Magic Builds, Spells & Class Choices

Underkeep magic rewards preparation more than raw stat stacking. Your class and subclass decide how you enter the system, but spell-wheel space, element choice, and fight planning decide whether Underkeep magic becomes real pressure. This guide breaks down the current design so you can pick a caster path, build around its tradeoffs, and stop wasting slots on spells that do not fit the encounter. Whether you start as a martial class with a magic subclass or a generalist caster moving toward a focused school, every slot should earn its place.

Start With Class and Subclass, Not Spell Count

Underkeep magic begins with access. A martial class is not locked out of casting. The design goal is for traditionally martial classes to have at least one magic-focus subclass. That access is narrower than a dedicated caster's. You can use the magic as part of your subclass kit and let it define your playstyle, but you are not meant to master and control that form the same way an innate caster does.

Innate magic classes take the opposite route. They begin as generalist magic users with lesser spells. Subclassing later gives them a specific magic form. This does not mean every class shares the same lesser spells. It means the early kit is intentionally broad and relatively weak across types until you commit to a focus. The commitment is the point. A generalist has a lower ceiling; form-specific magic power raises it.

The current design is still evolving, so treat exact balance as provisional. The decision structure is what matters: choose how you access magic, choose when you specialize, and accept the tradeoff that comes with a narrower build.

A focused caster is not automatically stronger in every situation. The advantage is a higher ceiling in one form. The cost is less flexibility. General stats keep you broad but capped. Form-specific magic power gives you more room to grow in your chosen school. That is the central tradeoff behind Underkeep magic.

The Seven Magic Types and What They Change

Underkeep magic splits into four elemental types and three fundamental types. The elements are fire, water, earth, and air. The fundamentals are arcane, holy, and dark. All other forms of magic derive from those seven bases. For build planning, the important question is not how many schools you can name. It is whether you are spreading general stats or investing in form-specific power.

Matchups matter most in PvE. For many endgame bosses and challenges, using the correct magic type gives a noticeable benefit. The design does not require a specific type for specific content, and it does not lock you out of content because of a subclass choice. It rewards preparation. In PvP, magic resistance and bonuses are more general, so a hyper-specific element build is less about countering one opponent and more about expressing your playstyle.

That does not make PvP shallow. It makes PvP less about solving a matchup chart and more about reading a build. The stronger and more specific your gear, the easier other players can read your playstyle. Use that. If your build is obvious, you need a plan for being countered. If your build is general, you give up some ceiling for less predictability.

Spell-Wheel Space Is Your Real Build Constraint

Spell count is not driven by a stat like intelligence. It is driven by how much you can fit into the spell wheel, and stronger spells take more space. That makes Underkeep magic a budgeting problem. A level 1 or level 2 spell may be cheap enough to slot as a routine tool. Level 3 and level 4 spells take more space and are reserved for the major casting spell wheel. Arcane Rift, the portal spell, is strong enough to consume half a spell wheel.

This design keeps balancing direct. It also separates access from gear. Your ability to cast spells is not tied to gear; gear makes the spells stronger. So do not treat gear as a key that unlocks your rotation. Treat it as a multiplier for the spells you already chose. If a slot is weak, more gear may not fix a bad fit.

How to Budget Spells Without a Stat Sheet

Start with one primary interaction and one backup. If your subclass wants to stack a debuff, the primary is the debuff and the payoff spell. The backup is whatever keeps you fighting when the combo is not available. Then add utility only if it solves a problem your party cannot solve another way. A spell that does not change a decision is taking space from one that does.

Cryomancer: Chill, Stacks, and Shatter

The Cryomancer subclass of the wizard is the clearest example of how Underkeep magic wants you to think in combinations. Many of its spells apply chilled, a frosty smoke effect that reduces move speed and attack speed. That alone is useful. The subclass also has perks that reward stacking chill on enemies. The payoff comes when you consume those stacks with a spell like Shatter Rhyme to deal damage and reduce armor.

This is not a one-button damage rotation. It asks you to decide who to chill, when to commit stacks, and whether the target is worth the setup. That is the intended texture of combat: spells that interact, not spells that only report a damage number. The same logic applies outside Cryomancer. Before you slot a spell, ask what it sets up and what sets it up.

A good spell package has a clear opening, a clear payoff, and a fallback. If you cannot explain those three pieces in one sentence, the wheel is probably carrying dead weight. Underkeep magic becomes easier to learn when each spell has a job rather than a ranking.

PvE vs PvP: Where the Same Build Changes

The same Underkeep magic build can feel different depending on the mode. In PvE, type matchups are more important. Endgame bosses and challenges give you a noticeable benefit for bringing the right magic type. You are not required to bring it, but preparation pays. In PvP, resistance and bonuses are more general, so a hyper-specific element build is less about countering one opponent and more about expressing your playstyle.

That does not mean PvP ignores build choice. It means the cost of being predictable is higher. A specific gear setup tells other players what you are trying to do. A general setup gives away less, but it also gives up some of the ceiling that comes from form-specific power. There is no free lunch in Underkeep magic.

For PvE, build a small answer to the content you actually want to clear. For PvP, build an answer to being read. Those are different goals, and trying to solve both with one rigid setup usually leaves one side weak.

A Practical Underkeep Magic Checklist

Use this sequence when you are planning a caster or a magic-capable martial character. It keeps the focus on decisions you can control instead of chasing every spell you find.

Common mistakes are easy to avoid once you see them:

• Spreading general stats and expecting a high ceiling.
• Filling the wheel with strong spells and no setup.
• Treating PvP resistance rules as PvE matchup rules.
• Assuming a martial class cannot touch magic.
• Committing to a type before checking the content you want to clear.

FAQ

Does Underkeep magic require a caster class?

No. Martial classes are intended to have at least one magic-focus subclass. You get access as part of the subclass kit, but you should not expect the same mastery and control as an innate magic class.

What are the seven magic types?

Four elemental types—fire, water, earth, and air—and three fundamental types—arcane, holy, and dark. Other forms of magic derive from those seven bases.

How many spells can I equip?

The limit is spell-wheel space, not intelligence. Stronger spells take more space, and level 3-4 spells are reserved for the major casting spell wheel. Arcane Rift is strong enough to take half a spell wheel.

Is elemental matching mandatory in PvE?

No. The design avoids locking players out of content because of subclass choice. The correct magic type gives a noticeable benefit in many endgame bosses and challenges, so preparation is rewarded rather than required.