Grand Master

A Human Man slowly moves his last piece into position. A wide grin grows on his face as he softly exclaims "Checkmate." A Halfling finds himself at a rowdy bar with the smell of ale and the sounds of cheering filling the room. Time freezes as he rolls the dice trembling in his hands... The tavern erupts with cheering as he drags away his winnings.

Master Tacticians

Grand Masters are experts in Strategies and Tactics when it comes to games like Chess and Cards. They are able to utilise practical uses of their skills and strategies called Tactics in battle.

All Rounders

Grand Masters are experts at supporting their allies and granting them extra powerful skills; however, Grand Masters also make a dangerous threat on the battlefield with their offensive and combative abilities.

Creating a Grand Master

When creating your Grand Master consider where you gained your knowledge in games and stratigies. Were you taught by a teacher or another Grand master? Were you self taught? Were you simply gifted the impressive skills in games at birth?

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Also think about what got you into the adventuring business. Are you simply looking for money or fame? A way to utilise your skills in combat? Is it greed that drives your adventures or some other goal?

Quick Build

You can make a Grand Master quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Intelligence your highest ability score. Your next highest score should be Strength or Dexterity, depending on whether you want to focus on melee weapons, or ranged and finesse weapons. Second choose the Noble background or the Cloistered Scholar background.

Class Features

The Grand Master gains the following features.

Hit Points

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• Hit Dice: 1d8 per Grand Master level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Game Master level after 1st

Proficiencies

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• Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
• Weapons: Simple weapons, Hand Crossbows, Shortswords
• Tools: One Type of Gaming Set
• Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
• Skills: Choose three from acrobatics, arcana, history, persuasion, investigation, sleight of hand, deception, or perception.

Equipment

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

• (a) Any Simple Weapon or (b) Light Crossbow and 20 Bolts
• (a) Scale Mail or (b) Studded Leather Armor
• (a) scholar's pack or (b) explorer's pack -
• Any Gaming Set

Game Plan

At 1st level, You are a master at assessing the situation before you head into combat. When you roll initiative you may choose a benefit from the list below. This feature does not work if you are suprised.

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Movement Plan. Your Speed increases by 10ft for 1 minute.

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Offensive Plan. You gain a +1 bonus to Attack rolls and Damage rolls for 1 minute.

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Defensive Plan. You gain a +1 bonus to AC for 1 minute.

Gaming Expertise

At 1st level, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses your proficiency with a gaming set.

Tactics

Beginning at 2nd level, you know practical applications of your skills in games, called Tactics. Your Tactics are fueled by special dice called Intuition dice.

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Tactics. You learn 2 Tactics of your choice, which are detailed under “Tactics” below. You learn one additional Tactic of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. Each time you gain a level in this class, you can also replace one Tactic you know with a different one.

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Intuition Dice. You have a number of Intuition dice as shown in the Intuition Dice column of the classes table. An Inuition die is expended when you use it. You may spend any number of Intuition dice when you use a tactic provided you have that amount of Intuition dice. You regain all of your expended Intuition dice when you finish a long rest.

Tactics

The Tactics are presented in Alphabetical order.

Bolster Attacks. You may use a Bonus Action to expend one intuition die to distract a target within 5ft of you. All creatures gain a bonus to their attacks against that creature for the round equal to the number you rolled.

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Bolster Resolve. You may use a Bonus Action to expend any number of intuition die to grant all friendly creatures within 30ft of you Temporary hit points equal to the number you rolled + your Intelligence Modifier.

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Exploit Weakness. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you may expend any number of intuition die and deal additional weapon damage equal to twice the number rolled + your Intelligence Modifier. This damage cannot be reduced in any way.

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Enhance Skills. You may expend one intuition die to choose a Skill or Tool, If you do not have proficiency with this skill or tool you gain Proficiency for this check. Roll a Skill check for that Skill or Tool and add the number you rolled to your total.

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Strategic Aid. When you or an ally within 30ft of you makes a Saving Throw you may use a reaction to roll any number of Intuition dice and add the number rolled to you or the creatures saving throw.

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Retreat. As a bonus action, You may expend one intuition die to take the Dash Action adding the amount you rolled multiplied by ten to your movement speed for that dash action.

