Here is the current write-up for the Warmage class:
Some spellcasters care for only one thing: war. They dream of steel and mighty blasts of devastating magic, the march of troops, and the unleashed destruction found on battlefields everywhere. Graduates of special arcane war colleges, those known as warmages are drilled only and utterly in the casting of spells most useful for laying down destruction, confusing an enemy, or screening an allied action. The utilitarian spells used by wizards and sorcerers have little importance to a warmage's way of thinking. What are support casters for, after all? A warmage cares only for success on the battlefield, or, in some cases, in the series of smaller campaigns favored by adventuring companies.
Warmages sign up for stints with adventuring companies that require straightforward, military-style blasting magic. Warmages hone and develop their arts through action rather than study, so without prolonged use of their powers in combat they cannot reach the pinnacle of their profession. Good-aligned warmages are concerned with rebuffing the movements of warlike groups - who better to blast into smoking ruin than those who have it coming? Evil-aligned warmages feel no constraints on who might become the targets of their spells. They adventure to gain destructive power.
Warmages access their magic peculiarly, at least compared to the way wizards, sorcerers, and clerics do. A warmage selects his spells from a limited pool of knowledge that rarely changes. Early in their difficult training, warmages instill deep within themselves the knowledge of all the spells they will ever need. Warmages know fewer spells than wizards and even sorcerers, but the spells they do know are enhanced.
Warmages do not need to study spellbooks, but they do need to prepare their spells each day by spending time to call up the knowledge from their unconscious minds. Warmages do not specialize in schools of magic the way wizards can, per se: they are already dedicated to the study of purely destructive spells, which limits their spells available considerably, but not along the lines of traditional spell schools. In their training, warmages also learn a few mundane warlike skills. They develop proficiency with some weapons and armor, learning to use such items without incurring a risk of arcane spell failure.
Warmages find they have little in common with sorcerers and wizards, who learn their craft without the rigors or discipline of a warmage's apprenticeship. In fact, warmages are likely to be more comfortable with the regimented classes - those that appreciate military training - such as paladins, monks, and fighters. Those warmages native to the core often find themselves close to the rule of the various domains, as they are powerful magical artillery, to keep the populace in line, enforce their borders, and fight in the many squabbles of the Core.
WARNING: To cast spells, a warmage must have an Intelligence of 10+the spells level, so for instance for 6th level spells, a warmage must have an intelligence of 16.
Hit Die: d6
Proficiencies: A warmage is proficient with simple weapons, light armour, and small shields. At 8th level, a warmage gains proficiency in medium armour.
Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier
SKILLS:
Balance, Concentration, Culture, Intimidate, Lore, Religion, Occultism, Spellcraft
ABILITIES:
Level
1 - Armoured Mage (Light) (Ex): A warmage may wear light armour and utilise light shields without incurring arcane spell failure.
1 - Warmage Edge (Ex): A warmage adds their Intelligence bonus as damage to all their spells. This does not apply to spells cast from items (scrolls, rods, etc)
3 - Advanced Learning I : A warmage gains an additional spell chosen from a list to add to their spells available.
6 - Advanced Learning II: A warmage gains an additional spell chosen from a list to add to their spells available.
7 - Sudden Empower: At 7th level, a warmage gains the ability to cast any spell from their spellbook if it was cast with the Empower Spell feat, excepting that it does not incur any additional cost, and does not take a higher spell slot. This is represented in-game by (Empowered) version of their spells becoming available for spells to which it may apply.
8 - Armoured Mage (medium) (Ex): At 8th level, a warmage extends their abilities in armour to wearing medium armour and using light shields without incurring arcane spell failure.
10 - Sudden Enlarge: At 10th level, a warmage gains the ability to cast any spell from their spellbook as if it was cast with the Enlarge Spell metamagic feat, excepting that it does not incur any additional cost, and does not take a higher spell slot. This is represented in-game by (Enlargened) versions of their spells becoming available for spells to which it may apply.
11 - Advanced Learning III: A warmage gains an additional spell chosen from a list to add to their spells available.
15 - Sudden Widen: At 15th level, a warmage gains the ability to cast any spell from their spellbook as if it was cast with the Widen Spell metamagic feat, excepting that it does not incur any additional cost, and does not take a higher spell slot. This is represented in-game by (Widened) versions of their spells becoming available for spells to which it may apply.
16 - Advanced Learning IV: A warmage gains an additional spell chosen from a list to add to their spells available.
20 - Sudden Maximize: At 20th level, a warmage gains the ability to cast any spell from their spellbook as if it was cast with the Maximize Spell metamagic feat, excepting that it does not incur any additional cost, and does not take a higher spell slot. This is represented in-game by (Maximized) versions of their spells becoming available for spells to which it may apply.
I am also giving them a mild increase to Fortitude saves over their normal to represent their intention as an armoured, relatively-resilient battle caster.
These are to shore up its general mediocrity: speaking from personal experience with the class, its weak in the early levels, "OK" at the mid levels, before becoming weak again at the high levels - a high level cleric, sorcerer, or wizard outshine even its destructive capabilities, without the great sacrifice of spells the Warmage has. Giving it some more staying power and some ability to muck in with the martials (albeit never as the frontline/shieldwalls) makes up for the fact that once their spells are expended, they're kind of useless.
I'm also considering having the Advanced Learning feats from one of two lists: more warmage-themed spells not normally on the list (so evocation stuff mostly), or an Eclectic Learning list which I will probably focus on melee/ward focussed stuff (at 1 level higher than normal) for those whom want to lean into being a real scrapper-caster.
It's still not going to be amazing, I think, but this carves out a proper niche for Warmage that retains and reinforces its central theme.
Let me know your thoughts!