Dungeons & Dragons 5e Class Features : The Artist


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World of Cairne

The Artist

The artist is another skilled manipulator of arcane energies that has learned to ply their trade in plain sight by using their natural artistic abilities as a conduit through which they can channel mystic energy to alter the world around them. A bit less traditional than most, the artist can use their abilities on the fly without tomes and scrolls and ancient secrets, they do so by entering into a compact with the powers of the void, losing some small part of themselves in the process. The compact they enter into trades off their time in the spirit world for power in the real world, and as far as is known in the secret circles they travel in, no one has ever broken that deal.
hit dice: 1d8
hit points at 1st level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
hit points at higher levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per artist level after 1st
armor proficiencies: Light Armor
weapon proficiencies: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
tools: One Artisan's Tool of your choice
saving throws: Dexterity, Wisdom
skills: Choose any three
starting equipment:
(a) a rapier, (b) a staff, or (c) any simple weapon
(a) a Diplomat's Pack or (b) an Scholar's Pack
(a) One Artisan’s Tool of your choice
Leather armor and a dagger
Alternatively, you may ignore the equipment from your class and background, and start with 5d4 x 10 gp.
spellcasting:
class features:

Void Renderings

This is the primary power of the Artist. Following the sealing of the compact, the character is granted the ability to channel void energies through their tools and into whatever they are crafting. By doing so they are able to manipulate reality itself by creating passages through walls, windows, and even items out of nothing. The power increases as the Artist becomes more adept in their skill allowing for more useful creations.  
  • Passageways: A passageway can be made using this feature that has a width and height of 5ft, and it’s length can be a number of feet equal to five times the Proficiency Bonus of the Artist.
  • Weapons: Simple weapons can be made, except for ranged weapons. They instantly disappear if they leave your hands.
  • Shields: Shields that are created can be used by the artist, but only provide a +1 to AC instead of the usual +2.
  • Other Items: Other items such as tools and miscellaneous objects act as they normally would. The weight of any item you make is limited to a maximum of 15lbs per Artist Level.
  • The number shown in the Artist table is the number of times the Artist can use this ability to change reality before needing to rest, as the experience is quite draining. Only three void renderings can be active at a time and each rendering lasts 1 minute unless ended early with a free action.
 

Void Born Compact

  The promissory agreement that led the Artist to the point they now find themselves at and granted them the power to manipulate reality. Whether they sought it out directly or did something to gain the attention of the eyes in the dark, there is something special about this character that the Blight born covet. The agreement places the character on a path to destruction, offering up their Spirit upon death to the Creatures of the Void. This agreement nullifies the ability of resurrection of any kind and upon death, the character's spirit will be at the mercy of the void walkers. _________________________________________________________________

Imbued Art

  At 2nd level, the connection to the void has provided the Artist with the ability to create works with purpose. By utilizing this skill fully, the artist can add an imbued image onto an object and grant a bonus depending on the object imbued.
  • Weapon: The weapon gains a +1 bonus to damage and attack rolls, which increases to +2 after the Artist reaches 10th level.
  • Armor/Shield: The armor/shield gains a +1 bonus to AC, which increases to +2 at 10th level.
  • Accessory: The accessory grants a +1 to saving throws, which increases to +2 at 10th level.
  The symbol is personal to the artist and can be anything as long as it represents the desired effect to the artist. The enhancement lasts 24 hours, after which the image fades and loses the effect. You may only have a number of Imbued Arts active equal to half of your proficiency modifier, rounded down. _________________________________________________________________  

Favor in the Void

  At 3rd level, the eyes in the dark have begun to take notice of their new plaything and have begun to do little things here and there to bolster the Artist's efforts in hopes of encouraging more risk taking and abuses of power. The hope being that these could lead to an earlier completion of the Artist's contractual terms. These boons come in the form of "feeling lucky", or an extra 1d6 per day that can be added to any roll and is refreshed after 24hrs.

Runic Tattoo

  At 3rd level, the Artist gains the power to add a runic tattoo to their body. Runic being figurative, as it’s more so an illustration of the Artist’s talents. The tattoo will add a permanent enhancement to the character from the list below. Each embellishment can only be selected once. The Artist can gain an additional Runic Tattoo at 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th and 18th levels.
  • Gain expertise in a skill of your choice.
  • Gain advantage on initiative rolls.
  • Gain 10 speed.
  • Gain proficiency in one saving throw of your choice.
  • Gain 60ft of darkvision, or add 30ft if you already have darkvision.
  • Gain the ability to breathe underwater and have a swimming speed of 30ft.
  • Gain a +1 to damage and attack rolls made using unarmed attacks, and they deal 1d6 + your strength.
  • Gain a +1 bonus to your AC.
  • Gain a resistance to either fire, cold, lightning, thunder, acid or poision.
The end design of the tattoo is at the Artist's discretion, though the symbol used needs to be personal to the Artist in that it holds meaning for the desired outcome specific to them.  

Artist’s Profession

When the Artist reaches 3rd level, their mastery over their chosen profession imbues them with abilities that none other can properly replicate. The chosen profession grants them features at 6th, 10th and 14th levels. _________________________________________________________________  

Ability Score Improvement

  When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 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. _________________________________________________________________

Archetypal Image

  At 5th level, the Artist gains one of it’s first of the complex, animated, or ambulatory creations available to the Artist. The artist decides on an image of a tool,weapon or creature that will fit onto one part of the Artist's body (i.e. arm, leg, chest, etc.). The artist will then spend 1d6 hours etching the image in full detail into their skin, draining them for half their hit points in the process and requiring a long rest to recover afterward. The accentuation will be healed by the following day and ready to be called upon. From that point on, the artist can call forth the item either onto the ground or into their hand (depending on the nature of it), and bring the image into three dimensional reality.  
  • Creature: The creature has the same stat block as it’s counterpart. The creature can only deal 1d4 damage per round, if follows simple commands, using a free action, but cannot communicate nor has free will of it’s own. If the creature’s hit points drop to 0, it disappears and reappears on the skin of the Artist and cannot be reshaped until 24hrs from then. If a non-void aligned creature touches the shaped creature, it takes 1d4 void damage.
  • Weapon: Weapons shaped by this feature deal an additional 1d4 void damage on hit. If the weapon is destroyed, it reappears on the skin of the Artist, becoming reshapeable after 24hrs have passed.
  • Tool/Object: Basic Tools or Objects shaped by this feature are unbreakable and will never wear out. Any non-void aligned creature that touches the tools and object shaped by this feature takes 1d4 void damage.
  The design of each image is at the whim of the Artist and as long as it follows the limitations of its complexity in function, the form and design are open to creativity. _________________________________________________________________  

Artist’s Profession Feature

At 6th level, you gain a feature granted by your Artist’s Profession _________________________________________________________________

Cosmetic Mastery

  At 7th level, the artist has become so adept at their trade that they are now able to apply it to themselves, altering their appearance in doing so. The character may use this ability to disguise themselves to either appear as another individual, or to hide their identity. They may use this skill to also change race (provided it is not to an extreme), skin, eye, and hair color, create false wounds, appear as a different gender, change hair and facial hair, and even to make height and weight appear different. Weight can be altered to make the user musch heavier, but only up to 20 pounds lighter, and can alter the appearance of height by as much as six inches either way. This takes an hour of uninterrupted focus to do, but requires no skill check. Onlookers making the attempt to see through it must roll against the DC of the artist's charisma + proficiency check to see through it. A disguise kit will add a +2 to this roll. _________________________________________________________________  

Artist’s Profession Feature

At 10th level, you gain a feature granted by your Artist’s Profession _________________________________________________________________

Artistic Attunement

  At 11th level, the Artist gains the ability to permanently imbue a weapon or suit of armor with void energy, at the cost of their own lifeforce. The Artist can touch a weapon, suit of armor and imbue it, granting it a benefit while reducing their maximum life by 5 hit points while the imbuement is in effect. It takes a one hour ritual to complete this imbuement.  
  • Weapon: A weapon imbued with this feature gains additional void damage, equal to the Artist’s level on hit.
  • Armor: A suit of armor imbued with this feature, when worn, grants temporary hit points equal to the Artist’s level at imbuement, and refreshes this pool of hit points every 24hrs.
When imbued, a weapon or suit of armor gains a stylized appearance that signifies an Artist’s touch, most likely doubling or even tripling the value of the piece of armor. _________________________________________________________________  

Void-Like

When the Artist reaches 13th level, they gain physical attributes that make them resemble creatures from the Void. This can manifest in tentacles, a shimmering field of energy, or other various monstrous changes. There must be a change that supports the benefits listed below.  
  • The Artist gains a +2 bonus to their AC.
  • The Artist gains resistance to Void damage.
  • The Artist gains a natural weapon attack. The natural weapon has the finesse property and deals 1d8 slashing damage.
_________________________________________________________________

Air Painting

  Upon reaching 14th level the Artist has become so adept at their trade and so attuned to the void, that they may now trace a design in the air with their hand, channeling small amounts of void energy into an image and actualize their design into reality, manifesting the drawn object into the space in front of them. This does require full concentration and the ability to move freely and is limited by the drawing. The design cannot be ambulatory of its own volition, and cannot be made of any complex or moving parts. Simple tools, weapons, and pieces of armor etc. can be created. These items are made of pure void energy and will cause a 4d10 reaction to anything other than the Artist touching them. (Save for half damage). Any weapons created will do their base damage plus the additional damage from the reaction, but will be destroyed in the process.  

Artist’s Profession Feature

At 14th level, you gain a feature granted by your Artist’s Profession   _________________________________________________________________

Crafting the Void

Void Wraith, but not so murdery.   _________________________________________________________________  

Breath of the Void

Does things and stuff. SpoooOOoooOOooky Void Stuff.
subclass options:

Sculptor:

  Based on creating shells/constructs to fight for them. Creation of this subclass would remove the “Shell Crafting” feature at 13th level from the Artist’s regular features. Constructs will start at tiny and reach up to large at later levels, scaling with Proficiency Bonus.  

Architect:

  Based on creating structures with their void renderings such as Walls, Bridges, Trenches and eventually Towers and other larger structures. Perhaps even siege weapons? Great for positioning and utility.  

Calligrapher:

  Can write with grace and style, causing the words they write to act as spell-like abilities. Writing the word “Boom” on a rock and throwing it would cause an explosion for example. Writing “No Entry” on a door would cause it to be locked and unable to be moved for a time.  

Smithy:

  Self explanatory. Learns proficiencies with weapons and armors, can make more intricate weapons and armor that get bonuses. Bows would use void arrows, melee weapons would get added void damage, armors would get some sort of void counter ability, etc. Weapons and armors will be locked by “tiers” so that you don’t just make plate armor super early on.
  • +1 bonus to equipment made
  • 3/dr vs void on armor
  • 1d4 damage on weapons
  • 1 minute
  • Concentration
  • Runic Cross-peen hammer
   

Tattooist:

  Is better at using Runic Tattoos than normal Artist’s, gaining more options for runic tattoos and more in total. Can temporarily give another creature a tattoo. Tattoos have active effects as well that recharge.

Created by

Ghinkgo.

System

Dungeons & Dragons 5e

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Class Features

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.042 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 12:57, Nov 22 2024