoming afraid of you for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma ability modifier on a failure. On a success they resist your influence and become immune to fear based charms for one hour.

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