new classes

Index

• Rune Master
• Martyr (done)
• Ivestigator (Done)
• Crafsman
• Necromancer ( done)
• Monk rework

 

 

 

 

NECROMANCER

An old withered woman reaches out her hand and grabs a battle-hardened knight by the arm. The knight chuckles at the old woman’s gesture before fainting within seconds, dehydrated and dead. A scarred and grizzled warrior in a breastplate leads an attack through a detachment of soldiers, wielding a glaive imbued with dark energies against their enemies. A staggering vanguard of undead follows their path, and fallen enemies rise to join them. A shadowy figure dressed in robes presides over their court, all organized in a marble hall of gothic construction. Shuffling corpses, abominations of flesh and bone, and enchanted nobles with lifeless eyes await, forming perfect rows in silent obedience. Necromancers are spellcasters who control the forces of life and death, distorting them to serve their own ambitions and commanding small armies of animated, lifeless slaves.

Morbid Curiosity

Necromancers must combine their great intellects with an equal lack of scruples - a willingness to resort to forbidden knowledge and unquestionably malevolent methods. Regardless of their means, every necromancer is driven by a deep fascination with the dark arts and the power that necromancy can provide. Most see themselves as outcasts from the academic elite, venturing into new territories of magic that other spellcasters are too cowardly to explore.

However, collecting knowledge and expanding their understanding is merely a means to an end for most necromancers; they are almost always driven by a deeper and darker impulse, a goal that takes them to the absolute limit. This could be the distorted ideal of a “greater good” or a mission to rectify the error of mortality; in all cases, necromancy is a dark instrument for the work of their lives.

 

 

Class Features

As a Necromancer, you gain the following class features

Hit Points

Hit Dice:

1d6 per necromancer level

Hit Points at 1st Level:

6 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels:

1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per Necromancer level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor:

None

Weapons:

Simple weapons

Tools:

None

Saving Throws:

Constitution, Intelligence

Skills:

Choose two from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Persuasion, and Religion.

Spellcasting Ability

Equipment

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

• A dagger and any simple weapon
• (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
• A shovel and (a) a dungeon pack or (b) a scholar’s pack

CANTRIPS

At 1st level, you know four cantrips of your choice from the necromancer spell list. You learn more cantrips as you level up.

SPELL SLOTS

The Necromancer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all spell slots when you finish a long rest.

SPELLS KNOWN OF 1ST LEVEL AND HIGHER

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the necromancer spell list. You learn an additional necromancer spell of your choice at each level, except 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 19th, and 20th. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can cast a new 1st or 2nd-level spell. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the necromancer spells you know and replace it with another spell from the necromancer spell list, which must also be of a level for which you have spell slots.

 

 

Charnel Touch

At first level your connection to the realm of negative energy grants you an internal reservoir of dangerous power, ready to be unleashed at any time. Starting at 1st level, you have a reserve of Charnel Touch points equal to your necromancer level × 5, which replenishes when you finish a long rest.

As an action, you can channel this energy to heal undead creatures within a 30-foot range. You declare the number of points you wish to spend, and then expend these points to heal the targeted undead creatures. The amount of healing is equal to the points spent. This ability does not work on any other creatures, and it doesn’t require a roll to determine the healing amount.

Thralls

At First level While lesser spellcasters can only animate flesh and bone in a rudimentary way and must expend valuable energy to maintain the loyalty of their undead, true necromancers can provide a portion of their own life force to their undead, ensuring long-term obedience. Starting from the 1st level, you learn an ancient and powerful ritual that allows you to create and command your own army of undead.

By spending 10 uninterrupted minutes performing this ritual with a focus of conjuration or a component pouch, you can transform the remains of one or more Small or Medium humanoids within 30 feet of you into undead creatures. Undead created in this way become your thralls. You maintain control over your thralls indefinitely. Stat blocks for skeletons, zombies, and other thralls can be found in the Undead Thralls section at the end of the class description.

If you are conscious, you can mentally control all of your thralls without using any actions. If you are unconscious, your thralls will move to protect your body from harm.

In combat, your thralls share your initiative count but take their turns immediately after yours.

You can animate and control a thrall with a challenge rating (CR) of 1/4. As you gain levels in this class, you can animate more thralls. The combined CR of all your thralls cannot exceed the number shown in the Total CR of Thralls column on the Necromancer table, and the total number of thralls under your control can never exceed your proficiency bonus.

At any time, you can use your action to sever your connection with one or more thralls, releasing them. Corporeal undead collapse, and non-corporeal undead flee to the Ethereal Plane.

 

 

Bone Bag

Also at 2nd level, you learn how to create a necromantic magic item, a Bone Bag. The bag connects to an expansive extradimensional space that can only contain corpses, bones, and Medium or smaller undead creatures; it forcefully expels anything else placed inside it. You can use an action to place a corpse or a willing undead creature into the bag, up to a maximum of 10 corpses or undead creatures, or use your action to empty the bag’s contents, which fall within 5 feet of you. You can turn any container you can carry into a Bone Bag by performing a special ritual over 1 hour while holding it. This container ceases to be magical if you perform this ritual again to create a new Bone Bag. The container always connects to the same extradimensional space. If the bag is placed inside an extradimensional space, such as one created by a Bag of Holding, it is destroyed. Its contents remain within the same extradimensional space until you create a new bag.

Death’s Embrace:

At 3rd level, you have developed a stronger connection with the forces of death. You gain resistance to necrotic damage, and when you use your Charnel Touch ability to heal undead, you can expend a spell slot to increase the amount of healing provided by a d8.

RAISING THE DEAD

Starting at 5th level, a necromancer can learn the animate dead spell, a staple of the necromancy school. Necromancers can cast this spell as an action, instead of 1 minute. All undead created by the animate dead spell (as well as any other spell, such as the create undead spell, that allows control over undead) don’t count as your thralls and can be commanded as such.

As always, you cannot reanimate your undead that have been reduced to 0 hit points. Your Animate Thralls ritual, the animate dead spell, and similar magic only affect humanoid corpses, while your thralls are undead creatures.

Critical Conjuration

At 5th level, your potent necrotic powers punish your enemy at the first sign of weakness. When a creature rolls a 1 on a saving throw against one of your spells, it automatically fails the test, and you can roll all the damage dice of the spell a second time, adding the total to the spell’s damage against that creature. The additional damage only applies to the creature that rolled a 1.

Additionally, your spell attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Starting from 14th level, a creature automatically fails its saving throw against your spells and takes additional damage when rolling a 1 or 2. Furthermore, your spell attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.

 

 

Overwhelming Presence

At 7th level, the negative energy flowing through you fortifies your thralls against those seeking to destroy or control your servants. Your thralls and other undead that you control are immune to effects that turn undead and cannot be forcibly controlled by another creature while you are conscious.

Death’s Guardian:

At 7th level, you have delved deeper into the secrets of necromancy, allowing you to summon a powerful undead creature to serve you. The specific undead creature you can summon is determined by your subclass.

Immortal Servitude

When you reach 18th level, your connection with your thralls can bring them back from the brink of destruction. When a thrall under your control is reduced to 0 hit points but not completely destroyed, you can use your reaction to restore it to half of its maximum hit points.

Dark Dominion:

At 20th level, your mastery over death and undeath reaches its zenith. You gain the ability to assert control over all undead creatures within a 60-foot radius as if they were your thralls, regardless of their creator. Undead creatures that would normally be immune to such control can be affected by this feature. Additionally, you can use an action to summon a powerful undead ally, such as a Death Knight, Lich, or Wraith, to fight alongside you for 1 hour. This undead ally is fiercely loyal to you and obeys your commands without question.

Furthermore, you can maintain control over an additional number of thralls, increasing your maximum limit to twice your proficiency bonus. This ability showcases your unparalleled dominion over the forces of death and solidifies your reputation as a necromancer of unparalleled power.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature

 

 

GRAVE AMBITIONS/ Subclasses

Becoming a necromancer is rarely an accident. Almost all who delve into the secrets of life and death do so with a purpose, a method to their madness. This ambition is what leads them to the dark corners of forgotten libraries, long-abandoned tombs, and the graves of common folk. Ambition takes them even further into the darkness, where only the light of their ultimate goal can guide them through the all-consuming shadows. A necromancer’s grave ambition represents the path to their ultimate goal, how far they will go to achieve it, and it serves to validate their actions, even if only to themselves.

BLOODLINE ASCENDANCY

Necromantic power comes in many forms, but one ancient and unique source is the curse of vampirism. Though it promises much—immortality, agility, charm—it comes with insidious disadvantages, from the burning of sunlight to an eternal thirst for blood. Necromancers who wish to capture some of this power without suffering its many weaknesses perform a special ritual with vampiric blood to become Bloodline Ascendants. In doing so, they become deathly pale and lose their reflection in mirrors, but they learn to slowly extract vampiric powers without succumbing entirely to the devouring curse.

HUMANOID ENCHANTMENT

Starting when you choose this ambition at 1st level, you can use your action to touch an incapacitated humanoid, attempting to place it under your necromantic control. The creature must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell DC. On a failed save, it becomes charmed by you.

If it succeeds, you cannot use this feature against the creature for 24 hours. While charmed, the creature is charmed by you and follows your commands. It remains charmed until a remove curse spell is cast on it, the charmed condition is removed, you use this feature again, or you release the creature as an action. A charmed creature counts in the total number of thralls under your control and in the total CR of thralls you can control. If the creature has a CR higher than the total CR of thralls you control, you cannot charm it. You can release thralls under your control as part of the action used to charm a creature.

 

 

Essence Drain

At 3rd level, you drain the essence of those you kill. When you reduce a hostile creature or an enchanted humanoid to 0 hit points with your Charnel Touch, you regain hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier + your necromancer level (minimum 3). Additionally, you can choose to leave the target unconscious instead of killing it.

Vampiric energy

Starting at 6th level, you can use your action and spend 15 Charnel Touch points to transform for up to 1 hour or until you drop to 0 hit points or revert on your turn as an action. Anything you are wearing transforms with you, but the objects you carry fall to the ground in your space. Choose one of the following transformations:

• Bat: You transform into a Tiny bat. While in bat form, you cannot speak, your walking speed is 5 feet, and your flying speed is 30 feet. Your statistics, except for your size and speed, remain unchanged.

• Mist: You transform into a Medium cloud of mist. While in mist form, you cannot take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. You have no weight, a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter the space of a hostile creature and stop there. Additionally, if air can pass through a space, you can do so without squeezing and cannot pass through water. You have advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws and are resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

NIGHT’S CHILDREN

At 10th level, the hordes of the night heed your call. When performing your Animate Thralls ritual, you can summon one or more wolves, swarms of bats, or swarms of rats to serve as your thralls. You command these creatures as your thralls. When one of these creatures is reduced to 0 hit points or released by you, it disappears in a cloud of bloody mist.

 

 

Vampire lord

At 20th level, you have reached the pinnacle of necromancy and have embraced the curse of vampirism to become a vampire lord in everything but name:

• Phylactery Casket. Your phylactery is a casket filled with grave soil. When you drop to 0 hit points, you return to your casket after 1 hour. You are permanently weakened until you spend 24 hours resting in the casket. During this time, your maximum hit points are reduced to 1, and you drop to 0 hit points if you start your turn in sunlight.

• Regeneration. At the beginning of each of your turns, you regain 10 hit points. You do not gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points or are in direct sunlight.

• Vampiric Agility. Your speed is doubled. Additionally, you can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

 

 

Vampiric unique Undead

Tier	Undead Creature	Description	Challenge Rating (CR)
1	Blood-Bound Skeleton	Skeletons infused with vampiric essence, agile with bloodlust	1/4
1	Drained Zombie	Zombies drained of life, faster and more resilient	1/2
2	Vampiric Wight	Wight with life-draining ability and self-healing	2
2	Shadowspawn	Shadows with increased strength and draining touch	3
3	Nosferatu Revenant	More powerful revenant with vampiric traits and regeneration	4
3	Spectral Bloodknight	Vampiric warrior’s spirit with phasing ability and life-drain	5
4	Vampiric Lord	Undead lord with vampiric abilities, commands undead	5
4	Deathbringer Sanguimancer	Undead spellcaster manipulating blood and life force	5

Art of Vampiric Lord

 

 

Death Knight

Some necromancers are content to sit in dusty tombs, occasionally scavenging a battlefield for fresh ingredients and new companions. On the other hand, death knights are predators among the necromancers, achieving their goals through a fusion of magic and traditional combat. Strengthened with dark energies and sturdy armor, the death knight wields a weapon as sharp as death itself. They are both the vanguard and the general of their undead forces, unafraid to get their hands dirty when necessary.

INTENSIVE COMBAT TRAINING

Starting when you choose this ambition at 3rd level, you have honed your body and mind for various tools of warfare. You gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons. Additionally, you can perform the somatic components of spells while wielding weapons or shields with which you are proficient, as long as you have your arcane focus on your person.

CHARNEL STRIKE

Also at 3rd level, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can channel your Charnel Touch through a weapon strike as part of the attack. Make a melee weapon attack instead of a spell attack. On a hit, the target suffers the normal effects of the weapon attack and receives the necrotic damage from your Charnel Touch. You can only deal necrotic damage using this feature once per turn.

EXTRA ATTACK

Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Additionally, your melee weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20

OVERLOADED THRALLS

At 10th level, your internal energy connection has extended to your thralls, turning them into your own personal reserves of energy when the need arises. When one of your thralls dies or you release it, your Charnel Touch reserve regains a number of spent points equal to your necromancer level.

 

 

IMPERATOR

At 20th level, you have reached the pinnacle of necromancy and due to your martial capabilities and potent necromantic power, you have transformed into an imperator lich—an Undead creature unmatched in both arcane and combat prowess. You gain the following features in addition to the Lichdom feature:

• Completed Combat Research. You gain proficiency with heavy armor if you didn’t have it already, and you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage

• Peerless Charnel Strike. The necrotic damage dealt by Charnel Touch ignores resistance and immunity to necrotic damage. Additionally, you can gain any number of temporary hit points from your Charnel Strike, instead of a maximum of half your total hit Points

 

 

Death Knight Unique Undead

Tier	Undead Creature	Description	Challenge Rating (CR)
1	Dreadful Ghoul	Agile ghoul with enhanced combat skills and paralyzing touch	1/4
1	Deathbound Skeleton	Resilient skeleton fueled by necromantic energy	1/2
2	Unhallowed Wight	Wight with dark energy-fueled abilities and life-draining touch	2
2	Cursed Shadow	Shadow with enhanced strength, fast movements, and life-drain	3
3	Soulbound Revenant	Revenant with dark aura, regenerating abilities, and resilience	4
3	Dreadknight Specter	Spectral knight with phasing, fear-inducing, and life-draining	5
4	Deathlord Lichguard	Elite undead warrior and mastery of death	5
4	Necrolich Warlord	Powerful undead warlord with advanced necrotic spellcasting	5

Art of Necrolich Warlord

 

 

Overlord

Few ambitions capture the imagination more than the power to rule. Some necromancers, known as overlords, view their magic as a means to pull the strings of others as they do their undead minions. Seeking control both on and off the battlefield, overlords leverage their dark magic to bolster their allies and manipulate their foess.

Domination Spells

When you choose this ambition at 3rd level, you learn additional spells as noted in the table below. Each of these spells counts as a necromancer spell for you, but doesn’t count against the number of necromancer spells you know.

Spell list

Spell level	Spell name
1st	bane, command
2nd	detect thoughts, hold person
3rd	haste, slow
4th	compulsion, confusion
5th	dominate person, geas

Obey your Ruler

At 3rd level, you can grant a boon to minions by empowering them with your own potency. As a bonus action, you can expend 5 or more points from your Charnel Touch pool to empower each of your thralls within 30 feet of you. Until the end of your next turn, those thralls gain a +1 bonus to their attack rolls, damage rolls, and AC for every 5 points expended, up to a maximum of +3.

Despotic Discourse

When you reach 6th level, your black magic has granted you a silver tongue, which you can use to manipulate those around you. You gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion. Additionally, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Charisma, for Charisma (Deception), Charisma (Intimidation), and Charisma (Persuasion) checks

Defend your King

At 10th level, you can force your thralls to sacrifice themselves to ensure your own safety. When you are targeted by an attack, you can use your reaction to change the target of the attack to one of your thralls instead. The thrall must be within the attack’s range or reach

 

 

TYRANT

At 20th level, you have reached the pinnacle of necromancy and your desire for control has warped you into a tyrant lich. Your flesh and bone rapidly decay, reducing your features to nothing more than two glowing dots beneath your hood. You gain the following features in addition to the Lichdom feature:

-Immortal Rule. If you drop to 0 hit points, you can choose to possess a nearby body, instead of beginning the process of reforming at your phylactery. When you do so, choose an unconscious Humanoid or the corpse of one that has died within the last minute that is within 120 feet of you to possess (a creature warded by a protection from evil and good or magic circle spell can’t be possessed). Once you possess a body, you control it. Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the creature, though you retain your alignment and your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. If the body has 0 hit points when you possess it, its type becomes Undead and it regains 50 hit points, up to its hit point maximum. You retain the benefit of your own class features. If the target has any class levels, you can’t use any of its class features. If you possess the body of an unconscious creature, the creature makes a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC after 8 hours, and it repeats the save every 8 hours thereafter until the effect ends. On a success, you are ejected from the body and begin the process of reforming at your phylactery. You are also ejected if the body dies or you choose to leave it as an action. Once you’ve possessed a creature in this way, you can’t possess it again using this feature.

-Tyrant’s Influence. You can expend 25 points from your Charnel Touch pool to cast the spell dominate beast without expending a spell slot. You can also expend 30 points to cast the spell dominate person, or 60 points to cast the spell dominate monster without expending a spell slot.

 

 

Overlord Unique Undead

Tier	Undead Creature	Description	Challenge Rating (CR)
1	Zombie Horde	Mindless zombie horde with basic physical attacks and minimal abilities	1
1	Skeletal Servant	Animated skeleton with simple combat skills and basic durability	1/4
2	Necrotic Acolyte	Acolyte imbued with dark magic, capable of casting minor spells	1/2
2	Wraith Infiltrator	Shadowy wraith with stealth abilities and life-draining touch	2
3	Soulbound Enforcer	Enforcer with enhanced strength, resilience, and a Huge shield	3
3	Darkling Magister	Advanced undead spellcaster with a range of necromantic abilities	4
4	Lichdom Architect	Expert in undead construction, able to create powerful undead minions	4
4	Necromantic Overlord	Master of dark magic, capable of controlling multiple undead minions	5

art of Necromantic overlord

 

 

Pale Master

When the need for superiority drives a necromancer, there is no end to their ambition. Such necromancers, known as pale masters, work feverishly to master every corner of necromantic magic, less out of the desire to improve themselves and more out of spite for their rivals. This perhaps speaks to a dirty secret of necromancy: most necromancers hate each other. Bitter rivalries, grudges, and insignificant slights motivate pale masters to embrace lichdom with unequaled fervor, for to master necromancy means to accept no equals.

