Occult Agent

Above, the gods. Below, the fiends. Here, us. Such is the extent of most mortals’ cosmological understanding, but in the gaps between realms, in the space beyond the stars, lie alien intelligences enraptured by the delicate bauble of reality. Such powers drive bards to madness and draw warlocks into strange pacts, but often they have subtler needs than a herald can fulfil.

Perhaps a forgotten god feels some kinship with those who dwell in the cracks and shadows of society, living as they do outside the borders of reason.

Perhaps anarchy and assassination serve the amusements of some alien intelligence, a whim it fulfills by unleashing a crazed mystic murderer onto the streets.

Perhaps mere happenstance saw a burglar steal a strange and unnerving idol that would have been better left alone, lest its original model come calling.

Whatever their origin, the Occult Agent employs blasphemous powers to criminal aims, drawing on aspects of the alien realm that haunts them. Such skills can be potent tools, but where a jaunt through another reality might save a thief from the noose, it does little for their state of mind. Few rogues of this sort stay sane for long.

Unwanted Guests

It is a relatively simple matter to repurpose this Archetype to represent forbidden access to a different otherworldly realm, such as a private hell, a pit of endless darkness, or a strange fey jungle.

Simply alter the aesthetics to suit, replace conjured aberrations with fiends or fey or undead or another suitable type of creature, and ensure that you hit the right target when you cast contact other plane. Have fun!

Secret Step

Starting at 3rd level, your illicit exploration of the void allows you to see paths hidden from the sane. You may use a bonus action to fold yourself into eldritch space. You silently disappear, and instantly reappear in an unoccupied space you can see anywhere within your remaining move distance.

This reduces your remaining move distance by an equal number of feet, but offers the benefits of a Disengage action. You cannot move "through" an airtight or warded barrier.

Void Gaze

Also at 3rd level, you receive the benefits of the detect magic spell while you are successfully hidden, as well as darkvision within the same radius.

Stolen Runes

At 9th level, your brain develops strange lesions, runes stolen from an alien realm. You can use your action to employ a rune, hissing a pilfered syllable as a verbal component. You may use your runes a total number of times equal to half your number of Sneak Attack dice (rounded up) + 1. You regain all uses when you complete a short or long rest.

  • Entropy. You conjure a creature swarm (such as a rat swarm) of challenge rating 1/4 or lower into an unoccupied space within 30 feet. This is an intelligent aberration that is friendly to you and obeys your commands. It disappears if killed, or after an hour passes, and can use its action to completely and instantly devour any Medium-sized or smaller corpse. You can communicate and use its senses as though it were a familiar.
  • Vacuum. You cast gust of wind. This version of the spell lasts a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier. However, it can push creatures toward you as well as away, forces a saving throw the moment it is first cast, and is guaranteed to extinguish protected light sources. The save DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
  • Orbit. You briefly adopt an alien gravity, granting you a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. You do not suffer fall damage, and can move up, down, under and across vertical and horizontal surfaces without using your hands. This effect lasts a number of minutes equal to your Wisdom modifier x 5, minimum one.

Plundered Moments

Starting at 13th level, you can reach out and steal precious seconds from the future, accelerating the ultimate demise of the cosmos. You use this feature on your turn, causing other characters to seem frozen while you act on stolen time.

You have advantage on attack rolls or opposed Ability checks unless your target is under the effects of haste or similar time-dilation. You also apply two different benefits of your choice during this turn.

  • You make a single weapon attack.
  • You use an object.
  • You use a rune.
  • You take the Dodge action.
  • You receive an extra bonus action.
  • You double your move distance.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, minimum one. You regain all uses when you complete a long rest.

Cosmic Jailbreak

Starting at 17th level, you may open inky eyes on an entirely alien perspective to cast etherealness. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. You may also cast contact other plane as a ritual, which provokes a saving throw with Wisdom instead of an Intelligence.