Researcher, Traditional Variant (5e Class)

Researcher

In Hyrule, a researcher delves into ancient tomes, libraries, ruins, and more in the search for arcane knowledge. Most often a researcher's effort comes to fruition in the study and practice of a wide variety of magic. Unlike a sage or scion who is gifted their supernatural powers, a researcher proactively learns, studies, and practices the esoteric art of spellcasting.

In proper society, most researchers are considered oddballs at best and villains at worst. Their unusual practices and oddly inquisitive nature is often off-putting to common folk, but those aware of their supernatural powers have good reason to fear them.

Creating a Researcher

A studied witch can blend a little magic from other schools of research. Source

Quick Build

You can make a researcher quickly by following these suggestions.

1. Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution or Wisdom
2. Choose the scholar background.
3. For your spells, choose the prestidigitation and razor tome cantrips, along with the catapult and mage armor 1st-level spells.

Class Features

As a researcher you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per researcher level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Constitution modifier per researcher level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: None
Weapons: All rods; clubs, daggers, darts, hammmers, staves, scythes, slingshots, and whips.
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Intelligence
Skills: You are proficient in your choice of one skill in the following list: Arcana, Engineering, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, and Religion.

If your Intelligence score is or becomes at least 13, you gain proficiency in one more of the listed skills, for a total of two.

If your Intelligence score is or becomes at least 17, you gain proficiency in one more of the listed skills, for a total of three.

In place of gaining proficiency in a skill, you can instead gain proficiency in any one tool or vehicle of your choice.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a dagger or (b) a quarterstaff
• (a) a slingshot with 50 bullets, and a signal whistle or (b) a whip and 50 feet of hempen rope
• (a) a book of lore, a bottle of ink, an ink pen, a merchant's scale, 10 sheets of parchment, and a small knife or (b) a bedroll, a mess kit, a tinderbox, 10 torches, 10 days of rations, and a waterskin
• an arcane focus, a backpack, and a component pouch.

Table: The researcher

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	Max Spell Level
1st	+2	Spellcasting, Wise Defense	2	2	1st
2nd	+2	School of Research	3	6	1st
3rd	+2	—	3	7	2nd
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Studied Skill	4	9	2nd
5th	+3	—	4	10	3rd
6th	+3	School feature	4	12	3rd
7th	+3	—	4	13	4th
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Magic Sense	4	15	4th
9th	+4	—	5	16	5th
10th	+4	School feature	5	18	5th
11th	+4	—	5	19	6th
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	5	21	6th
13th	+5	—	5	22	7th
14th	+5	School feature	5	24	7th
15th	+5	—	5	25	8th
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement, Spell Resistance	5	27	8th
17th	+6	—	5	28	9th
18th	+6	School feature	5	30	9th
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	5	31	9th
20th	+6	School feature	5	33	9th

Spellcasting

As one who investigates and studies magic, you recite incantations and manipulate material components in ways that require extensive, mentally-demanding practice and memorization.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your researcher spells.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for researcher spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell learned through this class and when making an attack roll with one.

Many researchers use a book to record, study, and practice the spells they learn. Source

Cantrips

You initially know two cantrips of your choice from the following list:

acid splash create bonfire cryonis dancing lights forceful hand gust

light mage hand magic stone mold earth prestidigitation produce flame

push psychic attack razor tome shape water summon instrument

Any cantrips you learn after 1st level can be drawn from the expanded spell list you gain from your School of Research. You learn your third cantrip at 2nd level, your fourth cantrip at 4th level, and your final cantrip at 9th level.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

At 1st level, you know two 1st-level spells from the following list:

absorb elements catapult clear thought color spray comprehend languages create or destroy water detect magic disguise self

earth tremor endure elements expeditious retreat feather fall fog cloud grease identify illusory script

jump longstrider mage armor purify food and drink shield silent image sleep unseen servant

At 2nd level, you learn four additional 1st-level spells. At this level, your spell list expands to include a much wider variety of spells, as decided by your School of Research. You can choose to learn any of your new spells from the expanded spell list appropriate to your school.

Starting from 3rd level in this class, you learn one spell at odd-numbered levels, and two spells at even-numbered levels. You choose which spells to learn from your expanded researcher spell list, dictated by your School of Research. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the Researcher table’s Max Spell Level column for your level.

