D&D 5e - The Archivist

[SaintRidley]

The Archivist


Knowledge is power

A tiefling puts the last flourishes on the copy she has just made of an old, brittle book in the library of an ancient temple. With care she sets the old book aside and contemplates the new one. Knowledge copied is knowledge preserved, she thinks, as she casts a spell to mend the binding of the original book.

In a dark dungeon, a Dwarf sees in front of him a floating horror. The eyes, so many eyes… he starts to feel terror, but then steels himself. He knows all the secrets of this beast, and he knows just how to weaken its defenses. He touches the creature and wracks it with pain while explaining how to strike the creature’s air bladder. A single sword stroke later and the beast is dead.

The archivist takes a more scholarly approach to the divine than do clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers. Divinity is but another source of knowledge to the archivist, and knowledge is power. Archivists seek out hidden and forgotten knowledge for their churches and libraries, an activity which often leads them to disreputable places or dangerous ruins.

			Spell Slots per Spell Level
Level	Prof	Special	Cantrips Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	Extra Language, Spellcasting	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Lorekeeping, Still Mind	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	—	3	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Extra Language	4	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	Lorekeeping Feature	4	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	—	4	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	—	4	4	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+4	Extra Language	4	4	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+4	—	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	+5	—	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
14th	+5	Lorekeeping Feature	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
15th	+5	Extra Language	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
17th	+6	—	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	Spell Mastery	4	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	Divine Mind, Extra Language	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Class Features:

Hit Points:
HP: 1d6 per archivist level
Hitpoints at first level: 6+Con modifier
Hit points at higher levels 1d6 (or 4) + your con modifier per archivist level after 1st

Proficiencies:
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
Tools: Calligrapher’s Supplies
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, and Religion

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background
(a) A quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
(a) A component pouch or (b) a holy symbol
(a) A scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
A prayerbook

Spellcasting

As a student of divine magic, you have a prayerbook containing spells that show the foundations of your knowledge. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and below for the Archivist spell list.
Cantrips

At first level you know three cantrips of your choice from the Archivist spell list. You learn additional Archivist cantrips of your choice at higher levels as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Archivist table.

Prayerbook

At 1st-level you have a prayerbook containing six 1st level Archivist spells of your choice.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Archivist table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st-level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of archivist spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of archivist spells from your prayerbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your archivist level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have slots.

For example, if you’re a 3rd-level archivist, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd-level, in any combination, chosen from your prayerbook. If you prepare the 1st level spell Bless, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of archivist spells requires time spent studying your prayerbook and requesting guidance from your deity: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your archivist spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and notetaking. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an archivist spell when you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Ritual Casting
You can cast an archivist spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your prayerbook. You don’t need to have the spell prepared.

Spellcasting Focus
You can use a holy symbol (found in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook) as a spellcasting focus for your archivist spells.

Learning Spells of 1st-level and Higher
Each time you gain an archivist level, you can add two archivist spells of your choice to your prayerbook. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Archivist table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your prayerbook (see the “Your Spellbook” sidebar on page 114 of the Player’s Handbook, replacing the word “wizard” with “archivist” and “spellbook” with “prayerbook”).

Extra Language:

At 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level you learn a new language of your choice.

Lorekeeping

When you reach 2nd level, you choose a tradition of lorekeeping, shaping how you approach knowledge through one of two schools of thought: the Forbidden school or the Mystic school, both detailed at the end of the class description.

Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th and 14th level.

Still Mind

At 2nd level, your intense mental discipline makes you less susceptible to mental tampering. You gain advantage on saves against spells and effects from the school of enchantment. You also gain resistance to psychic damage.

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.

Spell Mastery

At 18th level, you have achieved such mastery over certain spells that you can cast them at will. Choose a 1st-level archivist spell and a 2nd-level archivist spell that are in your prayerbook. You can cast those spells at their lowest level without expending a spell slot when you have them prepared. If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal.

By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange one or both of the spells you chose for different spells of the same levels.

Divine Mind

At 20th level, you catch a glimpse of true divine insight. Your Intelligence and Wisdom Scores Increase by 2. Your maximum for those scores is now 22.


