5e Subclass: Sorcerous Origin - Blue Magic

Blue Magic is an innate power known in the lands of Ivalice and seen occasionally throughout the multiverse: the magic of monsters.

This class is inspired by the Final Fantasy character class and the wonderful OSR home-brew class at Hack and Slash.

The Blue Mages of Final Fantasy are able to learn the powers of monsters through a variety of methods and one of the main strengths of the Blue Mage class at H&S is their superior saving throw values. I have tried to capture the spirit of all these aspects and make them work with the 5th edition spell/class system, and I’ve likely failed.

Caveat: This class requires a lot more communication between player and DM. You will need to work together to come to an agreement on the nature of monster magic spells and how they convert to the existing system. This is meant to be fun.

DMs: If a blue mage will upset the balance of your game world, don't let them in.

Players: if you are playing a blue mage in a low-magic, humanoid versus humanoid campaign, there will be little point to playing this class.

Sorcerous Origin: Blue Magic

Your innate magic comes from a connection to beasts, aberrations, monstrosities, elementals and outsiders. You learned of this rare and strange connection through a violent encounter with a monster. You could see the nature of the beast, feel the strength lurking within and you learned what it was that gave power to the beast. You can learn the natural attacks of beasts and spell-like powers of monsters. Blue mages still acquire spells like sorcerers, but they can choose to replace spells in their repertoire with monster skills.

Blue Magic

At 1st level, a blue mage has already learned several ways to apply their strange magic powers.

Learning the Hard Way

ANDY KÄMMER – BLUE MAGE

You have the ability to absorb and learn monster attacks. These spell-like powers can replace known spells. DMs and players will need to work together to assign new powers a Spell Level to consume spell slots. Powers acquired with levels above your spell slots can be learned, but are not castable until you have gained the power to do so. Blue mages can learn spells from enemy casters, also. They need only be the target of the spell.

Learning a spell or beast strike power is a reaction ability.

Azure Consumption

Eating the corpse of a monster (or at least the very important parts of it) can confer passive powers based on monster defences.

• roll a save vs. death: success, power gained; failure, horrid retching and vomiting (disadvantage on skill checks until you take a short rest).
• defences are chosen from the target beast.
• your body may change to accommodate these magically acquired powers.
• a passive power gained in this way always consumes a spell slot until the power is lost.

Beast Strike

By expending a 1st level spell slot, you can transform parts of your body to emulate the natural attacks (claws, bites, stings) of monsters using this ability. Attack forms are acquired as other blue magic abilities: you must be targeted by the attack.

Duration: 10 minutes.

Known forms: Cat scratch 1+STR mod, Mouse Bite 1+STR mod damage.

Beast Strike can mimic a number of forms equal to your proficiency level. It can only produce one form when cast, but you can choose from among these known forms.

If the Beast Strike includes a multi attack, the blue mage can spend 1 sorcery point to use all the attacks for one turn.

If the Beast Strike includes poison, paralysis or some other naturally inflicted condition, the blue mage can spend 1 sorcery point (possibly more for death effects) to affect a target with this condition. The target is granted an appropriate save at the blue mage's spell casting DC.

When cast with a higher level spell slot, the spell duration is extended by a further 10 minutes per level of spell slot.

Monster Fighting Instinct

At 6th level, add 1d10 to a saving throw roll or your AC as a reaction. This ability can be called upon once per short or long rest. (At 9th level, the bonus is 2d6. At 15th level, the bonus is 4d4.)

Lancet

At 14th level, a blue mage can siphon magic from monsters. You no longer need to throw yourself under the Ancient Red Dragon Breath to acquire its power. Focussing your inner strength on a monster target, you can steal away some of the power it possesses. This action is painful for the monster and will almost always result in counter-aggression.

You may take active or passive spell powers from a target in this way.

The monster target makes a Constitution saving throw against your spell casting DC. If it fails, you have acquired one of its powers. Lancet only functions against "living" targets. Attempting to Lancet a dead enemy garners no benefits.

Extra Saving Throw Proficiency

At 18th level, blue mages preternatural sense for danger continues to grow. Choose ONE extra saving throw proficiency: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence or Wisdom.

Meta Blue Magic

Condensed Casting: when a sorcerer gains mastery over a spell they can not cast with one spell slot, they can spend 3 sorcery points and expend multiple slots to attain the power required to cast the spell. Slots are added together to produce the higher level spell effect. Higher level spell slots must be used before lower level spell slots.

The 6th level spell Flesh to Stone could be cast at 3rd level by spending 2 second level spell slots, 2 first level spell slots and all 3 sorcery points in a glorious display of mystical prowess.

Learning Blue Magic Spells

Blue Mage learn magic in the following ways:

• Target of enemy spell.
• Target of monster spell/power/natural attack.
• Consuming monsters.
• Lancet.

Blue Mages do not learn magic in the following ways:

• Friendly castings or friendly fire.
• Shared spells.
• Other blue mages “teaching” spells.

ENDLING @ DEVIANTART – BLUE MAGE

Let’s draw up some examples.

Spell-like powers:

The Blue Mage is attacked by a hellhound. It breathes a cone of flames (6d6 fire in a 15 ft. cone) and the blue mage escapes with her life… somehow. The blue mage can learn this breath of fire attack, which is essentially the burning hands spell cast with a 4th level spell slot.

Casting Fire Breath (burning hands) costs a 1st level spell slot; casting it as a Hellhound costs a 4th level spell slot.

Or... Since Fire Breath is basically half a fireball you could give the power as a level 2 spell (straight up, no modification).

The Blue Mage is attacked by a medusa. She turns her petrifying gaze on the group, and yet again, by some miracle the blue mage survives. Petrification (Flesh to Stone) is a 6th level spell. Well beyond the abilities of a 1st level Blue Mage. This Flesh to Stone spell can be saved, sacrificing another known spell until reaching 11th level when the sorcerer will have potency enough to cast such a spell.

Or... being a beneficent and kind DM, you may agree to grant the power Gaze of Petrification as written as a 6th level spell (or even 7th level spell since it is far superior to Flesh to Stone).

A blue mage and his companions have annihilated a hellhound, the sorcerer uses Azure Consumption; compatible powers conferred are decided by the DM and the blue mage can choose to add them to her suite of spell powers. In this case, Keen Senses or Immune to Fire; the first ability may be gained through a 1st level slot and the second ability may cost a 2nd or even 3rd level slot. Remember: passive powers are permanent until you unlearn them. Physical changes are a common side effect of Azure Consumption: Keen Senses may result in growing canid facial features and Immune to Fire may result in volcanic-looking flesh, charred black and bursting with heat.

Blue Mages are not restricted to the sorcerer spell lists. They can learn any aggressive magic that is cast upon them:

• The blue mage is attacked by a dark priest, who casts hold person, you fail your save but use your reaction ability to learn the power anyway. Next time you meet, that priest better watch out!
• The paladin brings a thunderous smite down on your shoulder, sending waves of thunder through the wood. You respond in kind on the very next attack, surprising him with his own spell!

Natural attacks:

The Blue Mage is attacked by an owlbear. The beast unleashes a flurry of claws and beak on the sorcerer. The Blue Mage can acquire this suite of attacks as a 1st level spell (Beast Strike now deals 2d8/2d8/1d10 damage +Strength Modifier).

If the natural attack is the bite of a spider or sting of a killer bee, the natural attack would deal only physical damage and poison effects would cost sorcery points.