Arcanist Class

Core Aspects

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per Arcanist Level

Hit Points at 1st Character Level: 6 + your Endurance

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Endurance per Arcanist Level

Training

Armour: None

Weapons: Simple Weapons

Tools: None

Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Cosmology, Empathy, Faiths, Focus, General Knowledge, Investigation, Linguistics, Magical Lore, Medicine, Nature, and Technology

Equipment

Upon gaining your first Level in this Class, you start with the following equipment, in addition to your starting equipment:

• Either a Component Pouch or an Arcane Focus

• A Spellbook

• A Scholar's Pack

• A book on a subject of academic interest

Unique Aspects

Class Tags: Arcanist, Spellcaster, Cosmic Magic, Eternal Magic, Primordial Magic, Ritual Caster, Mage

Mark of Fate: Fateful Preparation. You had prepared the perfect spell for a moment like this. When you spend this Mark of Fate, choose a spell you had Prepared but have not cast since you completed your last Long Rest. You can immediately exchange it with another spell not currently Prepared from your Spellbook as if you had Prepared the new spell at the end of your Long Rest.

Inspired Action:

Signature Foci

1st Lvl Arcanist Feature

You have a personal preference for one type of arcane foci over others. When you gain this Feature choose one of the following Foci options: a Crystal, an Orb, a Rod, a Staff, a Wand, a School Specific Item, or a Magic Weapon. Depending on the option you chose you gain the following benefit as well as the benefit of the Spellbook Focus:

• A Crystal. The Crystal hovers around an empty hand, drawn into your hand when required to cast a spell. You can perform Somatic Components whilst holding the Crystal in your hand.

  When you complete a Long Rest, you can store a spell from your Spellbook into the crystal whose Circle is equal to or lower than your SB, you are considered to have Prepared the spell as long as the Crystal is on your person.

  While holding the Crystal you can cast the stored spell once without expending a Spell Slot, once you have done this you cannot do so again until you have completed a Short or Long Rest.

• An Orb. Whilst holding the Orb at the end of each of your Turns, you can select one entity you can see, who is currently under the effect of a spell that can end its effect early on successful Trait Test. Until the end of your next Turn, the chosen Target has Disadvantage on Trait Tests to end your spells and their effects early.

• A Rod. Whilst holding onto the Rod, you have a +1 Shield Bonus to your HT. When making melee attacks using the Rod as a Club, they are considered magical attacks. If it has been modified to be considered a Mace, the Item is also considered to have the Silvered Weapon Property as well as well as its attack being magical.

  You also gain the Rod’s Shield reaction.

  

  Once you have used this reaction, you cannot do so again until you have completed a Short or Long Rest.

• A Staff. When using the Staff as a Quarterstaff to make an Attack Roll, you can use your spell Attack Roll instead of the Weapon’s normal Attack Roll, and no matter which option is chosen these attacks are considered magical and it is considered to have the Light and Silvered Weapon Properties.

  You also gain the Force Bolt action.

  

• A Wand. You can perform Somatic Components while holding the Wand in your hand. When you cast a spell whilst holding onto the Wand, you gain a +1 Magic Bonus to Attack Rolls and the TG for your spells from your Spellbook.

  This Magic Bonus is cumulative with any the Wand may have normally.

  When casting a spell with a Range of Touch using this Spellcasting Focus, you treat the Range as 6m (Near).

• A School Specific Item. This Item’s appearance will be determined by the Spell School you chose for the Spell School Specialisation Feature, such as bells for Abjurers who use them in rites of banishing or dispelling, diviner who use tarot cards or astrolobes to show the position of the stars, or an hourglass to represent the life being given or taken away by a necromancer’s spells. You can use this item as an Arcane Focus and can perform Somatic Components while holding the Item in your hand.

  Whilst holding onto the Item and casting a spell from your chosen Spell School, you have Advantage on the spell’s Attack Rolls, and opponents Targeted by the spell have Disadvantage on their Trait Tests to resist, avoid, or end its effects.

• A Magic Weapon. You can use the Magic Weapon, if you have Soulbonded to it, as an Arcane Focus and cast Touch Range spells through the Weapon, being able to choose to use the Weapon's Attack Roll rather than a melee spell Attack Roll to apply the Touch spell.

  When making an Attack Roll with this Weapon, you can use your spell Attack Roll instead of the Weapon’s normal Attack Roll.

• Your Spellbook. You can Prepare an extra spell for each Circle of spells you are able to cast, and have Advantage on Cosmology and Magical Lore Skill Rolls whilst the Spellbook is on your person.

