Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

CHAPTER 2 | WANDSLINGERS 43

Wandslingers .............................................................

The Last War saw a dramatic increase in the
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the war continued cantrip specialists could be
found in the armies of most nations. Due to the
considerable training required to master magic,
this has remained an elite specialty. The common
soldier wields a spear or crossbow but it’s not
unusual to see a warrior with a sword on one hip
and a wand on the other. Within the army, such
a soldier is referred to as an arcaneer.
On the streets, they are called wandslingers.
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cast I\TMI[\_Wcantripstypically drawn from
the sorcerer or wizard spell list. A common
wandslinger also knows a single 1st-level spell,
which they can cast once per long rest. An
exceptional wandslinger may know up up to
three spells of up to 3rd level. A wandslinger’s
spells and cantrips are almost always combat
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The critical limitation of the wandslinger is a
dependence on an arcane focus. A wandslinger
must have an arcane focus—a wand, rod,
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various cantrips, such as a wand for ÅZMJWT\and
a rod for J]ZVQVOPIVL[, but wandslingers can use
any arcane focus they get their hands on. As a
result, arcane focuses are regarded as weapons
throughout Khorvaire.
If you’ve got a wand tucked into your belt,
people may assume you know how to use it.

PLAYING A WANDSLINGER

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perform arcane magic could be considered a

wandslinger, and any character could acquire

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Initiate feat. As such, whether your character is

a wandslinger is really a question of style.

• Did you serve in the Last War? If so, who
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  your magical skills as part of your military
  training?


• Do you primarily view your magic as a
  weapon, or do you hate being forced into
  combat? Do you have a diverse range of
  spells, or is your magic largely oriented
  around combat?


• A player character is never required to
  use an arcane focus when casting a spell.
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  comfortable with a focus in your hand.
  Casting a spell without a focus takes
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  consider when describing your actions.
  As long as your DM approves, you could
  justify the abilities of an arcane class as
  being derived from wandslinger training as
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  a sorcerer or warlock, you could say that your
  choice of Sorcerous Origin or Otherworldly
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  function; it means that instead of making a pact
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  to an elite order of arcaniers that share these
  abilities. Instead of dealing with the demands of
  a patron, you might receive requests from your
  former commander or your comrades from the
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  tell with your character. Are you an impetuous
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  provocation? A former soldier trained to use
  magic as a weapon? Or an arcane scholar who
  despises hotheaded wandslingers who know
  nothing about the science of magic?
  Identifying your character as a wandslinger
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  offers a wider selection of arcane focus items
  that can add color to your character.