Wise Defense

You can rely more on predicting and reading opponents' attacks to evade them, rather than relying on your reaction time or nimbleness of movement. Whenever you would add your Dexterity modifier to your AC, you can choose to add your Wisdom modifier instead. You cannot do this if you are already adding your Wisdom modifier to your AC, such as with a monk's Unarmored Defense.

School of Research

When you reach 2nd level, you choose a school of research that represents the area of study, or the type of magic, upon which you focus your efforts the most. Your choice greatly expands your spell list, allowing you to learn from a wider variety of spells than before. Your choice also grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, 18th, and 20th levels.

• A technomancer focuses on enhancing weapons and armor with ancient magic, and wields spells that focus more on empowering allies.
• A witch wields versatile spells that manipulate allies and foes alike, and has relative mastery over flight, poisons, and potions.
• A wizzrobe specializes in destructive magic and manipulating elements of nature.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

If your campaign is using the feats optional rule, you can replace this feature with a feat for which you qualify.

Studied Skill

At 4th level, your further studies grant you greater expertise in a practical area of study. Choose one skill from Animal Handling, Arcana, Engineering, History, Medicine, Nature, and Religion. You gain proficiency in that skill. If you are already proficient in the chosen skill, or later would become proficient in it a second time, you instead gain expertise in the skill.

Magic Sense

Magic has become ingrained in your mind so thoroughly it is influencing your senses. Starting from 8th level, you have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) checks to notice spells or magic effects.

You learn the detect magic spell. If you already have learned this spell, you can instead learn another 1st-level researcher spell that you would otherwise be able to learn. In either case this new spell does not count against your Spells Known. You can cast detect magic without consuming spell slots.

Spell Resistance

At 16th level, your talent and practice with spells enables you to resist them with enviable ease. You have advantage on saving throws against spells, and resistance to damage from spells which do not afford you a saving throw.

Technomancer

A young, eccentric technomancer. Source

As a technomancer, your study focuses on a specific, ancient and mostly-forgotten form of magic revolving around unique material components. This form of magic is sometimes referred to as 'technology,' hence the common name of technomancers. Those who study your craft are known under other titles as well, including arcanists, doctors, historians, machinists, professors, and tinkers.

Compared to other researchers, your magic focuses more around manipulating and transmuting objects, including weapons and armor that can be utilized by you or your allies.

Table: The Technomancer

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	Max Spell Level	Magic Points
1st	+2	Spellcasting, Wise Defense	2	2	1st	Int modifier
2nd	+2	School of Research, Bonus Proficiencies, Versatile Casting	3	6	1st	+5
3rd	+2	—	4	7	2nd	+10
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Studied Skill	4	9	2nd	+15
5th	+3	—	4	10	3rd	+20
6th	+3	Ancient Weaponry, War Magic	4	12	3rd	+25
7th	+3	—	4	13	4th	+30
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Magic Sense	4	15	4th	+35
9th	+4	—	4	16	5th	+40
10th	+4	Ancient Armor	5	18	5th	+45
11th	+4	—	5	19	6th	+50
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	5	21	6th	+55
13th	+5	—	5	22	7th	+60
14th	+5	Construct Expertise	5	24	7th	+65
15th	+5	—	5	25	8th	+70
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement, Spell Resistance	5	27	8th	+75
17th	+6	—	5	28	9th	+80
18th	+6	Ancient Surplus	5	30	9th	+85
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	5	31	9th	+90
20th	+6	Master of the Ancient	5	33	9th	+95

Bonus Proficiencies

At 2nd level, your technological studies grant you several additional proficiencies.

You gain proficiency with all simple weapons, with light armor, with shields, and with all weapons that include "bomb" in the name.

You gain proficiency in the History skill. If you were already proficient in this skill, you can instead gain proficiency in another skill available to researchers at 1st level.

You gain proficiency with tinker's tools. If you are already proficient, you can instead gain proficiency in any one artisan's tool.

You learn to read, write, and speak your choice of either the Ancient or Twilit language.

Versatile Casting

At 2nd level, you learn to cast spells with nimble ease. You can perform the somatic components of your researcher spells even when you have objects in one or both hands.

Ancient Weaponry

At 6th level, you learn to enhance weapons with arcane technology that draws upon your own magic reserves. You have a number of ancient cores equal to your intelligence modifier. An ancient core is a manifestation of your magic, which is formless unless it is applied to another item.

