This should be considered a first preliminary draft. My intention is mainly to be a source of inspiration
A hybrid of rogue (stealth, infiltration) and arcane spellcaster, with a flavor of an "ethical hacker" or anti-establishment "white hat," but focused on empowering the masses against monopolies of magical power.He is not a chaotic anarchist, but a vigilant protector who "hacks" the Weave to level the playing field.He prevents nobles, guilds, or sects from using magic as a weapon of oppression.
Theme: You are a "Logic hacker," a renegade who sees magic as a corrupt code controlled by elites.You use stealth to infiltrate arcane towers, guilds, or temples, and exploit vulnerabilities to dismantle their power.
Your motto: "The Logic belongs to everyone, not just a few."
Role in the group: Infiltrator, disruptor of enemy mages, support for the "popular" team (buffs that scale with non-mages).
Typical alignment: Neutral Good or Chaotic Neutral (protector, not destroyer).
Level Professional Bonus Sneak Attack Known Spells Class Traits
Tools: Thief's kit, arcane scribe's kit (homebrew: for "decoding" runes).
Saving Shots: Dexterity, Intelligence.
Skills: Choose 4 from Acrobatics, Arcana, Deception, Investigation, Intimidation, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Magical Tech (new: for hacking items).
Key Features (Brief Description)
Expertise (1st): Double proficiency in 2 skills + 1 every 6 levels.Ideal: Stealth + Arcana.
Hacker Sense (1st): You detect magic within 60 feet (like Detect Magic 1/day for free).Advantage in Investigation to find magical vulnerabilities (wards, arcane traps).
Basic Infiltration (1st): Your Sneak Attack ignores magical resistances on the target (such as shields or protection).
Spellcasting (2nd): Base Intelligence.Focused list: Abjuration (countermagic), Illusion (invisibility, decoy), Enchantment (suggestion for interrogating elites), Transmutation (disable items).Progression like Bard (1/2 caster), but only 17 known spells max.No rituals, but you can "hack" enemy rituals.
Cunning Action (2nd): Bonus action: Run, Hide, Disengage, or Quick Hack (disables a minor magical effect within 30 feet, such as light or alarm, DC 10 + spell level).
Anti-Crime (Street Kid) Protect neighborhoods from magical mafias. Group stealth, reverse traps on enemies.
Plot Deflection (5th): Reaction: When an ally (non-magical elite) is targeted by a spell, you deflect a portion of the damage/effect to yourself (half) and "steal" it as a temporary charge (use against enemy casters).
Ethereal Stealth (7th): Invisibility as an action;short teleports through the Plot (30 feet).
Collective Backdoor (10th): Creates "backdoors" in enemy wards so non-magical allies can pass through for free.
Elite Nullifier (15th): Against high-level casters, you disable 1 spell slot per turn (Int save).
Master of the Popular Network (20th): Your entire party gains resistance to enemy magic;maximum Sneak Attack on "elites" (nobles, monopoly mages).
Balance and Gameplay:
Strengths: Dominates against mages/controllers. Great support for "village" groups (buffs scale if allies have low INT).
Weaknesses: Weak against pure non-magic;limited slots (like a ranger).
Roleplaying: Hacker phrases: "Your arcane firewall has a zero-day," "Exploiting buffer overflow on your fireball."
I don't have feedback on the individual elements, but the class itself should not have an alignment bias. Subclasses could though. Look at Paladin for an example.
I agree it should be totally free about aligment but this is easy possible, for example a sheriff infiltrated to fight criminal guilds, a secret agent looking for enemy spies, a member of the church who must operate discreetly in the shadows to avoid reprisals against innocent people by an enemy group, a brave member of the resistance against an an alien invader force, a former sheriff surviving an undead (or rebel constructs) apocalypse. The brothers Ziv "ZZ" Zulander and Blitzy "Blitz" Zulander from the 1993 animated show "Bot-Masters" are a good example of "outcast but lawful-good".
Do you know the videogames "Dishonored", "Watchdogs" or "Deus Ex"?
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This should be considered a first preliminary draft. My intention is mainly to be a source of inspiration
A hybrid of rogue (stealth, infiltration) and arcane spellcaster, with a flavor of an "ethical hacker" or anti-establishment "white hat," but focused on empowering the masses against monopolies of magical power. He is not a chaotic anarchist, but a vigilant protector who "hacks" the Weave to level the playing field. He prevents nobles, guilds, or sects from using magic as a weapon of oppression.
Theme: You are a "Logic hacker," a renegade who sees magic as a corrupt code controlled by elites. You use stealth to infiltrate arcane towers, guilds, or temples, and exploit vulnerabilities to dismantle their power.
Your motto: "The Logic belongs to everyone, not just a few."
Role in the group: Infiltrator, disruptor of enemy mages, support for the "popular" team (buffs that scale with non-mages).
Typical alignment: Neutral Good or Chaotic Neutral (protector, not destroyer).
