Meaning in Symbols

All Symbolists find their magic in the writing and bodily recording of spells. To pursue this goal, Symbolists incribe upon themselves Sigils, which act as a focus through which many different arcane effects can help them. Most Symbolists specialize in a further purpose in their symbols, between arcane nullification, augmentation, and condensation.

Masters of Sigils

Symbolists particularly excel in a field untouched by any other purveyor of the arcane: Sigils. Certain patterns, when inscribed on the skin in complex rituals, can provide constant magical benefits, requiring little to no energetic input by the user. Symbolists take advantage of these by covering themselves in them, allowing them to passively feel the benefits of many magical effects at once.

A World of Signs

Finding new symbols for spells can at first seem incredibly daunting and difficult, but it is quite the opposite. The many nations, species, and cultures that inhabit the world very often utilize symbolism to depict stories, locations, languages, and more in an artistic manner. To the properly trained eye, these symbols, through the meaning that they carry, are rife with magical potential.

Class features

As a symbolist, you gain following class features.

Seal of Warding

As a reaction, you can reduce incoming damage from a melee or ranged attack by 1d8 + your Intelligence modifier. This has a number of uses per long rest equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Seal of Striking

Increased damage of unarmed attacks to 1d8. This changes to a 1d10 at 9th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.

Seal of Transference

In a radius of 20 feet around you, you grant +1 AC to yourself, as well as to a number of allied creatures up to your Intelligence modifier. As a reaction, when a creature you can see (other than yourself) is hit by an attack, you can end this effect to grant that creature resistance to all damage from the attack. Once this reaction has been used, no creature can gain the benefits of this Seal for one full round from when the reaction was used.

Augmenter

Recognizing the utility of their Sigils, Augmenter Symbolists desire to apply that utility to those around them. Parties accompanied by an Augmenter Symbolist are renowned for their unpredictability, and are often recorded as moving impossible distances in the blink of an eye.

Spellcasting

3rd-Level Condenser Feature

Cantrips: You learn two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn an additional wizard cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots The Condenser Pattern Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your wizard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Shield and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Shield using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher: You know three 1st-level wizard spells of your choice.

The Spells Known column of the Condenser Pattern Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizard spells you know with another spell of your choice from the wizard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability: Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through 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 wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Compacted Range

7th-Level Condenser Feature

When casting a spell available to you, you may concentrate a spell down to the smallest size possible, concentrating all the mystical power in one point and delivering it at touch range. You may only use this ability to cast spells of a level equal to or lower than your Symbolist level divided by 5, rounded up.

As an action, make one melee attack. If this attack hits, deal the normal unarmed attack damage you would do, and immediately after, the spell takes effect on the target.

• If the spell requires a saving throw, consider it as if the target failed their save.
• If the spell targets an area, it only affects the target of the attack.

This can be used once per short or long rest, because of the bruises the compacted magic leaves to your body.

Enhanced Compacted Range

15th-Level Condenser Feature

You may now use Compacted Range as part of one of your unarmed strikes in your turn rather than as an action.

Arcane Overseer

20th-Level Condenser Feature

You learn the spell Disintegrate, which you may cast while using Compacted Range, once per day.

Arcane Counterstrike

3rd-Level Nullifier Feature

Your strikes have the capability to momentarily cut off a caster from their magical potential. If a creature within 5 feet of you uses their action or bonus action to initiate a magical effect or spell, you may use your reaction to make an unarmed attack. If it hits, the caster must make a Dexterity Saving Throw against your Counterstrike DC, detailed below. If the spell being casted is of 5th level or higher, they have advantage on the save. If they fail, the magical effect or spell does not occur, and their related actions and spell slots are consumed as if it did. If they succeed, the spell attack associated with the spell is made at disadvantage, or the saving throw for those affected is made with advantage.

Counterstrike DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Intelligence Modifier

You have a number of uses per long rest equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Magical Resistance

7th-Level Nullifier Feature

You gain the ability to push through spell effects aimed at you. You gain advantage on all saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Additionally, your unarmed strikes deal an additional damage die to any creature with the Spellcasting feature.

Magical Prevention

15th-Level Nullifier Feature

You cover yourself in antimagical symbology to the extent that magical barriers do not impede your movement. You can now, using your movement, pass through any magical barriers that prevent physical movement through or across them, such as Wall of Force. You cannot pass through any physical barrier, regardless of its magical nature.

Antimagic Pinnacle

20th-Level Nullifier Feature

You have modified your physical self to such an extent that, for all intents and purposes, you do not exist to magic.

As an action, you may manifest an Antimagic Field around yourself, at a radius of 0 feet; you are exclusively affected by this effect. You may use an action to dispel this effect on yourself as well.

Sigils

Ancient Rune Magic

by KypcaHT on DeviantArt

Destruction Apprentice Setting a Lightning Rune Trap

by Carcaneloce

Trailer Park Fae

by Dan dos Santos

Tayo, The Shieldmage

by Magali Villenueve

Constellation Door Cover Art

by Eagle Eat Chicks

This class has been made by Jfoy

Changelog

v.1.0

• First Draft!
• 3 Subclasses: The Counterspeller, The Haster and The Summoner.

v.2.0

• That last draft was bad.
• Overhauled: Wis/Dex martial class. Added Major and Minor Sigil system. Created 3 subclasses of Resistance, Assistance, and Potency.

v.3.0

• Now THAT last draft was bad.
• Major Sigils Removed, Core Class & Sigils reworked