Part 3: Character Options
Monk ing, you create a ferrous blade that crumbles back into pow-
dered rust immediately after the attack hits or misses. You
Monastic Tradition can throw your ferrous blades up to 30 feet by momentarily
conjuring and manipulating magnetic fields.
At 3rd level, a monk gains the Monastic Tradition feature. Controlled Oxidization. When you hit a creature that
The following options are available to a monk, in addition has eyes with one of your ferrous blades, you can expend
to those in the Player’s Handbook: the Way of Ferrous Eso- 1 ki point to attempt to control how and when the blade
tericism and the Way of the Long Blade. crumbles back into powdered rust. The target must make a
Dexterity saving throw or become blinded until the end of
Way of Ferrous Esotericism your next turn.
The monks of the Way of Ferrous Esotericism hail from the Rusted Shredding Blades. When you hit a creature that has
Monastery in Acheron where they attempt to become one with the blood with one of your ferrous blades, you can expend 1 ki
plane through deep meditation. Some of these monks have learned point to attempt to lodge the blade inside the target before it
to channel their Ki into ferrous metals, effectively creating magnetic crumbles into powdered rust. The target must make a Con-
fields that enable them to manipulate said metals. An astonishing stitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute.
feat to be sure.
Magnetic Deflection
Way of Ferrous Esotericism Features Also starting at 3rd level, your Deflect Missiles feature is
empowered by your control over magnetic fields. When you
Monk Level Features deflect a metallic projectile using your Deflect Missiles, you
reduce its damage by an additional amount equal to twice
3rd Ferrous Adept, Ferrous Blades, Magnetic your Martial Arts damage, as shown in the Martial Arts
Deflection column of the Monk table.
If you reduce the damage to 0 on a metallic object, you
6th Ferromagnetism can magnetically deflect the missile if it weighs no more
than 1,000 pounds without needing to hold it.
11th Ferrous Osmosis
Ferromagnetism
17th Ferromagnetic Potency At 6th level, you learn to extend fine ferromagnetic control
over other objects. While wearing armor that contains met-
27th Ferromagnetic Mastery al, you can spend 1 ki point to cast the levitate spell, target-
ing only yourself. Additionally, you gain the magnetic clinch
Ferrous cantrip if you don’t already know it, and you can use it to lift
Esotericist objects weighing up to 100 pounds.
Ferrous Adept Ferrous Osmosis
When you join the Way of Ferrous Esotericism at 3rd level, Beginning at 11th level, you can manipulate magnetic fields
you gain proficiency with light and medium armor, and you to form almost any object from powdered rust. The result-
learn the rapid oxidization cantrip (see chapter 13) if you ing object is nonmagical, is metallic in nature, and can't
don’t already know it. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability have a value higher than 25 gp or be larger than 10 feet on
for it. You also gain a component pouch filled with pow- a side. Forming an object in this manner takes 1 minute for
dered rust for free - the result of oxidized metals you've col- every 5 gp the object is worth and requires your concen-
lected as you've prepared for this specialization. tration (as though concentrating on a spell). You could, for
example, create a 10-foot ladder, a shovel, a signet ring, or
Ferrous Blades similar. If you would create an object such a piece of soap or
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can a candle, you create an object of similar appearance, but its
momentarily manifest blades of shiny steel using powdered metallic nature would prevent it from working like a piece
rust. of soap or a candle.
Your unarmed strikes deal your choice of piercing or Once you have created an object, you can continue to con-
bludgeoning damage each time you hit. If you choose pierc- centrate to prevent it from crumbling back intro powdered
rust. If you don't, the object crumbles after 10 minutes.
Ferromagnetic Potency
At 17th level, your control over ferromagnetism increases.
You can cast the electromagnetic polarization spell at will
(see chapter 13), using Wisdom as your spellcasting ability.
You can increase the level of the spell by 1 for each ki point
you spend as you cast it.
In addition, you can spend 5 ki points to cast the telekine-
sis spell, but you can target only target metallic objects and
creatures that wear metallic armor or are poisoned by your
Shredding Blades.
Ferromagnetic Mastery
Starting at 27th level, you can throw your ferrous blades up
to 60 feet, and objects you create with your Ferrous Osmo-
sis feature can be up to 30 feet on a side and have a value
of up to 100 gp.
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Chapter 12: Classes
Wlwehaiellrnnsutfaroeclciynlogdsieeatbhleeofnoggraepwyoienuatptwoaonk,setyeoypuosurmautthsmitrods.t, or you Long Blade
-Drizzt Do’Urden Monk
Way of the Long Blade Pole-Vault
The monks of this Order are unmatched in their expertise with Starting at 6th level, when you take the attack action on
bladed pole weapons. Though mostly known for their choice of your turn to attack with a monk weapon that has the reach
weaponry, their guiding philosophy is in fact one of pursuing en- property, you can vault up to 15 feet, spending movement
lightenment: They believe that one's true self can only be found in as normal. When vaulting in this manner, you don't provoke
battle, where death becomes more and more certain with every opportunity attacks and you can move over Large or small-
passing minute. While a bit grim, I'm sure there's some truth to this. er creatures. The maximum number of feet you can vault
I've seen people play roles their entire lives, only to reveal their true in this manner increases as you gain levels in this class, as
colors once death draws near. Concepts such as friendship, loyalty, shown in the Unarmored Movement column of the monk
and even the pursuit of truth and logic can evaporate faster than the table.
tears of a salamander. In addition, you make Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks with
advantage while you wield a monk weapon with the reach
Way of the Long Blade property.
Monk Level Features Ki Parry
3rd Art of the Long Blade, Long Blade Techniques Starting at 11th level, when you are hit by a melee attack
6th Pole-Vault and you can see the attacker, you can spend 1 Ki point as a
11th Ki Parry reaction to roll your Martial Arts die and add it to your AC
17th Long Blade Master against the triggering attack, provided that you are wield-
27th Steel Maelstrom ing a monk weapon.
If you use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack
Art of the Long Blade with your Iron Cobra Stance, you can use this feature as
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you part of the same reaction without spending Ki points.
gain proficiency with glaives, halberds, and pikes, and they
are monk weapons for you. In addition, if you would make Long Blade Master
one or more unarmed strikes as a bonus action, you can Beginning at 17th level, your long blade has truly become an
instead throw a weapon with the finesse and thrown prop- extension of yourself, allowing you to lean into your strikes.
erties provided you throw it no further than 15 feet. When While wielding a monk weapon with the reach property,
throwing a weapon in this manner, you don't make the at- your reach increases by 5 feet.
tack with disadvantage due to being in melee range of an
enemy. Steel Maelstrom
Starting at 27th level, you learn to spin your long blade with
Long Blade Techniques incredible speed, protecting you from all sides. Using an
Also starting at 3rd level, when you hit a creature with a action, you begin to spin a monk weapon with the reach
monk weapon that has the reach property on your turn, you property, even spinning it around your own body. Until the
can spend 1 ki point to attempt one of the following tech- start of your next turn, your movement is halved, your AC
niques. increases by an amount equal to your Dexterity modifier,
Arrowhawk Feather-Blossom. Using your bonus action, and the first time on a turn that a creature comes within 10
you create a momentary circle of spectral blades that sweep feet of you or starts its turn there, it takes weapon damage
around you. Each creature within your reach must succeed equal to your Martial Arts die.
on a Dexterity saving throw against this magic or take force
damage equal to your Martial Arts die.
Iron Cobra Stance. You focus your will on your surround-
ings. If a creature makes a melee weapon attack against
you before the start of your next turn, you can use your re-
action to make a melee weapon attack against it, using a
monk weapon with the reach property.
Steel Scorpion Thrust. If the target is a Large or smaller
creature, it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or
become grappled until the start of your next turn as it is
impaled by your weapon. The target can use its action to
make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check
against your Ki save DC, ending the grappled condition on
a successful check. The effect also ends early if you attack
with the weapon before the start of your next turn or if you
move to a space where the weapon can no longer reach the
target.
143
Part 3: Character Options
Paladin You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath
of Fulmination Spells table. See the Sacred Oath class fea-
Sacred Oath ture for how oath spells work.
At 3rd level, a paladin gains the Sacred Oath feature. The Oath of Fulmination Spells
following options are available to a paladin, in addition to
those in the Player’s Handbook: the Oath of Fulmination Paladin Level Spells
and the Oath of Unity. 3rd electromagnetic polarization*, thunderwave
5th keen weapon*, shatter
Oath of Fulmination 9th call lightning, lightning bolt
Fulmination paladins begin their military training at age seven, 13th arc pulse*, mantle of Avalas*
in an especially harsh manner designed to encourage discipline and 17th shout*, storm ride*
physical toughness, and to weed out the weak. During this train-
ing,initiates are fed just the right amount to barely sustain their bod- Channel Divinity
ies, to give them a taste of what it is like to not have enough. Besides When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following
physical and weapons training, initiates also study advanced military Channel Divinity options.
tactics and eventually will learn how to harness the fury of a storm Storm Weapon. As a bonus action, you can use your
in weaponized form. Seven seems incredibly young embark down Channel Divinity to empower your strikes with crackling
this path, but the results of the training clearly speak for themselves. lightning. For 1 minute your melee weapon attacks, as well
as your Divine Smite and Improved Divine Smite features,
Tenets of Fulmination deal lightning damage instead of their regular damage, and
The tenets of the Oath of Fulmination revolve around con- whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon, each
flict. hostile creature within 5 feet of the target takes lightning
Give No Quarter. Never sympathize, never empathize. damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
Give the enemy nothing, but take from them everything. Thunder Toss. As an action, you can use your Channel
Never Back Down. No retreat, no surrender. If defeat is Divinity to hurl your weapon at a target. Make a ranged
certain, stand and fight, and die. weapon attack against a target that you can see within 600
Thrive on Conflict. Do not idle or simply pay lip service feet. On a hit, the attack deals thunder damage equal to the
to conflict. Seek it out, for true glory can only be found on weapon damage plus your paladin level. The attack deals
the field of battle. double damage to objects and structures. If the target is a
I am the Storm. Stand next to the tempest like lesser creature, it is pushed up to 30 feet away from you and must
warriors stand next to their fellow warriors. Ride the storm succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become stunned
like lesser warriors ride beasts. Wield thunder and light- until the end of its next turn. Your weapon instantly returns
ning how lesser warriors wield mace and spear. to your hand after the attack hits or misses.
Oath of Fulmination Features
Paladin Level Features Tempestuous Wrath
At 7th level, you can take a bonus action to force a creature
3rd Oath Spells, Channel Divinity within 10 feet of you to make a Dexterity saving throw. The
7th Tempestuous Wrath (10 ft.) target takes lightning damage equal to half your paladin
15th Shocking Sovereignty level + your Charisma modifier on a failed save, or half as
18th Tempestuous Wrath (30 ft.) much damage on a successful one. The range at which you
20th Stormlord can target a creature increases to 30 feet at 18th level.
27th Fulminator
Oath Spells Shocking Sovereignty
Starting at 15th level, you have advantage on melee weap-
Paladin of on attacks if the target is wearing armor made of metal.
Fulmination In addition, you gain resistance to lightning and thunder
damage.
Stormlord
At 20th level, you gain the ability to bridle the power of the
storm. Using an action, you gain the following benefits for
1 minute:
• You gain immunity to lightning and thunder damage.
• While outside, you gain a flying speed equal to your
walking speed.
• The range of your Tempestuous Wrath feature increas-
es to 60 feet.
• You gain the benefits of your Channel Divinity: Storm
Weapon feature without expending your Channel Divin-
ity.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you
finish a long rest.
Fulminator
Beginning at 27th level, when you roll lightning or thunder
damage, you can roll the dice twice and take either total.
144
Chapter 12: Classes
Oath of Unity Aura of Consonance
A paladin who takes the Oath of Unity is, in all likelihood, the most At 7th level, when an allied creature you can see within 10
dedicated and loyal friend you'll ever make. They are protectors at feet of you is the target of an attack or a spell, you can use
heart, not just interposing themselves between you and the danger your reaction to magically switch places with the creature,
at hand, but by also enabling their companions to better protect causing you to become the target instead. Similarly, if you
each other. are the lone target of an attack or harmful spell, you can
choose a willing creature within 10 feet of you as a reac-
The wise say there is strength in numbers, but the paladins of this tion, causing you and your ally to switch places and causing
Oath say instead that numbers alone isn't aren’t true strength; unity the ally to become the target instead. In both cases, the ally
among your party, of focused mind and able body, of willing heart must be a willing creature.
and razor-sharp intent, that is true strength. The range at which you can switch places with a willing
creature increases to 30 feet at 18th level.
Tenets of Unity
The tenets of the Oath of Unity revolve around an unbreak- Veil of Consensus
able bond with allies, understanding that the whole is great- Starting at 15th level, while at least one ally is within 5
er than the sum of its parts. feet of you, you are affected by the crusader's mantle spell.
Loyalty. Victory from strength, strength from loyalty. My When affected by the spell in this manner, you do not have
allies are my family. I'd rather die than betray their trust. to maintain concentration on the spell.
United We Stand. If an ally falls, it is my duty to pick
them up. We live and die together. Beacon of Harmony
Binding Cause. I will go to the ends of the world for my Beginning at 20th level, you can use an action to cast the
allies and our common cause. I expect them to do the same. hallow spell without expending a spell slot or material com-
Honor and Responsibility. Whatever I do reflects upon ponents, filling the spell’s area with holy radiance. An ally
my allies. It is our solemn duty to act in a manner that that starts its turn in the area, is affected by the sanctuary
brings us all honor. spell. When cast in this manner, you can only choose the
Courage, Daylight, and Energy Protection options for the
Oath of Unity Features hallow spell and the spell lasts only until you next finish a
long rest.
Paladin Level Features Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you
3rd Oath Spells, Channel Divinity finish a long rest.
7th Aura of Consonance (10 ft.)
15th Veil of Consensus Solidarity
18th Aura of Consonance (30 ft.) Beginning at 27th level, when you or an ally within 30 feet
20th Beacon of Harmony of you that you can see takes damage, you can use your
27th Solidarity reaction to divide that damage evenly among the creature
that took the damage and any number of willing creatures
Oath Spells within 30 feet of you.
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath You can use this feature a number of times equal to your
of Unity Spells table. See the Sacred Oath class feature for Charisma modifier. You regain all expended uses when you
how oath spells work. finish a long rest.
Oath of Unity Spells Paladin of
Unity
Paladin Level Spells
3rd healing word, sanctuary
5th enhance ability, warding bond
9th beacon of hope, glyph of warding
13th freedom of movement, guardian of faith
17th greater restoration, mass cure wounds
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following
Channel Divinity options.
We Stand as One. Using your Channel Divinity as a re-
action when you roll initiative, you can give yourself and
friendly creatures within 30 feet of you a bonus to their
initiative roll equal to your Charisma modifier. In addition,
immediately before the first turn in combat, you can change
your initiative to be immediately before or after that of an
ally of your choice.
Unified Gathering. Using a bonus action, you invoke
your Channel Divinity to let your touch affect all allies near
you. Within the next minute, the next time you use your Lay
on Hands feature, each friendly creature within 5 feet of
you is affected by it in the same manner as the creature you
touch.
145
Part 3: Character Options
Magnetic Propulsion
Also starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to create mag-
netic fields to launch yourself forward with incredible force.
Using a bonus action while wearing armor made of metal,
you move up to 10 feet in a straight line to an unoccupied
space that you can see. This movement doesn't provoke op-
portunity attacks and doesn't consume any of your move-
ment. The maximum distance you can be transported in
this manner increases as you gain levels in this class, as
Steel shown in the Range column of the Magnetic Propulsion ta-
Warden
ble.
