Scholar
Table of Contents

Scholars are adventurers who use their brains instead of their brawn. Through identifying the enemy’s weaknesses, laying dangerous traps, and leveraging their diverse knowledge, they can turn the tide of battle in their favor.

Quick Build

You can make a scholar quickly by following these suggestions. First, choose the Sage background, with Machinist (Int), Ruin Delver (Cha), or Staff Master (Wis) as your martial tradition. The martial tradition you choose determines your highest ability score. Your next-highest score should be Strength or Dexterity, depending upon whether you want to focus on melee weapons or ranged combat (or finesse weapons).

Class Features

As a scholar, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per scholar level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per scholar level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: Gain proficiency with books of lore
Saving Throws: Dexterity and Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Persuasion, or Religion.

Equipment

You start with equipment granted by your background, and either the following equipment or the equipment granted by your martial tradition; You must be proficient with the chosen class equipment to select it as part of your starting equipment:

  • (a) a scholar’s pack, (b) a diplomat’s pack, or (c) an explorer’s pack
  • (a) a martial or simple weapon, or (b) a shield
  • Book of Lore
  • Healer’s kit

Tradition

If this is your first level in any class, you can select a martial tradition.

Martial Training

You gain 3/4ths of a martial talent every level, as listed on Table: Scholar.

Table: Scholar
Level Proficiency Bonus Features Martial Talents Studies
1st +2 Martial Training, Expertise, Lorekeeper, Observant 0 —
2nd +2 Careful Packer 1 —
3rd +2 Scholastic Specialty 2 —
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 3 —
5th +3 Extra Reaction, Studies 3 1
6th +3 — 4 1
7th +3 Scholastic Specialty 5 1
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 6 1
9th +4 — 6 2
10th +4 — 7 2
11th +4 Scholastic Specialty 8 2
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 9 2
13th +5 — 9 3
14th +5 — 10 3
15th +5 Scholastic Specialty 11 3
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 12 3
17th +6 — 12 4
18th +6 — 13 4
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement, Scholastic Specialty 14 4
20th +6 Master Scholar 15 4
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Expertise

At 1st level, choose one of your skill proficiencies and your proficiency with books of lore. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

Lorekeeper

At 1st level, you have and maintain a book of lore. You can attempt to Analyze targets with a Key Ability (book of lore) check. Additionally, you gain the Knowledge ability:

Knowledge

Action: Bonus Action
Duration: 10 minutes

You can expend your martial focus to grant yourself a Knowledge die, a d4. Once for the duration, you can roll the die and add the number rolled to one Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma ability check. You can wait until after the d20 is rolled before deciding to use the Knowledge die, but must decide before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Knowledge die is rolled, it is lost, a creature can only benefit from one Bardic Inspiration die, Command die, or Knowledge die on any given roll.

You can use the Knowledge ability a number of times equal to your key ability modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Your Knowledge die increases in size by one step at 5th (1d6), 11th (1d8), and 17th level (1d10).

Should you lose your book of lore, you can spend a long rest copying from memory key information, provided you have sufficient materials. a collection of blueprints, diagrams, formulas, maps, notes, recipes, and sketches that in your hands will function as a book of lore.

Observant

Your keen powers of observation and experimentation grant you insight into the world. You gain the Scout sphere as a bonus talent.

Careful Packer

At 2nd level, you can use your key ability score for carrying capacity instead of Strength. During a long rest in a settlement with a container (backpack, pouches, hand-cart, etc.), you can invest up to 5 times your scholar level in gp as a 'careful packer' fund.
As an action, you can retrieve mundane items from the fund, deducting their market value. If there's insufficient funds or the item doesn't fit in your container, you can't retrieve it. Losing the container forfeits the fund.

Scholastic Specialty

At 3rd level, you choose a particular type of scholarship to specialize in: Archaeology, Chemistry, Medicine, or the Occult, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your scholastic specialty grants you special benefits at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th levels.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature

Extra Reaction

At 5th level, you can make two reactions in a single round.

Study

As a scholar, you gain knowledge wherever, whenever, and however you can. At 5th level, you gain a single study of your choice. Your study options are detailed at the end of the class description, after the scholastic specialties. When you gain certain scholar levels, you gain additional studies of your choice, as shown in the Studies Known column of Table: Scholar. You cannot gain the same study twice, unless explicitly allowed. If a study calls for a saving throw, the DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your key ability modifier. You gain additional studies at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Master Scholar

At 20th level, your mind has become enlightened. Your key ability score increases by 4. Your maximum for that score is now 24.

Scholastic Specialties

Four scholastic specialties are common among scholars. Although many variations exist, many of these specialists fall into one of four fields of study: archaeology, chemistry, medicine, and the occult.

Archaeology

Archaeologists specialize in the study of history and culture, seeking adventures in dungeons not only for the glory that can be won but equally for the knowledge that might be uncovered. They study people and places to learn everything they can about the world and often master a significant number of skills to help them delve into ancient ruins in search of that knowledge.

Student of History

3rd-level Archaeology feature
You gain proficiency in History and two languages of your choice. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for History checks. If you are already proficient in History, you gain proficiency in another skill from the scholar list.

Moreover, your studies grant you the following benefits:

  • Once per Short or Long rest, when you would roll a Charisma (Deception), (Intimidate), or (Persuasion) check, you can instead make a Key ability (History) check.
  • Whenever you successfully Analyze a target, you can identify all languages that it is proficient with.

Vocational Study

When you first gain this scholastic specialty, you gain a study of your choice. You gain an additional study at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th levels.

Field Historian

7th-level Archaeology feature
In your book of lore you keep a record of creatures and people you have encountered. As part of a Short or Long rest, you can record an entry into your book of lore detailing any information you gleaned from analyzing the target. As long as you have the book of lore in your possession, those who you have recorded entries on are considered to be analyzed.

Historian of Legend

*11th-level Archaeology feature
In your book of lore, you maintain an index of various titles and topics. By consulting this index within your book of lore as part of a short rest, and spending 50 gp from your careful packer fund, you can nonmagically reproduce the effect of the *legend lore* spell, as you produce a book pertaining to the topic on hand.

Expert Storyteller

15th-level Archaeology feature
By consulting the index within your book of lore, and spending 150 gp from your careful packer fund, you can produce a book, painting, scroll, or tablet that describes a historic account taking place in the area. Spending 10 minutes describing the scene in vivid detail will allow you to produce the effects of the *Mirage Arcane* spell, causing those who are present to be able to relive the experience as if they were actually there. The effects only last as long as you tell the story, and only those watching or listening to you telling the story are affected by the effects of the magic.

Master Historian

19th-level Archaeology feature
You have advantage on all saving throws to resist magical aging and can't be magically aged. You no longer suffer from the frailty of old age.

Chemistry

Chemists are scientists, studying anything they can discover about the workings of the wondrous world around them. They study alchemy, chemistry, and sciences both magical and mundane, ever seeking a greater understanding of the workings of the world.

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Student of Chemistry

3rd-level Chemistry feature
You gain proficiency in alchemist's supplies and poisoner's kits, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any check that uses either proficiency.

Moreover, your studies grant you the following benefits:

  • Whenever you successfully blind a target, you can regain your martial focus as a bonus action.
  • Whenever you successfully poison or deal poison damage to a target, you can attempt to Analyze it as a reaction.
  • Whenever you successfully deal damage with an alchemical weapon or poison, you can increase the damage dealt by your key ability modifier (minimum +1).

Vocational Study

You gain the Alchemy sphere as a bonus talent, gaining the Flash Bomb (formula). If you already possess the Flash Bomb talent, you instead gain another talent of your choice from the Alchemy sphere. You gain an additional talent from the Alchemy sphere at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th levels.

Field Chemist

7th-level Chemistry feature
In your book of lore you keep a record of various chemical and alchemical compounds, and their neutralizing agents. As long as you have your book of lore in your possession, you have advantage on saving throws against poisons and alchemical weapons. Additionally, you have resistance to all damage originating from poisons and alchemical weapons.

Chemical Transmutation

11th-level Chemistry feature
As a reaction, you can change one prepared formula or poison into a different one that you possess the (formula) or (poison) talent for. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Expert Chemist

15th-level Chemistry feature
With your extensive knowledge of alchemical ingredients recorded in your book of lore, you can create reagents from your careful packer fund.

As long as you have your book, you can as a bonus action make a Key Ability (book of lore) check against the Acquisition DC of an item to retrieve a reagent. Failing the check means waiting until after a long rest to retry to acquire that particular reagent. On success, spend the required gold from the fund to get the reagent.

These reagents enhance alchemical weapons, poisons, and magical effects. You can apply one reagent at a time.

You can apply any alchemy reagent to your flash bomb, even if flash bombs are not normally alchemical weapons.

Blood

Acquisition DC: 15 Cost: 10 gp
Classification: Water Grade: Medium

  • Alchemy Reagent [necrotic]. Increase the necrotic damage of the effect by 1d6.
  • Magical Reagent [Blood, *necromancy*]. Bleed effects continue to affect the targets for an additional 2 rounds after the effect would normally end.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also inflicts the bleeding condition as a separate effect.
Condition: Bleeding

A bleeding creature takes 1d4 necrotic damage at the start of its turn.

The bleeding condition does not end until the creature receives at least 1 point of healing or until a successful Wisdom (Medicine) check is made to stop the bleeding.

The DC of the Wisdom (Medicine) check to end the bleeding condition is equal to 8 + the source of the bleeding’s proficiency bonus.

A bleeding creature can use a bonus action to attempt a Wisdom (Medicine) check to end the bleeding condition on themselves.

If a creature would gain the bleeding condition more than once, the largest bleeding condition applies (if it would be greater than 1d4 necrotic damage).

