u/phantom-scribbler

I'm trying to create a character that affects dice rolls as much as possible or gives as much chance as possible to succeed, not only for themselves but also their team. Here's what I've got so far. Would love to know a) if this is hella dumb and b) if there are other ways (aside from Divination Wizard) to do the type of manipulations I'm describing here.

• Race: Halfling of course.
• Origin feat: "Arcane Omens" which gives the "Guidance" cantrip and allows PBX ability to add 1d4 to failed saving throws for myself or an ally per long rest.

You'd think I'd be a Diviner Wizard, but I was thinking of Warlock for some more origin feats. At level 5, I'd have 5 Eldritch Invocations, which I'd assign as follows:

• 1: Agonizing Blast
• 2: Lessons of the Old Ones (Lucky)
• 3: Lessons of the Old Ones (Musician)
• 4: Lessons of the Old Ones (Purple Dragon Rook)
• 5: Lessons of the Old Ones (Tireless Reveler)

I feel like I'd HAVE to take Agonizing Blast. The others would allow me to give out PB Heroic Inspiration once per long rest when I roll initiative and whenever I completed a short or long rest. In addition, I would receive Heroic Inspiration PBX per short or long rest when someone else expended it.

I don't know which Warlock subclass would work best.

• Archfey would allows all those amazing "Misty Steps" with the added bonuses
• Great Old One seems the most powerful.
• Celestial would work although I imagined this character using Eldritch Blast mostly and I'd probably want to use True Strike so I could make use of "Radiant Soul".
• Fiend fits the mechanics the most because of "Dark One's Own Luck"
• But I lovelovelove the flavor of the Vestige the most. I just don't know how well it fits what I'm trying to do here.

Anyway, after about 6 or 7 levels in Warlock, I'd probably go for Bard. Actually, I'd probably do one level in Bard 1st, then the Warlock levels, then back into Bard. I'd want a couple of 1st level spell slots for "Silvery Barbs". For the subclass, probably "Lore," especially for "Cutting Words".

For Feats, I'm thinking the following:

• "Bountiful Luck" so I can allow someone else to reroll a 1 as a reaction.
• "Fey Touched", ESPECIALLY if I'm an Archfey Warlock, for another use of "Misty Step" and "Bless." Give everyone 1d4 to attack and damage rolls.
• Unsure of which other ones to pick. I'd be tempted to just get "Eldritch Adept" for more Eldritch Invocations.

So here's my tally:

For Myself:

• PB luck rolls per long rest
• Can always reroll 1s
• PB uses of Heroic Inspiration every short and long rest

For Others Only:

• At higher levels, with one short rest, could easily be giving out 18 Heroic Inspiration per day.
• Charisma modifier Bardic Inspiration per long rest.
• Unlimited ability to expend reaction to allow an ally to reroll a 1.

For Both:

• PBX ability to add 1d4 to saving throws
• 1d4 to attack and saving throws while Bless is active
• Can use Bardic Inspiration for "Cutting Words" to reduce attack rolls or damage.

#..."Abra Ca Stabra"!

Simple plot:

• Your characters are at a Renaissance Festival. (You know how insane those can be. Storm Troopers in kilts. An 18th c. pirate chatting it up with a 14th c. knight. Fairies and such. And normal people in modern clothes.) Your players decide what they're going to be coming to the Ren Faire dressed as but not their class or anything. To start off, they're just normies.
• There's a real witch at the fair. Or a trickster deity. Or a fey. Something with real power.
• For some reason, the witch/faerie/whatever decides to curse the Ren Faire. Maybe someone upset them or mocked them. Maybe they just thought it would be fun. Anyway, for a set period of time, everyone at the Ren Faire becomes what they are dressed as and the site of the event kind of ... expands so that there are actual lands and distance to travel to get from one camp to another.
• I think it would be important that any of the changed cannot be convinced they are changed. A person dressed as a faerie BECOMES a faerie. A person dressed as a knight BECOMES a knight. They have real weapons. The people dressed as wizards have real magic. I don't know what happens to the Storm Trooper in the kilt.
• You set the stakes. Does everyone just go back to normal when it's done or if someone dies, they actually die? Will they remember or forget?
• You also set the time. This could easily be a one shot, but could also be expanded into a longer form campaign.