Magnetic Propulsion
Ranger Level Uses Range Bonus Dice
3rd 2 10 ft 1d8
6th 3 10 ft 1d8
9th 3 10 ft 2d8
12th 3 20 ft 2d8
15th 4 20 ft 2d8
18th 4 20 ft 3d8
Ranger 21st 4 30 ft 3d8
23rd 5 30 ft 3d8
Ranger Archetype 26th 5 30 ft 4d8
At 3rd level, a ranger gains the Ranger Archetype feature. 29th 5 40 ft 4d8
The following option is available to a ranger, in addition to
those in the Player’s Handbook. When you use this feature to transport yourself, the dam-
age of your next melee weapon attack increases by 1d8. The
Steel Warden attack must be made with a metallic weapon on the same
These armorclad rangers manipulate magnetic fields to propel turn and before moving further. The bonus damage increas-
themselves with incredible speed to land devastating blows or avoid es as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Bonus
incoming harm. This unique skill set originates among the hobgob- Dice column of the Magnetic Propulsion table.
lins of Avalas, who have perfected the method compliment their war You can use this feature a number of times as shown in
effort with swift and precise strikes at crucial pillars within the de- the Uses column of the Magnetic Propulsion table. You re-
fense of their enemies. gain any expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Steel Warden Features Warding Jolt
Beginning at 7th level, when you are hit by an attack, you
Ranger Level Features can expend one use of your Magnetic Propulsion feature
as a reaction. When you do so, you are transported as you
3rd Steel Warden Magic, Bonus Proficiencies, normally would be and gain temporary hit points equal to
Magnetic Propulsion the dice shown in the Bonus Dice column of the Magnetic
Propulsion table.
7th Warding Jolt
Impact Trauma
11th Impact Trauma Starting at 11th level, the impact created by your Magnetic
Propulsion feature stresses the nervous system of your tar-
15th Concussor get. When you damage a creature with the bonus dice from
your Magnetic Propulsion feature, you can attempt to cause
27th Vehemence impact trauma. The target must succeed on a Constitution
saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.
Steel Warden Magic
You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels Concussor
in this class, as shown in the Steel Warden Spells table. The Starting at 15th level, when you roll initiative and have no
spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count uses remaining of your Magnetic Propulsion feature, you
against the number of ranger spells you know. regain two uses.
Steel Warden Spells Vehemence
Beginning at 27th level, when you use your Magnetic Pro-
Spell Level Spells pulsion feature, you can empower it using one of the op-
3rd thunderous smite tions below.
5th cloud of daggers Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you
9th meld into stone finish a short or long rest.
13th metal to flesh Leap. The maximum distance you can travel is doubled.
17th passwall Onslaught. You add twice the bonus dice to the attack.
Turbulence. The target has disadvantage on its saving
Bonus Proficiencies throw against your Impact Trauma feature.
Starting when you chose this ranger archetype at 3rd lev-
el, you gain proficiency with heavy armor and the Athletics
skill.
146
Chapter 12: Classes
Rogue Anonymity
Beginning at 13th level, your ghostly soul causes the mem-
Roguish Archetype ory of you in others to become fleeting. At the end of a long
rest, you can perform a 10-minute ritual that causes all
At 3rd level, a rogue gains the Roguish Archetype feature. creatures who don't know your name to forget all knowl-
The following option is available to a rogue, in addition to edge of you, including all distinguishing features such as
those in the Player’s Handbook. your physical appearance, voice, and mannerisms. Deities
and creatures not on the same plane of existence as you
Ghostwalker when you perform this ritual are unaffected.
Few of us seek the chill touch of death, though it will leave its
impression on us all in time. For some though, near encounters with Ghostly Return
the grave weigh heavier than on others, and the experience can im- At 17th level, you learn to escape certain death. Using a re-
print on their very soul. It grasps at them, pulling them ever towards action when you drop to 0 hit points or die, your soul leaves
the realm of shadow, all while their spirit struggles to stay in the your body but remains anchored to it. As a soul, you gain the
world of the living. A most curious thing, though also terrifying, I statistics of a ghost but you can't use any of its actions. You
would imagine can't be perceived by other creatures and you are immune
to all damage. You can communicate telepathically with a
Ghostwalker Features creature you can see, but you can't move further than 60
feet away from your body.
Rogue Level Features You can use your Ghostly Visage feature against a crea-
3rd Ghostwalk ture if it can see your body, and it becomes frightened of
9th Ghostly Visage your body if you succeed on the check.
13th Anonymity So long as your body isn’t destroyed, you can return to it
17th Ghostly Return at any time (no action required), springing back to life with
27th Insubstantial 1 hit point. If you don’t return to your body within 1 hour,
you die.
Ghostwalk Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you
When you choose this roguish archetype at 3rd level, your finish a long rest.
soul is permanently tainted by a previously dormant force
within you. Maybe it was awoken by the deaths you have Insubstantial
witnessed or caused, sparked by some divine touch, or per- Once you reach 27th level, you become more ghostlike
haps it is a manifestation of a ghostly entity that has pos- when ghostwalking. When transformed with your Ghost-
sessed you. walk feature, you become completely incorporeal, granting
Using a bonus action, you shed your mortal shell to be- you the following additional benefits:
come semi-incorporeal for 10 minutes, gaining the follow-
ing benefits: • You gain resistance to cold, necrotic, and poison dam-
age, as well as bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing dam-
• You gain an additional way to use your Sneak Attack; age from nonmagical attacks.
you don’t need advantage on the attack roll to use your • You gain a flying speed equal to half your walking speed.
Sneak Attack against a creature if you are within 5 feet of • You can cast the invisibility spell targeting yourself with-
it, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. All out expending a spell slot or components. Casting the
the other rules for Sneak Attack still apply to you. spell in this manner doesn't end the transformation of
• You can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane when you your Ghostwalk feature early.
are on the Material Plane, and vice versa.
• You can move through other creatures and objects as if Ghostwalker
they were difficult terrain. You take 5 (1d10) force damage
if you end your turn inside an object.
• You can't be frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified,
poisoned, or restrained, and you can't suffer from or gain
additional levels of exhaustion. If you're suffering from
any of these conditions when using this feature, the con-
dition is suppressed while you are transformed.
The effect ends early if you cast a spell, if you make an
attack that doesn't use Dexterity, or if you drop unconscious
or die.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest be-
fore you can use it again. You learn to use it more times
between rests as you gain levels in this class: twice at 9th
level, three times at 17th level, and four times at 27th level.
Ghostly Visage
At 9th level, your ghostly soul can reach out. As a bonus ac-
tion, you can make a Charisma (Intimidation) check against
a creature you can see, contested by the target’s Wisdom
(Insight) check. The creature must be within 30 feet of you
and able to see you. If you succeed on the check, the crea-
ture is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
147
Part 3: Character Options
Sorcerer Hum of Solace
At 6th level, your magic is so infused with atrophy that it
Casting Styles can transform your flesh into dust. Whenever you spend a
sorcery point, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing,
While magic comes naturally to you, it might require more and slashing damage until the start of your next turn.
than regular words and movements to channel it. Consider
if your sorcerer has a particular casting style, and if that Aura of Emptiness
played a role in how you discovered your innate powers. Beginning at 14th level, you can channel the deathly wan-
ing of Tintibulus upon your surroundings. You can activate
Casting Styles or deactivate this aura as a bonus action. While active, no
sound can be created within or pass through a 5-foot-radi-
d6 Style us sphere centered on you, and you hover 1 foot above the
ground. Any creature or object entirely inside the sphere is
1 Natural. You are plain-spoken and pragmatic, never immune to thunder damage, and creatures are deafened
exaggerating as your magic flows through you naturally. while entirely inside it. Casting a spell that includes a ver-
bal component is impossible there.
2 Cautious. You slow your speech and movements,
carefully channelling your innate magic. Soul of Atrophy
Starting at 18th level, when you make a saving throw that
3 Eager. You act as if this is the only time you can truly be isn't a Charisma saving throw, you can spend 5 sorcery
yourself, gesturing enthusiastically. points as a reaction to make a Charisma saving throw in-
stead.
4 Erratic. Your mannerisms are haphazard, and some
wizards may find it disturbing to watch. Remnant
Beginning at 21st level, your veins become filled with dust
5 Possessed. Your voice changes and you move as if some instead of blood. You become immune to poison and dis-
other force is in control of you. ease, you can’t suffer from lingering damage effects such
as bleeding or injury to organs (such as from a horn devil’s
6 Elegant. Your movements are graceful and your voice tail attack), and for every 100 years that pass, your body
sings. ages only 1 year.
Sorcerous Origin
Soul Waning
At 1st level, a sorcerer gains the Sorcerous Origin feature. Starting at 25th level, when you deal damage to a creature
The following options are available to a sorcerer, in addi- that isn't a deity, you can spend 2 sorcery points to languish
tion to those in the Player’s Handbook: Atrophic Magic and the body. When you do, the creature can't regain hit points
Battle Soul. until the start of your next turn, and if your damage reduc-
es the creature to 0 hit points, it turns to dust and can’t be
Atrophic Magic brought back to life by any means for the next 24 hours.
Dust to Dust
Sorcerers are a truly diverse category of spellcasters, one where I Beginning at 28th
fear we learned magic users place any whom we are unable to oth- level, after you cast a
erwise explain away. After all, what is a sorcerer? Are those with spell you augment-
dragon blood in their heart in any way the same as one who can ed with one of your
innately command the wind and rain? I hardly think so. What about meta magics, you
those that make no sense at all, when viewed through the lens ar- can spend 1 sor-
cane theory? Take the atrophic sorcerer for instance. But yes, it is cery point to turn
undoubtedly easier to just call them all sorcerers, which is why the into a cloud of dust
tradition continues. until end of turn.
As a cloud of dust,
Atrophic Magic Features you have resistance
to all damage and
Sorcerer Features you can enter the
Level space of another
creature but you can’t
1st Perpetual, Silent Casting end your turn there.
6th Hum of Solace Atrophic
Sorcerer
14th Aura of Emptiness
18th Soul of Atrophy
21st Remnant
25th Soul Waning
28th Dust to Dust
Perpetual
Starting when you choose this sorcerous origin at 1st lev-
el, your magic sustains your mortal body so that you suffer
none of the frailty of old age, and you can’t be aged magi-
cally. You can still die of old age, however. In addition, you
can spend 1 sorcery point to be magically nourished, not
requiring food or water for a day.
Silent Casting
Also at 1st level, you learn the Subtle Spell metamag-
ic, which doesn’t count against the maximum number of
metamagic options you know. When casting a spell of 5th
level or lower, using this metamagic option costs no sorcery
points.
148
Chapter 12: Classes
Battle Soul Battle Soul
Battle Souls, though their title is a tad melodramatic and in my Sorcerer
experience they often have personalities that match, are uniquely
capable of encasing themselves in pure force, protecting them from
almost all harm. However, this "armor" of force offers much more
than just protection: It also somehow transforms them into capa-
ble warriors. I’ve personally witnessed a Battle Soul lift and swing a
maul twice its size and strike with incredible precision and deadly
impact.
Battle Soul Features
Sorcerer Features
Level
1st Battle Soul Armor, Battle Soul Spells, Bonus
Proficiencies
6th Battle Soul Armor improvement, Unstoppable
Force (1)
Battle Soul Spells
14th Force Leak
Sorcerer
18th Martial Sorcery Level Spells
21st Arcane Consolidation 1st compelled duel, Tenser's floating disk
25th Expert Martial Sorcery 3rd enhance ability, magic weapon
28th Unstoppable Force (2) 5th conjure barrage, phantom steed
Battle Soul Armor 7th freedom of movement, Otiluke's resilient
Starting when you choose this sorcerous origin at 1st level, sphere
provided that you aren’t wearing armor or using a shield,
you can cause a suit of armor made from magical force to 9th banishing smite, conjure volley
encase you as a bonus action. When you do so, you also
gain temporary hit points equal to your sorcerer level. Unstoppable Force
The armor remains for 1 minute. It disappears early if Starting at 6th level, you can spend 1 sorcery point to at-
you are incapacitated, or if you don armor or a shield, and it tack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack
is suppressed while you are in the area of an antimagic field action on your turn. If you do so while wearing your Battle
spell. Soul Armor, your melee attacks deal force damage instead
While wearing your Battle Soul Armor, you gain the fol- of their regular damage until the end of your turn.
lowing benefits: Once you reach 28th level, you can attack three times
whenever you spend a sorcery point in this manner.
• Your Strength score becomes equal to your Charisma
score unless it is already greater. Force Leak
• You gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Charisma Beginning at 14th level, when you are hit by a melee attack,
modifier (minimum of +1). you can spend 3 sorcery points as a reaction to cast the
• You can use your force armor as a spellcasting focus for magic missile spell as a 1st-level spell without expending a
your sorcerer spells. spell slot or components. At least one of the missiles must
• You have resistance to force damage, and nonmagical target the creature that attacked you.
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
Martial Sorcery
You can use this feature twice. You regain all expended Starting at 18th level, when you take the Attack action on
uses when you finish a long rest. Beginning when you reach your turn, you can spend one or more sorcery points to gain
6th level, you regain expended uses when you finish a short one of the following effects.
or long rest. Arcane Shield. You conjure forth a spectral shield that
hovers near you and absorbs incoming blows. You gain 3
Battle Soul Spells temporary hit points for each sorcery point you spend, up to
Also starting at 1st level, your Battle Soul Armor infuses a maximum number of temporary hit points equal to your
you with magic. You learn additional spells when you reach sorcerer level.
certain levels in this class, as shown in the Battle Soul Empower. You empower the melee weapon attacks you
Spells table. These spells count as sorcerer spells for you, make for the rest of the turn. For each sorcery point you
but don't count against the number of sorcerer spells you spend, you gain a +1 bonus to your attack and damage rolls,
know. These spells can't be replaced when you gain a level up to a maximum of +3.
in this class.
When casting one of these spells while wearing your Arcane Consolidation
Battle Soul Armor, you can choose to cast it by spending a Beginning at 21st level, you can use your Battle Soul Armor
number of sorcery points equal to the spell's level instead of feature any number of times between rests and it doesn't
expending a spell slot. disappear early if you are incapacitated.
Bonus Proficiencies Expert Martial Sorcery
You gain proficiency with simple and martial melee weap- Starting at 25th level, when you use your Martial Sorcery
ons. feature, you gain the effects from both the Arcane Shield
and Empower options instead of choosing between them.
149
Part 3: Character Options
Warlock force a creature in the aura to make a Charisma saving
throw. On a failed save, you remove the condition or effect
Otherworldly Patrons from yourself and transfer it onto the target.
Doubt. When a creature in the aura makes a Wisdom
At 1st level, a warlock gains the Otherworldly Patron fea- saving throw, you can use your reaction to subtract your
ture. The following option is available to a warlock, in addi- Charisma modifier from the roll.
tion to those in the Player’s Handbook. Gyre. A strong wind (20 miles per hour) fills the aura,
extinguishing unprotected flames that are torch-sized or
The Tyrant smaller, hedges out vapor, gas, and fog that can be dis-
The Tyrant can be anything from an aboleth or a beholder, to a persed by strong wind, and attack rolls of ranged weapon
powerful demigod, such as Kas, or even a tyrannical deity such as attacks have disadvantage if the attacks pass through the
Bane, Gruumsh, or Maglubiyet. Regardless of who the patron is, they wind.
require the warlock to conquer, enslave, and subjugate others, and Harrow. Waves of invisible, eldritch magic pulses out-
show no compassion for those too weak to fend for themselves. If wards from the center of the aura. A hostile creature that
there is somebody more powerful than the warlock, must the war- starts its turn in the aura takes force damage equal to
lock do everything within their power to overthrow the rival from your Charisma modifier.
their position of power? Regardless, being a tyrant sounds exhaust- Stricken. When a creature in the aura is targeted by an
ing, if I’m being honest. attack, you can use your reaction to lower the target’s AC
against the attack by an amount equal to your Charisma
The Tyrant Features modifier.
