Cardslinger

As a cardslinger, your expertise with playing cards goes beyond sleight of hand tricks and winning at the poker table. Cards are weapons in your hands and your skill with them is uncanny. Your abilities allow you to throw cards with deadly accuracy and even infuse them with magic. Each time you draw a card, your connection to the arcane, and a little luck, allow for the extraordinary and unexpected. With each shuffle of your deck, you come closer to understanding your gift and realizing your true potential.

Card Mechanic

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with all gaming sets and expertise with the playing card set.

A deck of playing cards contains 54 cards. Each suit (clubs ♣, diamonds ♦, hearts ♥, or spades ♠) contains 13 cards (Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King). There are no duplicates and you may not add duplicate cards from another playing card set.

When you use a card for an attack, subtract the amount of cards consumed by that attack from your deck. Cards can be recovered by a successful investigation check or you can replenish your cards by shuffling them for 10 minutes. A deck automatically replenishes after a short rest.

Wild Card

A deck also contains two unsuited Jokers. The first 2 times you roll a 20 on any attack roll or an ability check using a playing card set, the card is considered a Joker. When you "draw" a Joker you receive a random effect, consult the Random Effect table to determine the effect.

D4	Random Effect
1	You regain 1 use of Cardistry.
2	You gain a -2 to all attack rolls and a +4 to all damage rolls made with throwing cards for the next minute.
3	You gain advantage on your next attack roll with a throwing card or ability check with a playing card set. This becomes disadvantage if the next attack roll or ability check you make if it does not involve a playing card.
4	You are cured of 1 condition effecting you (e.g blinded, deafened). If you are not currently effected by any conditions this card does nothing.

Drawing a joker does not consume a card and you regain the use of this feature after a short rest.

Throwing Cards

At 3rd level, your skill with a playing card set it becomes more than just mastery. Having learned to expertly handle a deck of cards in more ways than one you gain the following benefits:

• Cards you wield can be used as simple ranged weapons with the light, finesse, and thrown properties that deal 1d4 slashing damage on a hit. The damage die for this attack increases as you gain rogue levels and become more adept at throwing cards, at 9th level (d6), 13th level (d8), and 17th level (d10).
• When you use the Attack action with a melee weapon that you are proficient in or a weapon that has the thrown property, you can make one throwing card attack as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a short sword, you can also make a throwing card attack as a bonus action, assuming you haven’t already taken a bonus action this turn.

Each throwing card attack consumes 1 card. These cards can be replenished after a short rest.

Cardistry

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, and at later levels, you learn to perform powerful card tricks using your throwing cards.

Sleights. You learn 3 sleights: Misdirection, Double Deal, and Curved Card. You have a number of uses of Cardistry equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). When a sleight specifies the amount of cards it consumes, you do not subtract any extra cards for actions made by the sleight.

Misdirection

When a creature within 30 feet of you makes a weapon attack you can use your reaction and spend 1 use of Cardistry to make a throwing card attack against that creature. If the attack hits, the target has disadvantage on its attack roll. This sleight consumes 1 card.

Double Deal

Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 use of Cardistry to make two throwing card attacks as a bonus action. This sleight consumes 2 cards.

Curved Card

You can spend 1 use of Cardistry to curve a throwing card attack. The attack ignores the effects of half and three quarters cover and has advantage against creatures who are not behind cover. This sleight consumes 1 card.

Magic Cards

Starting at 9th level, your cards flow with magical energy and normal throwing card attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. Additionally, your deck becomes infinite. Cards are no longer consumed by attacks or sleights and Jokers can be replenished by shuffling your deck for 10 minutes.

When you begin your exploration of this magic, you may choose to follow one of two paths. The Arcanist (Necrotic, Psychic, Radiant and Force) or the Elementalist (Acid, Cold, Fire and Lightning or Thunder). These paths grant you unique abilities and add a stylistic flair to your cardslinging.

Arcanist

You delve into the Arcane magics, drawing out raw and unearthly forms of magic and learning how to charge your cards with Necrotic, Psychic, Radiant or Force damage.

As a bonus action, you may charge a card with one of these damage types by choosing a suit or by rolling a d4 and taking the corresponding suit from the table below. On a hit the card deals an extra 1d6 of that damage type. This damage increases at 13th level (2d6) and again at 17th level (3d6).

When an attack hits, you may activate it's Extra Effect. If an effect requires the target to make a saving throw that effect's DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. If a target is incapacitated it automatically fails the save.

You can choose to deal Sneak Attack damage OR activate a card's Extra Effect. This does not effect your other attacks. If a card is used for a Sleight, it loses it's charge.

D4	Card Suit	Damage Type	Extra Effect
1	Clubs	Necrotic	You gain temporary hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt by the attack.
2	Diamonds	Psychic	The target must make a WIS saving throw or be stunned until the start of your next turn.
3	Hearts	Radiant	The target must make a CON saving throw or be blinded until the start of your next turn.
4	Spades	Force	The target and any creatures within 10 feet of it must make a STR saving throw or be knocked prone.

Elementalist

You delve into the Elemental magics, drawing your power from the Elemental Planes and learning how to charge your cards with Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder damage.

As a bonus action, you may charge a card with one of these damage types by choosing a suit or by rolling a d4 and taking the corresponding suit from the table below. On a hit the card deals an extra 1d6 of that damage type. This damage increases at 13th level (2d6) and again at 17th level (3d6).

When an attack hits, you may activate it's Extra Effect. If an effect requires the target to make a saving throw that effect's DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. If a target is incapacitated it automatically fails the save.

You can choose to deal Sneak Attack damage OR activate a card's Extra Effect. This does not effect your other attacks. If a card is used for a Sleight, it loses it's charge.

D4	Card Suit	Damage Type	Extra Effect
1	Clubs	Acid	The target must make a CON saving throw or take a -1 to its AC until the start of your next turn.
2	Diamonds	Cold	The target has it's speed reduced by 10 until the start of your next turn.
3	Hearts	Fire	The target and any creatures within 10 feet of it must make a DEX saving throw or take additional fire damage equal to half the initial damage.
4	Spades	Lightning or Thunder	The target cannot take reactions until the start of your next turn. OR The target must make a STR saving throw or be pushed back 10 feet.

 

Loaded Card

At 13th level you gain the ability to magically load your attack with additional cards that fan out as they strike a target.

Choose one point within 60 feet of you. Any creature within a 10 foot radius of that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. The DC for this saving throw is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier.

A target takes 2d8 slashing damage on a failed save and half as much on a successful one. Creatures behind half and three quarters cover instead take half damage on a failed save and no damage on a successful one. The damage die for this attack increases at 17th level (2d10).

You have two uses of this ability which you regain after a long rest.

Ace In The Hole

Starting at 17th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit upon rolling a 19 or a 20 on the attack roll.

When you score a critical hit on an attack with a throwing card the target suffers additional damage of the card's damage type equal to half of the initial damage. The damage type is determined by the 'Magic Cards' feature.