Lorekeeping

Every archivist is a scholar first and foremost, and knowledge is what they seek. How they go about acquiring that knowledge, however, is another matter entirely. The two most common schools of lorekeeping revolve around the knowledge of monsters and the knowledge of magic.

Forbidden Lorekeeper



Knowledge is neither Good nor Evil. It simply is.

Your scholarly path has led you to the limits of knowledge, to the things that should not be. You know better than anyone what to do in the face of the horrors of the universe. Your knowledge is your strength and the strength of your party.

Obscure Tactics

At 2nd level your knowledge has taught you the secrets of the movements of monsters. As a bonus action, you can make an Intelligence check to identify the monster. If successful, you may designate an ally to receive a bonus to attack and damage rolls against that monster equal to your Wisdom modifier until the start of your next turn. On subsequent turns, you may use your bonus action to designate a new ally.

Dark Foresight

At 6th level your insight into monstrous anatomy and tactics better prepares you for attacks. As a bonus action, you can make an intelligence check to identify the monster. If successful, you may grant yourself and a number of allies within 30 ft. of you equal to your Wisdom modifier a bonus to Armor Class equal to your Wisdom modifier. The effect lasts for one minute.

Forbidden Puissance

At 14th level your knowledge has taught you the secrets of monstrous abilities. As a bonus action, you can make an Intelligence check to identify the monster. If successful, you may grant yourself and a number of allies within 30 ft. of you equal to your Wisdom modifier a bonus on saving throws against the monster’s attacks equal to your Wisdom modifier. The effect lasts for one minute.

Mystic Lorekeeper



The gods have granted me magic. I wonder just what I can do with it.

Your scholarly path is that of the mystic, seeking obscure magical knowledge and using it to do things not usually possible. You are a collector of magical lore.

Mystic Dilettante

At 2nd-level, add three cantrips from any spell list to your list of cantrips known. These are in addition to the number of cantrips known listed in the Archivist table.

Mysticism

At 6th level, you add three spells of your choice from among the Cleric, Druid, Paladin, or Ranger spell lists to your prayerbook. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Archivist table, or a cantrip. The chosen spells count as archivist spells for you.

Higher Mysteries

At 14th level your study of the mystic arts enhances your spellcasting. When you cast a spell, you may attach the effects of a cantrip to the spell as part of the same action, effectively casting both at the same time. If both the spell and the cantrip allow a saving throw, the saving throw of the spell takes precedence. For example, a 14th-level Archivist might cast Fire Storm and attach the cantrip Sacred Flame to it. The Fire Storm does 7d10 fire damage plus the 3d8 radiant damage of the Sacred Flame cantrip, or half as much if an affected creature succeeds on its Dexterity saving throw. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Spoiler: Archivist Spell List

Show

Cantrips:
Guidance
Light
Mending
Message
Resistance
Sacred Flame
Prestidigitation
1st level:
Alarm
Chromatic Orb
Command
Comprehend Languages
Detect Evil and Good
Detect Magic
Detect Poison and Disease
Expeditious Retreat
Healing Word
Identify
Illusory Script
Magic Missile
Protection from Evil and Good
Sanctuary
Speak with Animals
Unseen Servant
Thunderwave
2nd level:
Animal Messenger
Augury
Calm Emotions
Darkvision
Detect Thoughts
Enhance Ability
Find Traps
Flaming Sphere
Locate Animals or Plants
Locate Object
Magic Mouth
Nystul’s Magic Aura
Phantasmal Force
Prayer of Healing
Silence
Warding Bond
Zone of Truth
3rd level:
Clairvoyance
Counterspell
Dispel Magic
Glyph of Warding
Haste
Magic Circle
Mass Healing Word
Nondetection
Protection from Energy
Revivify
Sending
Slow
Speak with Dead
Speak with Plants
Tongues
4th level:
Banishment
Blight
Confusion
Control Water
Divination
Hallucinatory Terrain
Leomund’s Secret Chest
Locate Creature
Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum
Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere
Stone Shape
5th level:
Commune
Commune with Nature
Contact Other Plane
Dispel Evil and Good
Legend Lore
Modify Memory
Raise Dead
Rary’s Telepathic Bond
Scrying
Seeming
Wall of Stone
6th level:
Find the Path
Forbiddance
Guards and Wards
Planar Ally
Programmed Illusion
True Seeing
Word of Recall
7th level:
Divine Word
Etherealness
Fire Storm
Mirage Arcane
Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion
Resurrection
Sequester
Symbol
8th level:
Antimagic Field
Control Weather
Demiplane
Mind Blank
Power Word Stun
Telepathy
9th level:
Astral Projection
Foresight
Gate
Power Word Heal
Power Word Kill
True Resurrection
True Polymorph
Weird

Thoughts? Feedback? Tweaks?