Unsettling. When a creature starts its turn in the aura,
Warlock Features you can use a reaction to force it to make a Wisdom sav-
Level ing throw. On a failed save, the target is frightened of you
for 1 minute. On a successful save, the target is immune
1st Expanded Spell List, Bonus Proficiencies, to this effect for 24 hours. A frightened creature can re-
Imposing Will (10 ft.) peat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns.
6th Mantle of Triumph Mantle of Triumph
Starting at 6th level, your patron's tyrannical will infects
10th Hand of Conquest yours, allowing you to shrug off powerful magic. When you
fail a saving throw against a spell of a level equal to your
14th Versatile Oppression Pact Magic spell slot level or lower, you can use your reac-
tion to succeed instead.
21st Imposing Will (30 ft.), Despotism Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long
rest before you can use it again.
27th Reign Supreme
Hand of Conquest
Expanded Spell List Once you reach 10th level, you learn to impose your will
The Tyrant lets you choose from an expanded list of spells with the freedom of a true tyrant. Using a bonus action, you
when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are can choose a point within 30 feet of you and cause your
added to the warlock spell list for you. Imposing Will aura to radiate from that point, rather than
from yourself. You can move the aura to another location or
The Tyrant Expanded Spells cause it to return to your person and remain centered on
you by using another bonus action. The aura automatically
Spell Level Spells returns to your person, again becoming centered on you, if
1st bane, command you move more than 120 feet away from it.
2nd detect thoughts, knock
3rd phantom steed, sleet storm Versatile Oppression
4th compulsion, Otiluke's resilient sphere At 14th level, you learn to refocus your immense will at your
5th Bigby's hand, geas leisure. You can use an action to change the effect of your
Imposing Will aura, instead of having to complete a rest to
Bonus Proficiencies do so.
When you choose this otherworldly patron at 1st level, you
gain proficiency with medium armor and the Intimidate Despotism
skill. Starting at 21st level, your will becomes inescapable. When
you would choose an effect for your Imposing Will aura,
Imposing Will you instead choose two effects that become active simulta-
When you choose this otherworldly patron at 1st level, you neously.
impose your will on the world around you, surrounding
yourself with a magical 10-foot-radius aura. You can acti- Reign Supreme
vate and deactivate this aura using a bonus action on your Beginning at 27th level, your might is nigh unstoppable.
turn. Once on each of your turns when you reduce a creature
When you gain this aura and when you finish a short or within your Imposing Will aura to 0 hit points, you gain one
long rest, you can choose one of the effects below to take additional action that you can use before the end of your
hold within the aura. A chosen effect lasts until you choose turn.
a new effect when next you finish a short or long rest, but
the effect is suppressed if you are unconscious or dead.
The radius of the aura increases to 30 feet when you
reach 21st level.
Dire. When you become cursed, deafened, diseased,
frightened, or poisoned, you can use your reaction to
150
Chapter 12: Classes
Pact Boon Eldritch Invocations
At 3rd level, a warlock gains the Pact Boon feature. The fol- Eldritch Affidavit
lowing option is available to a warlock, in addition to those Prerequisite: 15th level, Pact of the Toll
in the Player’s Handbook. You gain a feature that improves As an action, you can toll your Bell of Dissension and ex-
your Pact Boon at 21st level, and again at 25th level. pend 1 charge. When you do so, you cast the zone of truth
spell, without expending a spell slot or components.
Pact of the Toll
Your patron gifts you a bell of immense eldritch power Expanded Jurisdiction
called a Bell of Dissension. The bell functions as an arcane Prerequisite: 5th level, Pact of the Toll
focus and allows you to create various magical effects. The Whenever you expend a charge from your Bell of Dissen-
bell has three charges and regains all expended charges sion, you can also take the Dash action as part of the same
when you finish a short or long rest. action or bonus action.
As a bonus action, you can toll the bell and expend 1
charge. When you do so, the next time you damage a crea- Otherworldly Rescission
ture or object with a spell during the same turn, you gain Prerequisite: Pact of the Toll
resistance to the type of damage you inflicted until the end As an action, you can toll your Bell of Dissension and ex-
of your next turn. pend 2 charges. When you do so, choose a creature with-
If you lose your Bell of Dissension, you can perform a in 30 feet of you that you can see and that can hear the
1-hour ceremony to receive a replacement from your pa- bell. The target immediately forgets having heard the bell.
tron. This ceremony can be performed during a short or For 10 minutes the creature becomes unaware of your ex-
long rest, and it destroys the previous bell. The bell tolls istence and it can’t sense your presence by any means. If
on its own for 1 minute when you die, at the end of which it the creature attempts to move into your space or otherwise
dissipates into a pile of fine, metallic dust. touches you, its subconscious makes up a convoluted ratio-
nale for the interaction and the creature avoids your space
Equitable Remedy to the best of its ability. The effect ends early if you attack,
Starting at 21st level, you can toll your Bell of Dissen- move, or cast a spell.
sion and expend 1 charge as an action. When you do so,
you designate a direction and all creatures of your choice Statute of Limitations
within 30 feet of you that you can see and that can hear Prerequisite: 7th level, Pact of the Toll
the bell must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Your Bell of Dissension gains two additional charges.
warlock spell save DC. A target automatically succeeds
on this saving throw if it can’t be charmed. On a failed Guilty Verdict
save, a target must use as much of its movement as pos- Prerequisite: 9th level, Pact of the Toll
sible to move in the chosen direction on its next turn. A When a creature within 30 feet of you drops to 0 hit points,
target can take its action after it moves. you can toll your Bell of Dissension and expend 2 charges
Subrogation as a reaction. When you do so, you gain temporary hit points
Beginning at 25th level, you can toll your Bell of Dissen- equal to your warlock level + your Charisma modifier.
sion and expend 3 charges as a reaction when a creature
within 30 feet of you that you can see and that can hear Judicial Summons
the bell targets itself with a spell. When you do so, make Prerequisite: 12th level, Pact of the Toll
a Charisma check contested by the target’s Charisma As a bonus action, you can toll your Bell of Dissension and
check. On a successful check, you become the target of expend 2 charges. When you do so, all invisible creatures
the spell instead, regardless of the spell’s range limita- and objects within 30 feet of you become visible until the
tions. end of your next turn.
Warlock of Your Pact Boon
the Tyrant The Pact Boon option produces an object or effect that re-
flects your patron’s nature.
Pact of the Toll. Though your Bell of Dissension is always
metallic, both the type of metal, the bell’s shape, and the
bell’s adornments likely make it a unique relic depending on
the type and personality of your otherworldly patron. The
Archfey might cause the bell to be beautifully adorned with
golden symbols of branches and leaves upon a polished, sil-
ver exterior. The Celestial might gift you a gilded bell that
radiates with a subtle gleam. The Tyrant could very well gift
you a bell forged from the cubes of Acheron, adorned with
rusty imagery of war, and causing the bell to ring with clash-
ing discord. The Fiend might cause the bell to be bent and
cracked iron, with a chain inside, rather than a clapper. The
Great Old One is likely to craft the bell from some unknown,
otherworldly metal that rings with an eerie melody. Finally,
the Hexblade might graft chimes unto your weapon, rather
than gifting you a bell.
151
Part 3: Character Options
Wizard Daggerspell Flurry
Starting at 6th level, when you take the Attack action while
Arcane Tradition holding a dagger, you can cast a spell of 1st level or lower
with a casting time of 1 action as a bonus action. The max-
At 2nd level, a wizard gains the Arcane Tradition feature. imum level of a spell you can cast in this manner increases
The following option is available to a wizard, in addition to as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Daggerspell
those in the Player’s Handbook. Flurry column of the Daggerspell Magic Features table.
Daggerspell Magic Arcane Infusion
Expertly mixing potent martial skill with mastery of the Weave, Beginning at 10th level, when you cast a spell with your
daggerspell magic is the perfect discipline for wizards who wish to Daggerspell Flurry feature, you also gain temporary hit
bolster the armies of Acheron - or perhaps simply survive there. points equal to three times the spell's level. Once you reach
From what I've seen, these mages have developed a distinctly ex- 25th level, you instead gain temporary hit points equal to
travagant, impressive, and quite deadly fighting style. Now, having five times the spell's level.
said that, I'm personally perfectly happy not tumbling about daggers
in hand. That's a game for much younger people than myself. No, I Invocation of Certainty
would much rather spend my time studying new techniques and Once you reach 14th level, when you fail a saving throw, you
spells that allow me to not wade into melee combat and tire myself can use your reaction to succeed instead, but when doing
out. But then, to each their own. so, you can't take actions until the end of your next turn.
Daggerspell Magic Features Daggerspell Furor
Starting at 21st level, you can push yourself beyond your
Wizard Features Invocation Daggerspell normal limits for a moment. You can use your Daggerspell
Level of the Flurry Flurry to cast a spell of any level. Once you use this feature,
Knife you must finish a short or long rest before you can do so
again.
2nd Daggerspell Training, 1d6 -
Invocation of the Knife Invocation of Inevitability
Beginning at 28th level, you add twice your Intelligence
6th Daggerspell Flurry 1d6 1st-level modifier to attack rolls made with daggers or spells of 1st
level or higher.
10th Arcane Infusion 1d8 2nd-level
14th Invocation of Certainty 1d10 3rd-level
21st Daggerspell Furor 1d10 4th-level
25th Arcane Infusion 1d12 5th-level
improvement
28th Invocation of Inevitability 1d12 6th-level
Daggerspell Training Daggerspell
When you adopt this tradition at 2nd level, you gain pro- Mage
ficiency with light and medium armor, and you can use a
dagger as a spellcasting focus and can perform somatic
components for wizard spells while wielding a dagger in
both hands. In addition, your AC increases by 1 for each
dagger you wield.
Invocation of the Knife
Also starting at 2nd level, you learn to channel your ar-
cane might through your daggers. When you attack with
a dagger, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of
Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls, and
your dagger attacks deal 1d6 force damage instead of pierc-
ing damage. The damage die changes as you gain levels in
this class, as shown in the Invocation of the Knife column
of the Daggerspell Magic Features table.
In addition, when throwing a dagger, you instead conjure
and hurl an arcane replica of a dagger you wield and you
throw it with a range of 60 feet. The replica winks out
of existence immediately after hitting or missing its
target.
lWikeell,spIeldlos..l.iSkOe LdDa!ggers, and I know I
-C
152
Part 4: Character Options
Chapter 14: Classes Primal Path
Should you travel the planes to any degree, the first thing you At 3rd level, a barbarians gains the Primal Path feature. The following
option is available to a barbarian, in addition to those in the Player’s Hand-
need to know (besides making sure there is air to breath where you book.
are going, and not just a mix of poisonous gasses and highly cor-
rosive rain...you only make that mistake once, I assure you). As I Path of the Anguished
was saying, the first thing you need to know is that every creature,
intelligent or not, that you come across will probably try to kill tb ohsissaRTthkeehnfohuifoeTednownteovhi.ophtlperpyeYat,eraelournionoiatwnnue,utayuotdroorhkotifnrlebwweffhscleyeiiaytntdehenyrohhfagioalduynedaeinsuorgddtrcdrsthuheuytcoayetsohthraloee.auowreansDnuwravonuamrsramegybaeesaekttyssedwenill.telrbneatenL.fsulsnt.PewydetnifEdteooerikomtysudtocwhroibrhsondhnurtoelbiithatnydotofjhhcohderdooseeeueesyfyrysnrri.pmitgefroDsaa.eplws.fWsriwtanatuim,rttlerbtohhgielifltimtlnoieioentmh,teowo.fsiew.enceaoFiolsralireditendrfdetenueshtllaasn.hiyncgattLaoerdthihnaluiofotubedrysl,nguosohasarhsuhwoyg,enoraaoaaacinnrrnrunaagdetrdneys,.
you. You would think that someone somewhere would be happy to
meet and talk to an esteemed visiting scholar from another world. This extract is taken from a work of shadar-kai philosophy. It
But no, that never seems to be the case. So, as a favor to my fellow is... interesting, to say the least. To most of us this reads like the
planeswalkers, I’ve catalogued the following descriptions, ones that ranting of a madman, but remember that this cursed race has had
seemed especially dangerous. Consider yourself forewarned. their sense of emotion dulled by the shadows in which they live.
Happiness and cheer, merriment and revelry, these are all but un-
Barbarian known. So it is no wonder that some of their kind will try anything
to lift them out of the depression, to feel life for even a shimmering
Scars and brief moment. You must always be wary of the warrior that
doesn’t fear pain and death. I would suggest you simply run from
Barbarians amass plenty of scars over their career, some of which they those that actively seek it out.
become protective of and wear with pride. If your barbarian has any scars
he is proud of, what do they look like? Were they obtained in battle, by Path of the Anguished Features
accident, or carefully cut?
Barbarian Level Features
Scars
3rd Shared Suffering
d6 Scar
1 You have a wide gash across your face, obtained when you defeated a foe 6th Tolerance for Pain
much stronger than yourself. 10th Dark Vitality
2 The hundreds of lashes you have receives across your back from your time in
14th Agonizing Attacks
slavery are as obvious now as when you first got them.
3 You have several large scars on your front that are mirrored by slightly smaller 27th Anguish
scars on your back - a gift from a dragon that pierced you with its claws and Restriction: Shadar-Kai Only
left you for dead. Each day you hope to face off against this foe again.
4 Horrible burns cover half of your body and face from when you saved your Only shadar-kai can follow the Path of the Anguished. The anguished fill a
tribe’s children from a fire. particular niche in shadar-kai society and culture.
5 You’re missing a finger on one of your hands and you refuse to have it Your DM can lift this restriction to better suit the campaign. The re-
magically regrown. It’s a token from the first fight you ever won. striction exists for the Forgotten Realms. It might not apply to your DM’s
6 You have carved a symbol of meaning into your chest. It might be your totem setting or your DM’s version of the Realms.
animal, the symbol of a sworn enemy, the name of a loved one, or something
else which holds deep meaning to you. Shared Suffering
Anguished The more you suffer, the more you can share your suffering with others.
Barbarian Starting when you adopt this path at 3rd level, whenever you take damage,
your Rage Damage increases by 1 until the end of your next turn, up to a
maximum number equal to your proficiency bonus.
Tolerance for Pain
Beginning at 6th level, when a hostile creature scores a critical hit against
you, you can use your reaction to roll a d6. On a roll of 4 or higher, the
critical hit becomes a normal hit.
Dark Vitality
Starting at 10th level, whenever you score a critical hit or a creature scores
a critical hit against you, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Rage
Damage after the damage has been dealt unless you have been reduced to
0 hit points.
Agonizing Attacks
Upon reaching 14th level, once on each of your turns when you hit a crea-
ture with a melee weapon attack while raging, you can force the target to
make a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + your Strength modifier
+ your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the target makes Constitution
saving throws with disadvantage until the end of its next turn.
Anguish
Starting at 27th level, while raging and below your hit point maximum,
your Rage Damage is doubled against any creature that attacked you since
your last turn.
Epic Level Class Features
Class features granted above 20th level are intended for use with Epic Characters,
another Marching Modron Press title, available on dmsguild.com.
If you don't intend to play with epic levels, simply disregard class features above
20th level. The subclasses available here will still be perfectly usable and on par with
the rest of the party.
124
Chapter 14: Classes
Path of the Totem Warrior Bard
If you follow the Path of the Totem Warrior from the Player’s Handbook, Bard College
you have access to the options presented here.