Brimstone

Acquisition DC: 10 Cost: 5 gp
Classification: Toxin Grade: Low

  • Alchemy Reagent [acid]. Increase the acid damage of the effect by 1d6.
  • Magical Reagent [Destruction, evocation]. Increase the damage of the magical effect by 1d8 for 1 round.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also deals 1d6 acid damage, and imposes the blinded condition for 2 rounds.

Cold Iron

Acquisition DC: 20 Cost: 25 gp
Classification: Metal Grade: High

  • Alchemy Reagent [bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing]. Increase the damage of the effect by 2d6.
  • Magical Reagent [Protection, abjuration]. The magical effect grants the targets an additional +2 bonus to armor class and saving throws against celestials, fey, fiends, and undead for 1 round.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also grants damage vulnerability to damage inflicted by metal weapons for 2 round.

Cordycep Spores

Acquisition DC: 20 Cost: 25 gp
Classification: Intoxicant Grade: High

  • Alchemy Reagent [poison]. Increase the poison damage of the effect by 1d10, and restrain the target for 1 round.
  • Magical Reagent [Nature, conjuration]. The area of the magical effect increases by a 5-ft radius.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also charms the target for 2 round; If the poison already charms the target, the duration of the charm is doubled.

Darkwood

Acquisition DC: 15 Cost: 10 gp
Classification: Wood Grade: Medium

  • Alchemy Reagent [thunder]. Increase the thunder damage of the effect by 1d6.
  • Magical Reagent [Creation, transmutation]. Objects altered or created by the magical effect gain 10 temporary hit points for the duration.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also causes the target to drop anything they are holding, and unable to hold anything for 2 rounds.

Ginger

Acquisition DC: 15 Cost: 10 gp
Classification: Medicinal Grade: Medium

  • Alchemy Reagent [fire]. The target has disadvantage on any saving throws against effects that deal fire damage for 1 round.
  • Magical Reagent [Alteration, transmutation]. The target has disadvantage on the initial saving throw to resist the effect.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also inflicts vulnerability to fire damage for 2 rounds.

Gold

Acquisition DC: 20 Cost: 25 gp
Classification: Precious Metal Grade: High

  • Alchemy Reagent [lightning]. Increase the lightning damage of the effect by 1d6.
  • Magical Reagent [Life, evocation]. Increase the amount of hit points restored by the effect by 1d6.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also inflicts vulnerability to lightning damage for 2 rounds.

Hemp

Acquisition DC: 25 Cost: 50 gp
Classification: Fiber Grade: Supreme

  • Alchemy Reagent [thunder]. The affected target is also confused for 1 round.
  • Magical Reagent [Mind, enchantment]. Any effect that puts a target to sleep or imposes unconsciousness lasts an additional 2 rounds without concentration.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also inflicts vulnerability to thunder damage for 2 rounds.

Magnesium

Acquisition DC: 10 Cost: 5 gp
Classification: Metal Grade: Low

  • Alchemy Reagent [radiant]. The affected target is also blinded for 1 round.
  • Magical Reagent [Warp, conjuration]. You don’t require line of sight for the magical effect.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also deals 1d6 radiant damage for 2 rounds.

Moonleaf

Acquisition DC: 20 Cost: 25 gp
Classification: Fiber Grade: High

  • Alchemy Reagent [psychic]. Increase the psychic damage of the effect by 1d6.
  • Magical Reagent [Divination, divination]. Once, when rolling additional dice for the magical effect, be it a percentile or an ability check, you can roll twice and use either result.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also deals 1d6 psychic damage for 2 rounds.

Mugwort

Acquisition DC: 15 Cost: 10 gp
Classification: Medicinal Grade: Medium

  • Alchemy Reagent [thunder]. Increase the thunder damage of the effect by 1d6.
  • Magical Reagent [Fate, abjuration]. Non-instantaneous effects last an additional round without concentration.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also deals 1d6 thunder damage for 2 rounds.

Myrrh

Acquisition DC: 15 Cost: 10 gp
Classification: Medicinal Grade: Medium

  • Alchemy Reagent [force]. Increase the force damage of the effect by 1d4.
  • Magical Reagent [Enhancement, transmutation]. The effect persists an additional 2 rounds without concentration.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also deals 1d4 force damage for 2 rounds.

Phosphorus

Acquisition DC: 10 Cost: 50 gp
Classification: Metal Grade: Supreme

  • Alchemy Reagent [radiant]. Increase the radiant damage of the effect by 1d6.
  • Magical Reagent [Light, evocation]. Any magical bright light that you create are treated as natural sunlight for the purpose of interacting with other creature’s special abilities for the duration.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also blinds the target for 2 rounds.

Quicksilver

Acquisition DC: 10 Cost: 5 gp
Classification: Intoxicant Grade: Low

  • Alchemy Reagent [psychic]. The target is also poisoned for 1 round.
  • Magical Reagent [Dark, evocation]. Your vision is not impeded by any magical darkness that you create.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also inflicts vulnerability to psychic damage for 2 rounds.

