The Archivists (5e Subclass)
The Archivists[edit]
Warlock Subclass
Your "Patron" has tasked you to search far and wide to find and protect the world's oldest legends and stories, you search for all information whether it be historical, mythical, fictional, nonfiction, secretive, dangerous, or simply forgotten by time in order to protect and prevent the destruction of these valuable items unless otherwise specified too. The archivists are stealthy, and sneaky and are ready to use extremely violent means to protect all valuable information, they are granted the ability to use even some rather dark forms of magic that have been entrusted to them by the archivist. The archivist is also granted some abilities that help with physical combat. The Archivist himself is largely unknown except for his interest in the preservation of knowledge, and their alignment due to their demands to their archivist which is chaotic good. Other than this not much is known. It isn't even known if the Archivist is a god or just a diety. Sometimes those who made a pact may know some of this information what information is known about The Archivist is up to the GM's interpretation.
Expanded Spell List[edit]
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | analyze, shield |
| 2nd | alter self, enhance ability |
| 3rd | haste, record memory |
| 4th | ice storm, storm of swords |
| 5th | necrotic boom, shadow record |
Journal of The Archivist[edit]
At 1st level, you gain a journal from your patron. This journal contains forbidden knowledge that is accessible only to those who make a pact with The Archivist. To anyone else, the writing is invisible. The journal is an arcane focus that allows you to cast your spells but also grants you some other abilities. If the journal is destroyed, you will temporarily lose your ability to cast spells until the Journal reappears an hour later on your person.
- As an action you can use the journal to gain advantage on all Intelligence (History) and Intelligence (Arcana) checks for 1 minute. Once you do this you can't do so again until after you finish a short or long rest.
- You can use the journal to cast shield as a bonus action without using a spell slot. Once you do this you can't do so again until after a short or long rest.
Honorable Pact[edit]
At 6th level, your Archivist recognizes your efforts in protecting valuable information. Your 6th level feature depends on the pact boon you have selected.
- Pact of the Blade: The Archivist's Blade.
- Pact of the Tome: The Archivist's Scroll.
- Pact of the Chain: The Archivist's Alliance.
- All other pact boons that are not listed here fall under the Archivist's Scroll.
The Archivist's Blade[edit]
Starting at 6th level, you can use the Archvist's power to enhance your pact of the blade weapon. Now your pact weapon no longer disappears when it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more.
- As a bonus action, you can cast thunderous smite without using a spell slot once as long as your pact weapon is in your hand. At 17th level, you can now cast the spell banishing smite without using a spell slot once as long as your pact weapon is in your hand. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, regaining all uses after you finish a long rest.
- You can use Intelligence instead of a Dexterity or Strength for attack rolls and damage rolls with your pact blade.
The Archivist's Scroll[edit]
Starting at 6th level, you can use The Archivist's scroll to cast some more spells.
- You obtain a single scroll from your patron. The scroll holds a single spell from the following table below, and you gain additional options as you gain more levels in the warlock class. This scroll cannot be used to carry any other spell inscriptions or used to cast any other spells. Spells in this scroll do not require a spell slot and cannot be upcast. To change the spell in the scroll, you must do a 10-minute ritual rewriting the magic ingrained in this special scroll. You can only change the spell in the scroll once, needing to finish a long rest before doing so again. All spells you cast with this scroll have their casting time changed to a bonus action. You must be holding the scroll to use it and the scroll crumbles to dust once you use the spell inside. The scroll reappears on your person at the end of a short or long rest.
| Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 6 | fireball, lightning bolt |
| 11 | destructive wave, mass cure wounds |
| 17 | fire storm |
The Archivist's Alliance[edit]
At 6th level, the Archivist has gifted you elevated powers of friendship and camaraderie with your familiar and creatures in general.
- You gain the speak with animals, speak with plants, and speak with dead spells in your Journal of The Archivist. While your familiar is summoned, you can cast one of these spells without using a spell slot. You must finish a short or long rest before using any of these spells again.
- When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or a giant spider, in addition to the forms granted by the Pact of Chain. At 11th level, you can also choose giant scorpion. At 17th level, you can choose giant crocodile.
Master Archivist[edit]
At 10th level, your patron grants you the mastery of ancient knowledge, giving you the ability to see, hear, and feel a distant event in the past within your vicinity. As an action, you can make a History check. You can use either your Intelligence or Charisma score for this check. The DC modifiers for this check is based on the table below. The base DC is recommended to be 10, but the DM can augment this as they see fit, depending on the obscurity or importance of an event that took place within a 150 foot radius of your location.
| Years from Present | DC Increase |
|---|---|
| 10 | 0 |
| 50 | 1 |
| 100 | 2 |
| 150 | 3 |
| 200 | 4 |
| 250 | 5 |
| 500 | 8 |
On a successful check, the DM gives you a complete sensory experience of the event you seek to examine from the past (visuals, auditory, etc.). The event can be up to 1 minute long, during which you are entirely disconnected from your senses in the present. This ability can be used a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, regaining all uses after you finish a long rest
Cognitive Overload[edit]
Starting at 14th level you can send a burst of psychic energy that will reach 30 feet in all directions within view, any creature caught in the blast must make an Intelligence saving throw or take 10d10 psychic damage and be stunned for one minute. On a successful save, the damage is halved and the creature is not stunned. You can only use this ability once, regaining use after you finish a long rest.
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