At 3rd level, a bard gains the Bard College feature. The following option is
Totem Spirit available to a bard, in addition to those in the Player’s Handbook.
These options are available to you when you choose a totem animal at 3rd College of Mourning
level. Not all who mourn are wracked by the grief. For some it is an
As with the spirits in the Player’s Handbook, the options here require a
physical object incorporating some part of the totem beast, and you might act, an art. Professionals who add an air of painful elegance to the
acquire minor physical attributes associated with your totem spirit, such wake of the recently deceased. Unheard of in some cultures, if not
as snakelike eyes if you have a serpent totem spirit. outright distasteful, in others these performers are necessary to
Also, your totem spirit might be an animal similar to one listed here give the dead the proper respect they earned in life. No, the mourn-
but more suitable to your homeland, such as a hummingbird or another ing must be superb, and these bards deliver all too well. Wailing
animal that represents eternity, rather than a scarab. and rocking and trembling with tears, singing songs to crack the
Scarab. While you are raging, you regain lost hit points equal to your hardest of hearts wide open.
Constitution modifier at the end of each of your turns and you can't be
aged magically. The spirit of the scarab touches your soul with the power Drawn to one of the more unique traditions, bards of this college
of eternity. are truly enthralled with the art of mourning. And it is an art to be
Serpent. While you’re raging and aren’t wearing heavy armor, you can't sure, just like any other, only focused on manipulating grief and
be restrained or knocked prone by nonmagical means. The spirit of the despair, and evoking vivid memories of the dead.
serpent makes you move with exceptional grace.
Certain sounds, songs, and utterances will bring any man to
Aspect of the Beast tears, or so it is taught. Pushed even further, they will start to
doubt the meaning in their own lives, broken and unable to control
This option is also available to you when you choose a totem animal at the sobbing. Then, at the perfect moment, the bard will change
6th level. their tune, spinning an epic tale to recount the acts of glory, honor,
Scarab. The mystical forces of eternity speak to you. You can discern and goodness that the dead had achieved. Suddenly, the audience
the age of a creature, object, or structure you touch with incredible preci- is again filled with meaning and hope for the future.
sion.
Serpent. You can move through a space large enough for a creature one It is a wild ride of emotion like no other, and few bards who ex-
size smaller than you without squeezing. perience that power can ever turn away from it.
Totemic Attunement College of Mourning Features
This option is also available to you when you choose a totem animal at Bard Level Features
14th level.
Scarab. While you're raging, when a creature that you can see within 30 3rd Dirge Singer
feet of you regains lost hit points from a spell or other magical effect, you
can use your reaction to reduce the number of hit points regained by half, 6th Living Wake
and you regain a number of lost hit points equal to that amount.
Serpent. While raging, when you drag or carry only one creature you 14th Keening
have grappled, your speed isn't halved.
27th Dies Irae
Totemic Symbiosis
Dirge Singer
This option is also available to you when you choose a totem animal at
27th level. Also at 3rd level, your learn to inspire others to keep fighting despite griev-
Scarab. While raging, you can use your reaction to add a d6 to an In- ous wounds. A creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you can roll
telligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw. You must do so before you that die when it drops to 0 hit points, dropping to a number of hit points
make the roll. equal to the number rolled instead. Once a character benefits from this
Serpent. While raging, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon on effect, it must finish a long rest before it can do so again.
your turn, you can use a bonus action to embrace the spirit of the serpent. In addition, when a creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you
The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your reduces a creature to 0 hit points on its turn, it can use its reaction to roll
proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failed save, you become the Bardic Inspiration die and move a number of feet equal to 5 x the num-
invisible to the creature until the end of your next turn. ber rolled without provoking opportunity attacks.
Bard of the Living Wake
College of
Mourning Beginning at 6th level, whenever a creature rolls one of your Bardic Inspi-
ration dice, both you and the creature gain temporary hit points equal to
the number rolled.
Keening
Starting at 14th level, you can use an action to release a mournful wail that
tears at the very soul of your enemies. Creatures of your choice within 30
feet of you that can hear you must make a Constitution saving throw, taking
psychic damage equal to your bard level on a failed save, or half as much
on a successful one. A creature that fails the saving throw by 10 or more
instead takes psychic damage equal to half its hit point maximum if that
would result in more damage.
A creature that is immune to the frightened condition automatically suc-
ceeds on the saving throw.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long
rest.
Dies Irae
Starting at 27th level, when a creature within 30 feet of you makes a saving
throw, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration die and add it to or subtract it
from the roll. If you add it to the roll and the target succeeds because of
your roll, the target also gets temporary hit points equal to its total save
roll. If you subtract it from the roll and the target fails its saving throw
because of your roll, the target also takes psychic damage equal to the roll
of your Bardic Inspiration die.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long
rest.
125
Part 4: Character Options
Cleric Channel Divinity: Veil of Darkness
Convictions Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to harness the
darkest darkness. As an action, you target a point you can see within 60
Nobody becomes a messenger of the gods without conviction. While your feet of you. Until the end of your next turn, magical darkness extends in
cleric might be learned and even worldly, he or she might also have one or a 30-foot radius centered on that point. A creature that starts its turn in
more convictions that are absolute. the darkness must succeed a Constitution saving throw or be magically
restrained until the end of its turn. You can see through this darkness.
Convictions
Blended Dichotomy
d6 Conviction
1 “You reap what you sow” At 6th level, you learn to draw power from your surroundings whether sur-
2 “All are born equal” rounded by warm light or cold darkness, but you gain the greatest power
3 “No matter what the question, faith is the answer” from the dimmed light between them. You gain the following benefits.
4 “Manners are important” Bright Light. While in bright light, you can't be blinded and you gain
5 “Power corrupts” resistance to psychic damage.
6 “There’s an order to things“ Darkness. While in darkness, you can discern color with your darkvi-
sion and you gain resistance to cold damage. In addition, if you rely on
Divine Domain darkvision to see in darkness, dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on
your Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
At 1st level, a cleric gains the Divine Domain feature. The following option Dim Light. While in dim light, you gain the benefits of being in bright
is available to a cleric, in addition to those in the Player’s Handbook. light and of being in darkness.
Twilight Domain Divine Strike
Tvtwllaohielniedldow,ewfbnoillldriolv.ltWidrntegoehtfcwuerTrislenoularnttuiuolsfrhirtseeohsirnm,ebiintstusahmamtebnwelse.iiklwnCyigg,oehaarlntrdado,easruonhnand.adcWcdweloheimwtaaho,ntoarssnueetdtatkrmhnstteoeeisawldenlantifnsheiglsdetsaohp.rreTkfrphnrfueeoersmcppstroatiaoshntedne-, At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with twilight
that is eternal night. energy - a gift from your deity. Once on each of your turns when you hit a
creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra
Years ago now, a temple of dark cultists was dismantled, an 1d8 cold damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra dam-
apocalyptic faith based loosely on Shar’s teachings. Their sacred age increases to 2d8, and when you reach 25th level it increases to 3d8.
texts were donated to the library here for study and safekeeping.
I have read them, though I cannot say I understand them. I will Font of Gloaming
never understand why any of my fellow mortals decide it is in their
best interest to help the dark Gods in their petty rivalries and wars, At 17th level, you learn to cast the black lore of moil spell and can cast
as if the destruction of our world would benefit them in any way. it without expending material components but expending spell slots as
These lunatics should not be dismissed, however, for their fervor usual. You automatically succeed Constitution saving throws to maintain
is infectious among the weak minded and the dark Gods grant concentration on the spell unless the save DC is 11 or higher.
them powers for reasons that elude me. It is not even in the best
interest of the Gods for these cultists to succeed, destroying their Channel Coldest Darkness
own followers alongside all other life. Perhaps they realize this will
never happen and just enjoy watching the chaos unfold as they try. Starting at 21st level, a creature that fails its saving throw against your
Channel Divinity: Veil of Darkness is also covered in a thin sheet of slick,
black ice until it is subjected to fire damage or a creature spends its action
brushing off the ice. While a creature is covered in this ice, all terrain is
difficult terrain and it must succeed a Dexterity saving throw when it takes
the Dash action or fall prone.
Bleakness
Beginning at 28th level, when a creature targets you with a spell or an
effect that requires it to see you, you can use your reaction to target the
creature with your gaze if you can also see it. If you do, the creature must
succeed a Wisdom saving throw or be unable to target you.
In addition, you are aware of any creature that can sense you within 1
mile of you that is in the same category of illumination as you. You can use
an action on your turn to sense the distance and direction to such a crea-
ture.
Twilight Domain Features Twilight Domain Suggested Deities
Deity
Cleric Level Features Auril, goddess of winter Pantheon Alignment
Jergal, scribe of the dead Faerûnian NE
1st Domain Spells, Bonus Proficiencies, Twilight’s Grace Mask, god of thieves Faerûnian LN
Shar, goddess of darkness and loss Faerûnian CN
2nd Channel Divinity: Veil of Darkness Shargaas, orc god of stealth and darkness Faerûnian NE
Vhaeraun, drow god of thieves Orc NE
6th Blended Dichotomy Drow CE
8th Divine Strike (1d8)
14th Divine Strike (2d8)
17th Font of Gloaming
21st Channel Coldest Darkness
25th Divine Strike (3d8)
28th Bleakness
Domain Spells
You gain domain spells at the cleric levels listed in the Twilight Domain
Spells table. See the Divine Domain class feature for how domain spells
work.
Twilight Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells
1st armor of Agathys, spark of Moil
3rd dark mirror, darkness
5th feign death, hunger of Hadar
7th phantasmal killer, wall of gloom
9th antilife shell, cone of cold
Bonus Proficiencies Cleric of Twilight
When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency with heavy
armor, martial weapons, and the Stealth skill.
Twilight’s Grace
Also from 1st level, you know the black candle cantrip, which doesn’t count
against the number of cleric cantrips you know. For you, it has a range of
30 feet, and you can cast it as a bonus action. In addition, you gain darkvi-
sion out to a range of 60 feet and you don't have disadvantage on Dexterity
(Stealth) checks as a result of wearing heavy armor.
126
Chapter 14: Classes
Druid Night Terrors
Druid Circle The night terrors are presented in alphabetical order.
Echoes of Doom. You fill the target's dreams with the discordant
At 3rd level, a druid gains the Druid Circle feature. The following option is beating of otherworldly drums that continue to echo long after the target
available to a monk, in addition to those in the Player’s Handbook. wakes. The target must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or have its hit
point maximum reduced by an amount equal to your Wisdom modifier. A
Circle of Nightmares remove curse, greater restoration, or wish spell can restore the target's
Here is yet another example of beings whose logic, or lack there- hit point maximum to its normal value.
Haunting Images. You attempt to conjure forth terrifying images to
of, I will never be able to understand. In this particular moment infect the target's sleep. The target must succeed a Wisdom saving throw
I am referring to the druids of the Circle of Nightmares. Similar or have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws made to maintain
to Kelemvor's monks, they are an order that lives on the Fugue concentration for 24 hours.
Plane and attempts to delay Dendar bringing about the end of ex- Overflowing Hellscape. You create a hellish landscape of your choos-
istence. While the monks engage Dendar in combat to make her ing within the target's dream. The target must make a Wisdom saving
release nightmares in her defense, however, these druids absorb throw. On a failed save, the target perceives its immediate surroundings
nightmares on their own, decreasing the amount that Dendar is like you defined the landscape within the dream. Its real surroundings
then able to take in herself. While this may sound noble in theory, look, sound, smell, and even feel like that terrain, though the general lay-
it is in fact a very dangerous line they tread. For not only do they out of its surroundings remain the same. The affected area has a 50-foot
absorb these nightmares, they also learn to manipulate them and radius and disappears as soon as the target steps out of the area.
turn them back on their foes, in the exact same manner as Dendar Seed of Horror. Using subtle machinations, you attempt to plant a
does. Whether they are merely emulating her, or in a perverse way seed of horror within the target. The target must make a Charisma saving
revering the elder evil, I cannot say. throw. On a failed save, the seed is planted but the target doesn't discern
that there is anything wrong. Within 7 days, if the target sees you and you
Circle of Nightmares Features can see it, you can use a bonus action to cause the target to become fright-
ened of you for 1 minute. The target can make a Wisdom saving throw at
Druid Level Features the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
2nd Nightmare Lord Speech Leech. You make the target gradually lose its ability to speak
within its dreams. The target must make a Charisma saving throw. On a
6th Inflict Night Terrors failed save, the target's voice is replaced with a voice of the DM's choice
for 12 hours after it wakes. You can speak in the target's voice for the
10th Dreamless duration.
Withering. You cause the target to dream of dust and the slow decay
14th Marquis of Horror of time. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save,
roll a d10. The target ages a number of years equal to the number rolled
23rd Tormentor and you take the same amount of necrotic damage. This damage can't be
resisted or reduced in any way.
27th Phantasmic Feast
Druid of the Circle
Nightmare Lord of Nightmares
At 2nd level, you begin absorbing the nightmares of others while resting.
You can use these stored nightmares against your enemies and feed on
the resulting fear. You have a number of Nightmare Dice equal to your
druid level. The dice are d6's.
As an bonus action, you can choose one creature you can see within
60 feet of you and spend a number of those dice equal to half your druid
level or less. Roll the spent dice and add them together. The target must
make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes psychic
damage equal to the total and becomes frightened of you until the end of
its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and is
immune to becoming frightened by this feature for 24 hours.
You regain all expended Nightmare Dice when you finish a long rest.
Inflict Night Terrors
Starting at 6th level, you learn to terrorize the dreams of others. You gain
a magical night terror of your choice. Your night terror options are de-
tailed at the end of the class description. You gain an additional night
terror when you reach 10th level, 14th level and again at 23rd level. Addi-
tionally, each time you gain a new night terror, you can choose one of the
night terrors you know and replace it with another.
To inflict your night terrors, you must perform a 10-minute ritual.
When you do so, choose a humanoid known to you. The target must be on
the same plane of existence as you. If the target is asleep, it is affected by
one of your night terrors.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long
rest.
Dreamless
When you reach 10th level, you no longer need to sleep and can’t be
forced to sleep by any means. To gain the benefits of a long rest, you can
spend all 8 hours doing light activity, such as using your Inflict Night
Terrors feature and keeping watch.
In addition to training normally, as detailed in Chapter 8 of the Play-
er's Handbook, you can draw on the subconscious knowledge of sleeping
humanoids. While touching a sleeping humanoid, you can train using a
language or practice with a set of tools that the humanoid is proficient in.
Progress made in this manner functions like normal, except you don't
have to find a willing trainer or pay the usual cost.
Marquis of Horror
Starting at 14th level, a creature that is frightened of you has disadvan-
tage on saving throws against your spells and you have advantage on at-
tack rolls against it.
Tormentor
Beginning at 23rd level, you become more efficient at projecting your
nightmares unto others. Your Nightmare Dice become d10s.
Phantasmic Feast
At 27th level, when you deal damage with your Nightmare Dice, you gain
temporary hit points equal to twice the number of dice expended.
127
Part 4: Character Options
Fighter Oil. You can concoct enough black magic oil to fill all your witch bottles
by spending an hour with alchemist’s supplies, which you can do during a
Martial Archetype long rest. You can consume the oil stored in one of your witch bottles as a
bonus action, allowing you to gain a benefit for 1 minute.
At 3rd level, a fighter gains the Martial Archetype feature. The following When you consume a dose of black magic oil, choose from the effects
option is available to a fighter, in addition to those in the Player’s Hand- presented in the Black Magic Oil Effects table with a Black Arts Require-
book. ment equal to your Black Arts Mastery or lower. You can benefit from any
number of black magic oils at the same time but you can’t benefit from the
Obeah Knight same effect more than once at a time.