Death’s Spells

When you choose this ambition at 3rd level, you learn additional spells as noted in the table below. Each of these spells counts as a necromancer spell for you, but doesn’t count against the number of necromancer spells you know. New spells are marked with an asterisk

Spell list

Spell level	Spell name
1st	exhume,* inflict wounds
2nd	invisibility, ray of enfeeblement
3rd	animate dead, fear
4th	black tentacles, blight
5th	cloudkill, scrying

Death’s embrace

at 3rd level, you can empower your spells with necromantic energy from your own well of magic. When you deal damage with a necromancy spell of 1st level or higher, you can expend a number of Charnel Touch points up to your necromancer level + your Intelligence modifier. When you do so, one of the spell’s targets of your choice takes extra necrotic damage equal to the number of points expended.

Rotten FLesh

At 6th level, you gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill, if you didn’t have it already. Additionally, you can expend 10 Charnel Touch points as a bonus action to fix your horrific gaze on a creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Thrall Rush

Beginning at 10th level, whenever you roll initiative and aren’t surprised, you can command each of your thralls to either move up to its speed or make one attack.

 

 

ARCHLICH

At 20th level, you have reached the pinnacle of necromancy and transformed yourself into a lich. Your skin clings tightly to your bones, your muscles wither, and your eyes turn milky and dull. Yet, through the veil of weakness, your body exudes unbelievable arcane power. You gain the following features in addition to the Lichdom feature:

- Devour Soul. When you reduce a hostile living creature to 0 hit points, you can immediately devour the creature’s soul to refuel your horrific powers (no action required). Roll a d8 and regain expended spell slots of your choice whose combined level is no greater than the number rolled.
A creature whose soul is devoured can’t be restored to life by any means short of a true resurrection or wish spell.

-Paralyzing Touch. When you hit with a Charnel Touch attack and expend 20 or more points, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your 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.

 

 

Pale Master Unique Undead

Tier	Undead Creature	Description	Challenge Rating (CR)
1	Ephemeral Wisp	Floating spectral light that provides dim illumination and minor illusions	1/8
1	Boneclaw Harbinger	Animated skeletal hand with the ability to sense hidden dangers	1/4
2	Dreadshade Specter	Terrifying apparition that induces fear in nearby enemies and phases through objects	1/2
2	Reaper’s Shadow	Stealthy shadow that can manipulate shadows for concealment	1/2
3	Soulbound Stalker	Agile and relentless stalker with heightened senses and stealth	2
3	Banshee’s Wailguard	Undead guardian with a piercing wail that disorients and weakens foes	3/4
4	Deathweaver Spindle	Ethereal spider-like construct that spins magical webs to ensnare enemies	3
4	Ascended Shade Lord	Powerful undead entity with shadow manipulation and psychic abilities	5

Art of Ascended Shade Lord

 

 

God King

The god-kings of ancient kingdoms practiced a unique style of necromancy, forgotten to time. Through the extraction of organs, the desiccation of flesh, and innumerable enchantments, those ancient kings were able to rule their subjects as divine, undead beings, long past their mortal deaths. While those kingdoms have been lost to the shifting sands and wild jungles of the world, their methods have been preserved in the carvings of colossal temples and revived by modern necromancers, who take on the guise of the erstwhile pharaohs. Their magic is a hybrid of divine and arcane influences, the legacy of god-kings from a forgotten age.

Mastery over life and death

When you choose this ambition at 3rd level, you learn additional spells as noted in the table below. Each of these spells counts as a necromancer spell for you, but doesn’t count against the number of necromancer spells you know. New spells are marked with an asterisk.

• Additionally, you learn the thaumaturgy cantrip, which is a necromancer spell for you and doesn’t count against your number of cantrips known.

Spell list

Spell level	Spell name
1st	bless, guiding bolt
2nd	halo of flame,* lesser restoration
3rd	revivify, snakestaff*
4th	death ward, divination
5th	greater restoration, insect plague

Holy Emblem

Starting at 3rd level, you can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for your necromancer spells.

Channel of Divinity

Also at 3rd level, you can channel your pseudo divinity to fuel magical effects. You start with one effect:

- Ankh of Radiance. When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which effect to create. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Divinity again. Additionally, you can expend 15 Charnel Touch points as an action to regain one expended use of your Channel Divinity.

• Ankh of Radiance. As an action, you can brandish your holy symbol and bless a number of willing creatures up to your Intelligence modifier that you can see within 60 feet of you with holy radiance, which lasts for 1 minute. The first time a blessed creature takes damage, it has resistance to that damage. If it took damage from a melee weapon attack, the attacker takes 1d6 radiant damage. The blessing then ends for that creature. The damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6)

 

 

I’m a True god

Beginning at 6th level, you can convincingly reflect the trappings of a demigod walking the earth. You can create the following additional effects when using the thaumaturgy cantrip:

• You can brighten or darken the sun or moon, affecting the area within 120 feet of you for up to 1 minute. You can change darkness to dim light and dim light to bright light, or vice versa.

Additionally, you can heighten bright light to a blazing radiance, which causes disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks which rely on sight, or you can deepen darkness to a pitch black, which limits darkvision to a 30-foot radius. This deeper darkness has no effect on creatures that can see in magical darkness.

-You manifest a Huge illusory avatar of a deity at a point you can see within 120 feet of you, which mimics your movements and projects your speech in a booming voice for 1 minute.

Master of life

Starting at 10th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to transfer life from the undead to the living. As an action, you can touch an Undead creature you control and choose a willing Humanoid you can see within 60 feet of you. The Undead is destroyed and reduced to dust, and the Humanoid regains hit points equal to the Undead’s hit points. Once a creature regains hit points in this way, it can’t do so again until it finishes a long rest

God Emperor

At 20th level, you undergo the ancient funeral rites of the pharaohs, removing your organs and entombing your body in a sarcophagus amongst your worldly possessions. You become the oldest and most exalted type of lich: a god-king. You gain the following features in addition to the Lichdom feature:

- Mummy Rot. When you hit with a Charnel Touch attack and expend 20 or more points, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be cursed with mummy rot. The cursed target can’t regain hit points, and its hit point maximum decreases by 3d6 for every 24 hours that elapse. If the curse reduces the target’s hit point maximum to 0, the target dies, and its body turns to dust. The curse lasts until removed by the remove curse spell or other magic.

- Whirlwind of Sand. As an action, you can magically transform into a whirlwind of sand, move up to 60 feet, and revert to your normal form. While in whirlwind form, you are immune to all damage, and you can’t be grappled, petrified, knocked prone, restrained, or stunned. Equipment you are wearing or carrying remains in your possession.

 

 

God King Unique Undead

Tier	Undead Creature	Description	Challenge Rating (CR)
1	Canopic Guardian	An animated guardian containing preserved organs, providing protection and minor healing	1/8
1	Ancestral Ba	Floating spirit that assists in simple tasks and provides guidance	1/4
2	Fleshbound Sentinel	Reanimated warrior with enhanced strength and resistance	1/2
2	Soulful Ushabti	Statuette guardian that can absorb and reflect spells	1
3	Divine Pharoh’s Guard	Elite undead warrior with divine enhancements and protection	2
3	Judgmental Khopesh	Enchanted floating weapon that can strike enemies from a distance	3/4
4	Ethereal Ankh Warden	Ethereal entity that can phase through obstacles and provide support	3
4	Osiris’ Ascendant	Powerful undead with divine and arcane abilities, representing the pinnacle of god-king necromancy	5

Art of Osiris’ Ascendant

 

 

Plague bearer

Throughout history, unchecked plagues have toppled kingdoms and caused empires to crumble. Necromancers that realize the potential within sickness become plague bearer’s, commanders of vermin and disease alike. Armed with a virulent touch and an army of infected vermin and thralls, plague lords spread filth to every corner of the world. Their fevers, chills, and poxes create fresh corpses for the hoard, making for an unending supply of undead.

Pestilent Touch

At 3rd level, even your touch can cause sickness. When you hit with a melee attack and expend 5 Charnell points the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be poisoned until the start of your next turn.

Vile Stench

Starting at 3rd level, leagues of vermin cling to your skin and swarm over others nearby. Whenever a hostile creature within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll or saving throw, you can roll a d4 and subtract the result from its attack roll or saving throw. This ability has no effect on Constructs or Undead.

Projectile Spew

beginning at 6th level, your own inner nexus of power has become a volatile cocktail of disease, allowing your spells to have a far greater reach. You can reach creatures up to 15 feet away from you with your spells with a range of touch, as you use magically imbued projectile vomit to deliver your payload.

Bloated Thralls

At 10th level, your thralls have become hives of vermin and disease, ready to burst at any moment. When one of your thralls is reduced to 0 hit points or you release it, you can choose to cause it to explode in a shower of poison, gore, and vermin. Each creature within 5 feet of the thrall, other than you and your other thralls, must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d6 poison damage and is poisoned until the start of your next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn’t poisoned.

 

 

CORPULENT LICH

At 20th level, you have reached the pinnacle of necromancy and transformed yourself into a lich. Your obsession with disease and rot has affected your transformation: your body engorges, much like a waterlogged corpse, and your skin turns a sickly green. You gain the following features in addition to the Lichdom feature:

- Gore Burst. When you drop to 0 hit points, your body explodes in a shower of plague and necromantic energy. Each creature within 20 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes 5d10 necrotic damage and 5d10 poison damage and is poisoned until the start of your next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn’t poisoned.

- Master of Disease. When you use your Charnel Toxin feature and expend 25 or more points, the creature is poisoned and cursed for up to 1 minute on a failed save. Choose two of the following effects which afflict the target while it is cursed:

• Choose one ability score. The target has disadvantage on ability checks and saving throws made with that ability score.

• The target can only see out to a radius of 10 feet.

• The target falls prone at the end of each of its turns.

• The target loses an extra 1d6 hit points whenever it takes damage.

• The target can speak only in a babbling nonsense language and can’t perform the verbal components of spells.

At the end of each of its turns, the target makes a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC, ending the curse and the poisoned condition on a success.

 

 

Plague bearer Unique Undead

Tier	Undead Creature	Description	Challenge Rating (CR)
1	Infected Rat Swarm	A swarm of diseased rats that can weaken and distract enemies	1/8
1	Poxed Crawler	A crawling undead with festering sores, capable of delivering diseases	1/4
2	Fevered Carrion Beetle	A large beetle that carries a contagious fever and can burrow through soil	1/2
2	Afflicted Scavenger	A humanoid thrall afflicted with a debilitating plague, serving as a carrier	1/2
3	Plague Spreader Wyrm	A medium-sized undead wyrm that can release clouds of noxious gases	2
3	Rotting Pestilence Hound	An undead hound with corrosive saliva that can infect its targets	2
4	Necrotic Blightbringer	A humanoid figure surrounded by an aura of necrotic energy, causing decay	2
4	Epidemic Harbinger	A powerful undead entity with the ability to create localized plagues	4

Art of Epidemic Harbinger

 

 

Reanimator

through bubbling test tubes and sparking electrodes, you have discovered the true heart of necromancy: mad science. You’ve experimented in far-reaching disciplines of surgery, alchemy, and physics, using your animated minions as gruesome test subjects and walking surgical dummies. Most crucially, you have discovered that lightning can imbue almost anything with a semblance of life, from the smallest severed muscle to the most towering and soulless golems.

Skilled Doctor

Beginning when you choose this ambition at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Medicine skill, if you didn’t already have it. You can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Wisdom, for Wisdom (Medicine) checks.

Mad science

At 3rd level, you can spend 10 minutes installing a monstrous graft on one of your thralls that doesn’t have the Incorporeal Movement trait. Additionally, your thralls don’t lose hit points or Hit Dice from the installation or removal of grafts, and it takes them no time to recover after the attachment of a new graft. See Appendix C for monstrous grafts.

I see a Spark

At 3rd level, you supplement your necromantic energies with arcing bolts of electricity. You can choose to deal lightning damage instead of necrotic damage with your necrotic spells. When you hit with an attack that deals lightning damage and expends 5 or more Charnel points, you can cause the energy to arc to a second creature within 5 feet of the target. The second creature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking lightning damage equal to half the number of Charnel Touch points expended on a failed save.

Who said you could Die

Starting at 6th level, as an action, you can drive a bolt into the torso of a creature within 5 feet of you that has died within the last minute and shock it back to life. That creature returns to life with 1 hit point. This feature can’t return a creature to life if it lacks a heart, has died of old age, or is missing vital organs. Once this creature returns to life, you can restore hit points to it using your Charnel Touch for 1 minute, as if the creature were Undead. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

 

Arcane stiching

Starting at 10th level, you’ve learned how to inscribe magical effects on your thralls using gruesome arcane stitches. You can expend 10 points from your Charnel Touch pool to apply an arcane stitch to one of your thralls in a process requiring 1 minute of work with a needle and thread. Only one of your thralls can have arcane stitches applied to it, and that thrall can only have one of each type of stitch.

A thrall can activate its arcane stitches to gain benefits in combat. An arcane stitch lasts until your thrall activates it, your thrall is killed, or you finish a long rest.

You can apply the following stitches to one of your thralls.

• Augmented Incision. The thrall gains advantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its turn (no action required).

• Bulwark Backstitch. The thrall casts the spell shield when it is hit by an attack.

• Fleet Threads. The thrall’s speed is tripled until the end of its turn (no action required).

• Voltaic Suture. When the thrall hits a creature with an attack, it deals an extra 3d6 lightning or necrotic damage (your choice).

PATCHWORK GOLEM

At 20th level, you have reached the pinnacle of necromancy and transformed yourself into a lich. Through abominable works of alchemy and surgery, you have constructed yourself an artificial body to act as the vessel for your soul.

- Golem Form. Your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores become 20 if they weren’t already higher, and you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine. Additionally, you don’t lose hit points or Hit Dice from installing or removing grafts, and it takes you no time to recover after the attachment of a new graft.

- Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects

 

 

Tier	Reanimated Creation	Description	Challenge Rating (CR)
1	Spark-Rat Minion	A small reanimated rat powered by a spark of lightning, capable of delivering minor electrical shocks	1/8
1	Animated Severed Hand	A nimble, crawling hand with skeletal fingers, can be used for delicate tasks or crawling into tight spaces	1/4
2	Blighted Surgical Scarecrow	A stitched-together humanoid with surgical instruments, inflicting poison and disease	1/2
2	Chemical Flesh Golem	A medium-sized golem made of stitched flesh, empowered with alchemical enhancements	1
3	Tesla-Infused Skeleton Archer	A skeletal archer electrified with Tesla coils, capable of delivering shocking arrows	2
3	Zomborg Bruiser	A large, reanimated humanoid fused with mechanical parts, enhanced strength and durability	2
4	Necro-Gigant Lightning Juggernaut	A colossal golem empowered by storm energy, with devastating lightning attacks	4
4	Customizable Flesh Golem	A powerful flesh golem with a Challenge Rating of 5, customizable and upgradeable by the player	5

Art of a Necro-Gigant Lightning

 

 

Reaper

The oblivion of death is the wellspring necromancy, a dark abyss into which all necromancers stare. Those rare necromancers that gamble with their own souls might become reapers, figures of shadow and demise that beckon others to the afterlife. For performing this deed, they strengthen their connection to the distant oblivion, until they are but tenebrous shadows: harbingers of an inevitable end.

Reaper Spells

When you choose this ambition at 3rd level, you learn additional spells as noted in the table below. Each of these spells counts as a necromancer spell for you, but doesn’t count against the number of necromancer spells you know.

Spell list

Spell level	Spell name
1st	false life, inflict wounds
2nd	invisibility, silence
3rd	fear, speak with dead
4th	greater invisibility, phantasmal killer
5th	mislead, passwall

You only see death When its too late

At 3rd level, you can fade from view like a specter of death. You can spend 5 Charnel points,and you become invisible until the start of your next turn. This effect ends early if you move 15 feet or more

Umbral Form

Beginning at 6th level, as an action, you can flatten your body into a shadow upon the floor As a shadow, your movement speed doubles and you gain a climbing speed equal to your movement speed. You can move across difficult surfaces, including ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. As a shadow, you can only move along surfaces; you can’t jump or fly. Attacks against you have disadvantage while you are in shadow form. In darkness, you are invisible to any creature that relies on darkvision to see you in that darkness. As a shadow, you can’t take actions. Your equipment merges with your shadow form and has no effect until you leave the form. You can end this effect as a bonus action or when you start your turn (no action required).

Wraight Flyght

Beginning at 10th level, spirits you command move with an unearthly speed. The flying speeds of your thralls are doubled. Additionally, when one of your thralls flies out of an enemy’s reach, opportunity attacks against it are made with disadvantage

 

 

Grim Reaper

at 20th level, you have reached the pinnacle of necromancy and transformed yourself into a lich. You have become an embodiment of death itself, a harbinger of the ultimate end. Clad in shadows, you seem little more than a grim skeletal presence in a foreboding robe, a sight which all men fear to behold.

- Death’s Touch. When you use attack a creature you can see and roll an 11 or higher on the d20 for the attack roll, you hit the target, regardless of its AC.

- Fell Flight. You gain a flying speed of 60 feet.

- Grim Harvest. When you kill a Humanoid you rip their soul from their body, which animates as a visage under your control, which counts as one of your thralls.

