Card Caster

As a Card Caster, your wizard forgoes using spells traditionally with a spell book in favor of using a deck of cards to cast magic imprinted on them. 

The Spell Deck may have between 20 and 30 cards to choose from. A caster initially starts with a deck of 20 and can add more cards to reach the limit. Cantrips (since they do not require a spell book) can be used at will. Spells, 1st - 5th level, can have only three copies each. Spells 6th level and higher can only have two copies. 9th level spells may only have one card per spell. Each spell in the Spell Deck will be linked to a number on a d20 die  (or die suitable to the amount of unique cards you have in your deck). As such to have 30 cards you must have copies of some spells. You may substitute this by making a Spell Deck yourself and using that instead.

The caster may add and remove cards from their deck during a short rest. The Deck will not activate if there are less than 20 cards chosen, however, as the imbued magic of each card coalesces together to form the overall ability for the deck to work. Each card acts as a focus for the spell it contains.

After learning a new spell the caster may create a card (and copies of that card) during a long rest. The cost of card construction increases per level of spell. Lvl 1 - 10gp, Lvl 2 - 25gp, Lvl 3 - 40gp, Lvl 4 - 55gp, Lvl 5 - 70gp, Lvl 6 - 100gp, Lvl 7 - 130gp, Lvl 8 - 160, Lvl 9 - 200gp. If the spell requires materials, add the monetary cost of the materials as additional gp.

After rolling for initiative in battle, your wizard draws 5 cards from the Spell Deck at random.  You will roll a d20 (or die suitable to the amount of unique cards you have in your deck) 5 times and will draw the corresponding card once you roll for initiative. If you have no more copies of that card you will reroll. At the beginning of your next turn you draw one additional card.

Spells will always be used at their highest level on par with the level of the caster, (at level 3 all spells will be used as a 2nd level spell) as the cards contain the additional magic reserve to complete each spell. Spell slots will not be categorized by level so you will simply have all spell slots available as allowed at your level (So at level 3 you will have 5 total slots to use). After the spell is complete, the card is sent to the Discard deck. When battle ends, cards from the Discard deck return to the Spell Deck. If a caster only has cards in the discard deck they cannot perform magic until the battle is complete.

Out of combat, if the Card Caster wishes to use a spell, they must draw a hand of up to five cards and select a card from their hand. If they choose not to use a card, the hand will be returned to the deck and shuffled. The caster must wait one minute for the deck to reactivate and draw their hand again. Cards activated outside of combat return to the deck after 10 minutes.

If a card caster runs out of cards in their hand, they cannot use their spells. If they run out of spell slots, they will not be able to activate the cards.

Cards can only be destroyed by the caster who made them or by extremely high level magic. If lost, the cards can be summoned by the caster during a long rest.

Reshuffle

At 2nd level, once per short rest, you may return all cards in your hand into your deck, shuffle, and draw five cards without waiting one minute. This counts as an action.

Reaction Cards

Reaching the 2nd level, once per turn, as a bonus action, you may select a card from your hand and activate it as a Reaction card. This action will consume one spell slot. Enemies will not know what spell the card contains until it is activated. When an enemy attacks you or moves within 10 feet of you the card will activate and, if an attack spell, will target the enemy which tripped it.

Only one Reaction card can be set at a time. The caster must wait for the card to activate, or remove the card from play in order to set another. If a Reaction card does not activate, the spell slot is refunded to the caster.

At 10th level, the caster will be able to have multiple Reaction cards set at a time. (One per turn)

Metamagic

At 6th level, a card caster is empowered to create a unique card for their deck, which alters how other cards or the deck may be used. These cards are used as Bonus Actions and are limited to one per deck.

Power In Numbers

(Bonus Action) Activating this card allows the caster to draw three additional cards from the top of their deck

Spell Surge

(Bonus Action) Using an additional spell slot, the next spell card activated activates twice, and, if the spell targets a creature, can target a separate creature 

You Fool

(Bonus Action) For the remainder of the battle, enemies are disadvantaged against all reaction cards. Attack reaction cards have advantage and cards requiring enemy saving throws incur disadvantage to the enemy.

Luck of the Draw

Upon the 10th level, the caster and deck are perfectly in sync for a moment and the caster is able to pick the exact card they need. Used before drawing a card, and can only be used once per long rest.

Game Over

As a wizard reaches level 14, the caster is able to pull out their last resort. Discard your entire hand, choose a damage type, and do 2d10 worth of damage per amount of cards discarded to creatures within a 10ft radius cylinder. Creatures in this radius must make a Constitution saving throw. On success, the creatures take half damage. On failure, creatures take full damage. You cannot draw a card next turn.