Arcane Tradition: The School of Viscerology

The skin of his torso was pulled taut, frame gaunt. His fingers -- too long and too bony for his hands -- grasped and scratched at the earth, waiting and watching for something -- escape, relief, or death. The rest of his body, from the waist down, was a sinewy mass -- a form of flesh and muscle, sutured together, marred with cauterization scars and gushing blood. The mass grew legs, insectile in nature, yet far too fleshy to be anything natural. Arms littered its form -- they started at the man's shoulders and grew further and further, and this "man" continued to mutate until he wasn't anything close to "man" at all. --- A description of the Khavnu amalgam of 4,278 AL.

Fleshmelders

Those that study the field of viscerology are hardened, morally-grey scholars that want knowledge and nothing else. They study the body, learning to warp and bend it to its whim. Oftentimes called fleshmelders, viscerology is a field of magic intertwined in science, warping the human form to their will.

An offshoot of necromancy, viscerology is considered to be illegal. While necromancy is frowned upon, they at least have the decency to only subjugate the dead -- viscerologists, on the other hand, meld living and dead together, barely differentiating between the two.

The Ends Justify the Means

The larger goals of viscerologists are unknown -- perhaps they want power or immortality. Perhaps they are doing what they do for what they see as the greater good. No matter the ends, their means are cruel and inhumane. A viscerologist smells of blood, rot, and death. Harbingers of an end, those that study bring death -- either by their hand or by the hand of their monstrosities.

When making a wizard of the School of Viscerology, ask yourself how they found out about the practice. How has this affected their stance on life? On death? What are their ultimate goals? Do they want to achieve immortality? Do they want power? Do they see viscerology as a helpful field? Do they regret learning of it?

The School of Viscerology Class Features

Wizard Level	Features
2nd	Viscerology Savant, Visceral Cesspool
6th	The Curse of Ill Humours
10th	Necrotic Burst
14th	Sundered Behemoth
20th	Alternate Capstones
─	Viscerologic Spells

Viscerologic spells are an alternate ruling, detailed at the end of this subclass.

Viscerology Savant

When you select this school at 2nd level, you gain proficiency in either the Medicine or Nature skill. If you are already proficient, then your proficiency bonus is doubled.

Visceral Cesspool

Also at 2nd level, when you kill a creature with non-radiant damage, or when any creature that you can see within 30 ft dies from necrotic damage, you may absorb their essence. If you are the one that kills the creature, then this does not take up any additional actions, but if someone else kills it, then it uses your reaction. This feature may not be used on undead or constructs.

You have an essence pool that can store essence points up to wizard level. You cannot exceed this limit. Essence within the pool lasts until you use it, or until you die or reach zero hit points. If you complete a long rest and your essence pool is empty, then you gain essence points equal to your Intelligence modifier, with a minimum of one.

If you aren't wearing armor, your Armor Class increases by 1 per two essence points in your essence pool; however, your Armor Class may not exceed either your Intelligence score or your Dexterity score. You may not use a shield and receive this benefit.

You learn a number of Essence Arts equal to your Intelligence modifier, and whenever you gain another level in this class, you may exchange one Essence Art for another:

• Fleshhardened. Cost: special; minimum 2 essence points. When you are forced to make a saving throw, you may expend an even number of essence points as a reaction. For every two points spent, you add one point to the result of the saving throw. You may activate this Essence Art once you see the value rolled, but before the DM tells you whether it succeeded or not.
• Mind Over Matter. Cost: 1 essence point. Touch a weapon with which you are proficient - until you complete a short or long rest, you can use Intelligence as your attacking ability with that weapon.
• Necrotic Alteration. Cost: 2 essence points. You may change the damage type of one of your attacks (spell or otherwise) to necrotic damage.
• Necrotic Bolster. Cost: special. You may spend essence points to reroll the damage of any necrotic-damage attack you make. For a melee attack, this cost is equal to one essence point per attack (assuming you have the Extra Attack feature from any other classes). For spells, this cost is one essence point plus spell level, reaching ten points at ninth level.
• Visceral Touch. Cost: special. If a wizard spell you have prepared is of the necromancy school and has a range of self, you may spend essence points to change its range to touch instead. A cantrip costs one essence point; a first-level spell costs two, and so on and so forth.