 

 

Tier	Reanimated Creation	Description	Challenge Rating (CR)
1	Shadowspawn Familiar	A small shadowy creature that serves as a stealthy and perceptive companion.	1/8
1	Dreadful Wraithling	A minor wraith with the ability to drain life force and create an aura of fear.	1/4
2	Specter of Despair	A ghostly figure that induces feelings of hopelessness and vulnerability.	1/2
2	Gloomwing Harvester	A flying creature with razor-sharp wings, capable of siphoning life essence.	1
3	Necrotic Nightmare Steed	An undead steed that leaves a trail of necrotic energy, frightening enemies.	2
3	Lurking Shadow Sentinel	A shadowy guardian that lurks in the darkness, ambushing and paralyzing foes.	2
4	Soulreaper Wight	An armored undead warrior with a blade that drains the soul from its victims.	4
4	Voidspawn Dreadnought	A massive, spectral juggernaut that absorbs and nullifies magical effects.	5

Art of a Voidspawn Dreadnought

 

 

 

 

New Spells

Caustic Blade

Necromancy Cantrip

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Self (5-foot radius

Components:

V, M (a melee weapon)

Duration:

Instantaneous

As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a melee attack with a weapon against one creature within the spell’s range, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the weapon attack’s normal effects, except that any damage dealt by the attack is acid damage instead of its normal type. If you miss by 3 or less, acid splashes on the target, and you instead deal 1d8 acid damage. This spell’s damage increases when you reach certain levels. At 5th level, the melee attack deals an additional 1d8 acid damage to the target on a hit, and the acid damage dealt on a miss increases to 2d8.

Both damage rolls increase by one die at 11th level (2d8 and 3d8) and 17th level (3d8 and 4d8).

CHEAT

Divination cantrip

Casting Time:

1 bonus action

Range:

Self

Components:

S, M (a weighted die)

Duration:

1 round

You subtly twist your fingers, and fate seems to follow suit. For the duration, you can reroll any ability check you make to play nonmagical games of chance. Therefore, this spell could influence a game of poker, but not the result of a deck of many things.

ELDRITCH ORB

Evocation cantrip

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

60 feet

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Instantaneous

You fling a ball of eldritch energy at a creature or object within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 force damage, and each other creature within 5 feet of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes half as much damage. This spell’s damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

EYE OF ANUBIS

Necromancy cantrip

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

60 feet

Components:

M (a holy symbol)

Duration:

Instantaneous

A beam of tenebrous moonlight streaks from your left eye toward a creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 necrotic damage and can’t take the Disengage action until the end of your next turn. This spell creates an additional beam and deals more damage at higher levels. At 5th level, you fire a second beam originating from your right eye. Your first beam’s damage increases by 1d8 (2d8) when you reach 11th level, and your second beam’s damage increases by 1d8 (2d8) when you reach 17th level

FLESH RIPPER

Transmutation cantrip

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

30 feet

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Instantaneous

As you cast this spell, a spectral meat hook and chain is flung at a creature of your choice. Make a ranged spell attack against a creature within range. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 piercing damage as a spectral meat hook plunges into its body. Until the start of your next turn, the target must make a Strength saving throw to move further than 30 feet from you. On a failed save, it is prevented from moving until the start of your turn. This effect ends if you are further than 30 feet away from the target. This spell’s damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

 

 

HOCUSPOCUS

Conjuration cantrip

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

30 feet

Components:

V, S

Duration:

1 minute

You conjure minor paranormal phenomena and other ominous effects. You create one of the following magical effects within range for 1 minute:

• You cause all candles, torches, and other open flames to darken and flicker.

• You create a quiet sound that originates from a point of your choice within range, such as ominous whispers, the drone of insects, or the sound of crying.

• You create up to four torch-sized spectral, glowing orbs, which float around within range. The orbs do not provide light, apart from a dim glow.

• You can chill or warm the air in a 10-foot cube by 5 degrees.

• You cause small, unattended objects to rattle or levitate an inch off the ground.

If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have up to three of its effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect as an action.

LIGHTNING SURGE

Conjuration cantrip

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Self (5-foot radius)

Components:

V, S, M (two bits of copper wire)

Duration:

Instantaneous

You emit a dazzling array of short lightning bolts in all directions. All other creatures within 5 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 lightning damage. This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

MINOR LIFESTEAL

Necromancy cantrip

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

60 feet

Components:

S

Duration:

Instantaneous

You drain life energy from a hostile creature you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 necrotic damage. You then gain temporary hit points equal to the amount of damage dealt, which last until you finish a long rest. This spell has no effect on Undead or Constructs. This spell’s damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4)

SPARK OF LIFE

Necromancy cantrip

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

60 feet

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Instantaneous

With a quick jolt of necromantic energy, the dead momentarily rise to obey you, if only for a few seconds. Choose the corpse of a Huge or smaller creature that has been dead for no more than an hour. When you cast this spell, the corpse stands up and can move up to 15 feet and make a single melee slam attack against a target of your choice within its reach, using your spell attack modifier. On a hit, this attack deals bludgeoning damage based on the corpse’s size: a Tiny corpse deals 1d4, a Small corpse deals 1d6, a Medium corpse deals 1d8, a Large corpse deals 1d10, and a Huge corpse deals 1d12. Once the corpse attacks, it once again crumples into a heap. A corpse targeted by this spell doesn’t become an Undead creature.

This spell’s damage increases as you gain levels. At 5th level, the corpse deals two damage dice according to its size. At 11th level, it deals three damage dice, and at 17th level, it deals four damage dice

1st level Spells

ARCANE ANOMALY

1st-level abjuration

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Self (30-foot radius)

Components:

V, S, M (a broken mirror)

Duration:

Concentration, up to 1 minute

You spread cracks in the magical energy that suffuses the multiverse. For the duration, whenever a spell is cast within range, roll a d6. On a 1, the spell casting fails, expending a spell slot as normal, but not consuming expensive material components.

BLOOD PRINT

1st-level necromancy (ritual)

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Touch

Components:

V, S, M (an ounce or more of blood)

Duration:

Instantaneous

At your touch, wet blood on a surface shifts and reforms into a pattern of crimson blotches. This blood print is unique to the particular creature to whom the blood belongs, but you can determine the creature’s kind (such as human, gnoll, deer, or fire giant) by examining the general shape. A print can be preserved by pressing a sheet of paper against it. If this spell is cast twice, it is possible to match samples of blood originating from the same creature by comparing the prints.

 

 

DEAD MIST LASH

1st-level necromancy

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

60 feet

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Instantaneous

You conjure forth a glowing white tendril formed of the sinister, necromantic Dead Mists, which lashes out at a foe you can see within range. When you cast this spell, you can empower it with your own life essence by losing 5, 10, or 15 hit points when you cast it. When you do so, treat the spell slot used to cast the spell as being one level higher for every 5 hit points lost, up to a maximum of 9th level. Make a ranged spell attack roll against a creature within range. On a hit, the target takes 3d8 necrotic damage.

EXHUME

1st-level necromancy (ritual)

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

60 feet

Components:

V, S, M (a drop of blood)

Duration:

Instantaneous

Choose an unoccupied 20-foot square within range—note that the area must have solid earth beneath it; this spell fails if cast on the upper floor of a building. This spell then causes one pile of Humanoid bones to rise out of the ground within that square. If you cast this spell within a burial place such as a graveyard, mausoleum, or barrow, 1d4 piles of bones are exhumed instead of 1. The ground itself is not changed or disturbed by this spell; the bones simply appear out of the ground.

FLAWED RECONSTRUCTION

1st-level transmutation

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Touch

Components:

V, S, M (a needle and thread)

Duration:

Instantaneous

You stitch together the wounds of a willing creature you touch, which regains 4d6 hit points. However, the mending is imperfect, and the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by the same amount until it finishes a long rest. A creature that regains hit points due to this spell will be left with some permanent scars. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st

HOLLOWING CURSE

1st-level necromancy

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

30 feet

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Concentration, up to 1 minute

Tendrils of black mist extend from your fingertips, latching onto a creature and draining its vitality. Choose a creature you can see within range to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 2d6 necrotic damage and is cursed for up to one minute. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage and is not cursed. While the target is cursed, you can use your action to deal 1d6 necrotic damage to it automatically. The curse ends early if you use your action to do anything else, if the target is ever outside the spell’s range, or if the target has total cover from you. A remove curse spell also ends this curse.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the initial and secondary damage each increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st

MEMORIZE

1st-level enchantment (ritual)

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Touch

Components:

V, S, M (a page of written text and a

length of silver string worth 10 gp, tied in a knot, which the spell consumes)

Duration:

Instantaneous

While casting this spell, your eyes pass over the words on a page, which are committed to your memory. For the next year, you exactly remember the details of all information on this page. After that time, you have advantage on all Intelligence checks you make to recall this information

MIGHT OF THE ABYSS

1st-level evocation

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

15 feet

Components:

V, S, M (a small, black strip of ribbon)

Duration:

Concentration, up to 1 minute

You channel stygian power from an extraplanar source, enhancing three creatures other than yourself within range. Whenever a target makes a weapon attack, it adds 1d4 damage to their damage roll. If a target moves more than 15 feet away from you, it loses the effect until it is within range again. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell

using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the range increases by 5 feet, and you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 1st.

 

 

GAHOUL’S SHRIEKING SKULL

1st-level necromancy

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

60 feet

Components:

V, S, M (a skull)

Duration:

Instantaneous

You throw a cackling skull at a point you can see within range, which emits a mortifying shriek audible out to 300 feet. Each creature within a 10- foot cube centered on the skull takes 2d4 thunder damage, without making a saving throw. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st

INDEMNIFY

1st-level necromancy

Casting Time:

1 bonus action

Range:

30 feet

Components:

V, S, M (a drop of blood)

Duration:

Concentration, up to 1 hour

You fling a drop of blood at a target you can see within range, marking them for reckoning. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 1d8 radiant or necrotic damage (your choice) whenever you lose hit points for the duration. This spell ends early if the target begins its turn further than 60 feet from you.

2nd Level

CURSE WARD

2nd-level abjuration

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Touch

Components:

V, S

Duration:

1 hour

You reach out your hand and touch a willing creature within your reach, raising a smoke-like barrier around it. For the duration, the target has resistance to necrotic damage and can’t be cursed, possessed, or targeted by a hex. Also, its hit point maximum can’t be reduced. If the target is already affected by one of these effects, the effect is suspended until the spell ends

DELAY

2nd-level transmutation (chronomancy)

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

60 feet

Components:

V, S, M (an octagonal sign)

Duration:

Instantaneous

You briefly slow time for a creature of your choice that you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be moved to last place in the initiative order from the beginning of the next round onwards

NONDESCRIPT

2nd-level illusion

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Self

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Concentration, up to 10 minutes

This spell makes you seem ordinary and nondescript to others, though it doesn’t change your actual appearance. Creatures who see you while you are under the influence of this spell are unable to recall specific details of your appearance upon being asked if they had seen you or someone matching your description, though their memory of actions you undertook or events they experienced is unaffected.

PROTECT THRESHOLD

2nd-level abjuration (ritual)

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Touch

Components:

V, S, M (an ounce of salt for each foot of the warded portal’s perimeter)

Duration:

10 minutes

Tracing arcane sigils along its boundary, you can ward a doorway, window, or other portal from entry. For the duration, an invisible eldritch creature stalks the warded portal. Any creature that attempts to pass through the portal must make a Wisdom saving throw or take 4d6 psychic damage, or half as much on a successful save. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd.

STONE BONES

2nd-level transmutation

Casting Time:

1 bonus action

Range:

30 feet

Components:

V, S

Duration:

1 round

You magically reinforce a creature you can see within range, granting it resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks until the end of your next turn

 

 

UNSEEN ACCOUNTANT

2nd-level conjuration (ritual)

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

60 feet

Components:

V, S, M (an abacus)

Duration:

8 hours

This spell creates an invisible, shapeless force that performs intellectual tasks at your command until the spell ends. The servant springs into existence in an unoccupied space on the ground within range. It has AC 10, 1 hit point, an Intelligence of 12, and it can’t attack. If it drops to 0 hit points, the spell ends. Once on each of your turns as a bonus action, you can mentally command the servant to move up to 15 feet and interact with an object. The accountant can perform intellectual tasks that a human clerk could do, such as assessing prices, updating accounts, managing inventories, or computing interest. Once you give the command, the accountant performs the task to the best of its ability until it completes the task, then waits for your next command. The accountant can perform no physical labor, and is not able to lift any object heavier than 1 pound. If you command the accountant to perform a task that would move it more than 300 feet away from you, the spell ends.

3rd Level

BENIGN DISMEMBERMENT

3rd-level necromancy (ritual)

Casting Time:

1 minute

Range:

Touch

Components:

V, S

Duration:

1 hour

For the duration, a willing target’s body parts (fingers, legs, tail, and even its head) can be harmlessly severed from its body. It takes no damage from such dismemberment, as long as the cut removing the body part is swift and leaves a clean cut. The target’s head remains alive and conscious, and parts connected to it also remain alive. All severed body parts become inanimate, but do not begin decomposition for the spell’s duration. Any of the target’s severed body parts that are removed during this spell’s duration can be held back to the stump, which instantly causes the part to knit to the stump, restoring the body part. At the end of the duration, severed body parts become permanently severed. The target dies if vital organs have not been reattached to its head.

CURSE OF BLADES

3rd-level enchantment

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

60 feet

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Concentration, up to 1 minute

Unholy bands of black energy tie a creature to its weapon. Choose a creature you can see within range that is holding a weapon to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is cursed for the duration. A cursed target can’t willingly drop or stow its weapon. Additionally, whenever it takes the Attack action on its turn, it makes one additional attack using its weapon targeting itself, against its own AC, dealing damage as normal on a hit. A remove curse spell ends this curse early.

DEAD FOG

3rd-level necromancy

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

120 feet

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Concentration, up to 1 minute

A 15-foot-radius sphere of fog, filled with the necromantic Dead Mists, appears centered on a point you can see within range. The fog spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts for the duration, or until strong wind disperses the fog, ending the spell. When you cast this spell, you can empower it with your own life essence by losing 10, 15, or 20 hit points when you cast it. When you do so, treat the spell slot used to cast the spell as being one level higher if you lost 10 hit points, two levels higher if you lost 15 hit points, and three levels higher if you lost 20 hit points, up to a maximum of 9th level. When a creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 3d8 necrotic damage on a failed save. Additionally, when a creature tries to leave the sphere of fog, you can choose for the fog to grasp the creature with misty tendrils. The creature must make a Strength saving throw to leave the fog, and is unable to move on a failed save. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 3rd

RUBY-EYE CURSE

3rd-level necromancy

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Touch

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Concentration, up to 10 minutes

A red haze clouds the eyes of a creature that meets your gaze. Choose one creature you can see within range to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is cursed for the duration. A cursed target can see normally out to 5 feet, but is blind beyond this radius. A remove curse spell ends this curse early

 

 

RUSTING GRASP

3rd-level transmutation

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Touch

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Instantaneous

You conjure a potent acid at your fingertips, which can corrode metal and burn flesh. Make a melee spell attack against a creature or object within your reach. On a hit, a creature takes 6d4 acid damage and, if it is wearing nonmagical metal armor or wielding a nonmagical metal shield, you can corrode either its armor or shield. Corroded armor takes a permanent and cumulative -3 penalty to the AC it offers. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 is destroyed. A corroded shield is destroyed. If you target a nonmagical metal object with this spell that isn’t being worn or carried, you corrode and destroy parts of the object you choose that can fit within a 1-foot cube. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 2d4 for each slot level above 3rd. Additionally, you can destroy one additional cubic foot of a nonmagical object for each slot level above 3rd.

SÉANCE

3rd-level necromancy

Casting Time:

10 minutes

Range:

Self

Components:

V, S, M (a crystal ball, deck of tarot cards, or ouija board)

Duration:

1 minute

You and at least three willing creatures lock hands in a moment of meditation to conjure a spirit from the afterlife to answer your questions. Describe or name a creature that is familiar to you. If the creature’s soul is free and willing, it manifests as a ghostly specter. This spell fails if the spirit was the target of this spell within the last 10 days. Until the spell ends, you can ask up to three questions of the specter. The specter knows only what it knew in life, including the languages it knew. Answers are usually brief, cryptic, or repetitive, and the specter is under no compulsion to offer a truthful answer if you are hostile to it or it recognizes you as an enemy. There is a 5% chance that this spell contacts the wrong spirit, one which will answer questions untruthfully or ambiguously

4th Level

DIRE WARNING

4th-level divination (chronomancy)

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Self

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Instantaneous

You receive a message of up to 6 words from your future self, warning you of a critical threat or pointing you toward a fruitful avenue. At some point in the future, once you have learned why you sent the message, you must perform a 10-minute-long ritual to deliver the message back in time to your past self. Once you cast this spell, you can’t cast it again until you perform this ritual, or one week later if you don’t discover this information. If you cast this spell and receive no message, it indicates that you never complete the ritual in the future, possibly owing to your death or some other hindrance.

DISTORT GRAVITY

4th-level transmutation (ritual)

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Touch

Components:

V, S, M (a gyroscope)

Duration:

Concentration, up to 1 hour

The spell manipulates the direction of gravity on a non-horizontal surface you touch, causing it to attract creatures and objects within 15 feet of it as if it were the ground. The surface can be up to a 60-foot square in area and can wrap around a structure, if its geometry permits. A creature can walk on this surface as if it were level ground, even if the surface is perpendicular to the ground or upside down. When the duration ends, all creatures and objects fall from the surface

FALSE VISION

4th-level illusion

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Touch

Components:

V, S, M (a pinch of dust from a precious gem)

Duration:

8 hours

For the duration, you hide a target that you touch from divination magic. The target can be a willing creature, a place, or an object no larger than 10 feet in any dimension. If the target is targeted by any divination magic or perceived through a scrying spell’s sensors, you are able to present the diviner with false information of your choice, as long as you are conscious at the time of the divination attempt. The target could appear to be in different circumstances, in one or more false locations, or completely undetectable.

 

 

GAHOUL’S SCAPEGOAT

4th-level abjuration

Casting Time:

1 minute

Range:

Self

Components:

V, S, M (black chalk, paint, or oil)

Duration:

8 hours

You trace a complex arcane symbol into the flesh of a willing creature within 5 feet of you, marking them for sacrifice. During the spell’s duration, when you are hit with an attack and the marked creature is within 60 feet of you, you can use your reaction to teleport, swapping places with the creature and causing it to be hit by the attack instead of you. The spell then ends.

