Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

@VivaCaligula
Last active September 23, 2020 02:08
Show Gist options
  • Save VivaCaligula/1f32636eca42b6630c002520449443b9 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Save VivaCaligula/1f32636eca42b6630c002520449443b9 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.

Loci

A loci is typically a sage, scholar, scribe, or some other learned person whose passion for knowledge and reason has gained the attention of Nabu, the god of scribes. Nabu turns select individuals into loci, conduits for the interplanar archive of knowledge. Loci have no direct communication with Nabu, but they usually do not need one since they are so devoted to learning about the world that they obtain information for Nabu willingly.

Loci's powers allow them to peer into the past and discover things remotely about the present, making them exceptional investigators. All learned information is shared with Nabu, and while little is known about the god of scribes, it seems the ultimate goal is to absorb all knowledge into the loci to archive the planes and make backups of the world.

Class Features

As a loci, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points


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

Proficiencies


  • Armor: None
  • Weapons: None
  • Tools: Calligrapher's tools, Cartographer's tools, Forgery kit

  • Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
  • Skills: Choose three from Arcana, History, Investigation, Religion, Nature, Insight, Perception, and Persuasion
  • Languages: Two of your choice

Equipment

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

  • (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
  • 1 dagger
  • 1 empty book and a silver quill
##### The Loci | Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Discoveries | |:---:|:---:|:---|:---:| | 1st | +2 | Discoveries, The De-obfuscated Mind, Paper Defense | 3 | | 2nd | +2 | Restless Study | 4 | | 3rd | +2 | Moonlit Eyes | 5 | | 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Fountain Head | 6 | | 5th | +3 | Origin Story, Pen Name | 7 | | 6th | +3 | Paper Brains | 8 | | 7th | +3 | Speed Reading | 9 | | 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Librarian | 10 | | 9th | +4 | Stenographer | 11 | | 10th | +4 | Search Function | 11 | | 11th | +4 | Plot Points | 12 | | 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement, Skipping Pages | 12 | | 13th | +5 | Public Language | 13 | | 14th | +5 | Greater Commune | 13 | | 15th | +5 | Mirrored Text | 14 | | 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement, Superior Paper Brains | 14 | | 17th | +6 | Printing Press | 15 | | 18th | +6 | Book Burning | 15 | | 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement, Superior Search Function | 16 | | 20th | +6 | Between The Lines | 16 |
1
THE LOCI v2.1 | HOMEBREW BY SNERX

\page

Discoveries

Starting at 1st level, you gain access to special abilities granted by the god of scribes. Your discovery options are detailed at the end of the class description. When you gain certain loci levels, you gain additional discoveries of your choice, as shown in the Discoveries column of the Loci Table.

When you gain a level in this class, or if a full moon is out during a long rest, you can change one of these abilities for another available at your level.

The De-obfuscated Mind

Recorded information, knowledge of the world, and abilities useful for discoveries become mystically impressed upon you as you gain levels in this class.

Starting at 1st level, you can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 120 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language. The creature has the ability to telepathically reply to you.

Paper Defense

Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Intelligence modifier.

Restless Study

Starting at 2nd level, you no longer need to sleep and can't be forced to sleep by any means. In order to gain the benefits of a long rest, you can spend all 8 hours doing light activity, such as reading and keeping watch.

Moonlit Eyes

At 3rd level, your eyes become activated by the god of scribes to allow you the ability to read at all times and distances. Your scleras turn pitch black like an inky void and your iris' become a bright luminescent white like the moon.

You have darkvision with no maximum range; you can see in dim light as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light.

Additionally, no written word is unintelligible to you; you can read all writing.

Ability Score Improvement

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.

Fountain Head

Starting at 4th level, any quill you use to write with has an unending production of ink and the ink counts as magical for the purpose of writing scrolls and arcane texts.

Origin Story

Starting at 5th level, when you read something, you know the original language it was written in, when it was written, and the general location it was written in.

Pen Name

At 5th level, if you touch a text, you know the name of the author(s) or owner(s). Author names are given for books, scrolls, and letters, and owner names are given for signs and named locations on maps.

Paper Brains

Starting at 6th level, you gain connection to pieces of paper or surfaces on which you have drawn sigils to the god of scribes. It takes 8 hours to create one of these complex sigils.

You share all your senses with these sigils and can use them as waypoints for casting spells or using an ability. Only 3 of these sigils can be active at a time. If you attempt to draw a fourth sigil, you must pick a prior one to be destroyed as a consequence of creating the new one.

