The Master Wizard of the 13th Age

Not the greatest wizard of the age, but a strong contender for the runner up. If the current wizardly icon should fall, the master wizard is one of the people in position to take up the icon position. Spellcasters this powerful are very difficult to deal with, even once you manage to get past their many layers of magical and mundane protections. Years of experience, an intellect honed by more training and research than most could handle, and plenty of paranoid foresight means that they’ll arrange the battle to perfectly address the enemies they must face, going after your greatest weakness and exploiting your flaws. No matter how clever and well thought out your ambush is, there’s no way to truly surprise a wizard of this caliber, and the best you’ll manage is being able to survive what they can throw at you.

The stat block is also very big, so only the one in this update. One of the things that has been a bit of a hurdle for me with 13th Age (and 4e before it) was that spellcasters and wizards in particular feel wrong to me if they’re actions are very restricted. Ideal wizards to me use a different spell every round of the fight, leaving the players scrambling to keep up with what their enemy is capable of. So the master wizard goes even beyond that, having a wide range of spells such that two of them can be completely distinct.

Master Wizard
Double-strength 12th level caster [humanoid]
Initiative: +16
Staff of Power +16 vs. AC – 20 damage plus 70 force damage
Natural 14+: The master wizard can make a force burst attack as a free action.
[Special Trigger] C: Force Burst +17 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies) – 60 force damage and the target pops free from the master wizard
C: Burning Spray +17 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies in a group) – 85 fire damage
Far Step: 2/battle, as a quick action, the master wizard can teleport to a nearby spot it can see.
Flight.
Master Spellcaster – Through incredible foresight and divinations, the master wizard always has the best spells for the situation on hand. Choose 4 of the following options before the fight to represent the master wizard’s prepared spells.
R: Battlefield Illusion +17 vs. MD (one nearby enemy) – The target is confused and takes 80 ongoing psychic damage (save ends both)
Limited Use: 1/battle. This attack is not expended if it misses.
Conjure Demon: 1/battle as a quick action, the master wizard summons a ice demon in a nearby spot (see below). The ice demon enters initiative after the next 2 creatures have taken their turns, and obeys the master wizard’s orders. This ability recharges when the demon is destroyed.
Level 12 Ice Demon
Freezing Claw +17 vs. AC – 40 damage plus 20 cold damage
C: Ice Spit +17 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies) – 25 cold damage
Natural Even Hit: The target also takes 10 ongoing cold damage and is stuck (save ends both).
Resist Cold 18+.
AC 28 PD 26 MD 22 HP 90
R: Disintegrate +17 vs. PD (one nearby or far away enemy) – 200 force damage. If this damage reduces the enemy to 0 hp, the target must make a hard save (16+). On a failure, the target instantly dies as it disintegrates into a fine pile of dust
Limited Use: 1/battle.
C: Lightning Storm +17 vs. PD (2d3 nearby or far away enemies, also targets the master wizard’s allies engaged with the targets) – 70 lightning damage, or 35 lightning damage if the target was the master wizard’s ally
C: Meteor Shower +17 vs. PD (targets everyone) – 50 damage plus 50 fire damage. The master wizard’s allies have resist damage 14+ against this attack
Limited Use: 1/battle. The master wizard is weakened for 1 round after it uses this attack.
Spell Resistance: The master wizard has resist spell damage 14+. It can’t prepare this and stoneskin at the same time.
Stoneskin: The master wizard has resist weapon damage 14+. It can’t prepare this and spell resistance at the same time.
C: Telekinetic Blade Storm +17 vs. AC (1d4 nearby or far away enemies) – 90 damage
Limited Use: The master wizard can only use this attack when the escalation die is even.
AC 28 PD 24 MD 26 HP 650
Nastier Specials Instead of choosing the master wizard’s prepared spells before the battle starts, check them off as you use them. The master wizard still can’t use more than 4 of them through the course of the battle.

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