  If you cast a Cantrip whilst holding this Spellbook, you can replace its Damage Type with Force damage. You may instead replace it with Cosmic damage if you chose the Universal Spellcaster option for the Specialised Studies Feature.

  If you cast a spell with a Spell Slot of 1st-Circle or higher whilst holding this Spellbook, you can replace its Damage Type with the Damage Type of another spell of equivalent Circle in your Spellbook.

If you are able to hold both chosen Foci, one in each hand, then you can gain the benefits of both, though you cannot gain the benefits of two of the same Foci being on your person or held at the same time.

You can also choose to consider any two Foci you have as a Weapon Group. A Weapon Group means it only counts as one Use Item interaction to draw or sheath both items at once.

Spellcasting

1st Lvl Arcanist Feature

As a student of cosmic magic, you have a spellbook containing spells that show the first glimmerings of your true power. See the Magic Chapter for the general rules of spellcasting and for the Cosmic Spell List.

Spell List: Cosmic

Spellcasting Trait: Knowledge

Spellcasting TG: 8 + your SB + your Knowledge

Spell Attack Modifier: Your SB + your Knowledge

Spellcasting Focus: Arcane Focus

The following exceptions to the rules presented in the Magic Chapter are as follows:

Specialised Studies

1st Lvl Arcanist Feature

You have during your studies found affinity for certain kinds of magic. You can perform the Study action for 1AP, and become a Master in a Skill you have Learnt from the list presented in the Arcanist Core Aspects section.

When performing the Study action, if you have a Movement speed greater than 0m, you may choose to reduce your Movement speed to 0m until the start of your next Turn. If you do so, for the Duration of this effect, Trait Tests made as part of the Study action are made with Advantage.

You can choose to either gain the Spell School Specialisation or the Universal Spellcaster Class Feature.

Academic Focus

2nd Lvl Arcanist Feature

You have devoted your studies into a particular field. When you gain this Feature, work with your GG to come up with an Academic Focus of your studies, that suits both your Character and their backstory, alongside the Campaign in order to avoid having a topic that may not come up in play.

The Focus should refrain from referencing a specific Skill or other mechanical effect, but instead relate to an area of academic study such as Dead Languages, the architectural history of [Insert Name of a historical nation of your setting], the anatomy of a specific breed of dragon, crafting technics of a lost kingdom, the folk lore of a region, cults to an Eternal with an organised faith in your setting, lightning spells, or astronomical effects on magic.

You Academic Focus is considered a Skill Focus for all Skills, and you also gain an additional Concept to best reflect this Academic Focus. You can Invoke this Concept without requiring a Mark of Fate a number of times equal to your Skill Bonus, replenishing expended uses upon completing a Long Rest.

Arcane Techniques

2nd Lvl Arcanist Feature

You have developed unique techniques for your spellcasting. When you gain this Feature, choose one of the following options: Arcane Companion, Arcane Etchings, Arcane Recovery, Arcane Retaliation, or Arcane Spellcasting. You gain the following benefit based on your choice:

Experimental Cantrips

2nd Lvl Arcanist Feature

You have begun to process of creating your own cantrips. Whenever you complete a Long Rest, you can select one Cantrip you have Prepared. The Cantrip must be from your Spell School if you chose the Spell School Specialisation Feature, or from the Cosmic Spell List if you chose the Universal Spellcaster Feature.

You can apply one of the following Modifications (per Appendix A: Signature Spell Modifications), at the level of effect that would add +0 or +1 to the Cantrip’s Circle, to the chosen Cantrip: Area of Effect (Burst), Area of Effect (Line). Range, Spell Speed, Change Condition, Damage Type, or Non-Lethal Spell.

The Cantrip ignores any Circle modification applied to it.

The chosen Modification is applied to the chosen Cantrip until you next complete a Long Rest.

Arcane Tradition

3rd Lvl Arcanist Feature

You choose an Arcane Tradition gaining the benefits of that Tradition's first Tier. These are more advanced studies; some focus on furthering into a specific school of magic while others will focus on mastering a specific form or modification of how arcanists’ spellcasting works.

Feat

4th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You can increase the value of a Character Trait by 1, to a maximum of 5, and choose a Feat to gain.

Rested Study

5th Lvl Arcanist Feature

When you spend time resting, you can often be found perusing through your Spellbook. As an Activity during a Short Rest, you can choose to study your Spellbook. At the end of the Short Rest, you can exchange a Prepared spell with one other spell in your Spellbook.

Skilled Student

5th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You have a lot of experience researching topics of interest. Select a Skill listed in the Arcanist Core Aspects section which you have Learnt. You become a Master in that Skill.