Realgar

Acquisition DC: 25 Cost: 50 gp
Classification: Gemstone Grade: Supreme

  • Alchemy Reagent [poison]. The target also has their movement speed reduced by 10 feet, minimum 0 feet.
  • Magical Reagent [Time, transmutation]. Effects that increase or reduce a creature’s movement speed remain an additional 2 rounds without concentration.
  • Poison Reagent. Creatures subjected to the poison do not benefit from condition immunity: poisoned. Additionally, such creatures do not benefit from damage resistance and damage immunity versus the poison damage type.

Salt

Acquisition DC: 10 Cost: 5 gp
Classification: Rock Grade: Low

  • Alchemy Reagent [acid]. The target’s armor class is reduced by 2 for 1 round.
  • Magical Reagent [Universal, abjuration]. Effects gain a +2 bonus to any checks made to counter or dispel magical spells or abilities.
  • Poison Reagent. If you successfully poison the target, you can attempt to dispel one of their magical effects. Make a key ability check against a DC of 10 + the spell level of the lowest level magical effect on the poisoned target. On a successful check, the magic effect ends.

Saltpeter

Acquisition DC: 15 Cost: 10 gp
Classification: Sand Grade: Medium

  • Alchemy Reagent [fire]. Increase the effect’s fire damage by 1d8.
  • Magical Reagent [Telekinesis, transmutation]. The amount of damage you deal from magically propelling an object, such as with telekinesis, is increased by 1d6.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also deals 1d8 fire damage for 2 rounds.

Silver

Acquisition DC: 10 Cost: 5 gp
Classification: Precious Metal Grade: Low

  • Alchemy Reagent [lightning]. Attacks with metal weapons against the affected targets have advantage for 1 round.
  • Magical Reagent [Illusion, illusion]. Illusions remain an additional 2 rounds without concentration.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also deals 1d6 lightning damage for 2 rounds.

Spirit of Wine

Acquisition DC: 20 Cost: 25 gp
Classification: Alcohol Grade: High

  • Alchemical Reagent [cold]. Affected targets gain vulnerability to fire for 1 round.
  • Magical Reagent [Conjuration, conjuration]. Summons remain an additional 2 rounds without concentration.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also inflicts the drunk condition for 1 hour.

Urea

Acquisition DC: 10 Cost: 5 gp
Classification: Creature Essence Grade: Low

  • Alchemical Reagent [cold]. Increase the effect’s cold damage by 1d8.
  • Magical Reagent [Weather, transmutation]. Effects that create or manipulate the severity of weather remain an additional 2 rounds without concentration.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also deals 1d8 cold damage for 2 rounds.

Voidshard

Acquisition DC: 25 Cost: 50 gp
Classification: Toxin Grade: Supreme

  • Alchemical Reagent [necrotic]. Affected creatures are unable to regain hit points for 1 round.
  • Magical Reagent [Death, necromancy]. Undead remain reanimated an additional 2 rounds without concentration, and gain an additional 10 temporary hit points.
  • Poison Reagent. The poison also reduces the affected creature’s maximum hit points by 1d10 for 1 hour.

19th Master of Chemistry

19th-level Chemistry feature
You gain Anyflask (formula, poison) as a bonus Legendary talent, even if you don't meet the talent's prerequisites.

Medicine

Student of Medicine

3rd-level Medicine feature
You gain proficiency in Medicine and the herbalism kit, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any check that uses either proficiency. If you are already proficient in Medicine, you gain proficiency in another skill from the scholar list.

Moreover, your studies grant you the following benefits:

  • Whenever you would make a Wisdom (Medicine) check, you can make a Key ability (Medicine) check instead.
  • Whenever you successfully Analyze a target, you can identify any disease, poison, or curse affecting it.

Vocational Study

3rd-level Medicine feature
You gain the Alchemy sphere as a bonus talent, gaining a (medic) talent of your choice. You gain an additional talent from the Alchemy sphere at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level.

Field Doctor

7th-level Medicine feature
You have learned to maintain your defenses while performing triage on yourself and others.

When you use your action to stabilize a creature, heal, or provide temporary hit points, attacks against you have disadvantage if the attacker is visible to you, and you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws. These benefits persist until the start of your next turn.

Additionally, when you apply a formula or poison with the (medic) tag to creature other than yourself as an action, you can make a single weapon attack as a bonus action.

Battlefield Conditioning

11th-level Medicine feature
You have learned to work on patients in the heat of combat. When you use your action to stabilize a creature, restore hit points, or grant temporary hit points, you can take the Dodge action as part of the same action.

Expert Medic

15th-level Medicine feature
In your book of lore, you maintain recipes that improve the potency of medical supplies that you utilize. As long as your book of lore is in your possession, you can enhance certain Alchemical items with the (medic) tag, they are further enhanced as described below.

You can use this feature a combined number of times equal to your Key Ability modifier, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Antitoxin

When Potency is applied, the target also adds your Key Ability modifier to any saving throws made.

Elixir of Health

When Potency is applied, it also ends petrification and curses.

Focusing Formula

As a Potency effect, the target gains an extra reaction for a number of rounds equal to your Key Ability Modifier.