The Curse of Ill Humours

At 6th level, your understanding of bodies and flesh has grown.

As a bonus action, target a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see and is not a construct, ooze, plant, or undead. Choose one of the following effects to apply. The "Miasmic" version of the dyscrasia is only applied if you expend an essence point while activating the dyscrasia.

• Sanguine Dyscrasia. The cursed creature takes 1d8 points of necrotic damage as its muscles begin to liquify. Its movement speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of your next turn, and the next melee attack roll it makes before the start of your next turn subtracts your Intelligence modifier from the roll.

    Miasmic. The target takes necrotic damage equal to

    your Intelligence modifier when it hits a creature with a

    melee attack up until the start of your next turn.

• Choleric Dyscrasia. The cursed creature takes 1d8 points of necrotic damage as its liver begins to scar. The next weapon attack made against it before the start of your next turn deals an additional 1d8 necrotic damage.

    Miasmic. The next weapon attack roll made against the

    target has advantage.

• Atrabilious Dyscrasia. The cursed creature takes 1d8 points of necrotic damage as its spleen begins to rot. The next saving throw it makes using Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution subtracts your Intelligence modifier from the result.

    Miasmic. You can force the creature to reroll its saving

    throw.

• Mucous Dyscrasia. The cursed creature takes 1d8 points of necrotic damage as its mucous membranes and glands begin to atrophy. If it casts a spell with somatic components before the start of your next turn, reduce the attack roll or DC by your Intelligence modifier, whichever applies.

    Miasmic. This dyscrasia applies to spells with verbal

    components as well.

You may only use this feature once per short or long rest. Starting at 11th level, you may use this feature twice per short or long rest.

Necrotic Miasma

When you reach 10th level, your studies of viscerology have tainted your very being. While you have at least one essence point in your pool, you gain resistance to necrotic damage. When you gain resistance via this feature, a small miasma of blood secretes from your pores.

While your miasma is present and if you are at half your hit points or lower, you can expend an essence point and touch an undead or monstrosity within range. Expend a hit die and add your Constitution modifier to it; you restore its hit points by that amount.

Necrotic Burst

You may also punish those that attempt to fell you - if you are reduced to zero hit points by an attack that does not deal radiant damage, you may expend every remaining essence point in your essence pool and force yourself to explode. All creatures within ten feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw against your spellcasting DC; on a failure, they take necrotic damage equal to 3d10 + your Wizard level and gain the poisoned condition for one minute. On a success, they take half that amount and are not poisoned.

You then revive with 1 hit point in your previous space, along with your gear, and you gain 1d4 levels of exhaustion.

You can gain essence from creatures killed with this feature.

You can use this feature once per long rest, provided you do not have any levels of exhaustion.

Sundered Behemoth

When you reach 14th level, you have completely mastered viscerology, learning the true fleshmelding arts.

As a standard action, you may summon an amalgam for five essence points. Your amalgam has hitpoints equal to your Constitution score times four. Its size is Huge and its creature type is Monstrosity. Additionally, it is considered to be a siege monster. The DC of any saves it forces is equal to your spellcasting DC.

Your amalgam acts on your initiative slot and listens to your commands. You may choose to have your amalgam act directly before or directly after you, and this may change with each round.

By default, your amalgam is merely a large mass of flesh, writhing sinew, and aching muscles with a movement speed of 5 feet, blindsight for 5 feet, and no additional actions. You must spend essence points to grant it other actions, chosen when you summon your amalgam.

Its Strength score is equal to your Intelligence score. Its Armor Class equals 9 + its Constitution modifier + its Strength modifier. Its other stats are the following: Dexterity 8; Constitution 16; Intelligence 3; Wisdom 4; Charisma 1.

It is proficient in Strength and Constitution saving throws. Its proficiency bonus is equal to yours.

All potential upgrades are presented below. At your DM's discretion, you may reskin a feature to look like something else, but it must function the same.

• Arms. Cost: 3 essence points. Your amalgam gains a pair of arms with a range of 5 feet. As a standard action, it
  may grab a creature of Small size or smaller and
  grapple it. On its next turn, as a standard action, it may throw the creature for 3d6 + STR mod points of bludgeoning damage. Alternatively, as a standard action, it may slap a creature within range. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw; on a failure, it

• takes 2d6 + STR mod points of bludgeoning damage and falls prone. On a success, it takes half that amount and does not fall prone.

• Bite. Cost: 2 essence points. Your amalgam gains a bite attack that is used as a standard action with a range of 5 feet dealing 2d8 + STR mod points of piercing damage and 1d10 points of acid damage.
• Eyes. Cost: 1 essence point. Your amalgam grows anywhere from one to thirty eyes. Regardless of the amount, it gains standard vision and loses its blindsight. Your amalgam does not have the darkvision trait.
• Horns. Cost: 1 essence point. The "head" of your amalgam (the term is used loosely) grows anywhere from one to ten bonelike spikes. Regardless of the amount, it gains a headbutt dealing 1d8 + STR points of piercing damage that may be used as a bonus action.
• Legs. Cost: 1 essence point. Your amalgam grows anywhere from two to eight legs. Regardless of the amount, it gains a walking speed of 20 feet.
• Tail. Cost: 2 essence points. Your amalgam grows a tail with a range of 10 feet. As a bonus action, it sweeps its tail out to hit them; all creatures within a 10 foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 + STR points of bludgeoning damage and fall prone. On a success, they take half that amount and do not fall prone.

At the end of each of your turns, you must make an Intelligence saving throw against your spellcasting DC. On a failure, the amalgam breaks free of your control. The two of you must then make a Dexterity saving throw -- whoever has the higher result moves first.

You may destroy your amalgam as a standard action if it is under your control. You may attempt to destroy your amalgam is if it not under your control - you must make an Intelligence saving throw against its save DC; on a success, the amalgam is destroyed. At the start of each of its turns, a rebelling amalgam must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw; on a failure, it begins to rampage. A rampaging amalgam gains the benefits of a first-level barbarian's rage.

A rampaging amalgam gains the following trait:

You may only summon an amalgam once per long rest.

Alternate Capstones

At your DM's discretion, when you reach 20th level in wizard, you may take one of the alternate capstones below instead of Signature Spells.

Battleblood

When you roll Initiative and your essence pool is empty, you may regain a number of essence points equal to your Intelligence modifier. Otherwise, you may add half the amount of essence points currently within your pool to initiative rolls, rounded down.

Fleshwhisperer

You have advantage on Intelligence saving throws made to keep your amalgam under control. Additionally, when summoned, your amalgam has an additional number of hitpoints equal to four times your Intelligence modifier.

Lifefuel

You may convert your hitpoints to essence points as a bonus action. By expending a hit die, you take damage equal to the maximum roll of the die, and you regain an essence point per hit die. There is no limit to the number of hit dice you may convert to essence points per turn, but you may not exceed your pool maximum.

Visceral Warrior

All melee attacks made by you use your Intelligence modifer for attack and damage rolls, and you learn the following Essence Art:

• Strike of Ill Humors. Cost: 2 essence points. When you hit a target with a melee weapon, you may spend a bonus action to attempt to throw a humor out-of-balance. They must make a Constitution saving throw against your spellcasting DC; on a failure, they are affected by a dyscrasia. The dyscrasia expires upon the start of your next turn.

Viscerologic Spells

At the DM's discretion, the following spells are added to your spell list.

Viscerologic Spells

Spell Level	Name
0th	Touch of Rot
4th	Valdemar's Faithful Hound

Touch of Rot

Necromancy cantrip

---

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a rotting piece of meat)
• Duration: Instantaneous

Blood pools into your fingertips as the flesh bruises. When you touch a creature, the blood surges out from you and into it, rupturing capillaries where your hand touched its flesh. Make a melee spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 necrotic damage, and, provided it isn't wearing medium or heavy armor, it has disadvantage on the next melee attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.