[xyianth]

I love archivists and this project makes me happy. That said, I have a few comments for you regarding balance.

Spell Mastery

At 18th level, you have achieved such mastery over certain spells that you can cast them at will. Choose a 1st-level archivist spell and a 2nd-level archivist spell that are in your prayerbook. You can cast those spells at their lowest level without expending a spell slot when you have them prepared. If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal.

By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange one or both of the spells you chose for different spells of the same levels.

I know this is just the wizard ability for the archivist, but I have misgivings about the power of this ability for wizards too. On a divine caster, this is open to much larger abuse. This ability pretty much eliminates the need to rest for healing, as at-will healing is pretty much a given as your 1st-level spell choice. Personally, I'd select healing word so you can perform emergency heals in combat as well.

Divine Mind

At 20th level, you catch a glimpse of true divine insight. Your Intelligence and Wisdom Scores Increase by 2. Your maximum for those scores is now 22.

The power of this capstone depends entirely on how magic items are handled in your campaign. If they are frequent, this may become useless as items can break the cap of 20 already. If they are non-existent, this ability would be fearsome especially considering the lorekeeper paths as written. (I'll get to those next.)

Obscure Tactics

At 2nd level your knowledge has taught you the secrets of the movements of monsters. As a bonus action, you can make an Intelligence check to identify the monster. If successful, you may designate an ally to receive a bonus to attack and damage rolls against that monster equal to your Wisdom modifier until the start of your next turn. On subsequent turns, you may use your bonus action to designate a new ally.

This is probably a little overpowered as an at-will ability. Adding +3-6 attack and damage is equal to +15-30% hit chance and a decent chunk of damage. You may want to consider making this a 1/short rest ability, or if you prefer at-will bonus actions (I do) consider toning it down by having it provide advantage on the attack and when rolling damage treat 1s as your wisdom mod instead. This would allow the ability to provide the same feel, but it doesn't stack with other advantage or great weapon fighter abilities.

Dark Foresight

At 6th level your insight into monstrous anatomy and tactics better prepares you for attacks. As a bonus action, you can make an intelligence check to identify the monster. If successful, you may grant yourself and a number of allies within 30 ft. of you equal to your Wisdom modifier a bonus to Armor Class equal to your Wisdom modifier. The effect lasts for one minute.

This is way too powerful for an at-will ability. Adding +3-6 AC is adding +15-30% miss chance to every attack made. Even as a 1/long rest ability, this may be too much. It would probably be better if this had the same duration as Obscure Tactics, so you had to choose between one or the other. I would also change this to providing disadvantage to the creature's attacks, especially if you want it to remain at-will. If you limit it to 1/short rest, you could extend the duration to 1 minute and it would probably be fine.

Forbidden Puissance

At 14th level your knowledge has taught you the secrets of monstrous abilities. As a bonus action, you can make an Intelligence check to identify the monster. If successful, you may grant yourself and a number of allies within 30 ft. of you equal to your Wisdom modifier a bonus on saving throws against the monster’s attacks equal to your Wisdom modifier. The effect lasts for one minute.

This has much the same comments as Dark Forethought. As an at-will ability, the duration should probably be reduced and the effect should be advantage on saves. As a 1/short rest ability, you can leave the duration as 1 minute, but I would still recommend changing the effect to advantage on saves. Adding +15-30% chance to resist isn't quite as bad as +15-30% miss chance (due to save vs half mechanics) but it is still significant enough to turn a challenging monster into a non-threat. And since this is a non-concentration based buff, the monster would have no save against it.

Mystic Dilettante

At 2nd-level, add three cantrips from any spell list to your list of cantrips known. These are in addition to the number of cantrips known listed in the Archivist table.

This seems like a fine ability.

