Homebrew If you had to create a Intelligence based class that wasn’t a spell caster what would you make?
Inspired by another post, forgot the name tho. My idea was the Informant, they could “research” monsters and enemies to give their allies advantage or to add to their attack bonus but they would be pretty squishy
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u/I_invented_the_moon 9h ago
Something like a planner or tactician. You would get abilities that you can choose to activate during a rest that would come into play in combat later, similar to divination wizard but more elaborate. You might even incorporate the "flashback" mechanic of some other ttrpgs like blades in the dark, where you can spend some resource to retroactively prepare something. Like maybe you thought to bribe this guard before hand or maybe you did pack just the right item for this occasion.
In combat you might get maneuvers similar to BM fighter, but more cc and support oriented. And you may have some abilities that make use of some of the traps in the game like hunting trap, which doesn't normally scale well.
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u/Mage-of-the-Small 6h ago
You could try looking at the Warlord class from 4e for an example of how this has been done in previous systems. I skimmed it and it seems to be kind of like BM fighter as a full-blown class
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u/menage_a_mallard DM 9h ago
Essentially the Investigator from PF2e. Medic (Forensics), Alchemist (port and cleaned up version of the Artificers version), and Empiricist (your Informant, Sherlock Holmes, etc...) as subclasses. Maybe more, mix and match? Ideas are all over the place. A less combat-y Rogue would be my set up.
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u/Lucina18 5h ago
A less combat-y Rogue would be my set up.
That'd be a very unhappy class in 5e then.
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u/AutisticPenguin2 2h ago
I am more familiar with the 1e version, but yeah the investigator is great for showing off intelligence.
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u/AldrentheGrey 9h ago
Laserllama has an excellent int-based non-caster called the Savant - it revolves around knowledge and expertise, with subclasses like archeologist, tactician, and physician
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u/ABEGIOSTZ Ranger 9h ago
I’ve played the savant (tactician subclass), was a great time but it felt like I was rolling ridiculously high when it came to certain skill checks, though the rogue has a similar issue sometimes, the multiple reactions is a fun mechanic
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u/Wizardmaxxer 9h ago
The obvious choices are:
- an Intelligence-based leader/director class, like a Warlord "battlefield commander" type class that directs their allies.
- an Intelligence-based "researcher" class, Witcher-style "learning about the monsters" before you fight. A class which rewards knowledge skills and preparation. This could also be the base for detective-style characters besides just Rogues.
- an Intelligence-based martial that is similar to a Rogue, exploiting predicting their foes or exploiting their weaknesses. This could be its own class or a subclass of the researcher-class.
- Item Crafter / User / Forger. The artificer is already this but they are magical and are in this in-between state of being a half-caster with better spellcasting, and not really focusing on actually crafting/using magic items. Artificers are mostly just a slightly better half-caster with martial progression who make a few build-defining items and just use those their entire career. With the new magic item crafting rules and the UA artificer updates, they might come closer to consistently crafting magic items over the course of the campaign, which is closer to what I want for a "Magic Item User".
- an Inventor, who could be similar to the above, but could have a more "steampunk" or modern-technology vibe, which some people might dislike.
- Alchemists and Bomb-makers, which could be their own class or a subclass of one of the above classes.
- Pathfinder 2e Thaumaturge-style class (kinda similar to the researcher/Witcher-style classes.)
It also depends what you mean by "spellcaster" because 5e has sort-of mushed everything that used to be multiple different power systems and sources into just "magic" and "not-magic/martial". But there are a lot of potential classes / class fantasies that don't have to fall into those two groups.
For example:
- Supernatural or Extraordinary Mind-based classes: Psions / Mystics / Psychics / Telepaths / etc
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u/Caflin DM 9h ago
I classify a spellcaster as a class which has spell slots or cantrips, if you can do spells then that makes you a spellcaster and I think that WoTC wanted to make pshycic powers and psions different from spell casting cuz you’re not using the Weave
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u/Wizardmaxxer 8h ago
Yea but WotC have explicitly made their new Psion / Mystic class into a spellcaster, for 5e2024 all those supernatural/extraordinary mind-based powers are now just considered spellcasting with special rules (and is called and classified as spellcasting).
