Obojima: Tales From The Tall Grass offers a distinctive campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons filled with unique species, backgrounds, and subclasses for experienced players. A standout subclass in this supplement is the Origami Mage Wizard, enabling players to infuse magic into origami art.
If you’ve never explored this supplement or wish to introduce a fresh subclass at your gaming table, this guide is designed for you. Here’s everything you need to know to create an optimized origami mage wizard in Dungeons & Dragons.
Overview of the Origami Mage Subclass
The origami mage subclass allows players to blend their magical skills with creations made from origami paper, which can serve various functions in both combat and role-playing scenarios.
Subclass Features
| Subclass Feature | Character Level | Details |
|---|---|---|
| An Arcane Art | 2 | As a bonus action, you can create origami and grant it life, forming a construct with various purposes. These constructs can take on animal shapes, augment your AC, or deal extra damage. |
| Origami Familiar | 2 | You learn the Find Familiar spell and always have it prepared. Your familiar resembles a piece of origami, with abilities to camouflage itself, blind foes, or scout. |
| Binding Release | 6 | Use a bonus action to transport one of your origami constructs to another creature you can see within 30 feet. |
| Paper Path | 6 | When casting a touch spell, your origami construct can deliver the spell instead of you, as long as it’s within 100 feet. |
| Origami Servant | 10 | You learn Unseen Servant, always having it prepared and able to cast without using a spell slot. Unlike typical servants, you can have multiple origami servants with special abilities. |
| Arcane Refresh | 14 | When an origami construct is destroyed, it returns magic granted to it, giving you ten hit points or allowing you to regain a second-level spell slot. You can also use your reaction to negate damage to a construct once per long rest. |
Note: Unlike wizards in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, you take the origami mage subclass at level two. If you plan to use this subclass outside of Obojima, discuss balance with your DM.
Optimal Ability Scores for an Origami Mage
For any wizard, Intelligence should be your primary focus, as it is your spellcasting ability. Following that, aim to enhance your physical capabilities when possible.
| Ability Score | Details |
|---|---|
| Intelligence | This determines your spellcasting modifier and spell save DC. Make it your highest ability score. |
| Constitution | For maximizing hit points, ensure your second-highest score goes here. |
| Wisdom | Important for saving throws against spells, so prioritize it as your next highest score. |
| Dexterity | Affects your Armor Class and allows use of finesse weapons; allocate a decent score here. |
| Charisma | While useful for role-play, it’s often better assigned to other spellcasters, so keep it lower. |
| Strength | Not necessary for wizards, making it the lowest priority. |
Ideal Species for an Origami Mage
When choosing a species for your origami mage, consider these three excellent options:
-
Blue Dara: Increases Intelligence by two and another trait by one. They have access to Knowledge Talismans, which add a d6 to ability checks—great for enhancing Arcana assessments.
-
Dragonborn: They have resistances to certain damage types, providing extra protection for your wizard during combat.
- Tiefling: Offers additional spellcasting options, enhancing your wizard’s versatility in magic.
Note: Dragonborn and Tieflings are uncommon in the Obojima campaign setting. Check with your DM about how to best integrate these races into your game.
Backgrounds for an Origami Mage
Here are three fantastic background choices for origami mages:
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Apprentice Witch: This background is rich with role-play opportunities in Obojima and grants proficiency in Arcana and Survival—making Arcana particularly useful.
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Apprentice of AHA: Offers great role-playing potential as well and provides proficiency in History and Investigation, both Intelligence-based skills.
- Merchant: This background enhances your Constitution, Intelligence, and Charisma, strengthening your character’s capabilities and filling in potential gaps.
Warning: If you want to use the Obojima backgrounds in a regular campaign setting, consult with your DM to ensure they’re compatible, as they function differently from backgrounds in other 5e materials.
This guide should help you craft an engaging and powerful origami mage wizard for your next adventure!
