Corpus Malicious

Designers: Alican Develioğlu, Ekin Topanoğlu, İzel İrem Aydın, Bartu Ağca, Barkın Tokalak, Eyüp Emre Erdem

Editor: Aysegül Gürzumar
Proofreader: Bruce Powell

Art Director: Umut Çomak
Cover and Chapter Arts: Jonathan Elliott
Interior Arts and Fonts: Muhammet Feyyaz, Ender Coskun, Atagün İlhan, Özge Güngör, Muhammet Ali
Parlağı, Murat Gül, Ömer Tunç, Furkan Saraç, Özge Düzgören, Batuhan Titiz, Carles Garrigues, Umut Çomak,

Aysenur Dinler

Layout and Graphic Design: Umut Çomak

© 2020 Dream Realm Storytellers

Corpus Malicious is published by Dream Realm Storytellers, under the Open Game License version 1.0a Copyright 2000 Wizards
of the Coast, Inc. Dream Realm Storytellers logo, Corpus Malicious and 5e logos are trademarks of Dream Realm Storytellers. All characters

and the distinctive likenesses thereof are property of Dream Realm Storytellers.

Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, and are not Open
Content: All trademarks, proper names, dialogues, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artworks, and trade dress.

On the Cover

In this scene illustrated by Jonathan Elliott, we see all
layers of degeneration (rotten essence, foul essence,
and maddening essence) reaching every corner of the
universe, and encompassing a humanoid figure, symbol-
izing the author of Corpus Malicious. The humanoid is
affected by all of these essences on the outside, just as it
is corrupted by the desecrating essence on the inside.

www.dreamrealmstorytellers.com

2

Introduction

Inns and taverns are full of bards singing the stories of heroes and their glorious battles against evil. In these stories, heroes
fight against villains who have massacred an entire town or a long-forgotten evil awakening and devouring hope.

Yet, none of them says how the evil cultists sacrificed the villagers, what their motivation was or which dark gifts they were
granted in return. The same stories only tell the battles won against evil, but they do not mention the once-great heroes fell
from grace, the innocents butchered by their blades and how hope died.
Well, this book does…

Corpus Malicious is the codex of evil. It is an unholy book that contains a vast amount of evil, vile, dark, gory and sometimes
disgusting materials. Although evil races, feats, monsters, spells, and items can be found in other sources, Corpus Malicious is
the collection that focuses on content about evil. It also presents a lot of new archetypes and other player character options.
However, these are not the only things you will find. Some of the options presented in the book can also be used to create non-
evil characters who can be perfect anti-heroes.

While wandering through the pages of this book, the very philosophy of evil will be revealed to you. This book can be used by
both Game Masters and players for both good or evil campaigns. Do not forget that the greatest heroes are the ones defeating
the greatest evil, and the darkest evil is the one casting purest light away.

This is Corpus Malicious, an evil book containing 400 pages of evil content. May you read it within the darkness.

WARNING
This book is for mature readers. If you find the contents of the book disturbing, please do not proceed. We are creating this book
to have a better depth of evil characters, parties, and villains. We do not support evil. We think there is a greater, more fulfilling
reward for vanquishing an evil darker than what is presented in 5E.

How to Use This Book

There are five chapters in this book; new character options, new rules, evil faith and communities, evil magic, and villains &
minions.
Chapter 1 - Character Options: This chapter includes new races, archetypes, backgrounds, feats, and a new class, Witch. The
options presented in this chapter will let you create a vast variety of different characters and villains. Everyone can commit evil
acts, but these are the options that will specify your motives and philosophy.
Chapter 2 - Offerings of the Dark Powers: This chapter explains the rules of degeneration, vampirism, lycanthropy, and
lichdom. Committing evil acts for different forces, and walking on the dark paths they reveal will grant you many different
boons and curses. Additionally, you can find detailed information about the powers, cultures, and creation methods of dark
masters of night, merciless hunters of the wild, and cheaters of death.
Chapter 3 - Orders of Evil: This chapter will introduce new dark deities and evil cults & organizations formed to please evil
powers. Since dark powers are not greeted well in most places, the word of the dark gifts and power should be spread by mortal
emissaries. Together, the dark deity and the worshippers can dominate the universe or they can bring it to an end one step
closer. Common activities, rites & initiation rituals, leaders, and headquarters will be available in detail.
Chapter 4 - Dark Magic, Items and Equipment: This chapter includes new spells, rituals, equipment, and magic items. Just as
good heroes enter the battlefield with shining armor, radiant weapons or purify their enemies with sunbursts, evil characters
can bring havoc to battle with their unholy auras, dark armor, blood storing weapons, or profane spells burning enemies to the
soul. Items in this chapter also contain short stories and descriptions about their origins.
Chapter 5 - Foes and the Wicked: This chapter includes villainous NPCs and monsters. You can find the important characters
of cults and organizations, as well as independent NPCs that you can place in your adventures easily. Backstories, motivations,
and roleplaying tips along with their stat blocks are written in detail for every NPC. When it comes to monsters, well, what can
we say? They will make your players wish for death.

Throughout these chapters, you will notice that a lot of spells are marked with a star (*) sign. Unless otherwise is stated, this
sign indicates that the spell is a new spell presented in Corpus Malicious.

Also, while you are reading “Villains” in Chapter 5, you will see that each villain has at least one of the following tags: Scoundrel,
Spellcaster, and Warrior. These are there to help you understand what kind of a character the villain is in combat. Scoundrel
indicates that the villain uses the advantage of environment, numbers, traps, and other kinds of tactics to overwhelm its
enemies. A Spellcaster depends heavily on its spellcasting abilities and magical powers. And a Warrior generally charges head
on, trusting its abilities in fighting with weapons.

3

Table of Contents

Philosophy of Evil…….........................................................................…5 Cultists……………………………..............………………………......................…..95
Evil in TTRPG…………………....................................………………………............5 Way of Evil………………………………………………...................................…..96
Concepts of Evil…………………..................................……………………..…….....5 Raised by Savages…………..……...................................……………………...97
Evil Acts………………………………………………………....................................…...6 Haunted………………………………..…………………....................................….98
Lost Memory…………………………….……………....................................…...99
Chapter 1: Character Options.......................................................…11 Cleaner…………………………….…………………...................................……..100
Race Options…………………………....................................…………………….….12 Sacrificed Child…………...................................………..……………………..101
Tyrant…………………………………......................................…………………..102
Fallen Angel……………………………….....................................…………….….12 Outlaw………………………………………....................................………………104
Remnant……………………………………......................................………….…..14 New Feats…………………………………....................................………...………..106
Kartuki……………………………….…….......................................….………......16 Chapter 2: Offerings of the Dark Powers…..............................110
Shadowkin…………………………………....................................………………..18 Lichdom, Lycanthropy, and Vampirism…......................................…….111
Aberrant………………………………………..……....................................……...20 Lichdom…………………………………..................................……………..…….111
New Class: Witch…………………………….....................................……….……...22 Lycanthropy……………………………………………......................................115
New Archetypes………………………….........................…................…………….31 Vampirism……………………….…...................................……………………...118
Barbarian Paths………………………..……………….......................................31 Degenerations & Degenerating Essences…....................................…….123
Rotten Essence…………….……………...................................……………….123
Gore Gladiator…………………………..…....................................…………..31 Desecrating Essence………...………....................................………………..126
Path of the Deviator………………….…....................................…………..32 Foul Essence……………………….…....................................…………………..129
Path of the Fiendish Rage…………….....................................………….34 Maddening Essence…………..…....................................…………………….131
Bard Colleges………………………………….…....................................………...35 Possession and Exorcism………………....................................……………….135
College of Banshee / Siren……………....................................….……….35 Possession…………………………….……...................................……………...135
College of Revelry………………………...………....................................….36 Exorcism………………………………..………………....................................….136
College of Woe……………………………...…...................................……….37 Curses………..................................………………………………….…………….…..137
Cleric Domains…………………………..………………......................................38 Defiled Places……………………………..…....................................……………...138
Corrupted Domain………………...……………......................................….38 Making Sacrifice……………....................................……………….……………..139
Devour Domain…………………….………….......................................…….40 A New Currency: Soul………....................................……..…………………….141
Rampage Domain…………………………….…....................................…….42 Black Market………………….…...................................…………..……………….142
Druid Circles…………………………………..……....................................……...43 Poisoncraft………………………………………...................................…...……...144
Circle of Bones………………………….……….....................................……..43 Drugs and Addiction……………...………....................................……………..149
Circle of Consuming Flames………….……....................................…....45 Torture…………………………..……………...................................………………..150
Circle of Pestilence……………………….…....................................……….47 Chapter 3: Orders of Evil…......................................................…….154
Martial Archetypes………………………..……....................................……….49 Dark Deities………….……………………………....................................………….155
Corpse Knight……………………………...………....................................…..49 Xolarg the Unending Hunger………..…...................................………...155
Dark Arts Militant………………….……………....................................…...50 Milena the Blood Bat…………...................................……………..………..156
Wicked Fighter……………………………………...................................…....53 Naariel the Grim Queen………...................................………………..…...157
Monastic Traditions………………...……....................................…………….55 Evil Cults………………...…………………....................................………………….158
Way of Ooze…………………...…………...................................……………..55 Crimson Supremity……...………………………....................................…...158
Way of Pain……………….…………………………...................................…..56 Dead Strike……………………...…………………....................................……..159
Way of the Skin……………….………………………....................................57 Dewan of Love……………………………...................................……………...159
Way of the Void……………….…………………….......................................58 False of Priests………………..……………....................................…………...160
Paladin Oaths……………………..…..………………....................................…..59 Inquisition of the Flame……….……....................................……………...161
Dark Templar…………………….…………………....................................….59 Librarians of the Mad Court…...…....................................……………….162
Oath of Tyranny………………..………………....................................……..61 Living Ashes……………………………..………....................................……….163
Oath of Undoing………………………...………....................................…….63 New Life…………………………..……………....................................…………. 164
Ranger Archetypes………………………………....................................…......64 Nightshade Inns…………………..…………...................................………….166
Forsaken Hunter…………………...……….....................................………..64 Numis Bank……………………………...……………........................................166
Mortal Reaper………………………………....................................……...….67 Path of Dream Walkers…………..………………....................................….167
Scourge of the Seas…………………………….…...................................….68 Silhouettes……………………….……………………….....................................168
Roguish Archetypes………………………………...................................……..69 Silver Claws…………………..….…..……......................................…………...169
Fiendish Trickster………..……………………...................................……..69 Spears of Vengeance……………..………....................................…………..170
Shade…………………..……………………………......................................…..71 Tears of Heaven………….……………………....................................………..171
Soul Stealer…………....…………………………...................................….….72 The Alien Inquisition…………………....................................……………...175
Tentacle Blade………………………………………….....................................74 The Golden Hand………………………………....................................……….173
Thousand Faces……….………………...................................……………….75 The Mad Horde……………………………....................................…………….174
Sorcerous Origins…………………………………....................................……..76 The Reavers………………...……………....................................……………….175
Aberration Bloodline….……………………...................................……….76 The Scarlet Table…………….……....................................…………………...176
Fiendish Bloodlines………..……………….…...................................……..77
Grave Blooded……………………………....................................…………….79 Chapter 4: Dark Magic, Item and Equipment…………............ 178
Warlock Patrons……………………………....................................…………….81 Dark Magic……………………………..…………………....................................… 179
Ancient Evil Dragon…………..………...................................……………..81
Blasphemous Incantator……...……...................................……………..83 Spell Descriptions……………………….…………....................................…..181
The First Vampire……………...................................………….…………...86 Dark Rituals………………...…………………………….....................................204
Arcane Traditions………………..……………...................................………...87 Magic Items………………………….……………………....................................….206
School of Blood Magic………….…………...................................………..87 Corpus Malicious…………………………………....................................…….206
School of Demonology…………...…………....................................……..88 Armors………………………………………...………....................................…...207
School of Fleshwarping……………....................................……………...90
School of Umbramancy………………......................................………....92
New Backgrounds………………...…………………...................................……...94
Murderer…………………………………........................................……………….94

4

Poisons………………………….………………....................................…………..209 All-Seeing Gaston……………………………............................................….295
Potions…………………………….………………....................................………..211 Bernar Duresk, New Life Fanatic…...........................................……….297
Rings………………………………………………....................................………….212 Debast Veirillen……………………………............................................…….299
Rods .…………………..………………………………..................................……...214 Edientath……………………………………….......................................………..301
Staffs……………...………………..………….............................................…….215 Elinith Maleficum & Eranahr Maleficum…..................................…..303
Wands…………………………...…………………....................................………..216 Emily the Banshee………………........................................………………….305
Weapons …………………………....................................………………………...217 Ermat von Carolissen…………………………........................................…..307
Wondrous Items……………………....................................….………………..221 Esasha Ivory…………………………….........................………..................…..309
Feveran Goldenkit…………………...………..........................................…..311
Chapter 5: Foes and the Wicked……............................……………..230 Grim Gomir……………………………...........................................….………..313
Monsters………………………………………………........................................…..231 Herna the Red…………………………............................................………….315
High Ambassador Kalytha…………...………...........................................317
Aberrant Visage…………………………………………….................................232 Ignatius the Insane Librarian…………….....................................……...319
Ablentor……………………………………….................................……………….233 Ilveril the First False Priest…………......................................…….……..321
Angel of Graves……………………………………..............................………….234 Inquisitor Maveram…………………….......................................…………..323
Arae…………………………………………………....................................………..235 Jenfine Thridis…………………….........................................………………...325
Assassin Sculpture……………………………..................................………….236 Joaquin Duskhaven……………………..........................................………...327
Avatar of Woe………………………………….................................…………...237 Kortar Cragbrace…………...........................................……………………...329
Bartur the Swallower…………………….................................……………...238 Lilante Cragbrace……………………………...........................................…..331
Blob……………………………………….......................................………………..239 Lletin the Silent………………………………............................................….333
Blood Bat……………………………………………..........................……….........240 Lord Mordhak……………………….…………...............................................335
Blood Elemental……………..……………………...............................….…….241 Lyrr the Mischief………………...........................................….…………….337
Blood Scarab Swarm…………….............................…………………………..242 Marilus Athaertes……………………………...........................................….339
Bloodweed…………………………………………........................................…..243 Marshall Gutonsyk………………............................................……………..341
Bloody Lady…………………………………....................................…………...244 Miamora Quiwen………………………………..............................................343
Cinder Soul…………………………………………...............................………...245 Morbash the Slaughterer……………............................................……...345
Cloud of Whispers………………………................................………………...246 Nanny Ishmilda……………………............................................…………….347
Corpse Squire………………………………………………..................................247 Netharesh the Carrier……............................................…………………..349
Corpse Warhorse…………………………………...........................................248 Radd the Rat……………………………………...............................................351
Corruptive Mass………………………………………......................................249 Sugad Invraro…………………………………................................................353
Creatures With Corruption……………………...............................……….250 Takar Batar…………………………….…….............................................…...355
Dark Phoenix………………………………..................................……………….251 The Unseen One…………………….............................................…………..357
Dead Servants……………………...................................………………………..252 Vaxx the Collector………………………..............................................…...359
Death Moss………………………………………................................…………...253 Vretiel…………………………………………..............................................…...361
Dimling……………………………………………................................…………...254 Xaelos “Ganis”.....................................................................................363
Dreaded Spirit…………………………………………................................…….255 Xaltoran the Head Librarian…….............................................………..365
Eyepoker……………………………………………………….................................256 Xelmin Kandelar…………………………….............................................….367
Faceless Slave……………………………………………................................….257 Zadkiel Tabris……………………..............................................……………..369
Flesh Construct……………………………...............................………………...258 Alcestis the Fallen Mother………..............................................………..371
Flesh Ooze…………………………………...............................…………………..259 Alejandro Zenith Sapik………………...............................................…….373
Ghost of the Past………………...……………….................................……….260 Angelique Sorror Emissus…………..............................................……...375
Grave Elemental………………..……………….................................………...261 Moltkar………………………………………..............................................…….377
Grave Giant…………………………………………………..................................262 Silvesky Silvers……………………………..................................……………...379
Gravekeeper……………………………………...............................……………..263 Sukaris………………………………………..................................………………..381
Grim Knight…………………………………..................................……………...264 Dark Monarch……………………………………………….....................................383
Helnore…………………………………………....................................…………..265 Archimedes……………………………………………….....................................384
Liquid Silver…………………………………...................................…………….266 Balthazar…………………………………………………..................................….388
Lustrous Amphithere………………………………...................................….267 Darius……………………………………………………...................................…...391
Malicious Incarnations…………………………...................................…….271 Dark Demorge…………………………………………...................................….395
Mana Devourer…………………………………….....................................…...272 Krampus……………………………………………………....................................398
Mind Consumer……………………………….....................................………..273 Meric Ellyon…………………………………………....................................…...402
Minotaur Golgothan………………………………....................................….274 Backer List...............................................................................................405
Night’s Grim…………………………........................................…...………….275 Dark Monarchs........................................................................................411
Pariah……………………………...........................................…………………...276 SpecialThanks..........................................................................................411
Rammed Force……………………………….......................................………..277 Playtesters...............................................................................................412
Rampage Goblin………………………….........................................………….278 OGL............................................................................................................413
Relic Sentry…………………………………….........................................……..279
Rotface………………………………………….........................................……….280
Swarm of Blood Bats……………………….....................................…….....281
Temptation Demon…………………………...................................………….282
Tlaxtil…………………………………………....................................................283
Tryzgus………………………………...….........................................…………...284
Typhee………………………………..........................................….……………..285
Unwanted……………………………….............................................………….286
Vampire Minion…………………............................................……………...287
Wicked Avatar……………………………………............................................288
Wicked Forest………………………………......................................………….290
Xathzxis The “Blue Fever”.................................................................291
Zadulus……………………….................................................………………….292
Zuqnaux……………………………………..............................................……...293
Villains………………………………………………............................................….294

5

Philosophy of Evil

Many of the sentient creatures have a common sense that from grace slowly.
they find it hard to act against. Most humans or elves or other There can be villains who dwell on all sorts of evilness for
races would find it hard to go against the subtle voice that
whispers to their ears how wrong it is to slay an innocent (or its own sake, but most often, villains are villains because they
even slaying someone guilty, as such victims’ faces continue challenge the norms of common sense in some aspects. They
to haunt a character who is not used to taking the life of a follow agendas that are unacceptable for societies perhaps, but
creature). their goals may be something noble in their own minds.

