I had SO much fun getting to work with Carlos Cisco on class designs for Pistolheart Volume 2, an expansion for Daggerheart!! It's so exciting to see two of them out in the wild-- there's a fun interview with Carlos about the expansion and his work here.
Here's the Snake Oil Bard:
And my personal favorite, the Coffinbreaker Sorceror:
I'd love to do more TTRPG character, class, creature, and prop design work- my contact info is on my portfolio site if you have a project you think my work might be a good fit for!
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What are the best ways to store vast amounts of information? That question has occupied chroniclers and librarians for centuries.
Scrolls and Books were the finest information-storing methods for a long time, but the first Archivists imagined something greater:
Storing information in a real or an Artificial Mind. What library could match a mental archive capable of accessing information in seconds?
As they work towards this goal, Archivists have become masters of storing knowledge and creating Artificial Intelligences fueled by magic.
These techniques have yet to be perfected and institutionalized, and of all artificers, archivists are on the cutting edge of arcane science.
Tools of the Trade
By the time you adopt this specialty at 3rd level, youāre deeply familiar with employing its tools.
Proficiencies.
You gain proficiency with calligrapherās supplies and the forgery kit, assuming you donāt already have them. You also gain calligrapherās supplies and a forgery kit for free, the result of tinkering youāve done as youāve prepared for this specialization.
Crafting.
If you craft a magic item in the scroll category, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.
Archivist Spells
Artificer Level | Spell
____________________
3rd | comprehend languages, dissonant whispers
5th | detect thoughts, locate object
9th | hypnotic pattern, tongues
13th | locate creature, phantasmal killer
17th | legend lore, modify memory
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Artificial Mind
At 3rd Level, you discover how to awaken a mind inside an object. Whenever you finish a long rest and your calligrapherās supplies are with you, you can magically rouse a keen mind within a Tiny, Nonmagical Object on which you write mystical symbols. The object is a Magic Item while the Mind is inside it, and you can use it as a spellcasting focus.
If you already have an Artificial Mind from this feature, the 1st 1 immediately dissipates. The Magic Item has the following properties.
Telepathic Advisor.
The Artificial Mind telepathically supplies you with advice and information about certain topics:
While the item is on your person, you have proficiency in 2 skills of your choice;
The itemās main material determines which skills you can choose from, as shown on the Artificial Mind Table in the Skill Proficiencies column, for the nature of the object affects the mindās knowledge.
Manifest Mind.
As a Bonus Action while the item is on your person, you can cause the mind to manifest as a tiny spectral presence, hovering in an unoccupied space of your choice within 60 feet of you. This presence is intangible and invulnerable, and it sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius. You determine its appearance;
The Artificial Mind Table offers suggested appearances based on the objectās main material.
While manifested, the Spectral Mind can hear and see, and it has darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
As an Action, you can hear and see using the mindās senses, instead of your own, until your Concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell).
As a Bonus Action, you can cause the spectral mind to hover up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you or it can see. It can pass through creatures but not objects.
The Spectral Mind stops manifesting if it is ever more than 300 feet away from its Magic Item or if you dismiss it as a Bonus Action.
When you cast an artificer spell on your turn, you can cast it as if you were in the Spectral Mindās space, instead of your own, using its senses. You can do so a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence Modifier (at least once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Information Overload.
As an Action while the item is on your person, you can try to magically overload the thoughts of 1 Creature you or the mind can see that is within 5 feet of the manifested mind, channeling a jumble of information from the Artificial Mind. Unless the target succeeds on an Intelligence Saving Throw against your spell save DC, the target takes 1d8 Psychic Damage, and the next attack roll against it before the end of your next turn has advantage, since it is temporarily too distracted to defend itself well. The Damage increases by 1D8 when you reach
5th Level (2D8),
11th Level (3D8),
17th Level (4D8)
in this class. Whenever you deal damage with this feature, you can expend a spell slot to deal extra damage to the target. The extra damage is 2D8 for a 1st Level spell slot, plus 1D8 for each spell level higher than first.
