Complete Arcane (5.5E)

Unleash your arcane might with this massive supplement for the world’s greatest roleplaying game! 

Complete Arcane is a major project by Dungeon Master’s Workshop designed to overhaul the game’s magic system to improve playability and balance. It includes over 60 pages of overhauled mechanics, with 11 new and revised subclasses and over 70 new spells, all fully compatible with the core rules. You can use the rules modularly or as a full package.

This project is ambitious in scope and eliminates as much Vancian magic as possible from the rules, replacing it with natural and organic rules for spellcasting. The alterations to the different arcane spellcasting classes also ensure that each class has a distinct playstyle and experience.

The contents of this supplement are still in the playtesting stage and may see further review before final publication. Your input on the various features and systems is integral to making this system the best that it can be. To join the discussion and get involved with community playtesting, head on over to our Discord. Additionally, if you’re a fan of our content and would like to support our work, becoming a patron on our Patreon is highly appreciated.

You can get a free PDF version of Complete Arcane here, or you can check out Complete Arcane via The Homebrewery. This tool works best if you use Google Chrome and use standard display settings.

Feature Image Credit: Kevin Sidharta


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4 thoughts on “Complete Arcane (5.5E)”

  1. Hi, was scrolling through the downloaded file and saw something strange. The spell “Starburst” is labeled as a 1st level conjuration spell but at the “At Higher Levels” section it describes casting above 2nd level for 3rd slot or higher. Which one is correct?

    1. Hi Quiddity,

      Thanks for spotting this! It is indeed an error.

      The sentence should read, “When you cast this spell at 2nd level or higher, the damage from the explosion increases by 1d8 for each spell levels above 1st.”

      Hope you enjoy the spell!

      the Archmage

  2. Is your sorcerer class still viable with this? If so, I’m wondering why it has 50 spell points by level 12 where the mage only has 27. Seems like a big difference there?

    1. Hi Tyler,

      Thanks for your question!

      We’re looking to rework the sorcerer class to be something other than a Charisma-based mage. We weren’t entirely satisfied with the first draft giving the sorcerer class enough distinction to warrant existing in this system given the design of the mage class as the definitive arcane magic user and arcane traditions representing more than someone’s “college major”.

      That said, if you still want to use the sorcerer playtest, you can feel free to do so, but the class would use the same spell point progression as mages.

      Best!
      the Archmage

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