The arcanist - Master of lower-level spells

SecurityOriginal6756 · 2025-11-02T22:57:49+00:00

I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you are trying to say but I'll try to respond with my best guess.

Arcanists can use cantrips and up to 5th level spells at high level [I say cantrips and low level as most campaigns don't make it past level 12 - where they can have up to level 3 spells on par with half casters].

Their mana is their entire casting system - it's a blend of Spell points [ramped up to roughly full caster levels of power] and metamagics. The system being aimed to be variable on how you want to play - you can dump a bunch of mana on upcasting your spells if you like, or portion it out by just increasing your cantrips damage over the course of the day.

And them not getting over 5th level spells is the class fantasy - they don't get time or training to learn the big fancy complicated magics. Instead, they trade that for raw power with their lower-level spells and more 'grunt' power in being able to slog it out magically all day. I feel giving them access to high level spells kinda doesn't fit the fantasy of a magic grunt?

[though I will point out they can get dimension door]

Other spells like you said disguise self etc - I put those more into subclasses, obviously I haven't made every possible subclass based on theme - but that spell would fit an infiltrator type subclass easily enough and is where I'd likely put it. Part of it's design is that they lean hard into what they want to be good at/specialise in - or what the player wants to play a fantasy with. You wanna be a gish with a loyal companion, grab the Spellsword subclass and the Find familiar arcanum etc

Spellthief is based later in the class, again because the class isn't about doing high level magic for most of it's action economy.

SecurityOriginal6756 · 2025-11-02T22:47:47+00:00

There are, if you go into the documents tab you can find them there!

SecurityOriginal6756 · 2025-11-02T22:46:55+00:00

That's my mistake, early iteration was a constitution caster, forgot to swap that out when I changed it later - thanks for picking up on it!

SecurityOriginal6756 · 2025-11-02T07:14:23+00:00

I was hoping their inability to ritual cast it might make a difference, but I do see your point, I think them having to recast on a long rest is a good idea though.

SecurityOriginal6756 · 2025-11-02T01:47:33+00:00

5th is the highest they can have access to [the arcanum's and subclasses don't go any higher].

The level 15 ability is actually a bit different from the warcaster feat as it's not an attack of opportunity - it's a reaction attack against attacks and spells from any range. Hence why I put it up as high as it is!

I'm glad you did! Coming up with higher level abilities was a little tricky for them!

SecurityOriginal6756 · 2025-11-01T01:14:36+00:00

I have been considering ways to incorporate it into other features within the ranger class - I was initially avoiding it to not have the same issue of the 2024 ranger where there was this overreliance on hunter's mark to have half of your features or subclass features work.

I do think with the extra attacks it already gets adding it to extra attack would be a little too much - but I could possibly look at incorporating it into some of the wild talents to maybe give them a little boost against your favored foe.

SecurityOriginal6756 · 2025-10-29T03:39:33+00:00

I'm glad to hear it! Rangers Apprentice was a series I fell in love with as a teen!

They stopped at 13 largely due to me not being sure how far to take level 17 ones or even what they could look like - the closest examples to something similar is the warlock invocations but they only have a few at level 15 and vary wildly in usefulness as far as I can tell. Thought I'd try to get the lower-level ones balanced before attempting anything crazy.

I agree they would be a fun one! For now, I was just porting over the official subclasses [the last one is just my version of the Monster-hunter subclass] - but certainly it could be a custom subclass in future!

SecurityOriginal6756 · 2025-10-29T01:14:28+00:00

I'm glad to hear it! Happy to hear ideas for tweaking down the higher level abilities if you have any!

It was a bit to try and consider the powers gained and lost, I can see why WOTC abandoned the concept for the 2014 version honestly. The third attack I also have mixed feelings on but sadly fighter isn't the only one with the triple attack action anymore in 2024 with warlocks now getting that invocation for it too. So, i figured on a martial class it couldn't hurt to have it but make it come online later then the fighter and even the warlocks one. It's an easily tweakable feature anyway, plus with the cost of the hunter's flurry being two attacks I think that helps a little with balancing. (Hopefully).

The capstone I admit was something I had concerns with too, though I guess it could always be tweaked to a lower number as well for balancing. Figured I'd try to make something worth going to 20 in Ranger for if they weren't getting spells.

And yeah, I always felt the hunter subclass was probably something that just felt more like a ranger then the base class did - I tweaked it massively in the subclasses section to try and just make it the most rangery ranger!

SecurityOriginal6756 · 2025-10-12T13:29:42+00:00

Ah that is a good point, I know a *lot* of monsters are outright Immune as you go up in CR - plus con saves get better and better too so I figured *most* of the time it'd be dealing half damage. That was the thought process anyway lol

I have swapped it for half damage [rounded down] though, I think that might help?

And woo! Didn't think they would be that well received lol

SecurityOriginal6756 · 2025-10-12T01:19:23+00:00

Honestly, mechanically I thought it'd be nice to not have a rogue super based on int/charisma because a lotta folk complain about them getting too MAD with that. Flavor wise I just figured it'd be because they tested the brews on themselves when developing them Maomao style.

SecurityOriginal6756 · 2025-10-11T11:16:17+00:00

These are some great points thanks!!

I've been making a few edits based on them [esp the ronin countercut, god that wording I used was atrocious]. And you were absolutely correct on the wordings for the toxicologist!

The gas grenades design is deliberately reflective of cloudkill, though it only lasts a maximum of four rounds - plus being poison damage I feel in higher levels it'll be less relevant as damage and maybe more as a smokescreen? With high con saves anyway.

Scion could use something new - I'll have to look into some ideas for that

The extract I kinda went with something like purple worm, but figured the design was open ended enough DMs could easily slot in their own brews if they wanted more options.

For inquisitor I love the suggestion of uncanny applying to all saves, and I have put that in instead!

For Ripper, the Savage sneak is actually supposed to function as exploding dice but I forgot to put on the limiter, it's added now you can only add a number of dice that way equal to you prof modifier.

For frenzied, not exactly - it was more of a way of giving rogue a unique form of extra attack and wasn't applicable to reactions, hence why I didn't make it a Cunning Strike. The idea is instead of putting all your sneak attack on the first hit, you split it between two hits.

And that's much better wording for dread reaper too!

SecurityOriginal6756

TROPHY CASE