Seer

Rising to his feet as ambushers surround his comapnions, a wisened dwarf calls forth an ephemeral barrier to slow the advance of his foes, before suddenly tilting his head to one side, uncannily avoiding an arrow as it flies out from the shadows. With another word, the barrier falls and the ephemeral force rushes towards one of his allies, infusing them with power as they begin to hack a path to safety.

Wading through the melee, a half-orc swings her hammer through her massed foes, a spectral ally fending off her foes' attacks before infusing her with its strength, allowing her to cleave her foes asunder with a single mighty sweep.

Seers are truly a force unto their own, enigmatic and subject to more than a little curiosity and fear. To the unitiated, they seem to stand between the realms of the living and the dead, using the gifts of those long lost to bring wrath and ruin to those who oppose them.

Some seers use this gift to manipulate the world around them, augmenting their fates and the fates of those who meet them. Others use their spiritual bond to strike down the wicked, and those who would seek to upset the balance that they hold at the core of their being.

Piercing the Veil

No-one truly knows what marks a person to be a seer. Seemingly random people begin to hear the guidance of those that came before, and many heed their whispers, daring great trials or undertaking perlious journeys to gain clarity and enlightenment. The unprepared and the unworthy do not make it, or are driven to madness by what they learn. Those that are not return to civilisation inspired, and begin their work as catalysts for change and emissaries for those before them.

Ear to the Spirits

Seers see the world very differently to others, one eye to the material realm, and the other into a place they call the Beyond, the place where ancestral spirits reside, just barely reachable across the Astral Sea. They listen to the counsel of these ancient beings, gaining in martial and magical power and even further setting themselves apart from conventional society.

Quick Build

You can make a seer quickly by following these suggstions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by either Strength (if you are wanting to forego some level of defense in favour of all-out aggression) or Constitution (if you wish for a more tough and bulky character). Second, choose the outlander or hermit background

Class Features

As a seer, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per seer level.
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier.
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier for each level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Shields
Weapons: All simple weapons, warhammers, battleaxes, mauls, greataxes
Tools: Herbalism kit
Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Religion, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a warhammer or (b) a battleaxe or (c) any simple melee weapon
• (a) a shield or (b) two handaxes
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• a spirit charm and 4 sticks of incense

Elder Guidance

After being marked by ancestral spirits or having taken up the mantle of seer, you constantly have a spiritual being at your side. Starting at 1st level, this being assists you, granting you the following benefits:

• Once per turn, when you make an ability check or deal damage with a weapon attack, you may add 1d4 to the roll. This increases to a d6 at 6th level, a d8 at 10th level, a d10 at 14th level, and a d12 at 18th level.
• While you are not wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Ethereal Insight

Starting at 1st level, you may use a bonus action to choose a creature you can see. The DM must give you one insight into that creature (the DM chooses what information to give).

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, and gain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you adopt a fighting style as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Spellcasting

By 2nd level you become a conduit for spiritual energy, and as such you can cast seer spells. See chapter 10 of the PHB for the general rules of spellcasting and the bottom of this document for the seer spell list.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Seer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. You prepare the list of seer spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the seer spell list. When you do so, choose a number of seer spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your seer level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you are a 5th-level seer, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of seer spells requires time spent in quiet meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your seer spells. The power of your spells derives from your link to the spiritual realm. You use your Wisdom whenever a seer spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a seer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Ritual Casting

You can cast a seer spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a spirit charm as a spellcasting focus for your seer spells. This functions in the same way as a holy symbol (page 151 of the PHB)

Otherworldly Stride

By 3rd level, you can partially meld into the Ethereal Realm. As a bonus action on your turn, you can increase your movement speed by an amount equal to five times your proficiency bonus, and impose disadvantage on opportunity attacks against you.

Once you have used this feature, you must complete a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Spiritual Calling

At 3rd level, you choose a path that will shape your growth as a seer. Answer the Call of the Oracle or the Call of the War-seer, both detailed at the end of the class description. This choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.

Extra Attack

By 5th level, you can attack twice, rather than once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Eternal Guardian

At 20th level, your connection to the Beyond allows you to see into the Ethereal Realm and past falsehoods. You can use an action to gain truesight for 1 minute.

Spiritual Callings

Seers are by nature an enigmatic people, usually making a point to separate themselves somewhat from society. They do commune with one another, however, and over time two distinct paths have grown from the first practitioners some hundreds of years ago.

Call of the Oracle

Some seers turn their attention to the skeins of fate, weaving them to aid themselves and the world as a whole. These are the Oracles, who tirelessly devote themselves to this responsibility, using their powers to prevent or mitigate the effects of those that could disturb the balance of the planes. As you answer this call, you become a steward unto endless possibilities, and it is your duty to use this knowledge to the better of yourself, your allies, and the spirits.

Weave Fate

When you choose this calling at 3rd level, you gain the ability to subtly manipulate the ebb and flow of battle. Whenever a creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, ability check or saving throw, you may expend one use of Weave Fate to simultaneously roll a d20 and choose which of the two rolls will take effect. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).

You regain all expended uses of Weave Fate when you finish a long rest.

Call of the Beyond

At 7th level, you can call forth your spirit ally as an action, to whom you can give a command and can give additional commands as bonus actions for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1):

Protect. The spirit moves up to 30ft and swirls around a creature of your choice, granting them temporary hit points equal to twice your seer level. This amount is refreshed at the beginning of each of your turns, and persist until the start of your next turn if the spirit moves away from the target.