This voice even exists when a character wants to steal, or A villain also does not have to be a bundle of every evil
cast magic of evil origin. Even a cultist who doesn’t know the concept. Only a number of actions and behavior can be
evil nature of the cult will have to fight with the conscience enough to highlight a villain’s evilness, it does not need to
when the truth is revealed. Evilness comes when the voice of include everything from theft to desecration. A warlord may
conscience starts to fade away. be unmerciful in battle and would be slaughtering armies
for total domination, but that warlord may still find theft,
It can happen as corruption, increasing gradually in time, pillaging, and murdering children intolerable.
and making the subtle whisper of conscience harder to be
heard. On the other hand, it can also happen in an instant Nature or Nurture
as the result of a decision in which one knows is wrong but
chooses to do it anyway. Another thing that may have more depth in it is the
association of certain races and creatures with evilness. In
Evil In TTRPG games, creatures such as orcs are almost always evil and
destructive. A fantasy story or literature may need such
Evil in TTRPG is either the darkness in one’s heart that evil minions, but the story becomes even better when it
originates from an unholy source or the very corruption of is investigated further why they are evil rather than just
one’s heart itself. Certain acts are outright wrong to do, some pinpointing them as the bad folks.
deities are outright evil and they wish their followers to do
evil deeds. As the moral sides and philosophies are solidified It may not be whole races, but some societies can accept
through some monsters, magical powers, deities, and faiths, evil common sense and conscience that is prevalent in many
it is easy to separate the acts into good, neutral, or evil in the other races due to cultural differences, life struggles, or
game. different traditions. Theft and murder may be natural for
them. As a result of such cultural environments, a character
If your game approaches evil as defined in 5E, setting the may be nurtured into evilness slowly as a part of its life and
determinants of evil will be easy for you. You can just keep background story.
in mind how certain deities, creatures, or perhaps magic are
described and assess the evilness of a character, villain, or However, instead of relating a race to evilness as nature, you
situation accordingly. The topic of evil acts in the upcoming can add more depth to characters if you relate it to nurture.
paragraphs can be your guide as a Game Master or player to This can also provide some valuable arcs in a story where
determine what is evil and what is not. characters’ or villains’ alignment is dynamic, letting possible
the development and shift of character through scenes within
Depth of Evil the sessions of the story. Also, in this way, the alignment
concept can become more meaningful and a part of the story.
Philosophically, evil may be harder to define than what is
given in TTRPGs. An evil creature often does not know that Concepts of Evil
it is evil, and it can justify its actions with certain logical
or philosophical reasons. A wizard may decide the whole Concepts of evil in this book are tied to the evil creatures and
knowledge of the cosmos can only be gained by letting go to the darkness that resides within all sentient beings. Many
of restrictions such as morality or law. The wizard can state evil acts lure in either the cosmic forces of evil or unleash the
that in a cosmos where everything from birth to death is monstrosity within. In Corpus Malicious, evil comes with a
observable, things such as laws or moral norms are human- price though.
made.
This book is not about being a villain type that acts
A paladin may leave the temple and deity behind in the stereotypical, rather it is about a villain who is scarred by the
name of justice and peace, deciding that the previous way was deeds. It is a humanoid being like everyone else, having its
too pacifist for bringing solutions to the chaos around, or too own burdens on the road it is set. The villain is also probably
humble against people who believe in other faiths including resolute with the agendas and objectives it has set, either
evil ones. The paladin can state that with only more radical because it feels they are right, or they are the only things that
actions such as burning heretics, unbelievers, and monsters are left to keep its dignity.
instead of arresting or lecturing them, one can bring order
and true peace. This path may lead the paladin down to falling

6

Desecr ation gifts, one makes a habit of the power it has gained, becoming
too needy or greedy to let it go. With the curses, one starts to
When a good-hearted knight helps a child to find the way represent the evil forces, becoming a creature it resembles,
home, the child becomes fascinated by the knight and is left getting further away from its past self.
with an innocent smile. When an urchin is saved by the temple
of a good deity, the urchin probably becomes a member of the These four forces are foul, rotten, maddening, and desecrat-
temple and helps others in need. When a good-aligned paladin ing. Foul essence (p.129) is the cosmic evil behind the fiends. It
in shining armors protects a village against danger, the people is the essence of devils and demons. When a character degen-
start to worship the deity of the paladin and even follow the erates into foul essence, it becomes more fiendish in nature,
paladin’s path. When one does a good deed, the deed leaves perhaps even in physical terms.
a trace behind so that the others may follow. When one does
a good deed, a seed of goodness is planted into the hearts of Rotten essence (p.123) is the price of life that is sacrificed for
others, that will slowly grow and spread goodness. gaining powers of unlife. Although necromancy is not an evil
school of magic as a whole, a considerable portion of the magic
Evil wants to erase that trace, it wants to destroy that it presents causes the balance of life to a mishap, causing dire
seed, and it does so by desecrating the very essence behind consequences. If the gain of a necromancy spell is too sweet,
the goodness. When the saved urchin becomes an evil cleric, the taint it will cause in life will probably be equally dire.
when the little child turns to become a harbinger of death and
destruction, or when the villagers solve the next problem by a Maddening essence (p.131) is the truth of the aberrations. It
profane poison, the evil not only destroys the goodness within is the complex and completely chaotic typhoon of knowledge
them, but it also spits on the legacy of it. This is desecration. that is too much for a mortal mind to grasp. Characters who
dwell into lore or the logic of the aberrations find themselves
Desecration can also be committed by the help of magic. getting maddened by what they learn and witness. As realms
Consecrated grounds can be turned into desecrated fields, of madness also involve the chaotic form of creation, its re-
holy artifacts and relics can be corrupted, and temples of the sults also cause bodies to mutate into abominations through
forces of good can be bathed in unholy energies. time.

Evil likes to reside in desecrated grounds. Such places may Evil Acts
attract the attention of evil creatures and evil forces of evil.
You can find detailed information about this in the Defiled The philosophy and concepts of evil described before provide
Places (p.138) section of Corpus Malicious. a general understanding of what evil is in TTRPGs and what it
can be according to this book. However, in games, it is bet-
Accepting the Evil Within ter to be able to take an action at hand specifically and see
whether it is an evil act or not. The evil acts described in this
Desecrating holy concepts, good deeds, innocent hearts and section provide guidelines for you as a Game Master or player
all that is good is evil. However, among many evil acts, des- to assess the depth or variance of the evilness of a character.
ecration one’s self-nature is perhaps the most sinister, most
dangerous of them all. Desecrating essence (p.126) lies within Bargaining with Evil
the darkness of every humanoid. For those who degenerate
because of the other forces, it can be said (to a degree) that Not everyone has to devote themselves to evil for gaining
they were also victims. something in return. There may be those who choose to bar-
gain and make a deal that is for an occasion or a longer period
On the other hand, for someone who degenerates with of time. Warlocks, for example, may make a pact with fiends
desecrating essence, such a thing cannot be said. The one who to gain their powers, but this does not mean that they follow
chooses this path chooses to unleash its inner evil. This evil the fiends’ path, nor it means that they like their patrons. A
becomes its nature. This evil becomes it. wizard may summon a fiend for help on a task that takes only
minutes.
Desecrating essence is something even fiends of the oth-
er worlds look at with respect and a portion of fear. It is a Bargaining with creatures that are evil by creation is an evil
dreadfully marvelous sight to see how wicked someone can be act. Magically, it tends to have a foul essence, and it gives way
without any interference from creatures of evil. This essence to corruption. Yet, if the character is strong in will and has
shows the potential of darkness and annihilation in those who ideals that cannot be broken easily, a character may not de-
are normally thought of as potential victims of cosmic forces. generate into an evil alignment just because of such a bargain.
Still, it is hard not to be corrupted or cheated in such bargains.
Forces of Evil
The source of degeneration varies according to the type of
When making evil acts, casting forbidden or forsaken spells, or evil creature that is bargained with. Commonly, it results in
contacting evil otherworldly beings, characters may degener- foul degeneration as fiends love to make deals with mortals to
ate within the boundaries of four cosmic forces of evil present- obtain more power or opportunities to exploit. However, one
ed in this book. These forces have essences that spread and may gain rotten essence if the source of power is a powerful
leak when deeds about their essences are done. lich, or maddening essence if the evil entity is an aberration of
cosmic power.
These forces are generous, with the gifts they provide to
those who are corrupted by them. Yet, they are also merci-
less, with the curses they cause on those individuals. With the

7

Causing Misery if the spellcaster had means to cast an alternative spell that
was not evil, then it is an evil act. This is because choosing to
Mercy is not a method used by evil characters generally. How- inflict more pain just for the sake of it is sadism. Villains and
ever, sometimes, even if the villain defeats its enemies, it lets evil characters cast evil spells because the results they provide
them live. This is not because the villain is merciful, but since are often tempting, and makes its spellcaster feel powerful.
it wants them to feel defeat and misery, to be overwhelmed by
it, to fall into hopelessness, and to be forced to take extreme Casting evil spells often degenerates a character into foul or
actions as a result. desecrating essences.

When there is no hope, a good-aligned paladin can make a Greed
deal with a devil to kill the paladin’s rival demon, an honora-
ble knight can use poison, or an honest cleric can tell lies. All Greed is a gray area. Greedy people are quite common in
of them may feel regret later, however they either seek atone- many societies, but their greed is not destructive in a level of
ment or keep doing what they have already done and become evilness. Most often, people keep their greed under control
evil at the end. because of their fear of norms or laws. When someone’s greed
overcomes that fear, and especially when it starts to result in
Leaving their enemies miserable to corrupt them slowly is serious harm on other people’s wellbeing, it transforms into
a common method used by different aspects of evil. Fiends, an aspect of evil.
some aberrations, tricksters, and plotter vampires can be
some examples to these aspects. A greedy merchant may try to make more money than the
goods sold deserve, and this can be considered as minor greed.
Cheating and Betrayal On the other hand, a lord may order the pillage of a nearby
wealthy town, which is a much worse form of greed, as it
Lying is something morally wrong, but many people lie for destroys the wellbeing or even lives of many people.
matters big or small. Cheating is worse than lying, but it still
does not necessarily make someone evil. For example, there Greed can be found as the source and reason of evilness
may be rogues who are good at heart and do not harm inno- in many villains and evil characters. The pursuit of a sort of
cents but lie and cheat their way on their quests. A bard may power often deviates such people from morality, laws, and
lie about certain details of a story to make it more convincing common sense. It is something that can be found on the rich
or glorious. and politicians as well. Greed is the source of corruption for
many noble families.
Betrayal, even when done by a good or neutral man is a deed
that is most prone to a path of becoming evil. Many temples, Giving way to greed can result in the degeneration into any
orders, and cultures see betrayal very dishonorable, and honor of the essences, as the power that is obtained may be one of
is important in many societies. such essences. Yet, greed as a vice may cause degeneration
into desecrating essence.
Lying, cheating, and betraying another can be used for evil
quite resourcefully. As some don’t care about morality, evil Harming Souls
schemers may find lying to be a useful tool for setting up the
people for devious plans. Betrayal is also often the first step to If there is something eviler than murdering an innocent, it is
a dark path: Many people live among their societies according to hurt someone’s soul. Murder is just the taking of life, but
to norms and laws, until they are tempted by an evil character, the soul moves on. On the other hand, a soul can suffer for
and their first step to evil generally includes a betrayal. eternity if it is exposed to evil manipulations. Such things are
existentially dreadful, and they are perhaps the evilest acts.
Cheating, lying, or betraying as a means of evil may cause
a character to degenerate into foul essence or desecrating Villains manipulate or harm souls if they have no morality
essence. On the other hand, the essence also depends on the at all. Those who make souls suffer is someone that is one of
path that is taken after the betrayal. According to this path, the evilest things imaginable. Some may also use souls to gain
another essence may be the result as well. certain benefits, which causes the soul to suffer partially or
for a small period of time. Such creatures may not enjoy what
Evil Spellcasting they do, but they are still obviously morally lost. As gold or
other precious items do not have a lot of value in lower planes,
A character may also cast spells that are evil in nature, carry- fiends use souls as a currency of trade.
ing an evil or corrupting essence within. Evil spellcasting can
be seen as a lighter form of bargaining with evil, as it is effec- Harming or manipulating souls may degenerate a character
tive only for an instance or a short period of time, and there is into rotten, foul, or desecrating essences. If it is done out of a
no evil creature or entity on the other side of the bargain. form of sadism, it brings desecrating essence.

A careful spellcaster may be protected from the side effects Murder
of channeling an evil force. On the other hand, there are ex-
amples where an evil ritual not only condemns its spellcaster Taking the life of someone else is one of the obvious acts of
but also the whole kingdom that the spellcaster rules… evil. It is the ultimate violation of one’s right to exist, and it
is a taboo for many good and neutral aligned faiths. Killing
Casting evil spells is a gray area that can easily give way to cannot be reversed and the wrong it causes stains a character
some sort of mishap or potential for corruption. If the spell is forever.
something that inflicts unnecessary pain or destruction and

8

Murdering innocents is a great sin for many religions. An to. After two years of depression and struggle to survive, the
innocent being does not have any reason to lead a character former knight decides to avenge the honor it lost. The knight
to such aggression, and thus the murderer’s act is clearly a decides to kill the lord, gathers a party to get some help,
selfish and highly destructive one. Additionally, killing people promises them the treasure of the lord, and together they
causes a character to gradually lose touch with life as well. enter the castle the lord lives in. In the heat of the combat,
Cold-blooded killers slowly become lifeless themselves, in the lord uses his servants as a cover and tries to escape. To
psychological terms. prevent the lord, the knight butchers the innocent servants
and kills the lord at the end. In this scenario, revenge blinded
Consequently, the murder of innocents is an evil act. It can the judgment of the knight and made the knight kill innocents
be tied to all of the degenerating essences provided in this for the sake of revenge. Yes, the knight took revenge but
book. Bringing death captures the attention of many forces. committed an evil act and became a murderer.
Killing people to raise them as undead may grant rotten
essence, sacrificing masses to fiendish masters may grant foul Seeking revenge blindly generally leads to an evil end, and it
essence, enchanting common folks with aberrant magic may is one of the most common reasons for falling from grace.
grant maddening essence, and murdering people just for the fun
may grant desecrating essence. Spreading Suffering

Even neutral or good characters may suffer from these Seeing the joy in the misery of others is an evil act. Villains
essences as the result of murder. Many 5E games revolve usually do this as a sort of bullying to see how powerful they
around the party killing the opposition encounter by are against their weak enemies. Some also spread suffering
encounter. The bandits of the bandit lord, soldiers of the because they have fetishes such as sadism.
enemy forces, or orcs of the dreadful clan are not mindless
beings. Every creature lives through the most horrific An evil character may spread suffering by hurting others,
experience of their lives when dying. leaving them miserable or dreaded. It is also a common tool
used by some politicians, especially those that are tyrannical.
Although it may be for the greater good or out of necessity Such rulers may seek to spread fear among the populace,
to defend oneself, a character with a conscience must live because of their belief that ruling is easier when the ruled are
through the dread and haunting faces of those it killed. A afraid.
character who feels sorry for such actions are still soft-hearted
and good in nature, but those who don’t care or start to like it Bullying is another form of spreading suffering. It is a
may fall into the trap of evil forces. show of force by proving someone else is weaker and thus
recognizing oneself as superior. When done by a kid, bullying
Necromancy is an immoral thing that can be reversed by proper education.
On the other hand, many villains and evil characters that are
Even if not studied for evilness, necromancy is a school of adults also bully others a lot. Their degree of bullying is more
magic that favors death in - sometimes - the expense of life. devious than that of children as well. Thus, bullying is often an
There are many necromancy spells that do not harm living evil act and a means of spreading suffering.
creatures, such as speak with dead, but it toys and mocks life in
some way. Casting necromancy spells is most of the time not If a character sees spreading suffering and misery is fun
an evil act, but a good character would certainly think three or satisfying, that person would degenerate into desecrating
times before casting one. essence. If a character is using it as a sort of a tool in the service
of a higher dark evil power (such as a tyrant paladin does), it
On the other hand, there are necromancy spells that are may result in degeneration into different essences depending
obviously evil acts. Those which bind souls or create undead on the evil power.
creatures are blasphemous against life and thus evil in nature.
Villains use necromancy and create undead as they often do Summoning Evil Servants
not care about what it consumes or what it scoffs. Necromancy
is a resourceful way to obtain servants that are mindless and Evil characters can also choose to summon or create evil
obedient. creatures instead of undead. A powerful wizard can bind an
evil creature to do a deed that has good ends, but it is still not
Using necromancy in a harmful way, as well as animating or preferred by most spellcasters if there are non-evil creatures
creating undead, degenerates a character into rotten essence. as alternatives to it.
In time, the practice of necromancy starts to take away the
liveliness of its spellcaster as well. Evil characters or villains summon or create evil creatures
because it is good to have those who can do stuff on behalf
Revenge of them. With carefulness and precautions, evil creatures are
great servants that do not have moral concerns while doing
Revenge is at the center of many stories. The knight avenges malicious deeds.
their family, the remnant avenges their own death, the fallen
avenges their falling from grace. It is an effective driving force Summoning evil servants most commonly degenerates a
for both heroes and villains. Although exacting revenge is not character into foul or maddening essence, as such creatures (not
evil all the time, it can lead one to evil easily. counting undead) tend to have those natures. Yet, of course, it
can cause other types of degenerations as well.
For instance, let’s think about an honorable knight who was
denounced dishonorably by the lord the knight was serving

9

Theft Taking advantage of others is also common in politics. In
fact, it may be one of the most dominant forms of corruption.
Stealing someone’s property is a crime that is punishable Because a ruler commands others to do certain things for the
in many societies. Parents teach their children not to steal place of the ruling, the ruler may easily slip into the abuse of
from their youth. The thing that is stolen may be something this power to command others into selfish or harmful deeds.
its owner worked very hard for, and it is gone in an instance
of sleight of hand. As it is an unfair gain at the expense of Taking advantage of others tends to degenerate a character
someone else’s welfare, stealing can easily be an evil act. into desecrating essence.

However, it may be a gray area as well. A rogue stealing Worshipping Evil
from the local gang, for example, may not be evil as the things
that were stolen are probably previously stolen by the gang Evil deities have domains that focus on destructive means or
as well. Thus, it can be said that stealing from innocents is the ends. They demand their followers to worship them through
form of theft that is evil. deeds that are included in or presented by these domains.
Fiends (demons and devils) are evil in nature, that are also
Evil characters and villains can easily steal from anyone instinctually invasive, corrupt, and harmful. Abiding by their
they wish (given that they are skillful enough), without demands means acting in these manners as well. Thus, wor-
any moral considerations. Stealing is a fruitful and quick shipping evil is an evil act. Following the means and wishing
way to obtain something a villain wants. Stealing for the for the ideals of such evilness are clearly vice intentions.
sake of stealing is a common evil act as well, something like
murdering for the thrill of it. Those who worship evil usually do it to gain more power
quicker. They do not care that they are becoming corrupted
Temptation by their submission, as long as they get what they want. Some
may also be completely devoted to their evil master or deity.
Tempting someone in a tavern for having a fun night together Such people, for example, fanatic evil cultists, are the worst
is not an evil act. Yet, temptation goes much further than that. kind of evil among evil worshippers. There may be those who
Temptation as an evil act is tempting someone to do a deed feel they have to worship evil, as a sort of last resort and out
that is destructive for society, for life, or for the person itself. of desperation. In any case, worshipping evil corrupts and
degenerates. And eventually, it brings the worshipper to
Temptation can also cause corruption. By tempting enough, evilness.
a guard can get used to having bribes, a person can be tempted
to become a murderer, or a priest can be tempted to defy their The source of degeneration varies according to the type of
temple and deity. evil identity that is worshipped. It may cause foul, maddening,
desecrating, or even rotten degenerations for various deities.
Villains use temptation for various reasons. Those with It results in foul degeneration for devils and demons, and
good social skills and persuading capabilities use it to take maddening degeneration for aberrant entities.
advantage of other people to get their plans done. An evil
cultist or a servant to a fiend tempts others for corrupting
them and thus defying deities of morality and civilization.

Depending on the source of temptation, both the tempted
and the tempter may degenerate into the relative essence,
possibly foul or desecrating.

Taking Advantage of Others

Using someone for something that person is skillful for
may not be an evil act, such as using the rogue friend in the
party to sneak into a keep and opening the gates. Yet, using
someone to the expense of that person’s life or wellbeing is an
evil act.

Scheming villains, such as vampires or other masterminds,
often take advantage of others. Because evil characters
are often selfish, they like to throw others into dangerous
situations rather than getting hurt themselves.

A vampire drinking all of the blood of one of its minions
in combat to survive, a graverobber killing its fellow worker
to not to share the treasure they have newly found, a lich
sending its faithful corpse knight to death to cover its own
escape is all evil and takes advantage of others.

Also, although encouraging the rogue in the party to make
it disarm the traps is not an evil action, shooting the fellow
barbarian’s leg and wounding it so that you can run away from
the monsters chasing both of you is an evil act.

10



Race Options

T his section includes a variety of unique races and subraces. Fallen angels are those who fell and lost the majority of their
angelic powers, and begin a new life with or without memories from the past. Remnants are people from other races who
died, but couldn’t go to the afterlife and stuck. Kartuki is a cannibalistic, tribal race of warriors who value strength and
honor, with methods that are seen as grotesque by most. Shadowkins are born in a realm of shadows and can twist shadows to
their advantage. Aberrant is someone who is touched by an aberration as an infant or before.

Fallen Angel A Lonely Life

Sofiel emerged from her dusky study to the common hall Many fallen angels generally live lonely lives. They may pass
of the library. Every time I see her, I think of the day she the time trying to win the battle they have started against
had come to this library of vast knowledge, two years ago. their pasts or pursue their goals. On their paths to reach the
From the moment she showed up at the gates, I knew that end of their quests, they can be a part of an unholy adventur-
I was not looking at a normal creature. She was, literally, ing party or they can form their own cults or organizations.
divine. She looked extremely profane with her wings cov-
ered in black smoke at all times, with the smell of inno-
cents burning beneath. She walked in with determination
and directly demanded information about the sword she
had been searching for. Few visitors come to this isolated
library that is lying under crimson skies. Not many of these
visitors can bear to stay here, talking only to librarians
and searching among the books patiently, to find what
they seek. It has been 20 years since she arrived and ever
since that day, every day, she has been studying the books,
seeking the sword’s whereabouts. She is the most valuable
treasure this unholy library has ever seen.

- Librarian Cantor

Falling From Grace

An angel needs to experience an extremely traumatic event to
fall from grace. They cannot be born with evil in their hearts,
and this purity is also why they become fanatics of their new
cause if they fall. They do not know how to feel evil naturally;
they learn, they taste it inordinately. Once an angel takes a sip
from the cup of evil, they want to embrace it completely. They
may become Fallen instantly, or may experience an interval of
suspicion and denial before it fully happens.

