Maybe make subclasses 1st level, granting the cantrip

Subclasses (Society)

• Inquisitor.

  • Seeing through and dispelling illusions (and enchantments?)
  • Adv on checks to see through illusions (maybe also against spells from the illusion school)
  • Can use feature to grant self (and one other?) truesight for a time. 
• Antiquarian.

  • Knowledge regarding ancient and arcane artifacts and ability to use/make them (similar to forge cleric or an artificer-lite)
  • +1 weapon/armor/shield/focus (extra bonus if it is 100+ years old or worth 500gp+)
  • feature to detect cursed items (or just get remove curse as a subclass spell)?
  • Cast a scroll from any list?
• Guardian.

  • Tank/support subclass (maybe shield focused). Focuses on protecting others while still understanding the research and threats.
  • Blade ward as bonus action
  • Shield as spellcasting focus and cant be disarmed
  • shield bonus applies within 5ft
  • can wield shield with two hands for additional bonus
• Arcanist.

  • Counters magic
  • Channel pain, when you hit someone, you can deal damage to the person concentrating on a spell that targets them (This is stolen from another WIP class)
  • Maybe add a particular school to notebook, granting bonuses to spell attacks and DCs
  • Slot recovery feature
  • Gets multiple cantrips
• Mythologist/Theologist/Cosmoslogist.

  • Focuses on deities, and extraplanar creatures (particulary outer planes)
  • conjuration, banishment and teleport spells
  • optional feature to get spelljammer creation spell
• Anthropologist.

  • Focuses on people, especially those of foreign cultures
  • Can communicate basic messages regardless of language and can learn new languages quickly (likely requires target to have int of 6+). Can maybe learn entire languages quickly by spending time with native speakers (possibly per LR).
  • persuasion bonuses, particularly non-hostile ones
  • Calm emotions as a subclass spell (maybe friends as a cantrip)
• Anatomist/Monster Hunter.

  • Damage focused against creatures
  • mostly extra damage stuff (e.g. smites, hunter's mark)
  • Extra healing too?
  • bonus action true strike (or just bonus action adv.)
  • extra damage against creatures covered by expert topics
  • Bleeding
• Zoologist

  • Animal focused, beast based spells and bonuses
• Martial/Duelist

  • Weapon focused studies. Specializes in weapon style; fencing, crossbows/firearms or TBD
  • Features that help both using their chosen style and fighting those who also use it (e.g. disarming)
  • Add 2 weapons to Notebook (rather strong when combo'd with extra attack, adv. etc., maybe just add prof to damage)
• Archaeologist

  • History focused. maybe gets psychometry style ability.
• Cartographer

  • map based
  • bonuses to tracking and retracing
  • locate X spells (maybe flavoured as magic magic that shows locations)
• Cursebreaker

  • Good at countering and removing curses and debuffs
  • protection from evil and good, remove curse, dispel magic, lesser restoration, greater restoration etc
  • Maybe carries a number of charms to appear as different creature type or alignment as reaction for certain spells and magic effects (e.g. pretend to be undead to avoid certain charm spells)
• Paleontologist

  • Undead dinosaurs!
  • could reflavour to more generic necromancy of ancient bones, but dinosaurs are fun
  • Can ressurect beasts, maybe summons undead beasts using a scaling/variable stat bock
  • might have bone charms
  • Maybe chooses between summoning horde (like conjure animals but with velociraptors ), a flyer, a swimmer or oen big one (e.g. trex)
  • can use a trowel as a spell casting focus
• Strategist/Martialist

  • Gets a bunch of control style spells and maneuvers to manipulate the battlefield (e.g. tripping, shoving, focus firing etc.)
• Spelunker

  • Cave/dungeon specialist
  • Gets darkvision and/or light (or dancing lights) as a cantrip
  • dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on perception
  • Gets climbing speed and squeezing does not slow them
  • water breathing, spider climb
• Climatologist

  • weather based features, loosly druid/ranger inspired
  • can maybe predict or even influence the weather
  • Gets druidcraft
• Entomologist

  • bug based

  • could be subset of zoologist

• Machinist

  • Vehicle or tool specialist

• Oneirologist

  • Specialises in dreams, gets some extra bonuses during rests

  • Some telepathy based stuff

• Time Lorehunter

  • Something for the time based subclasses

  • Historian?

    • Maybe forensic style, they can track whomever created a particular wound or effect, even if they are no longer visible

    • Really good at determing age of things

  • Cast certain actions spells as reactions?

    • the divination spells tied to Arcane Awareness

    • healing

  • Two bonus action spells with the same bonus

    • Maybe just some extra bonus actions like thief or timeless

  • bonus action extra attack

• Energy Lorehunter

  • Focused on energy; creating, destroying and manipulating it

  • a bunch of fire and cold (maybe lightning) spells

  • can transmute certain damage types

Discarded Features

kept here in case I want to reuse them

Resourceful

Starting at 6th level, you can use a bonus action to take the Help or Use an Object action.