Ahh, the obeah. They see their twisted usage of magic as superior
Black Magic Oil Effects
to other kinds of magic and have a hard time hiding that disposition.
While they can be exceptionally well behaved and well spoken, there Black Arts Oil Effect
is not an ounce of humility within them. They usually live in small Requirement Your speed increases by 10 feet.
collectives which they call Darkcovens, often with the eldest obeah
witch leading them. 2 or lower You gain blindsight out to a range of 30 feet.
3-4
Some perverted sense of tradition drives each Darkcoven to steal 5-6 You can cast the compelled duel spell at will, without expending a
an infant from the Material Plane every 20 years, like clockwork. A spell slot.
Darkcoven will raise this child collectively, bringing it up to become 7-8
their protector and enforcer. Taught the dark arts, armored, and well You can cast the spider climb spell at will, without expending a spell
trained in armed combat, these obeah knights are incredible adver- 9 slot or material components, targeting only yourself.
saries. Their story is, however, also one of sadness. You see, when
such a knight reaches 30 years of age, he is given an insurmount- You can’t be frightened.
able task and barred from returning before the task is completed.
This pseudo exile, I suspect, is likely a ruse by frightened witches to 10 You can cast the invisibility spell at will, without expending a spell slot
stop the knight from dominating the Darkcoven. or material components, targeting only yourself.
Obeah Knight Features 11 or higher You make Constitution saving throws with advantage.
Fighter Level Features The oil only works its intended magic on you. If another creature drinks
the oil, it must succeed a Constitution saving throw against your Black Arts
3rd Bonus Proficiency, Black Arts, Black Magic Oil Save DC or become poisoned for 1 hour.
7th Darkcoven Talisman Darkcoven Talisman
10th Lord of Flies At 7th level, you learn to craft a powerful talisman. You can have only 1
talisman at a time. It takes 1 hour to craft a talisman, which can be done
15th Black Magic Elixir during a short or long rest. A talisman is an extension of you and can take
one of three forms which you choose when you craft it:
18th Dark Diviner Talisman of Hegemony. While it is on your person, using a bonus ac-
tion, you can grant yourself advantage on the next Charisma check you
27th Alchemical Mysticism make within the next minute. The talisman dissolves into fine dust after it
has been used to grant advantage three times.
Bonus Proficiency Talisman of Refuge. While it is in the possession of a willing creature
that takes up as much space as you, you can use a reaction to switch places
You gain proficiency with alchemist’s supplies. with the creature when it becomes the target of an attack or a spell that
targets only it. When you do so, both you and the target disappear for an in-
Black Arts stant before you reappear within the space that the other occupied before.
You then become the target of the attack or spell and the talisman burns
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn to draw on the black away in a flash. You must be able to see both the creature and the attacker
arts. You learn the comprehend languages spell and can cast it without ex- to do so.
pending a spell slot or material components. When you cast a spell in this Talisman of Whispers. While it is in the possession of a willing crea-
manner, you can’t cast it again until you finish a long rest. In addition, you ture, you can telepathically communicate with it so long as you are both on
learn the darklight cantrip. the same plane of existence. When you do so, you can say no more than
Black Arts Mastery. Some of your class features are dependent upon twenty-five words and the creature can answer in a like manner immedi-
your Black Arts Mastery. When you cast a spell using the black arts, the ately. The talisman liquefies into foul-smelling goo after you have used it to
spell save DC equals your Black Arts Save DC. send three messages.
Black Arts Mastery = your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus Lord of Flies
Black Arts Save DC = 8 + your Intelligence modifier
+ your proficiency bonus Starting at 10th level, you can consume a dose of black magic oil as an
action to polymorph into a swarm of insects (flies). While in swarm form,
Black Magic Oil you have a walking speed of 5 feet and a flying speed of 30 feet. Anything
you are wearing or carrying transforms with you. You can remain polymor-
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn to concoct potent phed in this manner for 1 hour, until you lose concentration (as if concen-
oils capable of storing black magic. trating on a spell), or until you drop unconscious or die.
Witch Bottle. The oil can be stored only in a witch bottle of which you
only have one. If your witch bottle breaks or is lost, you can craft another Black Magic Elixir
during a long rest, causing the other to lose its magic. The number of witch
bottles you can have simultaneously increases as you gain levels in this Beginning at 15th level, you learn to concoct an elixir which bestows you
class: two at 7th level, three at 10th level, four at 18th level, and five at 27th with supernatural abilities. You drink the concoction at the end of a long
level. rest, choosing its effect from among those presented in the Black Magic
Elixir Effects table with a Black Arts Requirement equal to your Black Arts
Mastery or lower. The effect lasts until you next finish a long rest.
Black Magic Elixir Effects
Obeah Knight Black Arts Elixir Effect
Requirement
You gain proficiency with a skill, tool, or vehicle of your choice.
5 or lower You can cast the crown of madness spell at will, without expending a
6-7 spell slot.
You can cast the levitate spell at will, without expending a spell slot.
8 You gain tremorsense out to a range of 60 feet.
9 You gain proficiency with saving throws related to an Ability Score of
10 or higher your choice.
Dark Diviner
Starting at 18th level, you can consume a dose of black magic oil to cast
the clairvoyance spell without expending a spell slot or any components.
Your concentration on the spell ends if you move.
Alchemical Mysticism
Beginning at 27th level, whenever you drink a dose of black magic oil, you
also regain lost hit points equal to your fighter level, and if your hit point
maximum has been reduced, it is restored to its usual maximum.
128
Chapter 14: Classes
Monk Controlled Illumination
Monastic Tradition At 11th level, you learn to better control the light generated by your grave-
light lantern. As a bonus action on your turn while your gravelight lantern
At 3rd level, a monk gains the Monastic Tradition feature. The following is lit and you are holding it, you can alter the distance or radius of your
option is available to a monk, in addition to those in the Player’s Handbook. lantern down to 5 feet of bright light and 5 feet of dim light, or up to your
maximum.
Way of Gravelight
The monks of the Transient Order draw their power from the Lethargy
space between life and death, and their namesake; a space they Beginning at 11th level, your lantern's light has a lethargic effect on slum-
call The Transient. They believe that while passing through The bering creatures. A creature that sleeps within the bright light of your grav-
Transient a creature is neither alive nor dead but a third state in elight lantern gains the effects of a long rest 1 hour faster than normal, and
between; a state where all matter and consciousness can exist only is protected from night terrors and other detrimental influence on its sleep
as light - which they refer to as gravelight. such as a monstrous invader created by the dream spell or a night hag's
A gravelight monk learns early how to conjure forth a lantern Nightmare Haunting.
that opens within it a tear to The Transient which fills the lantern
with the eerie light that exists there. Transient Flare
Way of Gravelight Features Starting at 17th level, you can widen the tear to The Transient within your
lantern to cause the gravelight to shine extra bright. Using a bonus action,
Monk Level Features you cause the maximum cone or radius of your gravelight lantern's bright
3rd Gravelight Lantern and dim light to double for 1 minute.
6th Eldritch Luminescence Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long
11th Controlled Illumination, Lethargy rest.
17th Transient Flare, Veracious Brilliance
27th Dismiss the Dark, Transient Master Dismiss the Dark
Gravelight Lantern Once you reach 27th level, you can see normally in magical darkness with-
in the bright light generated by your gravelight lantern.
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can use your
action to magically create a gravelight lantern in your empty hand. As a Transient Master
bonus action while holding the lantern, you can cause the lantern to shed
bright light in a 10-foot cone or radius (your choice) and dim light for an Also at 27th level, you can use your Transient Flare feature once per short
additional 10 feet. The light is cyan in color. You can dismiss the light (no or long rest.
action required) while you are within 30 feet of the lantern.
The radius of bright and dim light increases to 15 feet at 6th level, 20 Gravelight Monk
feet at 11th level, 30 feet at 17th level, and 40 feet at 27th level.
The lantern disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 min-
ute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss
the lantern (no action required), or if you die.
In addition, you gain the following features:
Ray of Gravelight. You gain a new attack option that you can use with
the Attack action while your gravelight lantern is lit and you are holding
it. This special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range equal to the
bright light. You are proficient with it, and you add your Wisdom modifier
to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is necrotic, and its damage die
is a d4. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial
Arts column of the Monk table.
When you take the Attack action on your turn and use this special at-
tack as part of it, you can spend 1 ki point to make the special attack twice
as a bonus action.
When you gain the Extra Attack feature, this special attack can be used
for any of the attacks you make as part of the Attack action.
Fluorescent Flux. As part of the bonus action to turn on the light or as
a bonus action on subsequent turns while the light is on, you magically
change the properties of the light to make it invisible from afar. While
the effect lasts, the light created by the lantern can't be seen by creatures
outside of the bright light but you can't use your Ray of Gravelight feature.
You can dismiss the effect (no action required) so long as you are within
30 feet of the lantern.
Light from Beyond. If you fall unconscious within the bright light of
your gravelight lantern, the light magically stabilizes you.
Eldritch Luminescence
At 6th level, you gain the following additional features:
Entomophagy. By expending 1 ki point as an action while your grav-
elight lantern is lit and you are holding it, you cause the light to flicker
and hum subtly for 1 minute. During that time, the light attracts enough
insects and invertebrates (such as grasshoppers or worms) so you can
find food to sustain yourself and up to five other people for a day. You can
dismiss the effect (no action required) so long as you are within 30 feet of
the lantern.
Ethereal Scintillation. By expending 2 ki points as an action while
your gravelight lantern is lit and you are holding it, you can cause the
lantern to duplicate the effects of the ghost light spell without providing
verbal or material components though the light created by the spell re-
mains trapped within the lantern. The spell ends early if you let go of your
gravelight lantern.
Stroboscopic. By expending 4 ki points as an action while your grav-
elight lantern is lit and you are holding it, you can cause the lantern to
duplicate the effects of the hypnotic pattern spell within its bright light
without providing verbal or material components. You and a number of
creatures equal to your Wisdom modifier that you designate automatical-
ly succeed on the saving throw. The spell ends early if you let go of your
gravelight lantern.
129
Part 4: Character Options
Paladin Tenets of Debauchery
Hallowed Mark The tenets of the Oath of Debauchery all revolve around beauty and dec-
adence.
If you have dedicated yourself to a deity, that deity might gift you with a hal- Unrestrained Self-Indulgence. I always follow my desires and do what
lowed mark. Such a mark can manifest in a myriad of ways, both physical brings me pleasure, regardless of how it affects others. Pleasure in all its
and otherwise, and keeping to your Sacred Oath causes it to manifest ever forms is the ultimate goal.
stronger. The mark manifests for a short time whenever you cast a spell or Moral Ambiguity. I don’t let others impose their personal ethics unto
use your Divine Smite feature. Furthermore, the mark can be either con- me. They are simply too afraid or too weak to seek true joy.
secrated or desecration, depending on the nature of your deity and your Everything in Excess. There is no such thing as too much of a good
Sacred Oath. thing.
Strive for Perfection. If I sing a song, I sing the most beautiful song. If I
Hallowed Mark converse, I speak eloquently. If I fight, I do so with the utmost brutality and
without mercy. I shall be the best at everything I do.
d6 Mark of Consecration Mark of Desecration Oath of Debauchery Features
1 A halo of gleaming gold floats Shadowy horns protrude from your Paladin Level Features
above your head. forehead.
3rd Oath Spells, Channel Divinity
2 Your eyes glow with a bright white. Translucent, black smoke rises from
your eyes. 7th Aura of Excess (10 ft.)
3 A beautiful, angelic hymn is heard A horrific, discordant melody is heard 15th Grace of the Pitiless
by all within 60 feet of you. by all within 60 feet of you. 18th Aura of Excess (30 ft.)
4 Your tenets are magically recited in your voice within the minds of all 20th Revelry
creatures within 10 feet of you.
27th Vicious Excess
5 Gleaming symbols appear an your Dark symbols with shadowy tendrils Oath Spells
armor and weapons. appear on your armor and weapons. You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath of Debauchery
Spells table. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how oath spells work.
6 A radiant silhouette of your deity A dark visage of your deity appears
appears around you. around you. Oath of Debauchery Spells
Sacred Oath Paladin Level Spells
At 3rd level, a paladin gains the Sacred Oath feature. The following option 3rd magic missile, unseen servant
is available to a bard, in addition to those in the Player’s Handbook.
5th alter self, levitate
Oath of Debauchery
The personal guards of Lady Ivania Dreygu of Sunderheart are 9th counterspell, haste
the most peculiar of any order of paladins that I have ever known. 13th compulsion, Mordenkainen’s private sanctum
These are not men and women of honor, of unwavering moral com-
pass, or piety and righteous zeal. They are not champions of the 17th creation, mislead
weak and downtrodden. Instead, they are self-absorbed hedonists
who appear to be concerned with nothing more than satisfying Channel Divinity
their own desires. For make no mistake about it, it is pleasure and
pleasure alone that they seek. When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following Channel Di-
The most expensive food and wine. Garments of the rarest silk vinity options.
with gold thread. The most beautiful and talented company in and Viciousness. As an action, you focus on your tenets using your Channel
out of their bed chambers. Nothing but the best will appease them. Divinity. For 1 minute, you can’t be frightened and you add your Charisma
When you focus on your base desires, though, where does it end? modifier to the damage rolls of your melee weapon attacks.
For those obsessed with pleasure, the answer is that there is never Words of Depravity. You can use your Channel Divinity to utter debas-
enough. They will seek out more and more exhilarating experienc- ing words that threaten to lower the inhibitions of all that hear them. As an
es, many turning to the domination of others, at court or on the action, you present your holy symbol, and each humanoid within 30 feet of
battlefield, to create a sense of power that is equally addicting. you that can hear you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save,
Quite unlike their brethren of the light, these so called knights a creature gains the following flaw until it finishes a long rest or until cured
have no qualms about exposing themselves or others to danger in by a lesser restoration spell or similar magic: “I always follow my desires
pursuit of a thrill. I’ve even heard tell of some laughing in ecstasy and do what brings me pleasure, regardless of how it affects others”. A
when they are themselves cut and beaten. It’s a wonder that they creature that is immune to the charmed condition automatically succeeds
can focus on their work and keep the Lady of the city safe at all. on the saving throw.
Aura of Excess
Beginning at 7th level, using a bonus action, you can emanate an aura of
excess for 1 minute, until you drop unconscious, or until you end it using
another bonus action. While active, you and all creatures (friend or foe)
within 10 feet of you can’t benefit from any damage resistances and regain
the maximum number of hit points possible from any healing. At 18th lev-
el, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long
rest.
Grace of the Pitiless
Starting at 15th level, you are always under the effects of a freedom of
movement spell.
Revelry
Beginning at 20th level, you can transform into a perfected version of your-
self. You magically adopt a seemingly godlike persona, becoming alluring
even to those who would normally despise you, and moving with incredible
speed.
Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 minute, you gain
the following benefits:
• Your Strength and Charisma scores and their maximum values in-
crease by 4.
• You can’t be charmed.
• Your walking speed increases by 20 feet.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long
rest.
Vicious Excess
Beginning at 27th level, when under the effects of your Channel Divinity:
Viciousness, your damage rolls always count as their maximum value, but
the damage rolls of creatures that target you also count as their maximum
value.
Paladin of Debauchery
130
Chapter 14: Classes
Ranger Enter the redeemers. Most who enter this rare vocation are mo-
tivated by a profoundly personal experience, and the empathy they
Teacher feel for those souls trapped in an undead form calls them to action.
They will search out these souls and free them from their prisons of
All rangers have had some training, but yours was special. You might have bone and spirit. They will follow them into the aether or the lands
acquired your training in extremely unorthodox ways or in ways closer to of the dead itself if need be. All creatures deserve peace, and the
most, but something set your training apart. Consider the background of redeemers will see that they find it.
your teacher or teachers, as well as how their personalities imprinted unto
you. Also consider where they are now: are they dead, missing, or awaiting Redeemer Features
your return?
