Gulian
2017-10-04, 07:49 AM
So me and my buddy made this tradition. We're not entirely sure how balanced it is and thought it would be prudent to run this by you guys. Opinions, praise, criticism and especially suggestions are appreciated. I'd like to point out that suggestions made out of a purely mechanical standpoint which disregard the general fluff we went for here would be better off left unstated.
Thank you!
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Scholar of Forbidden Knowledge
Instead of devoting your time to the study of traditional magical practices, you have decided to walk the path of insanity, attempting to peer in the deepest and darkest depths of reality in search of its secrets. Perhaps unsurprisingly, you have found something in those depths that is equally interested in you and willing to grant you the answers you desire, but at a cost.
Grimoire of Secrets
Beginning at 2nd level, you may summon an old, leather bound tome which seems to hold more pages than physically possible, despite it’s hefty size. When you gain this feature, choose three Cantrips, two normal spells and two spells with the ritual tag from any class’s spell list (the spells needn’t be from the same list). While the book is on your person, you can cast those Cantrips at will, while the rest of the spells can only be cast as 10 or more minute rituals even if they do not have the ritual tag, except they will expend the corresponding spell slot unless they have the spell in question is tagged as a ritual. They don’t count against your number of spells and cantrips known. All spells acquired in such a manner use Intelligence as their casting stat. If you had a spellbook, all spells from it are transcribed into the Grimoire and the book is replaced by it.
Every level henceforth you may trade one of your spells-to-be-learned from the wizard list in favor of any spell of the appropriate spell level from any spell list you desire. Spells learned in this manner are subject to the same ritual casting rules as the other ones, even if they are not marked with the ritual tag. Any spell from another list with the ritual tag can be learned by the Scholar independently, as if learning wizard spells, subject to all the rules of learning and scribing a spell as per wizard.
If you lose your Grimoire, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to receive a replacement from your patron. This ceremony can be performed during a short or Long Rest, and it destroys the previous book. The book turns to ash when you die.
Horrid Revelation
At 2nd level, the Scholar can occasionally focus his mind and peer through the veil of reality, temporarily opening for himself truths that are beyond his mortal capacity for understanding. For the duration of the encounter, the Scholar may cast spells he knows from other lists as normal, without requiring a 10 or more minute ritual, however he gains disadvantage on all wisdom rolls until his next short rest and is unable to peer beyond the veil again until he has calmed his troubled psyche.
Dark Pact
Starting at 6th level, the Scholar may make a dark pact during a short rest, by sacrificing some of his own essence to his alien deity and in return receiving greater magical power. By lowering his maximum hit points by one per character level, he may recover twice the amount of spell levels by Arcane Recovery. The following day, the Scholar will not recover any of his healing dice due to the residual effects of this pact. In addition, the Scholar begins to accrue favor with his deity and with such favor come gifts, as such your alien knowledge gives you the ability to touch the minds of other creatures. You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.
Awakened Mind
Beginning at 10th level, your thoughts can't be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it. You have resistance to psychic damage, and whenever a creature deals psychic damage to you, that creature takes the same amount of damage that you do.
Strange Enlightenment
Starting at 14th level, your knowledge of the beyond is so great, that the alien gods lurking beyond conventional reality have acknowledged you. You may not be one of their chosen, but you nonetheless bear some of their blessings upon you, in addition to ridding yourself of unnecessary fear and the limitations of the mortal mind. You gain 2 invocations of your choice, for the purpose of which you are considered a tome pact warlock of you wizard level. In addition, you are immune to all effects that would grant you disadvantage to wisdom rolls, essentially allowing you to use Horrid Revelation at your leisure without any repercussions.
Thank you!
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Scholar of Forbidden Knowledge
Instead of devoting your time to the study of traditional magical practices, you have decided to walk the path of insanity, attempting to peer in the deepest and darkest depths of reality in search of its secrets. Perhaps unsurprisingly, you have found something in those depths that is equally interested in you and willing to grant you the answers you desire, but at a cost.
Grimoire of Secrets
Beginning at 2nd level, you may summon an old, leather bound tome which seems to hold more pages than physically possible, despite it’s hefty size. When you gain this feature, choose three Cantrips, two normal spells and two spells with the ritual tag from any class’s spell list (the spells needn’t be from the same list). While the book is on your person, you can cast those Cantrips at will, while the rest of the spells can only be cast as 10 or more minute rituals even if they do not have the ritual tag, except they will expend the corresponding spell slot unless they have the spell in question is tagged as a ritual. They don’t count against your number of spells and cantrips known. All spells acquired in such a manner use Intelligence as their casting stat. If you had a spellbook, all spells from it are transcribed into the Grimoire and the book is replaced by it.
Every level henceforth you may trade one of your spells-to-be-learned from the wizard list in favor of any spell of the appropriate spell level from any spell list you desire. Spells learned in this manner are subject to the same ritual casting rules as the other ones, even if they are not marked with the ritual tag. Any spell from another list with the ritual tag can be learned by the Scholar independently, as if learning wizard spells, subject to all the rules of learning and scribing a spell as per wizard.
If you lose your Grimoire, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to receive a replacement from your patron. This ceremony can be performed during a short or Long Rest, and it destroys the previous book. The book turns to ash when you die.
Horrid Revelation
At 2nd level, the Scholar can occasionally focus his mind and peer through the veil of reality, temporarily opening for himself truths that are beyond his mortal capacity for understanding. For the duration of the encounter, the Scholar may cast spells he knows from other lists as normal, without requiring a 10 or more minute ritual, however he gains disadvantage on all wisdom rolls until his next short rest and is unable to peer beyond the veil again until he has calmed his troubled psyche.
Dark Pact
Starting at 6th level, the Scholar may make a dark pact during a short rest, by sacrificing some of his own essence to his alien deity and in return receiving greater magical power. By lowering his maximum hit points by one per character level, he may recover twice the amount of spell levels by Arcane Recovery. The following day, the Scholar will not recover any of his healing dice due to the residual effects of this pact. In addition, the Scholar begins to accrue favor with his deity and with such favor come gifts, as such your alien knowledge gives you the ability to touch the minds of other creatures. You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.
Awakened Mind
Beginning at 10th level, your thoughts can't be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it. You have resistance to psychic damage, and whenever a creature deals psychic damage to you, that creature takes the same amount of damage that you do.
Strange Enlightenment
Starting at 14th level, your knowledge of the beyond is so great, that the alien gods lurking beyond conventional reality have acknowledged you. You may not be one of their chosen, but you nonetheless bear some of their blessings upon you, in addition to ridding yourself of unnecessary fear and the limitations of the mortal mind. You gain 2 invocations of your choice, for the purpose of which you are considered a tome pact warlock of you wizard level. In addition, you are immune to all effects that would grant you disadvantage to wisdom rolls, essentially allowing you to use Horrid Revelation at your leisure without any repercussions.