I think this would be SO MUCH fun!!! Like ...

• Will the players just be who they are dressed up as or will they figure out what is going on overall and be the only ones working to end it?
• Will their classes be determined by what they were dressed as or will you have a pirate paladin and a guy in khakis and a plaid shirt who is a wizard?
• Speaking of the normies, what happens to all of them when they're suddenly surrounded by all these crazy people and they're the only ones who know it's weird?
• I assume the quest, if they can figure out what's really going on, would be to end the curse/enchantment. But how do you do that? Appease the witch/deity/fey? Talk to that person and get another quest? Just protect everyone until it's over?

I'm super interested in the Divination Adept feat from Arcana Unleashed. Specifically the Prescient Intervention feature. It says:

• When a creature you can see within 60 feet of yourself makes a D20 Test, you can take a Reaction to give that creature Advantage or Disadvantage (your choice) on that roll. Once you use this benefit, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest. You can also regain use of this feature when you cast a spell from the Divination school using a spell slot.

So ... that's pretty great. And a reason in itself to cast Divination Spells with a spell slot. Except ... there aren't a lot of great ones for in combat. So, I had some questions:

• The way it's worded, you couldn't ... like ... cast Detect Magic and Identify a lot and stack up uses of it, right? You can just recharge one use at a time?
• The only ones I see that might be good for combat are Hunter's Mark, See Invisibility and Mind Spike. Or am I missing some?
• Mind Spike is the only one that does direct damage and, thus, would be worth casting repeatedly. Knowing that it gives me the ability to grant Advantage or Disadvantage on any d20 test, I'd cast it a lot more often! But it's concentration. Can you cast it to JUST do the damage and not break concentration on another spell you have going? Or does it automatically break concentration even if you aren't planning on concentrating on it?

Those are the most practical questions. But I also wonder:

• Would it be too powerful if it were an Intelligence save instead of a Wisdom save?
• It feels weird that revealing the location of the target is the only secondary feature. I guess it's good for foes using invisibility? But you'd think that there's be SOME kind of secondary effect like, "Because it reveals the target's location, you have advantage on attacks against it," or something. Maybe.

Would love your thoughts.

I'm switching from Artificer: Reanimator to Cartographer in TOA. Keeping the same flavor by getting the Familiar Friend and Elemental Familiar feats.

The DM loved some of my suggestions for changes to the Cartographer. We didn't discuss 15th level because he says we probably won't get that far. I switched out Call Lightning with Thunderstep, which I'm excited about. 9th level, any spell I have that reveals the location of a creature or object will reveal it on everyone's maps with the same targeting rules. That means that concentrating on Faerie Fire at 9th level becomes worth it, at least in my book.

For 5th level, instead of Guided Precision (+Int damage if I hit someone affected by my Faerie Fire with an attack roll or if I use one of my Cartographer spells), I pitched Triangulation:

• When an ally bearing one of your maps does damage to a target affected by your Faerie Fire, you can use your reaction to expend a spell slot to add damage to that enemy. The damage equals 2d8 for a 1st level spell slot and 1d8 for each level above 1st.

He REALLY loved that one. He said I'd probably do less damage overall than Guided Precision and would expend more resources to do so (both a reaction AND a spell slot), but that it was much cooler and would be epic tagged onto a critical hit by our Paladin (who has Elven Accuracy) or Arcane Trickster.

He had another idea which he pitched that he thought might be better than Triangulation and I'd like your input on it:

• When an ally bearing one of your maps makes an attack roll against an enemy affected by your Faerie Fire, you can use your reaction to expend a spell slot to add and amount equal to the spell slot expended to the attack roll. This can be used to make an attack that would have failed succeed or to turn the attack into a critical success if the overall number equals 20.
• Additionally, you can use your reaction to expend a spell slot to reduce the saving throw of one enemy by an amount equal to the spell slot expended.