When you would make a Study Progress roll, if you would roll a result on the d100 under your Arcanist Level + your Knowledge, it becomes equal to that value.

When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of information, if you do not know that information, you often know where and from whom you can obtain it. Your GG might however rule that the knowledge you seek cannot be found or is hidden away where none, but the most fringe scholars may have ideas to its location.

Expanded Arcane Tradition

6th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You can choose to either progress in the studies of a known Arcane Tradition, increasing its Tier by 1, or choose the First Tier of a different Arcane Tradition.

Experimental Spells

7th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You have begun to process of creating your own spells. Whenever you complete a Long Rest, you can select one spell you have Prepared of 3rd Circle or lower. The spell must be from your chosen Spell School if you chose the Spell School Specialisation Feature, or from the Cosmic Spell List if you chose the Universal Spellcaster Feature. You can choose one Modification from those presented in the Appendix A: Signature Spell Modifications. You cannot choose a Modification that would raise the Spell’s Circle above the highest Circle Spell Slot you have at this Arcanist Level per the Arcanist Class Table.

The Modification is applied to the chosen spell until you next complete a Long Rest.

Improved Signature Foci

7th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You find yourself able to be more flexible in your casting. You can choose a second option to gain the benefits of those presented in the Signature Foci Feature. You cannot pick the same option twice.

If you have a Soulbond with a Magic Item that is also one of your chosen Signature Foci, you can as part of the Use Item interaction made to draw the Item, have it teleport into your hand, this cannot occur if the Foci is on a different Realm of Creation than you.

Feat

8th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You can increase the value of a Character Trait by 1, to a maximum of 5, and choose a Feat to gain.

Skilled Researcher

9th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You have experience of how best to contribute when performing rites. You have Advantage on Trait Tests as part of the Study action, and on Trait Tests made to research spells, rituals, and rites. Including researching who made them, locations where they were known to have been practised, and aspects for theoretically replicating the effect without the complete scroll containing instructions (though trying to reassemble a spell without the complete scroll may lead to altered effects or no effect).

In addition, you can add spells stored within Magic Items to your Spellbook as if the Item was a Spell Scroll. It Item is unaffected by this process.

Specialised Craft

9th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You have begun to apply your magical knowledge towards more practical applications. You are also adept at Crafting a type of Magic Item based on your chosen Spell School if you chose the Spell School Specialisation Feature, or if you chose the Universal Spellcaster Feature. as shown in the Table below.

When Crafting the associated type of Magic Item, it takes half as much time and Ingredients to make it.

Expanded Arcane Tradition

10th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You can choose to either progress in the studies of a known Arcane Tradition, increasing its Tier by 1, or choose the First Tier of a different Arcane Tradition.

Improved Rested Study

11th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You find searching through your Spellbook takes less effort than it used to. The Rested Study Feature no longer requires an Activity to use during a Short Rest.

In addition, your Experimental Spells Feature now lets you choose spells to modify of 5th Circle or lower.

Manifest Scroll

11th Lvl Arcanist Feature

Your studies in modifying your spells have allowed you to find it easier to replicate your magic in written form. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, so long as your Spellbook is within your AoC, you can create one magic scroll by touching a blank piece of Magically Conductive Parchment and causing one spell from your Spellbook of 3rd-Circle or lower, with a Casting Time of 2AP, to be copied onto the scroll. The spell you choose may be a modified version of the spell from the Experimental Spells Feature, so long as the Circle of the modified spell is no larger than 3rd-Circle.

Once in the scroll, the spell is treated as being one Circle higher than normal. You can cast the spell from the scroll by reading it with the Use Item action.

The scroll is unintelligible to anyone else unless they use the Identify spell to read it, and the spell vanishes from the scroll when you cast it or when you finish your next Long Rest.

Feat

12th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You can increase the value of a Character Trait by 1, to a maximum of 5, and choose a Feat to gain.

Specialised Breakthrough

13th Lvl Arcanist Feature

Your chosen specialised study brings new breakthroughs. You gain the following benefit based on which option you chose as part of the Specialised Studies Feature:

• Spell School Specialisation. For spells of your chosen Spell School, you gain Resistance to damage from these spells, and have Advantage on Trait Tests to resist, avoid, or end the effects of these spells,

• Universal Spellcasting. The Universal Spellcasting Feature is modified such that when you choose to recover Spell Slots when you finish a Short Rest, the Spell Slots now can be of any Circle.

  When you recover Spell Slots with Universal Spellcasting Feature, you can choose three spells you have currently Prepared and replace them with three more spells from your Spellbook.

