The bases of it is to make a character that has no innate magic like a sorcerer, can't cast spells like a wizard or druid, can't use miracles. Kind of like a pure artificer, however this person only can use scrolls and tattoos etc. This person can run out of magic items and be just a normal fighter.
I watch something like this when I was a child and I always thought it was cool.
For that, it's usually easiest to reflavor spell slots as scrolls/tattoos/etc. It functionally just tracks a magical resource and however you explain it in-game is what it represents.
Alternatively, take a look at the variant rules for the no-magic ranger and see if you can write up something similar for an artificer variant.
Also, you might like Final Fantasy Materia homebrew. In those, essentially no one has native magic, but anyone can use "Materia" to cast spells or enhance their equipment.
I built a character like that in 3.5 that was really fun, a Fighter/Rogue who used Use Magic Device and Sleight of Hand to pretend to be a Paladin with various hidden wands. It was great!
But 5E item attunement really doesn't let magic items proliferate on a character the way former editions do, so even a 13th level Rogue (Thief) with Use Magic Device can't quite get at that same kind of concept. Instead, I agree with memnosyne, playing a conventional class and just reflavoring your spell slots as some sort of recharging magic item would be just fine and dandy. Not every narrative flair needs to be reflected in your character sheet, if your magic is external rather than internal but still only has X uses per long rest, that's just fine and dandy.
I think what they meant was, a Rogue (Thief) 13 has Use Magic Device, which will let them use a lot of magical wands etc. that nonmagical characters aren't supposed to have. But up until that character level, they aren't playing to that archetype at all... so if your character concept is "person that uses magic through devices," but you're starting at level 1 or something.... Rogue (Thief) may not be the best way for you to play that character. But if you're starting at level 13+, you might consider it.
The bases of it is to make a character that has no innate magic like a sorcerer, can't cast spells like a wizard or druid, can't use miracles. Kind of like a pure artificer, however this person only can use scrolls and tattoos etc. This person can run out of magic items and be just a normal fighter.
I watch something like this when I was a child and I always thought it was cool.
For that, it's usually easiest to reflavor spell slots as scrolls/tattoos/etc. It functionally just tracks a magical resource and however you explain it in-game is what it represents.
Alternatively, take a look at the variant rules for the no-magic ranger and see if you can write up something similar for an artificer variant.
Also, you might like Final Fantasy Materia homebrew. In those, essentially no one has native magic, but anyone can use "Materia" to cast spells or enhance their equipment.
I built a character like that in 3.5 that was really fun, a Fighter/Rogue who used Use Magic Device and Sleight of Hand to pretend to be a Paladin with various hidden wands. It was great!
But 5E item attunement really doesn't let magic items proliferate on a character the way former editions do, so even a 13th level Rogue (Thief) with Use Magic Device can't quite get at that same kind of concept. Instead, I agree with memnosyne, playing a conventional class and just reflavoring your spell slots as some sort of recharging magic item would be just fine and dandy. Not every narrative flair needs to be reflected in your character sheet, if your magic is external rather than internal but still only has X uses per long rest, that's just fine and dandy.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
The original Artificer from 3.5 was sortakinda like that. They had a few spells, but only the ones that actually enchanted items.
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Those Are great ideas, I'm gonna try them!
13th level Thief sound like what you are doing. Hard to play that before 13th, however
What's makes the 13th level fit in here?
I think what they meant was, a Rogue (Thief) 13 has Use Magic Device, which will let them use a lot of magical wands etc. that nonmagical characters aren't supposed to have. But up until that character level, they aren't playing to that archetype at all... so if your character concept is "person that uses magic through devices," but you're starting at level 1 or something.... Rogue (Thief) may not be the best way for you to play that character. But if you're starting at level 13+, you might consider it.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.