Esotericism
Even speakers of elder tongues and conductors of dread
rituals have to purvey the convoluted requirements for their
cultic traditions. When they do, they seek out a merchant
of the guild of esotericism, an expert appraiser of arcane
oddities and grim goods. An esotericist is commonly
sought out to deal with curses by foolhardy adventurers
that go about touching every piece of treasure they can
lay their hands on, some charging a hefty fee to break the
curse’s bond.
In some areas, these merchants have paired up with wizards and developed massive economic and political power. In the city of Luskan the Host Tower of the Arcane houses the Arcane Brotherhood, a shrouded organization that stood as the dominant ruling force of the Northern Sword Coast for centuries.
You gain proficiency with the Arcana skill and with jeweler’s kits. If you already have proficiency with a skill or tool given to you by this feature, you may select another instead.
Additionally, whenever you cast identify, you may make an Intelligence (Arcana) check. If the result of the check is a 20 or higher, you also learn whether or not the item is cursed, but not the curse’s properties.
If you find a spell scroll, you can add it to your Portable Storefront, ignoring rarity restrictions listed in your Portable Storefront feature. Whenever you have a spell scroll in your Portable Storefront, you may prepare and cast the spell on the scroll it as if it were a merchant spell. You lose the ability to cast it this way if you take it out of your Portable Storefront and you must otherwise obey all the restrictions for selecting the spell, as described in your Spellcasting feature. Casting the spell on the spell scroll with this feature does not destroy it while it remains in your Portable Storefront.
You gain the following spells when you reach the level noted in the Merchant Level column. You always have them prepared and they don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If a spell doesn’t appear on the merchant spell list, the spell is nonetheless a merchant spell for you.
Your business endeavors and working partnerships with sages of the arcane has taught you how to recognize a spell by its gestures and evocations when you’re on the wrong side of the wand. Whenever you witness a creature perform the required components used to cast a spell, you can use your reaction to make an Arcana check against the creature’s spellcasting DC. On a success, you learn what the spell is, what the caster’s spellcasting ability is, and you gain advantage on saving throws you make against that creature’s castings of that spell for the next minute.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and you regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.
No one would do business with cultists of elder gods without taking proper precautions. You can use your action to make yourself immune to any effect that would sense telepathically unless you allow it. This effect lasts for 1 hour.
No one can sense your emotions or read your thoughts, divination spells, and you cannot be spoken to magically or telepathically unless you allow it. This effect lasts for 1 hour.
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest. If you have no remaining uses of this feature, you can expend a spell slot of 2nd-level or higher to use it again.
Whenever you study cursed items, you can choose to learn the innerworkings of the curse. When you cast identify on an item with a curse, you automatically learn whether or not the item is cursed and the curse’s properties. While you are attuned to a cursed item, you can choose whether or not you are cursed by it.
Additionally, you can use an action to imbue another item that you can see within 30 feet of you with the same curse. Doing so does not remove the curse from the original item. You can only have a number of items imbued with this feature equal to your Charisma modifier. If a remove curse spell is cast on an item you have imbued with a curse, it completely removes the curse from that item.
In some areas, these merchants have paired up with wizards and developed massive economic and political power. In the city of Luskan the Host Tower of the Arcane houses the Arcane Brotherhood, a shrouded organization that stood as the dominant ruling force of the Northern Sword Coast for centuries.
Esotericism Features
| Merchant Level | Feature |
| 3rd | Eye for Curses, Page Master, Esoteric Magic |
| 5th | Occult Sagacity |
| 9th | The Patronage of Patrons |
| 15th | Curse Scribe |
Eye for Curses
3rd-level Esotericism Merchant Guild featureYou gain proficiency with the Arcana skill and with jeweler’s kits. If you already have proficiency with a skill or tool given to you by this feature, you may select another instead.
Additionally, whenever you cast identify, you may make an Intelligence (Arcana) check. If the result of the check is a 20 or higher, you also learn whether or not the item is cursed, but not the curse’s properties.
Page Master
3rd-level Esotericism Merchant Guild featureIf you find a spell scroll, you can add it to your Portable Storefront, ignoring rarity restrictions listed in your Portable Storefront feature. Whenever you have a spell scroll in your Portable Storefront, you may prepare and cast the spell on the scroll it as if it were a merchant spell. You lose the ability to cast it this way if you take it out of your Portable Storefront and you must otherwise obey all the restrictions for selecting the spell, as described in your Spellcasting feature. Casting the spell on the spell scroll with this feature does not destroy it while it remains in your Portable Storefront.
Esoteric Magic
3rd-level Esotericism Merchant Guild featureYou gain the following spells when you reach the level noted in the Merchant Level column. You always have them prepared and they don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If a spell doesn’t appear on the merchant spell list, the spell is nonetheless a merchant spell for you.
Esoteric Spells
| Merchant Level | Spells |
| 3rd | identify |
| 5th | phantasmal force |
| 9th | remove curse |
| 13th | banishment |
| 17th | creation |
Occult Sagacity
5th-level Esotericism Merchant Guild featureYour business endeavors and working partnerships with sages of the arcane has taught you how to recognize a spell by its gestures and evocations when you’re on the wrong side of the wand. Whenever you witness a creature perform the required components used to cast a spell, you can use your reaction to make an Arcana check against the creature’s spellcasting DC. On a success, you learn what the spell is, what the caster’s spellcasting ability is, and you gain advantage on saving throws you make against that creature’s castings of that spell for the next minute.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and you regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.
The Patronage of Patrons
9th-level Esotericism Merchant Guild featureNo one would do business with cultists of elder gods without taking proper precautions. You can use your action to make yourself immune to any effect that would sense telepathically unless you allow it. This effect lasts for 1 hour.
No one can sense your emotions or read your thoughts, divination spells, and you cannot be spoken to magically or telepathically unless you allow it. This effect lasts for 1 hour.
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest. If you have no remaining uses of this feature, you can expend a spell slot of 2nd-level or higher to use it again.
Curse Scribe
15th-level Esotericism Merchant Guild featureWhenever you study cursed items, you can choose to learn the innerworkings of the curse. When you cast identify on an item with a curse, you automatically learn whether or not the item is cursed and the curse’s properties. While you are attuned to a cursed item, you can choose whether or not you are cursed by it.
Additionally, you can use an action to imbue another item that you can see within 30 feet of you with the same curse. Doing so does not remove the curse from the original item. You can only have a number of items imbued with this feature equal to your Charisma modifier. If a remove curse spell is cast on an item you have imbued with a curse, it completely removes the curse from that item.
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments