Arcanist Knight (5e Class)

Arcanist Knight (Unfinished, Due for Redesign)

“To master blade or spell alone is admirable. To master both is destiny.”

—Sir Elian Vael, Grimoire Warden of the Sapphire Concord

Arcanist Knights are warriors of intellect and will, blending martial training with arcane study. Bound to enchanted grimoires, these spellblades stride into battle armed with both steel and sorcery, weaving spells through their weapons and carving runes into their foes. Each Arcanist Knight channels their magic through a unique Arcane Grimoire—part spellbook, part focus, part companion—which grows in power and complexity as they do.

Some Arcanist Knights study in ancient war colleges, where battlefields serve as classrooms and strategy is etched in runes. Others forge their path alone, driven by obsession, prophecy, or the need to defend their people with every tool available. Whether clad in arcane plate or wielding shimmering blades of force, they are a rare breed: intellect and instinct, discipline and destruction in equal measure.

Scholars of Battle

Where wizards pore over tomes in towers, Arcanist Knights inscribe sigils into their blades and bring them to the field. They learn to fuse cantrips into attacks, to empower their steel with searing glyphs, and to transmute a simple sword into a weapon of magical devastation. They are not mere battlemages or eldritch dabblers—they are warriors reforged through arcane knowledge.

The Arcane Grimoire is more than a spellcasting tool; it is the heart of their power. Personalized and ever-evolving, it holds the techniques, runes, and invocations the Arcanist Knight has mastered. It glows with stored energy, responds to thought and touch, and can even act defensively when danger strikes.

A Path to Power

Arcanist Knights choose an Arcane Path to define their relationship with magic. Some become Blade-Sigil adepts, etching force-laden runes into their weapons. Others practice Crimson Seal rites, sacrificing vitality for power through blood magic. A rare few seek out forbidden secrets in the Forbidden Archive, wielding knowledge deemed too dangerous by other spellcasters.

Whatever the path, the Arcanist Knight walks a tightrope between martial domination and arcane complexity—able to cleave through hordes or dispel enemy enchantments in equal measure.

Creating a Arcanist Knight

When creating an Arcanist Knight, you combine arcane might and martial mastery into a single devastating force. Whether leading the charge or casting spells in heavy armor, you are a master of battlefield versatility.

Spellcasting is similar to Wizard in terms of preparing spells and known spells

Quick Build

You can make an Arcanist Knight quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength or Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the Noble or Soldier background. Third, choose shield, mage armor, and magic missile as your starting spells.

Class Features

As a Arcanist Knight you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Arcanist Knight level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Arcanist Knight level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Constitution
Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Athletics, Animal Handling, Arcana, History, Insight, Medicine, Perception, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor and a spellcasting focus
• (a) an explorer’s pack or (b) a scholar’s pack

Table: The Arcanist Knight

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
				1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Manifest Weapon, Arcane Grimoire, Spellcasting	3	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Arcane Channeling	3	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Arcane Path	3	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Extra Attack	4	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Arcane Path Feature	4	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Blade Sigil	4	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	Arcane Echo	4	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Arcane Path Feature	5	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	Extra Attack (x2)	5	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	Magic Synthesis	5	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Arcane Path Feature	5	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	Grimoire Guardian	5	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	Spellblade Ascension	6	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Arcane Path Feature	6	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	6	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Arcane Apotheosis, Extra Attack (x3)	6	4	3	3	3	2

Spellcasting

Through deep study and personal discipline, you have learned to weave arcane magic into your martial form. Your magic draws from the same ancient traditions as wizards, studied and inscribed into your spellbook over years of training and experimentation.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn additional wizard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Arcanist Knight table.

Arcane Grimoire

At 1st level, you have a grimoire containing six 1st-level wizard spells of your choice. Your grimoire is the repository of the wizard spells you know, except your cantrips, which are fixed in your mind.

The spells that you add to your grimoire as you gain levels reflect the arcane research you conduct on your own, as well as intellectual breakthroughs you have had about the nature of the multiverse. You might find other spells during your adventures. You could discover a spell recorded on a scroll in an evil wizard's chest, for example, or in a dusty tome in an ancient library.

Copying a Spell into the Book

When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.

Copying a spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the wizard who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation.

For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.

Replacing the Grimoire

If your Arcane Grimoire is lost or destroyed, you can create a new one by spending 1 hour performing a ritual to bind a suitable blank tome. This ritual can be performed during a short or long rest, and it requires 50 gp worth of rare inks and materials. The new grimoire then becomes your bonded spellcasting focus, and all features that require the grimoire function as normal.

Once you create a new grimoire, the previous one loses all magical properties.

The Book's Appearance

Your Arcane Grimoire is as unique as your bond to it. When you first acquire it at 1st level, choose or describe its form. It might be a weathered tome bound in dragonhide, a sleek codex engraved with glowing sigils, or even a collection of floating metallic plates etched with arcane formulae. As you grow in power, the grimoire evolves—its pages may shimmer with latent energy, its runes pulse in rhythm with your heartbeat, and its cover may shift to reflect the magic you've mastered.

