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If you’ve ever wanted to use a deck of cards as your spellcasting focus inDungeons & Dragons, or you’re really into tarot card reading and the like, the Cartomancer feat included in The Book of Many Things is the perfect option to try.
With the introduction of the Deck of Many Things revamped for fifth edition, this feat introduces a way to add all your arcane knowledge and skill into a flourish of cards based on the Deck of Many Things. Whether you want your character to use one of the magical item decks available or you just want to look cool, here’s how to use the Cartomancer feat.
What Is The Cartomancer Feat?
Cartomancers are characters thatuse a deck of cards as their spellcasting focus. These characters can cast through their cards, makingthe deck an integral part of their characterdesign.
To choose and use the Cartomancer feat,you must have the ability to cast spellsin some way. You cannot select this featuntil level four.
Where most feats do not tie into your character backstory, the Cartomancer feat will affect the way you play directly. It’s almost like a character background itself, but with the abilities of a feat.
This feat allows you tocombine your magic with a deck of cardsof your choice. You can use it to embellish your casting and more.
If you’re a Final Fantasy 14 fan, think of essentially playing as an Astrologian in D&D. It’s essentially the same style with a link to tarot cards, drawing your power through them, and everything that entails.
Cartomancer Feat Benefits
As every feat does, the Cartomancer feat adds specific benefits for those who choose it. You’ll gain the following options when choosing Cartomancer at level four.
Description
Card Tricks
You getPrestidigitation as a cantrip, and can use it tocreate illusions similar to what you’d see at a stage performancefrom a magician. When doing it this way, you canhide the verbal and somatic components of the spell.
This allows you tohide the casting of a spell in plain sight, perfect for situations in which you need to cast stealthily, making it look like regular card handling and magic. Casting Prestidigitation secretly can allow for you to create illusions or distractions without overtly doing so.
Hidden Ace
Hidden Ace allows you toimbue one of your spells from your spell list into a card. It requires a spell that uses one action to cast, and you must be able to cast the spell regularly. For the next eight hours, the card has the spell imbued and ready for use.As a bonus action, you canpresent the card and cast the spell from it, though it loses its magic afterward. you may do this once per long rest.
Being able to turn a spell that costs one action into a bonus action cast can be overpowered and beneficial in certain situations. Whether you need to pull off a Cure Wounds to save a friend but have already used your action, or you need your action to do something important and can use your bonus action spell as a follow-up, it creates great opportunities for tight situations.
While these may seem niche, they’re great opportunities for roleplay and battle that’ll be beneficial in the right situation.
If played strategically, a Cartomancer cansave their best spells for emergenciesand at higher levels really pull out the perfect solution with the flourish of a card draw.
You also shouldn’t underestimate casting Prestidigitation unseen and the roleplaying opportunities that comes with.
Cartomancer Character Suggestions
While The Book of Many Things adds new spells to D&D, there’s one in particular that’ll be very useful for a character that chooses the Cartomancer feat. The spell is Spray of Cards.
Spray of Cards
In a15-foot cone, you spray spectral cards outfrom you. Each creature within the cone must make a save ortake 2d10 force damage and be blindedif it hits, or take half as much damage and resist the blindness if it doesn’t.
While not completely necessary, Spray of Cards is a great spell to learn to enhance the card gimmick your character will be using when choosing this feat.
It’s not a spell required by the feat, but it’s good to have. Be warned, however, that it’sonly learnable by bard, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard classes.
As far as character story goes, The Book of Many Things has a chart of sage destinies that work well as suggestions for character background help. Whether you pull from The Deck of Many Things or choose from the table, it’s a great place to start.
Whether you’re a member of an order dedicated to magical artifacts or you come from a long line of wild mages, you’ll want to keep in mind what classes tie in best with this feat and how to best utilize it.
Next:Dungeons & Dragons – Best Magical Charms In The Book Of Many Things
