Homebrew New Savant Archetypes - the Detective & the Paranormalist, inspired by the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and H.P. Lovecraft

[Orion5000]

I wanted to share these homebrew archetypes for the savant, let me know what you think

Savant Archetype: The Detective


Discerning Mind
At 1st level, you gain an expertise die on Intelligence or Wisdom ability checks made to locate or identify obscured or out-of-place details, objects, or information, as well as on saving throws made to resist becoming Charmed or Frightened.

Mark of Obsession
Also at 1st level, you can use an action to mark 1 creature you are familiar with. You must know either the creature’s name, title, relationship to another creature you are familiar with, or at least two of the creature’s physical characteristics. This mark lasts indefinitely, or until you choose to end it.
You gain an expertise die on all Intelligence and Wisdom based checks you make to track or find and discern information pertaining to the marked creature.
You can only use this feature to mark a creature once between long rests. Starting at 11th level, you can have two creatures marked by this feature at the same time.

Tricks of the Trade
Finally at 1st level, you have advantage on ability checks made to determine if a creature is being dishonest or misleading, and you can always choose to use your Intelligence modifier when making Persuasion or Deception checks.

Analytical Combatant
At 2nd level, you can use your bonus action to target one creature you can see and make an Investigation check against its AC. On a success, the target is considered marked by you for the duration of 1 minute, until you mark another creature, or until you lose concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).
You can choose to make weapon attacks against the marked creature using your Intelligence modifier rather than either your Strength or Dexterity modifiers, and you have advantage on the first weapon attack you make against it during each of your turns.
Additionally, if you are aware that the target of this feature is also the target of your Mark of Obsession feature, you can activate this ability as a free action, and once per turn when you hit that creature with an attack, you deal bonus damage equal to your level in this class.

Uncanny Intuition
At 6th level, you know the spell Augury and can cast it once between short rests. You do not need vocal, somatic, or material components to do so.

Analytical Acumen
Also at 6th level, when you successfully mark a creature using your Analytical Combatant feature, you immediately learn 2 of the following:

• One of the creature’s ability scores of your choice, in relation to yours.
• The creature’s maximum and current hit points, in relation to yours.
• The creature’s AC, in relation to yours.
• The creature’s movement speed and types, in relation to yours.
• What class levels the creature has, if any.

A Beautiful Mind
At 11th level, you gain an expertise die on all Intelligence and Wisdom ability checks and saving throws.

Know Your Prey
At 14th level, your combative intuition increases in its potency. After you have successfully marked a creature with your Analytical Combatant feature, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn to make an Insight or Investigation check against its Constitution score to learn 2 of the following:

• If the creature has any damage immunities, and what they are.
• If the creature has any damage resistances, and what they are.
• If the creature has any damage vulnerabilities, and what they are.
• If the creature has any condition immunities, and what they are.
• If the creature has any advantage against any conditions, and what they are.

After you use this feature on a creature, you cannot attempt it against the same creature until you finish a short or long rest.

Expect the Unexpected
At 17th level, you are hyper-vigilant and able to always be on your guard when you need to be, regardless of the toll it may take on your powerful mind; you can cast the 9th level spell Foresight on yourself without using vocal, somatic, or material components once per long rest, but you gain 1 level of Strife when you do so.



Savant Archetype: The Paranormalist


Bonus Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain proficiency in Arcana, Insight, and Intimidation. If you already have proficiency in these skills, you gain an expertise die instead.

Crytozoology
Also at 1st Level, you are able to put your study of rare creatures to practical use. Choose one of the following creature types to be your studied cryptid: aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead.
You gain an expertise die on Intelligence and Wisdom based ability checks made to recall information about, or track, creatures of the chosen type.
You choose 1 additional studied cryptid type at 6th and 11th level.

