Advice on playing an Occultist?

[fart]

So my DM is making a campaign that is set on earth thousands of years in the future and everyone in the campaign are archaeologists, and I thought this would be a super cool time to try out playing an Occultist!
for some more context on the campaign itself: No gods exists, so classes like Paladins and Clerics aren't driven with religious intent but rather their own beliefs and reasoning. Races like elves, tieflings, dwarves, or any non human classes were brought to the earth either via evolution/genetic mutation or are aliens who came to earth via space travel. As for the intent of the campaign going on the quest itself is unclear other than the idea of discovering more about the world that they live on.

I would like to play an Occultist Tiefling, but this is my first time trying out a homebrew character, especially one of such complexity (well, complex to me). I am having some trouble understanding how to play an occultist and would really appreciate some advice!

[Quoz]

I don't think you need much homebrewing, that sounds very much like a warlock. Great Old One would be the pact with the closest thematic fit, though most of them work if you fluff it a bit.

For the full Call of Cthulu feel tome pact would go well. While searching the ruins, you find an ancient tome. As you level, it shows you ever stranger and more horrifying truths about the world, and gives you hints about where to find ever stranger things. Somewhere along the way you realize it has an agenda of its own, or is leading you down a path that something wants you to follow. (Also works for chain pact if you and your GM agree. Have the familiar be something that guides you while asserting some type of influence over you.

Since this is a more sci-fi setting as well, you can easily reskin your eldritch blast as a phaser or blaster as well, and fluff many of your spells as technological gadgets. Armor of agathys as a force field, hellish rebuke as a point defense flamer, or Hex as a Fallout-style targeting system that helps you pick out weak points.

[Vogie]

If you want to use the fluff-shell of the Pathfinder Occultist (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/occultAdventures/classes/occultist.html), you'd effectively be a Wizard. Your only innate magical ability are your cantrips, and everything 1st level and above is actually channeling a power from a relic in your possession.

That would mesh well with a future-based world, where devices can act as a type of magic... Holograms as Disguise Self or Silent Image, Et cetera.

Since you're in the future, also look at the UA: Modern Magic for some inspiration or actual spells.

[Arkhios]

Hmm. Vogie's suggestion to use Pathfinder Occultist chassis brought into 5e as a Wizard isn't bad to be honest, although Cleric would be slightly more appropriate in my opinion. Arcana Domain Cleric would be close to perfect.

And/or, per DMG suggestion (I'm AFB, can't remember the page), you could replace the Cleric's spell list with Wizard's spell list.

[Joe the Rat]

Arcana and Religion skill proficiency. That should cover your knowing Things That Man Was Not Meant to Know, But You're A Tiefling So It's Cool, Bro.
Sage and Cloistered Scholar make good fundamentals for the heavy knowledge, though anything can work if you're more of a "hands on" type.

If a spellcaster, go for the component pouch, or carry multiple cheap foci to reflect the weird fetishes and trinkets you use to evoke power.

Regardless of class, books. You should be journaling, or collecting lore as you go.

Beyond that, it's about what you think an Occulist is, and what it can do.
Keeper of arcane lore? Ritualist? user of strange and dangerous magics? The same, only with "artifacts"?

With best synergy for a Tiefling
I like Bard, especially Lore Bard for the "knows random stuff" angle. Ignore the music, and it's pretty much a knowledge class. Half your spells are about breaking minds.
If you like powers associated with specific entities, Warlock. Tome Warlock makes you the ritual caster, with friends in Strange Places.
Wizards are good with anything book related, and actually have class benefits to collecting lore (in the form of spells).
If Unearthed Arcana is available, Artificer could play towards the "Master of Toys of the Ancients" angle. One of the two specialties comes with a Boom Stick.

[Ventruenox]

I'd take it in a slightly different direction, focusing on the investigator angle of Occultist rather than the caster. I'll be pulling from a number of sources, so not AL-legal. The build is essentially a skill monkey with an arcane focus that excels in exploration pillar heavy campaigns.

Race: Tiefling, Mephistopheles variant (UA: Fiendish Options). You trade in the Hellish Legacy spells for Mage Hand, Magic Missile & Web. Mammon is also an option if you prefer Tenser's & Arcane Lock.

Background: Archaeologist (Tomb of Annihilation). You dig up secrets from the past. Your background feature combined with history checks would allow you to figure out the most logical types of traps & treasure of your current surroundings.

