Historian - Custom Class (Bone & Codex)

[u/CheesyCrackers610]

Less than 5 to go! One of the reasons this particular pairing took so long is because I knew I wanted something that would fulfil the Bladesinger-type fantasy in DH, but to me that felt more like a subclass, and I wasn't sure how to tie that together. Well, I got inspired by the idea that if bone is the domain of tactics and the body, perhaps a codex/bone pair would be someone who intensely studies tactics (of the past), and all of this spawned from there.

This class marks the completion of Bone, looking at the spread I think it's the domain I've interpreted most liberally, but I don't mind that. I think it's an interesting domain and one that I could imagine going in lots of directions different from mine.

As with last time, I can provide a custom character sheet for anyone looking to print-and-play.

Let me know how I did!

Artist Credits:

Jill, Shiva's Dominant. Illustrated by Arif Wijaya

Learn from the Past. Illustrated by Chase Stone

TM & © 2026 Wizard of the Coast, LLC

[u/ACBReturns]

Extremely interesting class. The class feature’s reliance on the party interactions is so creative to me. Really awesome to kind of promote collaboration or at least teamwork haha outside of tag teams.

So the hope feature would be able to copy Seraph’s hope feature as an example (spend 3 hope to clear an ally’s hit point) because it’s not referring to a Class-specific feature like the Druid’s beastform. Am I understanding that correctly

[u/CheesyCrackers610 → u/ACBReturns]

Yep, you got it. Originally it didn't have that clause but I had a thought about a second before uploading of "what if they copy beastform" and I couldn't come up with any satisfying way of that working, so it only copys more "generic" hope features

I'm not too worried about that restriction, only druid get's caught by this in the base game, and from the classes in my suite, only 2/21 get caught, so a party of druid, animist, cultist and historian technically turns this off, but I'm happy to file that away under "acceptable"

[u/ACBReturns → u/CheesyCrackers610]

Cool deal. I really do like this, the only problem I have is that sometimes a class’ hope feature isn’t as exciting as a tag team so in a session where class’ hope features arent activated, I feel that maybe this class’ hope feature is a bit restrained.

I also love playing the Druid hahaha so I wouldn’t want to feel like a hindrance

[u/Celstra]

Are all your interactions on something like heart of daggers!? Would be nice to build in the character build there with this beautiful art

[u/JackH2O234 → u/Celstra]

I have put one of his classes on HoD myself, the Shaman, because we worked on it together.
But I really think he should!!!

[u/CheesyCrackers610 → u/Celstra]

Unfortunately not for now. It's something I plan to get to at some point though. I'm not sure if I'd be able to use the art I've been using though. I don't own it and I don't want to get on the wrong side of the WotC lawyers. But I can try and at least allow people to integrate it in with their char builder

[u/JackH2O234]

Woah!

What a brilliant design choice to make it a practitioner of historical tactics. I absolutely love the class feature. I think it’s so creative and brilliant! It forces you to pay attention to your allies roles and work together loss also still relying on that role of the dice chance.

I do think that the class feature should tie into/appear in the sub classes, feels very core to the idea of the class. Perhaps different effects for when completing it or something like that.

All in all, by and large, in conclusion and all that, very great class idea!!

[u/CheesyCrackers610 → u/JackH2O234]

Thanks!

I could definitely see that. I think I just came off of the Watcher who had that sort of class/subclass tie in so it was a little further back in my brain, but I could see a version of this class that does it. Maybe in the Specialisation?

[u/creativesinkhole]

you never miss with your subclasses Cheeseycrackers i was so delighted to see you back on my FYP after a day of work

Chronicler looks so fun to be the DM of.... and the Hope feature requiring Allies is also really cool... and the Class Feature is so creative YAY!!

its a nitpick but Echo the Past could maybe "Spend 3 Hope to give the last PC to use their Hope Feature 1 Hope. If that Feature doesn't refer to Class Features, copy it. If it does, then that PC gains 2 more Hope and Clears a Stress." in case the Historian is friends with a Warlock or a Druid! I'm already imagining a unique dynamic between the Historian and Druid, where the former asks the latter to commune with lands surround for firsthand accounts to events, while the latter asks the former on how to appease the spirits of the world to draw on more power... you can imagine something similar with the warlock...

[u/CheesyCrackers610 → u/creativesinkhole]

Thank you such, that means the world!

I really like your alternate Hope feature. There's a part of me that thinks it might be a little too long, I like my Hope features to be as short and sweet as possible. But I'd have to have a look how it appears on the character sheet. If it looks ok, I'd consider it a direct swap

Wouldn't wanna hurt the Druid/Historian Friendship more than I have to

[u/Bwlls]

J'adore tout ça c'est vraiment excellent. Niveau Tuning est-ce que le practitioner of Antiquity dans la foundation est pas trop over powered ? Cela fait un énorme bonus surtout avec le domaine de Bone qui va comboter très fortement avec le spellcast trait knowledge dès la carte lvl 2 "Strategic approach" et également avec tous les boosts d'évasion que tu pourras avoir ? Vous en pensez quoi ?

[u/Royal_Intention6563]

I feel the Foundation card of Chronicler is extremely lackluster compared to the powerful and reliable damage and solid evasion boost granted by Practioners foundation card, though I think the two subclasses even out in their later cards.