Ranger Level Features
Teacher
3rd Ethereal Awareness, Redeemer Magic, Soul Hunter
d6 Teacher
1 You were trained by a master ranger who taught you that martial prowess and 7th Arcane Defense
magical capabilities are equally important. 11th Ethereal Ambush
2 You were trained by a druid, but though your magic never became quite as
15th Soul Defense
strong as you had hoped, you learned to compliment it with keen martial skills.
3 A group of ranges, consisting of many different races, trained you in the 27th Astral Font
Underdark. You have learned that silence and surprise are your greatest Ethereal Awareness
weapons.
4 You were trained by a goodhearted dragon to be a guardian against extraplanar Starting when you choose this ranger archetype at 3rd level, you can see
threats. 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane while you are on a plane that borders the
5 You were trained to hunt and slay the darkest of creatures. Your trainer was a Ethereal Plane. In addition, you add your Wisdom modifier to your initia-
renowned monster hunter such as Rudolph van Richten. tive rolls.
6 You were brought up by a reclusive fey from childhood, learning that
misdirection and other tricks are powerful tools in your repertoire. Redeemer Magic
Ranger Archetype You gain access to additional spells at 3rd, 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th, and 27th
level. Once you gain a redeemer spell, it counts as a ranger spell for you but
At 3rd level, a ranger gains the Ranger Archetype feature. The following doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.
option is available to a ranger, in addition to those in the Player’s Hand-
book. Redeemer Spells
Redeemer Ranger Level Spells
Lost and weak, pitiful creatures populate our world. They are all 3rd armor of Agathys
around you, beaten down and oppressed by the misery of life. Most 5th invisibility
will toil endlessly to no real end, only to die without accomplishing
anything of meaning or worth. They will simply let death take what 9th speak with dead
it wants from them as life had before it, passing on quietly and
without a fight. But even in death some souls will not find respite. 13th mantle of twilight
Some are tied to this world by a traumatic death, remaining as
vengeful spirits. Others are enslaved within their corpse, animated 17th flame strike
against their will by a dark being or necromancer. Such is the way
of things. If life is not fair, then death is no different. 27th find the path
For those that have the ability to see them, a soul detached from
its body is one of the most helpless things you could encounter. Soul Hunter
However, they are also extremely resilient, nigh indestructible. Yes,
they can become lost or corrupted, bound to serve others, but they Also at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Religion skill and learn the
will survive. And in survival, they keep inside them hope and a sacred flame cantrip. In addition, you can cast sacred flame using a bonus
longing to either return to the mortal world or depart for the after- action when you take the Attack action on your turn.
life that awaits them in the realm of their god. If only they could be You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom mod-
released from their torment and made free. ifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a
long rest.
Redeemer
Arcane Defense
Beginning at 7th level, you can cast the shield spell without expending a
spell slot.
You can use this feature twice. You regain all expended uses when you
finish a long rest.
Ethereal Ambush
Starting at 11th level, if you are on a plane that borders the Ethereal Plane,
you can use an action to enter the Ethereal Plane until the end of your turn.
During this time, you can move in any direction. If you move up or down,
every foot of movement costs an extra foot. You can see and hear the plane
you originated from, but everything there looks gray, and you can’t see any-
thing more than 60 feet away.
Creatures that aren’t on the Ethereal Plane can’t perceive you and can’t
interact with you, unless a special ability or magic has given them the abil-
ity to do so, but you can interact with them. While on the Ethereal Plane
in this manner, your attacks and spells can target creatures outside of the
Ethereal Plane.
While on the Ethereal Plane, you can take two actions but only one of
them can be the Attack action or the Cast a Spell action.
You ignore all objects and effects that aren’t on the Ethereal Plane, al-
lowing you to move through objects you perceive on the plan you originat-
ed from.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long
rest.
Sanctify
Beginning at 15th level, you can cast the nulathoe’s ninemen spell without
expending a spell slot or material components. Once you cast this spell in
this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
Soul Defense
Also beginning at 15th level, you can use your reaction to automatically
succeed on saving throws against spells and effects that attempt to charm
or possess you.
Astral Font
Beginning at 27th level, the number of spells you can learn increases by
your Wisdom modifier. In addition, you gain an additional 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
level spell slot, and two 6th level spell slots.
131
Part 4: Character Options
Venator Spirit Mark
Venators are a curious lot, rangers who conjure forth spirits in
At 11th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.
the shape of various flying animals to support them on the hunt Mark of the Bat. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack while
and to bolster their physiology to superhuman levels. Should you it is affected by your hunter's mark, you can use a bonus action to force
meet one, be sure to take note of the spirit's form. It will likely be the creature to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target
obvious, at least to one who has trained in such things, but the becomes frightened of you until the end of your next turn. On a successful
shape of the spirit will tell you something about the venator's fa- save, it becomes immune to this feature for 24 hours.
vored tactics. Mark of the Hawk. As a bonus action, you can magically teleport to
Their exceptional skillset is taught from one ranger to another at an unoccupied space within 5 feet of a creature affected by your hunter's
conclaves that are held at a secret location within the Shadowfell. mark. To do so, you must be able to see the target and must be within 30
The first venator is said to have been Malachai Thousand-Arrows, a feet of it.
legendary ranger who was exceptionally swift and learned to bend Mark of the Owl. When a creature affected by your hunter's mark casts
spirits to his will after he became obsessed with death as a result a spell, you automatically know which spell and the level of the spell.
of losing his brother. He has been passing on his knowledge for Mark of the Raven. As a bonus action, you cause a target affected by
generations now, only requiring his students to swear that they your hunter's mark to take psychic damage equal to your Wisdom modifier
will never pass an opportunity to slay a demon. Where this hatred (minimum of 1).
comes from, I'm sure is connected to his long lost brother some-
how. Harassment
Venator Features Beginning at 15th level, you can command your spirit of prey to harass
your foes. The method by which it harasses your enemies depends on the
Ranger Level Features spirit's form.
Bat. When a hostile creature starts its turn with the spirit in its space,
3rd Spirit of Prey, Venator's Mark the creature's speed is halved until the start of its next turn.
Hawk. When a hostile creature starts its turn with the spirit in its space,
7th Spirit Falconer the first attack the creature makes against you before the end of its turn is
made with disadvantage.
11th Spirit Mark Owl. While the spirit is within a hostile creature's space, the creature
has disadvantage on saving throws against any spell you cast.
15th Harassment Raven. While the spirit is within a hostile creature's space, the creature
has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws made to maintain concen-
27th Shifting Manifestation, Spirit Shape tration from any damage you deal to it.
Spirit of Prey Shifting Manifestation
Starting when you choose this ranger archetype at 3rd level, you gain the Starting at 27th level, when you finish the ritual to conjure forth a spirit of
ability to conjure forth a spirit of nature by performing a 10-minute ritual. prey, you can choose a new form for the spirit. Once you use this feature,
The spirit appears within 5 feet of you, assumes the shape of a Tiny flying you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
creature, and it always obeys your commands, which you can give tele-
pathically while it is within 100 feet of you. The spirit's hit point maximum Spirit Shape
increases by an amount equal to your ranger level + your Wisdom modifier
(minimum of 1) and it adds your Wisdom modifier to its attack rolls, dam- Also starting at 27th level, while the spirit from your Spirit of Prey feature
age rolls, and saving throws. is perched on your shoulder, you can absorb it into your soul as an action.
In combat, you roll initiative for the spirit and control how it acts. If it is While the spirit is merged with your soul, you transform into a spirit shape
slain by a creature, you can use a reaction to cast the hunter's mark spell, depending on the form of the spirit.
targeting the creature that slew it. You can stay in your spirit shape for 10 minutes. You then revert to your
The spirit doesn't require sleep. While it is within 100 feet of you, it can normal form and the spirit reappears perched on your shoulder. You can
awaken you from sleep as a bonus action. revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn.
The spirit vanishes if it dies, or if the two of you are separated by more You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.
than 5 miles. While you are transformed, the Wild Shape rules for the druid class
When you complete the ritual for the first time, you can choose the apply, as found in the Player's Handbook.
shape the spirit comes in from the following options. The spirit will contin- Bat. While in your spirit shape, you gain the statistics of a swarm of bats.
ue to appear in the chosen form whenever you conjure it forth. The chosen Hawk. While in your spirit shape, you gain the statistics of a blood hawk.
form determines the spirit's game statistics, though its type is undead and Owl. While in your spirit shape, you gain the statistics of a giant owl.
its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are 10 (+0). Raven. While in your spirit shape, you gain the statistics of a swarm of
Bat. The spirit assumes the form and game statistics of a bat. As an ravens.
action, you can magically cause the spirit to become invisible. The effect Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short
ends early if you or it makes an attack or if you lose concentration (as if or long rest.
concentrating on a spell).
Hawk. The spirit assumes the form and game statistics of a hawk. The Venator
spirit makes attack rolls with advantage.
Owl. The spirit assumes the form and game statistics of an owl. The
spirit gains the same benefits as you do from any ranger spells you concen-
trate on.
Raven. The spirit assumes the form and game statistics of a raven. As
an action, you can see through the spirit's eyes and hear what it hears until
the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that
the spirit has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your
own senses.
Venator's Mark
Also at 3rd level, you learn the hunter's mark spell and it doesn't count
against your number of spells known.
In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed
or frightened by a creature affected by your hunter's mark and your attacks
count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity
to nonmagical attacks and damage when attacking a creature affected by
your hunter's mark.
Spirit Falconer
Beginning at 7th level, you gain certain bonuses while your spirit of prey is
perched on your shoulder. The form of the spirit determines the bonuses
you gain. While perched on your shoulder, the spirit can't be targeted by
any attack or harmful effect; only you can cast spells on it; it can't take
damage; and it is incapacitated.
Bat. You gain blindsight out to a range of 60 feet unless you are deaf-
ened.
Hawk. Your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
Owl. You don't provoke opportunity attacks.
Raven. You can move up to half your speed as a reaction when an enemy
ends its turn within 5 feet of you. This movement doesn’t provoke opportu-
nity attacks.
132
Chapter 14: Classes
Rogue The life of a rogue can be lonely at the best of times, after all, and
what better companion for a thief than the shadows themselves.
Calling Cards You aren’t even shocked when the shadows begin to talk back,
whispering the secrets they keep and encouraging you to embrace
Some rogues enjoy leaving a token behind when they’ve performed an illic- the power they offer.
it act to which there were no witnesses. A token might be left to attain rec- Shadowdancers are a rarity, or more correctly they are rarely
ognition for your immense skill or to send a frightening message to others. seen. And when they are, they look to be no more than any other
Consider why and when you leave a calling card behind and how others nimble rogue, dancing and leaping across the dimly lit battlefield.
might interpret it. Also consider the nature of the token itself: is it intended Those with keen eyes sometimes see more though. They might in
to evoke a certain emotion, to misdirect, to build you into a larger-than-life fact see a darker, near impenetrable black mass of shadows cas-
persona, or simply to attain recognition? Lastly, consider if the combina- cade around the rogue like water and follow their every footstep.
tion of where, why, and what might earn you an epiphet, nickname, or title. They will likely watch in wonder as the darkness pushes blades
aside and absorbs attacks. They will be finally struck with horror
Calling Cards when the same shadows lash out at them, to wrap their arms and
hold them tight while the rogue’s dagger finds its mark.
d6 Token
1 A particular playing card or an origami figure. Shadowdancer Features
2 An envelope filled with black sand, an apologetic letter, or a riddle.
3 A letter or symbol carved into something. Rogue Level Features
4 Two coins or a burning stick of incense. 3rd Shadow Dance, Shadow Vision
5 A particular flower, herb, or root. 9th Umbral Camouflage
6 You swap one object for a different but similar object or cut off a particular 13th Shadow Magic
17th Umbral Defense
extremity from your victim (such as a finger or an ear). 27th Master of Shadows
Roguish Archetype Shadow Dance
At 3rd level, a rogue gains the Roguish Archetype feature. The following Learning how to carefully weave the partial substance of shadow into your
option is available to a rogue, in addition to those in the Player’s Handbook. very essence, you have truly become one with the dark.
Starting when you choose this roguish archetype at 3rd level, while in
Shadowdancer dim light or darkness, you can take two actions with your Cunning Action
When you spend enough time lurking in the shadows, you begin feature as part of the same bonus action, though you can’t take the same
action twice as part of the same bonus action.
to understand them better than others. You can tell the difference You can use this feature once. You regain all expended uses when you
between the lighter or darker ones, not just by how much light they finish a long rest.
allow in, whether they are solid darkness or simply dim, but how When you reach certain levels in this class, you can use this feature
they feel when you are inside them. Some are light as a summer more often between rests: twice at 5th level, three times at 11th level, four
breeze, while others wrap around you like a heavy cloak to keep times at 17th level, five times by 23rd level, and six times by 28th level.
you warm and safe. Perhaps you even talk to the blackness when
the rest of the world is asleep. Shadow Vision
Also starting at 3rd level, you gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet and
you can discern color in darkness. If you already have darkvision from your
race, its range increases by 30 feet. In addition, you can’t be blinded while
in dim light or darkness. If you are already blinded when entering an area
of dim light or darkness, the effect is suppressed while you’re there.
Umbral Camouflage
Accustomed to the dark, you become more adept than others at blending
in with it as the shadows stretch around you to obscure you. Beginning at
9th level, you can take the Hide action even while being observed, so long
as you are in dim light or darkness, or there is a source of dim light or
darkness within 10 feet of you.
Shadow Magic
You learn to shape the raw essence of shadow into powerful illusions and
effects. At 13th level, you learn the investiture of shadow and silent image
spells. You can cast these spells at their lowest level without expending
spell slots or components, and only while in dim light or darkness. An illu-
sion hit by bright light disappears in a flash of black smoke.
Once you use this feature to cast a spell, you can’t use it again until you
finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Umbral Defense
Beginning at 17th level, while in dim light or darkness, you can take the
Dodge action as a bonus action with your Cunning Action feature; if you do
so, the effect ends early if you are touched by bright light.
Master of Shadows
Starting at 27th level, you gain the following abilities which you can use
as a bonus action with your Cunning Action feature.
Blessed by the Dark. While you are in dim light or darkness, you gain a
+1 bonus to saving throws. The effect lasts until the start of your next turn.
Shadow Step. While you are in dim light or darkness, you can teleport
up to 20 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or
darkness.
Wisps of Shadow. When you leave an area of dim light or darkness, you
can cause the dim light or darkness to stretch out as it follows you. The
dim light or darkness spreads to any space that you move through until the
start of your next turn. The effect ends if you move through a space that is
illuminated by magical light.
Shadowdancer
133
Part 4: Character Options
Sorcerer Grave Magic Features
Sorcerous Origin Sorcerer Level Features
1st Grave Speech, Cordon of Bones (1)
At 1st level, a sorcerer gains the Sorcerous Origin feature. The following
option is available to a sorcerer, in addition to those in the Player’s Hand- 6th Cordon of Bones (2), Touch of the Open Grave
book.
14th Soul Puppeteer
Grave Magic
Wizards are similar in many ways, though we may not always 18th Cordon of Bones (3), Wraithform
choose to admit it. We are all taught the basics of the arcane arts 21st Improved Cordon of Bones
in a comparable, well structured manner. While we may choose
varied paths from there, our rigorous mental approach to magic, 25th Master of Puppets
to understanding and influencing the world around us, will always
tie us together. Sorcerers, it hardly needs to be said I am sure, are 28th Grave Mastery
an entirely different breed altogether. To be called a sorcerer, an
individual merely has to have magic flowing within them, as they Grave Speech
would melodramatically tell you. And indeed, they each have a way
to produce magical effects innately. But the scope of their pow- The very words you speak are infused with the power of death. You can
ers and ways in which they produce them as varied as the planes cast the speak with dead spell at will without expending a spell slot.
themselves. Is it really fair to lump those descended from regal
dragons into the same category as an unlucky sod who was struck Cordon of Bones
by lightning and benefits from the lasting effects? I hardly think so.