Scholarly Expertise

At 1st level, choose up to two of the following skills with which you are proficient; Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Religion or Survival. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

Maybe something like an int based reliable talent at higher levels?

Calculated Strike

Starting at 1st level, you can utilize your knowledge to pinpoint weak spots and improve the damage you deal with weapons. Once per turn, when you hit with a weapon attack or unarmed strike, you can add a bonus to the damage roll equal to your Intelligence modifier.

This could be moved to a spell instead (like smite or hunter's mark)

Higher level?

Notebook

You possess a collection of dense notes, perhaps in a single well organized book or perhaps scattered in loose scraps across your person. Regardless, you can use these notes to benefit you in the field.

TBD, you gain a Note Die, which is d4. The die increases when you reach certain levels in this class: to d6s at 6th level and to d8s at 14th level. 

Whenever you make an attack roll or ability check that uses your Intelligence modifier, you can expend a Note Die, roll it, and gain a bonus to the roll equal to the result.

Alternatively, when you hit a creature or object with an attack, and you have advantage on the attack roll, you can expend a number of Note Dice, roll them, and deal extra damage to the target equal to the result.

no idea how this works, i just think a notebook with mechanical uses would be fitting. It it NOT a spellbook, though maybe it can be a focus

• Bonus to INT checks

• Inspiration style feature where you earn points and can then use them to gain advantage/bonus to rolls

• Replicate a spell or magic effect you witness

Notebook (ALT #3)

You possess a collection of dense notes, perhaps in a single well organized book or perhaps scattered in loose scraps across your person. Regardless, you can use these notes to benefit you in the field.

At the end of a long rest, you can choose a number of your skill, tool or instrument proficiencies equal to your proficiency bonus, to note in your book. Until the end of your next long rest, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses one of the chosen proficiencies.

maybe a subclass feature that allow one weapon? (maybe another that enhances spell attacks from a certain school)

Scholarly Study (WIP)

Optional feature that replaces Scholarly Expertise

At 1st level, work with your DM to decide a particular field of academic study which your character is highly knowledgeable in. For example, this could be the history of a particular civilization, the anatomy and behaviors of certain kinds of creatures, or a specific school of magic.

When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your field of study, you may add your proficiency bonus to the roll. If you already add your proficiency bonus, it is doubled for this roll.

Notebook (ALT #2)

You possess a collection of dense notes, perhaps in a single well organized book or perhaps scattered in loose scraps across your person. Regardless, you can use these notes to benefit you in the field.

You have a number of Note Points equal to your lorehunter level. You regain all expended Note Points when you finish a long rest.

You learn two following TBD

Breakthrough. Whenever you roll d20 for an ability check that uses your Intelligence modifier, and you roll a 20, you regain one expended Note Point.

Quick Study. During a short rest, you can expend a number of Hit Dice to regain expended Note Points equal to the number of Hit Dice expended.

Eureka. Whenever you expend a Note Point to grant a bonus to an ability check, attack roll or damage roll, and you roll the maximum value on the bonus die, you can add one additional die to the bonus you give. you can do this once per roll.

Calculated Precision. When you make an attack roll, you can expend 1 Note Point to gain a 1d6 bonus to the attack roll.

Calculated Damage. When you hit a creature or object with an attack roll, you can expend a number of Note Points to deal an extra d6 of damage to target for each point expended.

Calculated Effort. When you make an ability check that uses your Intelligence modifier, you can expend 1 Note Point to gain a 1d6 bonus to the roll.

Notebook (Alt)

You possess a collection of dense notes, perhaps in a single well organized book or perhaps scattered in loose scraps across your person. Regardless, you use this notes to benefit you in the field.

You have a number of Note Dice equal to your proficiency bonus. The dice start as d4s, however

Somehow allow increasing one die size, to max of d12. Then when they are used, they revert to d4.

Eg.
1. You have 2 d4s
2. TBD happens, you can chose to increase one of the d4s to a d6
3. TBD happens again, you can choose to increase the d4 to a d6 or the d6 to a d8
3. TBD happens, you can expend either of the dice and revert it back to a d4

Notebook (Alt)

You possess a collection of dense notes, perhaps in a single well organized book or perhaps scattered in loose scraps across your person. Regardless, you use this notes to benefit you in the field.

You have a number of Note Dice equal to twice your proficiency bonus. The dice start as d4s, however they increase to d6s when you reach 5th level in this class, and again to d8s when you reach 11th level. You can expend these Note Dice in a number of ways. You regain all expended Note Dice at the end of a long rest.

During a short rest you can expend one or more Hit Die and regain Note Die equal to the number of Hit Die expended.

Eureka. When you make an attack roll or ability check that uses your Intelligence modifier or your proficiency bonus, you can expend a Note Die, roll it and add the result to the roll.

Tutor. When you take the Help action to grant a creature advantage on an ability check or attack roll, you can expend on Note Die, roll it and add the result to the roll.

Use inspiration to regain a note die?

• Eureka. Expend die to gain bonus to INT check.