During any short rest, you can expend any number of these ancient cores to enhance a number of simple or martial weapons. To do so, you must be able to hold and manipulate the weapon, and have access to artisian's tools/tinker's tools. For each core you expend on a weapon, it grants its wielder a cumulative +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with that weapon. The maximum enhancement you can place on a weapon is equal half to your proficiency modifier, rounded up. Any weapon with one of these enhancements is considered magical.

If the weapon to enhanced is magical and already has an inherent bonus to attack and damage rolls, you can increase the bonus by 1 for each core expended, but not so the total bonus exceeds half your proficiency modifier (rounded up).

When you (and only you) attack with a weapon you have enhanced with this feature, you can treat it as a spell attack. You use your Intelligence modifier for attack and damage rolls with the weapon.

You regain your ancient cores whenever your enhancements end. You can end any number of your action core enhancements at any time, over any distance, as an action.

War Magic

Beginning at 6th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.

Ancient Armor

At 10th level, you learn to enhance armor, but not shields, in the same way you enhance weapons. The maximum number of your ancient cores permanently doubles; it becomes equal to twice your intelligence modifier.

Whenever you would be able to enhance weapons, you can also enhance armor. For every 2 cores you expend on a suit of armor, that armor grants its wearer a cumulative +1 bonus to AC. The maximum enhancement you can place on armor is equal to +1. It increase to +2 at character level 13, and to +3 at character level 17. If the armor is magical and already has an inherent bonus to AC, you can increase the bonus by 1 for every 2 cores expended, but not so the total bonus exceeds the maximum enchantment.

Any armor with one of these enhancements is considered magical.

Just as with weapons, you can end any enhancement you've placed on any suit(s) of armor at any time, over any distance, as an action. Doing so causes you to regain the cores that you had expended on that armor.

Construct Expertise

At 14th level, your studies on arcane machinery bloom. You become able to aid or exploit construct creatures in a multitude of ways. You gain the following benefits:

• You have advantage on any Intelligence check to recall lore about constructs.
• You wield an innate understanding of how these creatures process information. You are considered proficient in all Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma checks made against or about constructs.
• You are inherently aware of any construct's physical makeup, and know how to exploit weaknesses in its design. Any attack roll you make against a construct has advantage.
• You know how to weave your magic in such a way that you can repair constructs in ways others cannot. Whenever you target a construct with a spell that restores hit points, you can restore its hit points as if it was a living monstrosity instead of a construct.

Ancient Surplus

At 18th level, the maximum number of your ancient cores permanently increases. It is now equal to 15, regardless of your intelligence modifier.

Master of the Ancient

At 20th level, your mastery of arcane magic and ancient history reaches its zenith. You gain the following benefits:

• You have advantage on all Intelligence (History) and Intelligence (Arcana) checks.
• Whenever you make an attack with a simple or martial weapon that doesn't have a bonus to attack and damage rolls, you gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls with that weapon, its damage is considered magical, and it inflicts an extra 7 (2d6) force damage on a hit. You can use your Intelligence modifier for attack and damage rolls with this weapon if you otherwise could not.
• If you are unarmored or your armor is not magical, you gain a +3 bonus to your AC. Any nonmagical armor you are wearing is treated as magical.

Witch

A witch will often wield a broom, as one is a useful focus in witchcraft. Source

A witch is perhaps the most renowned and versatile of researchers. Their potions are coveted for healing wounds, and their poisons sought for bringing down kings. Although the magic of a witch is perhaps more subtle than the flashiness of a wizzrobe or the straightforward nature of a technomancer, it is easily the most versatile. Witchcraft includes a wide array of spells—far beyond simple medicines and poisons, they can cast spells to fling acid, enable flight, create illusions, heal wounds, and even twist dimensions.

Table: The Witch

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	Max Spell Level	Magic Points
1st	+2	Spellcasting, Wise Defense	2	2	1st	Int modifier
2nd	+2	School of Research, Bonus Proficiencies, Ritual Casting, Witch's Broom	3	6	1st	+6
3rd	+2	—	4	7	2nd	+12
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Studied Skill	4	9	2nd	+18
5th	+3	—	4	10	3rd	+24
6th	+3	Flying Broom	4	12	3rd	+30
7th	+3	—	4	13	4th	+36
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Magic Sense	4	15	4th	+42
9th	+4	—	4	16	5th	+48
10th	+4	Varied Learning (1)	5	18	5th	+54
11th	+4	—	5	19	6th	+60
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	5	21	6th	+66
13th	+5	—	5	22	7th	+72
14th	+5	Multitasking, Varied Learning (2)	5	24	7th	+78
15th	+5	—	5	25	8th	+84
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement, Spell Resistance	5	27	8th	+90
17th	+6	—	5	28	9th	+96
18th	+6	Improved Multitasking, Varied Learning (3), Witch's Flight	5	30	9th	+102
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	5	31	9th	+108
20th	+6	Masterful Learning	5	33	9th	+114

Witch's Broom

Starting from 2nd level, you can use a broom as the arcane focus for your researcher spells. At your DM's discretion, you can substitute a similar implement, such as a tree branch or a wooden ladle. You can attack with such an implement as though it was a club.

