Homebrew:Philosophy: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:52, 26 July 2025

(OOC: This is an implementation of the Philosophy subclass from The Crooked Moon)

Base Class: Wizard

Philosophers have focused their study of wizardry on the fundamental nature of existence and reality. They seek the most quintessential truths of creation and manipulate those forces and substances through alchemical practice. Through understanding, deconstruction, and reconstruction, they master the natural energies of the world around them and alter it to their will.

Every wizard who walks the steps of the philosopher does so to solve some specific problem, even if only at first. The Philosophical Pursuits table offers challenges or goals that set you onto your study of alchemical magic.

Philosophical Pursuits
1d12	Guiding Goal
1	Someone close to you is lost in time, the planes, or some other esoteric state of being. Unraveling the nature of reality is your path to finding them.
2	You suffered a debilitating ailment or injury and turned to the study of magic to deconstruct the impairment's nature and transmute it.
3	Your teacher was killed by a rival philosopher, and you must learn all you can of that discipline to protect yourself and bring them to justice.
4	The rediscovered research of a missing mage unlocked the first secrets of your understanding but contains many more you can't yet decipher.
5	Wizardry provides a path to immense power, but you know an even greater state of being awaits your ascension.
6	You encountered a material with miraculous properties, and you can't rest until you discover the secret of its creation.
7	Your sibling's soul was separated from their body in a spell gone wrong, and you cannot forgive yourself until you make them whole.
8	You were a stage performer who wowed audiences with magical acts, and you seek the ultimate magic trick to become a legend.
9	You come from an impoverished hometown and wish to utilize the transmutation of metals to bring prosperity to your community.
10	In your pursuit to be closer to the gods, you have sought the secrets of creating new life forms in your own image.
11	You were raised to revere the four elements, and you hypothesized that mastering the stuff of existence will bring harmony to them all.
12	You had aspirations of joining the military and rising through the ranks, believing that the magic of reality can be used as a weapon of war.

Alchemical Knowledge

2nd-level Philosophy feature

You gain a set of alchemist's supplies. You have proficiency with it and can use it as an arcane focus. Additionally, you can use alchemist's supplies instead of another tool required to craft a magic item.

Quintessence

2nd-level Philosophy feature

You have learned the fundamental process of dissolution. You know the dissolution cantrip. A creature or object you reduce to 0 hit points with the cantrip is destroyed. If the target was Small or larger, it dissolves into a measure (about an ounce) of crystalline powder called Quintessence. You can have a maximum amount of Quintessence equal to twice your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 2 measures) at one time. If you create more, the oldest measure vanishes. You can use Quintessence you are touching in the following ways.

Material Component.: When you cast a spell, you can expend Quintessence to serve as the spell's material components up to a value of 100 gp per Quintessence expended.
Reagent.: When you scribe a spell into your spellbook, or when you use alchemist's supplies to craft a magic item, you can expend Quintessence to serve as 50 gp worth of material for the task per Quintessence expended.
Vitriolic Enhancement.: When you cast a spell that deals damage, you can expend 1 Quintessence as an additional material component to change one damage type the spell deals to force.

Albedo

6th-level Philosophy feature

You can purify your Quintessence to amplify your spells. When you cast a spell using a spell slot, you can expend 1 Quintessence as a material component to increase the level of the spell slot by 1, up to 9th level. The maximum Quintessence you can expend in this way on a given spell is half of your proficiency bonus (rounded up).

Citrinitas

10th-level Philosophy feature

You can now manipulate Quintessence to create, not merely to purify. You add the creation and fabricate spells to your spellbook if they aren't there already, and you can cast each spell once without expending a spell slot, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you cast a spell using this feature, the casting time becomes 1 action. You can also cast the spells normally using spell slots of the appropriate level.

Additionally, when you cast creation, you can expend a number of Quintessence up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1) to multiply the spell's duration by 1 plus the amount expended.

Rubedo

14th-level Philosophy feature

The culmination of your great work, you can now distill your perfected knowledge of existence into a physical form. When you finish a short or long rest, you can expend 10 Quintessence to create a philosopher's stone—a translucent red crystal. The stone is a Tiny magical object with an AC of 18, 20 hit points, and immunity to all damage except force. If you create a second philosopher's stone, the first one vanishes. While you carry the stone, it grants you the following benefits.