He said this would likely be used less but would be more impactful, especially the saving throw part. There's also a Wizard and an Arcane Trickster in the group, so I'll be able to make everyone else a LOT more effective at what they do, which is kind of what this subclass is all about and what I enjoy.

As an aside, he also offered me the option to switch out Mind Spike with Pass Without Trace, but does Mind Spike become better with that 9th level feature? I mean, it does, but surely we'll use Pass Without Trace MUCH more often, right?

I'm thinking of dumb things to do with the Evocation Adept feat. Assuming you took it along with Spellfire Adept and Greater Aberrant Mark (I know some DMs aren't going to allow that), you could expend 4 hit point dice to empower Word of Radiance plus an extra 2 hit point dice to add 2d8 force damage to a single target (unresisted). So, at level 12, a ... let's say ... Artificer could (only twice per day) do 3d6 + 4d8 radiant damage to every enemy in a 5 foot radius plus another 2d8 to a single target.

At level 20, you could do it 3 times a day. Or if you just did Evocation Adept and Spellfire Adept, you could do it 5x a day.

Of course, from level 11 an Artificer could also take Evocation Adept and just drop 10 Fireballs a day with an addition 2d8 damage up to 10 times a day at level 20. So there is that.

(I'm right about that, right? Evocation Adpet adds it to your class spell list, so Artificers can use it in their spell storing item?)

Before I begin:

• This is an attempt to hone this original idea I posted here last month.
• Several people on that other post pointed out the Warmage class created by Mage Hand Press. It’s very cool, but was hoping for something simpler that uses the Artificer chassis. So here I am again.
• I’m going to try to refrain from commenting in the post to reduce clutter. I’ll put some thoughts in the comments.

#LEVEL 3

Tools of the Trade:

• You have proficiency in Arcana and can choose any two cantrips from the Artificer spell list. These do not count against your known cantrips.
• Crafting time for any spellcasting focus (or wondrous item?) is halved

Cartographer Spells:

• At Artificer levels 3, 5, 11 and 15; you can choose any two cantrips or a cantrip and a ritual spell from the Artificer, Cleric, Wizard or Druid spell lists. These count as Artificer spells for you and do not count against your known spells or cantrips.
• Note: At level 11, you can elect to place any cantrip empowered with a 1st, 2nd or 3rd level spell slot into the Spell Storing Item.

Tactician:

• You may use your Intelligence instead of your Dexterity modifier for Initiative.

Cantrip Mysteries:

• Instead of “Weapon Masteries” … get it????
• These only apply to your Artificer cantrips
• Choose any 2 Cantrip Mysteries. You can switch out Mysteries after a long rest. You can learn an additional Mystery at levels 5, 9 and 15.
• You must expend an Artificer spell slot to empower a cantrip. If the effect has a duration, the length of the duration 1 round for a 1st level spell slot and 1 additional round for each level above 1st.
• If an enemy has resistance to a.damage type, rhey also have advantage on the save of any effect. If they have immunity to the damage type, they have immunity to the effect.
• The list of Mysteries is at the end of the document.

Empowered Cantrips: (This needs a different name)

• Unlike the Cantrip Mysteries, these are applicable to any cantrip that meets the requirement.
• When you deal damage with a cantrip, you can use your bonus action to increase the damage against one target by expending an Artificer spell slot. The damage is 1d8 for a 1st level slot and 1d8 for each level above 1st.
• When you cast a cantrip that requires concentration but does not deal damage (Blade Ward, Resistance or Guidance), you can expend an Artificer spell slot to remove the concentration requirement. In addition to removing the concentration requirement, each spell slot above 1st doubles any effect of the cantrip. (That is to say a 2nd level spell slot would make it so Resistance wouldn't require concentration and would reduce 2d4 damage of the associated damage type.)
• If a cantrip requires a saving throw, you may use your bonus action to expend a 1st level Artificer spell slot to change the save to Intelligence. Any spell slot level above 1st subtracts an additional 1d4 from the the saving throw. (That is to say, with a 2nd level spell slot, all targets would make an Intelligence saving throw with an additional 1d4 subtracted from it.)

