The Warden, Caster's Best Friend (Fighter Subclass) PEACH

[Lvl45DM!]

You know whats cool? When a mage and a fighter fight together. Black Mage and Fighter. Lan and Moiraine. Gideon and Harrowhark. Robilar and Tenser. Minsc and Dyanheir! Caramon and Raistlin!!!

Warden

Wardens are warriors who have honed their skills to be a perfect complement to a spellcaster, their blade singing in the aftersmoke of a fireball, their arrows finding the perfect gaps in the entangling vines, their shield warding the singing bard or praying priest. Though they have no true magic of their own, they have learned enough of the spellslingers skill to adapt to their dweomers and they forge a bond with a caster that blends steel and spell into a more potent harmony.

Bondmage
At 3rd level Wardens are able forge a powerful connection with one other being to create a Bondmage (or Bondpriest, Bondbard etc.). The Bondmage must be a being capable of casting spells using spell slots and be willing. This bonding takes 8 hours to achieve. The Warden gains the following advantages from this bond:

• Once per turn, if the Warden hits a creature that has taken damage from a Bondmage's spell since the Warden's last turn, they deal an extra d8 of the same kind of damage as the spell dealt. This damage increases to 2d8 at level 10 and 3d8 at level 15.
• Once per turn, if the Warden hits a creature that has been forced to make a saving throw from his Bondmage's spell since the Warden's last turn, they gain advantage on their attack roll. They also may gain advantage if a creature summoned by their Bondmage has dealt damage to their target since the Wardens last turn.
  

The Warden may only use one of these abilities per turn. At 10th level they can perform 2 of these per turn, but only one per attack. At 15th level they can perform 3 of these in a turn, but only one per attack.

The Warden knows the direction and distance of their Bondmage at all times as long as they are on the same plane.
This bond ends upon the death of either Warden or Bondmage.


Working Knowledge
The Warden has spent enough time with his caster to learn about their art. At 3rd level, the Warden gains proficiency in one of the following skills: Arcana, Religion, Nature or Performance. If they already have proficiency their proficiency bonus is doubled.
The Warden can cast Detect Magic. This ability is usable once, and it refreshes on a short rest.

Caster's Guardian
Starting at 7th level, the Warden become more aware if their Bondmage is in danger. If within 10ft of their Bondmage, as a reaction to a creature making a melee attack roll against their Bondmage, the Warden leap in front of the blow, moving to within 5ft of their Bondmage and causing the attack roll to be made against the Warden instead.
If the Bondmage is subject to a ranged attack and the Warden is within 10 ft of the line of effect, as a reaction the Warden can leap in front of the blow, moving up to 10ft to enter the line of effect and causing the attack roll to be made against the Warden instead.

The Warden knows roughly how injured their Bondmage is as long as they are on the same plane of existance (Fully healthy, slightly injured, injured, badly injured, near death.)

Trust the Bond
The Warden can charge more recklessly into battle as they know their casters preferred strategies, and can sense their intent, mimicking it to a degree. Beginning at 10th level, Wardens automatically make all saving throws against their Bondmage's spells and any beneficial spell cast upon the Warden by their Bondmage will have maximum effect, healing maximum hitpoints, adding maximum bonuses etc.
In addition, the Warden can hold Concentration on any beneficial spell the Bondmage has cast upon them, meaning the Bondmage does not have to Concretate on that spell. The Warden must make Constitution saves if taking damage, cannot have another Concentration effect active, etc.

Body and Mind
WIP

Spell-fuelled
The Warden's body has adapted to the magic constantly running through it, turning magic into might. Beginning at 18th level when their Bondmage uses a spell slot to cast a spell that includes them in its effect, the Warden is Spell-fuelled by that for the next minute. The Warden cannot be Spell-fuelled by another spell in that time, unless they take an action to purge their system of the residual magic. The effect of the Spell-fuel is dependent on the school of spell
Abjuration: The Warden gains advantage on all saves against spells.
Divination: The Warden gains Truesight 30ft,
Conjuration: The Warden can teleport themselve and one other creature up to 60ft as a Bonus Action.
Enchantment: Creatures within 10ft of the Warden must make a Wisdom save (DC 8+Wardens PB+Wardens Con mod) or be Charmed for 1 minute. Creatures so charmed gain a new save to end the effect any time they take damage from the Warden, Bondmage or their allies.
Evocation: As a Bonus Action the warden can deal d10+Con mod damage to all creatures within 10 feet. The damage type dealt will match the damage type dealt by the Evocation spell cast by the Bondmage. If there was no damage dealt by the spell, it is force damage.
Illusion: The Warden's form becomes partially shadowstuff, granting them advantage on all attack rolls as well as granting disadvantage on all attacks against them.
Necromancy: The Warden gains Temporary Hitpoints equal to their Proficiency Bonus x their Con Mod, as well as regaining Con mod hitpoints at any time they reduce a hostile creature to 0 hitpoints.
Transmutation: One of the Wardens ability scores, they may decide which, is increased by 4 and their maximum for that ability score is increased by 4. Their speed is also doubled, and they gain one new movement type, either flying, swimming or burrowing. The Warden no longer needs to breathe.