Angelic Ancestry

Angels were created in the heavens by the pure powers of law
and good, and even the ones who resist worshipping them can-
not fully escape their influence. Although they can stop being
good creatures, most of them can’t stop being lawful. They
tend to be calm, they act wisely, and most of them become
zealous protectors of their new ways.

Beyond their alignments, their origins and past never
abandon them, or leave them alone. They are sought by other
angels, for either atonement or retribution.

12

Fallen Angel Names words of creation, your voice put crying babies to sleep. Now,
your very existence brings pain with it, and your words make
Male Names: Amael, Rhamiel, Samuel, Sarakiel, Turiel all who hear them tremble in their bones. You can use these
Female Names: Esther, Gatriel, Lailah, Sofiel, Usiel words on a target who can hear you within 60 feet. The target
must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or it is frightened for
Fallen Angel Traits 1 minute or until it takes damage (DC is Charisma based). Once
you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can
Your fallen angel character has certain traits that are the lega- use it again.
cy of your Angelic ancestry:
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2. Celestial. You can also choose one more language appropriate
Age. Fallen Angels are born already having reached adult- to your new goals or deity, at the GM’s discretion.
hood and they do not age.
Alignment. Most Fallen Angels are lawful evil, but neutral, or Subrace. The opinions and thoughts they have following
even chaotic evil-aligned fallen angels are not unheard of. their fall affect what they become. There are three subraces of
Size. Fallen Angels are generally between 5 - 7 feet tall and fallen angels; Avenger, Corruptor, and Dark Warden.
weigh 220 - 260 pounds. They look too fit to be regular human-
oids and their physical appearance looks as if they are statues. Avenger
Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. When you fall, you There is a burning in the hearts of the Avengers that stays
lose your angelic wings. However, when your character reach- ablaze with hatred and vengeance. This hatred can be against
es level 9, you grow wings suitable to your new evil deity and angels, mortals or, simply, against what made them fall. An
they grant you a flying speed of 30 feet. Your wings can have avenger feels these emotions to the core, causing them the
the appearance of fiery-angelic wings, bloodied-crimson wings need to constantly be on the move. An Avenger dedicates its
or they can be bat-like. You may also choose to have other lives to exacting vengeance. Avengers can easily be seen on
appearances, at the GM’s discretion. battlefields, facing their enemies personally. This subrace
Darkvision. Owing to your celestial blood, darkness cannot grants you the following benefits:
impede your vision. You have darkvision out to a range of 60
feet. Burning Vengeance. You reflect your feelings burning inside
Angelic Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws of you to the outside. Your melee and ranged weapon attacks
against being charmed and frightened. Beginning when you deal an extra (1) fire damage. This extra damage increases to
reach 4th level, your weapon attacks are magical. 1d4 at 6th, 1d6 at 12th, and 2d4 at 18th level.
Angelic Arsenal. Owing to the nature of your creation, you
are proficient with shortsword, longsword, warhammer, spear Corruptor
and greatsword.
Angelic Enemies. Although you lost some of the Angelic pow- Corruptors choose to plan, wait, and then act, slowly. They ex-
ers you had before, you know that you still possess the powers ecute their plans step by step to reach their goals. Corruptors
bestowed upon you when you were created. This is also known generally form cults, poison the minds of others, use minions
by your former allies. They do not want you to become a in their games, and usually end up dangerous enemies for
servant to an archdevil or to lead undead armies. They want to many. This subrace grants you the following benefits:
hunt you down. They may want to capture you, or consecrate
you, or directly put an end to your existence. Poisoning Words. You can speak poisonous words to alter
others’ minds, slowly making them more obedient to you. You
GM TIP can cast charm person at 1st level, detect thoughts at 6th level,
dominate person at 12th level, and dominate monster at 18th level.
You can only cast these spells by talking to the subject and poi-
soning its mind as a ritual as if the spell has the ritual tag.

Once you cast one of these spells this way, you must finish a
long rest before you can use it again. Your spellcasting ability
is Charisma for these spells.

This feature should cause great trouble to the play- Dark Warden
er belonging to the Fallen Angel race. If the player
does not try to hide their nature, or tells their Dark Wardens dedicate their lives to a person, deity, place or
name openly, that name can easily be found by the something else, and they try to protect whatever they end up
player’s angelic enemies. Also, angels, clerics, and dedicating themselves to with everything they have. They can
paladins tracking down the Fallen have advantage be encountered while protecting the phylactery of a lich or
on any roll they make about magical tracking if temple of a dark deity. This subrace grants you the following
they know the Fallen’s name. benefits:

Fallen Ancestry. You have resistance to necrotic and poison Dark Mending. As an action, you can choose two creatures
damage, and vulnerability to radiant damage. You also have within 30 feet of you and use your twisted angelic powers to
advantage on saving throws against being poisoned. harm an enemy and heal an ally. For 1 minute, the enemy you
target takes 1 damage at the start of each of your turns and
Words of The Fallen. Once you spoke the most peaceful the ally regains 1 hit point at the start of each of your turns.
You transfer the life essence you take from one of them to the
other. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest be-

13

fore you can do so again. This damage, as well as the hit points Remnants are what remains of a mortal race who died but
regained through the healing power of the feature increases to somehow did not perish. Their bodies have died, but their soul
2 at 9th, and 3 at 15th level. remains bound to their flesh, which they are able to animate
just as they could during the days when they lived. The origins
Remnant of remnants are unclear. Some scholars say they are cousins
of revenants, who deny death and become the undead for the
I am nothing but bones and rotting flesh. My dear life sake of an ultimate goal they had before their passing. Others
has passed me by, without even taking my soul up to the say they are the result of necromancy. Even remnants them-
heavens, or down to hell. Now I remain, unable to die of old selves may not know the source of their condition, and they
age, hunger, or disease. Whether it was a twist of fate or a seem to sprout from any and all races.
sick prank of the gods, I simply exist... without the pains or
pleasures of a mortal life. A Life Without Breath

- The final words of Avon the Remnant, years Remnants don’t require food, sleep or anything a mortal re-
quires to survive. They don’t become exhausted, nor hungry,
after his known death and they don’t have to breathe. However, they carry with-
in themselves an ever-existing dread of restlessness. Their
dreams are abstract visions accompanied by this existential
dread, as they go into their dream-realm fully conscious. They
have to focus on something that can distract them from the
dread within, in order to rest.

Their body resembles what they were before they turned
into this abomination. They can be a human, dwarf, elf or an-
other race’s remnant, carrying the traits and looks of its race,
but a rotten version of it. Because of the status their soul pro-
vides their body, they do not decompose. However, they smell
foul and their skin is extremely cold to the touch, just like a
corpse. Additionally, their eyes have a blurry gray hue.

A Life Taken Away

Although some may think not being gone after death is a gift,
a favor from gods or goddesses, or a stroke of luck, a remnant
often realizes that its former life will inevitably slip from its
grasp, more and more, as time passes. Their foul nature starts
to irritate their former friends or family, and their condition
eventually results in all the others passing away of old age,
leaving the remnant behind. In the end, a remnant knows that
there will only be the silence of their twisted grave.

Even if there are friends or family who insist on staying
together, the aforementioned unknown dread haunts the
remnant. Life around the remnant may seem like it is still the
same, but the dread clawing at them from within makes it
seem as though an apocalypse is imminent, at all times.

Lost in Time

Remnants can remain in this state for all eternity. As their
body is preserved and animated by their souls, they can bear
the wear and tear of time indefinitely. Still, their eternal
existence is anything but pleasant. Their dreadful sleep and
restlessness make them lose track of time. After a year, or a
decade, of their existence as a remnant, they start to forget
the date and how much time has passed between the events of
their (un)life.

In this sense, some of them try to seek the aid of those who
tend to live long, such as elves. If a remnant was an elf before
its death, it can adapt to its endlessness more easily than a
human remnant.

14

A Life Unseen stay on the good side when you are seen as an abomination
and are rejected by society. Evil remnants accept that they are
Many realms and kingdoms harbor hostile feelings towards monsters, and act accordingly, thinking it is better to be feared
the undead. In fact, common creatures outright fear walking than to be pitied or rejected.
corpses since necromancy is a well-known practice. Most often,
seeing an undead is not a good sign. It can herald anything; Size. Your size is the same as that of your former race.
from a curse to an invasion of undead hordes commanded by
a lich. Consequently, folks are rarely pleased when they come Your Former Life
across remnants.
Although your character’s story involves you dying
Because they are exceedingly rare, remnants are often mis- and becoming a remnant, thus belonging to the
judged regarding their nature. Many people do not even try to remnant race, you choose to belong to the remnant
listen to them, as there are undead who can talk and still have race while creating your character. Thus, it is likely
the ultimate aim to eat one’s flesh. The reactions of the tem- that you died when you were a commoner (a level
ples to the remnants are even (and perhaps especially) harsh, 0 character not belonging to a particular class).
as their instinct is to either turn or destroy them. On the other hand, you can also be a remnant who
lost its abilities in (and perhaps its memory of) its
As a result, remnants tend to hide their true nature. They former life.
try to blend into society and be seen as normal, living people.
They can wear perfumes to hide their smell and excessive Additionally, you can become a remnant in the
clothing to hide their distorted flesh. middle of an adventure or a campaign. In this case,
simply substitute all the traits of your former race
with the remnant traits listed below.

Rejected by the Society

Remnants try to maintain what is left of their lives Speed. Your speed is the same as that of your former race.
without drawing attention to their nature. Their Benefits of Unlife. You do not require food or water to sur-
ideas of races vary according to what race they vive, and you are immune to being poisoned, poison damage,
belonged to before they became remnants. Yet, they and diseases. You cannot fall asleep, you are immune to being
also acquire new views and stereotypes about other unconscious except if you drop to 0 hit points. You do not
factions when they become a remnant. suffer from exhaustion unless it is inflicted through magical
means. Additionally, you do not have to breathe and therefore
Clergy. “They are hypocrites! They preach the words do not need to hold your breath underwater.
of their deity, and perhaps my deity as well. Yet they Skillful in Hiding. You have proficiency in the Deception and
think of us as a curse or abomination that is to be pitied Stealth skills.
or saved.” Unholy Rejuvenation. You are immune to necrotic damage,
and, receiving damage of this type will heal you by half of the
Commoners. “I understand why they fear us. I would damage dealt.
be frozen in dread if I saw a zombie in my previous life. Turn Vulnerability. You can be affected by the Turn Undead
We have to keep them in ignorance in regard to our true feature, but cannot be destroyed by it.
nature. This would be safer for them, as well as for us.” Languages. You know the languages you knew.
Resting by Distraction. You rest by distracting yourself
Undead. “We may look alike, but I have no sympathy enough so that you don’t feel the dread that always haunts
for these hideous creatures. Still, this may just be me. I you. You cannot sleep, and distract yourself with anything
have heard of other remnants who accepted themselves such as the sound of the campfire.
to be undead, and do the same atrocities as they do.” Subrace. There are two subraces of remnants. They become
what they are as the result of different causes and thus have
Remnant Traits different traits. Choose one of these subraces; one that suits
you and your background story.

Your remnant character has a number of traits in common Risen Corpse
with all other remnants.
You were long dead, but somehow, something pulled your
Ability Score Increase. An ability score of your choice in- soul back from the afterlife and raised you from the dead. You
creases by 1. do not remember what your soul witnessed in the afterlife,
but perhaps the dread that you feel is related to that. You can
Racial Traits. Remnants lose all racial traits of their former become a risen corpse as a result of many occasions and you
race. can work with your GM about it. Your soul can be unlucky (or
lucky) enough to encounter a necromantic ritual or someone
Age. Remnants can be of any age, and they always look like may bring you back to learn from your experiences.
the age at the time of their passing.
Risen corpses are outright rotten. They look even less like
Alignment. Remnants do not tend toward one particular
alignment, but there is a higher number of remnants that are
neutral-aligned or evil-aligned rather than good. It is hard to

15

people and more like a zombie. It is difficult for risen corpses Kartuki
to hide their true nature from humanoids. On the other hand,
they are less prone to effects that would overwhelm living This is Taletir, one of the master explorers of the Elven
creatures. Exploration Society. I am not sure whether you will find
this note before it is eaten by these brutes or not, but it is
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by my last remaining hope to leave behind one last explora-
2. tion that is somehow witnessed or understood. If you find
this, make sure that these will be remembered. First of all,
Dead cannot be Slain. You automatically succeed on your I want to say that I know you will probably assume that
death saving throw when you drop to 0 hit points. However, I am mad as I’ve written this note in my own blood, but I
if you are dealt damage while you are unconscious, you still am not. It is all that I have while I am being held captive
suffer from death saving failure as normal. by these cannibalistic monsters. I secondly want to say
this: They eat everything, they hunt everything, they
Flesh for Mending. You can eat the meat of a fresh corpse survive everything. If we could, perhaps, educate these
(meaning one that has been dead less than 1 hour) to mend people and turn them into a disciplined army, we could
your body. As an action, you can consume the remains of a conquer anything, and everything. Their determination
fresh corpse to regain 1d4 hit points. A small corpse is con- to survive knows no equal. Thirdly, and lastly, there is one
sumed totally within 2 rounds. This time is 4 rounds for a me- of them approaching, smiling. Know that they do not have
dium corpse, 8 rounds for a large corpse, 16 rounds for a huge the habit of cooking their meals…
corpse, and 32 rounds for a gargantuan corpse.
- Taletir, an unlucky explorer
Walking Corpse. It is nearly impossible to hide your true na-
ture. You have disadvantage on your Charisma (Deception) and Kartuki culture is a culture of brutality, bloodlust, and canni-
Charisma (Persuasion) checks to hide what you are. balism. They are pure savagery in humanoid form. They carry
a savage and pure bloodlust within their souls. To satiate this
Undying bloodlust, they sustain themselves with raw flesh, bone, and
blood.
Your soul somehow stayed in your body when you died, and
thus you are somehow not dead. Your body is still perceived as They are said to be created as a result of the experiments
a fresh corpse, cold and stiff, but humanoid-looking in general. conducted by a demon lord on humans. Although it is not
You think it is the will of your soul that holds on to your body, known whether this is true, or who created them or when it
and that leaves your (un)life intact. You don’t know what this happened, Kartukis’ brutality certainly competes with the cha-
dread you feel is. It is perhaps a side effect of what you have os and the evil of demons.
become.
Their appearance also reflects their corrupt nature. Their
Undying remnants look very much like living creatures, skin looks as if it has been burnt and healed, covered in scars
as their corpse did not decompose and was preserved by the and textures, and they have sharp claws and teeth. Many of
power of their souls when they died. It is relatively easy for them have bone spikes poking out from under the skin, blood-
them to hide their true nature from others by using simple red or pitch-black birthmarks, etc. Also, they have the ability
disguise techniques, but they still have to hide it to steer clear to shape their bones to use them as weapons.
of injustice or prejudgment.
Cannibalism
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
Possession. You possess a creature that is within 10 feet of Cannibalism is the Kartukis’ way of life. They believe that
you. When you attempt to do so, the creature makes a Wisdom consuming the raw and bloody flesh of the dead heals and
saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your Charisma modifier + your strengthens them. They think that cooking meat kills the soul.
proficiency bonus). On a failed save, you possess the mind of
the creature (see mind possession in Possession and Exorcism According to them, there is no afterlife. You exist as long as
section for details) for 1 minute. You cannot harm the crea- you hold on to your own blood, or you have another creature’s
ture’s body willingly, and the creature repeats its saving throw blood within. So, they eat their dead members, both to pay re-
at the start of each of its turns, and each time it takes damage. spect and to have their blood inside them. They also consume
While you possess another creature, your body lies uncon- their defeated enemies because when they win, they have the
scious and any damage done to it decreases your hit points. right to own the enemy. They believe that they carry their
Yet, any damage (except psychic) done to you in your pos- ancestors’ Wisdom in this way, as well.
sessed body is not inflicted on your hit points but on that of
the creature you possessed. The greatest punishment that could befall a Kartuki is being
When the possession is over and you return to your own burned, as this would wipe their entire existence off the face of
body, you suffer one level of exhaustion. Once you use this fea- the universe .
ture, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Disrupted Animation. The animation of your body gets dis- They hate the Undead because of their rotten flesh. Becom-
rupted when your soul and mind are harmed. When you take ing an Undead creature is heresy for the Kartuki.
psychic damage, you have disadvantage on your ability checks,
attack rolls, and saving throws until the end of your next turn.
Willful Soul. The strength of your soul is also reflected in
your mental resilience. You have advantage on saving throws
against being charmed or frightened through magic.

16

As they are inherently cannibalistic, if they decide to worship • Your determination to survive strengthens your defense
or serve a greater power, they generally choose the forces of against charms. You gain advantage on your saving throws
blood, cannibalism, savagery, bloodlust. against being charmed.

Mercy Twisted Body. Kartukis value their blood, bone and flesh.
You can manipulate them in minor degrees to gain the follow-
Kartukis do not know what mercy is. For them, mercy is one ing benefits:
of the greatest weaknesses one can possess. From birth until • You can use your reaction to harden your flesh and gain a
death, they learn that the powerful survive. If you forgive an
enemy, you give it a second chance to kill you. Instead, you +1 bonus to AC until the end of your next turn. Once you
should kill it and consume its flesh to show your domination use this feature a number of times equal to your proficien-
over it. To benefit your children, do not show mercy and leave cy bonus, you must finish a long rest before you can use it
behind a worthy blood. again.
• You can use your bonus action to grow the bones in your
A Tribal Life arms to create a long spike which deals 1d6 piercing or
slashing damage. You must choose the damage type while
Kartukis live a tribal life. They build tent cities which they call creating the spike. You can have up to 2 spikes growing
kartuk. These kartuks are governed by chieftains. The most at the same time. If a spike is broken, you must finish a
powerful kartuki in a tent city becomes the chieftain and can long rest before you can regrow it with this feature. these
be challenged at any time. spikes has light and finesse weapon properties, and any
ability that gives you benefits while wielding two weapons
The words of chieftains are considered the law. They are applies to them.
generally counseled by the spiritual leader, called the shaman,
of the tribe. The shaman is usually a spellcaster.

Kartuki Names

Male Names: Atoka, Bam, Otok, Rakal
Female Names: Bin, Enka, Rina, Zinra

Kartuki Traits

Your Kartuki character has certain traits in common with all
other Kartukis, which it has learned through its tribal and wild
origins.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by
2.

Age. Kartukis mature at the same rate as humans but they
live longer. They can live up to 150 years.

Alignment. Most Kartukis are chaotic evil. This could either
be due to their rumored demonic ancestors or their general
traditions

Size. Kartukis have a weight and height that is similar to
humans. Your size is Medium.

Cannibalism. Kartukis feed on raw flesh, bone and blood.
They believe the consumption of these commodities heals
them. As an action, you can eat raw meat, bone or drink blood
to regain 1d6 hit points on each of your turns, and you can
keep consuming a fresh chunk for the following 3 rounds.
However, you cannot consume the flesh of others if it is still
connected to their body because it would be too hard to rip the
flesh off.

Harsh Survival. Due to their wild way of life and cannibalis-
tic traditions, Kartukis are exposed to many dangers, poisons,
and diseases throughout their existence. Surviving these dan-
gers makes you gain the following benefits:
• You gain proficiency in the Wisdom (Survival) skill.
• You have advantage on saving throws against disease and

being poisoned.

17

Predator. Kartukis behave the way savage animals do when Shadowkin
they hunt and fight. You have claws and sharp teeth you can
use as weapons. They deal 1d4 slashing and 1d6 piercing dam- She was the strangest barbarian I have ever seen. She at-
age, respectively. tacked the bandits just as they were about to kill me. I was
the last survivor of my trade caravan. At first, I thought
Language. You can speak, read, and write Common and Kar- her to be a sorcerer or a wizard because she appeared to
tuka, which is a language specific to Kartukis. It is composed of have materialized amidst the shadows. She then started to
growls and snarls that resemble the sound of breaking bones. yell with a furious rage and to swing her axe at an incredi-
Subrace. There are three different subraces of Kartukis. Their ble speed, which made me think that she was a barbarian.
methods of survival, and of course their favorite dishes, set Afterwards, she spread her shadowy wings and leapt into
them apart from one another. These spikes has light and fi- the air, only to land on top of the last bandit, cutting him
nesse weapon properties in half. I was so confused and frightened that I just gave all
my gold when she asked me to do so, without questioning
Blood Kartuki why she saved me only to rob me herself.