#LEVEL 5

Helping Hand:

• You know the Mage Hand cantrip and always have it prepared. If you already know the Mage Hand cantrip, you may choose another cantrip from the Artificer spell list. It is a permanent summon unless destroyed.
• You can use a magic action to move it 30 feet and deliver any cantrip. This includes ranged, touch and AOE. In addition, you can deliver a cantrip with a range of self as if it were a range of touch. It cannot do this if it is holding something else.
• As an action or bonus action, you can command your Mage Hand to perform the "utilize" action with something it is holding or takes from you.
• Opportunity attacks trigger when leaving range of your Mage Hand.

#LEVEL 9:

Expanded Empowerment: (I hate this name)

• You can cast defensive or beneficial cantrips as a bonus action or as a reaction when you or an ally in range of you or your Mage Hand is attacked.
• When you expend an Artificer spell slot to empower a cantrip, it gains two effects (for example, extra damage and changing the save or removing concentration and a mystery).

#LEVEL 15:

Cooperative Cantrips

• If an ally within 30 feet of you casts a cantrip, you can use your reaction to expend an Artificer spell slot to empower the cantrip.
• If you cast a cantrip and do not use your bonus action an ally can use their reaction to expend one of their spell slots for empower your cantrip. You choose how the cantrip will be empowered.

Three Effects: (Need a better name)

• When you expend an Artificer spell slot to empower a cantrip, you can choose three effects.

---

#Cantrip Mysteries:

Note: I'm thinking about excluding any bladetrips from this both for flavor and to manage potency. Would like your thoughts.

• When you deal damage with a cantrip that does radiant damage, the target must succeed on a Constitution Saving Throw or all attacks on that target have Advantage for a duration depending on the level of the spell slot expended. (Starry Wisp, Word of Radiance, Sacred Flame)
• When a target fails the save against a cantrip that deals psychic damage (basically Mind Sliver), they have disadvantage on attacks against anyone but you for a duration depending on the level of the spell slot expended
• When you deal necrotic damage with a cantrip (basically Chill Touch and Toll the Dead) the target Frightened on a failed Wisdom save for a duration depending on the level of the spell slot expended
• When you deal Thunder damage from a cantrip (basically Thunderclap), the target is knocked prone if it fails a Constitution save for a duration depending on the level of the spell slot expended
• When you deal fire damage from a cantrip (Firebolt and Produce Flame), it causes 1d6 damage on subsequent rounds if the target fails a Constitution save for a duration depending on the level of the spell slot expended
• When you deal cold damage with a cantrip (Ray of Frost), it reduces movement to 0 for a duration depending on the level of the spell slot expended
• When you deal acid damage with a cantrip (Acid Splash), it reduces target’s AC by 1d4 on failed Constitution save for a duration depending on the level of the spell slot expended
• You can cast Light on an enemy’s armor (touch) to cause blindness on a failed Constitution save for a duration depending on the level of the spell slot expended
• Dancing Lights can be cast on a single enemy who will be Charmed (like Hypnotic pattern) if they fail a Wisdom saving throw . On subsequent rounds, if you move the Dancing Lights as a bonus action, the target will follow them. Each spell slot level expended above 1st either adds an additional round of Charmed or targets an additional creature Thorn Whip restrains the target for one round on a failed Dexterity save. Each spell slot level expended above 1st restrains the target for an additional round.
• Shocking Grasp stuns the target on a failed Constitution save for a duration depending on the level of the spell slot expended
• Spare the Dying brings the target back to 1 hit point. Each spell slot level expended above 1st level adds an additional [5 or 10] Temporary HP.
• If you use Message to communicate with an ally, you can whisper words of encouragement. They gain 1d10 temporary hit points for each spell level used.
• Cantrips that deal Force damage (Sword Burst) push the target back on a failed Strength save, 5 ft for every level of the spell slot expended

I'm thinking about somethint like the following instead of Guided Precision:

• Archfey Warlock's ability to do things like add temporary hit points or cause disadvantage when they Misty Step.
• Eladrin's ability to teleport others, cause disadvantage, deal damage or cause fear when they Fey Step
• Psion: Psi Warper's ability to cast a cantrip when they Misty Step (still in UA) at level 6.