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Spell Surge. When you see a creature within 30ft of you casting a spell that has a Spell attack or a Saving Throw you may use your reaction to spend one Intuition Die and add it to the Spell Attack roll or the Saving Throw DC of the spell.

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Tactical Vision. You may expend any number of intuition die to choose a number of creatures you can see up to the number rolled. Those creatures gain Darkvision and can see any invisible objects or creatures up to 30ft for 1 minute.

Grand Master Professions

At 3rd level, you choose an Profession that shows off your Grand Master abilities: Choose either Gambler, Strategist or Magician detailed at the end of the class description. Your archetype choice grants you features at 3rd level and then again at 6th, 10th, and 17th level.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 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.

Greater Intuition

Beginning when you reach 5th level, you now regain all of your expended Intuition Dice when you finish a short or long rest.

Study Foe

At 7th level, you begin to learn how to closely study an enemy. You analyze its movements, demeanor, and fighting style in order to avoid their attacks. You can spend 1 minute studying a creature you can see. The studied creature now has disadvantage on all attack rolls that target only you. Once you use this feature you can't use it again until you finish a Short or Long rest.

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This effect ends if you are incapacitated or if you finish a short or long rest.

Critical Genius

Beginning at 9th level, if a creature you can see scores a Critical Hit they can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage. You can use this ability once per round.

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This increases to two additional dice at 15th level.

Unbound Intuition

Starting at 11th level, when you roll initiative and have no intuition dice remaining, you regain one Intuition die.

Sharp Reflexes

Starting at 13th level, your mind works at incredible speeds, . You may take one additional reaction each round. You may only use one reaction per trigger.

Defensive Tactics

Beginning at 18th level, your mastery of defensive tactics grants you proficiency in all saving throws.

Strategic Master

Starting at 20th level, You master every strategy. You are never at disadvantage for any Attack Roll, Ability Check and Saving throw.

Grand Master Professions

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Gambler

Grand Masters who simply believe in their own blind luck rather than skill are called Gamblers. They use their impressive luck to turn the most unfavourable conditions into good situations.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose the Gambler Profession you gain proficiency with the Dice Set and Martial Weapons.

Reckless Gambit

At 3rd level. When you make an attack on your turn, you can declare a Reckless Gambit Attack. Doing so means you score a Critical hit on a 19-20 for the attack, but attack rolls against you score Critical hits on a 19-20 until the start of your next turn.

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Tip the Scales

Additionally at 3rd level, when you roll an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can choose reroll the die and must use the new roll, You can use this ability once per long rest.

Extra Attack

Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Stoic

Starting at 10th level, Your movements and patterns are impossible to read. All insight and investigation checks made against you are with disadvantage and your thoughts can’t be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it. You are aware of attempts to read your thoughts and the creature who attempted it.

Critical Gambit

Starting at 17th level, when you score a Critical Hit against a creature you may immediately make one additional attack against that creature or another creature you can see.

Art Credit: Riot Games

Strategist

Grand Masters who are experts at always being one step ahead simply see the battlefield as a chess board. Strategists are able to easily position their allies into ideal locations to gain the upper hand in battle.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you Choose the Strategist Profession you gain proficiency with The Dragon Chess Set. Additionally you gain Proficiency with the Insight and Investigation Skills if you dont already have them. Your Proficiency bonus is doubled when making a check using one of those skills.

Signal Movement

Additionally at 3rd level, you gain access to this Tactic. This Tactic does not count towards the amount of Tactics known.

Signal Movement. You may use an bonus action to expend any number of Intuition dice to choose a number of creatures you can see up to the number rolled. The creatures you chose may immediately move up to their movement speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Always Prepared

Starting at 6th level, If you have faced a particular individual before in combat, played them in a game of skill, or had the opportunity to extensively study their tactics like Study Foe, you gain 2 Extra Intuition Dice at the start of the Initiative for the encounter against them. If the 2 Extra Intuition dice have not been used by the end of the encounter they disappear. The DM decides if you gain this benefit.

Additionally, When fighting against a creature with an Intelligence score of equal or less than half of yours you gain 2 Extra Intuition Dice at the start of the Initiative for the encounter against the creature. If the 2 Extra Intuition dice have not been used by the end of the encounter they disappear.