The power carried by the blood flowing in your veins is even - Bernard, the trader telling the story
more powerful. As a result, you feel the blood of your ances- to local inquisition
tors, of the ones consumed by them, and the ones consumed by
you even more, as well. You are a creature born in the realms of shadows, or that
was brought to these dark realms when you were still a little
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1. baby. In either case, while growing up in these lands, shadows
Specified Cannibalism (Blood). When you consume blood and infused within both your body and soul, granting you special
use the Cannibalism feature, you regain 1d8 hit points instead powers and twisting your physical appearance.
of 1d6.
Blood of The Consumed. You can invoke the power of the Parents in Shadow
blood. As an action, you gain advantage on the checks of a skill
of your choice for 1d4 hours. Once you do this, you cannot do On rare occasions, mortals have the ability to make extraordi-
so until you finish a short or long rest. nary decisions. One could, for instance, decide to sacrifice the-
ir children to the shadows, or to live in the realm of shadows,
Bone Kartuki or to mate with a denizen of shadows. And most of the time,
there is a dark motive lurking behind these decisions. This
Your bones are sturdier and you have more control over them. could be a desire to please a dark deity, a will to build a temple
Ability Score Increase. One of the following ability scores of for a forbidden power that is long forgotten, or a necessity to
be hidden from forces of good.
your choice increases by 1: Strength or Dexterity.
Monstrous Outlook. Your claws and teeth are larger than On some other rare occasions, creatures of the shadows
have been known to abduct children from the material plane,
those of the other members of your race. While this makes to use them as pawns in their dark and shadowy plans.
you a better predator in close combat, it might be off-putting
to other races. They see you as a frightening and non-friendly You are the product of such an occasion and your perso-
creature. As a result, when dealing with humanoid races, you nality bears the characteristics of your parents as well as the
have advantage on your Charisma (Intimidation) checks, and shadows.
disadvantage on your Charisma (Persuasion) checks. The GM
can decide whether this feature is applicable or not. Shadows of the Past

Specified Cannibalism (Bone). When you consume bones and Whatever your origins, you have witnessed, or even commit-
use your Cannibalism feature, you regain 1d8 hit points instead ted, many atrocities in the shadows: bloody sacrifices made in
of 1d6. the dark, imprisoning lost souls in the shadows, unlucky crea-
tures murdered by many types of undead, creation ceremonies
Stronger Bones. Your Twisted Body feature deals 1d8 dam- of vampires, liches, mummies.

age instead of 1d6. These memories never leave you even if you do leave the
shadows. They always accompany you; wherever you go and
Flesh Kartuki whatever you do.

You are obsessed with flesh. You believe that it holds secrets
within and that exploring them is what you were born to do.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by
1.

Specified Cannibalism (Flesh). When you consume flesh and
use your Cannibalism feature, you regain 1d8 hit points instead
of 1d6.

Body Twister. You can gain a +1 bonus to AC for 1 minute
while using your Twisted Body feature. Also, you can use the
same feature to increase the AC of a creature you touch until
the end of its next turn.

18

Shadowy Future rest to use it again.
Shadowy Behavior. You can act as though you were a sha-
Whether a shadowkin chooses to embrace its cold, dark and
deadly experiences or follow a different path, it is always hard dow; you can be frightening, persuasive or sneaky, depending
for them to find peace because of the terrors lurking in their on what you might need at a given occasion. You gain profi-
dark past. They are mischievous and treacherous in the eyes of ciency in one of the following skills: Intimidation, Persuasion,
many civilizations and societies. No matter what kind of path or Stealth.
it chooses, a dark, surprising and twisted future is always what
awaits a shadowkin. Sunlight Sensitivity. While in the sunlight, you have disad-
vantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception)
Shadowkin Traits checks that rely on sight.

Language. You can speak, read, and write Common and one
other language of your choice.

Your shadowkin character has certain traits it has acquired
throughout its dark life in the shadows.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2
and Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. Shadowkin mature at the same rate as humans but
they live longer,averaging around 900 years.

Alignment. Shadowkin are known to be wild in their spirits,
so it is a bit hard to generalize their alignments. Although it
is known there are Shadowkin that serve both good and evil
forces, they tend to gravitate towards evil as a result of the at-
rocities they have witnessed and the creatures of the shadows
they have come across since their childhood. Like the shadows
where they reside, they like to be free and neutral.

Darkvision. Your time spent in the realms of the shadows
has granted you the ability to see in darkness. You have dark-
vision out to a range of 60 feet.

Size. Shadowkins weigh the same as humans. Your size is
Medium.

Gift of Shadows. Your body is twisted by the shadows. You
have shadowy claws. The claws deal 1d6 necrotic damage and
do not grow in time.

Shadow Form. As a bonus action, you can transform into a
shadow along with what you are wearing, whatever you are
carrying, and gain the following traits:
• You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing

damage from nonmagical attacks.
• You can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wit-

hout having to squeeze.
• You have advantage on your Stealth checks.
• You can make melee weapon attacks with your shadowy

claws.
The shadow form remains until the end of your next turn.
Once you use it, you have to finish a short rest to use it again.

Shadow Point. By performing a 1-hour ritual, you can cho-
ose the shadow of a nearby structure (a tree, a building, etc.)
and form a connection with it. The chosen shadow becomes a
shadow point. It is now a permanent and magical shadow that
can be detected with a detect magic spell.It carries a conjurati-
on aura and it can only be dispelled by a dispel magic spell that
is cast by using a spell slot of 5th level or higher. Since it is
magical, the shadow point remains even if the other shadows
change as a result of a change in the lighting in the area. You
can now teleport into this shadow. This teleportation does not
work if you and the shadow are on different planes. You can
change your designated shadow point by remaking the ritual
and you can have only one shadow point at a time.

Once you teleport using this feature, you must finish a long

19

Aberr ant unintelligible whispers coming from thin air, strange shadow
plays or other things of a similar nature could accompany
Ten days of rain. Ten nights of nightmares. Ten murders your birth. These can be seen as good or bad omens depending
committed in darkness. A cursed, purple sky. This is what on the society doing the interpretation. As a result, you could
that cursed child brought upon our village when it was born. be called “destined” just as you could be dubbed “cursed”. You
We did not want the boy. We did not want his mother, either. can bring your family luck and wealth, or just as well cause
The mother was judged by the paladins who were summoned them to move away.
to the village for the purposes of the trial, and before their
arrival, we took the child from the mother by force and left Plans of Eons
him in the wilderness. We didn’t have the heart to kill him.
I… I couldn’t make the life in those innocent eyes wane, As mentioned above, the natures and motives of aberrations
though cursed they may be. Every night, I pray to the gods are strange and unknown. Concepts like time and place are
for atonement because I left the child there and every night relative and insignificant for them. They are creatures of ano-
I wish for the child to have been killed by the wolves. I will ther universe or time. Whether your character is good-aligned
never forget his eyes and I know that even if the boy does not or evil-aligned, lawful-aligned or chaotic-aligned, you know
remember us, those cursed eyes of him will. that you are a part of these strange creatures’ plans, which
were prepared to be executed in eons.
- Jofran Valto, elder of the aforementioned village
Aberrant Traits

You are one of the most bizarre creatures to walk the land. Your aberrant character has the following traits granted by
You look like a humanoid but you have aberration blood run- the aberration blood that flows in its veins.
ning through your veins. As you grow in power, this blood, of
this otherworldly creature, makes you view the universe in a A Dominating Bloodline. There can be aberrants of any race.
whole new light and unlocks unique powers. Instead of choosing a subrace of your race, you can choose
Aberrant and gain different features than your race generally
You may have lived a normal life, up to a certain point at has, making you a unique character.
least. But on the day you stepped into adolescence, your physi-
cal condition started to change along with your understanding Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by
of life. The blood within grows as you grow, waits patiently, 1 and your Wisdom score decreases by 1. The aberration blood
and when the right time comes, changes you permanently. helps you unlock the secrets of the universe but it leaves you
with a thinning concept of reality.
As you mature, you become more and more aware of the
potential within you. Your blood is unique and sentient. It Age. Thanks to your blood, you live a longer life than your
whispers to you the moment you think you are alone, remin- race is expected to. Although you mature at the same rate as
ding you that you will never be so, not even after death. It is your race, you live an extra 100 years.
something that gnaws at your body, as well as at your mind
and at your soul. There is nothing you can do but to accept Alignment. The creature whose blood you carry stands
this fate. outside the parameters of reality. So, your instincts urge you
to act against the rules. Hence, aberrants tend to be chaotic-a-
A Unique Bloodline ligned.

Aberrations are some of the most unique creatures in all the Darkvision. Your eyes are affected by your aberrant blood,
realms. From their anatomy to their goals and motives, they granting you darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.
are completely strange and frightening. You carry the blood of
such an otherworldly creature. This makes you quite precious Size. You are the same size and build as your race.
in the eyes of some. Your blood can be used in many different Speed. Your speed is the same as your race.
rituals, or it can be used to unlock the doors leading to the Aberrant Lucidity. The aberration blood in your veins
secrets of hidden powers. Some mages may want to capture grants you a lucidity about whichever environment you are
you, study your anatomy or experiment on you. In short, your in, both socially and physically. You gain advantage on your
life is an interesting one, but one that has many hardships, Wisdom (Insight) checks and your Wisdom (Perception) rolls.
nonetheless. Madness will not die. If you die, your soul leaves your body,
but your blood does not. When your consciousness abandons
A Mystic Birth you, the aberration within you takes over. It can use your
character to do anything it wants until your soul is brought
Since your existence is not like most others, both anatomi- back by spells like revivify, resurrection, wish or true resurrection.
cally and spiritually, your birth also brought with it certain The motives of the aberration are at the GM’s discretion and is
mystic events or signs. For instance, unending rain, different only known by the GM.
sky colors, unlucky events, creatures lurking in the shadows, Shattered Mind. The whispers you hear and the maddening
dreams you see distort your mind, your thoughts and your
ability to focus. You are immune to being frightened, but you
have disadvantage on ability checks to remember names, his-
toric information, etc.
Submitting to Madness. You can choose to bring forth the
madness within you. The sentient blood of yours takes control,

20

twists your physical appearance and grants you new powers. • You start to talk and understand Deep Speech and you

When you choose to unleash the madness within, your physi- cannot talk in a language other than Deep Speech even

cal appearance changes and you look more similar to an aber- if you do not know it normally. This does not affect your

rant. For example, dark-purple or pale green veins become spellcasting, meaning that you can still cast spells that

visible on your skin, which may also turn a cloudier color, you have a verbal component.

may develop a foul stench. You can talk to your GM to deter- • You can cast the crown of tyranny* spell once. The DC of

mine in what way your appearance becomes more aberrant. the spell equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelli-

Your submission to madness lasts for 1 minute. Since this is gence modifier.

a very painful process for your mortal body, although you gain • You can use your action to summon an ooze-like aberra-

unique powers during the submission, you also suffer 2 levels tion that is connected to your body. It is a reflection of

of Exhaustion at the end of the duration. When you set the the sentient blood within you, an Aberrant Visage (p.232).

aberration within you free, you gain the following benefits: As you grow in power, it becomes more powerful as well.

• Your creature type changes to aberration. You can call forth an aberrant visage of CR ¼ at 1st level,

• Because of your aberrant appearance, you have disad- of CR 1 at 5th level, of CR 2 at 9th level, of CR 3 at 13th

vantage on your Charisma (Deception) and Charisma level and of CR4 at 17th level. You can use your bonus ac-

(Persuasion) checks and gain advantage on your Charisma tion to dismiss the aberration, or it is dismissed automa-

(Intimidation) checks. tically when the duration of your Submitting to Madness

• You gain the ability to breathe underwater. ends or its hit points drop to 0.

21

New Class: Witch

W itch is a new class that has a unique approach to spellcasting. It is inspired by all the aspects that make a witch, as well
as witchcraft, tales, works of fiction, and a collection of belief systems and practices that are followed by people around
the world. It involves many qualities and tropes of what makes a witch, letting you choose from three vastly different themes
and playstyles.

Witch Passion and Desire

Human sisters began to chant their song with hollow voices The paths and goals of witches vary greatly, but they all share
in a language that the ogre magi couldn’t understand. The one common aspect: their lust for new sensations and expe-
sister in front of him was practicing magic, but he didn’t care. riences. Whether they are the dark servants of an infernal
Her breathing was all but spent, blood pouring down from the master, the guardians of a forest’s grove, or a coven of elders
top of her head and down her face. “I will take her first.” he in a small town, all witches strive to find emotion through
thought to himself, “take her and eat her in front of her petty something new in life. This drive frequently pushes them to
sisters.” His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden rush of some kind of adventure or another.
pain, emerging from his back. He looked back in bafflement,
realizing too late that the incantations of the magic performed No matter what their aim or nature, witches try to fulfill
by the sister in front of him was actually coming from the their desires to the extreme. An infernal witch’s hunger for
sister standing in the back. power would surpass even that of liches or red dragons. The
faith of a nature witch to the deities of nature would oversha-
“I will serve and obey, master.” a half-elf thought as he dow a paladin guided by the brightest light. The dedication of
faced the priest in white, radiant in light. “I let you into me, a coven witch to its coven is a bond that can match that betwe-
possess me, own me and wreak havoc upon our enemies!” en the dearest lovers.
he shouted. Then his face grew grim, his eyes reflecting the
blackness of the darkest abyss. The once glorious priest of the Because of this passion, witches tend to attach too much
good god now trembled with fear in front of his new master. value on people whom they accept to be true friends. A witch
It was now time to end this. He held his finger towards the can easily take on the role of a paternal or maternal figure in
petty priest, and shouted “Now, you die!”. The priest’s flesh an adventuring party, and can make the ultimate sacrifice of
grew cold with the intensity of the magic, there was no way he martyrdom in the blink of an eye, with no hesitation.
could resist such power.
Creating a Witch
“Hear me god and goddess!” an elf screamed as she yearned
towards the sky. “Lend me your womb, goddess, so I can give When creating a witch character, think about the source of
birth to the sacred magic of the living. Lend me your will, god, your witchcraft, or in other words, your affiliation. Unlike
so I can crush these monsters who think they are above you, many other classes, witches tend to differ greatly according to
above nature!” she yelled with fury. The flock of bandit lum- their affiliation. A witch affiliated with a coven would be most
berjacks just laughed at her, until the ground beneath them fun to play if there are other members of the coven around, as
began to shake. they derive their magic from the power of their coven, and are
able to make their magic more powerful with coven members
Witches are those who practice witchcraft to cast spells. beside them. A witch affiliated with nature tends to be more
Witches draw on the essence of arcane magic to cast their giving, wild, selfless, and less evil-hearted, which makes them
spells, although the source of their magic varies greatly accor- similar to druids. A witch affiliated with an infernal master is
ding to their witch’s affiliation. Witches affiliate themselves often evil, although there may be special cases.
with a source to make witchcraft. As a coven, witches can
learn arcane secrets and cast spells like a wizard, and as an in- Irrelevant to their affiliations, witches can have various
fernal witch, channels their power from a fiendish master. The goals in life. No matter which path you choose for your witch
magical ability of a nature witch comes from nature itself. character, the foundation of your witchcraft comes from
sensation and emotion brought about by personal experien-
Arcane Heart ces. Witchcraft is an artform, a lantern, or a tool to unfold the
desires within.

Wizards may cast spells combining components of mind and Quick Build
logic, and sorcerers cast spells because it comes naturally to
them, as magic is in their blood. Witchcraft, on the other hand, You can make a witch quickly by following these suggestions.
is rooted in sensation and emotion, rather than cold, hard First, the spellcasting ability tied to your witch’s affiliation
logic and arcane symbolism. should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity or
Constitution. Second, choose the Acolyte background.
This allows witches to be much more intuitive than other
spellcasters. They rely on their instincts and insight more than

a wizard or sorcerer. For a witch, magic is a glorious parade of

emotions, and a bold strike of passion.

22

23

The Witch Cantrips 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
Known
Proficiency 2
Level Bonus Features
3
1st +2 Spellcasting, Witch’s Familiar, 2 42
Familiar’s Guidance , Witch’s Affiliation 43
2nd +2 -- 2 432
3rd +2 2 433
4th +2 Affiliation Feature 3 4 3 3 1
5th +3 3 4 3 32
Ability Score Improvement 4 3 331
4 3 332
-- 4 3 332 1
4 3 332 1
6th +3 Charms and Hexes 3 4 3 3 3 2 1 1
7th +3 -- 3 4 3 33211
4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 3 4 3 332111
4 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 11
9th +4 Affiliation Feature 4 4 3 3 3 3 1 1 11
4 4 3 3 3 3 2 1 11
10th +4 -- 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 11
4
11th +4 Witch’s Broom 4

12th +4 Ability Score Improvement

13th +5 --

14th +5 Altar Magic

15th +5 -- 4
16th +5 4
17th +6 Ability Score Improvement 4
18th +6 4
19th +6 Third Time’s A Charm 4
20th +6 4
--

Ability Score Improvement
Affiliation feature

Third, choose the resistance and spare the dying cantrips, along Equipment
with the following 1st-level spells for your spellbook: bolts of
waning*, charm person, command, cure wounds, detect magic, inflict You start with the following equipment, in addition to the
wounds. equipment granted by your background:
• (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
Class Features • (a) a component pouch or (b) a fetish (a voodoo doll, an

As a witch, you gain the following class features. amulet, or a totem, etc.)
• (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

• A spellbook (Book of Shadows)

Hit Points Spellcasting

Hit Dice: 1d6 per witch level As a witch, the source of your witchcraft is your soul-bound
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier Book of Shadows as well as the way that the spells it contains
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution were taught to you according to your affiliation. See New Spells
modifier per witch level after the 1st section of this book for the witch spell list.

Profıcıencıes Cantrıps

Armor: None At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the
Weapons: daggers, darts, light crossbows, quertarstaffs, slings witch spell list. You learn additional witch cantrips of your
Tools: Alchemist’s Supplies, Herbalist’s Kit choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known co-
Saving Throws: Intelligence and Charisma (Infernal) or Wis- lumn of the Witch table.
dom (Coven and Nature)
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Medicine,
Nature, Performance, Persuasion and Religion

24

WITCH’S BOOK OF SHADOWS Spellbook

A Book of Shadows is a witch’s special spellbook. It has At 1st level, you have a Book of Shadows containing six 1st-le-
a bond with the witch, which is not the case for other vel witch spells of your choice. These spells can include the
spellcasters and their spellbooks. A witch’s Book of Shad- spells that have been made available to you by virtue of your
ows is written in the language related to the affiliation of affiliation.
the witch (Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, or Sylvan) as the
words written in the book are connected to the source of Preparing and Casting Spells
the witch’s powers. As you discover new spells from scrolls
or tomes, you can copy them in your relevant language to The Witch table shows how many spell slots you have to cast
your spellbook. your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells,
you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You rega-
Copying a Spell into the Book of Shadows. When you find in all expended spell slots after you finish a long rest.
a witch spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your
Book of Shadows if it is of a level for which you have spell You prepare the list of witch spells that are available for
slots and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it. you to cast. Spells provided by your affiliation are also counted
among these spells. To do so, choose a number of witch spells
You can also acquire your Book of Shadows as an heir- from your Book of Shadows equal to your spellcasting ability
loom from a more experienced witch of your affiliation. modifier + your witch level (minimum one spell). The spells
Witches can give their Book of Shadows to other witches must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
from their affiliation as gifts or tokens of gratitude as well.
It may even have spells that are higher level than those For example, if you’re a 3rd-level witch, you have four
you can yet cast. Such a spell simply fails, and you cannot 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence
prepare it even if you try until you reach the level required of 16 (as a witch of coven affiliation, see Spellcasting Ability),
to cast the spell. your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd
level, in any combination, chosen from your Book of Shadows.
Copying a spell into your Book of Shadows involves If you prepare the 1st-level spell false life, you can cast it using
recognizing the essence of the spell through feeling, and a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove
then translating and transcribing it into your book in the it from your list of prepared spells.
language related to your affiliation. You can recognize the
essence of a spell if it is in draconic even if you don’t speak You can change your list of prepared spells after you
the language. As long as your mind and soul can compre- finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of witch spells requires
hend the essence of the spell, you gain the ability to cast it time spent studying your Book of Shadows and memorizing
after you transcribe and imbue it into your Book of Shad- the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell:
ows. at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and Spellcasting Ability
costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you
expend as you write the spell into your book, as well as the Your spellcasting ability for your witch spells depends on the
special ink you use to transcribe it. Once you have spent way through which you learn witchcraft, meaning, what you
this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like are affiliated with.
your other spells.
If you are affiliated with a coven, it means that you learn
Soul-Bound. Your Book of Shadows is a special spellbook and cast magic through your coven’s traditions, which makes
that has a bond with your soul. The spells written in it are Intelligence your spellcasting ability.
also written in the ethereal plane. If the book is destroyed
or moved more than 1 mile from where your witch char- If you are affiliated with nature, you draw your magic from
acter is, you can replace the book by taking it out of the the essence of nature and thus Wisdom is your spellcasting
ethereal plane again. When you do so, the previous copy of ability.
the book’s bond to your soul is cut but it can still be used as
a regular spellbook. If you are affiliated with infernal masters, your master is
the source of your magic, making Charisma your spellcasting
The Book’s Origins. It is a continuing source of debate for ability.
scholars that when the first Book of Shadows was created,
as are its similarities with the warlock’s book of shadows. You use your spellcasting ability whenever a spell refers to
Witches state that their Book of Shadows is the original one it. In addition, you use your spellcasting ability modifier when
as it is something that can be tied to their souls, whereas setting the saving throw DC for a witch spell you cast and
the warlock’s book of shadows is merely a magical tome when making an attack roll with one.
provided by a patron from the outside. They believe the
warlock’s book is a much simpler replica that was created Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Spellcasting
by a resourceful patron and that was then given to other Ability modifier
patrons as a useful tool.
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Spell-

casting Ability modifier

25

Rıtual Castıng Witch’s Affiliation

You can cast a witch spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual Choose an affiliation at 1st level as the source of your witchc-
tag and you have the spell in your Book of Shadows. You don’t raft, to what your witchcraft is dedicated. Each affiliation is
need to have the spells prepared. quite different from one another, and they each grant you
quite different benefits. You must choose wisely, as some affi-
Spellcastıng Focus liations condemn you to be evil.