Assist. The spirit moves up to 30ft and bolsters the strength of a creature of your choice, allowing them to add your Wisdom modifier to their damage rolls.

Hinder. The spirit moves up to 30ft and coalesces into a pale barrier 10 feet high and 20 feet wide. Creatures that attempt to move through the barrier must make a Wisdom saving throw or have their movement speed halved until the end of their next turn.

In addition, if you are not in combat, you can instead commune with your spirit ally, as if through a speak with dead spell (pg 277 of the Player's Handbook).

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

Ancestral Might

At 11th level, you may invoke the spirits as an action to grant an ally the benefits of your Elder Guidance for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).

Once you use this feauture, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Glimpse of Eternity

By 15th level, you have a clear link to the past and future, allowing you to cast Foresight as a 9th-level spell (PHB page 244) and without the need for its material component.

Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again for 7 days.

When you reach 20th level, you can use this feature once per long rest.

Call of the War-Seer

War-seers leverage the spirits to further empower their own physical and spiritual abilities, making them mighty warriors and leaders. As you answer this call, be prepared to stare your foes in the face as you inspire and bolster your allies with your great feats of strength and courage.

Blade of the Bygone

When you choose this calling at 3rd level, you commune on a deeper level with warriors past, and can call upon their might in combat. Whenever you make a melee weapon attack, you can use this feature to invoke a ghostly blade that also slashes at your target. Make a melee spell attack against the target of your first attack. On a hit, the target takes necrotic damage equal to twice your Elder Guidance die. Alternatively, you may forego making this attack and have the weapon assume a defensive posture. If you are attacked before your next turn, you may use your reaction to increase your AC by an amount equal to your Elder Guidance die against that attack.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Soulbound Cleave

By 7th level, you can actively empower yourself with the energies that surround you. As an action, you can make a single sweep of your weapon against any number of creatures within your weapon's reach. Make a separate attack roll against each creature.

Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you have completed a short or long rest.

Blades of the Bygone

At 11th level, your connection to the warriors you entreat with has increased to an unprecedented level. You may invoke your Blade of the Bygone feature multiple times on a single weapon attack.

In addition, your first use of Blade of the Bygone each turn does not count against your total used.

Soulwarden

By 15th level, your connection to the beyond becomes tangible, allowing your form to shift beyond the veil, if only temporarily.

Using your action, you assume a spectral form for 1 minute. While in this state, you gain the following benefits:

• You have resistance to all damage except force damage.
• Your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
• You can move through creatures and objects, dealing 3d8 psychic damage to creatures you choose. A creature can only take damage from this feature once. If you end your turn inside an object, you take 1d10 force damage.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Seer-Specific Spells

Ghostflame

1st-level evocation

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• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30ft
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous

Ghostly white tendrils of flame erupt forth from your spirit charm, seeking out your enemies. Each hostile creature you can see within range must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d4 necrotic damage. On a successful save, no damage is dealt.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage is increased by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.

Earthshatter

2nd-level evocation

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• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (30-foot line)
• Components: V, S, M (your weapon)
• Duration: Instantaneous

Slamming your weapon into the ground, you cause the ground to shake and and tremble in a 30-foot line. Creatures caught within must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature take 4d6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't knocked prone.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the range is increased by 10 feet for each slot level above 2nd.

Ghastly Possession

2nd-level enchantment

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• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (seven bone shards)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Choose one humanoid, fiend or undead within range. The target must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or be restrained as a spirit being wrests partial control of their body for the duration. At the end of each of its turns, the target can repeat the saving throw. On a success, the spell ends on the target.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level, the spirit can also force the creature to move and take the Attack action against a target of your choice during its turn.

Soulbond

3rd-level evocation

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• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Both you and a creature you touch regain a number of hit points equal 2d6 + your spellcasting modifier, and 1d6 + your spellcasting modifier additional hit points at the beginning of each of your turns. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you may target an additional creature with this spell for each slot level above 3rd.

Soul Displacement

4th-level necromancy

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• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a small circular band of silver)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Summoning a blast of ethereal force, you attempt to dislodge a creature's soul from its body. Choose one creature within range. That creature must make a Constitution saving throw or take 4d8 psychic damage and be forced out of their body. leaving the body paralyzed and unable to act. On a successful save, they take half damage and are not displaced.After this point, whenever the body takes damage, or at the end of each of its turns, the creature may repeat the save, ending the effect on a success.

Soulstorm

5th-level evocation

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• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (30-foot radius)
• Components: V, S, M (diamond dust worth at least 100gp)
• Duration: 1 minute

You call forth a great storm of past souls that swirl around you in a 30-foot radius.

When a hostile creature enters the spell's area for the first time, they must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, they take 5d10 necrotic damage and are frightened of you for the duration. A creature may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a successful save, they take half as much damage and aren't frightened.

Credits

Artistic Credits:

Skull-masked Seer: Odobenus on DeviantArt

Tribal Seer: Greg-Opalinski on DeviantArt
Design Credits:

Creator: Will "Wordsmith" Brooks

@WordsmithVIII on Twitter
Special thanks to:

Ruby Williams (for creative input and a second opinion)

FalconPunchline, Three_flower and starbridge on Reddit for their helpful feedback!