Artificer: Hedgemage
Magic is a wonderous, powerful and mysterious thing. It can bestow the most fortunate of blessing, or cause the most terrible of woes. Indeed those wielding it can seem as gods to those who can't. But not everyone born without a fancy bloodline, in a secretive shrine or near a college of the arcane is willing to just sit back and watch as these wise ones alter fate without them. Some feel the all consuming need to join in, but in order to do that they need to take what is not rightfully theirs. Hedge Mages, as these people are called, are anyone who has the will and craftiness to cultivate enough occult secrets to bless themselves with magic, either through stolen papers, cursed artifacts or powerful bottled blood. This acquired power is then channeled through instruments of fate, or cards of fate in order to see the Hedge Mages lust for power made into reality. Although usually plagued by envy and fear, these collectors can channel their hoard toward any cause, good or ill.
Tool Proficiency
You gain proficiency with playing cards, and can use them as a spellcasting focus for artificer spells.
Stolen Secrets
In your frantic search for power, you have taken magical knowledge from any source you can find, no matter how obscure. At 3rd level, you learn two 1st-level spells of your choice from any class spell list. These Stolen Secrets spells become Artificer spells for you, but they do not count against your total number of Spells Known.
You can cast each of your Stolen Secrets spells once, at its lowest level, without expending a spell slot, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. You can also cast Stolen Secrets spells with any spell slots you have. You learn two additional Stolen Secrets spells of your choice when you reach 5th level (2nd level spells), and again at 9th level (3rd level spells), 13th level (4th level spells), and 17th level (5th level spells) in this class. When you gain a level in this class, you can swap one of these spells for a spell of the same level.
Mundane Magister
Starting at 3rd level, although the most powerful magic is beyond your reach, you have mastered the minor magics of the world. You learn three cantrips of your choice from any spell list. These cantrips count as artificer spells for you, but don't count against the number of spells you know. Additionally, as an action you can swap one of these known spells for another cantrip of your choice from any spell list. Once you do so, you must finish a short or long rest before you can do so again.
Clever Craft
Beginning at 5th level, when you cast an artificer spell through your playing cards, you can deal 2d6 additional force damage to one creature affected by the spell, as the untamed magic flows into them. This increases to 3d6 at 9th level, and 4d6 at 15th level. If you roll a 6 on a d6 for this feature, you can roll another d6, and add it to the damage
Spirit Slip
Starting at 9th level, your craftiness has allowed you how to cross halfway across the boundary into the spirit world, the source of all magic for a brief, yet useful moment. This is dangerous however, as spirits may be attracted and fascinated by your presence for better or worse. As a bonus action, you can fade into the gap between our worlds, gaining the following benefits until the end of your next turn:
- You are invisible.
- You have resistance to all damage from spells.
- You are immune to the charmed and frightened conditions, and any effect causing you to be charmed or frightened immediately ends.
- You gain truesight out to 30 feet, as you gain the clarity of spirits.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all uses when you finish a long rest.
Best Left Forgotten
Starting at 15th level, your tireless search has paid off, and you have learned a very dangerous, very powerful and very old secret, allowing you to match even the mightiest of mages. Choose a spell of 8th level or lower. You can cast that spell once, without expending a spell slot and as if you spent an 8th level spell slot. You were never meant to wield such power however, and your body cannot take the stress. You take 4d10 force damage, which can't be reduced in any way, and until the end of your next turn, any attack roll against you has advantage and any saving throw you make to resist a magical effect has disadvantage. You can change this spell by doing a months worth of research, and spending 2000 gold.
Once you cast a spell using this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
When you reach 17th level in this class, you can cast 9th level spells using this feature.