Wandslingers
The Last War saw a dramatic increase in the use of magic in battle. Aundair was the first nation to field units of arcane dragoons, but as the war continued cantrip specialists could be found in the armies of most nations. Due to the considerable training required to master magic, this has remained an elite specialty. The common soldier wields a spear or crossbow but it’s not unusual to see a warrior with a sword on one hip and a wand on the other. Within the army, such a soldier is referred to as an arcaneer.
On the streets, they are called wandslingers.
A wandslinger is defined by the ability to cast at least two cantrips, typically drawn from the sorcerer or wizard spell list. A common wandslinger also knows a single 1st-level spell, which they can cast once per long rest. An exceptional wandslinger may know up up to three spells of up to 3rd level. A wandslinger’s spells and cantrips are almost always combat spells with an immediate effect, such as fire bolt, ray of frost, burning hands, or shield.
The critical limitation of the wandslinger is a dependence on an arcane focus. A wandslinger must have an arcane focus — a wand, rod, staff, orb, or crystal — to perform magic. Some wandslingers use different focuses for their various cantrips, such as a wand for fire bolt and a rod for burning hands, but wandslingers can use any arcane focus they get their hands on. As a result, arcane focuses are regarded as weapons throughout Khorvaire.
If you’ve got a wand tucked into your belt, people may assume you know how to use it.
PLAYING A WANDSLINGER
“Wandslinger” isn’t a class. Anyone who can perform arcane magic could be considered a wandslinger, and any character could acquire a wandslinger’s spell set by taking the Magic Initiate feat. As such, whether your character is a wandslinger is really a question of style.- Did you serve in the Last War? If so, who did you fight for? Did you learn or hone your magical skills as part of your military training?
- Do you primarily view your magic as a weapon, or do you hate being forced into combat? Do you have a diverse range of spells, or is your magic largely oriented around combat?
- A player character is never required to use an arcane focus when casting a spell. But if you’re a wandslinger, you’re more comfortable with a focus in your hand. Casting a spell without a focus takes effort. There’s no mechanical penalty associated with this; it’s just something to consider when describing your actions.
- You could justify the abilities of an arcane class as being derived from wandslinger training as opposed to the usual source. If you’re playing a sorcerer or warlock, you could say that your choice of Sorcerous Origin or Otherworldly Patron reflects specialized military training. This doesn’t change the way these features function; it means that instead of making a pact with a fiend, your warlock has a connection to an elite order of arcaniers that share these abilities. Instead of dealing with the demands of a patron, you might receive requests from your former commander or your comrades from the war. Ultimately, it’s about the story you want to tell with your character. Are you an impetuous duelist, quick to draw your wand at the first provocation? A former soldier trained to use magic as a weapon? Or an arcane scholar who despises hotheaded wandslingers who know nothing about the science of magic?
Type
Arcane