You can use a fetish as a spellcasting focus for your witch Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at
spells. You can create your own fetish as an 8-hour ritual with 9th, 13th, and 20th levels.
materials that are appropriate to your way of casting magic.
You can also ask fellow witches to create one for you. Ability Score Improvement

Learning Spells of 1st Level or Higher When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and
19th levels, you can increase one ability score of your choice
Each time you gain a witch level, you can add two witch spells by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1.
of your choice to your Book of Shadows. Each of these spells As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using
must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on this feature.
the witch table. On your adventures, you might find other
spells you can add to your Book of Shadows (see the “Book of Charms and Hexes
Shadows” sidebar).

Witch’s Familiar Starting at 6th level, you can prepare charms to protect your-
self or your allies, or hex bags to undermine your enemies. In
Witches have a familiar that is specific to, and special, for order to create a charm or a hex bag, you expend a spell slot of
them. Familiars are beasts that have a special connection with a level according to the object’s power, as shown in the table
the witches. They consider familiars as guiding spirits that below, and perform a ritual that takes 1 hour to complete.
take an animal form. They believe their familiar grants them As long as the charm or hex remains, the spell slot remains
additional powers of magic. expended.

Starting at 1st level, you can choose to have a familiar You can implant a charm or hex bag on a creature by
appropriate to your character. Your familiar understands you making a successful Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check (DC
perfectly as if you have cast a speak with animals spell on it, determined at Game Master’s discretion). You can also ask
and tries to fulfill any commands you give it, as much as its another person to implant it in your stead. You can withdraw
Intelligence score permits. You can command your familiar as the powers of a charm or hex bag by intently focusing on it as
a bonus action. an action. When you do so, the object stops functioning and
you regain your spell slot.
If your familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving
behind no physical form. You can call the familiar back as a Charms Spell Slot Attribute
1-hour ritual. If you do so, it appears in an unoccupied space
within 10 feet of you. Charm

Familiar’s Guidance Clarity 1 The wearer has advantage on saving
throws against being charmed.

Also at 1st level, you gain the ability to receive guidance from Evil Eye The wearer has advantage on saving
your familiar a number of times each day. The list of familiars, Luck 1 throws against being cursed or
and the particular guidance they provide, are as follows:
hexed.

Familiar Benefit 3 The wearer can reroll any die, up to
three times per day.
Cat Advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks.
Raven Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks. Protection The wearer can activate the Protection
Mouse Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. 2 from Evil and Good spell on itself once
Rabbit Advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks.
Owl Advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks. per day by touching its charm.

Spirit Ward 1 The wearer cannot be possessed.

You can use the guidance a number of times equal to your Vitality 1 Whenever the wearer rolls dice to
spellcasting ability modifier (a minimum of once) and receive heal, it takes one die as maximum.
it if the familiar is within 30 feet of you. You regain any expen-
ded uses after you finish a long rest.

26

Hex Bags Altar Magic

Hex Bag Spell Slot Attribute At 14th level, you learn how to create and use the witch’s altar.
Your altar includes a set of objects such as a ceremonial knife,
Burden 2 The wearer suffers 1 level of exhaus- candles, a metal plate, a metal goblet, a small bell, an idol,
Clumsiness tion, this effect cannot stack. talismans, and a rug to place the components on top. After you
obtain the components, you must perform a ritual of 4 hours
The witch makes 3 attack rolls of to imbue them with your essence before you can use them.
1 their choosing against the wearer,
You can pack all components into the rug and put them into
with advantage, per day. your backpack. Your altar is magically protected and cannot
be destroyed except by a spell of 7th level or higher.
Entrancement 3 The wearer becomes charmed as if it
is under the effect of the charm person By using your entire turn, you can set up your altar in the
spell for 8 hours. It breaks free from space you occupy. You cannot use the benefits of your altar
the effect if harmed by the witch or if you leave this space. Using your action, you can pack your
one of its companions. altar back up.

Misfortune The wearer has disadvantage on Your altar grants you some additional benefits:
1 three of its rolls per day, chosen by Far Reaching Magic. You can cast an enchantment spell tar-
geting any location when your altar is set as long as you and
the witch at the time of the roll. the target of the spell is in the same plane of existence. You
only need to know the location of your target. Your target still
The wearer must spend twice the understands that you cast the spell if the spell indicates that
Restlessness 2 time in order to finish a short or long your target does so.
Imbued Magic. If you have cast a spell that requires con-
rest. centration and you wish to cast a second one, you can transfer
one spell’s concentration to your familiar and thus can main-
Spell 1 The wearer has disadvantage on tain concentration for two spells at once.
Vulnerability saving throws against spells that are
cast by the witch, and the witch has Third Time’s Charm
advantage on its spell attacks that
targets the wearer. Starting at 17th level, while casting a spell, you can speak its
last word three times. When you do so, you can choose from
Witch’s Broom one of the following benefits:
• You have advantage on the spell attack roll.
At 11th level, you learn how to craft your trustworthy compa- • The target of the spell makes its saving throw with disad-
nion, the witch’s broom. In order to craft it, you must find a
broom and spend 4 hours imbuing it with witchcraft. After you vantage.
finish, it becomes a magical broom that obeys only you. • You can make your spell much stronger, turning it into a

As an action, you can hide it in the Ethereal Plane or call Heightened Spell or an Empowered Spell (using your spellcas-
back. When you summon it, the broom manifests within 30 ting ability).
feet of you and flies into your hand. You can use this feature three times. You regain any expen-
ded uses after you finish a long rest.
Additionally, you can use the following features with your
broom: Affiliations
• You can fly on your broom with a flying speed of 30 feet. of Witchcraft
• By spending 10 minutes sweeping an area of 30-foot-squ-
Every witch is affiliated with a source of magical power to pra-
are with your broom, you can cleanse the area as if you ctice their witchcraft. These affiliations vary greatly, and they
have cast protection from evil and good on all friendly crea- have a significant influence on a witch’s character. The coven
tures within it. affiliation is closest to wizard schools. A coven is a society
• As an action, you can swing your broom and cast the gust of witches with an arcane tradition, emphasizing magic that
of wind spell. excels when practiced as a group.
• As an action, you can sweep the magic away from a target,
as if you cast the dispel magic spell. You still have to make The infernal affiliation requires a witch’s agreement with
an ability check to successfully dispel a spell. and/or dedication to an infernal servant, and witchcraft of
While traveling, you can walk while sweeping the ground with the witches with this affiliation partially resembles the magic
your broom, emulating the effects of the pass without trace practiced by warlocks.
spell.
When you use one of these features (except for flying, whi- The nature affiliation concerns a bond between a witch and
ch can be used at will), you must finish a long rest before you nature. Witches with this affiliation draw their powers from
can use it again. nature, and tend to follow both a god and a goddess of nature.

27

Coven Affiliation language, a creature who tries to understand what you are
saying must succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation)
A coven of witches is like a small mage’s guild with only a few check. A creature who tries to decipher the language in its
members. It is like a family for its members. In fact, there are written form must succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence (Investiga-
covens that are made of real families. The number of witches tion) check instead.
in a coven always equals multiples of three. The number of
members in a coven is usually equal to 3, 9, or 12, but covens Coven Initiation
with a number of members that are equal to other multiples
of three also exist. The goals and traditions of covens vary, but Also starting at 1st level, you learn the ritual to initiate others
they all have traditions that are passed down from one gene- to your coven. Your coven members do not have to all be witc-
ration to the next. hes. You can initiate your friends that are not witches as coven
members as well. To do so, you draw a circle and perform an
As a witch affiliated with a coven, you rely on your fellow 8-hour ritual which involves the chanting of your coven words
members and your coven as much as your own powers. You and drinking a pint of each other’s blood from a cup.
learn a secret language called Witches’ Tongue through the
witchcraft practiced by your coven, and you can channel and Once a creature becomes your coven member, you can use
share the magic of your fellow members. Your coven’s main your coven features that involve coven members with that
location also functions as an altar, making you and your creature. However, most witches prefer to form covens with
members become much more powerful when you are within coven affiliation witches only, as only a coven witch can make
its bounds. use of the coven powers.

Expanded Spell List You can mark up to 3 allies as your coven members. You
cannot mark a creature as a coven member against its will. If
Your affiliation with your coven lets you choose from an ex- a coven member betrays you, it makes all its rolls and checks
panded list of spells when you add spells to your Book of Sha- with disadvantage against you until it curses your name and
dows. The following spells are added to the list of witch spells the coven three times to your face with spoken words.
for you. You can choose them to be part of your starting spells
(cantrips and 1st level), or add them to your Book of Shadows Coven Magic
in the course of your adventures.
Starting at 3rd level, you can share your magic and spell-
COVEN AFFILIATION SPELLS casting with others in your coven. Coven magic grants you
several benefits:
Spell Level Spells
Magic Channeling. When you cast a spell, you can make a
Cantrip guidance, message fellow coven member the origin point of the spell.
1st alarm, sanctuary
2nd dark knowledge*, suggestion Share Components. When you cast a spell that requires an
glyph of warding, sending action, a coven member of yours can use its reaction to speak,
3rd perform, or use one of the components for you. If you can
4th deadly ward (area)*, private sanctum allocate all of the components except Verbal, you can cast the
5th blood scry*, telepathic bond spell as a bonus action instead.
6th guards and wards, mass suggestion
7th project image, labyrinth of shadows* Share Essence. When you cast a spell, you can use a fellow
coven member’s spell slot rather than your own. A spell with
8th mind blank, truths hidden in shadows* which you choose to use this benefit has to be of a level you
9th reflection within shadows*, lock the fate* can cast, meaning that you cannot cast a spell at a higher level
if you yourself don’t have slots of that level based on your
character level, even if your fellow member does.

You can use one of these features if your coven member
is within 120 feet of you. You cannot use them if your
fellow member is charmed, paralyzed, petrified, stunned or
unconscious.

Bonus Language Altar of the Coven

When you choose this affiliation at 1st level, you learn the Dra- When you reach 9th level, you have enough experience to be
conic language. one of the coven’s trusted members. The coven lets you use
its sacred ground as an altar. Your coven altar holds powerful
Witches’ Tongue potential for magic, and has the following features:
• Because of the well of essence that flows through the
When you choose this affiliation at 1st level, you learn the
secret language of witches. It is not really a unique language in coven, you can cast spells of 3rd level or lower as cantrips
itself, but it has an alphabet that is an encrypted version of the while within the coven grounds. You also have twice your
Common tongue. It is spoken just like bird speech, distorting spell slots for 4th, 5th, and 6th level spells while within
the sayings of Common into something that cannot be unders- the coven grounds.
tood unless trained. • You can cast any spell in your Book of Shadows while
within the coven grounds. You don’t need to have the
When you and your coven members are speaking in this spell prepared.
• You and your friends (who you mark as coven members)

28

teleport back to the coven grounds as if you have cast the As a witch affiliated with infernal witchcraft, you have
word of recall spell. Once you use this feature, you can use the potential to learn the secrets of necromancy, and to call
it again after you finish a long rest. upon the fire and frost from the depths of lower planes. You
• This ability also creates a passage back to the location to can cast very destructive spells that are normally the work
which you teleported through the nearest vegetation or of warlocks or sorcerers. Such overwhelming power may
any other sort of natural terrain (such as the husk of a consume you, because when you feel such strength in your
tree, or even coming up from the ground). This passage fingertips, it is hard to resist the urges of infernal domination.
counts as protected against intruders by the private
sanctum and the magic circle spells. The passage remains Expanded Spell List
available to you and your coven members for 2 hours.
Sacred grounds of a coven is a serious haven for its witches. The affiliation with an infernal master lets you choose from
These grounds are hard to invade as witches within them can an expanded list of spells when you add spells to your Book
fight with a serious might. The coven is how witches are able of Shadows. The following spells are added to the list of witch
to protect themselves against the prejudiciary acts and threats spells for you. You can choose them to be part of your starting
of others. This feature is an example of how powerful covens spells (cantrips and 1st level), or add them to your Book of
can be. Shadows in the course of your adventures.

Chant of the Coven INFERNAL AFFILIATION SPELLS

At 20th level, you learn how to initiate a Chant of the Coven. As Spell Level Spells
an action, you start to sing this chant, however, your fellow
coven members should also join you in order for the chant to Cantrip blood curse*, fire bolt
work. When you do so, your minds become one as a coven for
1 minute, and you gain the benefits detailed below. 1st burning hands, hellish rebuke

Your minds becoming one lets you communicate 2nd evil mark*, flaming sphere
telepathically with one another as if you have cast the
telepathic bond spell. This multi-mental perspective also 3rd alter alignment*, fireball
increases your AC by 1 for each other coven member present,
to a maximum of 3. 4th black tentacles, wall of fire

Additionally, as your movement, you can magically take the 5th devoured in flames*, flame strike (deals necrotic
place of a coven member within 30 feet of you. Also, you can damage instead of radiant damage)
make a coven member within 60 feet of you the origin point of
a spell you cast. 6th create undead, disintegrate

If your fellow coven members don’t know the Chant of the 7th delayed blast fireball, soul binding*
Coven (because they are of a lower level), they can only benefit
from the telepathic bond, and from the increase to their AC, 8th incendiary cloud, rain of death*
when you use this feature.
9th curse of withering gaze*, meteor swarm
The chant requires concentration: You and a coven member
who are chanting with you can still cast a spell that requires Bonus Language
concentration, but you cannot maintain the concentration of
this spell on your next turn unless you stop chanting. When you choose this affiliation at 1st level, you learn the
Abyssal or Infernal language.
Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you
finish a long rest. Sin Eater

Infernal Affiliation As you affiliate yourself with an infernal master, the magic
you cast is actually a sin. You can eat your sin, sacrificing a
Witches with the infernal affiliation are those who owe their portion of your magic for your vitality. Starting at 1st level,
witchcraft to fiendish masters. A powerful devil or demon as an action, you can expend a spell slot to gain 1d4 + 4
grants them their magic. Yet, their relationship is not like temporary hit points for each spell level of the expended spell
a warlock’s relationship with its patron. Rather, the master slot. For example, you can expend a 2nd-level spell slot to gain
teaches the witch the methods of infernal spellcasting as their 2d4 + 8 temporary hit points.
witchcraft. This also means that an infernal witch is not as
dependent on the infernal master as a warlock is to its patron. You have to expend a spell slot to use this feature. Other
features that let you not expend a spell slot or change your
Once the infernal way of spellcasting is learned, it stays available spell slots does not alter the effects of this feature.
with the witch. Witches who are on this path are often evil,
as they consort with fiends for their magic. Such witches are Infernal Sacrifice
usually hungry for power, or quite desperate to find a way to
overcome the challenges they may face. Still, there are some Starting at 3rd level, you can sacrifice your vitality to gain
infernal witches that are neutral-aligned and in exceedingly potency in magic and regain an expended spell slot. As an
rare cases, that are good-aligned. action, you can make a cut on your body and let your blood
spill for your infernal master. When you do so, your hit point
29 maximum is reduced by 1d4 + 1 for each level of the spell slot.
This reduction lasts until you finish a long rest. For example,
you can cut yourself and reduce your hit point maximum by
3d4 + 3 to gain a 3rd level spell slot.

Infernal Potency protects those who cannot protect themselves from the deeds
of disrespectful creatures who harm nature. You can even be
Starting at 9th level, the magical power your master has on a path of revenge or necessary destruction, believing that
granted you become very potent in your being. You choose the elimination of some “civilized” societies (that see their
one spell of 3rd level or lower. You can cast this spell without settlements above nature) is the only way to preserve nature.
expending a spell slot. When you do so, you can’t do so again
until you finish a short or long rest. No matter why you choose this path, your feelings tend
to lead you to seek some sort of balance. You are aware that
If you want to cast it by using a higher level spell slot, you you must always give something in order to get something
expend the spell slot normally. Also starting at 9th level, you from nature. A fact that you are also constantly reminded of
can change your chosen spell every time you gain a level through the workings of your witchcraft.
thereafter.

Infernal Possession Expanded Spell List

At 20th level, you gain the ability to let your master’s avatar The affiliation with nature lets you choose from an expanded
possess your body. By using your entire turn, you undergo a list of spells when you add spells to your Book of Shadows.
transformation. Your eyes turn black to reflect the infernal The following spells are added to the list of witch spells for
darkness. When you speak, your voice becomes forked, and you. You can choose them to be part of your starting spells
both you and your master’s voice can be heard. At the end of (cantrips and 1st level), or add them to your Book of Shadows
your turn when the transformation is complete, you gain the in the course of your adventures.
following features:
• You have immunity to fire and cold damage, but you gain NATURE AFFILIATION SPELLS

vulnerability to radiant damage. Spell Level Spells
• You have advantage on your Wisdom and Charisma saving
Cantrip druidcraft, shillelagh
throws.
• You have advantage on your Charisma (Deception) and 1st entangle, speak with animals

Charisma (Intimidation) checks. 2nd barkskin, lesser restoration
• An energy of dread radiates from you in an aura with a 30-
3rd call lightning, speak with plants
foot radius. Any creature in the aura when you transform,
or that comes into a space of your aura afterwards, must 4th conjure woodland beings, dominate beast
succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened
of you. 5th awaken, greater restoration
• Your spell attack bonus and spell save DC increase by 2.
• You can use your altar’s benefits without setting it up. 6th conjure fey, heal
You remain possessed for 1 minute or until your master is
banished by an ability or spell. A successful DC 13 Intelligence 7th etherealness, regenerate
(Religion) check uncovers that you are possessed, and a
successful DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check uncovers the 8th animal shapes, dominate monster
type of your infernal master.
You make saving throws with advantage against any ability 9th shapechange, storm of vengeance
or spell that seeks to banish your master.
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you Bonus Language
finish a long rest.
When you choose this affiliation at 1st level, you learn the
Nature Affiliation Sylvan language.

Witches with the nature affiliation are those who take their Shared Senses
magic from the wilds and practice their witchcraft with the
essence of nature, and all that it inspires. They may not be as Starting at 1st level, as an action, you can transfer your psyche
wild as some druids are, but they like to spend at least some into your familiar’s mind and perceive the surroundings from
portion of their time in nature. They believe that nature is the its eyes and ears. While you do so, you can control the animal
source of magic and that they are in some way responsible for mentally. When you share your senses with your familiar,
the gifts the wilds provide. Although they are not practitioners your body counts as paralyzed, blinded and deafened until you
of the divine like clerics or paladins, these witches of the wilds bring your senses back. You can bring your senses back as a
tend to be followers of the gods and goddesses of nature. It is bonus action.
common among nature witches to adhere to the idea of the
duality of nature, and thus they tend to follow both a god and Shared Life
a goddess of nature.
Starting at 3rd level, you and your familiar’s vitality link
As a witch affiliated with nature, you can choose from a together. The benefits of your Familiar’s Guidance feature
multitude of backstories: You can be an adventurer, free as become permanent. Your familiar shares your hit points,
the birds who decorate the sky. You can be a warden who damage resistances, and immunities. When your familiar takes
damage, you take that damage instead. Consequently, your
familiar falls unconscious when you fall unconscious, and dies
when you die. Additionally, while you are making death saves,
you can choose to sacrifice your familiar and automatically
become stable.