Amplification.: When you cast a spell, you can expend up to 2 Quintessence as an additional material component to increase your spell save DC for that spell by the same amount.
Equivalent Exchange.: When you fail a saving throw, you can use your reaction to expend 5 Quintessence to succeed on the save instead.
Longevity.: You stop aging and don't suffer any effects from old age, including dying from it.
Sympathy.: The stone counts as part of your body for the purpose of the scrying spell and for spells that restore you to life if you die. The stone itself serves as the material component for the spell (if any) and is destroyed when the spell is cast.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[file:occultism.jpg|right|thumb|500px]]
+[[file:philosophy.jpg|right|thumb|500px]]
 {{ooc note|This is an implementation of the {{PAGENAME}} subclass from [[The Crooked Moon]]}}
 __NOTOC__
 {{base class|wizard|blockquotestyle=width:calc(100% - 510px - 1.4em)}}
-Wizardry urges the relentless pursuit of knowledge that pushes every boundary in search of greater power and understanding, but some boundaries are never meant to be crossed. Occultists care not for these limitations, peering behind cosmic veils, devouring forbidden secrets, and pushing their understanding of spellcraft until reality itself tears open. It is from the strange, alien realms that are revealed which they draw even greater power, shattering all limits no matter the eldritch consequences.
+Philosophers have focused their study of wizardry on the fundamental nature of existence and reality. They seek the most quintessential truths of creation and manipulate those forces and substances through alchemical practice. Through understanding, deconstruction, and reconstruction, they master the natural energies of the world around them and alter it to their will.
-== Forbidden Knowledge ==
+Every wizard who walks the steps of the philosopher does so to solve some specific problem, even if only at first. The Philosophical Pursuits table offers challenges or goals that set you onto your study of alchemical magic.
-''2nd-level {{PAGENAME}} feature''
-In your study of proscribed power, you learn Deep Speech or another language of your choice.
-In addition, choose a 1st-level spell from the warlock spell list. You add it to your spellbook if it's not there already, and it is a wizard spell for you.
-== Intrusion ==
-''2nd-level {{PAGENAME}} feature''
-Your search into the forbidden reaches beyond the universe yields great power but comes at the risk of letting something from beyond intrude into your reality.
-You have an Intrusion Die, which starts at a d6, that can change as you use your features. The die can increase or decrease, along this progression of die sizes: d2, d3, d4, d6, d8, d10, d12.
-The size maximum for your Intrusion Die is its starting size, which increases by one step when you reach certain levels in this class: 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), and 17th level (d12).
-When you use a feature that risks Intrusion, roll your Intrusion Die. On a 2 or higher, no Intrusion occurs, and the Intrusion die reduces in size one step on the progression.
-On a roll of 1, the Intrusion Die rises in size one step, and you roll on the Intrusion table to determine what happens as reality fractures. Intrusions use your spell save DC.
-The Intrusion Die increases in size by one step (up to its starting size) when you finish a short rest, and it resets to its starting size when you finish a long rest.
-Additionally, you can focus alien potency into your spells. When you cast a spell using a spell slot, you can risk Intrusion to choose one of the following.
-;''Overwhelming Mind.''
-:One target of the spell has disadvantage on the first saving throw made against it.
-;''Seeking Eye.''
-:You have advantage on the first attack roll you make for the spell.
 {| class="wikitable"
-|+ Intrusion
+|+ Philosophical Pursuits
-! 1d12 !! Effect
+! 1d12 !! Guiding Goal
 |-
-| 1 || You feel a presence behind you that whispers incomprehensible things into your soul. Until the end of your next turn, you can only do one of the following on a turn: take an action, a bonus action, or move.
+| 1 || Someone close to you is lost in time, the planes, or some other esoteric state of being. Unraveling the nature of reality is your path to finding them.
 |-
-| 2 || Space twists and melts in a 30-foot radius around you. Each creature (including you) in the area struggles against the warping of reality. An affected creature's speed is halved until the end of your next turn.
+| 2 || You suffered a debilitating ailment or injury and turned to the study of magic to deconstruct the impairment's nature and transmute it.
 |-