Though its shape and style vary, your grimoire is unmistakably a vessel of arcane might, marked by the sigil that represents your path and soul.

Spell Slots

The Arcanist Knight table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of your spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell burning hands and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast burning hands using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the Arcanist Knight Spell List.

You know a number of spells equal to the Spells Known column. You can choose these spells from the Arcanist spell list, which includes abjuration, evocation, and utility spells. The Spells Known column includes all spells you know, regardless of level.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Arcanist Knight spells. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Manifest Weapon

At 1st level, you can summon a weapon formed of pure arcane energy. As a bonus action, conjure a weapon with the finesse, reach, or heavy property (your choice). It deals force damage and counts as magical. This weapon lasts 1 hour or until dismissed.

Arcane Channeling

Starting at 2nd level, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you may replace one weapon attack with the casting of a cantrip. At 11th level, you can replace one weapon attack with a spell of 1st level or higher.

Arcane Path

At 3rd level, you choose an Arcane Path that defines your mystical approach: Blade-Sigil, Crimson Seal, or Forbidden Archive. Your choice grants you features at 3rd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels.

Ability Score Improvement

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

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class and to four when you reach 20th level in this class.

Blade Sigil

At 7th level, you can inscribe a sigil of power onto your weapon as a bonus action. For 1 minute, you add your Intelligence modifier to the damage of weapon attacks. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1), regaining all uses after a long rest.

Arcane Echo

Starting at 9th level, when you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can immediately cast a cantrip as a bonus action.

Manifest Weapon

At 1st level, you can summon a weapon formed of pure arcane energy. As a bonus action, conjure a weapon with the finesse, reach, or heavy property (your choice). It deals force damage and counts as magical. This weapon lasts 1 hour or until dismissed.

Magic Synthesis

At 13th level, when you cast a spell using a spell slot, you can choose to make a weapon attack as part of the same action. You can use this feature once per turn.

Grimoire Guardian

At 15th level, when a creature targets you with a spell, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the spell attack or force a reroll of the saving throw DC. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier per long rest.

Spellblade Ascension

At 17th level, when you use Arcane Channeling or Magic Synthesis, your weapon attacks deal additional force damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Arcane Apotheosis

At 20th level, you become a living conduit of arcane mastery. You regain all expended uses of Blade Sigil and Grimoire Guardian at the start of a combat.

Additionally, once per long rest, you can cast any spell from your grimoire without expending a spell slot.

Arcanist Knight Path

Blade-Sigil

You inscribe magical runes into your weapons and armor, turning yourself into a living weapon.

Sigil of Force

Starting at 3rd level, when you deal damage with a weapon attack, you can deal an additional 1d4 force damage. This increases to 1d6 at 10th level.

Sigil Shield

Staring at 6th level, when you use Blade Sigil, you also gain temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier + your Arcanist Knight level.

Sigil Mastery

At 10th level, you can inscribe a second weapon with a sigil. Additionally, attacks with sigil-inscribed weapons ignore resistance to force damage.

Arcane Overdrive

At 14th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Blade Sigil left, you regain one use.

Arcane Execution

At 18th level, when you hit a creature with a sigil-inscribed weapon, you can expend a spell slot to deal 2d8 force damage per spell level (max 5d8).

Crimson Seal

You delve into blood sigils, blending your vitality with the raw power of magic.

Blood Sigil

Starting at 3rd level, when casting a spell, you may expend hit points equal to twice the spell level to cast it without expending a spell slot. You can use this feature once per short rest.

Hemorrhage Curse

Beginning at 6th level, when you hit a creature with a spell or weapon attack, you can curse it as a bonus action. Until the end of your next turn, it takes necrotic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier whenever it moves willingly.

Sanguine Reversal

At 10th level, when you drop to 0 hit points but aren’t killed outright, you may drop to 1 hit point instead. Once per long rest.

Crimson Conduit

At 14th level, when you use Blood Sigil, you may also add your Intelligence modifier to one spell damage roll made that turn.

Exsanguinate

At 18th level, when you kill a creature with a spell or sigil-inscribed weapon, regain hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your Arcanist Knight level.

Forbidden Archive

You tap into lost and forbidden lore, drawing power from ancient realms.

Forbidden Knowledge

Starting at 3rd level, Learn 1 warlock cantrip and 1 1st-level warlock spell. The spell counts as an Arcanist Knight spell and doesn’t count against your known spells.

Eldritch Sigil

Beginning at 6th level, When you hit with a weapon attack, you may cast a cantrip as part of the same action. Once per turn.

Warp Reality

At 10th level, You can cast Misty Step once per short or long rest without expending a spell slot.

Arcane Ruin

At 14th level, When a creature succeeds on a saving throw against your spell, it takes half damage (if applicable) and has disadvantage on the next save until the start of your next turn.

Forbidden Mastery

At 18th level, You can cast a 6th-level spell once without a spell slot. You regain this use after a long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Arcanist Knight class, you must meet these prerequisites:

• Intelligence score of 13 or more
• Strength or Dexterity score of 13 or more

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Fate Weaver class, you gain the following proficiencies:

• light armor, medium armor, shields
• Martial and Simple Weapons

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