Memento Mori
At 2nd level, you have a memento mori which could be a humanoid skull, necklace of finger bones, or some other macabre object which serves as a reminder of the inevitability of death.
Once per turn, while you have this object displayed on your person you deal bonus psychic damage equal to your level in this class when you hit a humanoid creature with a weapon attack.
Additionally, you become able to recall departing souls back to their bodies; you learn the cantrip Spare the Dying, and you can use your memento mori as a spellcasting focus for all spells you are able to cast using this archetype’s features.

Sixth Sense
Also at 2nd level, you develop a sixth sense. When you use this ability you benefit from the effects of both the Detect Evil and Good and Detect Magic 1st level spells. You can activate this ability a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses upon completing a short or long rest.
You gain 1 additional use of this feature at 6th, 11th, 14th, and 17th levels (maximum of 10 uses per short rest overall).

Séance
Also at 6th level, you cast Speak With Dead as a ritual in tandem with a number of creatures equal to your proficiency bonus, and if you do so you call forth the target’s spirit from beyond, and need not be in possession of the target’s corpse, but instead you must either be familiar with the target, have an item of sentimental value to the target, or conduct the ritual in a place which was either inhabited by the target or where an event of profound emotion happened which pertained to the target.
Upon completing this ritual, all creatures that participated in the séance (including yourself) must make a Wisdom saving throw against your save DC. On a failure, a creature gains 1 level of Strife, and on a success a creature gains an expertise die on two skills of the Narrator’s choice, which pertain to the conversation you had with the spirit, for the duration of 8 hours.

Sight Beyond Sight
Also at 6th level, you can you can open your mind’s eye to peer beyond the veil of life and death; you can cast the spell See Invisibility at will.

Practical Occultism
At 11th level, upon completing a long rest you can prepare a number of spells equal to your Intelligence modifier. These spells must be from the wizard’s spell list, and they must be from either of the Abjuration or Divination schools, and must be of a level equal to your Proficiency bonus or lower. In order to cast once of these spells you must expend one use of your Sixth Sense feature for every level of that spell (i.e. a 4th level spell requires you to expend 4 uses), however the first spell you cast each day is free.
When you cast a spell prepared in this way, you immediately forget it and cannot cast it again until you prepare it again.

Improved Cryptozoology
Also at 11th level, you gain an expertise die on all contested skill checks against your studied cryptids. Additionally, you gain an expertise die on Intelligence and Wisdom based ability checks made to recall information about, or track, all creatures of the following types: aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, and undead.

Otherworldly Schema
At 14th level, you learn one sorcerer arcane invocation. Also, whenever you learn a new clever scheme or replace an existing one, you can instead choose an arcane invocation. However you can only know 5 arcane invocations at any given time.
If an arcane invocation requires the use of sorcery points, you instead use charges of your Sixth Sense ability.

Spiritual Aegis
At 17th level, whenever a creature that is within 5 feet of you hits you with an attack while you still have at least 1 unexpended charge of your Sixth Sense ability, that creature takes 1d4 force damage.

 

[xiphumor]

Before I reply, are you familiar with Purple Martin Games’ Arcanographer (in Thematic Toolkit: Hazardous Knowledge) and my own Detective from GPG #18?

 

[Orion5000]

Before I reply, are you familiar with Purple Martin Games’ Arcanographer (in Thematic Toolkit: Hazardous Knowledge) and my own Detective from GPG #18?

No I’m not; I unfortunately don’t have much disposable income to get such things, so I usually don’t even check the GPG stuff until I see it posted on A5Etools. Why do you ask?

 

[xiphumor]

No I’m not; I unfortunately don’t have much disposable income to get such things, so I usually don’t even check the GPG stuff until I see it posted on A5Etools. Why do you ask?

Mostly because they cover the same groundas these archetypes, and so I was wondering whether or not you had looked at them first, or built these from the ground up.

 

[Orion5000]

Mostly because they cover the same groundas these archetypes, and so I was wondering whether or not you had looked at them first, or built these from the ground up.