Additionally, divination magic used to target you or items worn or carried by you has a 50% chance of randomly targeting one of these sigils instead.

At 16th level, you can have up to 5 sigils active at a time.

Speed Reading

Beginning at 7th level, while taking a long rest you can gain the knowledge of one book, scroll, letter, or note of your choice that you have seen within the last 24 hours as if you had read it. You have perfect recollection of the content of the text chosen and can copy it word for word if you choose to do so.

Librarian

Starting at 8th level, when you enter a library, book store, or any other structure that contains written texts, you become aware of the exact location of any text that contains information on a topic you desire.

Stenographer

Starting at 9th level, you can manifest a scroll containing any conversation you have had or overheard, ver batum, written in any language of your choice regardless of what languages were used in the original conversation.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Search Function (conc. 1 minute)

At 10th level, as an action, when you mentally concentrate on a name, image, item, or place, regardless if you've perceived it directly, you can know what direction and distance the nearest example of that thing is within 1 mile of you or any sigil created by the Paper Brains feature on the same plane of existence. This lasts until your concentration is broken. You can only use this feature to focus on one entity at a time and you can only use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1) per long rest.

2
THE LOCI | HOMEBREW BY SNERX

\page

An example of this would be focusing on the mental image of an inn and being made aware of the nearest inn.

When you reach 19th level, this feature's range becomes unlimited. If the only example of the entity you are focusing on is located on some other plane of existence, you gain the knowledge of which plane it is located on instead.

Plot Points

Starting at 11th level, you can call up visions of the past that relate to an object you hold or your immediate surroundings. You spend at least 1 minute in meditation, then receive dreamlike, shadowy glimpses of recent events. You can meditate in this way for a number of minutes equal to your Wisdom modifier and must maintain concentration during that time, as if you were casting a spell.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Object Reading: Holding an object as you meditate, you can see visions of the object's previous owner. After meditating for 1 minute, you learn how the owner acquired and lost the object, as well as the most recent significant event involving the object and that owner. If the object was owned by another creature in the recent past (within a number of days equal to your Wisdom modifier), you can spend 1 additional minute for each owner to learn the same information about them.

Area Reading: As you meditate, you see visions of recent events in your immediate vicinity (a room, street, tunnel, clearing, or the like, up to a 50-foot cube), going back a number of days equal to your Wisdom modifier. For each minute you meditate, you learn about one significant event, beginning with the most recent. Significant events typically involve powerful emotions, such as battles and betrayals, marriages and murders, births and funerals. However, they might also include more mundane events that are nevertheless important in your current situation.

Skipping Pages

Starting at 12th level, as an action, you can send yourself and one willing creature within 30 feet of you to the nearest unoccupied space of a book, scroll, letter, sign, or sigil on the same plane of existence that you have seen within the last month.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest or you destroy a sigil created by your Paper Brains feature.

Public Language

At 13th level, you can magically embue any text you write with universal script granted by the god of scribes. Any creature that understands at least one language can read text effected by this feature.

Additionally, you can cast the spell Skywrite once per short or long rest and have it gain the effect of this feature if you choose.

Greater Commune

Starting at 14th level, you can cast Contact Other Plane, Commune With Nature, Dream, or Legend Lore.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Mirrored Text

At 15th level, you become aware of when divination magic targets you or items being worn or carried by you and can make an Intelligence saving throw as a reaction to learn the true name of the caster, the effects of the spell used and its target, and the current location of the caster. If you fail the saving throw, take 1d6 psychic damage instead.

Printing Press

Starting at 17th level, when you write anything on paper, you can have copies appear with all the same properties in unoccupied space near you. The number of copies is a maximum of 5.

You can instantly manifest a single copy of a text you have memorized using the Speed Reading feature if you choose.

You can use this feature up to a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier per long rest.

Book Burning

After reaching 18th level, if you burn a book or scroll, you can decide to have every copy of that book or scroll also erased from your current plane of existence.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again for 1d4+1 days.

Between The Lines

At 20th level, whenever you drop to 0 hit points, flip a coin. If you call it correctly, your soul leaves your body and enters any sigil you have created with the Paper Brains feature.

You can posses the body of any creature that comes within 5 feet of the sigil. This moves the soul of the possessed body into the sigil instead. The possession ends if a Remove Curse spell is cast on the body; this destroys one of your sigils and your soul moves back into a sigil only if one still exists, otherwise you die. You can also willingly return the soul to its body at any time and this also destroys a sigil before moving your own soul back into a sigil. If you have no active sigils and your soul loses possession of a body, you die. After depossessing any body, if the original soul still exists, it is returned to its body.