To stay on point though, in my research I have recently uncov- Starting when you choose this sorcerous origin at 1st level, you can use a
ered verifiable reports of mortals, sorcerers we shall call them, im- bonus action on your turn to pull bones from the ground to erect a jagged
bued with magical abilities akin to those of powerful undead. It led barricade that lasts for 1 minute and which tears at the flesh of anyone
me to wonder, how does one become infused with death magic? who comes close. For the duration, you have half cover, and if a creature
Were you born in a crypt under just the right moon phase or star ends its turn within 10 feet of you, it takes piercing damage equal to your
sign? Or were you part of a human sacrifice gone wrong, one where Charisma modifier. The effect ends early if you end it using a bonus action
you survived the ordeal as an infant but the death gods still hold on your turn, or if you drop unconscious or die.
claim over your soul? I honestly am not sure, and though such cas- Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short
es must be rare it is increasingly clear to me that they do exist. My or long rest. Beginning at 6th level, you can use your Cordon of Bones
current theory is that they pull power either from the lower planes twice between rests, and beginning at 18th level, you can use it three times
or potentially from the Fugue Plane itself. between rests.
Can you imagine feeling the call of the grave inside you as a
child? A dark and sinister energy that feeds your soul when others Touch of the Open Grave
die nearby? A greater sense of kinship with the specters and pesti-
lent zombies than with your own family? What a horrible thing. At 6th level, you gain resistance to necrotic damage and can empower your
necrotic spells with a ghoul’s touch. Using a bonus action when a creature
Grave takes necrotic damage from one of your sorcerer spells, the target must
Sorcerer succeed a Constitution saving throw against your sorcerer spell save DC
or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the
end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long
rest.
Soul Puppeteer
Beginning at 14th level, using a reaction when a creature hits you with
a melee attack, you can wrench the spirits of creatures close to you with
horrific, black magic. Each creature within 15 feet of you must succeed on
a Wisdom saving throw or be incapacitated until the end of your next turn.
If an undead that isn’t immune to the charmed condition fails on the
save, you can choose for it to instead become charmed by you for 1 minute
and follow your verbal commands without regard for their own wellbeing
during that time. The effect ends early if you stop the effect (no action re-
quired), if you lose concentration (as if concentrating on a spell), or if you
drop unconscious or die. An undead creature dominated in this manner
can also repeat the saving throw whenever it takes damage, ending the
effect on itself on a successful save.
You number of undead you can control simultaneously in this manner
equals your sorcerer level divided by 4.
Wraithform
Starting at 18th level, you can call upon the power of the grave to adapt the
unholy nature of a wraith. Using an action, you undergo a transformation.
For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:
• You become incorporeal and can move through creatures and objects
as if they were difficult terrain. You take 1d10 force damage if you end
your turn inside a creature or object.
• You gain a flying speed of 60 feet and can hover.
• You gain resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage,
as well as bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
that aren’t silvered
• You gain immunity to necrotic and poison damage.
• You cannot be charmed, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or
restrained, and you cannot suffer from exhaustion or land prone.
• If you are reduced to 0 hit points, you are instead reduced to 1 hit point
and return to your normal form.
• While in sunlight you have disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom
(Perception)checks that rely on sight.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Improved Cordon of Bones
Beginning at 21st level, your Cordon of Bones feature grants you three-quar-
ters cover. Additionally, for its duration you can use a bonus action on your
turn to increase or decrease the radius of your Cordon of Bones by 5 feet,
up to a maximum radius of 20 feet and a minimum radius of 5 feet.
Master of Puppets
Starting at 25th level, undead have disadvantage on saving throws against
your Soul Puppeteer feature.
Grave Mastery
Beginning at 28th level, while in sunlight, you no longer have disadvantage
on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when
you transform into a wraith with your Wraithform feature.
134
Chapter 14: Classes
Vampiric Bloodline Sanguine Smell. You can smell blood from up to a mile away. You know
I feel that I must include the following example, which I came the direction but not the distance to a bleeding creature. If there are sev-
eral sources of blood within range, you must concentrate to single out a
across in my wanderings, a sorcerer (as best I could tell) who seem- particular smell (as if concentrating on a spell). When you do so, roll a
ingly could channel vampiric abilities through their magic. I con- d100 and consult the table below.
firmed that they were not a true vampire or vampire spawn, as
they weren't undead, nor were they even dhampyr. No, they were a Number of Smells Sense Shutdown Off Target On Target
mortal, to be sure. Yet they displayed many of the vampiric traits,
such as an affinity for charm spells an uncanny (and unsettling) 2-3 - 1-30 31-100
connection to and taste for blood. I of course wondered how this
could be. Had their body somehow fought off the influence of a 4-6 1-15 16-45 46-100
vampire's bite, saving them from a cursed, undead eternity, but
leaving a trace of vampiric magic in its place? Were there creatures 7-10 1-30 31-60 61-100
depraved and desperate enough to willingly drink the blood of a
vampire in a ritualistic attempt to steal its powers? I'm afraid that 11 or more 1-60 61-90 91-100
unless I find another subject to test I may never know the answer.
"Sense Shutdown" means your vampiric senses cease to function and
Vampiric Bloodline Features you can't use your Sanguine Senses feature until you next finish a short or
long rest, or drink at least half a cup of fresh blood.
Sorcerer Level Features "Off Target" means you caught the scent of blood from a source you did
1st Bloodline Spells, Eerie Metabolism not intend, though the scent seems right to you.
6th Sanguine Senses "On Target" means you caught the scent you intended.
14th Sanguine Intuition Sanguine Taste. If you taste blood from a creature, you can learn cer-
tain information about it. By spending one minute in deep concentration
(as if concentrating on a spell), you gain knowledge of up to three facts
of your choice about the following subjects as they relate to the creature
whom the blood came from:
18th Vampiric Charm •• Age
21st Sanguine Mastery •• A curse or spell affecting it
25th Crimson Barrier •• A recent memory
28th Blood Frenzy •• A name that holds deep meaning to it
•• How it was wounded
•• Its home
•• Primary motivation
•• Type of creature
Bloodline Spells How many facts you can learn, depends on how fresh the blood is when
you taste it. To determine the number of facts you learn, roll a d100 and
At 1st level, you discover innate magical abilities within yourself that are consult the table below.
based on your bloodline. At 1st, 3rd, and 5th level, you learn the spells
shown in the Bloodline Spells table. These spells count as sorcerer spells Freshness in Sense 1 Fact 2 Facts 3 Facts
for you, but they don’t count against your number of sorcerer spells known. Minutes Shutdown
Bloodline Spells 3 or less - - 1-20 21-100
Sorcerer Level Spells 4-15 - 1-20 21-60 61-100
1st hide from undead
3rd whispering wind 15-60 1-30 31-50 51-100 -
5th vampiric touch
61-180 1-50 51-80 81-100 -
181-720 1-80 81-100 - -
Eerie Metabolism 720 or more 1-90 91-100 - -
Also starting at 1st level, your blood is infused with latent mystical powers. "Sense Shutdown" means your vampiric senses cease to function and
Using an action, you gain temporary hit points equal to half your sorcerer you can't use your Sanguine Senses feature until you next finish a short or
level (minimum of 1). long rest, or drink at least half a cup of fresh blood.
The other columns show how many facts you learn.
Sanguine Senses
Sanguine Intuition
Your bloodline strengthens your senses. Beginning at 6th level, you have
advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to detect a bleeding crea- Also beginning at 14th level, when you use either your sanguine smell or
ture and on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to track a bleeding creature. sanguine taste from your Sanguine Senses feature to roll a d100, you can
A bleeding creature is typically a creature below half its hit point maximum roll it twice and take either result. You must be in dim light or darkness to
that is capable of bleeding and has taken piercing or slashing damage. In do so.
addition, you gain the following enhanced senses.
Sanguine Sight. A bleeding creature can't benefit from being invisible to Vampiric Charm
you.
Beginning at 18th level, you learn the charm person spell, which doesn’t
Vampiric Bloodline count against your number of sorcerer spells known. In addition, you can
Sorcerer cast it by spending sorcery points or by expending a spell slot. If a creature
is already affected by a charm person spell cast by you when you target it
with a charm person spell that is cast with sorcery points, the previous
spell affecting it ends, whether it becomes affected by the new spell or
not. If you cast the spell using sorcery points, you can strengthen the spell
in multiple ways. Choose one of the following options if you cast it with
sorcery points.
Forceful Charm. By expending 5 sorcery points to cast the spell, the
target regards you as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected, rather
than as a friendly acquaintance.
Lasting Charm. By expending 3 sorcery points to cast the spell, the
spell lasts for 12 hours.
Subtle Charm. By expending 2 sorcery points to cast the spell, the tar-
get doesn't know that it was charmed by you when the spell ends.
Sanguine Mastery
Starting at 21st level, you can no longer lose the ability to use your San-
guine Senses feature regardless of how you roll when using your sanguine
smell or sanguine taste senses.
In addition, you learn the information instantly when using your san-
guine taste, rather than after concentrating for one minute.
Crimson Barrier
Starting at 25th level, when you are hit by a melee attack that causes you to
lose all remaining temporary hit points, you can use your reaction to deal
necrotic damage to the attacker and regain lost hit points equal to half the
necrotic damage done. The damage equals your sorcerer level.
Blood Frenzy
Beginning at 28th level, you have advantage on attack rolls against any
creature that you can sense with your Sanguine Senses feature.
135
Part 4: Character Options
Warlock Daily Quirk
Otherworldly Patrons d10 Quirk
At 1st level, a warlock gains the Otherworldly Patron feature. The follow- 1 Your eyes melt away but you can still see.
ing options are available to a warlock, in addition to those in the Player’s
Handbook: the mysterious Dark Powers, and the Undead, which could be 2 Your heart stops beating but you somehow don’t die.
powerful and intelligent undead creature that is well versed in the arcane
arts, such as an atropal, a hunefer, or a lich. 3 All of your teeth fall out and you can’t eat solid food.
The Dark Powers 4 You gain the following flaw: “I like to bully others and make them feel weak
Sometimes, we of the lesser races manage to defeat one of the and inferior.”
great evils in the world. We band together to break them and cast 5 You become twitchy and nervous, gaining the following flaw: “I can’t give a
them down. We destroy their temples and drive their priests away straight answer to any question put to me.”
until every last one of their followers turns their back on them.
But, the foulest of our enemies cannot be killed so easily. So then, 6 Sulfurous smoke issues from your mouth whenever you speak.
we mortals in our wisdom hide this vestige away in one of the deep
places of the world. We seal it in a tomb of amber, protected by the 7 You have a shriveled, additional face on the back of your head that
greatest wards and magics we know. We bury it, and we forget. sometimes finishes your sentences for you.
Generations pass, centuries or longer. Our descendants listen to
the old tales and discard them as nothing more than stories and 8 An eerie sound of distant tolling bells follows you wherever you go.
legends. Eventually, even the name of this force of evil is forgotten
altogether, as if it never existed. 9 You don’t have a shadow and reflective surfaces don’t show your reflection.
However, evil never forgets, and some evil never sleeps. It sits in
its amber tomb, for generations, centuries or longer, and it waits. 10 You gain the following flaw: “I like to stalk others in the night and watch
Humiliated and engulfed by rage, overwhelmed by loneliness and them while they sleep. I leave small gifts for them for when they wake so
stifling silence, it forges its bitterness into determination. One day, they will know I was there”.
when foolish mortals wander too close, or dig too deep, it will enter
their minds sweetly. It will show them a future that they could nev- Armor of Darkness
er dream of, and promise them power beyond their limited words.
All they must do is pay a price. That is not too much to ask. It will At 6th level, as a bonus action you can cause shadows to coalesce around
bargain for a favor perhaps, or a gift, a token. Their beauty, con- you, forming a macabre suit of shadowy plate. For 1 minute your AC be-
fidence, or sanity. Part of their flesh and bone, or a sliver of their comes 18 + your Dexterity modifier unless it is already higher, you gain a
soul. +10 bonus on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and you are heavily obscured to
creatures that cannot see through magical darkness.
Dark Powers Features Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long
rest.
Warlock Level Features
1st Expanded Spell List, Fickle Grasp, Shadow Claws, Daily Quirk Spectral Fade
6th Armor of Darkness
Once you reach 10th level, you can use a bonus action to become incorpo-
10th Spectral Fade real until the end of your turn. While incorporeal, you have a flying speed
14th Power at a Cost equal to your walking speed, you don’t provoke opportunity attacks, and
21st Dark Gift you can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult ter-
27th Dark Negotiator rain. You take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside a creature or
object and are ejected to the nearest unoccupied space.
Expanded Spell List Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short
or long rest.
The Dark Powers let you choose from an expanded list of spells when you
learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell Power at a Cost
list for you.
At 14th level, you learn to call directly upon the Dark Powers at will,
though their aid always comes at a price. When you make an attack roll,
ability check, or saving throw, you can choose to roll with advantage. You
must choose to do so before the roll, and you can replace a roll in this way
only once per turn. When you do so, you take psychic damage equal to the
highest roll and your hit point maximum is reduced by the same amount.
This reduction lasts until you finish a long rest.
Dark Gift
Starting at 21st level, you gain a dark gift depending on the quirk the Dark
Powers have bestowed upon you. A dark gift lasts until you acquire a new
quirk.
Dark Gift
Dark Powers Expanded Spells Quirk Gift
1
Spell Level Spells 2 You are affected by the mind blank spell.
1st dissonant whispers, command
2nd blindness/deafness, lesser restoration 3 The first time you are reduced to 0 hit points, you instead drop to 1 hit
3rd bestow curse, phantom steed point. Your heart then starts beating again.
4th death ward, wall of gloom 4
5th Kreshenk’s eerie mask, shadowfade If you die, you instantly reincarnate, as though you were the target of a
reincarnate spell. Your new body appears within 10 feet of the old one.
Your Strength score becomes 25 unless your Strength score is already
higher.
Shadow Claws 5 You are hidden from divination magic. You can’t be targeted by such magic
or perceived through magical scrying sensors.
Also starting at 1st level, you can channel the power of the Dark Powers
unto your enemies. Using an action, you target a creature that you can see, 6 A hell hound enters into your service. You can use an action to summon or
causing its shadow to grow massive claws. Until the end of the target’s dismiss it. When it is summoned, it appears within the closest unoccupied
next turn, the target’s speed is halved and its shadow claws at it whenever space to you. They hound acts on its own initiative and obeys your verbal
it moves 5 feet, dealing 1d4 cold damage each time. When you reach 5th commands without regard for its own well-being.
level, the shadow adds your Charisma modifier to the damage that it deals.
Creatures that don’t have a shadow (such as vampires) are unaffected. 7 You have advantage on saving throws against being blinded, deafened,
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short stunned, and knocked unconscious.
or long rest.
8 Hostile creatures within 30 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws
Daily Quirk against being frightened.
Also when you adopt this otherworldly patron at 1st level, roll on the table 9 You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and Charisma (Deception)
below whenever you finish a long rest to determine a quirk bestowed upon checks.
you by the Dark Powers. A quirk lasts until you next finish a long rest, at
which point you return to normal before acquiring a new quirk. The Dark 10 Your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
Powers don’t grant boons without a cost.
Dark Negotiator
Beginning at 27th level, you can roll 2d10 when determining your Quirk
and Dark Gift and choose which roll to use.
