Occultist

The occultist is the archetype of the seeker of secrets. Someone inclined to spot loopholes, shortcuts, subversion, or weakness. They are the hedge-mages, witches, warlocks, outlaw-mages, and necromancer grave robbers of the world, pursuing aspects of magic that the either the oaths forsake, or the arcane schools find too dangerous or uncontrollable to acknowledge. 

Hit dice: 1d4

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: 1 simple weapon group
Tools: None
Saving throws: Charisma, Intelligence
Skills: Choose 3 from: Arcana, History, Religion, Deception, Insight, Intimidation

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

• (a) A dagger or (b) a quarterstaff

• (a) 4 throwing daggers or (b) 3 vials of acid

• A dungeoneer’s pack

You gain access to occult spells.

You start knowing two spells, learning a new spell at each new occultist level.

You can use either Intelligence or Charisma as your casting attribute.

You gain a number of spell points as indicated in the list. You can use spell points to cast spells, costing the same number of points as the level at which the spell is cast. You regain your spell points after a long rest.

You learn a number of occult cantrips as indicated in the chart.

At 1st level, you gain a mark and a reward. 

Mark - choose one detrimental effect from below:

• Heal 1 HP less(min. 1)

• -5 movement speed

• -1 to weapon attack rolls

• -1 to spell attack rolls

• -1 to AC

• -1 to physical saves

• -1 to mental saves

• -1 to social skill checks(Subject to GM.)

• -1 to physical skill checks(Subject to GM.)

• -1 to mental skill checks(Subject to GM.)

Reward - choose a positive effect from below:

• Resistance to three types of damage of choice.

• +2 max spell points.

• All your damage dealing effects and attacks deal an extra 1d4 of a damage type of your choice. The type chosen cannot be changed.

• Your rest dice maximum is increased by 2.

• Expertise with a skill that you are proficient with.

• Gain a feat that does not grant an increase to ability scores.

At 2nd level, you can perform a ritual during a rest at the cost of 1 rest dice. When doing so, you must make a DC 13 arcana check. A natural 1 is still a failure. If successful, choose two effects from below:

• Regain 1d4 spell points. Cannot bring you above maximum.

• Replace a spell from your list of spells known with another occult spell that you do not know.

• Roll a 1d4 chance dice. On a 3 or higher, succeed, healing yourself for 1d12 + intelligence bonus health and regaining 1 rest dice. On a 2 or lower, lose 1d4 health.

At 2nd level, choose one:

• Occult blade - your melee and thrown weapon attacks are treated as magical and deal 1 necrotic damage even if blocked.

• Nullify - You can spend 2 rest dice as a reaction to cast counterspell against a spell targeting you or a 20ft area around you.

• Life theft - Whenever you damage a small or larger creature, regain 1 hp.

• Faceless - You can shift appearance as a bonus action, altering your face, clothes, or voice. This effect can be dispelled.

• Power aura - You can spend 1d3 spell points to restore 1 block as a free action.

• Essense drain - When reduce at least one creature to 0 hp by means of a spell, or by lightning or fire damage, you regain 1 spell point. Cannot be triggered more than once per turn.

• Spiritual vampire - Whenever a small or larger humanoir, beast, or fae creature dies within 20ft of you, or takes more than 20 psychic damage, roll a 1d6 chance dice, regaining 1 spell point on a 6 or higher.

• Chaos magic - Upgrade two cantrips or a cantrip and a spell you know with the following: ", roll a 1d4 chance dice, dealing an extra 1d4 lightning, fire, psychic, acid, or force damage to the target,"

• Hex casting - Learn 2 minor hexes. At 3rd level learn 2 major hexes, and at 4th learn 1 greater hex.

At 3rd, 7th, and 11th level, you gain an ability score improvement, allowing you to permanently increase one ability score by 2, or two ability scores by 1. Alternatively, gain a feat.

Additionally, whenever you have the option of taking an ability score improvement, you can choose to also take an extra mark(1st level ability) to gain an extra reward. You can choose the same mark multiple times and reward multiple times.

At 4th level, choose 3 ritual option upgrades from the list below:

• Gain a +1 bonus to AC until next rest. Can stack up to 3 times.

• Gain 1 reroll that can be used on your own d20, damage, duration, and chance dice until the next rest.

• Prepare 1 dose of dark ichor: When consumed, the creature gains a +1d4 bonus to an attribute of their choice for 1 hour. After that, the creature must make a DC 15 constitution save. On a failure, they take 1d12 necrotic damage. Consuming more than 1 dark ichor deals 1d20 psychic damage.

• Prepare 1d6+1 cursed daggers (light, finesse, flurry, critical 2, 1d6 piercing + 1d8 necrotic, range 30/60) which disappear once a creature is wounded by them. All daggers expire at the end of the next long rest. 

• Learn a minor hex, or swap out a known hex for another. Taking this upgrade grants you 1 minor hex of choice.

• Gain a ferryman coin. 

• Gain a black page.

When using dark ritual, you can choose any of the newly chosen upgrades as alternative outcomes from its list of choices.

At 5th occultist level, choose your 1st archetype:

• spell-blade

• Incanter

• schemer