Classes: Inquisitive Rogue X/Knowledge Cleric 2(Xanathar's & PHB). This combination will give you double proficiency in Arcana and History, and Rogue's Expertise may be used on Perception, Investigation, or Insight. Channel Divinity for any unforeseen skill or tool need that may come up. With medium armor and shield proficiency, you can get your sneak attack reliably in melee with Insightful Fighting (the Cleric/Rogue skill check synergy is great for this). Cleric cantrips like Mending & Guidance provide great utility while Sacred Flame or Toll the Dead can cover secondary attack options.

Feats: Ritual Caster is the most thematic, but Magic Initiate (Wizard/Warlock) or Dungeon Delver would also suit this character well.

As with any character, it helps if you know why he is adventuring. What is it about long buried occult secrets that motivates him? Does he want to recover and preserve artifacts for a museum or is he in it for personal power?

[Arkhios]

I'd take it in a slightly different direction, focusing on the investigator angle of Occultist rather than the caster. I'll be pulling from a number of sources, so not AL-legal. The build is essentially a skill monkey with an arcane focus that excels in exploration pillar heavy campaigns.

Race: Tiefling, Mephistopheles variant (UA: Fiendish Options). You trade in the Hellish Legacy spells for Mage Hand, Magic Missile & Web. Mammon is also an option if you prefer Tenser's & Arcane Lock.

Background: Archaeologist (Tomb of Annihilation). You dig up secrets from the past. Your background feature combined with history checks would allow you to figure out the most logical types of traps & treasure of your current surroundings.

Classes: Inquisitive Rogue X/Knowledge Cleric 2(Xanathar's & PHB). This combination will give you double proficiency in Arcana and History, and Rogue's Expertise may be used on Perception, Investigation, or Insight. Channel Divinity for any unforeseen skill or tool need that may come up. With medium armor and shield proficiency, you can get your sneak attack reliably in melee with Insightful Fighting (the Cleric/Rogue skill check synergy is great for this). Cleric cantrips like Mending & Guidance provide great utility while Sacred Flame or Toll the Dead can cover secondary attack options.

Feats: Ritual Caster is the most thematic, but Magic Initiate (Wizard/Warlock) or Dungeon Delver would also suit this character well.

As with any character, it helps if you know why he is adventuring. What is it about long buried occult secrets that motivates him? Does he want to recover and preserve artifacts for a museum or is he in it for personal power?

+1

I came back here to share another idea, but you beat me to it: Mine would've been almost exactly the same as yours. I must admit, I hadn't thought about Archaeologist background, but that definitely is perfect. My idea would've involved Arcana Domain instead of Knowledge, but I can see the benefits from that too. I guess the question whether you should take Arcana or Knowledge is this: Do you want a "Skill/Tool Proficiency on Demand" or "Exorcism" as an Occultist?

Arcana Domain could give you a couple of blasty cantrips if you'd like to add some more concrete mysticism to your character in addition to mostly mundane character with access and knowledge of plethora of rituals with Ritual Caster (I'd choose that over Magic Initiate or Dungeon Delver).

[ThatDrowPlayer]

I would roll up a Wizard or Warlock. If you roll up a Wizard, I'd recommend the Conjurer tradition. Summoning creatures from other planes is pretty unnatural, and in a world where most creatures are the products of evolution or aliens, summoning elementals, fiends, monstrosities, etc. could only be deemed as black magic. Throw in some necromancy, fire and ice spells, polymorphs and there you go.

If you roll up a Warlock, go with the Tome Pact. Pure spellcaster, and thematically you need a grimoire to function. I would probably pick the Undying, the Raven Queen, or the Fiend as my patron. The Undying helps you cheat death, essentially, unnaturally prolonging your life and natural abilities. The Raven Queen gets you a raven familiar that grants you effects, and that you can merge with metaphysically - sounds like black magic to me. Finally, the Fiend gets you in touch with the hellish side of the world. Little more need be said, but it has good damaging capabilities.

If you're looking for Homebrew, there's a Blood Magic tradition for the Wizard that does some wicked things. I've never played it, personally, and I don't know if in practice it is balanced, but it is definitely something you rarely see. You should also check out the Curse of Strahd: Character Options and Curse of Strahd: Darker Gifts Expansions. I think they're also Homebrew, but they add good flavor to your character and add to the mystique you're going for.