• Dodge. Expend a Note Die to dodge as a bonus action, add the result to your AC.

• Shove. Expend a Note Die to shove as a bonus action, add the result to the check.

• Help. Expend Note Die to take Help action as bonus, add result to check/attack.

Ways to regain:

• All during LR

• Spend 1hr to regain 1, this can done during a short rest

• Expend hit die?

• Expend inspiration as action to regain 1

• Gain 1 on nat 20 Int check?

Notebook (Alt)

You possess a collection of dense notes, perhaps in a single well organized book or perhaps scattered in loose scraps across your person. Regardless, you use this notes to benefit you in the field.

You have a number of Note Dice equal to twice your proficiency bonus. The dice start as d4s, however they increase to d6s when you reach 5th level in this class, and again to d8s when you reach 11th level. 

You can expend these Note Dice in the following ways. You regain all expended Note Dice at the end of a long rest. you can also spend 1 hour to regain one Note Die (this can be done as part of a short rest).

Cautious Combatant. When you take the Dodge or Disengage action, you can expend a Note Die, roll it and add the result to your AC until the start of your next turn.

Eureka Moment. When you make an ability check that uses your Intelligence modifier, you can expend a Note Die, roll it and add the result to the roll.

Familiar Arcana. When you make a saving throw against a spell, and you have that same spell prepared, you can expend a Note Die, roll it, and gain a bonus to the saving throw equal to the result rolled.

This one should

Rapid Tutoring. As an action or bonus action, you can expend a Note Die to take the Help action. You roll the die and add the result as a bonus to the ability check or attack roll made by a creature that benefits from the help action.

TBD. As a bonus action, you can expend a Note Die to take the Dodge action. You roll the die and add the result as a bonus to your Armor Class against the next attack made against you.

Scrappy. As a bonus action, you can expend a Hit Die to take the Shove action. You roll the die and add the result as a bonus to the check you make.

I don't hate this one now. it could be used alongside expertise. It could also be enhanced by subclasses (e.g. paleontologist can improve dino attacks, antiquarian can improve smites)

Invocation/maneveur-like Notes

Hasty Retry

Starting at xth level, when you fail an ability check in which you add twice your proficiency bonus, you can use a reaction to reroll the d20. You must then take the result of the new roll.

Lorehunter's Notebook

You possess a collection of dense notes, perhaps in a single well organized book or perhaps scattered in loose scraps across your person. Regardless, the notes are written in such a way that you, and only you, can quickly refer to them in useful situations. It may take others hours to understand them, if they manage at all.

You can record notes about certain proficiencies you possess. While holding your notebook, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses one of the recorded proficiencies.

When you create the notebook, you choose two skills, tools, instruments or vehicles with which you are proficient and record them in the notebook. If your book is lost or destroyed, you can create a new one at the end of your next long rest, destroying the previous book and choosing two proficiencies again.

On your travels you may encounter creatures and documents that may grant you additional expertise in a particular a skill, tool, instrument or vehicle with which you are proficient. A creature must have a feature that doubles their proficiency bonus with the chosen proficiency and must share a language with you. A document may be any suitable document that the DM decides contains expert level knowledge of the chosen proficiency, such as another lorehunter's notebook, and is written in a language you understand. Either way, you must spend at least 2 hours and 50gp worth of materials studying with the creature or document, which must remain within 10 feet of you for the duration. At the end of the duration, you must make a DC10 Intelligence check to successfully record notes in your book. On a fail, the notes are useless, and you must expend more time and gold to make another attempt.

The DC for the intelligence check increases by 5 for every successful recording. Removing and destroying the notes for a particular proficiency from the book reduces the next DC by 5, however, doing so means you no longer gain the benefits for the destroyed proficiency.

Optional Feature: Specialist Topics

Sometimes specialist knowledge of a particular topic is more useful than general knowledge in a skill or device. If your DM allows, you can record a specialist topic in place of a proficiency in your Notebook. Once a topic is within your notebook and you are holding it, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that may utilize your specialist knowledge of this topic 

Work with your DM to define the scope and depth of the topic. This could be knowledge of a particular faction, including its history, politics and laws; it could be knowledge of a particular deity or being and their followers; it could be knowledge of the anatomy and behaviours of particular kinds of creatures; it could be knowledge of a particular school of magic or any other topic you and your DM deem appropriate.

For example, you may study demons and posses expert knowledge about them. With the demon topic in your book, you may double your proficiency for checks made to identify, track or recall lore about creatures with the demon tag.

Martial focused subclass can add specific weapons (or just give them 2) into the book
Magic focused subclass can add spell attack from a certain school to the book
(maybe just add prof to damage for both these)

Caveat about not being able to use someone else's notebook without transcribing?

Maybe change to scaling Note Die rather than double prof?

higher level feature to make book indestructable and/or teleport to hand with an action

higher level feature to add expertise for things you are not proficient in?

Higher level feature to allow others to use book (or copy) to gain bonus to the rolls