Cardmancer (3.5e Class)

Cardmancer

Cardmancers wield a deck of magical cards to fight. Their deck can have monsters to summon, spells to cast, weapons and armors, or magical items. They fight by drawing cards from their hand and summoning or casting whatever is on the card. (You're gonna need real cards to use, probably mark them or something so you know what spell, item or monster they are.)

Making a Cardmancer

Cardmancers are pretty balanced fighters. They summon all of their equipment and spells from a shuffled deck of cards and therefor can be pretty unpredictable. They work well in any group.

Abilities: Either Dexterity or Strength are a Cardmancer's most important abilities, depending in what weapons and gear they have in their deck. Next most important skill is Wisdom, which they use for their spells. Anything else is fair game.

Races: Any race can play as this class, as long as they can hold a deck of cards well enough.

Alignment: Any

Starting Gold: As Sorcerer

Starting Age: Simple

Table: The Cardmancer

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Deck size(20 Cards), Monster Cards(CR 1/3), Spell Cards(0 & 1st lvl), Weapon Cards(Simple), Magic Item Cards(Common)
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+1	Deck size(25 Cards), Monster Cards(CR 1/2), Armor Cards(Light & Shields)
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+1	Monster Cards(CR 1), Spell Cards(2nd lvl)
4th	+2	+4	+1	+1	Deck size(30 Cards), Monster Cards(CR 2), Weapon Cards(Martial)
5th	+3	+4	+1	+2	Monster Cards(CR 3), Spell Cards(3rd lvl), Magic Item Cards(Uncommon)
6th	+3	+5	+2	+2	Deck size(35 Cards), Monster Cards(CR 4), Armor Cards(Medium)
7th	+4	+5	+2	+2	Monster Cards(CR 5), Spell Cards(4th lvl), Weapon Cards(Exotic)
8th	+4	+6	+2	+3	Deck size(40 Cards), Monster Cards(CR 6), Armor Cards(Heavy)
9th	+5	+6	+3	+3	Monster Cards(CR 7), Spell Cards(5th lvl), Magic Item Cards(rare)
10th	+5	+7	+3	+3	Deck size(45 Cards), Monster Cards(CR 8), Weapon Cards(Magic, Common & Uncommon)
11th	+6/+1	+7	+3	+4	Monster Cards(CR 9), Spell Cards(6th lvl)
12th	+6/+1	+8	+4	+4	Deck size(50 Cards), Monster Cards(CR 10)
13th	+7/+2	+8	+4	+4	Monster Cards(CR 11), Spell Cards(7th lvl), Weapon Cards(Magic, Rare & Very Rare), Magic Item Cards(Very Rare)
14th	+7/+2	+9	+4	+5	Deck size(55 Cards), Monster Cards(CR 12)
15th	+8/+3	+9	+5	+5	Monster Cards(CR 13), Spell Cards(8th lvl)
16th	+8/+3	+10	+5	+5	Deck size(60 Cards), Monster Cards(CR 14), Weapon Cards(Magic, Legendary & Artifact)
17th	+9/+4	+10	+5	+6	Monster Cards(CR 15), Spell Cards(9th lvl), Magic Item Cards(Legendary)
18th	+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Deck size(65 Cards), Monster Cards(CR 16)
19th	+10/+5	+11	+6	+6	Monster Cards(CR 17)
20th	+10/+5	+12	+6	+7	Deck size(70 Cards), Monster Cards(CR 18), Magic Item Cards(Artifact)
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) <-class skills (and key abilities)->.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Cardmancer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Cardmancer is proficient with short swords and whatever weapon or armor it summons.

Card Deck: The Cardmancer uses a deck of summoning cards to fight. It starts with 20 cards at 1st level and gains 5 new cards every even level. Every time you gain another Cardmancer level, you can replace 10 cards in your deck with any other summoning effect you can get at your level. Once a card is used it cannot be used until the next long rest. At the beginning of the Cardmancer's turn, they draw cards from the deck until the have three + their Wisdom modifier in their hand. They can only cast cards from their hand unless outside of a battle in which case they can search the deck for specific cards. There are five types of cards; Monster, Spell, Weapon, Armor and Magic Item.

Monster Cards: The Cardmancer has access to any number of monster summoning cards. Summoning monsters is a standard action. The CR of monster that you can summon is equal to your Cardmancer lvl - 2, with CR1/3 for lvl 1 and CR1/2 for lvl 2. There is no limit to how many monster cards you can have other than the max deck size limit.