Built from the ground up a couple months ago. Mechanically, the Detective is based on PF2E’s Investigator and O5E’s Inquisitive Rogue, while the Paranormalist draws from O5E’s Spirits Bard and Monster Hunter Ranger in an attempt to realize a a replacement for Wizards in a low-magic / low-fantasy setting.

 

[xiphumor]

Okay, Here are my thoughts

Savant Archetype: The Detective

Discerning Mind
At 1st level, you gain an expertise die on Intelligence or Wisdom ability checks made to locate or identify obscured or out-of-place details, objects, or information, as well as on saving throws made to resist becoming Charmed or Frightened.

I personally don't see why this couldn't have been described using the Perception and Investigation skills instead, but on its own it's not bad.

Mark of Obsession
Also at 1st level, you can use an action to mark 1 creature you are familiar with. You must know either the creature’s name, title, relationship to another creature you are familiar with, or at least two of the creature’s physical characteristics. This mark lasts indefinitely, or until you choose to end it.
You gain an expertise die on all Intelligence and Wisdom based checks you make to track or find and discern information pertaining to the marked creature.
You can only use this feature to mark a creature once between long rests. Starting at 11th level, you can have two creatures marked by this feature at the same time.

Again, I think it would be simpler to describe this in terms of using Investigation and Survival. I don't think the idea itself is bad, but it feels overwritten. It also seems like it has a lot of overlap with Discerning Mind.

Tricks of the Trade
Finally at 1st level, you have advantage on ability checks made to determine if a creature is being dishonest or misleading, and you can always choose to use your Intelligence modifier when making Persuasion or Deception checks.

Soooo... Insight checks? I personally don't feel as though Persuasion and Deception are the right options here, at least not together. That feels like something which would belong more to a face to me.

Analytical Combatant
At 2nd level, you can use your bonus action to target one creature you can see and make an Investigation check against its AC. On a success, the target is considered marked by you for the duration of 1 minute, until you mark another creature, or until you lose concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).
You can choose to make weapon attacks against the marked creature using your Intelligence modifier rather than either your Strength or Dexterity modifiers, and you have advantage on the first weapon attack you make against it during each of your turns.
Additionally, if you are aware that the target of this feature is also the target of your Mark of Obsession feature, you can activate this ability as a free action, and once per turn when you hit that creature with an attack, you deal bonus damage equal to your level in this class.

Investigation vs. AC is really bizarre to me. Why should how hard you are to hit impact how easy you are to analyze? It also gives players an incentive to dump all of their expertise dice from Skill Focus into Investigation, which I think is somewhat suboptimal. On top of that, the near constant access to advantage makes this a little too tempting of a dip for rogues, IMHO.

Uncanny Intuition
At 6th level, you know the spell Augury and can cast it once between short rests. You do not need vocal, somatic, or material components to do so.

This is a matter of opinion, but I personally think savants should be non-magical unless the flavor of the archetype demands otherwise. This is a useful ability, but it should be a non-magical effect.

Analytical Acumen
Also at 6th level, when you successfully mark a creature using your Analytical Combatant feature, you immediately learn 2 of the following:

• One of the creature’s ability scores of your choice, in relation to yours.
• The creature’s maximum and current hit points, in relation to yours.
• The creature’s AC, in relation to yours.
• The creature’s movement speed and types, in relation to yours.
• What class levels the creature has, if any.

The "in relation to yours" clause is a bit confusing to me, but more importantly, I don't find much of this information very useful. A lot of it will be made fairly obvious within the first few rounds of combat. Compare that with the Vanguard's 11th-level ability, which grants information like vulnerabilities and the weakest saving throw.

A Beautiful Mind
At 11th level, you gain an expertise die on all Intelligence and Wisdom ability checks and saving throws.

This is too much. Savants get an expertise die on all Intelligence checks and saving throws at 15th level, so getting it at 11th level in addition to the same bonus to Wisdom, which is generally a more important stat, feels excessive. Plus, is doesn't strike me as particularly flavorful.