-| 3 || The nearest other creature within 60 feet of you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take necrotic damage equal to two rolls of your Intrusion Die (at its starting size), and you regain a number of hit points equal to the damage dealt.
+| 3 || Your teacher was killed by a rival philosopher, and you must learn all you can of that discipline to protect yourself and bring them to justice.
 |-
-| 4 || Reality tears in your space until the end of your next turn. You and each creature that can see the tear must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of it while the tear exists.
+| 4 || The rediscovered research of a missing mage unlocked the first secrets of your understanding but contains many more you can't yet decipher.
 |-
-| 5 || One of your arms warps into an alien appendage, such as a distorted version of an arm or a twisting tentacle, for 1 minute. You can make unarmed strikes with the limb using your spell attack bonus. Instead of the normal damage, roll a number of your Intrusion dice (at its starting size) equal to your proficiency bonus. The target takes acid damage equal to the total rolled.
+| 5 || Wizardry provides a path to immense power, but you know an even greater state of being awaits your ascension.
 |-
-| 6 || Alien landscapes overlay your vision, and you are blinded until the end of your next turn.
+| 6 || You encountered a material with miraculous properties, and you can't rest until you discover the secret of its creation.
 |-
-| 7 || You regain an expended spell slot of 5th level or lower (your choice), and you take necrotic damage equal to twice the slot's level. This damage can't be reduced or prevented in any way.
+| 7 || Your sibling's soul was separated from their body in a spell gone wrong, and you cannot forgive yourself until you make them whole.
 |-
-| 8 || You experience an instant of terrible clarity. You take psychic damage equal to two rolls of your Intrusion Die (at its starting size), and for 1 minute, your spell save DC is increased by 2.
+| 8 || You were a stage performer who wowed audiences with magical acts, and you seek the ultimate magic trick to become a legend.
 |-
-| 9 || For 1 hour, you hear whispered, disembodied thoughts of hateful scorn directed at you. While you can hear the whispers, you have disadvantage on ability checks and saving throws that rely on Wisdom.
+| 9 || You come from an impoverished hometown and wish to utilize the transmutation of metals to bring prosperity to your community.
 |-
-| 10 || When you cause this Intrusion and at the end of each of your turns for 1 minute, pulses in the fabric of space fill a 15-foot radius around you; you and each creature in the area are knocked prone.
+| 10 || In your pursuit to be closer to the gods, you have sought the secrets of creating new life forms in your own image.
 |-
-| 11 || An Aberration or a Fiend with a CR equal to your wizard level or lower (GM's choice) appears in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. The GM decides the creature's attitude (hostile/indifferent/ friendly) and actions.
+| 11 || You were raised to revere the four elements, and you hypothesized that mastering the stuff of existence will bring harmony to them all.
 |-
-| 12 || Unnatural thoughts disorient you, and you are incapacitated until the end of your next turn.
+| 12 || You had aspirations of joining the military and rising through the ranks, believing that the magic of reality can be used as a weapon of war.
 |}
-== Reality Tear ==
+== Alchemical Knowledge ==
-''6th-level {{PAGENAME}} feature''
+''2nd-level {{PAGENAME}} feature''
+You gain a set of [[equipment:alchemists-supplies|alchemist's supplies]]. You have proficiency with it and can use it as an arcane focus. Additionally, you can use [[equipment:alchemists-supplies|alchemist's supplies]] instead of another tool required to craft a magic item.
-Choose a spell of 3rd level or lower from the warlock spell list. You add the spell to your spellbook if it's not there already, and it is a wizard spell for you. When you cast the spell, you can risk Intrusion to remove the need to Concentrate on it, and the spell ends after 1 minute or its normal duration, whichever is shorter.
+== Quintessence ==
+''2nd-level {{PAGENAME}} feature''
-Additionally, you can cause an automatic Intrusion (and increase the die's size one step, up to its starting size) to cast the spell once without a spell slot, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
+You have learned the fundamental process of dissolution. You know the ''[[homebrew:dissolution|dissolution]]'' cantrip. A creature or object you reduce to 0 hit points with the cantrip is destroyed. If the target was Small or larger, it dissolves into a measure (about an ounce) of crystalline powder called Quintessence. You can have a maximum amount of Quintessence equal to twice your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 2 measures) at one time. If you create more, the oldest measure vanishes. You can use Quintessence you are touching in the following ways.
