Mesmer

Masters of the Mind

Where fighters might use the strength of their arm to win victories, a rogue their natural agility, or a paladin the force of their personality, mesmers use their penetrating intellect to gain tactical advantage over their foes.

A mesmer uses their mesmerising power to reduce their enemies' reaction time, seemingly allowing them to move much faster than would usually be possible. They also sharpen their tongues and their blades through hours of practice, honing their techniques.

A mesmer's mind is like a catalogue of possible outcomes, listing the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. They consider combat, whether mental, physical, or verbal, like a game of chess - constantly strategising and running through their potential options.

Class Features

As a mesmer, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d8 per mesmer level
• Hit Points at 1st level: 1d8 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per mesmer level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: None
• Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords, rapiers
• Tools: Any one gaming set or set of artisan's tools
• Saving Throws: Intelligence, Dexterity
• Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Arcana, Deception, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, and Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) two shortswords, or (b) a rapier
• (a) an explorer’s pack or (b) a burglar's pack
• one set of tools with which you are proficient

Unarmored Defense

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

Psych Out

Beginning at 1st level, you can use a bonus action to make a contested Intelligence check against a creature within 5 feet of you. On a success, you gain a bonus to all melee weapon attack rolls made against the target for 1 minute. The bonus is equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Once you have successfully used this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Outwit

Beginning at 2nd level, you can use your Intelligence modifier in place of the normal ability modifier for all Deception, Insight, Intimidation, and Persuasion checks.

Light Step

Beginning at 2nd level, when a creature moves within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to immediately move up to half your speed. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Mesmer Approach

At 3rd level, you choose a mesmer approach to follow. Your approach grants you additional benefits at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 13th, and 17th level.

Lightning Reflexes

Beginning at 5th level, you can use the power of your mind to mesmerise your opponents, slowing them down and giving you extra time to react. You can make two reactions per round, instead of one. This increases to three reactions per round at 15th level.

You can only use any particular reaction once per round.

First Strike

Also at 5th level, you gain the ability to make sharp attacks at opponents as they enter your reach. Whenever a creature moves within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.

Quick Thinking

Beginning at 7th level, you begin to see solutions to problems that are hidden from others. You can add your Intelligence modifier to the result of any ability check you make. Once you have used this feature, you can't use it again until you have finished a short or long rest.

Social Savant

Beginning at 9th level, you gain advantage on all contested Insight and Deception checks.

Unbreakable

Beginning at 10th level, you gain immunity to the charmed condition.

Countercut

Beginning at 11th level, you have honed your recognition of common fighting patterns so completely that you often know where your opponent is going to strike before they do, and can quickly turn defense into offense. Whenever a creature within 5 feet of you makes a melee attack, you can immediately use your reaction to make one weapon attack against that creature.

Improved Psych Out

Beginning at 14th level, if the target of your Psych Out feature is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use a bonus action on your next turn to afflict another creature within 5 feet of you with the effects of Psych Out. In addition, you gain advantage on all saving throws you are forced to make by the creature you have Psyched Out.

Mind Over Matter

Beginning at 18th level, if you are forced to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction to make an Intelligence saving throw in place of the targeted attribute. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you have finished a short or long rest.

Mental Dominance

At 20th level, you have gained greater
influence over the mental state of your
opponents. Whenever a creature you
have Psyched Out makes an attack
roll, ability check or saving throw, you
can use your reaction to force them to
re-roll the attack, ability check or
saving throw. They must use the
lower of the two rolls as their
result.

Harlequin

Harlequins are mesmers who use their strength of mind to become terrors in close quarters combat. Their movement and attacks are designed to overwhelm their opponent both mentally and physically, sapping their confidence and sowing confusion.

Skirmish

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the ability to size your opponent up as you dance around them, quickly identifying and exploiting their weaknesses.

Your movement does not provoke opportunity attacks from the creature currently under the effects of your Psych Out feature, and your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 against a target you have Psyched Out.

Sharp Tongue

Also at 3rd level, you learn the vicious mockery cantrip. Intelligence is your spellcasting modifier for the spell.

Taunting Jibe

Beginning at 6th level, you can accompany your weapon attacks with vicious insults. On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with one, you can cast vicious mockery as a bonus action.

Laugh it Off

At 13th level, you gain the ability to steel your mind to pain and laugh off injuries that would otherwise be debilitating. When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you.

Mocking Strike

Beginning at 17th level, you can find weak spots in your opponents' defences with your words as well as your weapons. Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack using your reaction, the creature takes additional psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Hypnotist

Hypnotists are mesmers who use their mental acuity to assert control over the outside world. The power of their mind is palpable, and their sheer presence is often overwhelming to the unprepared.

Hypnotic Ward

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the ability to use your mind to deflect incoming blows from mentally inferior creatures. You gain resistance to all damage caused by a creature currently under the effects of your Psych Out feature, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your mesmer level whenever you activate your Psych Out feature. You lose any remaining temporary hitpoints when your Psych Out ends.

Bewitching Presence

Also at 3rd level, you learn the thaumaturgy cantrip. Intelligence is your spellcasting modifier for the spell.

Illusory Self

Beginning at 6th level, you gain the ability to project your mental images outward. You can cast mirror image on yourself as an action. Intelligence is your spellcasting modifier for the spell. Once you've used this feature, you can't use it again until you have finished a short or long rest.

Countercharm

Beginning at 13th level, you can use your hypnotic powers to interrupt the spellcasting process of others. You can cast counterspell as a reaction. Intelligence is your spellcasting modifier for the spell. Once you've used this feature, you can't use it again until you have finished a short or long rest.

Reactionary Charm

At 17th level, all it takes is a simple word or a glance to penetrate your opponent's mind. Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack using your reaction, it must pass a Wisdom save (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier) or become incapacitated until the start of its next turn.

Credits

Art Credits

Kenku illusionist by themefinland: https://art.ngfiles.com/images/589000/589703_themefinland_kenku-illusionist.png?f1518735473
Harlequin concept art by Ubisoft: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/assassinscreed/images/e/eb/Harlequin-concept-art.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/310?cb=20120831191102
Mesmer concept art, Guild Wars 2: http://celestialkitsune.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/guild-wars-2-concept-art_00064.jpg
Fantasy landscape 1 by Tyler Edlin https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/010/601/496/large/tyler-edlin-fantasy-landscape1.jpg?1525276483

Made by pygmybatrider