Spell Cards: The Cardmancer has access to cards that can cast spells. Spell cards take the spells casting time to cast. The amount of spells of each level you can have in your deck is equal to the Wizard's Spells per day table of your Cardmancer level. So a level 3 Cardmancer can have a max of 4 0 lvl spells, 2 1st lvl spells and 1 2nd lvl spell. You use Wisdom for your spells and can only cast a spell if your Wisdom score is higher than 10+spell lvl. You can have a max number of spells in your deck equal to your Cardmancer lvl + your Wisdom modifier.

Weapon Cards: The Cardmancer has access to any number of weapon summoning cards. Summoning a weapon is a bonus action. You are automatically proficient with the weapon you summon and you keep that weapon until you summon another weapon or until you take a long rest. If you summon a ranged weapon you also summon 20 pieces of ammunition for that weapon. There is no limit to how many weapon cards you can have other than the max deck size limit.

Armor Cards: The Cardmancer has access to any number of armor summoning cards. Summoning armor takes a full round action. You are proficient with whatever armor you summon and you keep that armor until you summon another set of armor or take a long rest. There is no limit to how many armor cards you can have other than the max deck size limit.

Magic Item Cards: The Cardmancer has access to cards that can summon magical items into being. Summoning common and uncommon items takes a bonus action, rare and very rare items take a standard action, and legendary and artifact items take a full round action. You cannot summon magic weapons with these cards as magic weapons are unlocked at a later level. You can have a maximum of 5 cards for each item rarity and a maximum total number of magic item cards equal to 10 + your Wisdom modifier + your Intelligence modifier.

Epic <-class name->

Table: The Epic <-class name->

Hit Die: d<-Die size for Hit Die->

Level	Special
21st	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
22nd	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
23rd	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
24th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
25th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
26th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
27th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
28th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
29th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
30th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
<-number of skill points-> + Int modifier skill points per level.

<-existing class feature->: <-how this class feature increases or accumulates at epic levels->

<-another existing class feature->: <-how this class feature increases or accumulates at epic levels->

<-Lather, rinse...->

<-... repeat.->

Bonus Feats: The epic <-class name-> gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic <-class name-> bonus feats) every <-number of feats per level-> levels after 20th.

Epic <-class name-> Bonus Feat List: <-list of bonus epic feats->.

<-Sample race of your choice-> <-class name-> Starting Package

Weapons: <-Weapon selection for starting at 1st level with this class.->.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
<-Skill name->	<-4 for class skills and 2 for cross-class skills->	<-Abbreviated key ability->	<-armor check penalty based on starting armor. If inapplicable put "—"->
<-Skill name->	<-4 for class skills and 2 for cross-class skills->	<-Abbreviated key ability->	<-armor check penalty based on starting armor. If inapplicable put "—"-> <-copy and paste the rows as necessary.->

Feat: <-1st-level feat selection->.

Bonus Feats: <-1st-level feat bonus feats due to class or sample race. remove this section if this sample doesn't get any bonus feats at 1st level. ->.

Gear: <-Starting armor and other equipment outside of weapons.->.

Gold: <-Starting gold using this package.->.

Playing a <-class name->

Religion: <-description of how this class typically (but no exclusively) approaches religion including likely portfolios it would worship->.

Other Classes: <-How this class typically interacts with other classes and how characters of this class interact with characters of other classes->.

Combat: <-Typical role in combat->.

Advancement: <-Typical advancement options for characters with this class. Include desirable multiclass options->.

<-pluralized class name-> in the World

“	<-Some quote from a character of this class->	”
—<-NPC name->, <-race-> <-class->

<-Where characters of this class fit in a d20 world.->

Daily Life: <-day in the life of a character of this class->.

Notables: <-notable NPCs of this class->.

Organizations: <-info on what, where, when, and how characters of this class congregate and assemble->.

NPC Reactions: <-How NPCs react to PCs of this class->.

<-class name-> Lore

Characters with ranks in <-the appropriate skills-> can research <-pluralized class name-> to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

<-the appropriate skills->

DC	Result
5	<-common knowledge->.
10	<-not so common knowledge->.
15	<-rare information->.
20	<-very rare information->.

<-pluralized class name-> in the Game

<-How characters of this class fit in the game (PC and NPC) and what roles they play.->

Adaptation: <-Possible variant conceptions of this class.->.

Sample Encounter: <-DM placement for NPCs of this class.->.

EL : <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter.->.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Classes → Base Classes