GRASP OF THE GRAVE

4th-level necromancy

Casting Time:

: 1 action

Range:*

120 feet

Components:

V, S, M (a shrunken hand)

Duration:

Concentration, up to 1 minute

Spectral skeletal arms emerge from the ground in a 20-foot-radius circle, centered on a point you can see within range. The arms grasp at creatures within the area, except for Undead creatures, which ignore the effects of this spell. The area is difficult terrain. When a creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 3d6 necrotic damage, and is dragged by the hands to any unoccupied space within the area that you choose. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and is not moved. Until the spell ends, you can use your action to force each creature within the area to immediately make a save against this spell. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, its damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 4th

5th Level

PHARAOH’S CURSE

5th-level necromancy

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

10 feet

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Until dispelled

Opening your palm, you release a puff of dust, the pestilence of mummy rot. Choose one creature within range to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target is cursed with mummy rot. The cursed target can’t regain hit points, and its hit point maximum decreases by 3d6 for every 24 hours that elapse. If the curse reduces the target’s hit point maximum to 0, the target dies, and its body turns to dust. The curse lasts until removed by a spell or magical effect that cures mummy rot. A remove curse spell cast using a spell slot of 5th level or higher also ends this spell

SCRUTINIZE FOE

5th-level divination

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

60 feet

Components:

V, S

Duration:

Instantaneous

You discern minute details concerning one creature you can see within range. You learn two of the following pieces of information of your choice about the target: its Armor Class, current hit points, condition immunities, damage immunities, damage resistances, damage vulnerabilities, and enchantments (which reveals any spells which are currently affecting it). The GM must share with you the requested information

6th

FRENZY

6th-level enchantment

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

120 feet

Components:

V, S, M (a drop of fresh blood)

Duration:

Concentration, up to 1 minute

With a gesture, you reduce a crowd to base instinct and violence. Choose a point you can see within range. Each creature within 20 feet of that point must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is frenzied for the duration. When a creature is frenzied, it draws a melee weapon, if it has one. A frenzied creature must use its action at the beginning of its turn to attack a creature within its reach. It uses a melee weapon, if it has one, or an improvised weapon or unarmed strike if it doesn’t. If multiple targets are within the creature’s reach, it chooses its target randomly. If there is no target within the creature’s reach, it attacks itself, against its own AC, dealing damage as normal on a hit. At the end of its turn, a frenzied creature can repeat its saving throw, ending the effect on itself early on a success.

 

 

GAHOUL’S SPECTRAL SCYTHE

6th-level necromancy

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Self (60-foot line)

Components:

V, S

Duration:

1 round

You conjure a phantasmal scythe of death in your open hand and throw it whirling through the air. The scythe travels in a 60-foot long, 10-foot wide line, coming to rest hovering in the air at the end of its line or before it strikes any solid objects. Each creature within the area while the scythe is moving must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 6d8 necrotic damage, or half as much on a successful save. A creature has disadvantage on this saving throw if the scythe comes to rest in the creature’s space. If you are within 120 feet of the scythe at the start of your next turn, it returns to you in a 10-foot wide line, forcing creatures within its area of travel to make saving throws against the scythe’s damage. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 6th

INEXORABLE SARCOPHAGUS

6th-level necromancy

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

30 feet

Components:

V, S, M (a finely made miniature sarcophagus worth at least 1,000 gp)

Duration:

Concentration, up to 1 minute

You toss a palm-sized sarcophagus at an unoccupied point you can see within range, where it grows to full size in an instant and attempts to ensnare a Medium or smaller creature within 5 feet of it with grimy gauze. The creature must succeed a Dexterity saving throw or be restrained and pulled into the open sarcophagus. The gauze restraining the creature is an object with AC 10 and 100 HP. It is vulnerable to slashing and fire damage, and immune to psychic and poison damage. If it is reduced to 0 hit points, the spell ends. A creature restrained by this spell must make another Dexterity saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If it successfully saves against this spell three times, it twists free of the gauze, ending the spell. If it fails three times, the sarcophagus slams shut and sinks deep into the earth. The creature is wrapped head to toe by the gauze and becomes incapacitated. The spell ends, but the sarcophagus remains buried in the earth. The sarcophagus has 1 minute of air, and the creature begins to suffocate after this time. If a Humanoid dies within the sarcophagus, they rise 24 hours later as a mummy under your control, as per the spell create undead. You can only command one mummy animated by this spell at a time. Any time after this spell ends, you can cause the sarcophagus to ascend to the surface as an action. You can also use your action to shrink the sarcophagus down to its original size while it is unoccupied

7th

ABDUCT

7th-level conjuration

Casting Time:

1 minute

Range:

1 mile

Components:

V, S, M (a silver saucer)

Duration:

1 hour

This spell teleports a creature to your location. Choose a creature within range that is known to you as the target of this spell. An unwilling creature can make a Charisma saving throw to resist this effect. The target is placed at a location of your choice within 30 feet of you. You choose if the target is sitting, standing, prone, or bound with nearby restraints. At the end of the spell’s duration, you can choose whether the target remains at your location or is teleported back to the location from which it was abducted

CONSECRATED ARMOR

1st-level abjuration (ritual)

Casting Time:

1 action

Range:

Self

Components:

V, S, M (a drop of blessed oil)

Duration:

8 hours

You trace a holy symbol on your chest, and an invisible barrier protects you until the spell ends. Your base AC becomes 12 + your Dexterity modifier. If you are attacked by a Fiend or Undead, your AC becomes 15 + your Dexterity modifier against that attack. You can use your consecrated armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your consecrated armor.

 

 

8th

GAHOUL’S GLORIOUS GOTHIC

8th-level conjuration

Casting Time:

1 hour

Range:

1 mile

Components:

V, S, M (a decorated gothic manor miniature worth at least 1,000 gp)

Duration:

7 days

A rift opens, pouring forth tons of brick and stonework that neatly and quickly assemble into a vast gothic estate. The estate consists of a manor containing a vault, a spacious 200-by-200-foot courtyard, and a 10-foot high wrought iron fence around the perimeter. Any creature within the estate’s area is escorted away by harmless but forceful specters. You can create any floor plan you like for the manor, but the space can’t exceed 50 cubes, each cube being 10 feet on each side, or five stories in total, including basements. The manor is adorned with barred windows and decorative gargoyles, but is furnished and decorated as you choose. Once the manor is first created, these details are recorded in the miniature manor used to cast the spell and can’t be changed. The manor is staffed by 50 skeletons obedient to you, and contains enough food to serve 50 people each day for a week. The skeletons can perform any task a normal human servant could perform, but they can’t attack or take any action that would directly harm another creature. The manor contains a 15-foot cube vault, which is an extradimensional space. Items placed within the vault will be present next time you cast this spell. The courtyard is drenched in necromantic magic, such that any Humanoid buried in its grounds rises 24 hours later as a ghoul under your control, as per the create undead spell. When the spell is cast, 3 ghouls are animated in the courtyard. These Undead are under your control, but can’t leave the estate. They patrol the estate if given no other instructions. Undead can’t be turned within the estate. The estate crumbles into dust and bone after 7 days, and all items placed within the manor appear safely in the space the manor occupied. If cast in the same place once every 7 days for a year, the estate becomes permanent

9th

HEART OF DARKNESS

9th-level necromancy

Casting Time:

1 hour

Range:

Self (1-mile radius)

Components:

V, S, M (A Humanoid heart prepared with onyx and diamond dust worth at least 10,000 gp)

Duration:

Until dispelled

When you cast this spell, you stab a black, ritualistically prepared Humanoid heart. The ichor from the heart infects the land with foul necromantic energies, causing up to one hundred piles of bones or corpses of Medium or Small Humanoids within a 1-mile radius to rise from the dead, becoming skeletons or zombies (the GM has the creatures’ game statistics). The Undead dig their way out of graves, smash their way out of mausoleums, and tear down cemetery gates. The creature that is holding the heart can use its action to issue a general command to all Undead created by the spell, such as to destroy a town or hunt down a particular creature. Only one general command can be issued to the Undead every 24 hours. If not issued a command, the Undead indiscriminately attack living creatures, other than the creature that is holding the heart and creatures designated by it. Once given an order, the Undead continue to follow it to the best of their ability until the task is complete. Even while you hold the heart, the Undead aren’t directly under your control, and therefore don’t count against any limitations of Undead you can command. The Undead remain animated until the spell ends. The spell ends if the heart is destroyed (AC 20, HP 10, immunity to necrotic, poison, and psychic damage) or targeted by a dispel magic spell cast as a 9th-level spell. When the spell ends, all Undead animated by it are instantly destroyed, crumpling into a heap. The spell also ends if every Undead created by it is destroyed.

 

 

 

 

Class Features

As a Invetigator, you gain the following class features

Hit Points

Hit Dice:

1d10 per notary level

Hit Points at 1st Level:

10 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels:

1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per notary level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor:

Light armor

Weapons:

Simple weapons, hand crossbows, heavy crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords

Tools:

One gaming set of your choice

Saving Throws:

Dexterity, Intelligence

Skills:

Choose three from Arcana, Athletics, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Persuasion, Religion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth

Equipment

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

• A dagger and (a) a longsword or (b) a rapier
• (a) a heavy crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) a hand crossbow and 20 bolts
• (a) dungeoneer’s pack or (b) a priest’s pack
• A grimoire and a component pouch

Expertise

At 1st level, choose two of your skill proficiencies; your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies. At 6th level, you can choose another two skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.

Nimble Explorer

You’ve honed your agility and reflexes through daring adventures. Starting at 1st level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to your initiative rolls.

Ritualist

You maintain a grimoire brimming with magical rituals: your most potent tools to defeat supernatural threats.

 

 

GRIMOIRE

At 1st level, you have a grimoire containing four 1st-level spells of your choice that have the ritual tag from any class’s spell list (the spells needn’t be from the same list). You can’t cast spells that are in your grimoire except as rituals, unless you’ve learned them by some other means

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can add an additional ritual spell from the Investigator Spells list (see Chapter 6) to your grimoire at no cost. The Ritual Level column on the Investigator table shows the maximum spell level you can add to your grimoire.

Additionally, whenever you find a ritual spell on your adventures, you can add it to your grimoire if it is on the investigator spell list and is of a level you can add to your grimoire. For each level of the spell, the transcription process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp for the rare inks needed to inscribe it

Myths and Legends

At 2nd level, you are extremely adept at uncovering knowledge that pertains to eldritch threats and forgotten legends. You have advantage on Intelligence checks related to researching creatures, spells, and other ancient or secret lore

Rushed Incantation

Beginning at 2nd level, you can hastily perform any ritual spell in your grimoire that has a casting time of 1 action or 1 bonus action, completing the ritual as a bonus action. If the spell requires material components worth 100 gp or less, you can cast it without providing those components.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

As you gain higher levels in this class, you can use this feature additional times. You can use it once more at 5th level (Intelligence modifier + 1), 9th level (Intelligence modifier + 2), 13th level (Intelligence modifier + 3), and 17th level (Intelligence modifier + 4).

Occult Specialization

At 3rd level, you choose a specialization, an area of expertise in handling eldritch threats. Specializations are detailed at the end of the class description. Your specialization choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Quick Reflexes

At 7th level, your quick reflexes allow you to react swiftly. You can take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.

 

 

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Exploit Weakness

Most supernatural creatures have some form of weakness, a gap in their armor that allows them to be defeated. Starting at 5th level, once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the target is treated as if it has vulnerability to the weapon’s damage. Vulnerability from this feature only doubles your weapon’s damage roll and your ability modifier; you don’t double extra damage from sources like spells (such as hunter’s mark), magic items (such as the extra fire damage of a flame tongue), feats, or class features (such as Sneak Attack). Additionally, the attack, as well as all other attacks made against the target until the start of your next turn, count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage

Opportunistic Piety

By 7th level, you always keep a wide array of holy symbols and blessed items on your person, even if you aren’t particularly pious. When you use your Opportunistic Piety, you choose which effect to create from the list below. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Opportunistic Piety again.

- Banish. You cast the banishment spell without expending a spell slot. If the target is a Fey, Fiend, or Undead and fails its saving throw against this spell, it also takes radiant damage equal to your level.

- Miracle Healing. As an action, divine light from your hands knit the wounds of a willing creature you touch. That creature regains a number of hit points equal to twice your investigator level. This ability has no effect on Undead or Constructs.

- Warding. As an action, you trace a holy symbol on a creature within 5 feet of you, warding it against harm. For the next minute, Aberrations Celestials, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, and Undead that touch the warded creature or hit it with a melee attack take 1d12 radiant damage

Supernatural Resolve

At 9th level, you gain resilience to the attacks and effects of the creatures you regularly investigate. You can’t be possessed or charmed, and you have resistance to psychic damage

 

 

Finisher

Beginning at 11th level, you know exactly how to bring a monster down. Once on each of your turns when you take the Attack action and hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can deal an extra 4d8 damage to the creature. If the creature has less than half its hit points remaining, you can instead deal an extra 8d8 damage to the creature

Enigma Arcane

At 13th level, you gain the ability to banish supernatural creatures to other planes. Once per long rest, when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can force it to make a Charisma saving throw or be banished to another plane for 1 minute.

Exorcist

Starting at 18th level, you are under the constant effect of the protection from evil and good spell for all creature types listed in the spell. This effect persists without the need to expend a spell slot or use material components.

Spellbinder

By 20th level, many rituals you perform have become second nature to you. Select five ritual spells in your grimoire with a casting time of 1 action. You can cast these spells as a bonus action without expending a use of Rushed Incantation, and you can do so without your grimoire on hand. If the spell requires material components worth 100 gp or less, you can cast it without providing those components

OCCULT SPECIALIZATIONS

Investigators of all stripes share the broad goal of combating the occult, but their methods vary wildly. Some emphasize cutting down monsters and banishing demons, while others believe that uncovering secrets and compiling critical information is the surest method for eliminating supernatural threats. When an investigator gains enough experience, they can steer their approach, including the specific techniques they employ and the trinkets they carry, into an occult specialization, a school of thought for handling eldritch threats

 

 

Antiquarian

Festooned with magical trinkets from every corner of the globe, antiquarians have a tool for every occasion: silver arrowheads for lycanthropes, heartwood stakes for vampires, blessed relics for fiends, and so on. As they expand their collections from piles of trinkets to veritable museums, they become adept historians and arcanists, familiar with the story of every magic item in their care, as well how to use them in dire situations.

Collector’s Insight

Starting at 3rd level, your extensive collection of magical artifacts grants you a deeper understanding of mystical forces. You gain proficiency in Arcana, and if you are already proficient, you can double your proficiency bonus for Arcana checks.

Trinket Arsenal

At 3rd level, you’ve amassed a diverse arsenal of magical trinkets. You can choose three magical trinkets from your collection. These trinkets grant you additional benefits, such as enhanced damage against specific creature types or situational advantages. You can change your chosen trinkets after a long rest.

 

 

Master Historian

Beginning at 6th level, your studies into magical history and artifacts allow you to recall information about the properties of magic items. You can identify the properties of a magic item during a 1 minute rest by studying it for the entire duration. Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against the harmful effects of magic items.

Museum Guardian

At 10th level, your collection becomes a powerful defense. When you are attacked, you can use your reaction to activate a protective ward stored within one of your magical trinkets, granting you resistance against the damage from the triggering attack.

Curator’s Legacy

At 18th level, your status as a master antiquarian affords you a legendary reputation. You gain advantage on all Charisma-based checks when dealing with historians, collectors, and magical scholars. Additionally, you can add your Intelligence modifier to your Armor Class, representing your ability to predict and counter magical attacks.

 

 

Archivist

Though most investigators fill their grimoires with hard-won knowledge borne from encounters with supernatural threats, some prefer to do bookkeeping instead. Such archivists seek to accumulate knowledge, moreso than trinkets, by spending untold hours digging through disparate tomes of occult secrets and compiling them into encyclopedic texts on the supernatural. Through their research, archivists become academic masters of the arcane and priceless reservoirs of obscure knowledge

Lorekeeper:

Starting at 3rd level, your extensive research has granted you insight into the mysteries of the supernatural. You can add half your investigator level (rounded down) to any Intelligence check made to recall information about supernatural creatures, spells, or magical phenomena.

Thesis

Also at 3rd level, you gain access to abilities associated with your thesis. Pick one of the following subject areas for your thesis: Corpus, Ignis, Mortis, or Regis.

Corpus Thesis:

- Anatomical Insight: You gain advantage on Medicine checks, allowing you to identify weaknesses in creatures.

- Healing Touch: As an action, you can expend a hit die to heal yourself or a creature you touch for an amount equal to the roll of the hit die plus your Intelligence modifier.

Ignis Thesis:

- Pyromancer’s Insight: Gain resistance to fire damage and proficiency with Alchemical tools.

- Infernal Ward: Can cast a protective ward against fire-based attacks. Once per short or long rest, as a reaction when you or a creature within 30 feet takes fire damage, you can create an Infernal Ward that grants resistance to fire damage for one minute.

Mortis Thesis:

- Necrotic Knowledge: Gain advantage on Arcana checks related to undead and necromantic magic.

- Undead Bane: Deal extra 1d6 damage to undead creatures with your attacks.

Regis Thesis:

- Royal Diplomacy: Gain proficiency in Charisma-based skills and advantage on checks related to nobility.

- Monarch’s Presence: you can use Monarch’s Presence a special ability to command or influence creatures of lower status. Once per short or long rest, you can expend your hit die and add it to a roll of Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Intimidation).

 

 

Forbidden Knowledge:

Starting at 6th level, your research leads you to uncover forbidden secrets that others fear. You gain advantage on saving throws against spells and effects cast by supernatural creatures.

Expanded Catalog:

Starting at 10th level Your extensive research and documentation have broadened your knowledge base. Choose one additional subject area (Corpus, Ignis, Mortis, or Regis) for your thesis. You gain the benefits associated with this new thesis as though you had chosen it at 3rd level. Additionally, you can spend 8 hours during a long rest to switch between your chosen thesis subjects.

knowledge is power

Your relentless pursuit of knowledge and unparalleled expertise elevate you to the pinnacle of Archivist mastery. At 18th level, you gain the ability to unravel the deepest mysteries surrounding a chosen subject, showcasing your unparalleled understanding of the arcane and the supernatural.

Eternal Insight: Once per long rest, you can focus your Archivist abilities to gain unparalleled insight into a person, place, or object of your choosing. This profound understanding taps into your accumulated knowledge and intuition, revealing hidden stories, forgotten details, and obscure facts that have eluded others. The information is accurate, providing valuable insights that can shape your understanding of the chosen subject.

This feature is most potent when applied to subjects within your realm of knowledge and significance. If the chosen subject lacks importance or is beyond the scope of your expertise, this feature may yield limited or no information.