Versatile Signature Foci

13th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You find yourself able to be more flexible in your casting. You can choose a third option to gain the benefits of those presented in the Signature Foci Feature. You cannot pick the same option twice.

You do not require AP to swap between any of the chosen Foci and/or your Spellbook, in your hand and another on your person.

In addition, you may now choose to apply two different Modifications to a spell using your Experimental Cantrips and Experimental Spells Features.

Expanded Arcane Tradition

14th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You can choose to either progress in the studies of a known Arcane Tradition, increasing its Tier by 1, or choose the First Tier of a different Arcane Tradition.

School Mastery

15th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You have achieved such mastery over certain spells that you can cast them at will. When you complete a Long Rest, choose a 1st-Circle spell and a 2nd-Circle spell that are in your Spellbook, with a Casting Time of 2AP, belonging to your chosen Spell School if you chose the Spell School Specialisation Feature, or from the Cosmic Spell List if you took the Universal Spellcaster Feature.

For the Duration of this Feature’s effect, those two spells are always Prepared, and you can cast those spells at their base Circle without expending a Spell Slot. If you want to cast either spell at a higher Circle, you must expend a Spell Slot as normal. This applies until the end of your next Long Rest.

Feat

16th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You can increase the value of a Character Trait by 1, to a maximum of 5, and choose a Feat to gain.

Expert Ritualist

17th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You have experience of how best to contribute when performing rites. You have Advantage on Trait Tests made during the performance of a rite or ritual.

You can also use the Aid action once per Trait Test made during a Party Challenge to assist another entity performing the Party Challenge.

In addition, your Experimental Spells Feature now lets you choose spells to modify of 9th Circle or lower.

Signature Spells

18th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You, like your forebears, have begun making or modifying your own spells to add your own unique flair to the practice of spellcasting. First you will need to determine if you are making a new spell or modifying an existing one. To create a spell, work with the GG to design a spell. If you took the Spell School Specialisation Feature the spell must belong to your chosen Spell School. It may require some iteration or testing to exactly work out what the spell does.

If instead you chose to modify a spell, the spell must be from your Spell School if you chose the Spell School Specialisation Feature, or from the Cosmic Spell List if you chose the Universal Spellcaster Feature. Though the GG may allow one of the Modifications to be changing the Spell School to your chosen School. The Modifications you can choose are listed in Appendix A: SIgnature Spell Modifications. If the total Modifications would raise the Spell’s Circle above 9th it cannot be applied.

Once the new spell is made it is now your Signature Spell, be sure to give it a suitable name. You always have your Signature Spell Prepared.

You can cast it once at its base Circle without expending a Spell Slot. If you cast the spell this way, you may not do so agaon until you have completed a Short or Long Rest. The exception is that if the Signature Spell’s base Circle is equal to or less than your SB, then instead you may cast it at its base Circle without requiring a Spell Slot a number of times up to your Knowledge, replenishing all expended uses upon completing a Long Rest.

Feat

19th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You can increase the value of a Character Trait by 1, to a maximum of 6, and choose a Feat to gain.

Archmagos

20th Lvl Arcanist Feature

You have reached the limits of what can be studied as an Arcanist, from here the path for growth comes down to the individual, just as it was for all the mighty archmagi of eld. You gain a 10th-Circle Spell Slot. This Spell Slot can only ever be recovered through a Long Rest effect, and can only be used for the casting of spells. Whilst initially you may only be able to use these Spell Slots for an additional use of your high-level spells or upcasting for larger damage or other effects. There may be some legendary 10th-Circle spells hidden in the world, if you find such spells you can only ever Prepare one 10th-Circle spell at a time, unless your Knowledge Trait is 6 or higher at which point you can Prepare two.

Whenever you cast a spell with a Spell Slot, make a Knowledge (Focus) Test, whose TG equals 11 + the Circle of the cast spell.

On a failed Test, the Spell Slot is expended as normal.

On a successful Test, you do not expend the used Spell Slot.

Each time you use this Feature after the first, the TG increases by 2. When you finish a Short or Long Rest, the TG resets to 11 + the Circle of the cast spell.

In addition, you can choose one Skill you have Mastered to become Legendary in that Skill, for Trait Tests made using that Skill you can roll an additional d20 choosing to replace the final d20 result of the Trait Test (after Advantage and Disadvantage has been resolved) with the value rolled on this separate d20. You can only be Legendary in one Skill at a time.

You also can increase one Trait’s score by 2 or two Trait’s scores by 1, these can increase any Trait’s value up to a maximum of 7.