Hello, humans, elves, tieflings and other uncommon races!
I would like to present a homebrew wizard archetype I've been pondering for a while now. It is a work in progress, so your commentaries and suggestions would be much appreciated.
Purpose: a purpose of this archetype is to introduce an alternative form of healing into the game, something different from the traditional divine healing magic and the ill-defined bardic healing magic, which has always been a pet peeve of mine. I would also like to introduce a scholarly healer archetype, a character who heals and restores relying on his/her own knowledge and arcane mastery, without the outside help from some divine being. Personally, I believe that the Schools of Necromancy and Transmutation should have the instruments need for an arcane healer. So, the archetype I present below strives to combine those schools of magic into something unique.
A side note of the name:
As Wikipedia tells us, an American "druid" Isaac Bonewits defined "thaumaturgy" as "the use of magic for nonreligious purposes; the art and science of "wonder working". The purpose of this sub-class option lies in introducing a non-divine, scholarly approach to healing magic in D&D settings. An approach allowing wizards to practice restorative magic without resorting to worshipping gods or making covenants with otherworldly entities, i. e. to study and master healing as a magical science, the way they study all other forms of magic. Hence, "thaumaturgy". Also, it just sounds cool.
So, without further delay - the Thaumaturge!
Student of Life (level 2)
You have studied medicine, anatomy, herbalism and the ways positive energy flows through all living things. Now you can halt positive energy from “leaking” out of a broken body with a touch. You gain proficiency with herbalism kit and learn the “Spare the Dying” cantrip.
Redirect Life (level 2)
Pure positive energy cannot be tapped safely by a mortal without a divine intermediate. However, a diligent adept of Thaumaturgy can redirect a portion of one creature's life force into another creature. As an action, you may touch two living creatures (not undead or constructs) adjacent to you. If both targets are willing, you heal one target by 2d4 + your Intelligence modifier hip points, and the other target suffers the same amount of necrotic damage. Unwilling creatures get a Constitution saving throw to resist this effect. On a successful svaing throw, the unwilling target receives no damage and the second target is not healed. You may also choose yourself or one inanimate living plant of Medium or larger size as a target for this ability. Inanimate plants do not get a saving throw and are destroyed if they suffer any necrotic damage from this ability. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).
Pattern Reconstruction (level 6)
Transmutation magic allows not only changing a form or characteristics of a being – it also allows reverting the changes inflicted on a being, restoring its natural state. You have learned to use residual transmutation magic to reconstruct damages patterns of living things. As an action, you may touch a living creature creature (not undead or construct) and cure one disease or end one condition afflicting the target. The condition can be blinded, deafened, paralyzed, petrified of poisoned. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest or cast a transmutation spell of level 1 or higher. At level 9, petrified is added to the list of conditions that can be ended by this feature.
Vestiges of Life (level 10)
Life is precious, and you understand it more than most. Your necromancy spells do not waste this precious energy; instead, they preserve it for later use. Whenever you deal damage to a living creature with a necromancy spell of level 1 or higher, you collect the life force expelled from the target. In its stored form, this energy is called "vestige of life". You may have a number of vestiges of life equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). Whenever you finish a long rest, these vestiges are gone. As an action, you may touch a living creature and expend one vestige of life, ending one effect reducing the target's maximum hit points or ability scores. Alternatively, you may regenerate one missing body part of the target. Doing so expends two vestiges of life and takes 1 minute.
Secret of Life (level 14)
Delving deeper into Necromancy and Transmutation magic, you’ve unlocked the secret mechanisms that maintain life in all living things and learned to use the ambient life energy to fix those mechanisms when they break. This allows you to bring the dead back to life, provided their souls are still willing and able to return. As an action, you may touch a dead creature (not undead) that has been dead no longer than 10 days. A creature is then returned to life with 1 hit point. All non-magical diseases and poisons afflicting the target are cured. This ability closes mortal wounds, but does not restore missing body parts. The resurrection process takes 1 hour and requires concentration. Moreover, siphoning so much life energy from the environment leaves the area around you barren and devoid of life and taxes your body greatly. All non-magical plants and living creatures of Tiny or smaller size within 100 feet radius wither and die. Additionally, you suffer one level of exhaustion. You cannot use this feature in an area where you've already used this feature. With each use of this feature, you suffer another level of exhaustion, up until your death.
Edit: thanks to Mephista for being the first to offer feedback.
This is very much biology + magic. Each of the features do seem to be copying spells, would you be against just giving them the spells? I.e. Giving them lesser restoration and greater restoration.
Also "The condition can be blinded, deafened, paralyzed, petrified of poisoned... At level 9, petrified is added to the list of conditions that can be ended by this feature." Other than the spelling and structure mistake, it should really be 10th level.
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
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Hello, humans, elves, tieflings and other uncommon races!
I would like to present a homebrew wizard archetype I've been pondering for a while now. It is a work in progress, so your commentaries and suggestions would be much appreciated.
Purpose: a purpose of this archetype is to introduce an alternative form of healing into the game, something different from the traditional divine healing magic and the ill-defined bardic healing magic, which has always been a pet peeve of mine. I would also like to introduce a scholarly healer archetype, a character who heals and restores relying on his/her own knowledge and arcane mastery, without the outside help from some divine being. Personally, I believe that the Schools of Necromancy and Transmutation should have the instruments need for an arcane healer. So, the archetype I present below strives to combine those schools of magic into something unique.
A side note of the name:
As Wikipedia tells us, an American "druid" Isaac Bonewits defined "thaumaturgy" as "the use of magic for nonreligious purposes; the art and science of "wonder working". The purpose of this sub-class option lies in introducing a non-divine, scholarly approach to healing magic in D&D settings. An approach allowing wizards to practice restorative magic without resorting to worshipping gods or making covenants with otherworldly entities, i. e. to study and master healing as a magical science, the way they study all other forms of magic. Hence, "thaumaturgy". Also, it just sounds cool.
So, without further delay - the Thaumaturge!
Student of Life (level 2)
You have studied medicine, anatomy, herbalism and the ways positive energy flows through all living things. Now you can halt positive energy from “leaking” out of a broken body with a touch. You gain proficiency with herbalism kit and learn the “Spare the Dying” cantrip.
Redirect Life (level 2)
Pure positive energy cannot be tapped safely by a mortal without a divine intermediate. However, a diligent adept of Thaumaturgy can redirect a portion of one creature's life force into another creature. As an action, you may touch two living creatures (not undead or constructs) adjacent to you. If both targets are willing, you heal one target by 2d4 + your Intelligence modifier hip points, and the other target suffers the same amount of necrotic damage. Unwilling creatures get a Constitution saving throw to resist this effect. On a successful svaing throw, the unwilling target receives no damage and the second target is not healed. You may also choose yourself or one inanimate living plant of Medium or larger size as a target for this ability. Inanimate plants do not get a saving throw and are destroyed if they suffer any necrotic damage from this ability. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).
Pattern Reconstruction (level 6)
Transmutation magic allows not only changing a form or characteristics of a being – it also allows reverting the changes inflicted on a being, restoring its natural state. You have learned to use residual transmutation magic to reconstruct damages patterns of living things. As an action, you may touch a living creature creature (not undead or construct) and cure one disease or end one condition afflicting the target. The condition can be blinded, deafened, paralyzed, petrified of poisoned. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest or cast a transmutation spell of level 1 or higher. At level 9, petrified is added to the list of conditions that can be ended by this feature.
Vestiges of Life (level 10)
Life is precious, and you understand it more than most. Your necromancy spells do not waste this precious energy; instead, they preserve it for later use. Whenever you deal damage to a living creature with a necromancy spell of level 1 or higher, you collect the life force expelled from the target. In its stored form, this energy is called "vestige of life". You may have a number of vestiges of life equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). Whenever you finish a long rest, these vestiges are gone. As an action, you may touch a living creature and expend one vestige of life, ending one effect reducing the target's maximum hit points or ability scores. Alternatively, you may regenerate one missing body part of the target. Doing so expends two vestiges of life and takes 1 minute.
Secret of Life (level 14)
Delving deeper into Necromancy and Transmutation magic, you’ve unlocked the secret mechanisms that maintain life in all living things and learned to use the ambient life energy to fix those mechanisms when they break. This allows you to bring the dead back to life, provided their souls are still willing and able to return. As an action, you may touch a dead creature (not undead) that has been dead no longer than 10 days. A creature is then returned to life with 1 hit point. All non-magical diseases and poisons afflicting the target are cured. This ability closes mortal wounds, but does not restore missing body parts. The resurrection process takes 1 hour and requires concentration. Moreover, siphoning so much life energy from the environment leaves the area around you barren and devoid of life and taxes your body greatly. All non-magical plants and living creatures of Tiny or smaller size within 100 feet radius wither and die. Additionally, you suffer one level of exhaustion. You cannot use this feature in an area where you've already used this feature. With each use of this feature, you suffer another level of exhaustion, up until your death.
Edit: thanks to Mephista for being the first to offer feedback.
This is very much biology + magic. Each of the features do seem to be copying spells, would you be against just giving them the spells? I.e. Giving them lesser restoration and greater restoration.
Also "The condition can be blinded, deafened, paralyzed, petrified of poisoned... At level 9, petrified is added to the list of conditions that can be ended by this feature." Other than the spelling and structure mistake, it should really be 10th level.
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"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett