Grimoire Descendant (Rebalanced)

This subclass is meant to be used with the mosaic grimoire magical item. It is also set in my setting but can be used outside of course.

A small group of the most powerful spell casters of Elysium's golden age came together to record their powerful spells and techniques for history. They had good intentions and named their creations Mosaic Grimoires. The grimoire authors at the time were of the most benevolent but reclusive Archmages. They were feared in the respective sense. However, not all of them were feared for the right reasons. A few used their powerful magic for evil and ended up causing a great collapse in their dimensional walls, letting in other planar creatures and allowing them to wreak havoc. Some even tamed the aggressive creatures and made armies out of them, destroying whole kingdoms. Some used them as slaves to rebuild kingdoms. As time went on and major societies collapsed, the lawful and neutral authors stole the grimoires they didn't have and hid them all away for fear of the magic falling back into the wrong hands. They were scattered all across the land, many hidden in ruins, dungeons etc. Then as all of them were secured, the lawful and neutral of the authors came together one last time. They began a continent wide ritual that when completed would banish all of the unwelcome beings and close all the tears in their dimensional wall. They got very close, they banished most and closed most tears, however, in their old age, they could not keep it up and all of them went until they died from exhaustion. 

The Grimoires teach the user how to use their own magic and combine it with the spectrum of magic in that specific Grimoire. People who practice the Grimoires, usually will get marked by them, whether that's an actual marking on the skin or an eye color change or whatever you choose. However, one person can practice one grimoire, trying to use or attune to two will result in exhaustion levels. It is possible to use and attune to two however, after every spell you use from a second grimoire results in one exhaustion level.

There are 8 Grimoires: The Mosaic Pixie Grimoire (Fey magic), The Mosaic Monstrosity Grimoire (Polymorphing), The Mosaic Genie Grimoire (Elemental magic), The Mosaic Skull Grimoire (Necromancy), The Mosaic Galaxy Grimoire (Astral and Divine magic), The Mosaic Library Grimoire (Runic magic), The Mosaic Shield Grimoire (Protection and Weapon magic), and The Mosaic Rose Grimoire (Druid magic).

Grimoire Writer

Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, you have found one of the mosaic grimoires by some kind of means. Choose which grimoire you have or roll on a d8 table. They start dormant and with spells already written in them. You can add spells from spell scrolls and you do not gain spells when you level up with this subclass.

Also, as a bonus action, you can magically create a magic quill in your free hand. The magic quill has the following properties:

• The quill doesn’t require ink. When you write with it, it produces ink in a color of your choice on the writing surface.

• Only this quill can write in one of the mosaic grimoires.

• You can erase anything you write with the quill if you wave the feather over the text as a bonus action, provided the text is within 5 feet of you.

This quill disappears if you create another one or if you die.

Grimoire Holder

At 2nd level, while your attuned to and holding the book, it grants you the following benefits:

• You can use the book as a spellcasting focus for your wizard spells.

• Depending on the grimoire you have you obtain a special ability:
  

Galaxy Grimoire

You have astral wings that allow limited flight. When you move, you can engage your wings to gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed until the end of the current turn. If you are still aloft at the end of the turn with nothing else supporting you, you fall. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. You also learn Celestial.

Genie Grimoire

You know the thaumaturgy cantrip and gain resistance to one damage type out of fire, cold, lightning, acid, or poison. You also learn Primordial.

Library Grimoire

You temporarily remember glimpses of the past, perhaps faded memories from ages ago. When you make an ability check that uses a skill in which you are not proficient, you can roll a d6 immediately after seeing the number on the d20 and add the number on the d6 to the check. You can use this feature twice per long rest.

Monstrosity Grimoire

Thanks to the Grimoire, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. You also learn Abyssal.

Pixie Grimoire

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed. Additionally, magic cannot put you to sleep. You also learn Sylvan.

Rose Grimoire

You know the druidcraft cantrip and are proficient in the language of the druids. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.

Shield Grimoire

When a creature you can see makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. You must use this feature before knowing whether the attack hits or misses.

Skull Grimoire

You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in a trance like meditation, during which you remain conscious. You also learn Abyssal.

Ancient Familiars

At 6th level, your grimoire becomes awakened and you can conjure forth familiars of ancient times. You may cast the Flock of Familiar’s spell as a ritual once per long rest. When you do you do not need to concentrate on the spell and it lasts for 8 hours. The familiars may take the form of any animal of which you can find a stat block for that is of a CR level of 2 or lower or from the list below based on the Grimoire owned:

• Pixie: The familiars take the form of sprites.
• Monstrosity: The familiars take the form of eldritch horrors.
• Genie: The familiars take the form of lesser elementals.
• Skull: The familiars take the form of small awakened skulls.
• Galaxy: The familiars take the form of lesser celestials.
• Library: The familiars take the form of small books.
• Shield: The familiars take the form of swords and shields.
• Rose: The familiars take the form of butterflies.

Mosaic Memories

At 10th level, you have attained a greater mastery of spell preparation. As a bonus action, you can replace one spell you have prepared with another spell from your spellbook. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Also, depending on the grimoire you have, you gain another ability with it:

Galaxy Grimoire

You can speak telepathically to any creature you can see within 60 feet of you. Your telepathic utterances are in a language you know, and the creature understands you only if it knows that language. Your communication doesn't give the creature the ability to respond to you telepathically.

Genie Grimoire

• You’ve been exposed to the primordial magic of the Elemental Planes, granting you a measure of control over the natural world around you. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can choose which element you are attuned to: Air, Earth, Fire, or Water. Depending on your choice, you can use a bonus action to cause one of the following effects, you can create this effect a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest:

• Air. You gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed until the end of your turn. If you are airborne at the end of your turn after using this movement and aren’t held aloft by other means, you fall.

• Earth. You cause the ground within 30 feet of you to become difficult terrain for 1 minute or until you create this effect again. During that time, you can move across difficult terrain without spending extra movement.
• Fire. You surround yourself in a cloud of ash and smoke. Until the end of your turn, your movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
• Water. You can create a forceful surge of water directed at a creature within 15 feet of you that you can see. The creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw (which it can choose to fail) against a DC equal to 8 + your spellcasting ability modifier + your proficiency bonus or be pushed up to 10 feet away from you. The water vanishes immediately after the creature succeeds or fails.

Library Grimoire

You gain expertise in 2 skills that you are proficient in. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can create one magic scroll by touching your Wizardly Quill to a blank piece of paper or parchment and causing one spell from your Grimoire to be copied onto the scroll. The spellbook must be within 5 feet of you when you make the scroll. The chosen spell must be of 1st or 2nd level and must have a casting time of 1 action. Once in the scroll, the spell's power is enhanced, counting as one level higher than normal. You can cast the spell from the scroll by reading it as an action. The scroll is unintelligible to anyone else, and the spell vanishes from the scroll when you cast it or when you finish your next long rest. You are also adept at crafting spell scrolls, which are described in the treasure chapter of the Dungeon Master's Guide. The gold and time you must spend to make such a scroll are halved if you use your Wizardly Quill.

Monstrosity Grimoire

• Your Grimoire can defend you and others, interposing itself between them and harm. When you or a creature you can see takes damage while within 10 feet of you, you can use your reaction to choose one of those creatures and reduce the damage to that creature by 2d8.

Pixie Grimoire

You can use the hidden, magical pathways that some fey use to traverse space in a blink of an eye. As a bonus action on your turn, you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Alternatively, you can use your action to teleport one willing creature you touch up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Int modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Rose Grimoire

Creatures of the natural world sense your connection to nature and become hesitant to attack you. When a beast or plant creature attacks you, that creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature must choose a different target, or the attack automatically misses. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. The creature is aware of this effect before it makes its attack against you.

Shield Grimoire

Your AC is equal to 15 + Int modifier and you become a master of locking down your enemies. Creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they move 5 feet or more while within your reach, and if you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the target's speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the current turn.

Skull Grimoire

You gain the ability to reap life energy from creatures you kill with your spells. Once per turn when you kill one or more creatures with a spell of 1st level or higher, you regain hit points equal to the amount of damage rolled if the spell belongs to the School of Necromancy. You don't gain this benefit for killing constructs.

Teachings of Old

At 14th level, your grimoire becomes exalted and your knowledge of magic allows you to duplicate almost any spell. As a bonus action, you can call to mind the ability to cast one spell of your choice from any class’s spell list. The spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, you mustn’t have it prepared, and you follow the normal rules for casting it, including expending a spell slot. If the spell isn’t a wizard spell, it counts as a wizard spell when you cast it. The ability to cast the spell vanishes from your mind when you cast it or when the current turn ends.

You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.