Artificial Mind
Main Material | Skill Proficiencies | Suggested Appearance
____________________
Animal {parchment, leather, bone} |
Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, Survival | A beast or a humanoid visage with antlers
Mineral {glass, stone, metal} |
Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion | A robotic or golem-like face
Plant {paper, wood} |
Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, Religion | A bespectacled visage or a treant
____________________
Mind Network
At 6th Level, youāve learned how to use your artifices to access minds, both to communicate and to harm.
Magical Telephony.
While you have your Artificial Mind Item on your person, you can communicate telepathically with anyone carrying an item bearing 1 of your Artificer Infusions, as the mind transmits your thoughts to each other.
That person can also communicate telepathically with you as long as they have the item. This 2-way communication can even cross planar boundaries.
Psychic Damage.
When you make a Psychic Damage roll for an Artificer Spell or for Information Overload, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to your Intelligence Modifier (minimum bonus of +1).
Pure Information
At 14th Level, your Artificial Mind is able to receive and transmit more information than ever before.
Mind Overload.
When you expend a Spell Slot to increase the damage of Information Overload, the target must succeed on an Intelligence Saving Throw against your spell save DC or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
Infoportation.
As an Action while your Artificial Mind Magic Item is on your person, you cause the mind to turn you into pure information, teleporting you to the unoccupied space nearest to the Spectral Mind or to an item bearing 1 of your Artificer Infusions, where you physically reappear. You can Teleport in this way once for free and must finish a Long Rest before doing so again. You can also use this special ability by expending a spell slot of 2nd Level or higher.
_________________________
The First Warforged Minds
Warforged were originally created by House Cannith to fight as subservient beings, having limited selfawareness.
The development of the autonomous warforged consciousness has been presented as an accidental breakthrough.
However, rumors abound that it was the work of pioneering archivist Aaren dāCannith, who planted the seed of autonomy in the warforged mind.
This fact is now difficult to verify, for the development teamās records were destroyed and Aaren dāCannith disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
Many believe that Aaren is still determined to help the warforged evolve and that he might be working with the sinister Lord of Blades.
Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy Playable Monster Popularity Contest
Alright the Kickstarter is launching on April 10th which at the time of writing this is in 2 days. The Kickstarter trailer for Eureka is going to be uploaded tonight or tomorrow, but it is still my job to do as much promotion as possible even though I am worried I might be running out of ideas. I still gotta post.
Letās just have a Eureka playable monster popularity contest.
The vampire is not exactly your 20th and 21st century Hollywood vampire. They dont have super speed, donāt hypnotise people or make them thralls, and donāt instantly die when exposed to sunlightāthough they are significantly weakened by it. The Vampire in Eureka is more of a 19th century and earlier folkloric vampire, with all the powers and weaknesses that come with that, including a compulsion to count things, an inability to enter homes uninvited, turning into a bat or other creatures, walking on sheer walls, etc. The vampire has almost no way of restoring their Composure except by drinking human blood, which means they will need to go on the prowl pretty often. Luckily, they never need to eat or sleep. They are also super strong, super stealthy, and resistant to all forms of physical damageāand they can only be killed permanently by ritual means.
The wolfman shares a lot of features with the vampire, such as super strength and resistance to all physical damage, and this is because they are a Hollywood wolfman. They can regain a little Composure through normal means, but if it ever runs out, they will transform involuntarily and go berserk. This is one of my favorite things about them honestly, and I canāt wait to see it actually happen in play. Theyāll also involuntarily transform if they are exposed to the full moon, but thatās a lot more situational.