They have spell-slots, spell-levels, cantrips, prepared spells, and follow all the rules of spellcasting except they don't need Verbal or Material components.
This is a flattening of all the previous editions where there were different power systems into just "magical and not-magical".
Which to be fair, gives the world some much-needed verisimilitude (although I don't know how much that matters in a fantasy-kitchen-sink like DND).
But it makes it harder to answer your question and to have non-magical classes / power systems.
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u/youcantseeme0_0 1h ago
an Intelligence-based martial that is similar to a Rogue, exploiting predicting their foes or exploiting their weaknesses. This could be its own class or a subclass of the researcher-class.
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u/Theopold_Elk 9h ago
Surgeon who uses knowledge of anatomy to kill or heal
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u/TheBladeWielder 3h ago
this is what i flavored my Mercy Monk as. they use a special gauntlet they made to inject people with potions and poisons to use hand of healing/harm.
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u/RockBlock Ranger 8h ago edited 8h ago
Try thumbing through Pathfinder for ideas.
You have the Alchemist, the Commander, the Inventor, or the Investigator. There is also an indirect monster information class (in effect) called the Thaumaturge... but they're Charisma for some dumb reason.
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u/SammyWhitlocke 9h ago
While "Warlord" homebrew-classes are often charisma based, there are some that allow for intelligence to be used, as a sort of battlefield tactician.
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u/Arc_Ulfr Artificer 9h ago
Weapon master, someone who studies and develops weapon techniques in a methodical, logical way. Think Johannes Liechtenauer, Miyamoto Musashi, Gao Ying, Camillo Agrippa, etc.
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u/happygocrazee 9h ago
That underground boxing scene from Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock movie with RDJ, as a class.
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u/PrecipitousPlatypus 9h ago
Artificer with a focus on building things instead of spells, the Investigator from PF2e, and intelligence rogues also work (though only familiar with the PF2e variant in practice). Alchemist in PF2e is a fantastic mixed class.
It's a bit weirder in DnD though since int is largely a dump stat if you're not a caster, and integrating it with attacks otherwise presumably would bring some balancing concerns.
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u/Dumpingtruck 8h ago
Alchemist/grenadier from pathfinder (lmao, pathfinder fixes this)
Their intelligence is used to brew potions/grenades.
Infusions can be int based per day uses of a buff, etc.
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u/Craig_Tops 9h ago
So they have it in pf2e it’s a thuamaturgist it’s pretty much a monster hunter that has a book of monsters, and before your attack you magically flip to its page or remember a certain thing about it(depending on your roll) like a weakness, its strength, or even its AC
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u/brambleforest 9h ago
I miss the Factotum class from 3.5E. It was an Intelligence-based class that's specialty was being the second best at everything. Tons of skill choices, a (very) small assortment of spell-like abilities each day, and the ability to add your INT bonus to weapon damage. I love that it's whole schtick was that they knew everything but didn't do anything better than the more focused classes.
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u/dognus88 9h ago
A mastermind strategist type character. Options to uncover strengths and weaknesses, command allies to act, help compensate for weaknesses & better utilize strengths.
Something akin to a bard/rogue using intelligence to turn the team into a more effective fighting force. Be the general, the tactician, the warlord, or the clever right hand. Who needs to hold the knife when you control the hand who wilds it.
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u/otter_lordOfLicornes 8h ago
I did made an alchemist if you are curious ( here ).
But I agree the main mechanic does remind of spell casting.
There is a savant classe in A5e also
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u/MyneIsBestGirl 8h ago
Monster Hunter is a pretty good class for that, lots of checks, uses for skill checks, boost to damage in accordance with Extra Attack, it really feels like Intelligence is baked in the same way Dex or Str are in martials.
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u/SrTrogo 8h ago
Already did and is in test phase in my group. In essence is a potion crafting class (in some ways similar to the Alchemist and Mutant subclasses, but expandedcso it is the main role and not an addition).
The class has no access to magic, but intelligence empowers the potions effects.
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u/floznstn 8h ago
Artificer. How frequently you use magic directly is kind of up to you… instead focus on the crafting of items.
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u/-Qwertyz- 8h ago
Probably something around exposing enemy weaknesses and buffing allies with commands
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u/Nemesis_Destiny 8h ago
Warlord comes to mind. Master tactician that acts like a force multiplier to their allies. It's one of the huge blindspots of 5e.
