The School of the Mistwalker
Today, I have another first draft of a subclass for Seas of Vodari to share with you. This is a tradition of wizards outside the eight Great Traditions – maybe that makes them renegades or apostates in your campaign, or maybe the eight Traditions don’t try to delegitimize other schools in your campaign. In much the same way that XGTE’s War Mage is Abjuration + Evocation, the Mistwalker blends Conjuration, Enchantment, and Illusion.
School of the Mistwalker
Somewhere in the northwestern sea, there is an island shrouded in mists. Few ships find safety there, but those who have seen it and returned speak of a tower that is the source of the mist, called the Pernicious Citadel. An order of renegade wizards lives around the tower, studying its secrets and contending with its dangers. They practice a magic that draws on these mists, confusing their enemies with illusions and enchantments.
The master of the Mistwalker wizards is a woman named Elaché (el-ACH-ay) the Spider. She styles herself the Mysteriarch, and teaches Mistwalking only to those who prove their usefulness to her, as she is utterly focused on the exploration of the Citadel. Adventurers willing to brave its dangers are welcome and allowed to stay as long as they agree to share what they learn.
School of Mistwalking Features
Wizard Level | Feature |
2nd | Cloak of Mist, Student of the Pernicious Citadel |
6th | Mistwalking |
10th | Confounding Mist |
14th | Out of the Gray |
Cloak of Mist
Starting at 2nd level, you can draw a cloak of mist around yourself as a bonus action, as long as you don’t already have one. It lasts for 1 minute or until you choose to disperse it. While you have a cloak of mist, you gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. You can create a cloak of mist in this way a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
You can also draw a cloak of mist around yourself when you cast a spell of 1st level or higher from the schools of conjuration, enchantment, or illusion, if you don’t already have one. This doesn’t cost you a use of this feature.
Student of the Pernicious Citadel
Also at 2nd level, fog, mist, and smoke don’t hinder your perception. You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill, if you don’t already have it. You add the fog cloud spell to your spellbook if it is not there already. You can cast it once without expending a spell slot, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Mistwalking
Beginning at 6th level, when you are in an area that is lightly or heavily obscured by fog, mist, or smoke, and you have a cloak of mist, you can spend a bonus action to disperse your cloak of mist and teleport to any other space within 60 feet that is obscured by fog, mist, or smoke.
Furthermore, you add the gaseous form spell to your spellbook if it is not there already, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.
Confounding Mist
Starting at 10th level, when a creature you can see makes an attack against you, you can use your reaction to disperse your cloak of mist, adding your proficiency bonus to your Armor Class against the triggering attack. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll succeeds or fails. You can’t use this feature if you are within the creature’s area of blindsight or truesight.
Out of the Gray
Beginning at 14th level, when you use your Confounding Mist and a creature misses you with its attack, you can also cast confusion or phantasmal killer as part of that reaction. Your spell only affects the triggering creature.
Design Notes
First off, I know that it’s weird giving Stealth-related features to a wizard, who wouldn’t usually prioritize Dex. This is either good enough to get by with an average Dex, or excellent if you find a good score to put in Dex. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
I’m going for misdirecting and confusing one’s enemies in many forms here, along with a bunch of bonus mobility. There’s a danger, I guess, that a Mistwalker casts so many fog cloud spells that it frustrates the DM and other players. Large heavily-obscured areas aren’t great for anyone who isn’t you. Darkness has the same issue for Shadow sorcerers, but then you add in Mistwalking.
Let me know what you think.