Mysticism

At 6th level, you add three spells of your choice from among the Cleric, Druid, Paladin, or Ranger spell lists to your prayerbook. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Archivist table, or a cantrip. The chosen spells count as archivist spells for you.

This is probably fine, but note that you can select 3rd level Paladin and Ranger spells, spells that those classes can't cast until level 9. I haven't checked their whole spell lists, but there may be some possible abuses here. (Not that this kind of thing is unprecedented, the PHB Lore Bard has the same problem... ) The Spell Mastery feature can also be abused a bit with this, but that is not really this ability's fault.

Higher Mysteries

At 14th level your study of the mystic arts enhances your spellcasting. When you cast a spell, you may attach the effects of a cantrip to the spell as part of the same action, effectively casting both at the same time. If both the spell and the cantrip allow a saving throw, the saving throw of the spell takes precedence. For example, a 14th-level Archivist might cast Fire Storm and attach the cantrip Sacred Flame to it. The Fire Storm does 7d10 fire damage plus the 3d8 radiant damage of the Sacred Flame cantrip, or half as much if an affected creature succeeds on its Dexterity saving throw. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

This actually seems a little weak for a 1/rest ability. Most cantrips would only add 4d8 damage, which unless you roll well is essentially less than an empowered version of the spell (as if a sorcerer cast it). Even the cantrips that add an extra rider effect are kind of underwhelming with this. I don't recommend changing this to an at-will ability though, that would be too much. Maybe change the ability to allow you to cast 2 spells in one action once per short or long rest, but each spell is resolved independently. I think this would give a little extra oomph without breaking things too much.

Overall, great job. Brings back memories of my archivist character from 3.5e days. Take a look at the overall potency of the different lorekeeper tradition abilities. Feel free to toss my comments aside if you want, they are only suggestions after all.

[SaintRidley]

Quick comments because I'm getting ready to head to work - the Forbidden Lorekeeping abilities I initially tied to Wis mod uses per long rest. Maybe I should return them there.

Agreed on potential power of Spell Mastery.

I'll see what I can come up with for that and Divine Mind.

And I'll think about your suggestion for Higher Mysteries.

[DiBastet]

Trying to keep up with the spirit of different concepts fitting inside a single class with subclasses and such, I made a feature similar to Fighting Style for clerics, with the options being archivist, mystic and warpriest, so i'm not using your class.

That said the mystic subclass is really nice, and I think I'll change it into a Magic divine domain.

[BRKNdevil]

i'd have to agree on all the points xyianth gave except on the 18th level ability, that would be like a full attack and a big spell, like a mages action surge.

[Starsinger]

Ooh, you told me about this! You never sent me a link to say it was ready to look at though. I like it over all, I'll re-read it in a bit and give some actual feedback.

Edit: Real feedback time

Spell Mastery seems a bit strong, but maybe it's not so bad. I mean, the biggest thing I can see right now is slapping Blade Ward (Mystic Dilettante or Magic Initiate feat) on Healing Word (Mysticism) to give bonus healing and resistance to physical damage as a bonus action each turn. And you know eliminating out of combat healing.

Divine Mind seems kind of meh to me actually. Like, it's just a straight up ability boost. Pretty "Boring but effective" if you ask me.

All of the Forbidden Lorekeeper's toys should have some sort of limit to their usage. Obscure Tactics is way better than Bardic Inspiration. Dark Foresight gives 1-5 people +1-+5 AC which as written stacks with everything (and makes spells cry). Forbidden Puissance is wow, +1-+5 on saves is a big deal to be able to hand out almost at will.

Mystic Dilettante is pretty cool, love me some cantrips. Mysticism is also pretty okay, it's like the Bard's Spell Secrets but a little more limited and that's fine.

Higher Mysteries seems strong for just slapping damage on AoE nukes, but I suppose that's okay because it's once per short (or was it long) rest.

[RavenJovan]

I can't begin to say just how much this makes me happy to see
I just have to make a character for this.

[DavidFoxfire]

I had to sign up here to ask Saint Ridley this: I wonder if I can use this Archivist class for my homeruled campaign setting, which is heavy into the recovery and aquisition of lore in it. I might need to modify the class a bit and reformat it for readability, of course. I just want to see if I have permission to do so.