If you manage to reposses your original body, you stabilize and regain consciousness with 1d6 hit points.

3
THE LOCI | HOMEBREW BY SNERX

\page

Discoveries

There are 42 discoveries to choose from. If a discovery has level requirements, you must meet them to learn it.

Arcane Cartography

Prerequisite: 11th level

As an action, you can magically generate a detailed map of the surrounding region or the general layout of a dungeon or structure you are currently in on a large sheet of blank paper or velum once per short or long rest.

Authorized Speech

Prerequisite: 7th level

You can cast Speak with Animals, Speak with Dead, or Speak with Plants without material components.

You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) per long rest.

Bookmark

Prerequisite: 9th level

As an action, you can magically tie yourself and up to 5 other creatures within 30 feet of you to your current locations. Once per long rest, as a bonus action, you can recall all creatures to their tied positions. The ties are broken when you recall or finish a long rest.

Call of the Wild

You gain a swimming and climbing speed equal to your movement speed. Additionally, you have advantage on Wisdom (perception) checks that rely on hearing.

Character Trope

Prerequisite: 13th level

You can cast the spell Bestow Curse as if you had used a 9th-level spell slot on one creature within 30 feet of you. You gain an additional option for the curse; you may know the target's direction and distance from you while they are cursed. If they are not on the same plane of existence, you know which plane they are on instead.

Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until the curse is removed from the prior target and you have finished a long rest.

Declassified Documents

You can cast the Identify spell at will without material components.

Disappearing Ink

As an action, any book, scroll, letter, or item with text on it that you can touch is sent to an extra-dimensional storage space only accessible by means of this ability. While stored in this way, divination spells treat the objects as if they were carried by you. There is no limit to the size or number of objects that can be affected by this ability. All stored objects are known by the loci and can be recalled as a bonus action.

Documentarian Explorer

When you enter a ruin or dungeon, you can correctly ascertain its original purpose and determine its builders. In addition, you have advantage on Perception and Investigation checks made to detect the presence of traps or secret doors.

Eldritch Sight

Prerequisite: 5th level

You can cast Detect Magic at will, without material components.

Fahrenheit 451

Prerequisite: 7th level

As an action, you can forget a text you have learned using your Speed Reading ability to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space and cast Fireball at its lowest level on the spot you teleported away from. You can choose to forget additional texts, and for every additional text you choose to forget, Fireball is cast at one higher spell slot.

Feedback Signal

Prerequisite: 5th level

You gain resistance to psychic damage. Your thoughts can be read only if you allow it. If you are targeted by a divination spell and it fails, the caster also takes 1d6 psychic damage. Additionally, whenever a creature deals psychic damage to you, that creature takes the same amount of damage that you do.

Footnotes (conc. 1 hour)

Prerequisite: 5th level

As an action, for as long as you maintain concentration, every spot on the ground within 30 feet of you that a creature has stepped on within the last hour lights up with a magical glow as if leaving behind a spectral footprint. You know who or what the tracks belong to.

You can use this ability once per short or long rest.

Ghost Writer

As a bonus action, you can conjure an invisible, floating hand at any point you choose within 60 feet of you. The hand lasts for 1 hour or until you dismiss it as an action. The hand vanishes if it is ever more than 60 feet away from you or if you use this ability again.

You can use your bonus action to control the hand. You can use the hand to manipulate an object, open unlocked doors or containers, or stow and retrieve items. You can move the hand up to 30 feet each time you use it.

The hand can't attack or carry more than 10 pounds.

Index Invictus (conc. 8 hours)

Prerequisite: 15th level

You can spend a use of the Paper Brains feature to draw 12 sigils in a ring, like numbers on a clock, over a diameter no larger than 1 mile. Once per long rest and as an action, you can concentrate on the ring. When concentrating on the ring, every creature's name and position inside this ring, including the space equal to half the diameter above and below the ring, is known to you.
4
THE LOCI | HOMEBREW BY SNERX

\page

If one or more of the sigils around the ring is destroyed, you must spend another 8 hours fixing it to use this ability over the same area again.

Library of Babel

Prerequisite: 9th level

As an action, until the start of your next turn, you can send yourself or one willing creature within 30 feet of you to the Infinite Library plane. During this time, the creature gains the benefits of a short rest.

