Sorcerous Origin: Cataclysm Mage

As a cataclysm mage your innate power is born of the mysteries that ended four ages of the world. This power may have blossomed in you following intense meditation, or its manifestation may be written into the Prophecy itself. Your destiny drives an obsession with the past, and you are haunted by visions of the great cataclysms yet to come.

The four great cataclysms are each revealed to you in a dream or vision upon fulfilment of a personal prophecy. Each is a key to decipher the secrets of the draconic Prophecy as a whole. Your DM may determine your personal prophecies for you, or you may wish to come up with suitable ideas together. A good prophecy should be attainable, but esoteric. Consider a short poetic verse or an ironic development tailored to your sorcerer's past and present.

Cataclysm Mage Features

Cataclysm of Flesh

At 1st level, you draw power from the destruction of the Dhakaani Empire at the hands of the aberrant horrors of Xoriat, the Realm of Madness. Your spells tear tiny holes in the fabric of reality, through which the magics of that far realm work to corrupt Eberron.

Immediately after you cast a spell of 1st-level or higher, you can use a bonus action to temporarily corrupt the flesh of up to one target of that spell. That target gains disadvantage on their next attack roll or saving throw.

Secrets of the Fallen

Your awakening to the cataclysms that have shaped the world grants you an innate understanding of the descendents of long lost civilisations. Through these aspects of the Prophecy, you gain instant knowledge of histories it may take scholars years to uncover.

Starting at 1st level, you gain proficiency in the History skill, you can speak, read and write Goblin, and you gain advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks against goblinoids.

At 6th level, you learn to speak, read and write Giant, and you gain advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks against giants.

At 14th level, you learn to speak, read and write Abyssal and Infernal, and you gain advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks against fiends.

At 18th level, you learn to speak, read and write Draconic, and you gain advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks against dragons.

Cataclysm of Dreams

At 6th level, you understand the forces which drove the Quori to Eberron and the magic that the Giants wielded against them. You may access their combined power to augment your spells, but bridging the gap between worlds damages Eberron itself. You shatter the earth, tear the skies, and invoke the nightmares of the Quori.

When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you may use a bonus action to augment the spell with the Cataclysm of Dreams. If you do, all targets must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. If the spell deals damage, you may choose for it to deal psychic damage in place of its usual damage type.

If you use this feature, you must finish a short rest before you can do so again.

Cataclysm of Silver

At 14th level, your metaphysical journey through the ages brings you to the downfall of the demonic rajahs at the hands of the couatl. The ultimate sacrifice of the feathered serpents cleansed the surface world with silver flames, and you have learned to echo the birth of that divine power in a righteous blaze.

Immediately after you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you may use a bonus action to augment yourself with the Cataclysm of Silver. While augmented, you are wreathed in silver fire. If you are hit by a melee attack, you may use your reaction to deal radiant damage to the attacker. The amount of damage is equal to your sorcerer level. In addition, you spread silver fire across any space you exit. Creatures entering an affected space take radiant damage equal to half your sorcerer level (rounded down). A creature suffers this damage up to once per turn.

The augmentation lasts for 1 minute, or until you dismiss it as a bonus action. The trail of silver fire you have created is extinguished when the spell is dismissed, and cannot be extinguished by any other means.

If you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

Cataclysm of Dragons

At 18th level, you unlock the secrets of destruction which shattered the Dragon Above and gave birth to the world as we know it. The Prophecy is written in the shards of Siberys, and you understand the ultimate story of creation and destruction which began with Khyber's cruel betrayal.

Your awakening to the Propechy allows you to manifest an ever-shifting dragonmark. When you finish a long rest, choose a dragonmark type from the following table. You may cast the cataclysm spell associated with that dragonmark at its lowest level, without expending a spell slot. You can cast your cataclysm spell a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and you regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

These spells count as sorcerer spells for you, and you may augment them with Metamagic or your Cataclysm Mage features as normal.

Dragonmark Spells

The Dragon Above

This 5th Edition conversion of the cataclysm mage, which first appeared in the Explorer's Handbook supplement for the Eberron Campaign Setting, was created for The Dragon Above (dragon-above.tumblr.com), an archive of my homebrew Eberron content dating back to the original launch of the setting. Please come and have a look around!