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Chapter 14: Classes
The Undead Soul Feeding
Mortals, in our desperate attempts to cling to life, will resort to
Soul Fragment
almost anything to stay on this world. For learned arcane spell- Cost Effect
casters, the transformation into the undead is a temptation that’s
always there. Dark, forbidden knowledge has always been a path 1 You gain temporary hit points equal to twice your Charisma modifier.
for those willing to pay the price. Most are unwilling to make the
sacrifices to their bodies and souls that are required, but a small 2 The first time you hit a creature with an attack you make before the
number are reckless or power hungry enough. I personally don’t end of your turn, you regain lost hit points equal to the damage the
see the point of existing for an eternity as a decaying stack of attack inflicts.
bones, or as a vampire with an unquenchable thirst from blood,
but for some this seems to be an easy choice to make. 3 Until the end of your turn, opportunity attacks against you are made
Of course, when such brazen and ambitious personalities step with disadvantage.
through that door and achieve near immortality, they discover that
they still aren’t satisfied. Fools. How could you they be? Living lon- 4 Until the end of your turn, you gain resistance to one damage type of
ger only allows you time to achieve your goals, and shouldn’t be your choice.
the goal in of itself. So, with countless lifetimes ahead of them,
they continue to study the necromantic arts, looking for additional 5 The next attack roll you make before the end of your turn is made
meaning and answers. Maybe they start to regret their decision af- with advantage.
ter a few centuries. Or maybe they simply want company. Eventu-
ally though, and predictably, they will search out mortals as foolish 8 You reduce your exhaustion level by one, end one curse affecting you,
as they were, eager to share the ‘gifts’ they possess and to pass on or remove one debilitating condition from yourself. The condition can
what they know. Teaching others to navigate the dark path that be blinded or deafened.
they tread, stealing part of their souls as they lost theirs long ago.
This is the truth to the cycle of undeath. 10 You make a single melee weapon attack or cast a cantrip that you
know.
Undead Features
15 You cast a spell from the Undead expanded spell list (whether you
Warlock Level Features know the spell or not) that has a casting time of 1 action, expending a
warlock spell slot as normal.
1st Expanded Spell List, Soul Collector
20+ You regain hit points equal to your warlock level. If your hit point
6th Emotional Void maximum has been reduced, it returns to its normal value before
you regain the hit points. The cost of this option increases by 5 Soul
10th Deathly Physique Fragments whenever you select it, returning to its initial cost when
you finish a long rest.
14th Unholy Casting
25+ You regain an expended warlock spell slot. The cost of this option
21st Improved Deathly Physique increases by 5 Soul Fragments whenever you select it, returning to its
initial cost when you finish a long rest.
27th Improved Soul Laceration
Emotional Void
Expanded Spell List
Starting at 6th level, you become immune to any effect that would sense
The Undead lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you your emotions and Wisdom (Insight) checks made to ascertain your inten-
learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell tions or sincerity have disadvantage.
list for you.
Deathly Physique
Undead Expanded Spells
Beginning at 10th level, you gain immunity to poison damage and the poi-
Spell Level Spells soned condition, and you cannot suffer from disease.
1st inflict wounds, ray of sickness Soul Laceration
2nd detect thoughts, phantasmal force You have proven your worth to your patron with the steady stream of souls
you have been supplying, who in turn lets you keep some of the Soul Frag-
3rd animate dead, speak with dead ments you have leftover when you spend them. Once you reach 14th level,
when you spend Soul Fragments, you retain half of the Soul Fragments
4th phantasmal killer, Evard's black tentacles you don’t spend.
5th contagion, Nulathoe’s concussive demise Improved Deathly Physique
Soul Collector Beginning at 23rd level, you no longer need to breathe, eat, drink, or sleep,
and you suffer no ill effects from aging. In addition, you can’t drop uncon-
Your patron enables you to rip out part of a creature's soul when it is slain, scious and when you are reduced to 0 hit points, you remain standing,
which you in turn feed to your patron in trade for immense power. though you make death saving throws as normal. While at 0 hit points, you
Starting when you adopt this otherworldly patron at 1st level, if you re- can use either an action or a bonus action on your turn, not both, and you
duce a hostile creature to 0 hit points or when a hostile creature that you must make a death saving throw at the end of each turn.
can see is reduced to 0 hit points within 60 feet of you, you can harvest part
of the creature’s soul as a reaction, gaining a number of Soul Fragments Improved Soul Laceration
equal to the target’s CR (rounded up), up to a maximum equal to your war-
lock level. You can now feed on Soul Fragments yourself, rather than feeding them to
If you have a number of Soul Fragments and receive more of them, you your patron, and you are no longer reliant on its gifts as your mastery over
decide whether to keep the ones you have or to gain the new ones. For souls has allowed you to create the effects yourself. Once you reach 27th
example, if you gain 3 Soul Fragments when you already have 2, you can level, when you spend Soul Fragments, you retain all Soul Fragments you
have 3 or 2, not 5. don’t spend.
As a bonus action on your turn, you can spend your Soul Fragments to
obtain a boon or create an effect as seen in the Soul Feeding table. If you
create an instantaneous effect, you do so as part of the same bonus action.
When you spend any number of obtained Soul Fragments, you lose all re-
maining Soul Fragments regardless of the effect you choose; your patron
receives the rest as payment for the power granted to you. Your Soul Frag-
ments last until you spend them or until you finish a short or long rest.
You can use this feature to harvest Soul Fragments twice and a target
must have a soul for you to be able to harvest part of it. You can't collect
Soul Fragments from constructs, elementals, undead, or deities regard-
less of whether they have a soul or not. You regain all expended uses when
you finish a short or long rest.
137
Part 4: Character Options
Pact Boons Eldritch Invocations
At 3rd level, a warlock gains the Pact Boon feature. The following option Charnel Emanation
is available to a warlock, in addition to those in the Player’s Handbook.
You gain a feature that improves your Pact Boon at 21st level, and again Prerequisite: Pact of the Skull
at 25th level. Whenever you damage a creature with an attack, a 10-foot radius area
centered on your pact skull magically becomes difficult terrain for that
Pact of the Skull creature until the start of your next turn.
Your patron gifts you jaw-less skull, that seems to fit perfectly in the palm Eldritch Appraisal
of your hand.
While holding the skull, you can cause it to float half an inch above your Prerequisite: 12th level, Pact of the Skull
palm. While doing so, you can cast feign death and speak with dead at will While your pact skull is on your person, if you cast a spell that consumes
without expending a spell slot. material components with a minimum value, you can choose to add your
While the skull isn’t on your person, other creatures can target the skull. pact skull as a material component. Doing so lowers the gp requirement
The skull has AC 10, 1 hit point, and immunity to fire and poison damage. by an amount of gp equal to twenty times your warlock level but vaporizes
If the skull isn’t on your person or if something other than you destroyed the skull.
it, you can cause it to magically reappear in your hand by using a bonus
action. If you destroyed the skull by vaporizing it, it magically reappears on Extrinsic Aspect
your person when you finish a long rest.
If a creature listens closely to the skull, it can hear faint, unintelligible Prerequisite: 7th level, Pact of the Skull
whispers coming from inside. The skull otherwise has no magical proper- You can magically cause your pact skull to hover in place and on each of
ties for anyone but you. your turns you can move the skull up to 60 feet in any direction (no action
required). There is no limit to how far away from you the skull can move,
Sepulchral Defense but it can’t enter another plane of existence. Using an action, you mentally
Beginning at 21st level, while holding your pact skull, the first creature perceive through the skull, which has the same senses you do. While doing
you hit with an attack on your turn becomes enveloped by sepulchral so, you can also speak through the skull in an echoing, ominous voice, with
energies, which hinder its attacks. Until the start of your next turn, that each uttered syllable causing a sickly green light to escape its openings.
target has disadvantage on its next attack roll against you. The effect on The skull vaporizes if you enter another plane of existence while it isn’t on
the target ends early if you cease holding your pact skull. your person.
Ossein Combustion Eyes of Atrophy
Starting at 25th level, while your pact skull is within 600 feet of you,
two tiny, swirling, green embers glow subtly in the center of each of its Prerequisite: 15th level
otherwise hollow eyes. While the embers glow, you can cast flame strike Using an action to focus your eyes, you can target a creature, an object, or
as a 9th level spell centered on the skull without expending a spell slot a structure that you can see within 60 feet of you and see the target how
or material components, causing the skull to vaporize. The resulting it would look after 1,000 years. The effect lasts until the end of your next
flames are green in color. turn. Focusing on a wall might cause it to disappear and allow you to see
what is behind it, focusing on a creature might reveal to you whether it is
mortal or immortal, and so forth.
When you focus your sight in this manner you can't account for major
changes to the target such as a wall being rebuilt or a creature attaining
immortality at a later time.
Suspended Ruination
Prerequisite: 9th level, Pact of the Skull
While your pact skull is on your person, icy breath routinely escapes from
behind its single row of teeth. While holding the skull, you can cast revivify
by expending a warlock spell slot, vaporizing the skull in the process. If a
creature is brought back to life in this manner, its eyes glow with a subtle
green ting for 24 hours.
Warlock
of the
Dark Powers
Warlock of
the Undead
Your Pact Boon
The Pact Boon option produces an object or effect that reflects your patron’s nature.
Pact of the Skull. If your patron is the Archfey, the skull might be slightly elongated,
but otherwise resemble a humanoid skull. If you made a pact with the Celestial, the
skull might be silvery in color or unnaturally white, gleaming with a subtle radiance.
If your patron is the Fiend, the skull might be a blackened, fiendish skull with a tiny
trail of smoke rising from it. If you made a pact with the Hexblade, the skull might be
unnaturally black or cast a shadow that resembles a different type of skull. Due to their
inscrutable nature, if you serve the Dark Powers or the Great Old One, the skull might
take any shape or even be made of everfrozen, black ice. Serving the Undead might
cause the skull to reek of filth and have leftover skin in some places.
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Chapter 14: Classes
Wizard School of Nethermancy Features
Study Techniques Wizard Level Features
You might have taken a particular approach to your studies into magic and 2nd Nether Orbs, Nether Aura
wizardry. Take a minute to consider how your time as an apprentice has
shaped you into the wizard you are today, as well as how others remember 6th Nethermancy
you from your time as an apprentice. Furthermore, who was there while
you studied? Who were the other apprentices and the teachers and where 10th Dark Passage
are they now?
14th Caliginous Senses
Study Techniques
21st Ebony Deflection
d6 Technique
1 Absentee. You were hardly ever there during lectures. Yet, somehow you 25th Become Shadow
managed to learn most on your own. 28th Expert Nethermancy
2 Over Achiever. You were the first to arrive in the morning and the last to
Nether Orbs
leave in the afternoon. You also spent your free time studying until late in the When you adopt this arcane tradition at 2nd level, you have two nether
evening. You routinely challenged authorities who presumed to teach you orbs that you can use to fuel various nethermantic abilities. These orbs
anything. are vibrating, fist-sized, circular masses of vantablack shadow. Using an
3 Prodigy. You learned at an exceptional rate with very little effort, easily action, you can conjure forth your orbs or cause them to vanish. To draw
surpassing all of your contemporary apprentices. on the power of your nether orbs, you must have conjured them into exis-
4 Goofball. You worked just as hard as everyone else, though you were known tence. The orbs hover visibly near your person while in existence.
for taking your studies far less serious than most others. The number of nether orbs you have access to increases when you reach
5 Bully. You were a bully. You let other apprentices put in the work before you certain levels in this class, increasing to 3 at 6th level, 4 at 10th level, 5 at
copied or stole it. 14th level, and 6 at 21st level.
6 Anonymous. While you were serious in your studies, you hardly ever said You regain all expended nether orbs when you finish a long rest.
anything. As a result, hardly anybody remembers you for anything of note.
Nether Aura
Arcane Tradition Also starting at 2nd level, you are surrounded by a nether aura while your
nether orbs hover near you. The range of your aura equals 10 feet for each
At 2nd level, a wizard gains the Arcane Tradition feature. The following op- remaining nether orb. Within the aura you can see normally in darkness,
tion is available to a wizard, in addition to those in the Player’s Handbook. both magical and mundane, and creatures of your choice suffer the follow-
ing effects:
School of Nethermancy • Bright light is perceived as dim light and dim light is perceived as dark-
Some say the nethermancers were the first to tame the energies ness.
• Can't discern color, only shades of gray.
of the Shadowfell. Millennia ago now, then merely a group of rogue • Can't see or hear further than 300 feet.
wizards, they fled into the realms of shadow. True wizards as they
were, when they arrived they did first what came most naturally to Nethermancy
them; they set up a school of wizardry. And of course, without ac- At 6th level, you learn the darkness spell. The spell doesn’t count against
cess to the stores of reagents and components that they were used the number of spells you can prepare. When you cast the spell on a point
to, they could work only with what they found in their new home. that isn't an object, you can move that point up to 15 feet as a bonus action
Serendipitously, this turned out to be nothing more or less than for the duration of the spell.
the stuff of pure shadow and nightmares. In addition, you can expend a nether orb by magically hurling it at an
I find this story particularly interesting because most shadow empty space that you can see within 60 feet of you. Upon impact, the orb
casters and practitioners that I have met approach their arts or- implodes to create a 5-foot diameter sphere of magical darkness in that
ganically. They feel out their connection to the shadows or the space and remains there for 1 minute.
Shadowfell itself, then hone their skills slowly through trial and You can see through any magical darkness created by your own spells or
error as they bend the shadow energy to their will. Nethermancers your nether orbs.
on the other hand, like most wizards, use their intellect and un-
derstanding of the cosmos as the cornerstone of their approach. Dark Passage
They look at shadow matter with a critical eye, pull it apart, metic- Starting at 10th level, knowing that all the dark places of the world are
ulously analyze what they find, and then put it back together. They connected, you learn to turn areas of magical darkness into connected
then experiment with different theories on conjuring or controlling gateways. If you can see two areas of magical darkness, you can expend a
the this substance, and even open temporary gates between the nether orb as a bonus action to connect the two areas. While both areas
Shadowfell and Material Plane to study the influence of our two of magical darkness persist, you can use a bonus action while within one
worlds on each other. The most brilliant nethermancers combine area of magical darkness to be magically transported to an unoccupied
this area of study with their other arcane practices to create spells space in the other area of magical darkness.
and effects unseen among other shadow users.
Caliginous Senses
Nethermancer Beginning at 14th level, when a creature ends its turn in an area affected
by your darkness spell, you can expend one nether orb as a reaction to cast
the blindness/deafness spell, targeting that creature. On a failed save, the
creature is both blinded and deafened for the duration of the spell.
Ebony Deflection
While you are in magical darkness, the darkness can become quasi-phys-
ical and attempt to deflect incoming effects that attempt to harm you.
Beginning at 21st level, you gain the following benefits while in magical
darkness.
Shadow Blessing. When you are forced to make a saving throw, you can
expend one nether orb as a reaction to add your Intelligence modifier to
the saving throw.
Shadow Parry. When you are hit by an attack, you can roll a d6 as a
reaction. On a 4 or higher, the attack instead misses you, regardless of its
roll. Before rolling, you can expend one or more nether orbs to reduce the
minimum roll necessary for a miss. For example, if you expend one nether
orb, the attack instead misses you on a roll of 3 or higher.
Become Shadow
Starting at 25th level, you can expend one nether orb as a bonus action
to transform into metaphysical darkness until the start of your next turn.
For the duration, you are invisible while in darkness, you are immune to
necrotic and poison damage, you are vulnerable to radiant damage, you
can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing,
and you can’t be grappled or restrained.
Expert Nethermancy
Beginning at 28th level, you regain all of your expended nether orbs when
you finish a short or long rest.
139