Mages of Silverquill hone the power of words. They channel the magic of light and shadow through words, whether spoken aloud, written, or signed through gestures. The words of a mage of Silverquill bring salvation to their allies and despair to their enemies.
Source: Unearthed Arcana 79 - Mages of Strixhaven
Classes: Bard, Warlock, or Wizard
Using This Subclass
Upon selecting the Mage of Silverquill subclass, you gain two features: Eloquent Apprentice and Silvery Barbs.
In this subclass’s features, any reference to your class refers to the class from which you gained the subclass. If you’re a bard, the College of Silverquill counts as your college, if you’re a warlock, the college counts as your patron, and if you’re a wizard, the college counts as your tradition.
When you subsequently reach a level in your class that gives you a subclass feature, you gain one feature of your choice from the options presented here. Each feature has a class level prerequisite, as noted beneath its name. You must meet that prerequisite to gain the feature.
Eloquent Apprentice
Level 1+ Mage of Silverquill Feature
You learn one cantrip of your choice, either Sacred Flame or Vicious Mockery. It doesn’t count against the number of cantrips you know, and it is added to your class spell list if it isn’t there already.
Additionally, you gain proficiency in your choice of two of the following skills: Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion, or Insight.
Silvery Barbs
Level 1+ Mage of Silverquill Feature
You can invoke words laced with magic to demoralize your foes and turn their misfortune into a boon to bolster your allies. Immediately after a creature you can see within 60 feet of you succeeds on an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to demoralize the creature. Unless the creature is immune to being charmed, it rerolls the d20 and must use the lower roll. If the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw then fails, you can choose a different creature you can see within 60 feet of you (you can choose yourself). That creature is empowered, and can reroll one attack roll, ability check, or saving throw it makes within 1 minute and use the higher result. A creature can be empowered by only one use of this feature at a time.
Once a creature fails an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw because of a reroll forced by this feature, you can’t use the feature again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot to use it again.
Inky Shroud
Level 6+ Mage of Silverquill Feature
You learn the Darkness spell, and it is added to your class spell list if it isn’t there already. If you are a wizard, you add it to your spellbook, if it’s not there already.
You can cast the spell without expending a spell slot, and you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. When you cast the spell in this way, you can see normally through the darkness created, and when a creature you can see starts its turn in the darkness, you can deal 2d10 psychic damage to that creature.
You can also cast the spell normally, without the additional effects, by using spell slots you have of 2nd level or higher.
Infusion of Eloquence
Level 10+ Mage of Silverquill Feature
When you cast a spell that deals damage, you can invoke additional words of power to change the spell’s damage type to your choice of psychic or radiant. Any creature damaged by the spell takes extra damage equal to your proficiency bonus and has its emotions swayed with despair or adoration, based on the damage type dealt:
Psychic. The creature is frightened of you until the start of your next turn.
Radiant. The creature is charmed by you until the start of your next turn.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Word of Power
Level 14+ Mage of Silverquill Feature
You can invoke a word of power that is the pinnacle of your magical study. You gain the following options:
Deadly Despair. When the target of your Silvery Barbs fails an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw because of the reroll, you can invoke a word of despair to give the target vulnerability to one damage type of your choice until the start of your next turn.
Selfless Invocation. When a creature you can see within 60 feet of you takes damage, you can invoke a word of power using your reaction to grant the creature resistance to that damage, and you take an amount of psychic damage equal to the damage that creature takes.