The witch is up next, and for all intents and purposes, they are pretty much a normal human, except for the ability to command curses and a variety of powerful spells. These curses can render victims violently ill, put them to sleep, turn them to stone, turn them into an animal, or reduce them in size. While witches can restore their Composure just as well as a mundane human, they can also do it by eating people, and the Composure drain of using their supernatural powers is much faster and harsher than any other monster. Oh, and one of my favorite things is that they can ride around on a broomstick or other flying vehicle.
The fairy is shares the ability to cast the same curses as the witch, and, optionally, the same spells, but they are also supernaturally charming, with a few other abilities unique to them. They cannot tell lies, but they can sure steal peopleās names and other aspects of their identities, and/or spirit them away to the fairy world. Another interesting thing about them is that their Wealth skill gets a boost from being a fairy, and unlike anyone else, their Wealth skill can actually be capped by Composure just like any other skill.
Then finally the Thing from Beyond, which I will be abbreviating to TFB for the rest of this paragraph. The TFB is the most unique monster in the lineup, a large flat blanket of skin and teeth that can fold up into a human shape to interact with society. They can change the color, shape, and texture of their skin to mimic anyone theyāve studied long enough, right down to the outfit. Unlike other monsters, who get their Composure back one bit and victim at a time, TFBs engulf one person whole and slowly digest them over the course of a week, recovering 1 point of Composure each day. They can even have a body inside their human-shaped disguise and you wouldnāt even notice!
You can find out a lot more about these creatures and their powers by downloading the free Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy demo from our website and going to Chapter 8!
The vampire is really strong in combat and stealth, with a lot of powers to draw from, but is handicapped by far the most weaknesses.
The wolfman is a good combat powerhouse that isnāt quite a strong as the vampire in most cases, but doesnāt have to deal with as many weaknesses. Watch out though, if things get too intense, they could completely lose control of themselves and end up eating someone they werenāt supposed to!
The fairy is more a āfaceā character, with more tools at their disposal for convincing people to cooperate with them than ability to use force, though curses do definitely fall under āuse of forceā, I suppose.
The witch is just a good all-rounder, with something for every situation, though it might not always be the *best* something.
The TFB is very good for stealth as well, but a different kind of stealth. The vampire is good for a more Solid Snake or Sam Fisher kind of stealth, while the TFB is more Agent 47ās style of stealth.
Thereās also two honorable mentions Iād like to include because theyāre Kickstarter stretch goals and thus not really fully fleshed out yet.
The dullahan is a headless specter from Irish folklore that feeds on death. We havenāt really figured out exactly how to make this work mechanically yet, but thatās because we havenāt hit that stretch goal yet.
The gorgon is the last written stretch goal, and maybe the one Iām most excited for. They turn people to stone by looking them in the eye, and this is such an awesome blessing and curse to work around during gameplay that I really really want the excuse to implement it. They also may eat have snakes in their hair up to player choice, and eat people whole with mechanics sorta similar the way the TFB works, we arenāt quite sure because until we hit those stretch goals they just exist as a bunch of scattered notes and ideas. I gotta count on yāall to make sure we hit those stretch goals.
There is also a potential for the option to play a talking dog or a living doll, which will also be stretch goals if we can swing it.
Remember also, all of these will be playable as PCs, so they could be your enemy, or your ally.
Now that aaalllll that is out of the way..
Pick your favorite playable monster.
Vampire
Wolfman
Fairy
Witch
Thing from Beyond
Dullahan
Gorgon
Voting ended onApr 15, 2024
Now, if you really want to support me and my team specifically Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy, our debut TTRPG, is going to launch on Kickstarter on April 10th and we need all the help we can get. Set a reminder from the Kickstarter page through this link.
If youāre interested in a more updated and improved version of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy than the free demo you got from our website, thereās plenty of ways to get one!
Subscribe to our Patreon where we frequently roll our new updates for the prerelease version!
Donate to our ko-fi and send us an email with proof that you did, and weāll email you back with the full Eureka prerelease package with the most updated version at the time of responding! (The email address can be found if you scroll down to the bottom of our website.)