You can use this ability a number of times up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) per long rest.

Library Terminal (conc. 1 hour)

Prerequisite: 11th level

You create an illusory copy of yourself that lasts for the duration. The copy can appear at any library, bookstore, or structure containing written texts you have visited before, regardless of intervening obstacles. The illusion looks and sounds like a spectral version of you, is visibly magical, and is intangible. If the illusion takes any damage, it disappears, and concentration on this ability ends.

You can use your action to move this illusion up to twice your speed, and make it gesture, speak, and behave in whatever way you choose. It mimics your mannerisms perfectly. You can see through its eyes and hear through its ears as if you were in its space. On your turn as a bonus action, you can switch from using its senses to using your own, or back again. While you are using its senses, you are blinded and deafened in regard to your own surroundings.

You can use this ability once per short or long rest.

Mercutio

Prerequisite: 9th level

As a reaction, if an ally within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can teleport to their position, swapping places, and take the damage instead. If the attack drops you to 0 hit points, your ally gains advantage to all their attack rolls until the end of their next turn.

Mightier Than the Sword

Prerequisite: 11th level

As a bonus action, you can magically mark a creature within 60 feet of you. For the next minute, any time that creature damages you with an attack, you teleport an equivalent amount of gold off their person and onto your person. If the target does not have enough gold to match the attack, they make a Wisdom saving roll instead. Upon a success, this ability ends. Upon a failure, the target takes the same amount of damage as it deals to you.

Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Notary Public

Prerequisite: 11th level

If you take ten minutes to ritualistically burn a letter with someone's name and an address written on it, then you may flip a coin. If it lands on heads then Immolation is cast on the named person in the letter, and if it lands on tails then the named residence in the letter spontaneously combusts and is

engulfed by magical flames until it is raized.

If the user of this ability does not toss a coin within a minute of finishing the ritual, then the named person in the letter is teleported to the named address instead. If no address is written in the letter, then Fireball is cast at its lowest level in the spot the named person last finished a long rest instead.

Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Notebook of Death

Prerequisite: 17th level

You can take 8 hours to ritually convert an empty book into a necromantic journal. The time of the ritual is spent writing the true name of someone and a date onto every page of this journal. For the entire duration of the date written, the named person has disadvantage on all saving throws, cannot regain hit points by magical means, and you deal an additional 1d8 nerotic damage on all attacks against them.

You may also choose to drop to 0 hit points to force your target to do the same. While incapacitated in this way, neither of you can be stabilized by any means except death saving throws. Only your target rolls and every success they have on a death saving throw counts as a failure for you and every failure on theirs counts as a success for you.

If you write the true name of someone who is already deceased and their date of death, you can cast Reincarnate on them instead.

Once you finish the ritual, the journal becomes engulfed in white flame and turns to ash.

Objective Lense

Prerequisite: 15th level

As an action, you gain the benefits of a True Seeing spell but the duration lasts for 8 hours.

Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Pamphleteer

Prerequisite: 13th level

As an action, you may touch a creature, forcing them to make a Wisdom saving throw. If they succeed on the throw you take 2d6 psychic damage, but if they fail they become charmed by you until a Remove Curse spell is cast on them, the charm condition is removed from them, or you use this ability again. You can communicate telepathically with the charmed creature as long as they are on the same plane of existence.

Platinum Tongue

Prerequisite: 13th level

You understand all spoken languages. Moreover, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say when you speak if you choose.

Postal Service

Prerequisite: 5th level

If you fold a letter into a paper plane and throw it, it will continue to fly until it arrives at its named recipient or address within 24 hours wherever they are, so long as they are on the same plane of existence. If the letter is intercepted
5
THE LOCI | HOMEBREW BY SNERX

\page

during its flight, you learn the true name and location of the person who intercepted it as a mental ping.

Precognition

You have advantage on initiative rolls.

Additionally, as a reaction you can impose disadvantage on an attack roll made against you. Once you have used this ability in this way, you cannot do so again until finishing a long rest.

Prescient State

Prerequisite: 19th level

You touch a willing creature and bestow a limited ability to see into the immediate future. For the next 8 hours, the target can’t be surprised and has advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. Additionally, other creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against the target for the duration.

Once you've used this ability in this way, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Additionally, when you roll initiative, you can grant yourself and up to five creatures of your choice within 60 feet of you a +10 bonus to initiative.

Psychological Horror

As an action, make a ranged spell attack roll against one target within 120 feet of you. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this attack.

