Dark mage build?

[Harrysonford]

Do you guys know any good dark magic builds? Like black magic and stuff?

[JackPhoenix]

Sure. Take a wizard, choose whatever "dark magic" spells do you like. Fiend summoning from XgtE and necromancy sounds like good start.

[TundraBuccaneer]

Wa...warlock?

[Ninja_Prawn]

Wa...warlock?

You sound like Joe the Rat

But like, what is black magic? Is it just being a spellcaster with 'evil' in your alignment? Or are there specific features a 'dark mage' should have? Is it about making a deal with the devil (warlock), or about causing devastation with your magical power (sorcerer) or serving a dark god (cleric)?

Spoiler: Apologies for the shameless plug...

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...but the OP should definitely check out our Complete Witch book. It's full of curses, dark rituals and creepy familiars. Also some rad art.

[Joe dirt]

Necromancer is the classic

[Anonymouswizard]

But like, what is black magic?

Ethically challenged magic, let's not make links between colours and morality.

[jojo]

Do you guys know any good dark magic builds? Like black magic and stuff?

More eye shadow?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Enchanters don't get as much attention as they probably should. Play with your food before you eat it. Don't just charm your way to success in the form of reduced price potions and such, make your victim introduce you to their friends and family while heaping gratuitous praise on you so that you don't need to enchant their charming aunt. Then charm her anyway after you've been given something the rogue wanted to take.
Even the most moral adventurers think in terms of targets; you're immoral, but at least you're intellectually honest about it, you think of your targets as victims.
When the spell wears off and someone comes looking for revenge don't waste time defending yourself, charm that guard over there into doing it for you, then make him follow you through town proclaiming your divinity.
In any given situation use your most powerful spell to accomplish what your weakest could do. Don't charm when you could dominate.
Never defeat an opponent when you could humiliate them instead...

Etc.

[Hypersmith]

imo "dark magic" is defined by the source or the user. So warlocks are the classic "dark magic."

But if you want to play a wizard or sorcerer who uses "dark magic" or whose magic has a dark source, then sure, their spells are dark magic.

[Zonugal]

A College of Whispers Bard could also be a solid choice for a Dark Mage.

[Malifice]

This is a game where you can literally be a Fiend Pact Warlock who has sold his soul for power.

Start there.

[RickAllison]

This is a game where you can literally be a Fiend Pact Warlock who has sold his soul for power.

Start there.

From that starting point, you can find all sorts of ways to make the Dark Mage. The other pacts give several options, ranging from dark fey and undead to drawing power from a master too terrible to describe (GOO) or from an artifact that should have been destroyed. Shadow Sorcerer is fantastic for this. For a wizard, you can't go wrong with Evocation or Divination (you have sought to manipulate the very fabric of reality to your whim), though War Mage or Abjuration are nice for the Mage who seeks to protect himself.

Lore Bard may actually be the best for this, but doing so requires more work than for the more dark-leaning subclasses. Still, subverting the will of others, hexing with but a word, and unlocking any and all secrets seems distinctly Dark Mage-y.

[WickerNipple]

There is no dark side of magic really. Matter of fact it's all dark.

[Ivor_The_Mad]

There is a new subclass in Xanathars shadow magic sorcerer and there pretty good. Then just choose the spells that sound good.

[Asmotherion]

I was going to be impressed that nobody suggested the Shadow Sorcerer, and then read the last post just above mine XD

So, here is a list of Classes Directly or Indirectly Linked with what can be perseved thematically as "Dark Magic" Lore Wise...

Fiend Warlock:
You've literally made a pact with a fiend, use Hexes and a dark force and absorbe the life force of those you kill to shield yourself. When you're strong enough, you can put someone through Hellish Torture for one round (probably feels longer in their mind, and cause them a lot of psychic damage this way (I think of it like Itachi's Tsukoyomi from Naruto if anyone is fammiliar with it)...

Shadow Sorcerer:
Or you can be attuned to the Shadowfell aka the plane of necromancy, vampires, and other fun stuff like that, and draw your Powers from there. You have some of the powers of a vampire but also none of their weaknesses, and as you gain more power, you become even stronger than them. (When I think of this class, I think of Hellsing's Alucard... Too much Anime or perhaps this Hound of Ill Omen was too similar?).

Chromatic Dragon Sorcerer:
Chromatic Dragons are bound to Tiamat. Wile there is no direct implication that you must follow in your ancestor foodsteps, your magic originates from something Evil and Twisted. You may embrace that fact, and call it a destiny.

Divine Sould Evil Sorcerer:
Same as above. I won't go into too much detail.

Hexblade Warlock:
Wile your DM might be willing to work with you for a different weapon, the implications are clear: Your patron is a shadofell weapon, and by making a pact with it you are bound to eventually become it's wielder and bring Death to your plane. In return, it also gave you knowlage and arcane power in order for you to become stronger, as it does not want to be wielded by a weakling. That's quite dark magic in it's own right.

Necromancer Wizard:
The Vanilla Choice to most. Take a few corpses, use some necromancy, and there you go. I don't think a lot of more explaination is needed.

Conjurer/Abjurer Wizard:
Do I have your attention now? Thank you. So, with Infernal Calling, Summon Lesser/Greater Demon, Magic Cyrcle (At your Option), and finally, most important of all, Planar Binding, you can have one or even more Fiends Serving you. It comes at a very high cost, so I would not suggest it before you have access to level 6 or even 7 spell slots at least to make it worth your wile (with Planar Binding being the most costly of all). With a level 9 spell slot and Access to Wish, you completelly erasse the cost of this spell and make it worth your wile a lot more, as it can keep your minion bound for "a year and a day" with no requirement of Concentration. Wile the conjurer is more thematically correct for this kind of Dark Mage, the Abjurer is also not far behind for two reasons: A) you know you are messing with a craft were a lot could go terribly wrong, and B) Planar Binding, Magic Circle and a lot of spells that have to do with the "Dark Binding Ritual" aspect of this black ritual mage are Abjuration Spells.

I'm limiting myseld to casters on purpose, as you specified Mage. For a class to Quallify as a Mage, my standards are the following:
A) Cantrips
B) Interesting Spells
C) Have the option to be fully playable as a non martial character using just magic if one so chooses.

More exist, but those are my direct thoughts. Hope you like them.

[MrStabby]

Did I miss death and grave cleric domains?

Actually a whole load of cleric domains can be pretty dark.

[Hypersmith]

Did I miss death and grave cleric domains?

Actually a whole load of cleric domains can be pretty dark.

That's true. Trickery also pops to mind

[User_Undefined]

Here's a UA that might also help.
https://media.wizards.com/2015/downl...lack_Magic.pdf