The first problem I see is that there are limitations:

• Archfey is limited by Charisma modifier unless they take feats or use their limited, potentially high level spell slots for a 2nd level spell. Even if they took "Mark of Passage" and "Fey Touched", that's 7 Misty Steps without using a spell slot.
• Eladrin is limited by Proficiency bonus.
• Psion is only limited by spell slots. They have 1 free, potentially 2 more free with the feats mentioned earlier and then need spell slots.
• Cartographer is only limited by their movement. They can do this twice per round indefinitely.

So, instead of Guided Precision (which they get at level 5), what would be a reasonable thing for Cartographers to have tied to their Portal Jump? And reasonable limitations for it? Some thoughts:

• Limited by Proficiency Bonus or Intelligence Modifier per long rest (probably the latter)?
• Offensive effects only work against enemies affected by your Faerie Fire and beneficial effects only work for map holders?
• Can cause disadvantage against everyone but you for a round if you Portal Jump next to or away from an enemy who fails a Wisdom save
• Can do Intelligence modifier (force?) damage to every enemy in a 5 foot radius who fails a Dexterity save if your Portal Jump to or away from them.
• (I didn't include frightening as an option because it didn't seem to fit)
• Grant 1d10 thp to an ally or yourself
• Can forego half your movement to move an ally you touch 10 feet or next to another ally with a map within 30 feet
• Ability to cast a cantrip if you haven't cast a leveled spell on that turn

This preserves the designer's desire to focus on Faerie Fire and seems to maintain the flavor/theme of the subclass. It's only 5 uses per long rest and Guided Prescision is for every attack every turn all day long.

On the flip side, all those other classes have to use their bonus action while the Cartographer still has theirs free.

Would love your thoughts.

Obviously, the Observant feat isn't as good as it was in 2014 and the Keen Mind feat is less flavorful and fun. But I'm still intrigued by them and wondering why the developers would make their bonus action effects if they're totally useless (as they seem) in combat.

Observant:

• Gives you +1 in Wisdom or Intelligence
• Allows you to gain proficiency or expertise in Insight, Investigation, or Perception
• Allows you to take the Search action as a bonus action

Keen Mind:

• +1 in Intelligence
• Allows you to gain proficiency or expertise in Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, or Religion.
• Allows you to take the Study action as a bonus action.

So I could see using Study to determine what an enemy's resistances or vulnerabilities are. Or maybe how much HP they had left? Or if an illusion was illusion or reality? I can't even guess what Search would do in combat. To look for evidence of an invisible enemy?

I know these definitely aren't the BEST feats. I'm just wondering if they're good at all. Thanks!

Short Version: What if, instead of Int modifier free castings of "Faerie Fire," you had Int modifier CONCENTRATION FREE castings of "Faerie Fire" (except you need to expend a 1st level spell slo now)? Better? Worse?

Long Version:

• The main complaint I hear about Cartographer is the need to concentrate on a 1st level spell. So what if, instead of free castings, you had concentration free castings instead?
• This doesn't change other complaints I-ve heard, though like ...
• Advantage is super easy to get in 2024
• It's a "save or suck" spell
• You shouldn't tie features like "Guided Precision" to a "save or suck" spell.

I have answers for some of these, but I'm wondering overall:

• Would this change be better than free castings?
• If so, does it make the class as a whole better for you? Where would you rank it?

Thanks!