Bonus Proficiencies

At 2nd level, your witchcraft studies grant you several additional proficiencies.

You gain proficiency with bug-catching nets and seed shooters.

You gain proficiency in the Medicine skill. If you are already proficient, you may gain proficiency in another skill from the researcher list of skill proficiencies available at 1st level.

You gain proficiency in the following tools: apothecary's kit and poisoner’s kit. If you are already proficient in one of these tools, you may instead of that tool gain proficiency in any artisan tool of your choice.

You learn to read, write, and speak any one additional language of your choice.

Ritual Casting

Starting from 2nd level, you can cast a researcher spell you have learned as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Flying Broom

At 6th level, you can gain a flying speed of 50 feet by riding a broom, or another object serving as your Witch's Broom. Flying in this manner requires concentration as if concentrating on a researcher spell, and beginning that concentration requires an action. So long as you maintain this concentration and wield the focus, you can start or stop your magical flight freely as part of your move.

Varied Learning

At 10th level, you can incorporate other schools of magic into your own. You can learn any one researcher spell as if you were a technomancer or wizzrobe. This spell cannot exceed 5th level. It does not count against your Spells Known.

At 14th level and 18th level, you can gain a new spell that follows the same restrictions.

Multitasking

Starting at 14th level, you become able to mentally juggle several magical spells at once. While you are concentrating on one researcher spell, you can cast another researcher spell and concentrate on both simultaneously. The spells must both be of 3rd level or lower, and neither can be a spell you gained through your Varied Learning feature.

While doing so you only need to make one Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on both spells when your concentration is challenged. However, you have disadvantage on this saving throw, and failing it breaks your concentration on both spells at once.

Improved Multitasking

At 18th level, you better learn to concentrate on multiple spells. When using your Multitasking feature, you can simultaneously concentrate on any two spells you know of 6th level or lower.

If you are only focusing on one spell, you have advantage on any Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on it.

Witch's Flight

Starting at 18th level, you gain a flying speed of 50 feet, which you can use without concentration and without needing a focus.

You can choose to use a focus and concentrate as with the Flying Broom feature, and in doing so your flying speed becomes 100 feet for the duration of your concentration.

Masterful Learning

At 20th level, you become a library of knowledge and a pinnacle of magical research. You can learn any one spell from any class and cast it as if it was a researcher spell.

You also gain the following benefits:

• When casting a spell you have learned with your Varied Learning feature, you do not need to expend extra magic points to do so.
• You have advantage on all Intelligence checks and all Intelligence saving throws.
• You can always accurately remember any text or scripts you have read since you acquired this feature, even if it was from a language you didn't understand.

Wizzrobe

A wizzrobe wielding lightning magic. Source

A wizzrobe is one who delves into the depths of the most destructive magic; one who cares for little other than the utter obliteration of her foes at the tendrils of fire, frost, or lightning. The deeper one dives into this school, or so they say, the less empathy and sanity remains inside you. Indeed, the very term "wizzrobe" has become so attributed to the wanton destruction that few hylians even realize not all wizzrobes are literally evil monsters.

As the name suggests, a wizzrobe often wears a robe with a hood or other headgear that conceals its face. This is most often done to conceal the wizzrobe’s identity, due to the negative connotation wizzrobes as a whole have received. Some wizzrobes choose to wear hooded robes out of tradition rather than shame, and others still eschew these garments altogether.

