Battlemages, from the Theran Empire, hold a high mark on the list of most feared in areas of Barsaive. They are valued in battle for their fierceness and front line combative magics. They also demonstrate an agressiveness for their magical talents. Even though they share an ability for the blade and manipulating magic, they will never be as powerful as a dedicated warrior or magician.

Important Attribute: Dexterity, Perception, Toughness and Willpower

Racial Restrictions: T'skrang and Windlings

Karma Rituals:To perform a Karma ritual, the Battlemage must seek out an area where that has a high factor of disturbances. This could be a noisy tavern, in a bell tower at high sun, or any place that would make it difficult to concentrate properly. Once this place is found, the Battlemage will then need to draw on his inner reserve of concentration and weave the threads to his highest circle spell. If he succeeds, then the mage will move to another location with a higher degree of disturbance. S/he will continue in this fashion until the Thread Weaving Test fails two out of  three times, or thirty minutes have lapsed.

This ritual allows them to measure their threshold of tolerance to the surroundings. It strengthens their will allowing them to cast spells even in the heat of melee combat without any serious penalty.

Artisan Skills: Weapon rune carving, Calligraphy

FIRST CIRCLE TALENTS

Talents
Spellcasting (D)
Thread Weaving (Battle Weaving) (D)
Spell Matrix
Read/Write Magic
Melee Weapons (D)
Karma Ritual

SECOND CIRCLE TALENTS

Talents
Durability (6/5)
Woodskin
Throwing Weapons

THIRD CIRCLE TALENTS

Talents
Spell Matrix
Tiger Spring

FOURTH CIRCLE TALENTS

Lighten Armor: For the cost of 2 strain, the battlemage may reduce the intiative penalty of his armor when in combat. For each penalty point reduce strain is taken. This is only used to negate the effect. The reduced penalty last a number of rounds equal to the battlemage's circle +1.

Karma: The battlemage may spend a Karma point on any action using Willpower.

Talents
Astral Sight
Avoid Blow (D)

FIFTH CIRCLE TALENTS

Talents
Second Weapons
Manuever (D)

SIXTH CIRCLE TALENTS

Recovery Test: The battlemage gains 1 additional Recovery Test per day.

Talents
Life Check
Spell Matrix

SEVENTH CIRCLE TALENTS

Physical Defense: Increase the battlemage's Physical Defense by 1.

Talents
Anticipate Blow
Willforce (D)

EIGHTH CIRCLE TALENTS

Spell Defense: Increase the battlemage's Spell Defense by 1.

Talents
Enhanced Matrix
Second Attack

NINTH CIRCLE TALENTS

Initiative bonus: Increase the battlemage's Initiative Test by 2 steps.

Talents
Cobra Strike (D)
Spirit Strike

TENTH CIRCLE TALENTS

Karma: The battlemage may spend a Karma point on any action using Dexterity or Strength.

Talents
Enhanced Matrix
Hold Thread

ELEVENTH CIRCLE TALENTS

Physical Defense: Increase the battlemage's Physical Defense by 1.
Social Defense: Increase the battlemage's Social Defense by 1.

Talents
Quickblade
Vitality (D)

TWELFTH CIRCLE TALENTS

Recovery Test: The battlemage gains 1 additional Recovery Test per day.

Talents
Matrix Strike
Defense (D)

THIRTEENTH CIRCLE TALENTS

Spellsword: For a permanent cost of 2 blood points the battlemage uses blood magic to create a spell matrix within a weapon. This allows the wielder to cast one spell per matrix. This spell must be placed into the weapon by the magician. The wielder uses his Perception Step for the Spellcasting Test to cast the spell.  Only if the weapon is lost it will the wielder be able to heal the blood damage.

Spell Defense: Increase the battlemage's  Spell Defense by 2.

Talents
Armored Matrix
Range Pattern

FOURTEENTH CIRCLE TALENTS

Maximum Karma: The battlemage's Maximum Karma is raised by 25.
Social Defense: Increase the battlemage's Social Defense by 1.

Talents
Life Check
Casting Pattern

FIFTEENTH CIRCLE TALENTS

Karma: The battlemage may spend a Karma point on damage.
Spell Defense: Increase the battlemage's Spell Defense by 1.

Talents
Armored Matrix
Truesight

(D) Discipline Use Talent
* Denotes New or Modified Talent (described below)

NOTE:It has been brought to our attention by Master Dankel that we should expound on the Battle Weaving Talent. We agreed wholeheartedly. The Battle Weaving Talent combines the thread weaving talent of a mage and the War Weaving Talent of the warrior discipline. Battlemages can follow any one of the known spellcasting disciplines. The majority of the Battlemages have a tendency toward Elementalism and Wizardry. They simply have more combat-oriented spells.

So, when a namegiver decides to be a Battlemage s/he chooses what discipline of magic s/he will follow: wizardry, elementalism, illusionist or nethermancy. This will determine what spells they will learn.  Take note that a Battlemage is exactly that -- a BATTLE mage! They will learn spells accordingly.  I use a simple ratio of 2:1 -- two combat-oriented spells to one noncombat-oriented spell.

Earthdawn is a Registered Trademark of FASA Corporation. Original Earthdawn material Copyright 1994 by FASA Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Used without permission. Any use of FASA Corporation's copyrighted material or trademarks in this file should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. Except where otherwise noted, all other original material is Copyright 1997-99 by L.A. Pride, Bill Hayden, Josh Young, and Chris Brumley.