 

 

Detective

Prowling at the edge of darkness, detectives chase down clues and pull on threads to unravel conspiracies that bring darkness into the world. Sometimes, this requires that you infiltrate a cult’s secret meetings, other times it calls on you to reconstruct a person’s last moments at a murder scene. No matter what the mystery, however, you know that there is always an explanation.

Detective’s Eye

Starting at level 3 your observational skills are unmatched. You gain advantage on Investigation and Perception checks. Additionally, when examining a crime scene, you can discern the general nature of the events that transpired, gaining insights into the possible motives and methods involved.

Unerring Deduction

Also at level 3 your deductive reasoning becomes razor-sharp. When you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Sleuth’s Instinct

At level 6 your intuition allows you to sense hidden truths. You gain advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks, and you can spend 10 minutes studying a person to gain insights into their intentions or potential threats.

Tactician’s Insight

Starting at level 10 your strategic mind aids you in battle. You can use your reaction to grant an ally within 30 feet advantage on their attack roll or saving throw, reflecting your ability to offer timely advice and guidance.

Inescapable Logic

Starting at level 18 your understanding of cause and effect reaches a pinnacle. Once per short rest, you can ask the DM one question related to an ongoing investigation or mystery. The answer is revealed to you through a flash of insight or a sudden revelation, aiding you in solving the puzzle at hand.

 

 

Exterminator

An exterminator suffers so no one else has to. Trained in the art of slaying aberrations, fiends, and undead, you stand against evil where others falter, and draw your blade before others recognize a threat. Grand schemes and plots are less important than retribution against those monsters which stalk the night, and your thirst for such retribution is unquenchable. There is always another werewolf to be slain, another vampire to be staked, another demon to be banished. People rarely thank you, but you find satisfaction enough in your work

BONUS PROFICIENCIES

Starting when you choose this specialization at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons and medium armor.

Slayer’s Instinct

Starting at 3rd level, your instincts are honed to detect supernatural threats. You gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect the presence of aberrations, fiends, or undead within 60 feet of you.

Vengeful Strikes

Starting at 6th level, your strikes against your chosen enemies are infused with vengeful determination. Once per turn, when you hit a creature of the aberration, fiend, or undead type with a weapon attack, you can deal extra damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Our relentless training and focus grant you an additional attack when you use the Attack action against aberrations, fiends, or undead.

Slaying Precision

Starting at 10th level, your precision in targeting monsters allows you to add your Intelligence modifier to the damage rolls of weapon attacks against aberrations, fiends, or undead.

Relentless Pursuer

Starting at 17th level, your determination to hunt down monsters is unmatched. When you make an opportunity attack against an aberration, fiend, or undead, you can make two attacks instead of one.

 

 

Inquisitor

The church has long been the first line of defense against the tide of impending darkness. Yet, the clergy’s stubborn devotion to righteousness impedes them where it counts: you must sometimes be willing to do evil to counter evil. That’s where the inquisition comes in. As a righteous inquisitor of the faith, you are tasked with rooting out heresy, exorcising demons, and stamping out any sign of the occult, and you are offered clemency for any action you take in the defense of the greater good. You may investigate anyone or anything you deem to be in line with the forces of evil, for you alone are a holy blade in the dark, the arbiter of your church

BONUS PROFICIENCY

Starting when you choose this specialization at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor.

EXORCIST’S DOCTRINES

Also at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Religion skill, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses this skill.

Interrogator’s Eye

At 3rd level, your extensive training in investigation and interrogation makes you a master at extracting information. You gain proficiency in the Insight skill. If you already have proficiency, you become an expert instead.

Mark of Inquisition

At 6th level, your dedication to hunting down evil allows you to brand creatures with an invisible mark. As an action, you can choose a creature or humanoid within 30 feet of you and mark it with the unseen Mark of Inquisition. The mark is invisible to all creatures except you, and it lasts until you finish a long rest.

While the mark is active, you gain the ability to track the marked creature unerringly. As long as the marked creature is on the same plane of existence, you know its direction and distance from you. Additionally, you can have a number of marked creatures simultaneously equal to your proficiency bonus.

 

 

Divine Excommunication

At 10th level, you gain the ability to pronounce a Divine Excommunication upon a creature that has been marked with the Mark of the Inquisition. As an action, you can emblazon a mark of religious condemnation upon a creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target must succeed on your choice of a Constitution or Wisdom saving throw or be marked for 1 minute.

While marked, the creature can’t regain hit points and doesn’t have advantage on any attack roll or ability check. Additionally, whenever the creature takes an action, it takes 2d6 radiant damage as the mark burns with radiant light.

Divine Tribunal

At 18th level, you become a beacon of divine justice. As an action, you can call upon the divine power within you to radiate an aura of judgment. For 1 minute, any aberrations, fiends, or undead that start their turn within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be Banished for the duration. Additionally, you and your allies have advantage on attack rolls against these creatures while they are within the aura.

 

 

Occultist

Vampires, demons, lycanthropes, and Aberrations all have one thing in common: they are all magical threats, best combated through magical means. To meet these foes on a level playing field, occultists indulge in arcana, filling their grimoires with magical secrets and mastering a handful of spells. Occultists are the most likely investigators to cavort with warlocks, borrow tricks from wizards and magicians, and dabble in dark magic to defeat their foes.

Pact Magic

Starting when you choose this specialization at 3rd level, you augment your investigative skills with complex magics.

Cantrips:

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn an additional warlock cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots:

The Occultist Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your warlock spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher: At 3rd level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the warlock spell list. The Spells Known column of the Occultist Spellcasting table shows when you learn more warlock spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table’s Slot Level column for your level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability: Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your warlock spells, so you use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. Use your investigator spell save DC and spell attack modifier for your warlock spells.

 

 

Eldritch Ward

When you finish a long rest, you can choose a creature type (undead, fiend, aberration, or celestial). You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects created by creatures of the chosen type until you finish your next long rest.

ELDRITCH RUIN

Starting at 6th level, you can use your magical cunning to rip your foes asunder. When you use your Exploit Weakness feature, you can forgo dealing additional damage to instead cast a cantrip as a bonus action.

EYES OF ANOTHER WORLD

Starting at 10th level, supernatural creatures can no longer escape your detection. You can see creatures and objects that are invisible or on the Ethereal Plane, and you can see the original form of shapechangers or creatures whose form has been altered by magic. Additionally, you can immediately detect if a creature you can see is possessed

MALEFICIUM

Starting at 18th level, when you use your Exploit Weakness feature against a creature, you can cast the bestow curse spell on that creature as a bonus action, without using a spell slot or spell components; the targeted creature has disadvantage on its saving throw against this spell. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

 

Spy

Infiltration, disguise, and lying through their teeth: these are the principal skills of a spy. A talented spy rarely ever needs to draw a dagger to silence someone, for their honeyed words and agreeable disposition are all that is needed to draw out someone’s secrets. Of course, when they do strike, it is decisively and without warning. Such skills are invaluable for governments and organizations of all varieties, for stealing confidential information, sabotage, monitoring persons of interest, and everything in between.

Bravado

Starting when you choose this specialization at 3rd level, your knowing smile and infectious confidence inspire trust in most people you meet, even when you’re not telling the truth.

Deception Proficiency: You gain proficiency in the Deception skill.

Intelligent Deception: You can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Charisma, for Charisma (Deception) checks.

Silent Approach

AAt 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Stealth skill. A veil of shadows and silence radiates from you, masking you from detection. For the duration, you have a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks and can’t be tracked except by magical means. You leave behind no tracks or other traces of your passage.

Evasive Maneuvers

You excel in dodging attacks and avoiding danger. Beginning at 6th level, you gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill. Additionally, when you take the Dodge action, you can use a bonus action to Dash.

SHAKEN NOT STIRRED

Starting at 10th level, your roguish smile grants you incredible leeway. Whenever you fail a Charisma (Deception) (Persuasion) check, you can reroll the check, and you must use the new roll. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest

BODY DOUBLE

By 18th level, you can rapidly exchange identities with a corpse. When you reduce a Humanoid to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to assume the creature’s appearance, as per the disguise self spell. When you do so, the creature’s body, as well as its blood, clothing, and other physical evidence of its death, magically become invisible for 8 hours. You can also use this ability as an action to touch the corpse of a Humanoid that has been dead no longer than 24 hours, assuming its appearance and causing it to become invisible, as above. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest

 

 

Investigator Spell List

1st Level

• Alarm (SRD)
• Blood Print
• Clue
• Comprehend Languages (SRD)
• Conjure Cover
• Consecrated Armor
• Detect Evil and Good* (SRD)
• Detect Magic (SRD)
• Detect Poison and Disease (SRD)
• Disguise Self* (SRD)
• Find Familiar (SRD)
• Floating Disk (SRD)
• Heroism* (SRD)
• Identify (SRD)
• Illusory Script (SRD)
• Memorize
• Purify Food and Drink (SRD)
• Rumor
• Speak with Animals (SRD)
• Transient Bulwark
• Unseen Servant (SRD)
• Whispering Wind*

2nd Level

• Animal Messenger (SRD)
• Arcane Lock* (SRD)
• Arcanist’s Magic Aura* (SRD)
• Augury (SRD)
• Curse Ward*
• Gentle Repose (SRD)
• Jethro’s Instant Reload
• Knock* (SRD)
• Locate Animals or Plants (SRD)
• Locate Object* (SRD)
• Magic Mouth (SRD)
• Nondescript*
• Protect Threshold
• See Invisibility* (SRD)
• Silence (SRD)
• Spider Climb* (SRD)
• Stone Bones*
• Unseen Accountant
• Zone of Truth* (SRD)
• Pass Without Trace* (SRD)

3rd Level

• After Image*
• Benign Dismemberment
• Clairvoyance* (SRD)
• Fly* (SRD)
• Geomantic Discernment
• Magic Circle* (SRD)
• Meld into Stone (SRD)
• Phantom Steed (SRD)
• Remove Curse* (SRD)
• Séance*
• Sending* (SRD)
• Speak with Plants* (SRD)
• Water Breathing (SRD)
• Water Walk (SRD)

4th Level

• Dire Warning*
• Distort Gravity
• Divination (SRD)
• False Vision*
• Invisibility Purge*
• Locate Creature* (SRD)
• Private Sanctum* (SRD)

5th Level

• Commune (SRD)
• Commune with Nature (SRD)
• Dream* (SRD)
• Legend Lore* (SRD)
• Scrutinize Foe*
• Telepathic Bond (SRD)

6th Level

• Find the Path* (SRD)
• Forbiddance (SRD)
• Game of Fate*
• Instant Summons (SRD)

 

 

Clue

1st-level divination (ritual)

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a magnifying glass and pipe)
• Duration: 10 minutes

When you cast this spell, all footprints and fingerprints within a 45-foot radius of a point you touch become highlighted and glow faintly for the duration. At the time of casting, choose any period of time up to the last 10 days to the present; only footprints and fingerprints left within that time will be highlighted. Each creature whose footprints or fingerprints are detected by the spell is assigned a unique color, but is not otherwise identified. Any creature that moves or touches objects in the area will also leave colorful footprints and fingerprints, which might reveal invisible creatures in the area.

Conjure Cover

1st-level conjuration (ritual) (renaissance)

• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: 10 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a duck figurine)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You conjure a low cobblestone wall along the ground, a perfect source of cover, at a point you can see within range. The wall is 18 inches thick and is composed of three 5-foot long by 3-foot high segments. Each segment must be contiguous with at least one other segment.

A Medium creature that hunkers behind the wall has half cover from ranged attacks, and a Small creature that hunkers behind it has three-quarters cover from ranged attacks. A prone creature has total cover behind the wall. The wall can be leapt over without using any additional movement.

Each segment has AC 10 and 60 hit points. Reducing a segment of the wall to 0 hit points causes it to crumble, destroying it. The wall disappears when all the segments are destroyed or the spell ends.

Rumor

1st-level enchantment (ritual)

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (100-foot radius)
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 minute

You magically spread a rumor of 10 words or less. Any creature within range that is near three or more other creatures which speak the same language as them believes that they hear the rumor being repeated by someone nearby. Different creatures hear the rumor from different people, so a concrete origin point is impossible to discern. Generally, creatures won’t be outright hostile upon hearing even the most vicious rumors, but hearing a rumor can affect their disposition positively or negatively.

Transient Bulwark

1st-level abjuration (ritual)

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (a pearl worth 10 gp, which the spell consumes)
• Duration: 8 hours

The next attack made against you within the duration has a −10 penalty to hit.

Whispering Wind

1st-level evocation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 1 mile
• Components: V, S, M (a feather)
• Duration: 1 round

You point your finger in a direction and whisper a message of twenty-five words or less, while specifying up to six creatures to be the targets. If a target is in range and in the approximate direction indicated, they (and only they) hear the message carried on the wind. They can reply in a whisper that only you can hear.

You can cast this spell only when there is a clear path for air to move between you and the targets. The spell doesn’t have to follow a straight line and can travel freely around corners or through openings but is blocked by solid objects and areas of magical silence.

Curse Ward

2nd-level abjuration

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 hour

You reach out your hand and touch a willing creature within your reach, raising a smoke-like barrier around it. For the duration, the target has resistance to necrotic damage and can’t be cursed, possessed, or targeted by a hex. Also, its hit point maximum can’t be reduced. If the target is already affected by one of these effects, the effect is suspended until the spell ends.

 

 

Jethro’s Instant Reload

2nd-level conjuration (ritual) (renaissance)

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a spent bullet casing)
• Duration: 1 hour

One ranged weapon you touch becomes enchanted to reload itself automatically. If the weapon has the Loading or Reload property, you can ignore this for the duration. When the weapon’s ammunition is depleted, new ammunition teleports from your person to your hand or into the weapon, as appropriate. If the weapon takes an action or longer to reload, it reloads itself at the end of your turn.

If you aren’t carrying sufficient ammunition for the weapon to reload, the spell ends.

After Image

3rd-level illusion

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (a silver hand mirror worth 50 gp)
• Duration: 10 minutes

You create an illusory duplicate of yourself which follows your every movement. When you are hit by an attack during the spell’s duration, roll any die. On an odd roll, the attack targets and hits the duplicate instead of you. The duplicate vanishes, reappearing after you move 10 feet or more or take the Dodge action. On an even roll, the attack targets you as normal.

False Vision

4th-level illusion

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a pinch of dust from a precious gem)
• Duration: 8 hours

For the duration, you hide a target that you touch from divination magic. The target can be a willing creature, a place, or an object no larger than 10 feet in any dimension. If the target is targeted by any divination magic or perceived through a scrying spell’s sensors, you are able to present the diviner with false information of your choice, as long as you are conscious at the time of the divination attempt. The target could appear to be in different circumstances, in one or more false locations, or completely undetectable.

Invisibility Purge

4th-level abjuration

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (120-foot radius)
• Components: V, S, M (powdered silver worth at least 100 gp)
• Duration: Instantaneous

You purge magical invisibility effects within 120 feet of you. Any creature, object, location, or effect within 120 feet of you that is hidden by magical invisibility is revealed and the invisibility is dispelled.

This spell applies to innate abilities that are magical in nature, such as an imp’s Invisibility, but it doesn’t affect creatures on other planes of existence, such as the Ethereal Plane. It also doesn’t reveal creatures that are naturally invisible. Items that grant magical invisibility (such as a ring of invisibility) have their effects suppressed for 1 minute.

Game of Fate

6th-level enchantment

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a gaming set)
• Duration: 1 hour

You magically compel a creature within range to a nonmagical game with vital consequences. If the creature you choose has an Intelligence of 3 or lower, or doesn’t speak any language, the creature is unaffected. An unwilling creature can make a Wisdom saving throw to resist this effect. On a failed save, the creature is compelled to join you in the game. If the target takes damage or falls unconscious, this spell ends.

The loser of the game takes 6d6 psychic damage. If no player loses or has won by the end of the spell’s duration, both you and the target take this damage. Additionally, you and the target creature can negotiate for greater stakes. You can bet higher psychic damage (up to a maximum of 10d6,) property, or more esoteric rewards, such as bestowal of a noble title, on the game. The spell reveals if a creature attempts to bet property they do not own. A bet is finalized when you and the target agree on the bet, solidifying the bet with a handshake or similar gesture. Property or currency bet on the game is teleported to the winner at the game’s conclusion. The loser is also magically compelled to take any action (such as bestowing a title) promised as part of a bet.

Lastly, no spell, magical effect, or creature other than you and the target can influence the game’s outcome.

 

 

Martyr (or Chosen One)

Background:

Squalid masses draw close around a young dwarf in spotless clothing. He touches each person in turn, healing injuries, curing illnesses, and restoring hope. A ragged tiefling speaks in a crowded square. As if in response, dark clouds gather over her head and the earth trembles at her words. A mad king spits and swears from his throne at imperial guards who have fled or been slain. A lone dragonborn stands before him, solemnly preparing herself for divinely demanded regicide. Martyrs are implements of the gods, hand-picked to spill their blood in service of a divine cause. Such an end is inevitable, for once a martyr is chosen, their fate is fixed in the heavens.

Martyr’s Calling:

Martyrs are chosen by the gods as prophets, oracles, great priests, and liberators. However, regardless of how much good they might accomplish in their lives, the end must always be the same: a glorious death, to be remembered in legend. No matter the circumstance, a martyr cannot avoid their destiny. While some martyrs gladly accept their holy approbation, others struggle against it. However, from the moment the gods choose their martyr, they shall intervene in the martyr’s fate, pulling them inexorably toward their cause. The gods will settle for a lesser martyr if they must—if the one chosen is unwilling to follow their path—but they always prefer to uplift their martyr to the heights of sainthood before their inevitable demise.

Divine Intervention:

Martyrs grow more powerful the closer they are to death, and those that spill their own blood evoke waves of divine energy. In the view of the gods, such hardship is necessary to lay the foundation for a story that will live on in history. Paradoxically, martyrs are protected from death’s precipice even as they are edged closer toward it. Every torment and persecution suffered by them is weighed with equal moments of respite offered by the gods. The gods do not mean to kill their charge early; a martyr should meet their fate only at the preordained time and place.