Uncanny Observer

Starting at 10th level, your mental awareness has become incredibly attuned to analysis and observation. You have advantage on Intelligence saving throws and Intelligence (Investigation) checks made to discern illusions, disguises, or bluffs of any type. To gain this benefit, you must not be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Improved Signal Movement

Starting at 17th level, Whenever you use Signal Movement Tactic, the creatures who used their reaction to move may also make a single attack.

Elder Hand

Grand Masters who become adept with playing cards start to form a powerful connection to the arcane. Known as "Elder Hands" They wield these powers in order to foretell futures and enchant enemies, giving them control over the battlefield.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose the Elder Hand Profession you gain proficiency with the Playing Card set.

Spell Casting

When you reach 3rd level, you learn the ancient art of magic to dazzle your enemies. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the wizard spell list. Your Playing Cards are your Spell Casting focus.

Cantrips

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn an additional wizard cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Elder Hand Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your wizard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

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For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Detect Magic and have a 1st-level and 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Detect Magic using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level wizard spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the Divination and Enchantment spells on the wizard spell list.

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The Spells Known column of the Elder Hand Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be a Divination or Enchantment spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

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The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.

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Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizards spells you know with another spell of your choice from the wizard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be a Divination or Enchantment spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any school of magic.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

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Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

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Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Level	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
3rd	2	3	2	—	—	—
4th	2	4	3	—	—	—
5th	2	4	3	—	—	—
6th	2	4	3	—	—	—
7th	2	5	4	2	—	—
8th	2	6	4	2	—	—
9th	2	6	4	2	—	—
10th	3	7	4	3	—	—
11th	3	8	4	3	—	—
12th	3	8	4	3	—	—
13th	3	9	4	3	2	—
14th	3	10	4	3	2	—
15th	3	10	4	3	2	—
16th	3	11	4	3	3	—
17th	3	11	4	4	3	—
18th	3	11	4	3	3	—
19th	3	12	4	3	3	1
20th	3	13	4	3	3	1

Mulligan

Additionally at 3rd level, during a short rest you may expend one intuition die to recover a number of spell slots equal to the number rolled. For example if you rolled a 2 You can recover either a 2nd-level spell slot or two 1st-level spell slots.

Folding Spells

Starting at 6th level when you make a Spell Attack roll, Or an attack roll using a Card from the Draw Cards spell on your turn and miss you can use your bonus action to reroll the spell attack roll against a different target within 60 feet of the original target.

Magicians Secret

Starting at 10th level, You are always under the effect of the Detect Thoughts spell, you can only use the spells effects a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier.

All in

At 17th Level, When casting a spell you may expend one intuition die to upcast the spell by a number of levels equal to the number rolled.

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Spells

Draw Hand

Cantrip

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• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M* (Up to 5 Playing Cards)
• Duration: 1 minute

You touch up to 5 playing cards and Imbue them with arcane power. For the duration the cards are now Thrown, Finesse Weaopns you are proficient with and you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls of attacks using the weapon. The cards have a range of 20/60 and deal 1d4 slashing damage on a hit. The Cards also become magical. If you cast this spell again, the spell ends early on any cards still affected by it.

Hofsinzers Card Swarm

2nd-level Conjuration

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• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60ft
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 Action

You teleport yourself to an unoccupied space you can see within range. Immediately after you disappear, You explode in a swarm of magical playing cards. Each creature within 5ft of you before you teleported must make a Dexterity Saving throw. On a failed save they take 2d4 slashing damage, or half as much damage on a successful one.

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At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 2nd.

Optional Rule: Multiclassing

If your group uses the optional rule on multiclassing in the Player’s Handbook, here’s what you need to know if you choose the Grand Master as one of your classes.

Ability Score Minimum.

As a multiclass character, you must have at least an Intelligence score of 13 to take a level in this class, or to take a level in another class if you are already an Grand Master.

Proficiencies Gained.

If the Grand Master isn’t your initial class, here are the proficiencies you gain when you take your first level as an Grand Master: light armor, medium armor, shields, one gaming set of your choice.

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