Healer's Kits

When Potency is applied, can return a creature to life that has died within the last minute. You cannot bring back a creature that died of old age, nor can this restore any of the creature's missing parts.

Healing Potion

When Potency is applied, and the creature has a severed body part, you can reattach it as part of this action.

Panacea

When Potency is applied, the target also adds your Key Ability modifier to any saving throws made.

Salve

When Potency is applied, the target also adds your Key Ability modifier to the amount of hit points restored.

Treats

Targets that eat your treats add your Key Ability modifier to the amount of temporary hit points gained.

Master Physician

19th-level Medicine feature
Your knowledge of medicine is without peer. Whenever you restore hit points or grant temporary hit points, the target gains the maximum amount of hit points in place of rolling.

Also, any creature that expends a Hit Die while within 30 feet of you treats their Hit Dice as its maximum possible roll.

Occult

Occultists specialize in the study of magic and the supernatural as an academic exercise, the way a natural philosopher might study math or chemistry, through rigorous observation and experimentation. While a wizard or a cleric might spend their time accumulating spells, the occultist questions everything, even the gods and the nature of magic itself, ever seeking more obscure truths.

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Student of the Occult

3rd-level Occultist feature
You gain proficiency in Arcana and Religion, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any check that uses either proficiency. You can treat ritual books as books of lore. Additionally for the purpose of attuning to magical items, you are considered a spellcaster.

You acquire a ritual book holding two 1st-level spells of your choice from any spell list. The spells you choose must have the ritual tag. You use your key ability modifier as your spellcasting ability for these spells. If you come across a spell in written form, such as a magical spell scroll or a wizard’s spellbook, you might be able to add it to your ritual book. The spell’s level can be no higher than half your scholar level (rounded up), and it must have the ritual tag. The process of copying the spell into your ritual book takes 2 hours and 50 gp per level of the spell. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it.

Vocational Study

3rd-level Occultist feature
At 3rd level, you gain an esotery listed below. Each esotery gives you a series of spells you can add to your book of lore when your scholar level is equal to or greater than twice the spell’s level. You can cast these spells as rituals, even if they don’t have the ritual tag. You can gain an additional esotery at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level.

Esotery of Bonds

1st—Animal Friendship, 2nd—Zone of Truth, 5th—Geas, 6th—Forbiddance, 8th—Antipathy/Sympathy

Esotery of Contact

1st—Comprehend Languages, 3rd—Sending, 5th—Teleportation Circle, 7th—Plane Shift, 9th—Astral Projection

Esotery of Divination

1st—Detect Magic, 2nd—Augury, 5th—Scrying, 6th—True Seeing, 9th—Foresight

Esotery of Exorcism

1st—Detect Evil and Good, 3rd—Magic Circle, 5th—Dispel Evil and Good, 7th—Divine Word, 9th—Imprisonment

Esotery of Manipulation

1st—Charm Person, 2nd—Suggestion, 5th—Modify Memory, 6th—Mass Suggestion, 8th—Feeblemind

Esotery of Mysteries

1st—Illusory Script, 2nd—Detect Thoughts, 5th—Legend Lore, 7th—Symbol, 9th—Weird

Esotery of Necromancy

1st—Unseen Servant, 3rd—Animate Dead, 5th—Contact Other Plane, 6th—Create Undead, 9th—Power Word Kill

Esotery of Shadow

1st—Disguise Self, 3rd—Nondetection, 4th—Greater Invisibility, 7th—Etherealness, 8th—Mind Blank

Esotery of Summoning

1st—Find Familiar, 3rd—Phantom Steed, 5th—Planar Binding, 6th—Guards and Wards, 9th—Gate

Esotery of Warding

1st—Protection from Evil and Good, 3rd—Protection from Energy, 4th—Death Ward, 6th—Globe of Invulnerability, 9th—Time Stop

Disrupt Spell

7th-level Occultist feature
As a reaction, you can expend your martial focus and attempt to interrupt the process of casting a spell being cast within 60 feet. If the creature is casting a spell whose spell level is equal to or lower than your proficiency bonus, its spell fails and has no effect. If it is casting a spell whose spell level is higher than your proficiency bonus, make a key ability (book of lore) check. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a success, the creature's spell fails and has no effect.

Record Spell

11th-level Occultist feature
As part of a long rest, you can copy a single spell that you have successfully disrupted earlier that day into your book of lore. You can cast the recorded spell as a ritual, even if they don’t have the ritual tag.

Record Spell and Spheres of Power

An 11th-level occultist who successfully uses their disrupt spell feature to interrupt the process of casting a magic sphere talent or ability can record the magic sphere's effect in-place of a spell in their book of lore.

When a sphere effect is recorded into the book of lore, only one sphere or talent is recorded; If you don't have the sphere effect's base sphere already recorded in the book of lore, the base sphere must be recorded first.

Sphere Ritual Effects

When casting a sphere effect as a ritual, instead of increasing the casting time by 10 minutes like most spells, you increasing the casting time by three steps, using the table below. When casting the magic sphere rituals you don't have to pay the base spell point costs of the ability, but any additional augments must still be paid one way or another.

