Cardcaster
Often called diviners, cardcasters utilize the uncertainty of the tarot to draw forth their magic. To a Cardcaster the tarot is more than just a prediction of things that may or may not happen, rather it is a quite literal embodiment. In a Cardcasters hands, such cards are capable of unleashing magic upon the world.
Cardcasters have trained to understand and wield the many meanings these magical cards can have. There are many varieties of card casters, some who train physical combat along side magical, others who focus on their skills, and still more who seek the deepest fringe understandings of their cards in hopes of unlocking even more power. Most Cardcasters are superstitious and spiritual people who believe in fate above all things.
Cardcaster
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Major Arcana Known | Hand Size | Plays | Slot Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Governing Suit, Cardcasting | Fool(0) - The Empress(3) | 2 | 2 | 1st |
| 2nd | +2 | Soul Line | Fool(0) - The Empress(3) | 2 | 2 | 1st |
| 3rd | +2 | Court Card | Fool(0) - The Chariot(7) | 3 | 4 | 2nd |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | Fool(0) - The Chariot(7) | 3 | 4 | 2nd |
| 5th | +3 | Fate Renewed | Fool(0) - The Hermit(9) | 4 | 5 | 3rd |
| 6th | +3 | Court Card | Fool(0) - The Hermit(9) | 4 | 5 | 3rd |
| 7th | +3 | ─ | Fool(0) - Justice(11) | 5 | 6 | 4th |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | Fool(0) - Justice(11) | 5 | 6 | 4th |
| 9th | +4 | ─ | Fool(0) - Death(13) | 5 | 7 | 5th |
| 10th | +4 | Court Card | Fool(0) - Death(13) | 5 | 7 | 5th |
| 11th | +4 | ─ | Fool(0) - The Devil(15) | 5 | 8 | 5th |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | Fool(0) - The Devil(15) | 5 | 8 | 5th |
| 13th | +5 | ─ | Fool(0) - The Star(17) | 5 | 8 | 5th |
| 14th | +5 | Court Card | Fool(0) - The Star(17) | 5 | 8 | 5th |
| 15th | +5 | ─ | Fool(0) - The Sun(19) | 5 | 8 | 5th |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | Fool(0) - The Sun(19) | 5 | 8 | 5th |
| 17th | +6 | ─ | Fool(0) - The World(21) | 5 | 8 | 5th |
| 18th | +6 | Deck of Suits and Faces | Fool(0) - The World(21) | 5 | 8 | 5th |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | Fool(0) - The World(21) | 5 | 8 | 5th |
| 20th | +6 | Organize Fate | Fool(0) - The World(21) | 5 | 8 | 5th |
Creating a Cardcaster
When creating your Cardcaster, consider your character's connection to fate, random chance, or prophecy. Perhaps your character was born with this connection or it was forged from a special experience. You might have been born under an eclipse or gained your connection under the light of a meteor shower.
Think about how your character became an adventurer. Is there some fated event you are seeking out or trying to make happen? Maybe you sense the thread of life from one of your other party memebers.
Quick Build
You can make a Cardcaster quickly by making your highest ability score based on the governing suit you desire, followed by Dexterity. Choose the Sage background.
Art Credit: Art of Li
Class Features
As a Cardcaster you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d6 per Cardcaster level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per nomad level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Tools: Playing Card Set (Tarot Cards)
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Arcana and any one other skill
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
- (a) a scholars pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
- A Tarot deck
Governing Suit
At 1st level, you feel a special draw towards one of the suits of the minor arcana. Choose from Cups, Pentacles, Wands, or Swords. You gain the benefits associated with your chosen suit:
Cups
- Your Cardcasting ability is Charisma.
- You gain proficiency in two Charisma skills.
- You gain a chalice, orb, or crystal which can be used as a spellcasting focus for you.
- When you cast a spell that deals Cold or Lightning you deal additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
- You learn three of the following cantrips: Friends, Frostbite, Guidance, Ray of Frost, Shape Water, Shocking Grasp.
Pentacles
- Your Cardcasting ability is Intelligence.
- You gain proficiency in two Intelligence skills.
- You gain a piece of jewellery or a gemstone which can be used as a spellcasting focus for you.
- When you cast a spell that deals Acid or Poison damage, you deal additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
- You learn three of the following cantrips: Acid Splash, Druidcraft, Infestation, Magic Stone, Mending, Mold Earth.
Wands
- Your Cardcasting ability is Wisdom.
- You gain proficiency in two Wisdom skills.
- You gain a wand, staff, or rod which can be used as a spellcasting focus for you.