 

 

Martyr Class

 

 

Martyr

Class Features

Hit Points:

• Hit Dice: 1d12 per martyr level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per martyr level after 1st

Proficiencies:

• Armor: Light armor, medium armor, and Heavy armor, shields
• Weapons: Simple and martial weapons
• Tools: None
• Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
• Skills: Choose two from Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Persuasion, and Religion

Equipment:

• (a) a martial weapon and a shield (b) two martial weapons
• (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor, any simple weapon, and a shield
• A priest’s pack or an explorer’s pack
• A holy symbol

Mortal Burden

Beginning at 1st level, you are fated to perish in the name of a great ideal, cementing your name alongside others who have done the same. Choose a Mortal Burden, detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st level, and again at 6th, 14th, and 18th level.

Ordained Death

As a martyr, you have been predestined by the gods to perish for a great cause; there is no greater glory in death, and no greater joy in the afterlife. However, it is not yet your time. Starting at 1st level, when you fall to 0 hit points and begin to make death saving throws, you must fail 5 saving throws to die. Additionally, if a spell has the sole effect of restoring you to life (but not undeath), the caster doesn’t need material components to cast the spell on you.

Martyr’s Zeal

At first level, when you take damage, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).

Resilient Devotion

At first Level, When your hit points are below half of your maximum hit points (rounded down), your connection to the divine strengthens your resolve. You gain the following benefits: Your movement speed increases by 10 feet. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

 

 

Mark of the Herald

At 2nd level, your divine cause manifests itself upon you, forming a special mark or stigmata for all to see. You have advantage on ability checks you make to convince other creatures to assist you in service of your holy cause.

Sainted Reprisal

Also at 2nd level, you can reprimand those who draw your blood. When a creature you can see within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to deal 1d6 necrotic or radiant damage (your choice) to that creature. The damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

Divine Healing

Starting at 3rd level, you can utter a prayer to the gods for mercy. As an action, you can spend Hit Dice and regain hit points as if you had just finished a short rest. When you use this ability, you can spend a number of Hit Dice up to your proficiency bonus

Torment

By 3rd level, you have learned to curry the gods’ favor through anguish and mortal trials. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can lose 5 hit points to deal an extra +10 bonus necrotic or radiant damage (your choice) to the target. You don’t make Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration on spells as a result of losing these hit points. Starting at 11th level, you can choose to lose 10 hit points to deal an extra +20 damage to the target.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn

Respite

Beginning at 7th level, you regain all expended Hit Dice when you finish a long rest, instead of only half of them

Undying Conviction

Beginning at 10th level, when you drop to 0 hit points but aren’t killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

 

 

March Unto Destiny

At 15th level, your inevitable end draws nearer, and nothing can hold you from it. You don’t need to eat or drink, and can’t be paralyzed, petrified, or stunned.

Final Martyrdom

At 20th level, you have at last reached your predestination: you will die in eternal glory. You can use your action to become immune to all damage for 10 minutes. For this duration, you can’t be blinded, charmed, deafened, exhausted, frightened, incapacitated, poisoned, restrained, or rendered unconscious. You have advantage on all ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws. Additionally, during this duration, you can cast the wish spell once, without expending a spell slot or hit points. If you use the spell to produce any effect other than duplicating another spell, the stress of casting it doesn’t reduce your Strength or cause you to take necrotic damage. At the end of this duration, you die. No force short of divine intervention can prevent your death, and you can’t be returned to life by any means.

MORTAL BURDENS

Martyrs are created and driven forth to right an inexorable wrong in the world. On this quest, they are a direct instrument of the gods, and no matter how hard they try, they cannot escape the burden of their duty.

 

 

Burden of Atonement

For all the wrong you have done in your life, the gods have graced you with an undeserved second chance. Your burden is to atone, to undo all the evils you have done in your life, and to seek redemption before the gods. How you accomplish this is your choice, so long as you remove any dark marks you leave behind. Ultimately, your final martyrdom might be a grand act, averting a great disaster or banishing a force of evil, or it might be as humble as redirecting the life of an evil person and causing them to seek redemption, passing the torch to a new martyr of atonement.

SELF-SACRIFICE

Also at 1st level, you can dive in the way of an attack. When a friendly creature within 5 feet of you is targeted by an attack while you are within the attack’s range or reach, you can use your reaction to change the target of the attack to you instead. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

BLOODY REPRIEVE

Starting at 1st level, whenever you use your Torment feature against a hostile creature and you reduce the target to 0 hit points, you don’t lose any hit points from using the ability

Cleansing Strike

Starting at 6th level, your attacks carry the divine essence of redemption. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to forgo the extra damage from your Torment feature and instead attempt to cleanse the target. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature is freed from one charm or fear effect affecting it.

DRAW AGGRESSION

Beginning at 14th level, as a bonus action on your turn, you can invoke the ire of your foes to protect your allies. Until the start of your next turn, each hostile creature you choose within 5 feet of you that can see or hear you has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you, and advantage on attack rolls against you

 

 

SIN EATER

Starting at 18th level, you can use your action to transfer negative effects from any number of willing creatures within 60 feet to yourself. You can transfer one of the following effects from each creature:

• One level of exhaustion
• One disease or poison
• One curse, including the target’s attunement to a cursed magic item
• Any reduction to one of the target’s ability scores
• One effect reducing the target’s hit point maximum
• The blinded, charmed, deafened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned condition

The effect ends for the creature and targets you as if you were the original target, with the effect’s original duration. You can transfer multiple negative effects of the same type to yourself, affecting you only once each time you use this ability

 

 

Burden of Discord

Martyrs of Discord are chosen at random to sow chaos and stoke evil wherever they travel. They light things on fire, commit petty crimes, and even murder when the fancy strikes. Given to their own predilections, martyrs of discord are unified only by their charge to disrupt the status quo as much as possible. No one is certain why the gods make martyrs of Discord in the first place. Perhaps it is at the whim of one capricious or evil god, or perhaps the gods desire a balance between chaos and law, and must sometimes stoke the fire to restore this balance

HAVOC!

Also at 1st level, you can stoke the flames of chaos with your sword. When you hit a hostile creature with a melee weapon attack, you can roll on the table below to trigger an additional effect. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. d10 Effect 1 You and the target teleport, trading places. 2 Lightning strikes you and the target, dealing 3d6 lightning damage to each of you. 3 The target must vocalize their innermost thoughts for the next minute. 4 You cast the spell darkness, centered on the target. 5 You become invisible until the end of your next turn, as per the spell invisibility. 6 The target bursts into flames, taking 1d4 fire damage. The target continues to take 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns until a creature extinguishes the flames as an action. 7 The target’s skin transforms into a brittle glass until the end of its next turn, reducing its AC by 3, to a minimum of 10. 8 The target comically falls prone. 9 An object of the GM’s choice explodes, dealing 8d6 fire damage to each creature within a 20-foot radius of the object. 10 Roll on this table twice and apply both results, rerolling any 10s.

Discordant Strikes

At 1st level, your attacks become imbued with the chaotic essence you carry. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to deal an extra 1d6 psychic damage

BLOODY REPRIEVE

Starting at 6th level, whenever you use your Torment feature against a hostile creature and you reduce the target to 0 hit points, you don’t lose any hit points from using the ability

 

 

COIN OF CHAOS

By 14th level, you have a coin blessed with the tides of chaos. Whenever you or a creature you can see makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can flip a coin to add a bonus to the roll. The bonus equals +4 on a heads or +1 on a tails. Once you use the coin, the coin goes to the GM, who can use it to enhance any roll made by an NPC or monster. Once the GM uses the coin, it passes back to you, and so on. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain the coin, whether or not the GM has used it.

PANDEMONIUM

At 18th level, you can use your Havoc! feature whenever you make an attack roll or cast a spell targeting a hostile creature, and don’t need to rest between uses.

 

 

Burden of the End

The gods have seen a great cataclysm on the horizon and tasked their martyr with protecting the world from catastrophe. The exact nature of the coming End may vary: sometimes the awakening or arrival of an evil entity, sometimes the discovery and abuse of a powerful artifact, and sometimes a singularly destructive event that endangers the gods themselves, but the martyr must be dedicated to give their life to stop it. To this end, the gods imbue their martyr with ancient and powerful spells, tools once gifted only to prophets. When the coming cataclysm threatens the world, a martyr would be ill-served to ignore their call, for the cataclysm imperils them directly—as well as the lives of their family and companions. The life of a martyr is always forfeit, but the rest of the world can yet be saved.

Holy Fortitude

At 1st level, Your resilience is bolstered by divine energy. Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to your Martyr level, and you gain additional temp hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier at the start of each of your turns while enganged in combat (intiative has been rolled).

Martial Prowess

At 1st level, Your training as a Bastion of the End grants you martial abilities to withstand the challenges ahead.

Endurance of Stone: You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws, reflecting your enhanced physical resilience.

No one else needs to die

At 6st level, You gain resistance to non-magical slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage.

HALT APOCALYPSE

By 14th level, the gods have blessed you with enough precious time to forestall catastrophe. At the end of your turn, you can choose to immediately take an extra turn. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest

Martyr’s Echo

18th level Once per short rest, when an ally within 30 feet of you falls to 0 hit points, they remain conscious with 1 hit point instead.

 

 

Burden of Mercy

When the suffering of the world grows too heavy and the cries of the anguished grow too loud, the gods deliver a martyr to ease the strife and bring peace to the masses. This burden, however, has no end. A martyr may spend all their days healing the sick and driving demons out of the possessed, but they will scarcely impact the world at large. Indeed, the onus upon them is not to mend every wound or comfort every widow, but to provide hope in the darkest of times that the gods have not forsaken their people, that peace will soon reign, and that light will be victorious.

BALM

Also at 1st level, you can use a bonus action to restore 1 hit point to a creature within 60 feet or remove the blinded, deafened, or poisoned condition from a willing creature you touch. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Divine Healer

At 1st level, Your divine connection allows you to channel potent healing energies.

You gain proficiency in the Medicine skill. Additionally, you can use your Wisdom modifier instead of Intelligence when making Medicine checks.

Sacrificial Healing

Starting at 6th level, you can sacrifice your own vitality to mend the wounds of others. As an action, you can choose a willing creature within 5 feet of you and expend hit points to restore their health.

You can spend hit points up to half of your current hit points. The target regains hit points equal to the amount you expended. Your current and maximum hit points are reduced by the amount expended until you finish a long rest. You cannot reduce your hit points to less than 1 with this feature.

BLESSING OF BROKEN BREAD

Beginning at 14th level, once per day when you finish a short or long rest, choose up to five creatures you can see at the end of the rest to gain a blessing. This blessing lasts until the creature finishes a short or long rest. Whenever a blessed creature makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, it can expend the blessing to reroll the die and must use the new roll

Anointed Healer

By 18th level, your status as a divine healer is enshrined in sainthood. Whenever you restore hit points to a creature, you can add your martyr level to the number of regained hit points. A creature can benefit from this additional healing once, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

 

 

Burden of Revolution

Kings and leaders are bound by an unspoken covenant to the gods to govern their people justly and peacefully. When a monarch turns their back on the gods, embraces tyranny, or uses cruel measures against their own people, a martyr is called to end their reign. Rarely does a Martyr of Revolution come with peaceful measures, for when a king must fall, only the sword can provide the necessary leverage. Such martyrs are not only called to battle kings; any person of influence that oppresses others and abuses their power might wrong the gods enough to earn the ire of a martyr. In dark times, a martyr might be tasked with clearing a continent of despots and oppressors, calling for a full-scale military campaign of liberation.

RIGHTEOUS STRIKE

Starting at 1st level, your dedication to justice fuels your combat prowess. When you make a weapon attack against a creature that has dealt damage to an innocent within the last minute, you gain a bonus to the attack and damage rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier.

BULWARK OF REBELLION

Also at 1st level, you can use a bonus action to gain temporary hit points equal to 1d12 + your martyr level, which last for 1 hour Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

BLOODY REPRIEVE

Starting at 6th level, whenever you use your Torment feature against a hostile creature and you reduce the target to 0 hit points, you don’t lose any hit points from using the ability.

UNYIELDING BANNER

At 14th level, your banner is a symbol of resistance. You and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you can add your Wisdom modifier to initiative rolls and are immune to being charmed or frightened

KINGSLAYER

By 18th level, you are the bane of despots, the usurper of tyrants. When you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, choose one of the following effects: • All of the creature’s spells and effects immediately end, including all spells with permanent effects. Additionally, spells contingent on the target’s death don’t trigger. • Each creature within 120 feet of the target that is allied with it and has a lower challenge rating than it must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. • You can use your bonus action to move up to 15 feet and make another melee weapon attack

 

 

Burden of Tyranny

When malevolent gods find the world pacified and defenseless, they send a martyr of tyranny to conquer its kingdoms, subjugate the weak, and spread misery with their blade. Once unleashed, this martyr stops at nothing to establish an empire to rule over with an iron fist. They demand bloodshed from their foes and pledges of absolute fealty from their allies, taking gleeful satisfaction with every power grab and malicious turn. It is not enough to rule: they must be feared, and any resistance must cower in their shadows. Only then will the gods let them die, likely stabbed in the back by someone crueler or more pitiless.

DARK MASTERY:

At 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons and the Intimidation skill. Additionally, when you make a Charisma (Intimidation) check, you can add your Strength modifier to the result.

DIABOLIC ULTIMATUM

Also at 1st level, you can use your action to drive an enemy to harsh choices with a glance. Choose one creature you can see which can see you within 60 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier). On a failed save, the creature is charmed or frightened by you (the target’s choice) for up to 1 minute. It can repeat this saving throw on each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

BLOODY REPRIEVE

Starting at 6th level, whenever you use your Torment feature against a hostile creature and you reduce the target to 0 hit points, you don’t lose any hit points from using the ability.

CRUSH RESISTANCE

By 14th level, your strikes drain the vitality of others. Once on each of your turns, when you hit a hostile creature with a melee weapon attack, you gain 1d8 temporary hit points. If you reduce a Humanoid to 0 hit points with a melee weapon attack, you instead gain 4d8 temporary hit points.

TOTALITARIAN

By 18th level, you can demand complete fealty from dire enemies. You can cast the spell dominate person once without expending hit points or counting against your total number of martyr spells per day. Whenever you cast dominate person, the target has disadvantage on its saving throw and doesn’t make a new Wisdom saving throw against the spell when it takes damage. Once you cast this spell without expending hit points, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

 

 

Runekeeper

Ponderers of ancient and unchanging truths, runekeepers gain their powers through the contemplation and bending of the laws of reality, for runes are not some mere alphabet, but sacred and infallible diagrams of the plan of creation. As the name suggests, runekeepers are the preservers and torchbearers of this knowledge. Not only do they keep this wisdom alive, but it is their burden to also protect others from its potential dangers. If the runes call upon you, the following sections detail everything you need to play a runekeeper.

Universal Truths

Whereas a paladin’s spells are granted through a sacred oath and a cleric’s devotion to their deity grants them an understanding of divine magic, the runekeeper’s runes are a manifestation of sacred laws of reality, making them something of divine philosophers. As wards of runic truth, it’s not uncommon for some communities to take in runekeepers as priests. Homes might bear a signature rune of such a priest on their doors, jewelers may make pendants of the rune as protective charms, and the particularly devout may wear them on their robes or as tattoos.

The Pen is Mightier

Magic has always been intrinsically tied into the spoken and written word. Verbal incantations are required to cast most spells, spell scrolls and spellbooks are themselves capable of carrying the power of the spells they describe, even speaking the name of certain devils can be enough to banish them back to the Hells. This is more than just folklore and superstition, words have power, and runekeepers may be thought of as the ancestral onomancers in worlds where the magic of names plays such a key role.

 

 

Runic Invocation

Runic invocation shares many similar characteristics of spellcasting, but it is different in its applications. While spells are themselves manifestations of magical power, to invoke a rune is to ask a question or make a request of that rune. It is through an understanding and respect of the rune’s truths that a mortal can not only harness its power but bend the fabric of reality to their will. This chapter provides the general rules for invoking runes.

What is a Rune?

A rune is not a letter; it is a diagram depicting ancient and eternal cosmic laws shared by the cultures that know them. Creatures that learn to inscribe runes can fundamentally change the object in which the rune is inscribed.

Runic Language

Just as spells belong to a particular school of magic, every rune comes from an associated Runic Language. The language a rune belongs to is shown in italics underneath its name. In order to learn and add a rune to your runic lexicon and be able to inscribe it, you must know how to read, speak, and write the language that appears underneath its name.

Common Translation

The word or words a rune translates to in the Common tongue are known as its Common Translation. Common Translations appear in parentheses under the rune’s name, next to its Runic Language.

Prerequisites

If a rune has a level prerequisite, it appears below its Runic Language and Common Translation. You must be able to inscribe runes shown in a rune’s prerequisites to add it to your lexicon.

Item

If inscribing a rune is restricted to certain objects, the items the rune can be inscribed on appear here. If none appear, the rune can be inscribed on any object detailed in the character’s Runic Lore feature.

Passive Effect

The rune’s passive effect appears below its language and Common translation. While the rune is inscribed, its passive effect is active, whether or not the rune has been invoked unless specified within the rune’s description.

Invoking a Rune

When a character invokes a rune, the same basic rules are followed, regardless of the character’s class or the rune’s effects. Each rune description in chapter 5 begins with the rune’s name, runic language, Common translation, prerequisites, item restrictions, and a description of its passive effect. After this, the rune describes its invoking time, duration, and the effect it provides when it is invoked.

Invoking Time

Most runes require a single action to invoke, but some require a bonus action, a reaction, or much more time to invoke.

Duration

A rune’s duration is the length of time its invoked effect persists. A duration can be expressed in rounds, minutes, hours, or even years. Some runes specify that their effects last until the rune is dispelled or destroyed.

Invoked Effect

Once invoked, the rune provides its Invoked Effect for the duration. After which, the rune still provides its passive effect but cannot be invoked again unless one of your features allows you to do so.

Saving Throws

Many runes specify that a target can make a saving throw to avoid some or all of a rune’s effects. The rune specifies the ability that the target uses for the save and what happens on a success or failure. The DC to resist one of your runes equals 8 + your invocation ability modifier + your proficiency bonus + any special modifiers.

Combining Rune Effects

The effects of different spells, runes, and magic items add together while their durations overlap, with the exception of spells and runes that grant a +1/+2/+3 bonus to attack and damage rolls or to AC. These bonuses are not cumulative, so use whichever bonus is higher. Additionally, runes that share the same name do not count towards a rune’s Additional Runes benefits. For example, if you inscribe two Aegis runes from the Elven language, they do not add towards each other’s Additional Runes effects.