Upon a hit, deal 1d10 psychic damage to the target. This attack ignores resistance to psychic damage if the target is within 60 feet of you.

This ability does more damage as you gain levels, dealing 2d10 at 5th level, 3d10 at 11th level, and 4d10 at 17th level.

Pulse of Enumeration

As a bonus action, you send out a psionic pulse and learn the number but not the distance or direction of entities within 1 mile of you of a kind of your choosing. This can be a kind of plant, humanoid, furniture, or any other entity type.

Read or Die

Prerequisite: 5th level

You must read at least one page of text before finishing a long rest or you die. One page of text is approximately 300 words and text covered by your Speed Reading ability counts towards this total. For every page you read since your last long rest, you are granted 1 point of temporary health.

You can gain temporary health up to an amount equal to double your loci level.

Reading Buddy

Prerequisite: 5th level

You learn the Find Familiar spell and can cast it as a ritual. When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite. Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own with its reaction.

Remote Reading (conc. 1 hour)

Prerequisite: 7th level

As an action, you can cast the Scrying spell without material components. The duration for this use of the spell is 1 hour.

Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Report Card

Prerequisite: 5th level

As an action, you can ask a question of one creature that can see and hear you within 30 feet of you. The question must be phrased so that it can be answered with a yes or no, otherwise this ability fails. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or it replies with a truthful answer.

You know whether it succeeded or failed its saving throw. A creature is immune to this ability if it is immune to being charmed.

Additionally, you know when a creature communicating with you via telepathy is lying.

Rolodox

Prerequisite: 5th level

As an action, a creature within 30 feet of you must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failure, you learn the true name, recent aliases, job titles, and addresses of the creature. On a success, the target is made aware of your attempt to probe its mind.

You can use this ability once per short or long rest.

Scribbled Sight

You cannot be blinded by any means and can see through magical darkness. Additionally, blindfolds appear transparent to you when applied over your eyes.

Superficial Reading

As an action, you can cast the Illusory Script spell without material components. The duration lasts until dispelled.

Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Taking Note (conc. 1 hour)

Prerequisite: 9th level

As a bonus action, you learn a one-word summary of the emotional state of up to six creatures you can see, such as happy, confused, afraid, or violent. Until your concentration ends, while you can see the targets, you learn if they are under the effect of any magical or psionic effects and if they have any immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities. While this effect lasts, you have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks you make against them.

You can use this ability a number of times up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) per long rest.

Things Yet to Come

You can cast the Augury spell a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) per long rest. You can also gain knowledge of weather conditions in your area for the next 24 hours.

6
THE LOCI | HOMEBREW BY SNERX

\page

Thoughts and Suggestions

Prerequisite: 9th level

As an action, you can cast the Detect Thoughts spell with a range of 60 feet. You can cast this from a sigil created by the Paper Brains feature. If you cast it in this way, and if the target fails their Wisdom saving throw, you can also cast a Suggestion spell on them at its lowest level. The target automatically fails its saving throw against this Suggestion spell.

You can use this ability a number of times up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) per long rest.

Twelfth Night (conc. 1 minute)

Prerequisite: 7th level

As an action, if there are any invisible or magically disguised creatures within 30 feet of you, they become visible or lose their disguise and you turn invisible or gain their disguise instead. While maintaining concentration, creatures within range cannot become invisible.

You can use this ability a number of times up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) per long rest.

Unwritten Rule

Prerequisite: 15th level

You can take 8 hours to ritually convert an empty book into a divinatory journal. The time of the ritual is spent writing one rule and a name onto every page of this journal. As an action, you can burn the journal and for the next hour the person named in the journal may not perform any action that breaks the rule. If no name is written, then no one may break that rule within 30 feet of you for the same duration.

Vault of Nabu

Prerequisite: 7th level

As an action, you can send an item no larger than 1 foot on any side into an extra-dimensional vault. The vault is only accessible by reaching into a sigil created by your Paper Brains feature, and only those you designate can reach into the sigils to stow or retrieve items from the vault. While stored in this way, the objects are treated as if under the effects of a Non-detection spell. All items stored in this way must be able to fit in the same 1 foot cube.

Written Intent

Prerequisite: 7th level

You can seal a letter with a named creature and skill, tool, or saving throw. Until finishing the next long rest, the creature named in the letter may add 1d4 to rolls using the designated ability check or saving throw.

Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

7
THE LOCI | HOMEBREW BY SNERX
Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment