Archivist

The gnome stares at the huge demon while going through his notes, he anxiously reviews them trying to figure out a weakness suddenly in a flash of genious the savvy scholar recalls a textbook diagram detailing weaknesses in the demon's armor behind its knees. Quickly, he relays this information to his teammates informing them of the vulnerability and allowing them to strike a crippling blow.

Holding herself from the ceiling with a rope tied around her waist, the elf studies the walls of the ancient temple. She frowns for a moment, then mutters a quiet incantation, causing glowing words to appear on the stone surface. Reaching for the worn, leather-bound book on her belt, the elf smiles and begins transcribing her discovery.

Hidding in the shadows, a human man summons an arcane eye to spy upon the enemy encampments, taking notes for the coming battle. He studies their arms and armor to gather enough information on their possible strategy, he then notices that their armor will crack easily with extreme cold. A small grin comes to his face, he has read a spell that will surely help with this battle.

What is information if it is never used? While librarians dedicate their lifes to organize, read old books and having information handy, an archivist has a different mindset, they dedicate their lifes to obtaining purposely hidden knowledge and applying it. Transcribing ages old tomes hidden inside long forgotten libraries might not seem as a flashy job, but these men and women go beyond that by going to the most dangerous reaches of the world looking up for the long forgotten treasure or book that will show the path to their hearts desire.

## Knowledge is Power

Archivists usually work at temples or castles transcribing information obtained from different places so that it is available for further study, the access to such information has given them a talent to connect it in ways none had thought of before. They can remember footnotes of books detailing a way to defeat a monster or even a spell that others long ago forgot, these men and women are able to prove that knowledge is the most important weapon in combat.

While most of the time archivist work at monasteries, they gather most of their spellcasting knowledge from transcribing lectures on how to cast certain spells. Finally, They can also learn spells by looking at ancient texts that detail ages old rituals that take the power of nature's spirits to themselves. this is the power they hold, a mind capable of learning anything.

## Seekers of Information

Most people interested in reasearch spend their youth inside libraries or colleges looking for information in old tomes, but Archivist's main diffence is that they hunger to seek out first hand the scriptures of some ancient civilization. These studious people do not seek out power, they seek out knowledge that trancends time and space, they seek out to uncover what lies hidden beneath the surface.

Archivists understand that some information is priceless and should be preserved for eternity, this is why they seek out the adventuring life style and hope to one day find some valuable object or scripture. This seeking of knowledge could present them as archeologists or even curios people with a thirst for knowledge.

## Creating an Archivist

Archivist might seem like cloistered people but they are not, they strive to find the knowledge of ages old amongst ruins of long lost libraries. Where did you study most of your lost knowledge? What long forgotten treasure are you seeking? Why do you seek such information? How far are you willing to go to find what you long for?

Perhaps you found some lost treasure during your youth that sent you down a path of research or maybe, you stumbled across an old tome and spent years learning to decipher its strange symbols and diagrams. Whatever your reason, consider how your background influences your current studies, as well as how it provides motivation for your future pursuits.

# Quick Build

You can make an Archivist quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the sage background.

### Hit Points

* **Hit Dice:** 1d6 per archivist level
* **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 6 + your Constitution modifier
* **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per archivist level after 1st

### Proficiencies

* **Armor:** Light armor
* **Weapons:** Simple weapons, hand crossbows, rapiers, scimitars, shortswords, whips
* **Tools:** Calligrapher's supplies, thieves' tools
* **Saving Throws:** Constitution, Intelligence
* **Skills:** Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Percerption, and Religion.

### Equipment

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

* *(a)* a rapier or *(b)* a shortsword
* *(a)* a light crossbow or *(b)* a whip
* *(a)* a component pouch or *(b)* calligrapher's supplies
* *(a)* a scholar's pack or *(b)* an explorer's pack
* Leather armor and a lorebook

## Spellcasting

As a student of magic and esoteric knowledge, you have organized a lorebook from which to study spells dealing with your spellcasting. Although your study of magic is similar to that of a traditional wizard, you forgo some of their spellcasting prowess to gather long forgotten knowledge. See chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting.

### Cantrips

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

When you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the Archivist cantrips you know with another cantrip from the Archivist spell list.

### Lorebook

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

### Preparing and Casting Spells

The Archivist table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these 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.

You prepare the list of Archivist spells that are available for you to cast daily. To do so, choose a number of Archivist spells from your lorebook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your Archivist level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you're a 4th-level Archivist, you have three 1st-level and three 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your lorebook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell false life, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of Archivist spells requires time spent studying your lorebook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

#### Your Lorebook

The spells that you add to your lorebook as you gain levels reflect the dark arts research you conduct on your own, as well as any other breakthrough 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 inside an ancient temple to a deity long forgotten, for example, or in a dusty tome in an ancient library, or even another Archivist lorebook. A lorebook doesn't contain cantrips.

**Copying a Spell into the lorebook.** When you find a Archivist spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your lorebook 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 lorebook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the caster. 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 hour 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.

An Archivist spell on a scroll can be copied just as spells in a lorebook can be copied. When you copy a spell from a scroll, you must succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC equal to 10 + the spell's level. If the check succeeds, the spell is successfully copied. Whether the check succeeds or fails, the spell scroll is destroyed.
**Replacing the Book.** You can copy a spell from your own lorebook into another if, for example, you want to make a backup copy of your lorebook. This is just like copying a new spell into your lorebook, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation and already know how to cast the spell. You need spend only 1-hour and 25 gp for each level of the copied spell.

If you lose your lorebook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the spells that you have prepared into a new lorebook. Filling out the remainder of your lorebook requires you to find new spells to do so, as normal. For this reason, many Archivists keep backup lorebook in a safe place.
**The Book's Appearance.** Your lorebook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own marks and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your someone, a dusty old tome full of details found in some ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together together during your research.

### Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Archivist spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. 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 Archivist spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

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

***Spell attack modifier*** = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
### Ritual Casting

You can cast a Archivist spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have in your lorebook. You don't need to have the spell prepared.

### Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher

Each time you gain a level, you can add two Archivist spells of your choice to your lorebook. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Archivist table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your lorebook (see "Your Lorebook").

### Spellcasting Focus

You can use your Calligrapher's Supplies (PHB, chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your Archivist spells.

## Researcher

At 1st level, you are an avid researcher and have learned how to understand lost languages. You know the comprehend languages spell and can cast it using one of your spell slots, or as a ritual. It does not count as part of your prepared spells, and Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.

Additionally, if you do not have it, you gain proficiency with the investigation skill and if you already have it, your proficiency bonus is doubled. This bonus does not stack with any other ability that doubles your proficiency bonus.

## Esoteric Applications

When reaching 2nd level, you manage to figure out how to apply what you have learned with years of research into combat.

Whenever an ally within 30 feet of you makes an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to grant advantage to it. You can use this abilitya number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier per long rest.

## Scholarly Specialization

Your studies have expanded to specialize in a specific area of known studies.

At 3rd level, you choose a scholarly specialization, which form the foundation of your advance studies. These specializations are:

* Diplomacy
* Magic
* Medicine
* Warfare

Each of which are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 9th, 14th level, and 18th.

## 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.

## Source of Knowledge

Beginning when you reach 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Esoteric Applications when you finish a short or long rest.

## Advanced Research

Upon reaching 6th level, you can research monsters and spells by analyzing them. Whenever you face a monster you can spend your action making an Intelligence(Investigation) check against a DC of 10 + Challenge Rating of the monster to know two things about the monster from among: *Resistances*, *Vulnerabilities*, *Immunities*, *Abilities*, *HP*, *AC*, or *Actions*.

You can only do this once per short rest.

## Advanced Applications

At 10th level, your studies have advanced allowing you to teach your allies how they should defend or hinder their enemies actions efficiently.

Whenever an enemy within 30 feet of you makes an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw roll, you can use your reaction to grant disadvantage to it. To use this ability you have to expend a use of your Esoteric Applications.