Sphere Ritual Casting Time

Initial Casting Time Concluding Casting Time
Bonus action or Reaction 1 minute
Action 10 minutes
Action and Bonus Action 30 minutes
1 minute 1 hour
10 minutes 4 hours
30 minutes 8 hours
1 hour 12 hours
4 hours 24 hours (1 day)
8 hours 3 days
12 hours 5 days
24 hours (1 day) 10 days

Replicate Spell

15th-level Occultist feature
Once per short or long rest, you can cast any spell recorded in your book of lore whose spell level is no higher than your proficiency bonus that requires 1 action to cast.

Master of Rituals

At 19th level, you gain a number of spell slots equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use your spell slots to cast any spell in your book of lore whose spell level is no higher than your proficiency bonus. You regain all spell slots from the master of rituals feature whenever you finish a short or long rest.

Master of Rituals and Spheres of Power

A 19-level occultist who has magic spheres or talents recorded in their book of lore as rituals may spend their spell slots as if they were spell points on a 1 for 1 basis.

Studies

If a study has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. You can learn the study at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.

Astrology

You can observe the stars or study star charts during a long rest to gain insight into the events of the following day. You can choose to gain advantage on any one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw of your choice. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your key ability modifier, which resets the next time you take a long rest in which you can see the stars or study your star charts.

Botany

You gain proficiency with the Survival skill. If you have or gain this proficiency from another source, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses this skill.

You can move through any sort of non-magical undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at normal speed without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. You leave no trail in natural surroundings unless you choose to, and you cannot be tracked.

Diplomatics

You can read one page (250 words) as an Action, or reduce the time to read inherently magical texts that require a specific amount of time by a quarter. You can also write text in such a way that it occupies a quarter of the space (or pages) that it normally would (including ritual books and spellbooks).

With one hour of work, you can decipher the general content and meaning of a number of symbols or words equal to your proficiency bonus. If you are proficient in a language that shares the same alphabet, you decipher the precise meaning rather than general content.

Additionally, you always recognize when an object is under the effects of illusory script, and with a successful Key Ability check made against the spell’s DC, you can fool the spell into letting you access the hidden text.

If your campaign uses research rules, you can reduce the amount of time it takes to make a research check from one workweek of effort to one day.

Dowsing

You can use crystals, rods, or mundane objects to locate people, places, or things. You're proficient with cartographer’s tools.

As an action, you can determine the direction to a specific target but not its distance or obstacles. You must have seen the target or an accurate representation, like a detailed portrait.

For general searches (e.g., nearest body of water or city), no prior knowledge is needed, but you can't control where it leads. For example, seeking water might lead to a puddle or the ocean. You can't detect targets shielded by nondetection spells or similar effects.

Elective Studies

Gain a bonus Combat talent. You can take this study multiple times, each time gaining a different Combat talent.

Field Studies

Gain proficiency in two tools or skills of your choice. You can use your key ability, in place of their normal ability score when making checks with those tools or skills.

Fool-proof Preparations

Fool-proof Preparations: Acquisition

When you purchase or acquire an item from a merchant or your careful packer fund, you can instead present to the GM a number of similarly priced items not exceeding your proficiency bonus. The GM must tell you which of the presented items is more likely to be useful to you regarding the obstacles at hand that you could reasonably be aware of (or that they are about equally likely to be useful). You can’t use Fool-proof Preparations: Acquisition again until after you complete a long rest.

Fool-proof Preparations: Research

If your campaign uses research rules, you can instead present to the GM a number of different research topics not exceeding your proficiency bonus. The GM must tell you which of the presented research topics is more likely to be useful to you regarding the obstacles at hand that you could reasonably be aware of (or that they are about equally likely to be useful). Once you use Fool-proof Preparations: Research, you cannot use it again until you spend the required time (usually one workweek of effort) with unrestricted access to a suitable library.

Geometry

You can create amulets during a long rest out of special materials containing specific geometric designs that disrupt magic and protect their wearers. These amulets are fragile and require constant repair and fine-tuning to work correctly; you cannot maintain more amulets than your proficiency bonus, and an amulet can only aid its wearer once before it must be realigned, which can be done during a short rest. The amulet can be used a second time at 11th level and a third time at 17th level. Amulets also interfere with each other; if someone tries to use more than one at a time, neither function at all.

When you create an amulet, you can decide whether it is created out of crystal, gold, lead, or silver. Each material gives the amulet different properties:

  • Crystal: The creature gains advantage on saving throws made to maintain concentration and on Insight checks.
  • Gold: The creature gains advantage on saving throws against disease and magic from the Necromancy school or the Death sphere. Undead creatures have disadvantage to hit it with natural weapons.
  • Lead: The creature gains advantage on saving throws against Divination school and Divination sphere effects. Such effects don’t reveal information on the target unless the caster makes a spellcasting ability check against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + key ability modifier.
  • Silver: The creature has resistance to damage dealt with magic.