 

 

Runekeeper

Creating a Runekeeper As you make your runekeeper character, contemplate the questions you have about the universe(s) in which you occupy. Is there some anomaly that leaves you waking at night? What is the meaning of life?

Quick Build You can make a runekeeper quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution or Dexterity. Second, choose the acolyte background. Lastly, choose two runes that you meet the prerequisites for that can enhance your armor or weapons, or that grant you a cantrip and spells.

Hit Points:

• Hit Dice: 1d8 per Runemaster level.
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier.
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Runemaster level after 1st.

Proficiencies:

• Armor: Light armor.
• Weapons: Simple weapons, warhammers, and battleaxes.
• Tools: Smith’s tools.
• Saving Throws: Intelligence, Constitution.
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, and Religion.

Equipment:

• (a) a warhammer or (b) a battleaxe.
• (a) leather armor or (b) explorer’s pack.
• Smith’s tools and a set of common clothes.

Rune types

Minor Runes

Minor Runes are basic enhancements, providing small but useful bonuses.

Major Runes

Major Runes are more potent, offering significant improvements to items.

Greater Runes

Greater Runes offer substantial enhancements, significantly impacting item effectiveness.

Superior Runes

Superior Runes provide extraordinary benefits, representing top-tier enhancements.

Legendary Runes

Legendary Runes are extremely rare and grant mythical abilities.

 

 

Runekeeper

Runic Lore (1st Level):

You awaken the ancient art of runic magic, learning to inscribe and invoke magical runes that resonate with the very fabric of reality and are able to craft Minor runes.

Runic Lexicon (1st Level):

You delve into a lexicon of four runes at the beginning, expanding your understanding with each Runekeeper level. Contemplating the intricate symbols during a long rest allows you to unlock new runes, each carrying its unique essence.

• Inscribing Runes: The process of inscribing runes involves a meditative, almost ceremonial act that permanently imbues an object with arcane power.
• Invoking Runes: Invoking a rune brings forth its magical effect, be it through touch or the mere utterance of its name. Inert runes, when not invoked, subtly influence their surroundings.

Arcane Suppression (1st Level):

Your mastery of runes not only grants you resistance to magical effects but also disrupts the magical endeavors of others. Instead of traditional spellcasting, you gain advantage on saving throws against magical effects, and creatures attempting to cast spells on you must overcome the disruptive influence of your runes.

Foregoing conventional spell slots, your runic prowess manifests as a formidable deterrent against magic. Your intricate runes act as a barrier, not only shielding you but actively impeding the magical efforts of those who seek to affect you. Embrace the defensive power of your runes, preventing the unhindered use of magic in your presence.

Keeper’s Dialect (1st, 3rd, 6th, 14th Levels):

Your dialect shapes your philosophical approach, influencing how you perceive and manipulate the runes’ inherent truths.

 

 

Rune Stance

2nd-level Runekeeper Feature

As you delve deeper into the intricacies of runic magic, you gain the ability to channel the power of specific runes, assuming a potent stance that influences the surrounding space. The effects of your Rune Stance extend to a range of 30 feet.

Destruction Stance

In Destruction Stance, you radiate an aura of destructive energy, empowering your attacks and those of your allies within the range. The destructive force of the runes manifests as increased damage and heightened combat prowess by 1d6 on each atack roll inside the Stance.

Protection Stance

Opting for Protection Stance reinforces defenses, creating a resilient barrier for you and your allies within the range. The runic symbols act as a shield, absorbing and mitigating incoming damage, enhancing the overall durability of the affected individuals by 1d6.

Hermetic Intuition (3rd Level):

Your attunement to magical energy reaches new heights, allowing you to sense and interact with magical forces with ease.

Causal Invocation (5th Level):

Your understanding of runic lore deepens, enabling you to craft Greater Runes that wield significant influence over causality.

Harmonic Attunement (7th Level):

Creatures attuning to a magic item with your inscribed rune find a harmonious connection, freeing them from the usual constraints of attunement limits.

Rune Chant (9th Level):

The mastery of invoking multiple runes simultaneously becomes a rhythmic chant, weaving the essence of each symbol seamlessly into the fabric of reality.

Omnipresence (11th Level):

Greater Runes, with their expanded capabilities, become a part of your runic repertoire, allowing you to wield even more profound arcane insights.

Omniscience (14th Level):

Superior Runes bear the mark of your deep understanding, granting you a level of insight akin to omniscience, empowering your magical endeavors.

Omnipotence (18th Level):

Expanding the range of your Rune Stance to 30 feet, you ascend to the pinnacle of runic mastery, crafting Legendary Runes that embody unparalleled power and influence.

 

 

Dethek

The sacred runes of the dwarves, runekeepers that specialize in Dethek are smiths and engineers. Dwarvish runekeepers are master smiths that suffuse objects with runic energy, giving the object a life of its own. More often called “runesmiths” than “runekeepers”, as Dethek runekeepers shape their philosophies around history, industry, and war. Followers of this dialect specialize in enhancing weapons and armor, with some choosing to inscribe runes to create vehicles with a facsimile of life. They are regarded as indispensable assets during wartimes.

Dwarvish Discourse

2nd-level Dialect of Dethek feature You always know how to speak and write Dwarvish, and you are proficient with any armor or weapons inscribed with a Dwarvish rune. You can also attune to any magic item you have inscribed with a Dwarvish rune, ignoring requirements.

Call of Iron

2nd-level Dialect of Dethek feature You add a Dethek rune of your choice to your runic lexicon for which you meet the prerequisites. Further, you can spend downtime crafting with the appropriate tools to carve or engrave armor or a weapon with a rune of your choice from your runic lexicon. When you finish a long rest, you can choose to awaken a rune you have created in this way, causing it to provide its passive benefit as if it was an inscribed rune, though it does not count as an inscribed rune and cannot be invoked. You can have one such rune awakened with this feature at a time.

Dethek Rune Stance

6th-level Dialect of Dethek feature Whenever you enter a rune stance, you can choose an additional effect that lasts for the duration of the stance:

• Armor. You gain a +1 bonus to AC while wearing armor you have inscribed with a rune.
• Valor. You and your allies that can see you within the area of your stance gain a bonus to saving throws against being frightened equal to half your number of inscribed runes.
• Weapon. You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

 

 

Words of Adamance

10th-level Dialect of Dethek feature Dwarven runesmithing specializes in enhancing weapons and armor, and its runekeepers are masters of its inscription. When you inscribe a weapon or armor with your runes, the object can be inscribed with up to three of your runes at a time. Further, you can inscribe up to three of your inscribed runes on a single object.

Fury of the Forge

14th-level Dialect of Dethek feature Calling forth the fury that heats the forges of dwarven creation, your valor in battle empowers your allies with the iron will of dwarvenkind. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack on your turn, you can call upon this power. When you do, the attacked creature must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be subjected to the following effects for 1 minute:

• Creatures cannot be frightened of or by the target.
• All fire damage dealt to the creature ignores resistance and deals half damage to it if it has immunity, rather than none.
• Subsequent melee attacks against the creature deal an extra 1d6 fire damage on a hit.
• At the start of each of its turns, the target takes fire damage equal to the number of runes you have inscribed. The target can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you spend 5 runic charges to do so again.

 

 

Fiendish

The runes of fiends carry with them the essence of the evils that shape the Lower Planes. They tell of a brutal conflict that has raged between the Abyss and the Nine Hells since the Age Before Ages, and they were the words of damnation that brought the demons, devils, and yugoloths into being. Runekeepers that dedicate themselves to this dialect dedicate themselves to the truths of lies. It isn’t uncommon for one of these runekeepers to act as notaries in the forging of a pact between a Fiend and a warlock, as these contracts tend to be signed in blood and runes. The truths they speak are of pain, torment, and brutality.

Call from Below

2nd-level Fiendish Dialect feature You add a Fiendish rune of your choice to your runic lexicon, for which you meet the prerequisites. Additionally, when you deal damage to a creature that has attacked you since the end of your last turn, you regain hit points equal to half the damage you deal to it.

Fiendish Rune Stance

6th-level Dialect of Fiendish feature Whenever you enter a rune stance, you can choose an additional effect that lasts for the duration of the stance:

• Betrayal. Hostile creatures in the area of your stance suffer a penalty to saving throws against being charmed equal to half your number of inscribed runes.
• Doom. If a hostile creature in the area would regain hit points, it must first make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it does not regain hit points, and it takes necrotic damage equal to half the hit points it would have regained. On a success, it regains half the hit points it normally would.
• Pain. When a hostile creature within the area tries to cast a spell of a level equal to or lower than half your inscribed runes, it must first succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or the casting fails, and the spell is wasted.

 

 

Words of Damnation

10th-level Dialect of Fiendish feature When you invoke one of your Abyssal or Infernal runes, you can choose a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. A chosen creature has disadvantage on the first Charisma ability check or saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn.

Wretched Castigation

14th-level Dialect of Fiendish feature When you are reduced to 0 hit points and thereby fall unconscious, you can immediately gain the benefits of summon fiend as if it were cast using a 9th-level spell slot. The fiend summoned is a Demon if you have more Abyssal runes inscribed, a Devil if you have more Infernal runes inscribed, or a Yugoloth if you have an equal number of each. The fiend appears within 20 feet of you, however, you cannot command it. It protects you from harm and attacks your foes or acts in accordance with an order you issued before dropping to 0 hit points. When cast this way, the spell does not require your concentration. If the fiend avenges you or completes its issued order, you are returned to life with 1 hit point. If your body was destroyed before you can return, a new one is created for you. In either situation, your body bears a stigmatic rune signifying the debt you now owe to the fiend that offered you aid. This rune is cursed and it cannot be removed by any means short of a wish spell. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you settle the debt to the fiend, typically through an appropriate offering or sacrifice (DM’s discretion), which removes the stigmatic rune.

 

 

Ghukliak

Runes can be deadly bombs of untamed arcane energy when handled by the untrained. However, to goblins, lethal danger isn’t a deterrent, it’s inspiration. The goblin language is derived from the ancient Davek runic script, a fact rather prideful dwarves have tried to purge from the history books. After several centuries—and expendable test subjects—runic invocation was discovered using the Goblin script. Some might find this kind of “brute force ingenuity” admirable, but those same individuals tend to be lacking in eyes or fingers. Runekeepers specializing in the Ghukliak Dialect see invoking these runes as an art of infinite possibilities, completely opening their mind and surrendering to pandemonium.

Goblin Discourse

2nd-level Dialect of Ghukliak feature You always know how to speak and write Goblin, and you are proficient with any armor or weapons inscribed with a Goblin rune. You can also attune to any magic item you have inscribed with a Goblin rune, ignoring requirements.

Call to Havok

2nd-level Dialect of Ghukliak feature Any Chaos rune is a Goblin rune for you, and you add a Goblin rune of your choice to your runic lexicon, for which you meet the prerequisites. Additionally, when you use your action to invoke a rune or take the Disengage action, allies within 10 feet of you can use their reaction to immediately move up to half of their movement without provoking attacks of opportunity.

 

 

Goblin Rune Stance

6th-level Dialect of Ghukliak feature Whenever you enter a rune stance, you must make a Wisdom saving throw against your rune save DC, which you can choose to fail. On a failure, roll a d6 and consult the list below. If a stance grants you a cantrip, you can only cast it while in that stance:

d6	Stance & Effect
1	Deception. You are immune to divination magic that would sense your emotions or read your thoughts.
2	Disarray. When you hit a creature within the area of your stance with an attack, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become affected by the confusion spell.
3	Insult. You know the vicious mockery cantrip and can cast it as a reaction to a creature failing an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw.
4	Mischief. You know the minor illusion cantrip and when you cast the spell to create foul sounds and images, creatures have disadvantage on ability checks made to determine that it is an illusion.
5	Sabotage. Hostile creatures within the area of your stance cannot make ability checks, attack rolls, or saving throws with advantage.
6	Surprise. You turn invisible until the end of your next turn or until you deal damage to another creature.

Words of Mayhem

10th-level Dialect of Ghukliak feature Whenever you roll on a table or list to determine a result for one of your Goblin runes or for your Goblin Rune Stance, you can roll the die twice and choose which of the two effects occur. If you roll the same number on both dice, you can ignore the number and choose any effect.

Unbridled Chaos

14th-level Dialect of Ghukliak feature When you invoke a rune, you can cause it to explode. Hostile creatures within 20 feet of the rune must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 4d10 force damage and be pushed 10 feet away from the rune. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you fail a Wisdom saving throw or finish a short or long rest.

 

 

Iokharic

Dragons are the embodiment of terror, myth, and legends. Their appearance in a world is nearly always a monumental event that redefines history, topples civilizations, or marks the rise of a new era. Their power is more than just raw strength, they are themselves capable of impacting the laws of nature. Runekeepers specialize in Iokharic to embody these legends, often seeking the tutelage of a dragon. In some worlds, these keepers are known as “dragoons”, polearm-wielding knights that take to the skies to strike down their foes with devastating attacks.

Draconic Discourse

2nd-level Dialect of Iokharic feature You always know how to speak and write Draconic, and you are proficient with any armor or weapons inscribed with a Draconic rune. You can also attune to any magic item you have inscribed with a Draconic rune, ignoring requirements.

Dragon’s Ascent

2nd-level Dialect of Iokharic feature Iokharic runes allow you to emulate the fighting tactics of dragons. When you make a running or standing high jump, you can leap a number of feet into the air equal to 3 times your runekeeper level (round up to the nearest multiple of 5). You do not take falling damage if the distance you fall is less than your jump height and, when you fall, you can move up to 5 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you descend. Additionally, if you fall into the space of a creature and hit it with a melee weapon attack on the same turn, the attack roll required for it to score a critical hit is reduced by 1, and that attack deals an extra 1d10 damage for every 10 feet of height you fell before making the attack as it carries the momentum of your lunge. Unless the creature is also two or more sizes larger than you, it is also knocked prone.

 

 

Draconic Rune Stance

6th-level Dialect of Iokharic feature Whenever you enter a rune stance, you can choose an additional effect that lasts for the duration of the stance:

• Flight. When you jump, you can choose to remain hovering in the air at the highest point of the jump until the start of your next turn.
• Mein. Hostile creatures in the area suffer a penalty to saving throws against being frightened equal to half your number of inscribed runes.
• Scale. Choose a damage type from either acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. You and your allies within the area of your stance gain resistance to that damage.

Words of Legend

10th-level Dialect of Iokharic feature After you invoke a Draconic rune, you have advantage on the next saving throw you make before the start of your next turn.

Cataclysmic Strike

14th-level Dialect of Iokharic feature When you use your Dragon’s Ascent feature and fall into an unoccupied space, you can use your action to cause draconic fury to explode from you. Each creature within 20 feet of you when you land must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your runic save DC or take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage (your choice). The damage taken is equal to 1d10 for every 10 feet of height you fell before taking this action. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest, unless you spend 3 runic charges to use it again.

 

 

Jotun

Perhaps no other creatures in the Forgotten Realms have their history and culture tied into the art of runic inscription. Giants have an ancient, proud history that tells of the fall of the fabled realm of Ostoria and the journey of Annamm to learn the power of runes from the modrons. The giants of the fallen kingdom of Ostoria had a word for their runekeepers; “skiltgravr”, the rune cutters.

Ostorian Discourse

2nd-level Dialect of Jotun feature You always know how to speak and write Giant, and you are proficient with any armor or weapons inscribed with a Giant rune. You can also attune to any magic item you have inscribed with a Giant rune, ignoring requirements.

Skilt Krigga

2nd-level Dialect of Jotun feature You can channel the ancestral history of the giants and imbue yourself with their might. As a bonus action, you magically increase your size to Large for 1 minute. This multiplies your weight by 8 if you were Medium or 64 if you were Small. You choose how your dimensions alter to accommodate your new size and weight. While your size is increased to Large with this feature, you gain the following benefits:

• Your creature type changes to Giant, and your reach increases by 5 feet.
• Your weapon attacks deal 1d6 extra damage.
• You can wield weapons with the two-handed property in one hand. Weapons with the versatile property that you wield in one hand use the damage die listed for wielding them with two hands. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

 

Jotun Rune Stance

6th-level Dialect of Jotun feature Whenever you enter a rune stance, you can choose an additional effect that lasts for the duration of the stance:

• Domination. You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
• Journey. Your movement speed increases by 10 feet, and opportunity attacks made against you are made with disadvantage.
• Recovery. At the start of each of your subsequent turns, you can expend a runekeeper Hit Dice, roll it, and regain a number of hit points equal to the result of the roll.

Words of Domination

10th-level Dialect of Jotun feature When you use your action to invoke a Giant rune, you can make an attack as a bonus action.

Jotunbrud Juggernaut

14th-level Dialect of Jotun feature Your size permanently increases to Large as per your Skilt Krigga feature, and the extra damage you deal with weapon attacks increases to 1d8. Should you choose, you can now increase your size to Huge using that feature, which increases your reach by an additional 5 feet. Further, you can use your Skilt Krigga feature twice between rests, rather than once.

 

 

Supernal

The language of the gods, Supernal is a universal language understood by all sentient creatures of creation.

Celestial Discourse

2nd-level Dialect of Supernal feature You always know how to speak and write Celestial, and you are proficient with any armor or weapons inscribed with a Celestial rune. You can also attune to any magic item you have inscribed with a Celestial rune, ignoring requirements.

Sigilic Grace

2nd-level Dialect of Supernal feature Your Celestial runes enhance the healing of creatures affected by them. When a creature wearing or carrying one of your Celestial runes regains hit points, it gains a bonus to the healing equal to the number of runes you have inscribed.

Celestial Rune Stance

6th-level Dialect of Supernal feature Whenever you enter a rune stance, you can choose an additional effect that lasts for the duration of the stance:

• Beauty. You and your allies within the area of your stance that can see you gain a bonus to saving throws against being charmed equal to the number of runes you have inscribed.
• Light. You shed bright light in the area of your stance and dim light out to double this area. Magical darkness in the area is suppressed while you are within this stance.
• Vitality. If a creature within this area regains hit points that would exceed its maximum, those hit points can instead be granted as temporary hit points.