Table: The Wizzrobe

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	Max Spell Level	Magic Points
1st	+2	Spellcasting, Wise Defense	2	2	1st	Int modifier
2nd	+2	School of Research, Bonus Proficiencies, Elemental Affinity	3	6	1st	+7
3rd	+2	—	4	7	2nd	+14
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Studied Skill	4	9	2nd	+21
5th	+3	—	4	10	3rd	+28
6th	+3	Rod Expertise, Wizzwarp	4	12	3rd	+35
7th	+3	—	4	13	4th	+42
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Magic Sense	4	15	4th	+49
9th	+4	—	4	16	5th	+56
10th	+4	Blast Magic	5	18	5th	+63
11th	+4	—	5	19	6th	+70
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	5	21	6th	+77
13th	+5	—	5	22	7th	+84
14th	+5	Elemental Paragon	5	24	7th	+91
15th	+5	—	5	25	8th	+98
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement, Spell Resistance	5	27	8th	+105
17th	+6	—	5	28	9th	+112
18th	+6	Piercing Magic, Weather Permeation	5	30	9th	+119
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	5	31	9th	+126
20th	+6	Master Wizzrobe	5	33	9th	+133

Bonus Proficiencies

At 2nd level, your wizzrobe studies grant you several additional proficiencies.

You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill. If you were already proficient in this skill, you can instead gain proficiency in another skill available to researchers at 1st level.

You learn to read, write, and speak your choice of the Blin, Lizal, or Stal language.

Elemental Affinity

Most wizzrobes specialize in casting a specific type of damaging magic. At 2nd level, choose cold, fire, or lightning.

When you cast a spell that inflicts damage of your chosen type, you can increase its spell save DC by 2, or gain a +2 bonus to its attack roll.

You gain resistance to your chosen damage type. If you otherwise have resistance, you also gain advantage on all saving throws to mitigate or avoid damage of that type.

Depending on your choice, however, you also gain vulnerability to a certain type of damage:

• Cold: You have fire vulnerability.
• Fire: You have cold vulnerability.
• Lightning: You have thunder vulnerability.

Wizzwarp

At 6th level, if you do not already have the misty step spell, you learn it. If you do already have it, you can gain another 2nd-level researcher spell you would otherwise be able to learn. In any case, this new spell does not count against your Spells Known.

You can cast misty step without expending spell slots.

Blast Magic

At 10th level, your raw magic power to blast apart enemies comes into its own.

Whenever you cast a researcher spell with a duration of "Instantaneous" that inflicts damage of the type you chose with Elemental Affinity, you increase the damage one target takes by an amount equal to your Intelligence modifier. If a saving throw success halves this spell's damage, it also halves the damage added by your Intelligence modifier.

When you cast a researcher spell that deals damage of the type you chose with Elemental Affinity, the spell ignores resistance against that damage type.

Elemental Paragon

At 14th level, you gain immunity to the damage type you chose for Elemental Affinity. You are also no longer vulnerable to the correlating damage type, unless you would be for reasons not detailed under Elemental Affinity.

Piercing Magic

Starting at 18th level, researcher spells you cast ignore immunity to damage of the type you chose for Elemental Affinity at 2nd level, but instead deal half damage as though the damage was resisted.

Weather Permeation

At 18th level, your raw elemental power is so great it affects the climate in your immediate vicinity. The effect depends on the damage type you chose for Elemental Affinity at 2nd level:

• Cold: The temperature within a 200-foot radius of you plummets drastically, equivalent to the coldest day this region could feel in the depths of winter, late at night. You can choose to mitigate this effect up to normal temperatures. Any creature you mentally designate is shielded from this cold.
• Fire: The temperature within a 200-foot radius of you raises drastically, equivalent to the hottest day this region could feel in the heights of summer in the midday sun. You can choose to decrease this effect down to normal temperatures. Any creature you mentally designate is shielded from this heat.
• Lightning: A small rain cloud about 200 feet across forms over you low in the sky, but only slightly lower than the naturally occurring sky. This rain cloud provides constant shade for the vicinity in which you walk, and endlessly pours light rain at your will. It will not follow you indoors but instead flies overhead in whatever structure you enter. You can choose to mitigate the cloud entirely, or to provide pockets of sunlight through as you mentally designate.

You can choose to suppress this feature at will, and it ends automatically if you fall unconscious. The effect is gradual, taking 1 minute to form or dissipate as appropriate.

Master Wizzrobe

At 20th level, you ascend to a true master of elemental magic. You gain all the benefits from the features Elemental Affinity, Blast Magic, Elemental Paragon, and Piercing Magic regardless of which damage type you initially chose for Elemental Affinity.

Whenever you finish a short rest, you can choose a new type of Weather Permeation from among cold, fire, and lightning.

You have advantage on all Intelligence (Arcana) checks and Charisma (Intimidation) checks.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the researcher class, you must have a Intelligence score of 13 or higher.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the researcher class, you do not inherently gain any proficiencies.

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