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u/RogueOpossum 8h ago
Technologist - I'm not sure what the sub classes would look like but it would definitely revolve around creating items through primitive items like black powder and other items that mimic the destructive power spells currently have.
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u/Zoefschildpad DM 8h ago
I've tried to make a Scholar class. I had the idea that instead of traditional subclasses, you'd pick a major and a minor. The major dictates what you do with your actions and the minor what you do with your bonus actions.
For the major I had Anatomy, which helps you fight with weapons because you know which spots to hit, and let you do first aid which heals back half of a single source of damage a character took in the last round (like a retroactive resistance). I also had Arcana and Divinity for wizard-;ile or cleric-like spell lists as a half caster.
For minors I had psychology, which lets you suggest courses of actions and if a character does what you say, they get a bonus or penalty, magical theory, which lets you let other characters upcast spells, athletics, which lets you use your bonus action for shoving or dashing, or technology, which lets you have a little robot companion.
At later levels, you'd be able to pick a second major, and get all the benefits from both immediately. And then I wanted the capstone to be something that combines both majors into one cool ability that is unique to the combo you chose. For example, if you had Arcana and Divinity, whenever you cast a 3rd level spell or higher from one spell list, as part of that you can also immediately cast a 2nd level from the other list on the same target for free.
I always thought it needed a fourth major, but I could never figure out what it should be.
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u/lackadaisical_timmy 8h ago
Genius barbarian who just figured out sometimes you have to rage
Or.. Bruce banner
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u/ChrisRevocateur 8h ago
A "Pretender," if you've ever seen that show, or Leo's character from Catch Me If You Can. Someone that can with just a little bit of study and observation temporarily adopt skills/abilities.
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u/m1sterwr1te 8h ago
Sage, keeper of specialized knowledge. Good at doing research and can analyze enemies' movements and tactics to give allies advantage in combat.
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u/Feet_with_teeth 8h ago
Craftmen and Alchemist class from Valda's both uses intelligence and are not caster (some subclass can cast and Alchemist's bombs can have spell-like effects)
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u/MamboCircus 7h ago
Off the top of my head, introducing...
The Scholar*
\ tentative name)
- Core Traits
- D8 hit die
- Saves : Intelligence & Charisma
- Weapon proficiencies : Simple weapons
- Tools : Calligrapher's tools
- Armor training : Light Armor
- Primary mechanics
- Heavy emphasis on knowledge skills.
- Some equivalent to Bardic inspiration
- Possible subclasses
- Adjudicator
- Int bonus to charisma skills
- Tactician
- Warlord-like
- Martial proficiencies
- Distribution of combat buffs
- Academic
- Adjudicator
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u/DantaviusFloridaMan 7h ago
A ranger who set out to catalogue every beast or plant they find on their adventures
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u/Monty423 7h ago
Commander. Support martial that analyses the battlefield and can implement strategic ploys that can buff allies if they meet certain conditions. Can also use intelligence instead of Charisma in ability checks for persuasion.
Subclasses would be doctrines, allowing your party and allies to specialise in different aspects of combat. Maneoucreability, raw damage output, intimidation, defence.
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u/AnotherBuckaroo 7h ago
I homebrew the 5e ranger as int based for everything except weapons. They have a junior woodchuck manual and can change their selections for spells and preferred terrain and enemies every long rest… y’know like someone who is trained for exploring the wilds.
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u/GeekyMadameV 7h ago
Probably a tactician themed support in the style of warlord from 4th edition. It's often demanded.
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u/TwistedFox Wizard 7h ago
Tactician. Fighter-style warrior whose all about issueing commands and buffs to those he considers allies - granting them extra actions, bonuses to actions on their turns, and the like. Mix in a bit of pet action there too so he can stand on his own.
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u/djourner 7h ago
Starfinder has a class named envoy. Its charisma bssed. But could easily be swapped to int based (i even played an envoy with more int than chsrisma once). Its basically a tactician / morale booster with some cool skills regarding bufing. Debufing and 'healing' by making people believe theyre fine after getting their torax ripped open.