Know Your Prey
At 14th level, your combative intuition increases in its potency. After you have successfully marked a creature with your Analytical Combatant feature, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn to make an Insight or Investigation check against its Constitution score to learn 2 of the following:

• If the creature has any damage immunities, and what they are.
• If the creature has any damage resistances, and what they are.
• If the creature has any damage vulnerabilities, and what they are.
• If the creature has any condition immunities, and what they are.
• If the creature has any advantage against any conditions, and what they are.

After you use this feature on a creature, you cannot attempt it against the same creature until you finish a short or long rest.

Similar to AC, Constitution feels like a strange thing to use as DC, and even stranger since it wasn't used for the previous, similar ability. It also feels a little weak to have to wait for a later turn to use the ability. The target might be out of the fight by then.

Expect the Unexpected
At 17th level, you are hyper-vigilant and able to always be on your guard when you need to be, regardless of the toll it may take on your powerful mind; you can cast the 9th level spell Foresight on yourself without using vocal, somatic, or material components once per long rest, but you gain 1 level of Strife when you do so.

So this would be a pretty good capstone, but the interplay of the cost with the benefit ends up cancelling a lot out. I do agree that a 9th level spell once per long rest needs something to weigh against it, but the level of strife causes disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks, which cancels the advantage granted to those checks by this spell. Also, once again, I personally would prefer a non-magical detective, even if the mechanics are otherwise identical.

Savant Archetype: The Paranormalist


Bonus Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain proficiency in Arcana, Insight, and Intimidation. If you already have proficiency in these skills, you gain an expertise die instead.

Reasonable.

Crytozoology
Also at 1st Level, you are able to put your study of rare creatures to practical use. Choose one of the following creature types to be your studied cryptid: aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead.
You gain an expertise die on Intelligence and Wisdom based ability checks made to recall information about, or track, creatures of the chosen type.
You choose 1 additional studied cryptid type at 6th and 11th level.

I find this too niche. It's entirely dependent on the Narrator whether this ever sees any action. I would expand the number of creature types you can focus on and allow you to change it on a long rest, if not a short rest.

Memento Mori
At 2nd level, you have a memento mori which could be a humanoid skull, necklace of finger bones, or some other macabre object which serves as a reminder of the inevitability of death.
Once per turn, while you have this object displayed on your person you deal bonus psychic damage equal to your level in this class when you hit a humanoid creature with a weapon attack.
Additionally, you become able to recall departing souls back to their bodies; you learn the cantrip Spare the Dying, and you can use your memento mori as a spellcasting focus for all spells you are able to cast using this archetype’s features.

Again, fairly reasonable.

Sixth Sense
Also at 2nd level, you develop a sixth sense. When you use this ability you benefit from the effects of both the Detect Evil and Good and Detect Magic 1st level spells. You can activate this ability a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses upon completing a short or long rest.
You gain 1 additional use of this feature at 6th, 11th, 14th, and 17th levels (maximum of 10 uses per short rest overall).

So I agree that access to Detect Evil and Good, at the very least, is super important for this archetype, and Detect Magic is a solid addition. However, I don't foresee myself needing to use these spells as many times as you're permitting at higher levels. Each additional casting is less useful as a feature than the last, especially if they're recharging on a short rest.

Séance
Also at 6th level, you cast Speak With Dead as a ritual in tandem with a number of creatures equal to your proficiency bonus, and if you do so you call forth the target’s spirit from beyond, and need not be in possession of the target’s corpse, but instead you must either be familiar with the target, have an item of sentimental value to the target, or conduct the ritual in a place which was either inhabited by the target or where an event of profound emotion happened which pertained to the target.
Upon completing this ritual, all creatures that participated in the séance (including yourself) must make a Wisdom saving throw against your save DC. On a failure, a creature gains 1 level of Strife, and on a success a creature gains an expertise die on two skills of the Narrator’s choice, which pertain to the conversation you had with the spirit, for the duration of 8 hours.

Fun and flavorful, but there are some issues. For one, if creatures are making the save against your (I assume trick) save DC, then it gets harder for people to pass as you grow in levels. Also, there doesn't seem to be a limit to how many creatures you can affect at a time. The level of strife also seems like it's probably an unnecessary cost.

Sight Beyond Sight
Also at 6th level, you can you can open your mind’s eye to peer beyond the veil of life and death; you can cast the spell See Invisibility at will.

Probably a bit strong for this level. Rule of thumb for savants power progression: 6th level is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell per short rest, 11th-level is a 2nd-level spell per short rest, and 17th-level is a 3rd-level spell per short rest.

Practical Occultism
At 11th level, upon completing a long rest you can prepare a number of spells equal to your Intelligence modifier. These spells must be from the wizard’s spell list, and they must be from either of the Abjuration or Divination schools, and must be of a level equal to your Proficiency bonus or lower. In order to cast once of these spells you must expend one use of your Sixth Sense feature for every level of that spell (i.e. a 4th level spell requires you to expend 4 uses), however the first spell you cast each day is free.
When you cast a spell prepared in this way, you immediately forget it and cannot cast it again until you prepare it again.

This is a both a significant jump in power and also extremely broad in its application.

Improved Cryptozoology
Also at 11th level, you gain an expertise die on all contested skill checks against your studied cryptids. Additionally, you gain an expertise die on Intelligence and Wisdom based ability checks made to recall information about, or track, all creatures of the following types: aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, and undead.

That list feels a little bit long. But again, I would probably rather see it strengthened earlier and weakened here.

Otherworldly Schema
At 14th level, you learn one sorcerer arcane invocation. Also, whenever you learn a new clever scheme or replace an existing one, you can instead choose an arcane invocation. However you can only know 5 arcane invocations at any given time.
If an arcane invocation requires the use of sorcery points, you instead use charges of your Sixth Sense ability.

This feels weak for a 14th level feature. Also, I'm not sure why the limit on the number of arcane innovations is necessary. If I'm doing my math right, it shouldn't be possible to have more than 5 anyway.

Spiritual Aegis
At 17th level, whenever a creature that is within 5 feet of you hits you with an attack while you still have at least 1 unexpended charge of your Sixth Sense ability, that creature takes 1d4 force damage.

This feels underwhelming for a 17th level feature, although it could be good earlier on.

 

[Orion5000]

Thanks for the feedback!

Discerning Mind
At 1st level, you gain an expertise die on Intelligence or Wisdom ability checks made to locate or identify obscured or out-of-place details, objects, or information, as well as on saving throws made to resist becoming Charmed or Frightened.

I personally don't see why this couldn't have been described using the Perception and Investigation skills instead, but on its own it's not bad.

I wanted to do it this way to specifically invoke the mind of the character, rather than a specific skill (which could be used with a different modifier in certain circumstances). This way, if you have a couple Herald levels, for instance, the feature wouldn't stack with Miraculous Discovery.

Mark of Obsession
Also at 1st level, you can use an action to mark 1 creature you are familiar with. You must know either the creature’s name, title, relationship to another creature you are familiar with, or at least two of the creature’s physical characteristics. This mark lasts indefinitely, or until you choose to end it.
You gain an expertise die on all Intelligence and Wisdom based checks you make to track or find and discern information pertaining to the marked creature.
You can only use this feature to mark a creature once between long rests. Starting at 11th level, you can have two creatures marked by this feature at the same time.

Again, I think it would be simpler to describe this in terms of using Investigation and Survival. I don't think the idea itself is bad, but it feels overwritten. It also seems like it has a lot of overlap with Discerning Mind.

For the same reason as above, but also, depending on the nature of your mark, you gain this benefit to certain Arcana, Culture, and History checks (if your mark was a lich or noble for instance). the overlap is a good point though.

Tricks of the Trade
Finally at 1st level, you have advantage on ability checks made to determine if a creature is being dishonest or misleading, and you can always choose to use your Intelligence modifier when making Persuasion or Deception checks.

Soooo... Insight checks? I personally don't feel as though Persuasion and Deception are the right options here, at least not together. That feels like something which would belong more to a face to me.

Mainly Insight, yes, but again there could be obscure circumstances where a different skill is called for, such as Culture or History to catch someone in a lie. Using your intelligence for social skills is intended to replicate the character's deductive reasoning and cerebral approach to conversation, such as when Columbo interrogates his suspects in his titular series.

Analytical Combatant
At 2nd level, you can use your bonus action to target one creature you can see and make an Investigation check against its AC. On a success, the target is considered marked by you for the duration of 1 minute, until you mark another creature, or until you lose concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).
You can choose to make weapon attacks against the marked creature using your Intelligence modifier rather than either your Strength or Dexterity modifiers, and you have advantage on the first weapon attack you make against it during each of your turns.
Additionally, if you are aware that the target of this feature is also the target of your Mark of Obsession feature, you can activate this ability as a free action, and once per turn when you hit that creature with an attack, you deal bonus damage equal to your level in this class.

Investigation vs. AC is really bizarre to me. Why should how hard you are to hit impact how easy you are to analyze? It also gives players an incentive to dump all of their expertise dice from Skill Focus into Investigation, which I think is somewhat suboptimal. On top of that, the near constant access to advantage makes this a little too tempting of a dip for rogues, IMHO.

The idea is that you are literally examining or investigating your opponent's defences, i.e. an opening in how they move (the Dex portion of AC) or a weak spot in their armor. the rogue dip is a good point, but you'd still need a decent intelligence score and lose 2 rogue levels to get it, and I llike the idea of a rogue relying on his intelligence to land a solid hit. but it could reasonably be changed.

Uncanny Intuition
At 6th level, you know the spell Augury and can cast it once between short rests. You do not need vocal, somatic, or material components to do so.

This is a matter of opinion, but I personally think savants should be non-magical unless the flavor of the archetype demands otherwise. This is a useful ability, but it should be a non-magical effect.

Fair point, I could just copy/paste the Aurgury spell with a few changes, but the outcome would be the same. this is just shorthand for your mind being so strong you can replicate magic.

Your other points on this are definately somethings I will be pondering though,

 

[Orion5000]

Okay, Here are my thoughts

Your point on Cryptozoology make sense.
to your point on Sixth Sense, it was intended to be only per long rest (that must be a typo)
you're right, Seance needs a little rework.
For Sight Beyond Sight, I felt it was similar in power to Warlock invocations you could get at the same level (and this is meant to feel somewhat like a Warlock).
Practical Occultism and Otherworldly Schema could stand to shift places, I agree.
Yes, on second thought, Spiritual Aegis might need to be changed so the damage is greater.

 

[Orion5000]

Okay, Here are my thoughts

Savant Archetype: The Detective

I personally don't see why this couldn't have been described using the Perception and Investigation skills instead, but on its own it's not bad.

Again, I think it would be simpler to describe this in terms of using Investigation and Survival. I don't think the idea itself is bad, but it feels overwritten. It also seems like it has a lot of overlap with Discerning Mind.

Soooo... Insight checks? I personally don't feel as though Persuasion and Deception are the right options here, at least not together. That feels like something which would belong more to a face to me.

Investigation vs. AC is really bizarre to me. Why should how hard you are to hit impact how easy you are to analyze? It also gives players an incentive to dump all of their expertise dice from Skill Focus into Investigation, which I think is somewhat suboptimal. On top of that, the near constant access to advantage makes this a little too tempting of a dip for rogues, IMHO.

This is a matter of opinion, but I personally think savants should be non-magical unless the flavor of the archetype demands otherwise. This is a useful ability, but it should be a non-magical effect.

The "in relation to yours" clause is a bit confusing to me, but more importantly, I don't find much of this information very useful. A lot of it will be made fairly obvious within the first few rounds of combat. Compare that with the Vanguard's 11th-level ability, which grants information like vulnerabilities and the weakest saving throw.