This spell's damage increases by 1d8 at 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

Valdemar's Rabid Hound

4th-level necromancy

---

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 5 feet (30 foot sphere)
• Components: V, S, M (a dog's foot, stomach, or heart)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You can summon a sutured mass of canine flesh to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you, which acts to guard you. It moves directly after you in initiative order and uses the dire wolf's statblock, but its creature type is undead and it is resistant to necrotic damage.

Target one hostile creature within 30 feet of the hound; the hound now targets it. At the start of your hound's turns, it automatically knows the location of the target, even if it is invisible, so long as it remains within 30 feet of it.

The hound disappears early if it is reduced to zero hit points, if you dispel it as a bonus action, if you die or fall unconscious before the spell ends, if you lose concentration, or if dispel magic is cast on it at a level equal to pr higher than the spell slot used to cast this spell.

At the start of each of your turns, the hound attempts to bite one creature within 5 feet of it that is hostile to you. The hound's attack bonus is equal to your spellcasting ability modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a hit, it deals 4d8 necrotic damage.

Changes

(Listed by Month/Day/Year.)

Why do you log all changes? On the off-chance you're interested in the class and dislike the changes made in later versions, use these detailed here. It's also a timeline of my first piece of real homebrew!

• 6.11.20 -- Viscerologic Savant gave proficiency in leatherworker's tools. 10th level feature was Necrotic Miasma, detailed below, and was able to be used on summoned amalgams.

• 7.20.20 -- Leatherworker's tools proficiency was removed in favor of Visceral Touch. Mutate Self was added. Essence AC boost was limited to 4 Ess. = 1 AC.
• 8.17.20 -- Alternate capstones were added. Essence Arts were limited by Intelligence modifier. All other viscerologic variant spells were added. Necrotic Miasma was replaced with Necrotic Burst. Essence AC boost was changed back to 2 Ess. = 1 AC, but cannot be used with armor and cannot exceed your Int score. At max, this is AC 20 with both 20 Int and Dex.
• 8.20.20 -- Essence AC boost cannot exceed either your Int or Dex score, meaning AC 20 is only possible with 20 Int and 20 Dex, in an attempt to make viscerology less SAD.
• 3.31.21 -- Fourth level viscerologic spell changed from Valdemar's Faithful Hound to Valdemar's Rabid Hound. All spells minus Valdemar's Rabid Hound and Touch of Rot were removed. Find old spells linked here.
• Curse of Ill Humours has been overhauled.

• The way essence pools worked has been overhauled -- instead of essence fading over time, essence remains in the pool, and, if the pool is empty, a viscerologist gains essence points equal to their proficiency modifier, allowing for a more aggressive playstyle as was originally intended.
• Necrotic Burst has been altered so that there is less bookkeeping; see the old version below:

• Necrotic Burst has been split into two features - Necrotic Miasma and Necrotic Burst. The full original Necrotic Burst is detailed above.
• Touch of Rot no longer affects those wearing medium or heavy armor. I didn't think it was important enough to include in the revised spell PDF; I only changed this because it annoyed me.
• The Essence Art "Mind Over Matter" has been redone.

• The Essence Art "Visceral Touch" now only applies to prepared wizard spells.

• The essence pool now scales with wizard level, similar to a monk's ki points, rather than with Intelligence - initially, the pool had a maximum capacity of your Intelligence modifier times two, which required the viscerologist to have 20 INT to be able to use the capstone.

Credits

• Abandoned Laboratory, AllenLimCy. Post.
• Vozhd, White Wolf Publishing, Ghouls and Revenants. Source; page 179.
• Hand Study, Elly Smallwood. Where I found the image, blog was deactivated. Gore.. Her Artsy, has NSFW, gore, and nudity.
• I'd link to where I found the bloodstain, but I think that site would give me a virus if I stayed any longer., Artist Unknown; Clipart.