30

Channel Magic Altar of the Wilds

Starting at 9th level, you can decide to make your familiar At 20th level, you realize that nature can provide you
the origin point of a spell you cast, and thus calculate any everything your altar provides with a simple wish made in
properties of the spell as well as the range or area according to your mind. You initiate this by focusing on an area of 60-feet-
the space it occupies. Your familiar can also touch a creature radius sphere within 60 feet of you, using your entire turn.
if a spell demands it, and it uses your spell attack bonus to do Starting at the end of your turn, your magic becomes one with
so. To use this feature, your familiar must be within 120 feet of nature, and you gain the benefits granted by your Altar Magic
you. feature for 1 minute as long as you stay within the area.

Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you
finish a long rest.

New Archetypes

T his section includes dozens of archetypes that are suitable for the themes of what Corpus Malicious presents. They are
dark and often wicked specializations written for the classes represented in 5th Edition. It is important to note that,
although some of these archetypes are not suitable for characters with neutral or good alignments, many of them can fit a
non-evil character. Still, what every archetype in this section has in common is that they are morally gray at the least.

Ba r b a r i a n Pat h s Gore Showdown

Barbarian paths presented here focus on the rage of the bar- Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you learn the
barian as a tool of destruction. For these paths, rage almost basics of gore fighting and the ways of turning your gore into
always causes carnage and reckless bloodshed. Gore Gladiator a performance. Hence, you can add your proficiency bonus to
focuses on causing gore for the sake of gladiatorial combat, your Charisma (Performance) checks while performing
reveling in it to become stronger. Path of the Deviator finds in an arena.
rage in the madness of aberrations from realms far away. Path
of Fiendish rage connects the rage to fiends and gains unholy Additionally, while raging, you have new
traits with it. abilities by which you can create a bloody
masterpiece. Whether you are raging or not,
Gore Gladiator certain circumstances during combat

“Welcome to The Arena! The seats are full, the spectators are hun-
gry for violence and the sky glows crimson red, for the gods of the
arena demand BLOOD! Welcome, visitors! Welcome, to the place in
which blood shall flow like a furious river…”

- From an unknown arena

The arena... It is one of the most merciless places in the world.
It is where people die every day, for the sheer enjoyment of
the audience. All day long, some gladiators rise and some fall
in this great skirmish, and at the end of the day, the winner
proudly hails the audience with the joy of survival. Some glad-
iators just want to live long enough to escape that place, some
want to get rich. Yet, some others simply enjoy the bloodlust
of the arena.

For these last few, being completely soaked in blood is the
best way to express the rage that festers within. Making peo-
ple cheer their name, making them cry out as they cut down
their enemies, splitting them into two one by one, and being
rewarded in return, are merely extra perks. These gladiators
are called Gore Gladiators. Whether they live in the arena or
not, they are aptly named as they leave pools of blood and
butchered enemies in their path.

31

grant you Gore Points that you can spend to make various gore The Show Must Go On

showdown moves while raging. Starting at 14th level, gore is an inseparable part of your life.
While raging, you gain 3 gore points.
Gore Points should be spent within the same encounter
Path of the Deviator
(each time Initiative is rolled) in which they are gained. When
“...aght yothgeccil zxog hosqvu ulgw’awar gagsiezy
the encounter ends, the barbarian drops to 0 hit points or falls ccccc…”

unconscious, the points are lost, and you start a new encoun- - Unintelligible words of Rimin The Crazed

ter with 0 points. The maximum number of gore points you Rage means chaos. Barbarians delve into the depths of their
chaotic anger and strike with the power of this chaos. They
can have is equal to your barbarian level + your proficiency want to survive the fight, and to see their enemies crushed
under their rage. Some barbarians take this rage too far and
bonus. You can use multiple showdown moves on an attack. become an incarnation of chaos themselves. They do not
control their rage, and they become a tool of the chaos inside
The lists of circumstances in which you gain gore points, them. They lose themselves so completely that even their body
parts can change in the chaos of the moment.
along with how you can spend them, is provided in the tables
Gifts of the Far
below; Gore
Yours is a path that seeks attunement with a realm of other-
Gore Point Circumstances Points worldly nature during rage. This short-termed attunement
Gained grants you some gifts. Starting at 3rd level, while raging, you
gain the following benefits; ability to speak and understand
The first time you hit on each one of your turns 1 Deep Speech, and Darkvision out to a range of 120 feet.
When you take damage 1
When you knock an enemy unconscious 1 Manifestations of Chaos

When you score a critical hit 2 Starting at 3rd level, an aberration of a realm far away notices
you while you’re raging. It grants you some powers by mani-
When a member of your party falls unconscious 2 festing in you just to have a taste of the sweet chaos burning
When you kill an unconscious target 2 inside you. After the first manifestation, it leaves a trace on
When you take damage from a critical hit 3 your appearance, indicating its presence which is ready to be
When a member of your party is killed 3 manifested again. This mark can be a tentacle tattoo, hair that
is always wet, a smell, or some other cosmetic effect that you
When you kill a target instantly by dealing 4 can determine.
massive damage
Different aberrations grant different powers. These powers
Gore Showdown Moves Gore are listed as the following:
Points
You deal 1d6 extra damage with a weapon Spent Aboleth. The manifestation of an aboleth brings with it a
attack special kind of disease. You are immune to the disease; how-
You gain advantage on your next attack roll 3 ever, others are not. Once per rage, you can infect your target
3 with this disease when you hit a creature with a weapon at-
When you make an attack, you can use your 5 tack. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw
bonus action to make another attack (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution
5 modifier) or the damage you deal lowers its hit point maxi-
You can keep your rage active for 1 extra min- mum by the amount inflicted. This damage can only be healed
ute 5 while the target is underwater.

You can choose to score a critical hit on your Chuul. The manifestation of a chuul toughens-up your body
next attack roll and sharpens your senses against magic. While you’re raging,
you are immune to poison damage and are immune to being
More the Blood, for Better Fight poisoned. You gain the effects of detect magic spell while you’re

Starting at 6th level, while raging, things get extra bloody. The
first time you hit with a weapon attack on each turn, you can
cause the attack to deal an extra 1d6 damage of the weapon’s
damage type.

Trained Gladiator

Starting at 10th level, you become a trained gladiator, special-
ized in your bloody style. The gore points you need to spend
for each Gore Showdown Move decreases by 1.

32

raging. well), you must finish a long rest to produce it on your body
Cloaker. While raging, you have advantage on your Strength and use it again.

(Athletics) checks while grappling, and if you grapple a crea- Chuul. You gain a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can
ture, a dark cord is created between the two of you. When breathe underwater. You also start to sense magic when a
you take damage while grappling, you can transfer half of magical item is brought within 60 feet of you, or if a spell is
the damage you take (rounded down) to the creature you are cast within 60 feet of you. However, you cannot sense its direc-
grappling through the cord using your reaction. tion, power, rarity, or level.

Chaotic Attunement Cloaker. When you are near an object that is at least one
size larger than you, you have advantage on your Dexterity
Starting at 6th level, you gain a permanent benefit based on (Stealth) checks and you can move stealthily while traveling at
the aberration you choose. You can choose the same aberra- a normal pace.
tion you selected at 3rd level or another one.
Whispers of Chaos
Aboleth. You gain a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can
breathe underwater. Also, you become a permanent carrier Starting at 10th level, while raging, the manifested aberrations
of the disease. You start to carry the disease (explained in start to talk to you. Although what they say is gibberish, you
the aboleth section of Manifestation of Chaos feature) even can ask a question to the aberration as a bonus action. You can
while you are not raging. Once you use this disease (or the ask only one question in one turn. The aberration gives you
second time you use it if you chose Aboleth in 3rd level as the answer to the question only if the question concerns some-
thing (or someone) that is within 300 feet of you. For example,
you can ask ‘’What is one vulnerability of the creature I am
battling?’’ or ‘’What is one of the deepest desires of the person
I am talking to right now?’’ You can ask only 3 questions each
time you rage.

Physical Manifestations

Starting at 10th level, while raging, the manifestation causes a
physical change in your body that can easily be seen. You can
choose the same aberration you selected previously or another
one.

Aboleth. While raging, you grow
a tentacle that you can use to attack

once without using an action. The
tentacle has a range of 5 feet and
it deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage
on a hit.

Chuul. While raging, you grow
a dark purple arm with a pincer
instead of a hand at the end. You
can attack with this pincer as a bonus
action. It has a range of 5 feet and it deals 1d8
bludgeoning damage on a hit.
Cloaker. While raging, you grow a black slimy tail. You
can attack with this tail as a bonus action. It has a range of 5
feet and it deals 1d8 slashing damage on a hit.

Aspect of Chaos

Starting at 14th level, you gain one last benefit from the
aberrations manifested within you. You can choose the same
aberration you selected previously or another one.

Aboleth. While raging, you can spit mucus on one creature
within 5 feet of you as an action. The creature must succeed
on a Constitution saving throw or is left without air for 1 hour,
making it suffocate. The affected creature can breathe nor-
mally while underwater and the mucus can be cleared with a
successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check, ending the effects.

33

If the creature does not need to breathe, it is unaffected by using a greatsword, you deal 4d6 slashing damage.
the mucus. The DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your You can use this feature after you make your attack roll but
Constitution modifier.
before the GM tells you the result. You can use this feature a
Chuul. While raging, if you grapple a creature with your number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain
own hands, you can attack them once using the weapon you any expended uses after you finish a long rest.
grow at 10th level without using your bonus action.
Additionally, if you score a critical hit against a creature
Also, the weapon can sense magic and lusts to consume it. within 30 feet of you, this sight of agony agitates you and you
When you hit a spellcaster with your aberration’s weapon, you can use your reaction to make an additional attack. You have
deal 1d8 psychic damage in addition to the weapon’s damage. advantage on this additional attack.

Also, you gain advantage on saving throws against spells Fiendish Traits
cast by the target you hit until the end of your next turn.
At 6th level, your unholy rage starts to show in your appear-
Cloaker. While raging, as a bonus action, you can call 5 ance and you develop some traits. Choose one of the following
Medium cloakers to cover your arms, creating otherworldly benefits:
wings. You gain a flying speed equal to your current walking
speed for the next 5 consecutive rounds. You have to attack or Spikes of Gore. While raging, spikes come out of your body,
attempt to grapple a creature every round or the effect ends. ready to pierce your foes. When a creature tries to hit you
On your first attack or grapple attempt in a round, a cloaker is with an unarmed strike, it takes piercing damage equal to
transferred to the target creature. Creatures must succeed on your proficiency bonus + its Strength or Dexterity modifier
a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or become unable to breathe (whichever is applied to its attack).
because of the cloaker covering their face. A target creature
that does not need to breathe is not affected. If a target crea- If a creature grapples you, it takes piercing damage equal
ture succeeds on a DC 16 Strength saving throw, the cloaker is to 2 + your proficiency bonus at the start of each one of your
detached. turns for the duration that you remain grappled. If you grap-
ple a creature, it takes the same damage at the start of each
Path of Fiendish Rage one of its turns for the duration that it remains grappled.
Additionally, if you are grappling a creature, you can choose
“I will gut you and then eat you and then sacrifice your to make a melee weapon attack against that creature with the
blood to my tribe’s horned guardians!” spikes on your body that deals piercing damage equal to 4d4
+ your Strength modifier. You have advantage on this attack
- Doci, Gnome Barbarian of the Fiendish Rage roll.

The Path of Fiendish Rage is one of spilling blood and reveling
in this act. Your burning rage causes destruction and suffer-
ing, and is only satisfied when it does so. You may or may
not be evil, but when you rage, you are overwhelmed with
fury and you lose yourself in it, causing you to wreak havoc
without exception. You may be aware of the origins of your
path, which might be related to certain gifts given to you or
your tribe by fiendish entities. You may also not be aware of
it, which would mean that you have no idea that an infernal
master has marked you for its plans.

Fiendish Rage

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd
level, your rage becomes much more sinister
and destructive. At the sight of a successful
attack that occurred within 60 feet of you and
that is made either to you or your allies or by you
or your allies, you must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom
saving throw or you enter a rage.

While raging, your attacks can become exceedingly grue-
some. On a hit with a weapon attack, you can choose to roll
one additional weapon damage die. For example, if you are
using a great axe, you deal 2d12 slashing damage; or if you are

34

Fiendish Charge. While moving towards a creature to attack a weapon that can make ears bleed. College of Revelry enjoys
it, your speed increases by 10 feet. You must declare that you everything to the extreme and makes others succumb them-
are going to make the attack and must make your attack when selves to this ecstasy as well. College of Woe sees pain and
you reach your target. You cannot use this feature if you can- desperation as the sole truth of life, and aims to spread them.
not reach your target with your increased speed.
College of Banshee/Siren
Foul Blood. Whenever you take damage from a critical hit or
at least 15 piercing or slashing damage from a creature within “The most beautiful music in the realm should make ears
5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to spray your blood on bleed.”
that creature. It must then make a Dexterity saving throw (DC
equals to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifi- - Gloom Le Doux
er). The target takes 2d12 acid damage on a failed save, or half
as much damage on a successful one.

Foul Presence

Starting at 10th level, you emanate a foul aura around you. Tales of vengeful banshees and frightful sirens are common
While raging, creatures that start their turn within 5 feet of among all folk, even if they go by different names in different
you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 cultures. College of Banshee or College of Siren is a bardic
+ your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or have college built upon one fundamental element, the power of the
disadvantage on their attack rolls against you. voice.

Additionally, whenever a creature within 15 feet of you is Bards of the College of Banshee or College of Siren can use
hit by a weapon or spell attack, you can affect the creature their voice to shatter certain materials or to manipulate minds
with your foul presence. As a reaction, you can decrease its hit with their music. They are feared by common folk because of
point maximum in an amount equal to the damage instead of legends telling stories of how they can shatter the very fabric
dealing the attack’s original damage. You can use this feature of one’s mind using their voices, destroying their memories.
a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (min-
imum once). You regain any expended uses after you finish a
long rest.

Rampage

Starting at 14th level, your rage demands constant destruc-
tion. While raging, you can choose to go on a rampage. While
on a rampage, you add to your bloodshed and gain charges of
bloodshed. When you successfully hit with a weapon attack,
you gain 1 charge of bloodshed. You can keep gaining charges
on each successful hit as long as you rage to a maximum of
charges equal to your Strength modifier (minimum 1).

You can choose to unleash these charges of bloodshed at
any time while you are still raging, dealing 1d6 extra damage
of the weapon’s damage type on a successful weapon at-
tack you make. You can state that you will use this feature
after you make your attack roll but before the GM tells you
the result. When you do so, the number of charges resets to
zero. An attack that unleashes these charges does not cause
you to gain a charge of bloodshed.

On the other hand, you find it quite challenging to keep
from spilling blood, which is not always a good thing. At the
start of each one of your turns in this state, you must succeed
on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or attack the nearest crea-
ture whether it is friend or foe. You use your movement to get
close to that creature if you must do so in order to attack it.

Bard Colleges

Bardhood is a journey that can lead to many interesting places
and ways of art. Some bards find evil to be a way of displaying
their art better. College of Banshee/Siren focuses on voice as

35

Shout Them Apart College of Revelry

When you join the College of Siren at 3rd level, you learn to “This is going to be the greatest party of all time!”
use your voice, or the sound of your instrument, to make a - Vick, “King of the Bloody Feast”
ranged spell attack against a target within 30 feet of you. You
are considered proficient with this attack and it deals 1d6 College of Revelry teaches its bards how to enjoy life to the
thunder damage on a hit. extreme. Bards of this college generally do not care about any-
thing but their own amusement. They know how to enjoy life.
The thunder damage increases as you gain levels in this However, that does not mean they do not know when their
class, increasing to 1d8 at 5th level, 2d6 at 10th level, and 2d8 lives are at stake. They also know how to protect themselves,
at 15th level. albeit, in their own style.

Also, nonmagical structures and creatures of glass, stone, Bards of revelry are generally against the rules. They like
wood, or crystal take double the damage from this attack. comfort and care deeply about their freedom. However, the
bards of this college can find delight in many different things.
Phantasmal Voice They can be found in forests, in the throes of a never-ending
festival with fey, and they can just as easily be seen in a de-
At 3rd level, you can project your voice to a point within 30 mon-worshipping cult, massacring and bathing in the blood of
feet of you. For example, you can whisper to a creature’s ears innocents, just for the fun of it.
within 30 feet.
Lost in Revelry
Banshees’ Scream / Sirens’ Call
When you choose this college at 3rd level, you acquire a taste
At 6th level, you learn the wicked ways of sounds. You discov- for getting lost in revelry. As an action, you can expend a Bar-
er how to scare, to calm, and to charm creatures. As an action, dic Inspiration to enter a state of ecstasy for 1 minute. While
you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration. When you do so, in this state, you only care about your joy and pleasure, and
you can create one of the following effects: as a result, you have disadvantage on your Wisdom (Percep-
• You can scream in pain or play a chaotic, irritating song tion) checks. However, since you do not feel any pain and may
even feel pleasure from being wounded, while not wear-
with your instrument. A number of creatures up to your ing any armor, you gain resistance to
Charisma modifier (minimum one) within 30 feet of you, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
and that can hear you, must succeed on a Wisdom saving damage from nonmagical attacks.
throw against your spell save DC or become frightened
of you. An affected creature must use its movement to Once you use this feature, you
get away from you. If there is not enough space for the must finish a short or long rest
creature to get away from you due to its speed, it takes before you can use it again.
4d10 psychic damage. The frightened condition ends if
the creature succeeds at getting 60 feet away from you or Ecstatic State
takes psychic damage from the sound.
• You can sing or play a soothing, calming song or tune Starting at 3rd level, by
with your instrument. A number of creatures up to your expending a use of Bardic
Charisma modifier (minimum one) within 30 feet of you, Inspiration, you can fill
and that can hear you, must succeed on a Wisdom saving your weapon or spell attacks that
throw against your spell save DC or become charmed by target one creature with the ecstatic
you. The charmed target must use their movement to try emotions of revelry. On a hit, the tar-
to get closer to you. get must succeed on a Charisma saving
As an action, you can continue to use these abilities each throw or it cannot take a bonus
turn for 1 minute (as if concentrating on a spell). Each turn, action or reaction until the end
the creatures within reach must make another Wisdom saving of its next turn.
throw.
Short Term Pleasures
Voice of Helplessness
Starting at 6th level, you can make
At 14th level, you start to use your voice or tunes to shatter others experience short term plea-
the minds of your enemies. You can cast the feeblemind spell sures of revelry with your perfor-
without expending a spell slot except that the creature can mance. As an action, by expending a use
repeat its saving throw at the end of every 8 hours.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest to use
it again.

36

of Bardic Inspiration, you can fill the air around you with College of Woe
emotions of revelry in a 30-foot radius. By controlling these
emotions, you can choose to do one of the following: “The truest tale and the dearest music are the ones that
come from suffering.”
Taste of Life. You can choose up to 5 creatures within the
radius and grant them temporary hit points with a total equal - Mazlum Sorrowtongue
to 5 x your bard level for 1 minute.
College of Woe is home to bards who sing songs of agony,
Bloodlust. You can choose one creature and fill it with ex- grief, pain, and sorrow. They are not like ordinary bards who
citement. For 1 minute, the creature can make an attack as a tell tales of glorious battles, and stories with happy endings.
bonus action after it takes an attack action.
Bards who experience painful events and who survive im-
Once you use this feature twice, you must finish a long rest mense tragedies generally choose this path. People generally
before you can use it again. look at them with both fear and mercy. Their performances
are laced with melancholic emotions. The weight of their emo-
Slave of Ecstasy tions captures the minds of their audience, and fills them with
the same feeling, breaking their spirit and killing their desire
Starting at 14th level, you can reflect the emotions of revelry to live. As they grow in power, these emotions become deeper.
in a stronger way. Your Ecstatic State feature stuns the crea-
ture until the end of its next turn on a failed saving throw.

Indulge in Revelry

Starting at 14th level, you can fill an area with a ½-mile-radius
centered on you with a surge of revelry through a perfor-
mance that takes 24 hours to complete and requires a success-
ful DC 21 Charisma (Performance) check.

When a creature enters the effect’s area, or is already in
the area, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against
your spell save DC or it slowly joins you in your indulgence of
revelry for 1 week.

Creatures within the area can repeat their saving throws
at the end of each day. After each failed saving throw, the DC
against which the creatures must succeed on a Wisdom saving
throw increases by 2 and people delve even deeper into the
joys of revelry. A village filled with creatures who are lost in
deep hunger can end up cannibals, or an army brimming with
bloodlust can destroy itself.

The first effects concern all work coming to a halt in the
area, as creatures in the area lose the desire and the mo-
tivation to work. Then, these creatures’ shared emotions
completely take over, and result in a 1-week-long festival of
debauchery, of which you can determine the details. You can
give direction to the dominant emotions of the festival, as well
as people’s resulting behaviors. These emotions can cause the
affected creatures to behave in a manner that is lustful, blood-
thirsty, hungry, alcoholic, etc.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until one
month has passed.

GM ADVICE

Indulge in Revelry is a powerful feature
and can be game-changing. However, such
actions generally capture the attention of
good-aligned clerics, paladins and law enfor-
cement.

37

Song of Grief by this feature increases to 1d6 at 10th level and to 1d8 at 14th
level.
When you join the College of Woe at 3rd level, you gain the
ability to sing mournfully in a way that enchants your enemies Avatar of Woe
with grief and sorrow, killing their desire to act.
At 14th level, you start to carry the weight of the world, all
As a bonus action, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspi- you have witnessed, all the pain you experienced or caused, on
ration to sing a song of grief. When you do so, sorrows of pain- your shoulders, changing your outlook on everything com-
ful memories fill the air. You choose a number of creatures pletely. You now look utterly devastated, grim and dark.
who can hear you within 60 feet of you, up to a number equal
to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). The targets’ In addition, as a bonus action, you can call upon all of this
speed decreases by 5 feet, and they must make a Charisma woe to come to your aid for 1 minute, or until you are incapac-
saving throw. On a failed save, their dedication and desire to itated. For the duration, an Avatar of Woe (p.237) fights along-
live are replaced with grief and sorrow, and they cannot use a side you and introduces others to feelings of pain and agony.
reaction until the end of their next turn.
Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you
As you grow in power, you see more of the agony that this finish a short or long rest.
life has to offer, and the well of sorrow inside you grows. As a
result, the decrease in the target creatures’ speed becomes 10 Cler ic Domains
feet at 5th level, 15 feet at 10th level, and 20 feet at 14th level.

Agonizing Performance The domains given here include the ways of the most wicked
and evil deities that can be present in various realms. Clerics
Starting at 3rd level, you can make your performances of the Corrupted Domain can corrupt others and then take
charged with woe. advantage of this corruption. Devour Domain is the domain of
gods and goddesses who would stop at nothing before devour-
If you perform for at least 1 minute and succeed on a DC 13 ing everything. Clerics of Rampage Domain live for nothing
Charisma (Performance) check, you can attempt to fill your but to shed blood and annihilate their enemies for their
audience with pain, whether with your words, your dance, or deities.
with any other type of performance. At the end of the perfor-
mance, you choose a number of humanoids within 60 feet of Corrupted Domain
you who watched and listened to all of it, up to a number equal
to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each target “You may ask me why I left the mountains where my clan
must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell roams for a quest to travel the world. Well, I think I just
save DC. On a failed save, the target is filled with emotional love to spread corruption, wherever I go.”
agony.
- Mokkam The Corruptor
While affected by this feature, the target cannot help itself
and starts to cry or is lost deep in its thoughts. It cannot Corruption has many forms. It can manifest in the most
concentrate on spells and its speed decreases by 10 feet. These unexpected places. It can reach you in your happiest moment
effects end if a target takes any damage, if you attack it, if it or while you are in utter desperation. Either way, deities of
witnesses you attacking or damaging any of its allies, or after 1 corruption may approach you with a smile that disguises
hour. On a successful save, the target does not understand that their noxious offers. Clerics of the corrupted domain work as
you tried to affect it. the emissaries of such offers and are masters in invoking the
potential corruption within them. Any dark power that can
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you corrupt can claim influence over this domain.
finish a short or long rest.
CORRUPTED DOMAIN SPELLS
Real Pain
Cleric Level Spells
At 6th level, visuals start to accompany your mournful melo-
dies. As a bonus action, you can affect a creature within 60 feet 1st detect evil and good, false life
of you. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or it relives 3rd evil mark*, ray of enfeeblement
the most painful moments of its life, feeling excruciating pain 5th rotball*, stinking cloud
once again, and takes 1d4 psychic damage. This effect stays 7th burst of corruption*, blight
active for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if 9th cloudkill, conjure corruptive mass*
you were concentrating on a spell). During this time, you can
deal the same damage to the targets you have hit as a bonus
action on each of your turns.

Any creature who fails its saving throw for Song of Grief or
Agonizing Performance cannot resist the effects of this feature.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you fin-
ish a long rest. As you advance in your levels and witness the
pains of life more, you can reflect it better. The damage dealt

38

Corrupted Initiate New Condition: Corrupted

When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain the ability When a creature becomes corrupted, it is crushed
to carry and spread corruption. You can gain Corruption under an overwhelming array of feelings for 3
Points of a number equal to your cleric level + your Wisdom rounds. The behaviors of the creature change, and
modifier (minimum one), which you can use to create differ- it starts to act in a random way. You roll a d10 to
ent effects. When you use all the points, you must finish a long determine the random action of the target creature,
rest to regain them. as shown in the table below:

Corruption is an ever-growing malicious force of the uni- The creature runs in a random direction as
verse that gains power as it spreads. Whether the source of 1-2 fast as they can for 1 round. It can roll a d8 to
corruption is a scheme or chaos, the main purpose of corrup-
tion is simply to corrupt more and more. The profane powers determine the direction.
of corruption have many potential secrets that you can un-
cover as you gain more power. You can share your corruption; The creature stops, and starts to think about
spread it and you can heal, harm, or dominate. 3-4 life, alignments, and the universe itself. It is

Sharing Corruption Points. You can share your corruption stunned for 1 round.
with others. As an action, you choose a target within 30 feet
of you and transfer some of your corruption points to it. If The creature stops and speaks in gibberish
the target is not willing, it can make a Wisdom saving throw 5-6 for 1 round.
against your spell save DC. The maximum number of corrup-
tion points you can transfer to a target in this way equals your 7-8 The creature attacks an enemy.
proficiency bonus. Once transferred, the transferred corrup-
tion points stay with the target for 8 hours or until they are 9-10 The creature attacks the nearest creature,
taken back as a bonus action or spent for an ability. whether it is its friend or its enemy.

Profane Healing. Scars can be healed and bleeding can be Corrupting Existence
stopped through the power of corruption, for the sake of
further corruption. As an action, you can use the corruption Starting at 1st level, you can share one domain spell that you
points of your allies within 30 feet of you to heal them. They can use with an ally within 60 feet of you. The ally can use the
regain 1d6 hit points for each of their corruption points. The spell within the next 8 hours, for once, and gains 1 corruption
used corruption points are lost. You can use a total number of point as the result. The spell uses your spell save DC and spell
corruption points equal to your proficiency bonus. attack bonus. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long
rest to use it again.
Also, when you heal yourself or an ally who has corruption
points using a healing spell, you and your other allies within
30 feet of you who also have corruption points regain
1d6 hit points for each of their corruption points.
This action does not require you to spend corruption
points. In one attempt, you can affect a maximum
number of corruption points equal to your profi-
ciency bonus.

Harming Corruption. Corruption can disturb the
physical body or push the boundaries of the soul. As
an action, you can use the corruption of enemies with-
in 30 feet of you to harm them. You can choose to dam-
age their bodies by dealing necrotic damage or to harm their
souls by warping their minds with frightening images that
deal psychic damage. A target must make a successful Consti-
tution (against necrotic damage) or Wisdom (against psychic
damage) saving throw against your spell save DC or take 1d6
damage for each corruption point they have. In one attempt,
you can use a total number of corruption points equal to your
proficiency bonus.

CORRUPTED CHARACTERS

If a creature’s corruption points exceed its Wisdom mo-
difier, it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw
or become a tool of the corruption that it can no longer
contain. As a result, the creature becomes Corrupted.

39

Channel Divinity: Profane Light effects: The affected creature either gains resistance to
two of the following damage types of your choice: acid,
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to bludgeoning, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, piercing, radi-
frighten good-aligned creatures, crushing their will with your ant, slashing, or thunder; or does not suffer extra damage
corrupted light. from critical hits.
These effects last for the durations given above, or until you
As an action, you present your unholy symbol and speak a use them or take back the transferred corruption points as a
prayer condemning the good. Each good creature that can see bonus action.
or hear you within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw
(DC equal to your spell save DC). On a failed saving throw, a Devour Domain
target creature is frightened for 1 minute or until it takes any
damage.

Spells of Corruption

Starting at 6th level, you can enhance your divine spells with “Your sheep, your homes, yourselves, all shall be con-
the corruption growing inside you to bring agony upon your sumed. I have come to devour all that is held dear, in the
foes. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher to damage name of never-ending hunger.”
any creature, you can spend corruption points and the damage
of the spell increases by the spell level + the corruption points - Carvanul, Devour Domain Cleric
spent. When you use this feature, you can use a maximum
number of corruption points equal to your proficiency bonus.

Corrupted Priest You lived in endless hunger. Now, you are burning with the
desire to spread your eternal hunger wherever you go. As you
Starting at 8th level, the intensity of corruption you can carry look at the devastation that your unparalleled appetite causes,
increases. As a result, the die of the Corrupted Initiate feature your hunger only grows, for there remain new things to eat.
changes. You now roll d8s instead of d6s when you use this You are never satisfied. Every new thing you see is nothing but
feature. a different flavor to taste. You must always eat more and more
to mitigate your hunger.
Corrupted Mutations
DEVOUR DOMAIN SPELLS

At 17th level, you reach the pinnacle of corruption. As an ac- Cleric Level Spells
tion, you can spend corruption points to create several effects.
You can choose to create these effects on yourself by spending 1st blood spear*, protection from evil and good
10 corruption points, or you can grant them to another crea- 3rd command, enhance ability
ture within 30 feet by transferring 5 of your corruption points 5th bestow curse, bone crusher*
to it. You can choose one of the following effects: 7th banishment , horrendous touch*
• You can choose to turn the blood of a number of creatures 9th hallow , raining blood*

into acid for 1 hour. The maximum number of creatures Bonus Proficiency
you can affect in this way equals your Wisdom modifier
(minimum of 1). When the affected creature is attacked When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency
with a melee weapon attack, the attacker must succeed on with heavy armor.
a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 acid damage.
• You choose a creature within range (or yourself). The Eater
chosen creature gains 50 temporary hit points for 8 hours,
or until it takes 50 damage. Also starting at 1st level, you can eat everything you come
• You can infuse your weapons, or those of your allies with- across. Because you cannot suppress this eternal hunger inside
in range, with the powers of corruption, turning them you, and can eat anything because of it, your body is more
into corrupted weapons for 1 hour. The corrupted weapon resilient. You have advantage on saving throws against disease
can deal an extra 2d6 damage of one of the following types and being poisoned.
of your choice: acid, necrotic, or poison.
• You can call upon the magical powers of corruption to Channel Divinity: Stop and Eat
come to your own aid or share them with an ally within
range. When you or your ally casts a spell that deals dam- Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to
age, it deals an extra 3d6 damage of one of the following Stop And Eat. You trigger a need to devour within an enemy
types of your choice: acid, necrotic, or poison. target as a bonus action. The creature must succeed on a Wis-
• You can alter your or one of your allies’ bodies to make
it tougher. The skin of the affected creature changes and
emanates a slightly foul light. Choose one of the following

40

dom saving throw or become prone, ceasing to do whatever it Starter
was doing for the duration of the effect. The affected creature
cannot take an action or a bonus action other than eating, and Starting at 6th level, you can choose to eat a dagger-sized ob-
starts to eat anything edible. If it cannot find anything to eat ject as a bonus action, and you gain a benefit depending on the
in close proximity, it starts to eat itself, taking 1d4 necrotic eaten object. This is the manifestation of the eternal hunger
damage each turn. This damage ignores immunity and resis- within you. You can only gain one of the following benefits at
tance. It loses the sense of where it is or who it is with, and if a time and the effects last for 1 minute. The benefits you will
it gets hit, it doesn’t feel it. gain based on the objects you eat are specified as the follow-
ing:
This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Wis-
dom modifier (minimum one). The affected creature can re- Adamantine. You do not take the extra damage dealt by
peat the Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of its turns. critical hits.
On a successful save, the creature is no longer affected.
Bone. You gain resistance to necrotic damage.
Crystal, Glass, Ice. Your speed does not change in difficult
terrain. Additionally, you cannot have disadvantage on saving
throws against effects that deal cold damage, and you gain
resistance to cold damage.
Iron, Steel. Your weight doubles and your speed is halved
but you can’t be knocked prone.

Mithral. Your weight, along with that of the items you
carry, is halved. Additionally, you have advantage on
Dexterity saving throws.
Stone. You gain resistance to bludgeoning, pierc-
ing, slashing damage dealt by nonmagical attacks,
and you gain resistance to fire damage.
Wood. You gain resistance to slashing and pierc-
ing damage dealt by nonmagical attacks.
If you have a creative idea in addition to the ob-
jects listed above, you can talk to your Game Master
to determine whether you can eat something else,
as well as the benefit you gain from it.
You can use this feature a number of times equal
to your Wisdom modifier (minimum one). You regain

any expended uses after you finish a long rest.

Extradimensional Swallow

Starting at 8th level, as a bonus action, you can turn your
mouth into a portal opening into a pocket dimension created
within your stomach. Your lower jaw falls on the ground, leav-
ing your mouth wide open and creating a portal-like structure.
This portal remains open for 1 minute or until you swallow
something as an action. The total weight of the creatures or
the objects you swallow can’t exceed 175 lbs. This weight in-
creases to 195 lbs. at 11th level, 215 lbs. at 14th level, and 235
lbs. at 17th level. If you want to swallow an unwilling creature,
you must make a melee spell attack.
On a hit, you swallow it. The pocket dimension inside you
is dark, and it smells of acid. There is enough air to breathe to
last 10 minutes for a single Medium-sized creature. Even if you
take damage, the swallowed creatures or objects cannot be
harmed since they are in another dimension.
You can choose to consume an object or a creature that you
swallowed. While consuming it, you deal 1d8 acid damage at
the start of each of your turns. This damage increases to 2d8 at
11th level, 3d8 at 14th level, and 4d8 at 17th level.

A swallowed creature can try to escape from the pocket
dimension. To do so, it can make a Wisdom saving
throw at the end of each of its turns. If it succeeds,
you vomit the creature out, and it appears in an

unoccupied space next to you.

41

If you swallow more than you can take, the pocket dimen- Bonus Proficiency
sion is overloaded. In case of an overload, everything inside is
removed involuntarily as you vomit everything out. When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency
with heavy armor.
If a creature dies in the pocket dimension, either because
of acid damage or from lack of air, it can only be resurrected Incite Rampage
with a wish spell.
Also starting at 1st level, you can awaken the need for ram-
If you die, the swallowed creatures and objects pour out page in your allies. As an action, you can choose a number of
from your mouth. allies within 30 feet of you, including yourself. Chosen allies
can make a weapon attack as a bonus action when they use
Endless Hunger their action to make an attack, until the end of their next turn.

Starting at 17th level, when you swallow and then consume
a creature by using the Extradimensional Swallow feature, you
can choose to take on the appearance and physical features
of the consumed creature. You can replace your appearance,
Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores with the ones of
the consumed creature. You can choose to replace one, two,
or all three of them.

If you consume a creature whose score(s) is changed by an
item, a spell, or an effect, you replace your original score(s)
with the changed score of the creature.

The replacement must take place within 1 day of the con-
sumption and requires a long rest to complete. The replaced
scores last for a number of days equal to your Wisdom modifi-
er (minimum one).

Rampage Domain

“TAKE THEIR SKULLS! DRINK THEIR BLOOD! TEAR
THEIR FLESH INTO A THOUSAND PIECES!”

- The words that started a 40-Day massacre

Rampage domain focuses on bloodshed,
carnage, slaughter, and endless rage. Many
dark deities who love massacres committed in
their name suggest the Rampage domain. As
the bringer of slaughter, you can channel divine
energy to make your enemies rue the day they crossed
your path. You can use the furious powers granted to you by
your dark deity to slaughter a small village, just as you can use
them to bring havoc upon an enormous battlefield.

RAMPAGE DOMAIN SPELLS

Cleric Level Spells

1st heroism, villainous rage*
3rd enlarge/reduce, unholy rage*
5th claw of slaughter*, haste
7th mark of rampage*, murder darkness*
9th foul frenzy*, raining blood*

42

The maximum number of allies you can affect in this way is one of your allies hits the cursed creature with an attack, the
equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum one). Once you target takes an extra 2d8 necrotic damage, and the curse ends.
reach this maximum number, you must finish a long rest be- You can curse a creature in this way once on each turn.
fore you can use this feature again.
Druid Circles
Channel Divinity: Pure Ferocity

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to Not all druids see life and nature the same way, and not all
frighten your weak enemies with the ferocity that burns inside of them represent the peaceful parts of nature. Druids of the
you. Circle of Bones do not see death as a taboo and nemesis of
life. Instead, they master the ways of death to understand the
As an action, you present your holy symbol and evoke a circle of life fully. Druids of the Circle of Consuming Flames
frightening feral energy with a monstrous battle cry. You are the wrath of nature, leaving anything that opposes nature
choose five creatures within 30 feet of you. These creatures in flames without mercy. Druids of the Circle of Pestilence
must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened represent the gruesome parts of nature, with pestilence and
of you for 1 minute or until they take damage. diseases.

Uncontrolled Massacre Circle of bones

True rampage is all about losing yourself in battle and getting “You do not trust the dead, fear the beyond, and call
drenched in blood without regard for whose blood is spilled. yourself the druid of these woods? When will you ever un-
Especially chaotic entities simply want to see bodies torn apart derstand that your overprotective concerns demonstrate
and blood-drenched soil. a lack of faith in nature and that this is heresy in and of
itself? I seek the real truth that lies beneath our magic,
When you become completely absorbed in your rampage, and I know that death is not there to conquer life but to
you become a beacon for chaotic energies. You emanate a make it whole.”
profane aura causing others to join in your rampage. When
you knock at least two enemies unconscious in battle, you can - Navshi, druid of the Circle of Bones
choose to use the Uncontrolled Massacre feature as your Channel
Divinity. As an action, you can affect a number of creatures Most druids see the undead as unearthly and think of them as
equal to your proficiency within 60 feet of you. The affected abominations to the balance of nature. To them, the balance
creatures must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against of nature is something that is common to all life, and the fact
your spell save DC or attack the nearest creature until the end that all creatures who are born are destined to die when their
of their next turn. time comes is only natural. They do not seek what lies beyond
death, as they are concerned with the essence of the living.
Quick Finish
As a druid from the Circle of Bones, such beliefs make you
Starting at 6th level, you can guide the attack of an ally with laugh. How could nature, in all its mysticism and its glory,
divine power so that it finishes off the enemy it is facing more fail to involve the risen dead? How could what lies beyond
quickly and moves onto others. When an ally within 30 feet life be ignored on a journey to seek mystical enlightenment,
of you is making an attack roll, you can use your reaction to when the faith of druids is not made up of religious dogmas,
boost the attack with divine bloodlust causing your ally to deal but rather the freedom of discovery? To you, other druids are
maximum damage. perhaps just as blind in their beliefs as many clergies are.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your You are not bound by such limitations, nor limited by
Wisdom modifier (minimum once). You regain any expended prohibitions on your magic. Others see necromancy as taboo,
uses after you finish a long rest. but you know taboos are nothing but sentimental make-
believe that are made up by creatures, and nature has no
Unstoppable Massacre place for them. Thus, you are able to work with souls and the
undead, and cast spells of the beyond.
Starting at 8th level, your thirst to kill knows no bounds as
your enemies fall before you. When you drop a target to 0 hit You may have seen beyond the threshold of death and the
points with a melee attack, your speed increases by half your dreadful immensity that you faced enlightened you. You feel
original speed or you can make another melee attack as a reac- life force draining when you cast spells that drain life energy,
tion. and are subtly tempted towards evil. Yet, these are sacrifices
you must make to reach your full potential: To be a free child
Marked for Slaughter of nature as nature intended. For nature is limitless, and it
does not discriminate between life and death.
Starting at 17th level, enemies you mark for slaughter wilt
under the rampage caused by you and your allies. As a bonus
action, you can curse a creature until the start of your next
turn. The cursed creature’s body starts to bleed. The next time

43

Bonus Cantrips Druid Circle Spells
Level
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you learn two addi- gentle repose, ray of enfeeblement
tional cantrips from the school of necromancy. 3rd revivify, speak with dead
boneball*, shroud of undeath*
Magic of Bones 5th raise dead, rotting curse*

Your connection to the Circle of Bones provides you the ability 7th
to cast spells of the dead and the beyond. At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th,
and 9th level, you gain access to spells associated with the 9th
dead and with spirits.
Magic of Souls
Once you gain access to the spells of the Circle of Bones, you
always have them prepared, and they don’t count against the Because you are not limited to life, you learn how druid magic
number of spells you prepare each day. If you gain access to is influenced by the vitality of the soul. Starting at 6th level,
a spell that is not on the druid spell list, the spell counts as a you can choose to cast a spell by expending your own life force
druid spell for you. instead of expending a spell slot. To do so, you drain from your
soul and decrease your hit point maximum by a number of d6s
Additionally, any spell from the school of necromancy equal to the level of the spell. For example, when you cast a
counts as a druid spell for you. You can prepare and cast a 4th level spell, your hit point maximum is decreased by 4d6.
spell from the school of necromancy as a druid spell. This reduction lasts until you finish a long rest.