-== Occult Presence ==
+;''Material Component.''
-''10th-level {{PAGENAME}} feature''
+:When you cast a spell, you can expend Quintessence to serve as the spell's material components up to a value of 100 gp per Quintessence expended.
+;''Reagent.''
+:When you scribe a spell into your spellbook, or when you use alchemist's supplies to craft a magic item, you can expend Quintessence to serve as 50 gp worth of material for the task per Quintessence expended.
+;''Vitriolic Enhancement.''
+:When you cast a spell that deals damage, you can expend 1 Quintessence as an additional material component to change one damage type the spell deals to force.
-When you cause an Intrusion, you can roll twice on the Intrusion table and choose which result to use, and you can negate the Intrusion by gaining 1 level of exhaustion.
+== Albedo ==
+''6th-level {{PAGENAME}} feature''
-Additionally, you gain one of the benefits below, and you can change your chosen benefit when you finish a long rest. As a bonus action, you can cause an automatic Intrusion (and increase the die's size one step, up to its starting size) to change your chosen benefit.
+You can purify your Quintessence to amplify your spells. When you cast a spell using a spell slot, you can expend 1 Quintessence as a material component to increase the level of the spell slot by 1, up to 9th level. The maximum Quintessence you can expend in this way on a given spell is half of your proficiency bonus (rounded up).
-;''Alien Consciousness.''
+== Citrinitas ==
-:You gain immunity to the charmed and frightened conditions, and you can't be possessed.
+''10th-level {{PAGENAME}} feature''
-;''Cosmic Resistance.''
-:You gain resistance to necrotic and psychic damage.
-;''Spatial Domination.''
-:You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed and can hover.
-== Beyond Space ==
+You can now manipulate Quintessence to create, not merely to purify. You add the ''[[spell:creation|creation]]'' and ''[[spell:fabricate|fabricate]]'' spells to your spellbook if they aren't there already, and you can cast each spell once without expending a spell slot, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you cast a spell using this feature, the casting time becomes 1 action. You can also cast the spells normally using spell slots of the appropriate level.
-''14th-level {{PAGENAME}} feature''
-The nature of distance and location is revealed for the lie that it is. You add the ''[[spell:scrying|scrying]]'' spell to your spellbook, if it's not there already.
+Additionally, when you cast ''[[spell:creation|creation]]'', you can expend a number of Quintessence up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1) to multiply the spell's duration by 1 plus the amount expended.
-When you cast ''[[spell:scrying|scrying]]'', you can risk Intrusion to choose one of the following.
+== Rubedo ==
+''14th-level {{PAGENAME}} feature''
-;''All Knowing.''
+The culmination of your great work, you can now distill your perfected knowledge of existence into a physical form. When you finish a short or long rest, you can expend 10 Quintessence to create a philosopher's stone&mdash;a translucent red crystal. The stone is a Tiny magical object with an AC of 18, 20 hit points, and immunity to all damage except force. If you create a second philosopher's stone, the first one vanishes. While you carry the stone, it grants you the following benefits.
-:Treat your connection to a target creature as if you have part of its body.
-;''All Seeing.''
-:Change the spell's casting time to 1 action.
-When you cast ''[[spell:scrying|scrying]]'', during the spell's duration, you can cause an automatic Intrusion (and increase the die's size one step, up to its starting size) to teleport yourself, and any willing creatures within 10 feet of you, to unoccupied spaces you can see through the scrying sensor. Once you teleport in this way, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
+;''Amplification.''
+:When you cast a spell, you can expend up to 2 Quintessence as an additional material component to increase your spell save DC for that spell by the same amount.
+;''Equivalent Exchange.''
+:When you fail a saving throw, you can use your reaction to expend 5 Quintessence to succeed on the save instead.
+;''Longevity.''
+:You stop aging and don't suffer any effects from old age, including dying from it.
+;''Sympathy.''
+:The stone counts as part of your body for the purpose of the ''[[spell:scrying|scrying]]'' spell and for spells that restore you to life if you die. The stone itself serves as the material component for the spell (if any) and is destroyed when the spell is cast.
 [[category:homebrew wizard subclasses]]