Archetype: Darkslinger

To him, the dark is less a mystery and more just a means to an end. He employs it as he would any other tool. He may lack the discipline of others, and by consequence, the proficiency in the dark arts, but that doesn’t equate ignorance. It’s less lack of interest and a desire to focus within a specific path—the integration of magic with everyday items, often weapons. In many circles, he is the one most feared, the one believed to have made a deal with supernatural forces to gain an edge in combat.

Dark Precision

He can invest energy from his vessel into his ranged weapons. As a free action, before making a ranged non-auto attack, he can spend 2 points from his vessel to have advantage on his next attack roll. He can also spend up to 5 points before making an attack to add bonus damage. He gets 2 damage for each point spent this way. If he spends any quantity of dark on an attack, the attack is also counted as being magical. +2 bonus to vessel.

Ways of the Shadow

if he spends any dark on a ranged attack via his Dark Precision feature, that attack gains the AP property and is counted as silver and adamantine; he also no longer suffers disadvantage when firing beyond normal range. +2 bonus to vessel.

Mutualistic Spell

He can channel a spell employing a ranged spell attack through his traditional weapon-based ranged attack. The selected spell must come from his river and attaches to his weapon as a free action. He can then make a traditional non-auto ranged attack with a one or two-handed firearm. If he hits with the weapon, he inflicts the weapon’s damage plus the effect of the spell. He can combine a mutualistic spell with hisr Dark Precision feature. Vocal and somatic spell components are ignored. +2 bonus to vessel.

Weapon Hex

He can spend 4 points before making the attack to turn a hit into a critical hit. This critical hit only applies to the weapon’s damage, not any damage as a result of Mutualistic Spell. +2 bonus to your vessel.

Grimshot

He can spend 3 points to make his next ranged non-auto weapon attack an automatic hit. He can ignore cover as well. He can still spend points to add damage and to turn the attack into a critical hit. +2 bonus to vessel.

Vessel Regeneration

On his turn, he can regenerate his vessel. Select ONE of the following on his turn:

• Use a free action to regain 1 lost point from his vessel.
• Use a bonus action to regain 2 lost points to his vessel.
• Use an action to regain 22 lost points to his vessel.

Commune

To commune means to communicate with another living individual he knows in a non-vocal manner. He must have met the target physically at some point previously. As an action, he can establish a psychic connection with the target and communicate for up to a minute before requiring an additional check. The base DC is 10. If the target is considered a friend, the DC decreases by 5; if the target is a loved one or relative, the DC decreases by 10. Distance plays a factor—if he can see the target, the DC is unmodified. If the target is within 10 miles, the DC increases by 5, and if within 50 miles increases by 5 again. Up to 100 miles, the DC reaches its ceiling, increasing by another 5; anything further requires a spell. He must share a language with the target, or the target must be able to understand himj(like a trained pet). Once a connection is made, the target can communicate back (if they share a language) regardless if they are gifted in Vigor without making a check. The recipient knows who he is upon receiving the connection but cannot locate him.

Detection

Being endowed in Vigor allows him to be naturally receptive to its effects around him. This is similar to Perception except that it is narrowed to only detect fluctuation in the dark. He may make a Vigor (Detection) check to analyze the level of dark around him. Depending on the difficulty of the task he can attempt to detect the following within 30 feet of him:

• Natural regions strong in dark.
• Increased Vigor in living targets (those with an ability score of higher than 12).
• Artifacts or mechanisms either bottling the resource or otherwise strong in dark. 
• Messages between individuals employing the Commune skill.

This ability can penetrate most barriers but is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt. Contrary to popular conspiracy theory, aluminum foil alone will not suffice.

Induce

There are those able to push their inbuilt magic beyond its limitations. This is known as inducing. Many magic effects provide an option to boost via a Vigor (Induce) check. However, after a check is made, the target suffers damage equal to the final roll result OR the DC of the check which is 10 (whichever is lower). If he fails at the check, the base spell still goes off as indicated. For example, if a character is attempting a DC 20 Vigor (Induce) check and rolls an 8, that character suffers 8 damage; if the character rolls a 25 (succeeding at the check), that character still suffers 10 damage. 

Natural Results. 

If a character rolls a natural 1 on a Vigor (Induce) check, it is an automatic failure, and the target is stunned until the end of the character’s next turn. If the character rolls a natural 20 on a Vigor (Induce) check, it is an automatic success, and the target suffers no damage from having made the check.

River

While asset and vessel represent constantly adjusting values, his river is relatively fixed. The river is his bank of quick-reference spells that can be called upon in an instant’s notice to be cast. The river is a simple value equal to his Vigor modifier—he can assign any spell into the river except for rituals.

• Any spell with a casting time of one minute is reduced to an action while in the river.
• Any spell with a casting time of one action is reduced to a bonus action while in the river.
• Any spell with a casting time of one bonus action can be used once per turn as a free action while in the river.

Anytime he finishes a short or long rest, he can swap out any spells he possesses in his river. Spells with a casting time longer than one minute cannot be placed in a character’s river. He is not required to put a prerequisite spell of a more powerful spell in the river to cast that more powerful spell from his river.

Exhaustion

Numerous rituals incur exhaustion levels, and said levels affect his capacity to cast spells regardless if he gains exhaustion through ritual casting or not.

• Level 1. Disadvantage on ability checks (affects Vigor).
• Level 2. Speed and max vessel halved.
• Level 3. Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws.
• Level 4. Hit point maximum halved, and VR reducedto 0.
• Level 5. Speed and vessel reduced to 0
• Level 6. Death

Concentration

Rules regarding concentration are unchanged. A spellcaster can generally concentrate on only one spell at a time, but concentration on a spell does not use up dark—only the initial casting of the spell does. However, he cannot recover any quantity of his vessel with any action on his turn while concentrating. He can still recover vessel with the use of items.