Mastermind Revised

Your focus is on people and the influence, intentions, and secrets they possess. Spies, courtiers, schemers, and agents follow this archetype, using words, observation, and careful planning as readily as others use a blade.

A Mastermind rarely needs to overpower an opponent directly. By studying others, you learn where their weaknesses lie, how they are likely to act, and eventually how to remain one step ahead of them.

Master of Intrigue

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the disguise kit, the forgery kit, and one gaming set of your choice. You also learn two languages of your choice.

Additionally, you can unerringly mimic the speech patterns and accent of a creature that you hear speak for at least 1 minute, enabling you to pass yourself off as a native speaker of a particular land, provided that you know the language.

Master of Tactics

Starting at 3rd level, you can use the Help action as a bonus action. Additionally, when you use the Help action to aid an ally in attacking a creature, the target of that attack can be within 30 feet of you, rather than within 5 feet of you, if the target can see or hear you.

Set Up

Starting at 9th level, you can use your insight into a creature's behavior to create an opening for your allies.

As an action, choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you and expend one use of this feature. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

On a failed save, choose one of the following abilities:

• Intelligence
• Wisdom
• Charisma

The first saving throw the creature makes using the chosen ability before the start of your next turn is made with disadvantage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Insightful Manipulator

Starting at 9th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or interacting with another creature outside combat, or use an action to analyze a creature you can see within 60 feet of you, you can learn certain information about its capabilities.

The DM tells you which of the following ability scores is the creature's lowest:

• Intelligence score
• Wisdom score
• Charisma score

If two or more of these scores are tied for lowest, the DM chooses which one you identify.

When you analyze the creature, choose one of the following skills:

• Deception
• Intimidation
• Persuasion

For the next 24 hours, you have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks you make against that creature and on Charisma checks you make against it using the chosen skill.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

If you use this feature on a creature that is already under its effect, the new analysis replaces the previous one.

Soul of Deceit

Starting at 17th level, your thoughts can’t be read by telepathy or other means, unless you allow it. You can present false thoughts by succeeding on a Charisma (Deception) check contested by the mind reader’s Wisdom (Insight) check.

Additionally, no matter what you say, magic that would determine if you are telling the truth indicates you are being truthful if you so choose, and you can’t be compelled to tell the truth by magic.

Read the Attack

Starting at 13th level, you can read an opponent's movements and turn its attack into an opening of your own.

When a creature you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to make a Wisdom (Insight) check. The DC equals the total of the triggering attack roll.

On a successful check, the attack misses you instead, even if the triggering attack roll was a critical hit.

If the attacker is within reach of a Finesse melee weapon you are wielding, you can also make one melee weapon attack against it as part of the same reaction. On a hit, the attack deals an extra 3d6 damage of the same type as the weapon's normal damage.

The extra damage increases to 4d6 when you reach 15th level and 5d6 when you reach 19th level.

This attack can't benefit from your Sneak Attack.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Checkmate

 Starting at 17th level, your ability to read another creature has reached its peak. A glance at its stance, movements, and reactions is enough for you to recognize patterns in its behavior, anticipate its actions, and expose openings for your allies.

As a bonus action, you can choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you and expend one use of this feature. The creature immediately becomes your Checkmate target.

While your Checkmate target is within 60 feet of you and you can see it, you gain the following benefits. If it is outside this range or you can't see it, you gain none of these benefits, but it remains your Checkmate target:

Opening: The creature has disadvantage on attack rolls it makes against you, and you have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by it and against other effects created by it.

Middlegame: The creature can't benefit from advantage on attack rolls it makes against your allies.

Endgame: Once on each of your turns, you can choose one ally within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you (no action required). The next time that ally hits your Checkmate target with an attack before the start of your next turn, the attack deals an extra 4d6 damage. This extra damage increases to 5d6 when you reach 19th level.

If you cannot see your Checkmate target at the end of each of three consecutive turns you take, it ceases to be your Checkmate target.

A creature also ceases to be your Checkmate target if you use this feature on another creature or if you become incapacitated.

You can use this feature three times, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.