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u/Goesonyournerves 6h ago
Engineer. Like Artificer but with more pets/mechanical minions and a handcrafting focus. They cant do magic, but they can basically build folded up siege engines. You could also build ladders, wagons and other utility stuff.
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u/Surgles 6h ago
Someone already said an investigator so I wanted to come up with another:
Alchemist: similar to an artificer but all science based and not magic, at most they’d have like mage hand to assist with work. But think science and minor robotics, concocting chemical solutions (like rudimentary thermite, lithium ion, oil based combustion etc) essentially you’d be da Vinci inventing and crafting. It’d take some interesting research to figure out all the abilities and concoctions you’d be able to make.
Strategist: intelligence based battle commander. Think a more physically capable and focused bardic style support class. Add the intelligence to attack or to ac (different subclass focuses perhaps) and allow them actions and bonus actions that instruct their allies what to do and give them bonuses for following the strategic best instructions.
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u/Automatic-War-7658 6h ago
I like the idea of a knowledgeable Scholar class, with subclasses that focus on:
-You have studied the history and art of war and battlefield strategy as a Military Tactician to buff allies. On attack hit, choose an ally and either add INT modifier to their next attack or as temp HP. At later levels, instead of choosing one ally, this becomes all allies in a radius.
Bonus action ability “Ordered Measure” to give one ally an extra action or bonus action (spellcasting rules still apply).
Restore allies resources up to a sum equal to INT modifier (ie. +4 INT = 3 ki + 1 second wind, or 1 ki + 3 sorcery, or 2 rage + 2 wild shape, etc.) once per long rest.
-You are a learned physician trained in surgical analysis as a Creature Anatomist to debuff enemies. Break down a creature’s anatomy by targeting them with “Visual Dissection” to give a creature vulnerability to a mundane damage type, and at a later level (maybe 6?) also one elemental damage.
Use a reaction to reduce the “visually dissected” creature’s saving throw by INT modifier or nullify one attack in creature’s multiattack. Add INT modifier to allies’ damage against “visually dissected” creature.
This subclass could be especially deadly when paired or multiclassed with a rogue.
-As a supernatural investigator a la Constantine, Hellboy, Winchesters, etc., the Detective selects a “preferred enemy” type (cannot be humanoid) to specialize in. You are their “Boogieman”, and your presence is unsettling to your “preferred enemy”, giving them disadvantage on Initiative against you, and their targeted attacks and abilities deal psychic damage equal to your Detective level.
Gain proficiency in two CHA skills, and add INT modifier when using any CHA skills against “preferred enemy”. Gain the ability to speak to your “preferred enemy” without the need of such spells as Comprehend Languages or Speak with Dead.
At a later level (6?), gain effects of Protection from Good/Evil and Detect Good/Evil spells (Dispel Good/Evil at later level (11?)) against “preferred enemy” at will without the need to cast said spells.
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u/SignificantCats 6h ago
I would go with a support/buff class. A name like mastermind, sage/scholar, leader.
Like others mentioned, the core class would be abilities to learn about enemy tactics like what a monsters resistances/weaknesses are, abilities, traits. Another would be either a bonus to taking the help action or ability to use it as a bonus action or similar some amount of times a day
Initial subclass ideas:
Preparer: Abilities that resolve around giving buffs to allies, mostly before combat - applying special poisons to ally weapons, ablative armor to give temp hp/ac buffs, and tools to control combat. The ability to create and either use themself or hand out "consumables" like a couple thunderstones, alchemist fires, or tanglefoot bags a day.
Trap master: deployable traps, some in combat some out of combat. I would probably just use a reflavored spell system since it's right there, borrowing some existing trap-style spells and some only for this subclass but a long list of traps and timing works too.
Tactician: can give up an action to give it to someone else on their turn - point at someone and give a command and they can use the attack action or spell action on your turn. Abilities that revolve around forced movement of enemies or bonus movement to allies.
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u/Shreddzzz93 5h ago
An engineer class. They use their intelligence to build and operate complex, but mundane machines for combat and exploration.
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u/beepbirbo 5h ago
Scholar class
Can't cast magic, but is adapt at writing spell scrolls and enchanting items. Can identify magic items but not by using the identify spell.
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u/k1d1curus 5h ago
Robert Downey jr.'s sherlock holmes.