Level Professional Bonus Sneak Attack Known Spells Class Traits
1st +2 1d6 — Expertise, Hacker Sense, Basic Infiltration
2nd +2 1d6 3 Spellcasting, Cunning Action
3rd +2 2d6 4 Sabotage Subclass
4th +2 2d6 5 Ability Enhancement
5th +3 3d6 6 Plot Deviation (1/day)
6th +3 3d6 7 Expertise (2nd)
7th +3 4d6 8 Ethereal Stealth
8th +3 4d6 9 Ability Enhancement
9th +4 5d6 10 Plot Deviation (2/day)
10th +4 5d6 11 Backdoor Collective
11th +4 6d6 12 Superior Sabotage
12th +4 6d6 12 Ability Enhancement
13th +5 7d6 13 Plot Diversion (3/day)
14th +5 7d6 13 Expertise (3rd)
15th +5 8d6 14 Elite Nullifier
16th +5 8d6 15 Ability Enhancement
17th +6 9d6 15 Plot Diversion (4/day)
18th +6 9d6 16 Legendary Infiltration
19th +6 10d6 16 Ability Enhancement
20th +6 10d6 17 Master of the People's Network
Hit Die: 1d8 per level.
Hit Points: 8 + your Constitution modifier at 1st level, 5 + your Constitution modifier per level thereafter.
Proficiencies: Armor: Light.
Weapons: Simple weapons, ranged martial weapons, rapier, scimitar, dagger.
Tools: Thief's kit, arcane scribe's kit (homebrew: for "decoding" runes).
Saving Shots: Dexterity, Intelligence.
Skills: Choose 4 from Acrobatics, Arcana, Deception, Investigation, Intimidation, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Magical Tech (new: for hacking items).
Key Features (Brief Description)
Expertise (1st): Double proficiency in 2 skills + 1 every 6 levels. Ideal: Stealth + Arcana.
Hacker Sense (1st): You detect magic within 60 feet (like Detect Magic 1/day for free). Advantage in Investigation to find magical vulnerabilities (wards, arcane traps).
Basic Infiltration (1st): Your Sneak Attack ignores magical resistances on the target (such as shields or protection).
Spellcasting (2nd): Base Intelligence. Focused list: Abjuration (countermagic), Illusion (invisibility, decoy), Enchantment (suggestion for interrogating elites), Transmutation (disable items). Progression like Bard (1/2 caster), but only 17 known spells max. No rituals, but you can "hack" enemy rituals.
Cunning Action (2nd): Bonus action: Run, Hide, Disengage, or Quick Hack (disables a minor magical effect within 30 feet, such as light or alarm, DC 10 + spell level).
Sabotage Subclass (3rd): Choose protective hacker style:
Subclass Theme Trait Example
Anti-Noble (Social Hacker) Infiltrate courts, steal noble secrets. Deception/Charm as innate spells; steal "privileges" (temporary buffs).
Anti-Guild (Industrial Saboteur) Sabotage magic factories, avaricious guilds. Disable constructs/golems; exploits in magic items.
Anti-Cult (Free Mind) Dismantle divine/arcane fanaticism. Break concentrations, mental immunity for allies.
Anti-Crime (Street Kid) Protect neighborhoods from magical mafias. Group stealth, reverse traps on enemies.
Plot Deflection (5th): Reaction: When an ally (non-magical elite) is targeted by a spell, you deflect a portion of the damage/effect to yourself (half) and "steal" it as a temporary charge (use against enemy casters).
Ethereal Stealth (7th): Invisibility as an action; short teleports through the Plot (30 feet).
Collective Backdoor (10th): Creates "backdoors" in enemy wards so non-magical allies can pass through for free.
Elite Nullifier (15th): Against high-level casters, you disable 1 spell slot per turn (Int save).
Master of the Popular Network (20th): Your entire party gains resistance to enemy magic; maximum Sneak Attack on "elites" (nobles, monopoly mages).
Balance and Gameplay:
Strengths: Dominates against mages/controllers. Great support for "village" groups (buffs scale if allies have low INT).
Weaknesses: Weak against pure non-magic; limited slots (like a ranger).
Roleplaying: Hacker phrases: "Your arcane firewall has a zero-day," "Exploiting buffer overflow on your fireball."
Equipment: Rune laptop (spellbook), anti-system mask, arcane EMP dagger.
What can this do that an arcane trickster couldn't do?
There's also the weird magic stealer rogue subclass in the UA if you want to look into that
Any sufficiently widespread magic is indistinguishable from technology.
The second funniest thing to make a D&D party do is explain morality
Try your hand at the Ultimate Skill Build Challenge!
I don't have feedback on the individual elements, but the class itself should not have an alignment bias. Subclasses could though. Look at Paladin for an example.
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.
I agree it should be totally free about aligment but this is easy possible, for example a sheriff infiltrated to fight criminal guilds, a secret agent looking for enemy spies, a member of the church who must operate discreetly in the shadows to avoid reprisals against innocent people by an enemy group, a brave member of the resistance against an an alien invader force, a former sheriff surviving an undead (or rebel constructs) apocalypse. The brothers Ziv "ZZ" Zulander and Blitzy "Blitz" Zulander from the 1993 animated show "Bot-Masters" are a good example of "outcast but lawful-good".
Do you know the videogames "Dishonored", "Watchdogs" or "Deus Ex"?