Holism

Prerequisites: Scholar 11th-level or higher.

You can spend an hour or use a short rest to ponder a specific question. The answer you receive is often brief or cryptic due to the esoteric nature of this ability.

You have a 70% chance + 1% per scholar level to get an accurate answer. If the roll fails, you gain no information, and a roll of 91% or higher leads to a misunderstanding. Asking the same question yields the same answer unless you level up.

Leverage

You possess a profound understanding of weights and counterbalances. You can substitute your Key ability for Strength in opposed checks for shoving, grappling, and other contests.

Against creatures you've analyzed, you can use your Key ability instead of Strength or Dexterity for attack and damage rolls.

Linguistics

Learn any four languages. Additionally, you have advantage on analyzing any creature with whom you share a language with.

Medicine

You become proficient with the Medicine skill. If you have or gain this proficiency from another source, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses this skill.

You can analyze creatures with a successful Wisdom (Medicine) check.

Meteorology

You can spend a long rest augmenting a melee or ranged weapon with mechanical and alchemical attachments that allows you to store and redirect cold, fire, or lightning damage (chosen at the time of augmentation).

Once augmented, the weapon is also treated as an alchemical weapon. The weapon begins each day with a number of charges equal to your proficiency bonus, and cannot hold more charges than your proficiency bonus.

Store

Action Cost: Reaction
Effect: Reduce damage taken of the chosen damage type by 5 x your scholar level, and increase the number of charges the weapon holds by 1.

Redirect

Action Cost: Bonus Action
Range: 60 feet
Target: 1 creature or object
Saving Throw: Dexterity (negates)
Effect: Expend 1 charge. Deal 1d8 damage of the chosen damage type to a target within range.
At Later Levels: The damage increases by 1d8 at 5th (2d8), 11th (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

Mnemonics

You have an exceptional memory. You can store a number of clear memories equal to your proficiency bonus. To memorize something, spend a bonus action while perceiving it (like reading or listening). A memory can hold up to 20 pages of non-magical text, 30 minutes of sound, or one minute of sensory experience.

You can recall these memories in perfect detail and use skills like Intelligence (Investigation) on them, but only once per check, and fine details fade beyond 30 feet from where you originally experienced them. You cannot use senses or abilities you didn't have at the time. Dismissing a memory doesn't require an action.

Physiognomy

As an analyzable characteristic, you can learn whether you have ever successfully analyzed that individual in the past; If you have successfully analyzed that target in the past, you can with a successful Intelligence (History) check against the target’s Analyze DC, you learn not only when it was that you last successfully analyzed the target, but also an additional analyzable characteristic per time that you have successfully analyzed the target in the past.

Prescient Study

You have an innate sense for valuable research. Typically, this involves revisiting a library to refresh your memory, assumed to have been done in the past or during downtime. You gain the Recall and Research abilities.

Prescient Study: Recall

As an action, expend your martial focus to treat a single Intelligence check as if you rolled a 10. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining uses after a long rest.

Prescient Study: Research

If your campaign uses research rules, select a library you've visited and perform research as if you had spent sufficient time (generally one workweek) and up to 50 gp on materials and expenses. Any costs exceeding 50 gp come from your own funds or the careful packer fund. You gain the information from this research. You can't use Prescient Study: Research again until you spend sufficient time in a suitable library with unrestricted access.

Superstition

You have studied the science of luck and coincidence. You can cast find familiar as a ritual. The familiar gained always takes the form of an animal associated with bad luck, such as a black cat.

As an action, you can spend your focus to command your familiar to use its action to set off a series of minor events that result in remarkably bad luck for anyone affected; all creatures within 20 feet of the familiar other than you subtract 1d4 from all attack rolls, Dexterity checks, and Perception checks for a number of rounds equal to your key ability modifier (minimum 1).

Tangential Recollection

Whenever you fail to analyze a target using the Scout sphere or recall lore *(see Divination sphere)*, you can decide to come at the problem from another direction. As a reaction, attempt a skill check that can be used to analyze or recall lore using a different Intelligence-based skill (Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, or Religion), or a skill which you possess an (Approach) talent for. On a success, you are treated as if you had succeeded the first check to analyze or recall lore by the minimum amount, except that the information is skewed depending on the chosen skill, and it is the GM that chooses which analyzable characteristics are learned.

For example, upon failing a Wisdom (Perception) check to analyze a target, you can as a reaction attempt to analyze the target with an Intelligence (Investigation) check; However, if you succeed, it is the GM, not you, who decides which analyzable characteristics you learn.

Tinkerer Sphere Talents

Gadget Talents

Alchemical Dispersion (gadget)

You can craft the following gadgets:

Aspergillum (accessory)

This gadget attaches to a melee weapon and can hold one dose of an alchemical weapon or poison. When the attached weapon hits a target, the aspergillum splashes its contents on the target, dealing minimum damage if the substance normally deals damage. After five hits, the aspergillum is empty, but can be refilled as a bonus action.