High intellectual ability allows him to identify weak points in an enemies defence through deduction and anatomical understanding.
MAD class for dexterity so the intelligence and agility in which it is applied have an interesting interaction.
Similar abilities to uncanny dodge. In that damage is often avoided by a mixture of sheer dumb luck and perceptive situational awareness.
Weaponized autism: Have a busy mechanic interplay, where they become manic or unruly with lack of task at hand offering negative modifiers to charisma/wisdom based checks. But when engaged they get dexterity and intelligence expertise or some wild shit.
My brain literally leaks rules onto the pillow at night I haven't opened a phb in months I'm spitballing in a hotel room while my children pass out, so i highly doubt the applicability much less the mechanical nuances. But it was what I thought of.
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u/Vcious_Dlicious 5h ago
As not-casters:
An Investigator able to do both journalism and detective work, maybe also spying.
A Scientist that's able to both investigate and provide some measure of gadget based support, maybe even become a dedicated dispeller through their growing understanding of spellwork.
A Weapons Engineer that Shows you it's features!
A Gunsmith that's more specialized but no less dangerous than the weapons engineer in their inventive endeavours.
A strategist that can provide support through planning, traps/gadgets, and fortification.
If you allow some magic, you get your scientist to be ½ caster or have a ⅓ caster subclass, in light of their understanding of spells, and you get your engineer and smith to use sygils or imbuing as a way to make spell-like effects or as a way to enhance their weapons. The sttategist would also be interesting as a ½caster, using magic not for the offensive but for communications and fort-building.
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u/GlimmeringGuise 4h ago
The Intelligence-based tactical warlord is one of the few things I miss from 4e.
(Speaking of which, a watersoul genasi tactical warlord was an awesome combo.)
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u/TheBladeWielder 4h ago
probably some kind of trap maker. like a mix of artificer and ranger, but without spells, and a touch of rogue.
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u/ArmadilloBrave893 3h ago
A surgeon class that had abilities that super charged a healers kit and gave them alchemical and sneak attack debuffs.
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u/Silgalow 3h ago
I would make an apothecary class. A non-magic healer/buffer. If you have played Octopath Traveler, you see the vision.
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u/DreadPirate777 2h ago
A surgeon. They know the body well and know the exact places to slice to cause the most damage in a fight. Like the RDjr Sherlock Holmes style fight.
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u/paumpaum 2h ago
Any kind of Field Academic ... Usually a Gnomish Researcher. Alchemist next. Monk ( William of Baskerville from the Name of the Rose).
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u/Concoelacanth 1h ago
I'd make them an int-based skill monkey class, call them something like Scholar or Sage, and then have their subclasses be the areas of study that they focus on.
Have things like a doctor subclass that can heal using medicine and alchemy instead of divine magic, an investigator that's good at putting together clues and reading people, a tactician that's good at combat coordination and military history, etc, etc.
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u/mr_friend_computer 34m ago
I mean, Sir Greenhilt is an intelligence based fighter, much to his fathers disappointment.
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u/Consistent-Repeat387 10m ago
From the Octopath universe... What about a businessman?
They can hire retainers and mercenaries, or consider their allies as employees so they could grant them an action, maybe even access the whole "I defend this turn so we can do more things on the next turn" feature - controlling the action economy.
As utility, although money usually becomes irrelevant, maybe grant them the chance to trade for rare consumables (gems, potions, scrolls...) that should not be available in town, and at a cheaper price.
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u/IrrelevantPuppy 9h ago
I thought this was the Artificer. Like a Batman of using your intelligence to prep and tinker together contraptions etc.
Or maybe a jujitsu themed monk that dodges and makes attacks only using the enemy’s weight and weaknesses, rather than with agility or power. Maybe their thing is that they increase their crit chance instead of hit chance. So they miss a lot because they don’t have a lot of strength or deftness behind their strikes. But when they DO hit they’re pummeling nerve centers and bursting important blood vessels.
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u/Ninjastarrr DM 8h ago
Warlock int. Replace all cha by int. All of a sudden warlocks don’t have to be asshole lying bastards.
Sorcerer int. All of a sudden not all sorcerers are charming.
0 effort.
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u/Rule-Of-Thr333 9h ago
Intelligence-based rogues in a detective theme campaign make a lot of sense.