This is too much. Savants get an expertise die on all Intelligence checks and saving throws at 15th level, so getting it at 11th level in addition to the same bonus to Wisdom, which is generally a more important stat, feels excessive. Plus, is doesn't strike me as particularly flavorful.

Similar to AC, Constitution feels like a strange thing to use as DC, and even stranger since it wasn't used for the previous, similar ability. It also feels a little weak to have to wait for a later turn to use the ability. The target might be out of the fight by then.

So this would be a pretty good capstone, but the interplay of the cost with the benefit ends up cancelling a lot out. I do agree that a 9th level spell once per long rest needs something to weigh against it, but the level of strife causes disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks, which cancels the advantage granted to those checks by this spell. Also, once again, I personally would prefer a non-magical detective, even if the mechanics are otherwise identical.



Reasonable.

I find this too niche. It's entirely dependent on the Narrator whether this ever sees any action. I would expand the number of creature types you can focus on and allow you to change it on a long rest, if not a short rest.

Again, fairly reasonable.

So I agree that access to Detect Evil and Good, at the very least, is super important for this archetype, and Detect Magic is a solid addition. However, I don't foresee myself needing to use these spells as many times as you're permitting at higher levels. Each additional casting is less useful as a feature than the last, especially if they're recharging on a short rest.

Fun and flavorful, but there are some issues. For one, if creatures are making the save against your (I assume trick) save DC, then it gets harder for people to pass as you grow in levels. Also, there doesn't seem to be a limit to how many creatures you can affect at a time. The level of strife also seems like it's probably an unnecessary cost.

Probably a bit strong for this level. Rule of thumb for savants power progression: 6th level is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell per short rest, 11th-level is a 2nd-level spell per short rest, and 17th-level is a 3rd-level spell per short rest.

This is a both a significant jump in power and also extremely broad in its application.

That list feels a little bit long. But again, I would probably rather see it strengthened earlier and weakened here.

This feels weak for a 14th level feature. Also, I'm not sure why the limit on the number of arcane innovations is necessary. If I'm doing my math right, it shouldn't be possible to have more than 5 anyway.

This feels underwhelming for a 17th level feature, although it could be good earlier on.

So I found your advice pretty helpful and these subclasses feel more robust now. What do you think?



Savant Archetype: The Cerebralist (renamed to avoid confusion)


Discerning Mind
At 1st level, you gain proficiency in Insight, Investigation, and Perception. If you already have proficiency in these skills, you gain an expertise die instead. Additionally, expertise dice in these skills can be upgraded from d8 to d10 and d12, exceeding the usual limit on expertise dice.
Finally, you gain one additional specialty in each of these skills at 1st, 11th, and 19th level.

Mark of Obsession
Also at 1st level, you can use an action to mark 1 creature you are familiar with. You must know either the creature’s name, title, relationship to another creature you are familiar with, or at least two of the creature’s physical characteristics. This mark lasts indefinitely, or until you choose to end it.
You add an expertise die to all Intelligence and Wisdom ability checks you make which pertain to the marked creature.
You can only use this feature to mark a creature once between long rests. Starting at 11th level, you can have two creatures marked by this feature at the same time.

Analytical Combatant
At 2nd level, you can use your bonus action to target one creature you can see and make an Investigation check against its AC. On a success, the target is considered marked by you for the duration of 1 minute, until you mark another creature, or until you lose concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).
When you have a creature marked in this way you add an expertise die to all weapon attacks made against it.
Additionally, if you are aware that the target of this feature is also the target of your Mark of Obsession feature, you can activate this ability as a free action, and once per turn when you hit that creature with an attack, you deal bonus damage equal to your level in this class.

Uncanny Intuition

At 6th level, your powers of deduction are constantly at work within the hidden recesses of your mind. Once between short rests, you can draw on this power to replicate the effects of the Augury spell. When you do so, it is considered non-magical, and you do not need vocal, somatic, or material components.