The Threshold and Beyond

Starting at 10th level, as a bonus action, you can gaze into the
ethereal world. You can see 60 feet into the ethereal plane
whenever you wish.

Additionally, you can force an ethereal creature to manifest
itself in the plane you are in. As an action, you grasp the
essence of a creature within 60 feet of you that has the
etherealness feature and incorporeal traits. The creature must
succeed on a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC
or it cannot use its Etherealness feature for a number of rounds
equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum one).

Once you force an ethereal creature to manifest, you cannot
do so again until you finish a long rest.

You also learn the Ritual of the Threshold. This is a secret
ritual performed by your circle in search of the knowledge
of the beyond, by standing on the threshold between life and
death.

RITUAL OF THE THRESHOLD

In this ritual, you bring yourself to the brink of
death in order to seek knowledge from the beyond.
While in this state, you see visions and hear the
voices of spirits.

You start by reducing your hit points to 0, and
start to make your death saving throws. When you
start, it counts as though you have succeeded 1 of
your death saving throws. While you are in this
state, you can benefit from the effects of one of
these spells: augury, divination, contact other plane, or
legend lore without expending a spell slot. In order
to use the spell within the ritual, you must be able
to cast spells of that level.

If you have three failed death saving throws, you
stay unconscious for 1d4 hours and wake up with

44

no recollection of your experience (and thus lose Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion,
any benefits of this ritual). The ritual also fails if frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned,
you are healed or a creature casts a spell such as prone, restrained
spare the dying on you. Incorporeal Movement. You can move through other
creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.
For the contact other plane and legend lore spells, You take 5 (1d10) force damage if you end your turn
you first spend an amount of minutes equal to inside an object
their casting time, focusing on your intention, Turn Vulnerability. You can be affected by turn
before you get into the dying state. For effects undead.
that require concentration, you can maintain your
concentration after you become stable. ACTIONS
Etherealness. You enter the Ethereal Plane from the
When you make your death saving throws for Material Plane, or vice versa. You are visible on the
this ritual and have three successes, you return to Material Plane while you are in the Border Ethereal,
life with 1 hit point. and vice versa, yet you can’t affect or be affected by
anything on the other plane.
If you fall unconscious in combat and start
making death saving throws, you can still make use Circle of
of this ritual. However, if you start to perform the Consuming flames
ritual this way, you do not start with 1 success on
your death saving throws, you cannot benefit from
the effects of the spells above that have a casting
time greater than 1 action, and you do not return to
life with 1 hit point if you become stable.

Tr anscend

At 14th level, the limitations of death become insignificant to ’Mortals and gods alike shall taste the power of flames, for
you. You learn how to cast the etherealness spell. You can pre- there is nothing flames cannot consume!’’
pare this spell just as you do your other druid spells.
- Flint the Firestarter
If you die, you can cast revivify or similar spells on yourself
to rise from the dead. You don’t have to have the spell Fire is one of the four elements that make up the universe and
prepared, but you expend a spell slot of the level of the spell it can be seen in all aspects of life. We use gentle, flickering
cast. If the spell has a casting time that is longer than 1 action, candlelight to read at night, and start a slowly waning
you spend the amount of time necessary to focus on the spell campfire to keep warm outside; flames are in all aspects of
in soul form. The material components of the spell are taken all things, from the heavens above to the hells down below,
from your belongings if your corpse is within 120 feet of your and it constantly watches over us, just like the sun. Fire is the
soul. truest, purest and most powerful form in nature. Thus, it is
only natural that nature be bathed in flames once more, so
Additionally, if you are down to 0 hit points and fall the corruption spread to this day by mortal races and forces
unconscious, you can get up in soul form as a risen soul. To rise that defy nature can be cleansed. This corruption cannot be
in this way, you must expend a spell slot. You gain temporary reversed, so everything must be destroyed and a universe
hit points equal to a number of d8s equal to the level of the must be built anew through the ever-burning flames.
spell slot. For example, if you expend a 3rd-level spell slot, you
have 3d8 temporary hit points in soul form. Shroud of Flames

While in this form, you retain all your character abilities
and traits, although you cannot make weapon attacks. You
can cast spells and can consume any material components
from your corpse. You revert back to your normal form if
your temporary hit points drop to 0 or after 1 hour. When you
revert back to your normal form, you fall unconscious.

You have the following properties as a risen soul:

RISEN SOUL Starting at 2nd level, you are surrounded by an invisible
Armor Class 11 shroud of flame that is harmless until you unleash its wrath
Hit Points as stated under “Transcend” on a creature nearby. When a creature you can see moves to
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover) a space within 10 feet of you on a turn, or it starts its turn
there, it can feel the heat around you increase. You can use
Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder; your reaction to deal 1d4 fire damage to that creature unless
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical it succeeds on a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save
attacks DC. The fire damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 2d4 at 10th
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison level, and 2d6 at 14th level.

45

Fire Beast Herald of Flames

At 2nd level, you gain the ability to mold fire into your beast At 10th level, your connection with the fire plane, and the
shape from Wild Shape. You become a burning version of the flames it inspires, becomes so powerful that you gain the
beast you transformed into when using this feature. You can ability to channel energy from fire, and you gain the ability
use this feature every time you use your Wild Shape feature, to wield the true, primal form of fire. You gain the following
and once after you transformed into your Wild Shape as a reac- benefits:
tion. While you are using this feature is, you gain the following • Resistance and immunity to fire damage are both less ef-
benefits:
• You gain resistance to fire damage and vulnerability to fective against the fire damage you deal with your attacks
and spells. Fire resistance can only reduce the fire damage
cold damage. you deal by 1/4 (rounded down) and fire immunity only
• Your melee weapon attacks deal an extra 1d6 fire damage. reduces this damage by half.
These benefits last for 10 minutes or until you transform back • When you kill a creature using a spell that deals fire dam-
to your normal shape. age using a spell slot of 6th level or lower, you regain the
spell slot you expended to cast this spell.
Circle Spells • In areas close to the fire plane (volcanoes, etc.), or in areas
that are within 10 feet of bonfires larger than you, the
Your connection to the realms of fire through your rage fills time it takes for you to take a short rest halves, and to
you with the ability to cast certain fire-themed spells. At 3rd, take a long rest decreases by 2 hours.
5th, 7th, and 9th level, you gain access to circle spells connect-
ed to the primal fire.
Once you gain access to a circle spell, you always have it
prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells
you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that
doesn’t appear on the druid spell list, the spell nonetheless
counts as a druid spell for you.

Druid Circle Spells
Level
continual flame, scorching ray
3rd entropic fire*, fireball
fire shield, memory of fire*
5th devoured in flames*, vines of fire*

7th

9th

Fiery Companion

At 6th level, you gain the ability to speak the true language of
fire, Ignan.

Additionally, you gain the ability to call a denizen of the fire
plane by consuming some part of nature through flames. As an
action, you annihilate a tree, a rat, a butterfly, a piece of soil,
or some other living thing (whose CR is 0), with raging flames
by shouting the word ‘’BURN!’’ in Ignan and summoning a
creature of fire whose challenge rating is 1/2 or lower. It
remains with you for 1 hour, and then returns to its home.

In a combat encounter, this creature’s turn is immediately
after yours in the initiative order. It obeys the commands you
give with your mind for its action, it can only use the Attack
action, and it can only attack once per turn.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your
Wisdom modifier (minimum once). You regain any expended
uses after you finish a long rest.

The maximum challenge rating of the creature you summon
with this feature increases to 1 at 10th level, and to 2 at 14th
level.

46

Wreathed in Flames druids.
These druids seek out overcrowded areas to lower the
At 14th level, you can open yourself up to the powerful, de-
structive flames of the fire plane as a bonus action. The flames population there through mass disease, or they may work with
find life within your body, transforming you into a destruc- darker forces to acquire control over the universe.
tive flame for 1 minute, or until you are decapitated or until
you transform back to your normal shape as a bonus action. Pestilent Blood
During this transformation, you cannot cast spells and you
gain the following statistics: Starting at 2nd level, you embody the act of decaying. You
start to carry diseases within your body. These diseases may
DESTRUCTIVE FLAME cause small changes in your appearance. Your skin color may
Medium elemental become paler than it was or you may get edemas in several
places. You gain advantage on saving throws against diseases
Armor Class 18 (molten plate) and poisons.
Hit Points 117 (18d8 + 36)
Speed 40 ft. Additionally, the diseases you carry mix with and your
bodily fluids to create a special chemical with which you can
STR 12 (+1) DEX 18 (+4) CON 15 (+2) and you retain infuse a weapon you are wielding. As a bonus action, you can
your Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores. cut yourself with a weapon or spit bloody phlegm on it by
dealing 1 damage to yourself. This damage cannot be reduced
Saving Throws and Skills. You retain your skill by any means. On your next weapon attack that uses this
and saving throw proficiencies but your proficiency weapon within 1 minute, the target creature must make a
bonus is +3 successful Constitution saving throw against your spell save
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and DC or become poisoned for 1 minute. If the target creature
slashing from nonmagical weapons succeeds on the saving throw, it becomes immune to the
Damage Immunities fire, poison chemical until it takes a long rest.
Damage Vulnerabilities cold
Condition Immunities paralyzed, petrified, The diseases you carry become more potent as you grow
poisoned, prone in power. Starting at 6th level, the weapon you infuse stays
Senses You retain your normal senses coated in the liquid for 1 minute and deals acid, necrotic,
Languages You can understand and speak the or poison damage for the duration. You choose the type of
languages you normally know. damage at 6th level and cannot change it later. It deals an
Challenge 7 extra 1d6 damage at 6th, 1d8 at 10th, and 2d6 at 14th levels.

Source of Fire. You shed bright light in a 20-foot Swarm Shape
radius and dim light in a 20-foot radius. Also, you do
not need to spend your reaction to use the Shroud of Starting at 2nd level, you can transform into a swarm of
Flames feature as it is always active. beasts, even if it is a monstrosity, by using your Wild Shape
feature. You can talk to your GM to determine the kinds of
vermin you can transform into.

Swarmer

Circle of Pestilence Starting at 6th level, as you heed its call by entering this circle,
the pestilence in nature answers your call. You can cast the
“Maybe we should be more tolerant against civilization call blood scarab swarm* spell twice without expending a spell
or even try to learn how to live with them… Just kidding, I slot. The swarms summoned by this feature also carry your
JUST WANT TO LET PLAGUE AND VERMIN RUN AMOK IN Pestilent Blood and they deal the chosen type of damage of this
ALL CITIES!” feature on their attacks. As your connection with pestilence
grows, vermin start to crawl all over your body and your face
- Svetli, Queen of the Swamp at all times.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long
rest to use it again.

Vomit Swarm

Druids of the Circle of Pestilence heed the call of pestilence. Starting at 10th level, disease-carrying swarms of vermin fill
They believe that the balance in nature cannot be preserved your body. As an action, you can vomit out 1d4 swarms of rats,
through the sole means of helping life flourish. While some bats, poisonous spiders, scorpions, centipedes or flying insects along
need to create life, others must destroy it. Decay, diseases, with your bodily fluids. Each creature in a 15-foot cone must
rot, swarms of all types of foul creatures, and vermin are make a successful Dexterity saving throw or take 6d6 damage
all harbingers of pestilence, and thus, companions of these of the type of damage chosen in your Pestilent Blood feature.

47

Also, the swarms stay under your command, and follow your swarm, the hivemind acts together.
mental orders for 1 minute. Additionally, you can channel your spells through these

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long swarms of vermin, and make the space occupied by these
rest to use it again. swarms become the origin point of the spell. When you do
so, the vermin make strange noises and movements as they
Hivemind perform the verbal and somatic components of the spell.

Starting at 14th level, you can form a hivemind and become The members of the hivemind, including you as you are
its leader. By performing a ritual that takes 10 minutes, you its leader, must be within 60 feet of each other or the bond
can call nearby insects and form a hivemind between them. If between them breaks, and if a member ventures further
there are no insects around you, you can form the hivemind than 60 feet, they leave the hivemind and the hivemind loses
by using the swarms you have conjured or vomited out. At the members.
end, you have the hivemind monster, that is detailed below,
under your control. When a spellcaster makes a Concentration check for
a spell, you can order the hivemind to create disturbing
The creatures in the hivemind share an evil consciousness. and distracting noises as a reaction, giving the spellcaster
Through the unity formed in the hivemind, every creature is disadvantage on the roll. Also, when a target is hit by the
aware of one another on a heightened level and attains hivemind, it must make a successful Constitution saving throw
a greater intelligence. All members of the hivemind can against your spell save DC or start to carry vermin eggs. Upon
perceive things through every other its death, the target’s body explodes and creates a new swarm
members’ perception. of insects. The eggs disappears after 1 hour or they can be
removed by a lesser restoration spell.
Also, the Intelligence score of
the members with an Intelligence HIVEMIND
lower than 8, increases to 8. Since Huge swarm of Medium vermin swarms, neutral evil
you are the leader of the hivemind,
as a bonus action, you can Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
order the swarms of vermin Hit Points 88 (16d10)
that you have under your Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft.
command to move, stop, attack,
or use an action. You cannot STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
give separate orders to each 5 (-3) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 8 (-1) 12 (+1) 3 (-4)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened,
grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained,
stunned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Swarm. The hivemind can occupy another creature’s
space and vice versa, and the hivemind can move
through any opening large enough for a Tiny
insect. The hivemind can’t regain hit points or gain
temporary hit points.

ACTIONS

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 0 ft., one
target. Hit: 30 + your Wisdom modifier (12d4 + your
Wisdom modifier) piercing damage, or 15 + your
Wisdom modifier (6d4 + your Wisdom modifier)
piercing damage if the hivemind has half of its
hit points or fewer. The target must make a DC 10
Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) poison
damage on a failed save, or half as much on a

successful one.

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MARTIAL ARCHETYPES GM BOX: BECOMING A CORPSE
KNIGHT
Martial archetypes represented in this section are for fighters
who are dishonorable, sinister, or unholy. The Corpse Knight A fighter can be initiated into the corpse
makes use of necrotic energies to infuse their weapons and knighthood in several ways:
armor, as well as to create an undead steed or squire to help • A powerful necromancer or an undead can
them in battle. Dark Arts Militant uses various potions and
decoctions for challenging their opponents and prey. Wicked grant the fighter necrotic powers through a
Fighter focuses on unsavory maneuvers that exploit the weak- dark ritual.
nesses of opponents. • The fighter can be exposed to necrotic energies
in a location tied to the undead.
Corpse Knight • The fighter may have found a tome containing
instructions on how to perform dark rituals
“I served gladly until I realized that I was strong enough and made itself a corpse knight, perhaps with
to break my chains. Now I roam free. Now I am my own
master.” the help of its friends.
Introducing the archetype in such ways may bring a
- Riztel “Dread Blade ” T’ein certain flavor to the story. These listed options are
merely suggestions to inspire both the players and
The realms are full of necromancers, liches, vampires and the GM; you can also find other ways to transform
other creatures and cults that have some relation to necro- a character into a Corpse Knight and use the above
mancy. These beings and organizations generally have as examples to inspire your own creation.
something valuable which they want to protect: the
phylactery of a lich, the sarcophagus of a vampi-
re, or the laboratory in which a cult constructs
flesh golems (and so on).

Like a king or queen who guards their treasu-
re, these creatures and organizations want
to make sure their most precious things
are safe and secure. So, they let their most
trusted servants or followers guard such
items or places.

These guardians are called Corpse
Knights. They are fighters who have
necrotic powers and they are knights
whose squires and steeds are made up
of the undead. They craft their own
armors and weapons out of the corpses
of their enemies.

Corpse Knights, generally, live by
a code of conduct in which the most
important rule is to keep guarding
whatever they must, at all cost. Alt-
hough they are mostly seen in places
or occurrences that have some conne-
ction to necromancy, some of them wander
the world as free adventurers. Although they have
a code of conduct they follow, or a master that they
serve, codes can nonetheless be broken and masters can
be killed. This means that Corpse Knights are not necessa-
rily dominated by their code, nor their masters, and that
they only adhere to these limitations as long as it suits
them.

49

Corpse Arsenal Corpse Squire

A knight carries its pride in its weapons and armor. It also Starting at 7th level, you can create a squire for yourself from
takes pride in its knowledge of armor and weapons. In case the corpses of your enemies either by performing a 1-hour rit-
of emergency, you should be able to craft armor or weapons ual, or you are granted one by your master. You can have only
and be able to repair them when necessary. However, uncon- one squire at a time and it tries to fulfill the quests you give it,
ventionally, you craft this equipment out of bone and meat. and risks its life, if need be.
Starting at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with smith’s tools,
Corpse Armor, Corpse Weapons, and your Corpse Arsenal. As an action, you can magically summon your Corpse Squire
or send it back to its regular dwelling, somewhere in the lands
These crafted items are called Corpse Weapons or Corpse of shadow and death, just like your steed. When summoned, it
Armor. There are certain types of armor and weapons that you appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you, or in the
can craft in this way according to your Corpse Knight level, as space that is closest to you. Each time the squire is called, it
appears with full health and any gear it was carrying when it
given in the table below: was last sent back.

Level Armor Weapon When the corpse squire dies (p.247), it disappears and drops
any equipment it was carrying. In this case, you need to create
3rd Breastplate Any Weapon a new squire for yourself.

7th Half Plate Weapon deals 1d4 bonus necrotic damage You can create a corpse squire of CR 1 at 7th level, CR 2 at
11th level, CR 3 at 13th level, and CR 4 at 15th level.
10th Plate Weapon +1
15th Plate +1 Weapon deals 1d8 bonus necrotic damage Corpse Body
18th Plate +2 Weapon +2
Regardless of whether you left the service of your former mas-
When wearing Corpse Armor, you have advantage on Charis- ter, or you are still a loyal servant, the necrotic effects of your
ma (Intimidation) checks. powers grow as you become more powerful.

Crafting an item in this way takes 8 hours and during this Starting at 10th level, you gain resistance to poison damage
time, you cannot take a short or long rest as this type of craf- and have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.
ting requires active work. You do not require a forge, nor heat, Also, you do not need to drink, eat, or breathe.
but you need the corpse of a Medium or larger creature to
make an armor or a weapon. A New Shell

These items possess their special properties only when you At 15th level, your Corpse Armor fuses with your body and
are using them. When someone other than you tries to use becomes permanent. It cannot be broken or removed if you
them, they turn back to being mangled remains of bones and are not willing. You gain resistance to slashing and piercing
flesh. The crafted weapons are thus used with disadvantage damage from nonmagical weapons.
when wielded by others, and the AC the armor offers takes a -2
penalty. Dark Arts Militant

However, at your GM’s discretion, you can use another “Collecting hearts from bodies can be a bloody and dirty
Corpse Knight’s Corpse Arsenal as if the items in it were your business sometimes, but looking into the eyes of your
own. Whether they belonged to an enemy or a fallen friend, unsuspecting enemies, and watching them tremble in fear,
using the arsenal of another knight could bring yet another is worth all the effort.”
flavor to the game.
- From the interrogation of Sorax
Corpse Steed
Bonus Proficiencies
Also starting at 3rd level, you can call a strong and loyal steed
to serve you in your adventures. This mount is usually a Corpse Starting at 3rd level, your curiosity for the dark arts and using
Warhorse. However, it can be Corpse versions of other animals. them in practical ways grant you some abilities. You gain
proficiency with alchemist’s supplies, and you learn to speak,
As an action, you can magically summon your mount or read, and write Abyssal and Infernal.
send it back to its regular dwelling, somewhere in the lands
of shadow and death. When you summon it, it appears in an Dark Artist
unoccupied space within 5 feet of you, or in the space that is
closest to you if there is no unoccupied space within 5 feet. Starting at 3rd level, you learn how to craft oils and poisons
Each time the mount is called, it appears with full health and by using the knowledge on the forbidden arts that you have
any gear it was carrying when it was last sent back to its dwel-
ling.

When the corpse steed (p.248) dies, it disappears and drops
any equipment it was carrying. As an action, you can call it
again.

50