- When you cast a spell that deals Fire or Necrotic damage, you deal additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
- You learn three of the following cantrips: Chill Touch, Control Flames, Create Bonfire, Produce Flame, Thaumaturgy, Toll the Dead.
Swords
- Your Cardcasting ability is Constitution
- You gain proficiency with Martial melee weapons and light armor
- You gain a martial melee weapon of your choice, which can be used as a spellcasting focus for you.
- When you cast a spell that deals Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing, or Thunder damage, you deal additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
- You learn three of the following cantrips: Blade Ward, Booming Blade, Gust, Mage Hand, Sword Burst, True Strike.
Cardcasting
As a Cardcaster you release magic by playing tarot cards from the major arcana. Your starting deck consists of three cards, The Fool(0), The Magician(1), and The Empress(2), but additional cards are added to your deck as you level up as show in the Major Arcana Deck section of the class table above.
Major Arcana Deck
| Card Number | Card Name | Spells |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | The Fool | Chaos Bolt, Expeditious Retreat, Sanctuary |
| 1 | The Magician | Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shield |
| 2 | The High Priestess | Entangle, Hideous Laughter, Witch Bolt |
| 3 | The Empress | Animal Friendship, Cause Fear, Inflict Wounds |
| 4 | The Emperor | Enlarge/Reduce, Hold Person, Shatter |
| 5 | The Hierophant | Detect Thoughts, Dragon’s Breath, Gust of Wind |
| 6 | The Lovers | Enhance Ability, Moonbeam, Suggestion |
| 7 | The Chariot | Alter Self, Heat Metal, Misty Step |
| 8 | Strength | Haste, Lightning Bolt, Life Transference |
| 9 | The Hermit | Bestow Curse, Fly, Major Image |
| 10 | The Wheel of Fortune | Confusion, Dimension Door, Watery Sphere |
| 11 | Justice | Black Tentacles, Dominate Beast, Polymorph |
| 12 | The Hanged Man | Dominate Person, Immolation, Legend Lore |
| 13 | Death | Cloudkill, Contagion, Geas |
| 14 | Temperance | Globe of Invulnerability, Mental Prison, Sunbeam |
| 15 | The Devil | Disintegrate, Flesh to Stone, Mass Suggestion |
| 16 | *The Tower | Reverse Gravity, Magnificent Mansion, Teleport |
| 17 | *The Star | Crown of Stars, Planeshift, Project Image |
| 18 | *The Moon | Antipathy/Sympathy, Antimagic Field, Dominate Monster |
| 19 | *The Sun | Control Weather, Power Word Stun, Sunburst |
| 20 | *Judgment | Power Word Kill, Storm of Vengeance, True Polymorph |
| 21 | *The World | Gate, Timestop, Wish |
When you complete a long rest shuffle any cards in your discard pile, hand, and any cards you have removed from play back into your deck, then draw up to your hand size. You hand size is determined by your Cardcaster level as shown in the Hand Size column of the class table above. Any time you play or remove a card from your hand, draw cards so as to remain always at your hand size. If your deck runs out of cards for you to draw you simply do not draw, and you cannot reshuffle the discard pile until you complete a long rest.
Casting Spells
To cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you must take a card from your hand and select one of the spells that that card embodies. Place that card into your discard pile and resolve the spell casting. The following table shows the spell options that are tied to each card. You may only play a certain number of cards. This value is shown in the Plays column of the class table above. You regain all plays when your complete a long rest.
You are able to cast cantrips without expending cards from your hand, but your character must have a tarot deck to use as a spellcasting focus in order to do so.
Removing Cards
Some cards are so powerful that they are too taxing to play again. When you play The Tower(16) or a higher card instead of placing it in the discard pile, remove it from play. These cards do not get shuffled back into the deck until you complete a long rest.
Additionally, these powerful cards come in pairs: The Tower(16) and The Star(17), The Moon(18) and The Sun(19), Judgement(20) and The World(21). If any of these cards are removed from play and you draw its pair or have it in your hand, you must remove it from play as well, then draw a new card to replace it.
Ritual Casting
The tarot deck is naturally designed for the purposes of Divination. As such you may cast any divination spell as a ritual so long as you have a card in your deck that contains a spell of the same level as the divination spell you wish to do as a ritual.
Growing Power
Your cards The Fool(0) through Justice(11) start out weak, but gain power as you level up. At 3rd level when you cast spells through your Cardcasting they are cast as if a 2nd level spell slot was used, at 5th level as if a 3rd level slot was used, at 7th level as if a 4th level slot, and finally at 9th level they cast as if a 5th level spell slot was used to cast them. This power increase is also listed in the class table above under the Slot Level column.