Diffuser (consumable)

This gadget can hold one dose of herbs, incense, perfume, scented oils, or other substances approved by the GM. When activated, it expends one charge, turning its contents into a 5-ft radius cloud centered on the gadget that lasts for 1 hour. The cloud disperses in wind of severity level 2 or higher.

Special: A diffuser can also hold one dose of Warpaint (formula), granting its benefits to anyone inside the cloud.

Liquid Applicator

This device can hold 3 doses of a single alchemical weapon or poison. When crafting the gadget, choose one setting from the list below:

  • Single Target. Expends 1 dose, allowing you to make a ranged attack against a single target within 15/30 feet. Hit targets are affected by the substance.
  • Cone. Expends 3 doses, As an action, create a 15-ft cone. Targets within the cone must make a Dexterity saving throw or be affected as if hit by 1 dose of the substance.
  • Line. Expends 3 doses, As an action, create a 5-ft by 30-ft line. Targets within the line must make a Dexterity saving throw or be affected as if hit by 1 dose of the substance.

Complexity +1: When crafting the gadget, you can increase the number of settings it has by 1. You can apply this complexity twice, allowing the gadget to have all three settings. Switching between settings is an interact with object action.

Artillerist Tools (gadget)

You may craft any of the following gadgets:

Detonator (consumable)

With an Interact With Object action, this gadget can be activated and set to explode after 1 round, 1 minute, 10 minutes, or 1 hour; chosen at the time of activation.

You can throw the detonator up to 60 feet as an action; if the detonator hits a hard surface, it immediately explodes. When a detonator explodes, it is destroyed, and targets within 5-ft of the explosion impact must make a Dexteriy saving throw or take 1d6 fire damage per charge (generally 1 charge) contained within the detonator. A successful Dexterity saving throw reduces the damage by half.

When you activate a detonator, you can attach an alchemical item or poison to the detonator as part of the same action. When the detonator explodes, any targets that fail their Dexterity saving throw is also affected by the alchemical item or poison.

Potency: If you possess the Alchemy sphere, you can use Potency to increase the DC of an item you attach to the detonator, but doing so will have no other mechanical effect on the alchemical item or poison.

Remote Control: If you possess a Remote Control gadget, you can use a Reaction to cause a detonator within your signal range to explode earlier than set, including immediately.

The detonator is built containing an additional charge at 5th (2 charges), 11th (3 charges), and 17th level (4 charges).

Complexity +1: You are no longer limited to attaching only alchemical items or poisons to the detonator. You can now also attach magical consumables, including magic dusts, oils, potions, an scrolls. All choices and variables regarding the attached items must be made when the detonator is activated.

Deactivating a Detonator

Deactivating an activated detonator requires an Action and a successful Intelligence (Tinker's Tools) check made against your Tinkerer sphere DC. Failing the check by 5 or more causes the amount amount of time before it explodes to be reduced by 1 step. Rolling a Natural 1 on the check causes the detonator to immediately explode.

Hook and Pulley

A hook and pulley must be held in one hand to use. The wearer can pick up objects up to 30 feet away that they could easily hold in one hand. The object moves to the wearer’s hand in a straight line, and if it would pass within the natural reach of a creature, they may attempt a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check against your Sphere DC as a reaction to grab the object as it passes by. You may also use a hook and pulley to perform a rope swing.

Complexity +1: Your hook and pulley is also an (accessory) can be attached to a belt or wrist. When used as an accessory, it can be used without being held in one hand.

Complexity +1: When performing a rope swing, you can choose to travel up to the location where it is attached.

Launcher

The launcher must be held in one hand to use, with the object to be thrown held in the other. So long as you are holding a launcher, you double the distance you can throw an object, including a thrown weapon.

Complexity +1: Your launcher is also an (accessory) that can be attached to a wrist or belt. When used as an accessory, it can be used without being held in one hand.

Legendary Talents

Pressurized Liquid Applicator (gadget)

Prerequisites: Tinkerer sphere (Alchemical Dispersion)
Complexity: 3

You may create a special weaponized gadget that functions as described in the Pressurized Liquid Applicator table below.

The gadget is not crafted with ammunition, but instead uses alchemical weapons (including formulae from the Alchemy sphere) as ammunition. Creatures who are hit by the single- target attack or fail their Dexterity saving throw against the stream fire suffer the effects of the alchemical weapon or formulae used as ammunition.

Pressurized Liquid Applicator (gadget)

Simple Ranged Weapons Damage Weight Properties
Pressurized Liquid Applicator See Text 10 lb. Ammunition (range 30/90), reload (5 shots), stream fire, two-handed
Ammunition Damage Weight Properties
Acid (1) 2d6 acid 1 lb. —
Alchemist's Fire (1) 1d4 fire 1 lb. Catch fire (1d4 fire; DC 10 Dexterity negates

Stream Fire. A weapon that has the stream fire property can make a single-target attack, or as an Action, it can spray either a 30-foot cone or a 5 by 60-foot line area with a single round of ammunition. Each creature in the area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or suffer the effects of the attack as if hit.

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