Analytical Acumen
Also at 6th level, when you successfully mark a creature using your Analytical Combatant feature, you immediately learn 2 of the following:

• If the creature has any damage immunities, and what they are.
• If the creature has any damage resistances, and what they are.
• If the creature has any damage vulnerabilities, and what they are.
• If the creature has any condition immunities, and what they are.
• If the creature has any advantage against any conditions, and what they are.

Expert Talent
Beginning at 11th level, you almost never make mistakes when performing routine tasks. Whenever you make an ability check on which you roll expertise dice, you treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Resilient Mind
At 14th level, you gain proficiency in your choice of Wisdom or Charisma saving throws.

Expect the Unexpected
At 17th level, you are hyper-vigilant and able to always be on your guard when you need to be, regardless of the toll it may take on your powerful mind; you can non-magically replicate the effects of the 9th level spell Foresight on yourself without using vocal, somatic, or material components. You can do this once per long rest, and you gain 1 level of Strife when the effects of this feature end.

Savant Archetype: The Paranormalist


Bonus Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain proficiency in Arcana, Insight, and Intimidation. If you already have proficiency in these skills, you gain an expertise die instead.

Crytozoology
Also at 1st Level, you are able to put your study of rare creatures to practical use. Choose 3 of the following creature types to be your studied cryptids: aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead.
You gain an expertise die on Intelligence and Wisdom based ability checks made to recall information about, or track, creatures of the chosen type.
You can spend 1 hour, as part of a short or long rest, to consult your notes and change the creature type for one of your studied cryptids.

Memento Mori
At 2nd level, you have a memento mori which could be a humanoid skull, necklace of finger bones, or some other macabre object which serves as a reminder of the inevitability of death.
Once per turn, while you have this object displayed on your person you deal bonus psychic damage equal to your level in this class when you hit a humanoid creature with a weapon attack.
Additionally, you become able to recall departing souls back to their bodies; you learn the cantrip Spare the Dying, and you can use your memento mori as a spellcasting focus for all spells you are able to cast using this archetype’s features.

Sixth Sense
Also at 2nd level, you develop a sixth sense. When you use this ability you benefit from the effects of both the Detect Evil and Good and Detect Magic 1st level spells. You can activate this ability a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses upon completing a long rest.
You gain 1 additional use of this feature at 6th, 11th, 14th, and 17th levels (maximum of 10 uses per short rest overall).

Otherworldly Schema
At 6th level, you learn one sorcerer arcane invocation. Also, whenever you learn a new clever scheme or replace an existing one, you can instead choose an arcane invocation. However you can only know 5 arcane invocations at any given time.
If an arcane invocation requires the use of sorcery points, you instead use charges of your Sixth Sense ability.

Séance
Also at 6th level, you cast Speak With Dead as a ritual in tandem with a number of creatures equal to your proficiency bonus, and if you do so you call forth the target’s spirit from beyond, and need not be in possession of the target’s corpse, but instead you must either be familiar with the target, have an item of sentimental value to the target, or conduct the ritual in a place which was either inhabited by the target or where an event of profound emotion happened which pertained to the target.
Upon completing this ritual, all creatures that participated in the séance (including yourself) must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC equal to 10 plus the target’s total class levels or CR. On a failure, a creature gains 1 level of Strife, and on a success a creature gains an expertise die on two skills of the Narrator’s choice, which pertain to the conversation you had with the spirit, for the duration of 8 hours.

Sight Beyond Sight
At 11th level, you can you can open your mind’s eye to peer beyond the veil of life and death; you can cast the spell See Invisibility by expending two uses of your Sixth Sense feature.

Improved Cryptozoology
At 14th level, you gain an expertise die on all contested skill checks and saving throws made against your studied cryptids.

Practical Occultism
At 17th level, you gain one use of the savant’s Ultimate Schema feature per long rest, but you can only use it to replicate a cleric or wizard spell of 5th level or lower from the abjuration or divination schools.