Soul Line
At 2nd level you understand the hidden forces that drive your life. While not inherently tied to card casting, understanding and mastering your Soul Line provides you with a magical attunement that follows you throughout your life. Choose one of the following options:
Art Credit: Art of Li
Sun
The Sun is the giver of life but also the ruler of death and thus governs the school of Necromancy. All friendly creatures, including yourself, who are within 60 feet of you have advantage on death saving throws.
Moon
The Moon is the conduit for mystery and wishes and thus governs the school of conjuration. Once per day, when you or another creature rolls a d20, you may force that creature to roll again and you may decide which of the two rolls applies.
Mercury
Mercury is the most playful and tricky of the planets and thus governs the school of illusion. You gain the Minor Illusion cantrip and when you cast it you can create sights, sounds, and smells with a single casting of it.
Venus
Venus is the embodiment of attractiveness and thus governs the school of enchantment. Whenever you succeed in charming a creature, you may force that creature to reveal one secret to you. Additionally, creatures that are charmed by you had disadvantage on perception checks to notice anything other than you.
Mars
Mars is a powerful force usually of destruction and thus governs the school of evocation. You have a +1 bonus to all attack rolls you make.
Jupiter
Jupiter is an ever shifting force and thus governs the school of transmutation. Once per day, as an action, you can touch one of the following substances and shift it one step up or down the list. You can alter only one object at a time in this way, the object must fit within a 1ft cube, if it can’t, you can make progress on it in 1ft cube increments.
- Base Metal (Lead, Tin, Zinc)(Negligible value)
- Iron (0.5x value of Copper)
- Steel (Same value of Copper)
- Copper (weapons and armor -1)
- Silver (weapons and armor -1)
- Gold (weapons and armor -2)
- Platinum (weapons and armor -2)
- Mithril (5x value of Platinum)
- Adamantine (10x value of Platinum)
Saturn
Saturn is a great protector and thus governs the school of Abjuration. You have a +1 bonus to all saving throws made against spells and their effects.
Court Card
When you reach 3rd level your affinity for a specific card in the minor arcana grows, drawing your attention to one of the face cards of your suit. Choose either the Page, Knight, Queen, or King. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4ht 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.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Fate Renewed
At 5th level you begin to learn how to control a portion of your fate. As an action you may end your turn and discard your hand to shuffle your discard pile back into your deck. You then redraw up to your hand size. Once you use this feature you must complete a long rest before using it again.
Deck of Suits and Faces
At 18th level your sense of your governing suit and court card are beginning to fade, as you learn each of them have an equal play in your life. All damage you deal with spells deals additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus to one creature hit by the spell.
As a bonus action on your turn you may take on the mantle of a different suit. Choose one of the suits, your spellcasting focus is replaced by one belonging to the new suit. You gain access to all the cantrips of the new suit and you gain advantage on your first attack roll with a cantrip belonging to the new suit. If the cantrip does not have an attack roll the target creature has disadvantage on the first saving throw it makes against the cantrip.
Additionally, you may choose to forego your current Subclass features gained from Court Card and instead craft your own Court Card by selecting one feature of each level from the Page, Knight, Queen, or King. Each time you complete a long rest you may choose a different collection of features from among the Court Cards.
Transcendent
At 20th level the tarot’s gift to you is the mastery over a single card in your deck. Choose The Fool(0), The Magician(1), The High Priestess(2), The Empress(3) The Emperor(4), The Hierophant(5), The Lovers(6), or The Chariot(7). Remove this card from play. While it is removed, you may cast any of the spells on that card at will, without expending a Play.
At the end of a long rest you may choose a different card to remove from play.
Court Cards
While all cardcasters differ between their Governing Suits and Soul Lines, they are further divided by their choice of a Court Card. This court card is typically seen as an embodiment of age, but often a character is drawn to a Court Card that represents the sort of things they want out of life.
Art Credit: Art of Li
Page
The Page outshines all others when it comes to his adaptability and safety. Always ready to learn and try new things, the page can quickly adapt to new situations.
Eagerness
When you choose this Court Card at 3rd level page grants you a feeling of curiosity and energy that calls you to seek out the world and test yourself. You gain advantage on initiative rolls and your movement speed is increased by 10 feet.
Perpetual Apprentice
At 6th level the page reveals the joy of learning and practicing new skills to you. During any creature’s turn, you may play a card from your hand, but rather than casting a spell, you gain proficiency in one skill, tool, language, saving throw, or weapon for a number of hours equal to your current Slot Level.