## Esoteric Master

At 20th level, your dominion your knowledge goes above everyone, you have trained above any one else and so you can now help your allies achieve success in their tasks. When any ally within 30 feet of you makes an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, once per long rest you can use your reaction to treat the result of the die roll as if it had been a 20.

# Scholarly Specializations

Archivist live to learn new things and while they gather knowledge from many parts of the world, how they go about acquiring that knowledge, however, is another matter entirely. For some archivists, the pursuit itself is their very existence and thus embrace that never-ending hunger for knowledge. For others, the pursuit is a means to protecting their allies or to fight alongside them. But, whatever be the reason behind their thrist one thing is certain, they will put themselves on the line to achieve what ever they seek.

While they gather information about many subjects, they are more interested in an specific one and they choose to specialize in it. This could be could be one of many, but the most popular lines of study are: Diplomacy, Magic, Medicine, or Warfare.

## Student of Diplomacy

Some Archivist work for powerful kings and queens, taking notes for them and keep them in perpetuaty, others are advisors to them and so they have all learned the art of diplomacy. These men and women have become so talented at resolving conflict that they are often sent by these powerful men to solve them without any bloodshed.

### Bonus Proficiencies

At 3rd Level, any student of diplomacy has learned the basic of diplomacy, you gain proficiency with the Persuasion skill and land vehicles.

Additionally, you learn to speak, read, and write one language of your choice.

### Silver Tongued

At 3rd Level, you have learned how to convince people to listen to you and be on your side for a moment. When you speak to a creature you share a language with, you can choose to have them make a Wisdom saving throw against you spell save DC. If the creature fails this saving throw, it is charmed by you for one hour or until you or one of your allies deals damage to it or casts a spell on it, whichever happens first.

You can choose to use this ability as an action and can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

### Esoteric Application: Fearless Leaderhsip

By 9th level, your have become a leader who can convince allies to keep on fighting bravely. As an action, you can expend use of Esoteric Applications to end a charmed or frightened effect on an ally within 30 feet of you that you share a language with.

### Call To Protect

When you reach 14th level, you have learned how to convince someone that is charmed by you to defend you to the best of their ability mainting it's own survival instinct. For instance, while a commoner might run away from imminent danger, a soldier might stand it's ground and defend you.

In combat, the charmed creature has it's own initiative count. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another one. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. While charmed, the creature gains the following ability:

* When the charmed creature hits an attacking foe with a melee weapon attack, it can mark a foe until the end of it's next turn. This effect ends early if the charmed creature is incapacitated, dies, if someone else marks the creature, or if it marks another creature. While the marked creature is within 5 feet of it, the marked creature has disadvantage on any attack roll that doesn't target the charmed creature.

### Commanding Voice

At 18th level, once per long rest you can cast the command spell without expending a spell slot. If you use this ability on any creature you have charmed, they automatically fail the saving throw and must follow your command.

## Student of Magic

This is by far the most common specialization by Achivists since most people believe the secrets of the world can be unlocked with help of arcane knowledge, so this men and women dedicate their lifes studying the ability to learn the arcane secrets of the world and learning a few of those spells this way.

### Spell Theory

At 3rd level, as long as the Archivist is holding Calligrapher's Supplies, he is capable of casting any spell found in a scroll even if it is from another class. Alternatively, he can choose to write down the spell into his lorebook but the process needs 100 gp for supplies and takes 8 hours.

To do any of the options above, the Archivist must additionaly succeed on an Intelligence(Arcana) check against a DC of 10 + the spell's level and if he fails, the scroll is spent.

### Esoteric Application: Spell Recuperation

Upon reacing 9th level, a student of magic has learned a way to always have spells prepared.

As a bonus action, you can spend a use of your Esoteric Applications to switch out a spell you do not have prepared of a level up to your proficiency bonus with one you had prepared.

### Advanced Spell Theory

Beginning at 14th level, your studies into other casting arts have grown exponentialy, you have learned how to cast spells that are not of your own class and have had some idea of how they should be casted.

Choose two spells you have casted from any class, including this one. The spells you have chosen counts as an Archivist spells to you and as such they are added into your lorebook. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Archivist table, or a cantrip.