If you had an 5th level Artificer in your group, would you prefer them to advance as Artificer as quickly as possible or take 2 levels in Warlock so they could get the following feats:

• "Musician" (PB Heroic Inspiration every short or long rest for the party)
• "Purple Dragon Rook (PB Heroic Inspiration fpr the party once per long rest when rolling for Initiative)
• Tireless Reveler (whenever someone uses Heroic Inspiration, you get it back)

My DM rules that, if I already have Heroic Inspiration, I can use Tireless Reveler to give it to someone else (but it doesn't come back to me a second time.)

On the flip side, if I stay just Artificer to level 7, I'll have access to higher level spells, better magic items (like the Weapon of Warning and Pipes of Haunting) and Flash of Genius.

So, if I was on your team, what would you want?

These are coming out in the new "Arcana Unleashed" book:

Familiar Friend: Origin Feat

• You always have the "Find Familiar" spell prepared and can cast it once per long rest without a spell slot or material components.
• The Familiar's HP max and current HP are increased by twice your character level.
• When you make an ability check with a skill in which you have proficiency, you get advantage on the check PBX per long rest.

Elemental Familiar: Pre-req of Familiar Friend

• Increase an ability score by 1.
• Your Familiar is imbued with Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder damage and has resistance to it.
• As a bonus action, your Familiar can unleash a burst of the chosen elemental energy. Every creature in 5 feet makes a Dex save and, if they fail, takes 2d4 damage of that type. If the creature is medium or smaller, it has the prone condition.

This gives a consistent damage ability for bonus actions with prone condition as well. Really fantastic!!!

Would love to know if:

• A) This is a dumb idea
• B) You have ideas to improve it

Just like how Artificers turn mundane items into magic items, they can also take the lowest of spells and make them more potent. The idea would be that:

• They can't cast leveled spells unless they're ritual
• Their cantrips have added functionality
• They can expend spell slots to empower cantrips

Instead of a spell list, you can choose any cantrip and ritual spell from the Cleric, Druid, Wizard or Sorcerer spell list commensurate to your level.

Level 3:

• Pick an additional cantrip from the Artificer spell list
• If you cast a cantrip that deals damage, you can use a bonus action to expend a spell slot to add additional damage to that spell. This damage equals 2d8 for a 1st level spell and 1d8 for every spell above that.
• If you have expended a spell slot to add damage and the spell deals radiant damage, all attacks against that target are at advantage until the end of your next turn for a 1st level spell slot and one additional turn for each level above 1st.
• If your cantrip has a save, that save is Intelligence

Level 5:

• You can cast a cantrip as a bonus action.
• You can concentrate on two cantrips at the same time.
• A cantrip with a time duration lasts 10 minutes
• Any cantrip you cast ignores verbal components
• Any AOE cantrip has a range of 10 feet
• Any cantrip with a range of self now has a range of touch

Level 9:

• You can concentrate on 3 cantrips at the same time.
• You can cast Blade Ward, Resistance and Guidance as a reaction. They also now have a range of 30 feet
• A cantrip with a time duration lasts 1 hour
• Any cantrip you casts ignores verbal and somatic components
• Any AOE cantrip has a range of 15 feet

Level 11:

• There's not a subclass feature at this level but I have to address the Spell Storing Item. The only idea I have is that the Artificer can put 10 3rd level spell slots used to empower their cantrips in the item and only they can use it.

Level 15:

• You can concentrate on 4 cantrips at the same time.
• A cantrip with a time duration lasts 8 hours
• Any cantrip you cast ignores verbal, somatic and material components
• Any AOE cantrip has a range of 20 feet

I'd rather have "Catapult" than "Guiding Bolt" on the class spell list. I know it's not super powerful, but it seems so FUN! If your DM does allow you to do things like throw a net so the target is restrained and takes damage if they fail the saving throw, that's amazing! But, even if they don't, I kind of love the idea of being able to randomly throw piles of poop, a warrior's own sword, a pie or an acorn and doing 3d8 damage.

Someone talk me out of it, please!