Careful Footing
When you reach 10th level the page reminds you that your eagerness is not equivalent to the recklessness of the knight, because of this you remain on your toes, alert to dangers. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw and only half damage if you fail.
Unbreakable Yearning
At 14th level nothing can bring down someone whose court card is the page. You gain proficiency in all saving throws, and if you fail a saving throw, you may discard a card from your hand to reroll it.
Knight
The Knight is the embodiment of confidence and foolishness. The knight has perhaps an overinflated sense of his own abilities and charges forth into the world taking risks for the thrill of it. Rarely still or clam, this member of the court is always seeking out adventure and can’t wait to see what’s around the next corner.
Expertise
When you choose this Court Card at 3rd level the knight fills you with self assurance and confidence in your own abilities. Choose two skills that you are proficient in. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any check that uses either of these skills.
Reckless Endeavor
At 6th level you have become so confident in yourself that you often forget to think ahead, putting value in the present rather than on the future. On your turn you may choose to give yourself advantage on your next d20 roll. However, after you make that roll, your next d20 roll is made with disadvantage.
On to Adventure
When you reach 10th level you are no longer able to contain your desire to seek out the world. While mounted or on foot, your travel pace is doubled, as is the travel pace of up to ten companions while they're within 60 feet of you and you're not incapacitated. Additionally, you alone ignore the effects of difficult terrain.
Audacious Courage
At 14th level you are so confident in yourself that you even sense you can beat fate. When you would roll a d20, you may instead reveal the top card of your deck. The number on this card used as if it were rolled on the d20. The Fool(0) and The Magician(1) count as critical failures while Judgement(20) and The World(21) count as critical successes. In either case, discard the card after you’ve revealed it. If you have no cards in your deck you cannot use this feature.
Art Credit: Art of Li
Queen
The Queen sits quietly, contemplating her options. She does not act until she has considered every possible outcome. The young and reckless consider her indecisive and weak, but the wise and powerful know she is as formidable as they come. Her mastery over Cardcasting transcends many of the limits of her peers.
Possibilities
When you choose this Court Card at 3rd level the queen’s wisdom settles in you. You begin to understand that there are more solutions to problems that you had originally imagined. Your Hand Size is increased by 2.
Preparation
At 6th level the knowledge of the queen has left you well prepared. The number of cards you can play between rests (as listed in the Plays column) is increased by 2.
Queen’s Gambit
Starting at 10th level the queen’s experience has prepared you for whatever might come next. When a creature casts a spell, you may use your reaction to discard a card from your hand that contains the same spell option. If you do so the spell is countered as if you had cast Counterspell. This counts as a Play. If you discard The Tower(16) or a higher card, you must remove it from play.
Organize Fate
At 14th level the queen has revealed that you control the cards just as much as they control you. When you use your Fate Renewed feature you may choose which cards you place back into the deck and which cards you wish to leave in the discard pile. Additionally, you may use your Fate Renewed feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.
King
The King stands at the end of his journey. He has spent time mastering his Governing Suit and has learned to utilize everything it has to offer. Besides his mastery, the king takes it upon himself to guide and look after those beneath him and guide them on their journeys. However, should enemies stand it the King’s path, he has well placed confidence in his abilities
Guidance
When you choose this Court Card at 3rd level, the king fills you with both the desire and ability to lead your friends to success. As a bonus action on your turn you may use the Help action. Additionally you may use the Help action on a creature that is up to 30 feet away.
Entrust Legacy
At 6th level the King teaches you how to spread the most aid possible. When you cast a spell that targets one or more allies, you may discard a card from your hand to extend that spell to one additional ally. You may discard multiple cards to further extend such a spell.
Edict of Power
When you reach 10th level the king bestows upon you the ability to wield his absolute power. As an action, you may choose one creature within 60 feet of you and discard one card from your hand. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw or take 1d10 force damage, plus an additional Xd10 force damage, where X is the number of the card. On a successful save a creature takes half damage. If you discard The Tower(16) or a higher card, you must remove it from play.
Elemental Mastery
At 14th level the king has guided you to a full mastery of your chosen suit. Depending on your Governing Suit you gain access to a new spell which you may cast once without consuming a play. After casting it you must complete a long rest before casting it again. When you change your suit with your Deck of Suits and Faces trait, you also change which of the spell you have access to:
- Cups - Investiture of Ice.
- Pentacles - Investiture of Stone.
- Wands - Investiture of Fire.
- Swords - Investiture of Wind.
Art Credit: Art of Li