### Spell Specialization

At 18th level, you have achieved a level of specialization that allows you to cast certain spells at will. When you finish a long rest, you may choose a number of spells in your lorebook of 3rd level or lower with a combined level no higher than your Intelligence modifier. These spells are considered to be prepared for you and do not count against your number of spells prepared. You may cast each spell you designate once at their lowest level without using a spell slot. When you do so, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

In order to cast any of these spells at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal. You may choose to change which spells you have selected when you finish a long rest.

## Student of Medicine

Most of these student are fascinated by the innerworkings of the human body and have spent endless times analyzing them, their curiosity has allowed them to understand what the body needs to fend of different maladies and as such they are considered among the best physicians in the world.

### Physician's Power

Starting at 3rd level, you know how to channel to use your casting ability to heal the wounds of those who are injured.

A number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier times per long rest, you can add can heal anyone within 30 feet a number of d6's equal to your proficiency bonus.

Finally, you gain proficiency with herbalism kit and can use it as an spellcasting focus in addition to your calligrapher's supplies.

### Esoteric Application: Restorative Agent

At 9th level, your studies into the human body have grown thanks to your research and as such you have learned ways to channel your powers into removing maladies of the human body.

As an action, you can now expend a use of Esoteric Applications to end a condition affecting an ally you can touch. The condition can be blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned, or unconscious.

### Restorative Power

At 14st level, once per short or long rest, as an action you can apply one of the following benefits to a creature you touch:

* End a reduction to one of the target’s ability scores.
* End an effect reducing the target’s hit point maximum.
* Reduce the creature’s exhaustion level by one.

### Preventive Care

At 18th level, you have reached a pinnacle of medicinal care and so can now apply preventive care to any ally. Once per long rest, you can spend 10 minutes practicing preventative medical care on a number of creatures up to your Intelligence modifier (including yourself). Each treated creature gains temporary hit points equal to their Contitution score plus your Intelligence Score. While a creature has temporary hit points granted by this feature, they have resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, poison, and slashing damage.

## Student of Warfare

While most Archivists some find comfort studying in colleges or libraries, others find comfort not only researching about but being part of it. These men enjoy being part of the frail and so they they have trained and learned how to direct combat to the best of their abilities.

### Bonus Proficiencies

At 3rd level, since students of warefare have trained themselves to be amongst the soldiers in the frontlines of combat and so they gain proficiency in medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.

### Strategic Combat

When you reach 3rd level, you see combat like a battle map, you know where you need to be positiones and where strikes will deal the most damage. Instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier for any attack or damage roll, you can instead use your Intelligence modifier.

Addionaly, the Archivist can use any weapon he can hold in one hand as a spellcasting focus.

### Esoteric Application: Signal the Attack

Upon reaching 9th level, Archivist have learned how to apply in combat what they have learned in many books and use mishap to attack an opponent.

As reaction to an enemy missing an ally with a melee attack, you can expend a use of your Esoteric Applications to allow that ally to use his reaction.

### Mark the Target

At 14th level, you have learned how detect enemies worthy of being signaled out and as such you can use some of your spellcasting power to help your allies take them out. Intelligence modifier times per long rest, you can mark a creature until the start of your next turn, whenever anyone attacks the marked creature he can deal an additional 2d8 psychic damage.

### Rallying Surge

at 18th level, you can use an action on your turn to let out a rallying cry. Each friendly creature you choose up to a number equivalent to your Intelligence modifier within 60 feet that can hear you gains an additional action on its next turn. That action can be used only to take the Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action. You can use this feature again when you finish a long rest.

# Multiclassing

If you use the optional multiclassing rule in the Player's Handbook, here's what you need to know if you choose Archivist as one of your classes.

* ***Ability Score Minimum.*** As a multiclass character you must have at least an Intelligence score of 13 to take a level in this class, or to take a level in another class if you already are a Archivist.
* ***Proficiencies Gained.*** If Archivist is not your initial class, you only gain proficiency with Light Armor, Calligrapher's Supplies, and one weapon among Hand Crossbows, Rapiers, Scimitars, Shortswords, or Whips.