[JNAProductions]

Should probably be turn and not round. Makes Attacks of Opportunity a little more punishing, but doesn't let it stack with Extra Attack.
The ability to inflict disadvantage on a save should probably be removed-Save or Sucks still exist.

Detect Magic could probably be at-will and not break anything.

Trust The Bond feels potentially broken, but also pretty cool.

Body And Mind gives three saves and Expertise if you already had saves? No. This feature is a combination of boring and too strong-I'd rework it entirely.

Spell-Fueled also feels too good, but it's pretty cool. I'd tone down the effects a bit, though, and DEFINITELY add a clause that it needs to be a leveled spell, not a cantrip.

Overall
It's cool. Needs some work, but I love the idea. Teamwork!

[sandmote]

Okay, technical stuff:

Anywhere it says "the warden's last turn" should specify "the start of the warden's last turn," or "the end of the warden's last turn," which would establish what happens if they took damage during the warden's last turn.

This bonding takes 8 hours to achieve.

This should probably require you stay within 5 feet of the target bondmage for the duration.

Once per round, if the Warden hits a creature that has taken damage from a Bondmage's spell since the Warden's last turn, they deal an extra d8 of the same kind of damage as the spell dealt. This damage increases to 2d8 at level 10 and 3d8 at level 15.

What happens with spells that deal multiple types of damage, like Ice Storm? This also applies to the Evocation Spell Fueled effect.

Starting at 7th level, the Warden become more aware if their Bondmage is in danger. If within 10ft of their Bondmage, as a reaction to a creature making a melee attack roll against their Bondmage, the Warden leap in front of the blow, moving to within 5ft of their Bondmage and causing the attack roll to be made against the Warden instead.
If the Bondmage is subject to a ranged attack and the Warden is within 10 ft of the line of effect, as an action the Warden leap in front of the blow, moving up to 10ft to enter the line of effect and causing the attack roll to be made against the Warden instead.

Does moving in this way expend movement? Particularly given it doesn't specify the warden needs to move to the nearest empty space.

In addition, the Warden can hold Concentration on any beneficial spell the Bondmage has cast upon them, meaning the Bondmage does not have to Concretate on that spell. The Warden must make Constitution saves if taking damage, cannot have another Concentration effect active, etc.

You should specify how long it takes to transfer the concentration.

The Warden can teleport themselve and one other creature up to 60ft as a Bonus Action.

How far away can the creature be from the warden? do they have to see it?

Their speed is also doubled, and they gain one new movement type, either flying, swimming or burrowing.

You should probably specify the speed of the new movement type.

[Calen]

You know whats cool? ... Lan and Moiraine. ...

I have been rereading Wheel of Time, perfect timing!


Bondmage
For simplicity and balance I would consider just the damage bonus from creatures that have been damaged by a bond-spell and keep it to once per turn.
You could also show some love to the caster with letting them use reactions when the fighter uses a fighter skill.
"When you use action surge your Bondmage may use their reaction to cast a cantrip." or "When you use your Second Wind your Bondmage may use a reaction to spend a hit dice, healing the amount rolled."


Working Knowledge
Proficiency bonus uses per Long Rest?
I would consider adding that all saves against Bondmage spells are made with advantage to help lead up to Trust the Bond later.

Caster's Guardian

...as an reaction the Warden leaps in front of the blow...

pretty sure that was just a typo.


Trust the Bond
Add the line that if the concentration spell targets only the Fighter that the Fighter can concentrate on it.

Body and Mind
Maybe the Warden gets their choice of Wis/Int/Cha (Only one) and the Bondmage can choose one of Con/Str/Dex. No expertise.


Spell-fuelled
Add "When spending a spell slot to cast a spell that targets the Warden..." to the description.
The effects should be toned down as well.


I love the synergy that you are working on here. Some other effects that aid the Bondmage or some ribbon skills to emphasize the Warden/Bondmage connection would also be a good idea.

[Old Harry MTX]

Cool, it reminds me of the Sidekick I made times ago. Probably you should steal the Sculpt Spell wording for Trust the Bond, and you should add that the 8 hours of bonding can be divided in intervals of at least 1 hour each.

The rest is nice, even if giving disadvantage on spell saving throws is a quite broken option.

An option i also like is that the warden could be the target of its bondmage's spells with a range of Self if it is near enough, consider to add it!