Alongside your arcane studies, you spent considerable time and coin practicing the fine arts of writing, drawing and painting. Your favorite hobby is creating spell scrolls and spellbooks that are useful, artistic and beautiful by adding magically inert paintings and drawings to them. You like to draw and paint artwork on spell scrolls and spellbooks, which do not affect the function of the scroll or spellbook, but makes them unique and potentially more valuable. You might paint or draw on the back side of a scroll or spellbook page, include extra full page artwork in spellbooks, include small drawings in the margins of pages, or any other artistic flair you can imagine. If you become famous, your artistic spell scrolls and spellbooks might even turn into valuable collector's items!
Example: Paint a scene on the back side of a spell scroll depicting the effects of the spell, so that a person has a clue what it does even if they have not identified it.
Prerequisite: the ability to cast the cantrip Prestidigitation
After many years of improvising new ways to make the process of spell scribing more artistic and also more efficient, you learned how to use the prestidigitation cantrip to infuse platinum, gold and silver as magical ink onto paper or parchment in place of fine inks. In addition, your extensive training and unique style of spell scribing allows you to scribe spell scrolls at the same speed as copying a spell into a spellbook. The cost of scribing spell scrolls and spellbooks remains the same for you regardless of what materials you use or how quickly you scribe.
You could even magically infuse currency as special ink when painting, mixed in with regular paints or not, to create exceptionally beautiful and valuable pieces of art (especially for your spell scroll and spellbook artwork). The more currency you use, as well as the variety and method of using the currency in the painting, determines how exquisite and unique your painting will be. Your DM can have you roll for how breathtaking your piece is, modified by the total cost of currency consumed and artistic flair. Bonus for relevancy to an important event or person in the campaign's past. Humor and feels are appreciated.
- Skill Proficiencies: Arcana and choose one of: History, Investigation, Religion, Persuasion.
- Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher's Supplies and Painter's Supplies.
- Equipment: A set of traveler's clothes, a small knife, Calligrapher's Supplies, Painter's Supplies, a Case, Map or Scroll, a pouch containing 10 gp
You have invented your own unique style of spell scribing using the prestidigitation cantrip to magically infuse platinum, gold or silver onto a sheet of paper or parchment instead of fine ink for: scribing a spell scroll, copying a spell into your spellbook, or copying a spell from one spellbook to another spellbook. You can use any type of tool that is similar in form to a quill as a writing instrument to infuse currency as magical writing in this manner. The amount of coin consumed by magically infusing currency as ink is the same as the cost of the fine inks normally used.
In addition, your extensive training and unique style of spell scribing allows you to scribe spell scrolls at the same speed as copying spells from one spellbook to another. The cost of scribing spell scrolls and spellbooks remains the same for you regardless of what materials you use or how quickly you scribe.
Prerequisite: the ability to cast the cantrip Prestidigitation
You tear a finger off the skeleton of a creature you just turned into a smoldering corpse. The battle is over but your magical reserves are on empty, so you find a safe spot and settle down to rest for a while and begin your work. As you touch the tip of the skeletal finger to a gold coin, you cause it to magically consume all the metal in the coin converting it into a drop of magical infusion ink. You use the skeleton finger and magic ink to begin infusing the arcane words onto a sheet of parchment. The parchment had been dusty, filthy, and covered in some madman's scribbled notes when you found it in this very same dungeon. But you cleaned it up with a prestidigitation spell, and as you continue working on scribing your spell onto it, you are confident it's almost ready to become a spell scroll.
Finally, after 6 hours of effort, and with a drop of blood, a piece of flesh, and a pinch of bone dust, you seal the magical spell onto parchment and finish scribing a scroll of animate dead. You end your rest and go cast your spell scroll on that poor bastard's corpse. You just made yourself a used, nine-fingered friend!
Suggested Characteristics
Spell scribes are defined by their extensive studies, and their characteristics reflect this life of study. Devoted to writing pursuits, a spell scribe values arcane knowledge highly—sometimes in its own right, sometimes as a means toward other ideals.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I use polysyllabic words that convey the impression of great erudition. |
| 2 | I’ve read every book in the world’s greatest libraries—or I like to boast that I have. |
| 3 | I’m used to helping out those who aren’t as smart as I am, and I patiently explain anything and everything to others. |
| 4 | There’s nothing I like more than a good mystery. |
| 5 | I’m willing to listen to every side of an argument before I make my own judgment. |
| 6 | I … speak … slowly … when talking … to idiots, … which … almost … everyone … is … compared … to me. |
| 7 | I am horribly, horribly awkward in social situations. |
| 8 | I’m convinced that people are always trying to steal my secrets. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral) |
| 2 | Beauty. What is beautiful points us beyond itself toward what is true. (Good) |
| 3 | Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. (Lawful) |
| 4 | No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence. (Chaotic) |
| 5 | Power. Knowledge is the path to power and domination. (Evil) |
| 6 | Self-Improvement. The goal of a life of study is the betterment of oneself. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | It is my duty to protect my students. |
| 2 | I have an ancient text that holds terrible secrets that must not fall into the wrong hands. |
| 3 | I work to preserve a library, university, scriptorium, or monastery. |
| 4 | My life’s work is a series of tomes related to a specific field of lore. |
| 5 | I’ve been searching my whole life for the answer to a certain question. |
| 6 | I sold my soul for knowledge. I hope to do great deeds and win it back. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am easily distracted by the promise of information. |
| 2 | Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy. |
| 3 | Unlocking an ancient mystery is worth the price of a civilization. |
| 4 | I overlook obvious solutions in favor of complicated ones. |
| 5 | I speak without really thinking through my words, invariably insulting others. |
| 6 | I can’t keep a secret to save my life, or anyone else’s. |
Comments