 

 

Words of Benediction

10th-level Dialect of Supernal feature When you speak in Celestial to a creature that does not understand Celestial, it magically understands you. Further, when you spend Hit Dice as a part of invoking a rune, roll percentile dice. If you roll a number equal to or lower than your runekeeper level, you do not expend the Hit Dice. Once you successfully prevent expending Hit Dice with this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Censure of the Peacemaker

14th-level Dialect of Supernal feature As an action, you can censure a creature with the icons of light and peace. When you do, choose a creature you can see within 120 feet of you. The target’s will bends to unbreakable pacifism. When the target tries to take the Attack action or cast a spell that deals damage, it must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it becomes blinded until the start of its next turn. If the target fails three of these saves, it is blinded for 7 days. On a success, the target is unaffected. If the target succeeds on three of these saves, this effect ends. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

 

 

Runes

Dethek Rune: Stoneguard

• Dethek Language (Dwarvish)
• Common Translation: Stoneguard
• Prerequisites: Level 3, Runic Lore feature
• Item: Armor or shield
• Passive Effect: The inscribed item gains a +1 bonus to AC, reflecting the sturdiness imbued by the Stoneguard Rune.

Invoking Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 minute
Invoked Effect: The bearer gains temporary hit points equal to their proficiency bonus at the start of each of their turns for the duration, representing the rune’s protective magic.

Additional Runes Benefit: When you inscribe a second Stoneguard Rune on a different item, the AC bonus increases to +2. If you inscribe a third Stoneguard Rune, the bearer gains resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage while the rune is invoked.

 

 

Monk

Monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. Whether channeled as a striking display of combat prowess or a subtler focus of defensive ability and speed, this energy infuses all that a monk does. You must have a Dexterity score and a Wisdom score of 13 or higher in order to multiclass in or out of this class.

 

 

Class Features

As a Monk, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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• Hit Dice: 1d10 per monk level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Monk level after 1st

Proficiencies

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• Armor: None
• Weapons: Simple weapons, Shortswords
• Tools: Choose one type of artisan’s tools or one musical instrument

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• Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
• Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, and Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
• 10 darts

Unarmored Defense

Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier.

Martial Arts

At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are all weapons that you have profiency with and that do not have the special or heavy property.

You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you are not wielding a shield or wearing heavy armor:

• You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.

• You can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.

• You can take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn.

 

 

Swift Strikes :

Starting at level 2 you can use this extra bonus actions.

• Flurry of Blows. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.

• Patient Defense. You can take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.

• Step of the Wind: You can take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and you can jump without using your movement.

Cultivation

Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. The number of Ki-points you have equals your Monk level + your Wisdom modifier (Minimum of 1).

When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself.

Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Unarmored Movement

Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor. This bonus changes as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Monk table.

At 9th level, if you are not wearing armor you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.

Monastic Tradition

When you reach 2nd level, you commit yourself to a monastic tradition. Your tradition grants you features at 2nd level and again at 5th, 9th, and 14th level.

 

 

Cultivator’s Prowess

Upon attaining the 3rd level, the profound synergy between your disciplined training and the cultivation of your inner strength allows you to manifest your expertise physically. By expending 2 ki point, you can envelop yourself in a potent aura that enhances your combat capabilities for 1 minute.

While under the influence of Cultivator’s Prowess, your attacks gain an additional 1d6 damage. As you advance in levels, this bonus increases:

6th Level: The damage bonus increases to 1d8. 11th Level: The damage bonus rises to 1d10. 17th Level: The damage bonus reaches its pinnacle at 1d12.

Additionally, this transformative aura grants you temporary hit points equal to your monk level plus your Wisdom modifier, fortifying your resilience in the heat of battle.

This manifestation of your cultivated power becomes a visible testament to your mastery, a glowing manifestation of the harmonious blend of body and spirit. The aura’s intensity may change over time as your mastery of cultivation deepens.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Slow Fall

Beginning at 4th level, if you are not wearing armor, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level.

 

 

Mystic Resonance:

Starting at 4th level, you have learned to tap into the mystic energies that flow through your body. During a short rest, you can spend at least 10 minutes in deep meditation or focused cultivation. At the end of this rest, you gain temporary maximum ki points equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). These temporary maximum ki points last until your next short or long rest.

While you have these temporary maximum ki points, you can use them to fuel your monk abilities. When you spend ki points, subtract them first from these temporary points. If you run out of temporary ki points, any additional ki point expenditure is deducted from your normal maximum ki points.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1), and you regain expended uses when you finish a long rest. The duration of the temporary maximum ki points does not stack with multiple uses of this feature; only the highest value applies.

This feature represents your ability to attune yourself to the inner reservoir of energy, allowing you to push your limits temporarily through focused meditation or cultivation.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Stunning Strike

Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent’s body. Once per turn, when you hit another creature with an unarmed strike, or a melee weapon attack made with a Monk weapon, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

Focused Aim

Also at 5th level, your focus during battle helps you in guiding your strikes to hit attacks that would normally miss their target. Whenever you miss with an attack roll made with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon, you can spend 1 ki point to increase your attack roll by 10, potentially turning the miss into a hit, provided it was not a nat 1.

 

 

Ki-Empowered Strikes

Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Evasion

At 7th level, if you are not wearing armor, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon’s lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Ki Recovery

Also at 7th level, when you roll initiative you can recover an amount of Ki-Points equal to your Dexterity modifier.

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

Purity of Body

At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison. You are not easily subdued, as you can find inner peace even during combat. Additionally you have advantage on all saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

Tongue of the Sun and Moon

Starting at 13th level, you learn to touch the Spirit of other creatures so that you understand all spoken languages. Moreover, if you allow it, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say.

Diamond Soul

Beginning at 14th level, your mastery of your Spirit grants you additional protection against all kinds of harm. You gain proficiency in all saving throws.

Additionally, whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 ki point to reroll it and take the second result.

 

 

Timeless body

At 15th level, your body and your mind suffer none of the frailty of old age and you can’t die of old age anymore. You also can’t be aged magically. In addition, you no longer need food or water or sleep.

You are also more resilient. Once per day, when you take a short rest, you can reduce your exhaustion level by 1.

Your Hit point maximum also increases 1 for each level you have or take in this class.

Empty Body

Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend 1 ki points to become invisible for 1 minute. During that time, you also have resistance to all damage but force damage.

Additionally, you can spend 1 ki points to cast the Astral Projection spell, without needing material components. When you do so, you can’t take any other creatures with you.

Perfect Self

At 20th Level, your body and mind have entered a state of absolute control and discipline that allows you to achieve things impossible to normal mortals. You Dexterity score increases by 4 and your maximum for this score is now 24.

Additionally, when you use your bonus action to make an unarmed strike using your Martial Arts feature, you can now make 2 unarmed strikes, per atack action.

 

 

Way of the Astral Self

A monk who follows the Way of the Astral Self believes their body is an illusion. They see their ki as a representation of their true form, an astral self. This astral self has the capacity to be a force of order or disorder, with some monasteries training students to use their power to protect the weak and other instructing aspirants in how to manifest their true selves in service to the mighty.

Arms of the Astral Self

At 2nd level, your mastery of your ki allows you to summon a portion of your astral self. As a bonus action, you can summon the arms of your astral self. When you do so, each creature of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take force damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die.

For 10 minutes, these spectral arms hover near your shoulders or surround your arms (your choice). You determine the arms appearance, and they vanish early if you are incapacitated or die.

While the spectral arms are present, you gain the following benefits:

• You can use your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier when making Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
• You can use the spectral arms to make unarmed strikes and attacks with a monk weapon you are wielding.
• When you make an unarmed strike with the arms on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.
• When you use your flurry of blows, you can make one additional unarmed strike with your Astral arms as part of it.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all uses when you finish a long rest.

 

 

Astral Body

Starting at 2nd level, when you cultivate your inner energies, your body undergoes a transformation, attuning itself to the astral forces flowing within you. This transformation grants you the following benefits:

You can now channel the power of the astral plane through your unharmed attacks, allowing you to deal Force damage instead of their normal damage.

If you don’t already have proficiency in Insight, you gain proficiency in that skill, enhancing your ability to perceive the intentions and truths of others.

In addition, your cultivated Ki manifests as ethereal shards that surround you protectively. As a reaction, you can spend 1 Ki point to command these shards to form a defensive barrier, adding +5 to your AC. This manifestation serves as a testament to your mastery over the astral energies within, allowing you to deflect attacks with a touch of the ethereal.

Visage of the Astral Self

When you reach 5th level, you can summon the visage of your astral self. As a bonus action, or as part of the bonus action you take to activate Arms of the Astral Self, you can summon this visage for 10 minutes. It vanishes early if you are incapacitated or die. The spectral visage covers your face like a helmet or mask. You determine its appearance. While the spectral visage is present, you gain the following benefits.

• Astral Sight. You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.

• Wisdom of the Spirit. You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma (Intimidation) checks and cgarisma and wisdom saving throws.

• Voice of the Astral self. You can talk telepathically to any willing creature within 300 feet of you. Alternatively you can amplify your voice when you speak, so every creature within 600 feet can hear you loud and clearly.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all uses when you finish a long rest.

 

 

Body of the Astral Self

Starting at 9th level, when you have both your astral arms and visage summoned, you can cause the body of your astral self to appear (no action required). This spectral body covers your physical form like a suit of armor, connecting with the arms and visage. You determine its appearance.

While the spectral body is present, you gain the following benefits.

• Deflect Energy. When you take acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to deflect it. When you do so, the damage you take is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Monk level.
• Empowered Arms. Your unarmed strikes with your Astral arms deal bonus damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Awakened Astral Self

Starting at 14th level, your connection to your astral self is complete, allowing you to unleash its full potential. As a bonus action, you can spend 5 ki points to summon the arms, visage, and body of your astral self and awaken it for 10 minutes. This awakening ends early if you are incapacitated or die.

While your astral self is awakened, you gain the following benefits.

• Armor of the Spirit. You gain a +5 bonus to Armor Class.
• Astral Barrage. Whenever you use the Extra Attack feature to attack twice, you can instead attack three times if all the attacks are made with your astral arms.

 

 

Way of the Ascendant Dragon

In the Way of the Ascendant Dragon, monks delve into the profound teachings that advocate a profound connection with these majestic beings. By attuning their spirits to resonate with the essence of Eastern dragons, practitioners of this tradition seek not just martial prowess but a deeper understanding of the world’s magic. Through this communion, they enhance their combat abilities, provide strength to allies, and even unlock the ethereal grace of draconic flight. However, every aspect of this power is a step toward a more profound spiritual union with the very essence of the Material Plane.

Falling Serpent Technique

Cultivators learning the Falling Serpent technique have a predilection for fire. Some particularly enjoy raining it from the heavens, and seize on any chance to do so.

Starting at 2nd level, your technique allows you access to knowledge on how to use ki internally for defensive abilities and externally for offensive ones.

You gain resistance to fire damage as long as you are in this stance.

When you are attacked by an enemy adjacent to you, you may spend 1 ki point as a reaction. You gain a burning cloak that lasts until the beginning of your next turn. Any adjacent enemy who successfully hits you takes 1d10 fire damage.

As an action you can create a burst of Dragon shaped fire to rain on an enemy. This action is a ranged attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Wisdom modifier to its attack and damage rolls. It deals 1d8 fire damage plus an additional 1d8 fire for each ki point you spend. This attack ignores cover if the enemy is not under a structure or around a corner.

Serpent Body

Gain the following benefits and the features listed after this when you level up to the correct level:

• Draconic Strike: When you damage a target with an unarmed strike, you can change the damage type fire.

• Tongue of Dragons: You learn to speak, read, and write Draconic or one other language of your choice.

At 2nd level, you gain the ability to channel the essence of the Eastern Serpent, enhancing your defensive capabilities. When you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to spend 1 ki point and reduce the damage by an amount equal to your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier.

 

 

Serpent Flight

At 2nd level, when you use your Step of the Wind, you can unfurl spectral draconic wings from your back that vanish at the end of your turn. While the wings exist, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed.

Dragon’s Gaze

At 5th level, You develop the keen perception of a dragon, gaining advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks. Additionally, you can spend 1 ki points to cast the clairvoyance spell without expending a spell slot or spend 2 Ki point to use the Divination spellwithout expending a spell slot . This feature reflects your ability to perceive beyond the physical world.

Aspect of the Wyrm

At 9th level, the power of your draconic spirit radiates from you, warding your allies or instilling fear in your enemies. As a bonus action, you can create an aura of draconic power that radiates 10 feet from you for 1 minute. For the duration, you gain one of the following effects of your choice:

• Frightful Presence: When you create this aura, and as a bonus action on subsequent turns, you can choose a creature within the aura. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC or become frightened of you 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 successful save.

• Resistance: Choose a damage type when you activate this aura: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. You and your allies within the aura have resistance to that damage.

Once you create this aura, you can’t create it again until you finish a long rest unless you expend 3 ki points to create it again.

 

 

Ascendant Aspect

At 14th level, your draconic spirit reaches its peak. You gain the following benefits:

• truesight: You gain Truesight out to 60 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range unless the creature successfully hides from you.

By spending 3 ki points, you can enter an Ascendant Form for 1 minute. During this time, your unarmed strikes deal an additional 2d12 force damage, and you gain a flying speed equal to double your walking speed. Additionally, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

 

 

Way of the Drunken Master

The Way of the Drunken Master teaches its students to move with the jerky, unpredictable movements of a drunkard. A drunken master sways, tottering on unsteady feet, to present what seems like an incompetent combatant who proves frustrating to engage. The drunken master’s erratic stumbles conceal a carefully executed dance of blocks, parries, advances, attacks, and retreats.

A drunken master often enjoys playing the fool to bring gladness to the despondent or to demonstrate humility to the arrogant, but when battle is joined, the drunken master can be a maddening, masterful foe.

Alchemical Body

Upon attaining this 2nd level, you unlock the Alchemical Body, gaining the following benefits and features as you progress:

• You can imbue your attacks with the venomous essence of poison, dealing Poison damage.
• Acquire proficiency in the Medicine skill, honing your knowledge of the body’s workings.

Wild Ki

At 2nd level, you gain the ability to manipulate your Ki in unique ways, bestowing effects on allies or adversaries. Spend 1 Ki on an action, choosing to roll on either the Benevolent Ki Table or Malevolent Ki Table based on your intention.

Benevolent Ki Table:

1. Restore 1d6 hit points.
2. Grant advantage on the next saving throw.
3. Increase movement speed by 10 feet for 1 minute.
4. Grant advantage on the next attack roll.
5. Grant resistance to the next damage type for 1 minute.
6. Remove a minor condition (e.g., blinded, deafened) from the target.

Malevolent Ki Table:

1. Inflict 1d6 poison damage.
2. Impose disadvantage on the next saving throw.
3. Reduce movement speed by 10 feet for 1 minute.
4. Impose disadvantage on the next attack roll.
5. Inflict vulnerability to the next damage type for 1 minute.
6. Inflict a minor condition (e.g., blinded, deafened) on the target.

 

 

Drunken Technique

At 2nd level, you learn how to twist and turn quickly as part of your Flurry of Blows. Whenever you use Flurry of Blows, you gain the benefit of the Disengage action, and your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the current turn.

Tipsy Sway

Starting at 6th level, you can move in sudden, swaying ways. You gain the following benefits.

Leap to Your Feet. When you’re prone, you can stand up by spending 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed. Redirect Attack. When a creature misses you with a melee attack roll, you can spend your reaction to cause that attack to hit one creature of your choice, other than the attacker, that you can see within 5 feet of you.

Drunkard’s Luck

Starting at 9th level, you always seem to get a lucky bounce at the right moment. When you make an ability check, an attack roll, or a saving throw and have disadvantage, you can spend 2 ki points to cancel the disadvantage for that roll.

Intoxicated Frenzy

At 14th level, you gain the ability to make an overwhelming number of attacks against a group of enemies. When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can make up to three additional attacks with it (up to a total of five Flurry of Blows attacks), provided that each Flurry of Blows attack targets a different creature this turn.

 

 

Way of the Four Elements

You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the four elements to your will, using them as an extension of your body. Some members of this tradition dedicate themselves to a single element, but others weave the elements together. Many monks of this tradition tattoo their bodies with representations of their ki powers, commonly imagined as coiling dragons, but also as phoenixes, fish, plants, mountains, and cresting waves.

Initiate of the Way

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn how to manipulate the four elements in subtle ways. You learn two of the following cantrips: control flames*, gust*, mold earth*, or shape water*. You learn two additional cantrips from this list at 6th level.

Elemental Essence

Upon reaching this level, you unlock the Elemental Essence, gaining the following benefits and features as you progress:

• You can infuse your attacks with the raw power of elemental forces, dealing damage cold,fire,slashing and bludgening.
• Acquire proficiency in Survival, attuning yourself to the natural world and its elemental aspects.

Elemental Drain

Starting at 3rd level, your connection to the elemental planes allows you to draw energy from living creatures through your strikes. When you make a melee attack, and as long as you have a free hand, you can attempt to grasp the target, draining 1 Elemental Ki and dealing 1 Elemental Essence die damage as part of your attack. This ability only affects living creatures.

The target must make a Constitution saving throw and a Charisma saving throw. On a failed Constitution save, they suffer the extra Elemental Essence damage, and on a failed Charisma save, you gain 1 Elemental Ki. If the target succeeds on both saves, there are no additional effects. If they succeed on the Charisma save, no Elemental Ki is obtained, and if they succeed on the Constitution save, you do not deal extra Elemental Essence damage for that attack.

The Elemental Essence die damage is determined by your Elemental Monk subclass, representing the energy of your chosen element.

 

 

Disciple of the Elements

At 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements. Some disciplines require you to spend ki points when you use them. You learn two elemental disciplines of your choice, which are detailed in the elemental disciplines sections below. You learn two additional elemental disciplines of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.

Casting Elemental Spells.

Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don’t need to provide material components for it. When you cast a spell with a discipline, it is cast at the spell’s lowest level unless otherwise specified. Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of an elemental discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as burning hands does. The spell’s level increases by 1 for each additional ki point you spend.

3rd Level Elemental Disciplines

Starting at 3rd level, you can learn the following disciplines:

Become the Teapot.

You roll with the incoming energy, attuning to element, becoming it. You can spend 1 ki point to cast absorb elements*.

Effortless Step.

The air around you works in unison with your movements, rising you up as you jump. Your jump height and distance are doubled (quadrupled with Step of the Wind) and you gain advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks related to jumping.

Enduring Mountain Stance.

Your body and mind becomes as rigid and unyielding as the ground below you. Your ki roots your feet into the ground and you become immovable. When you use the Dodge action, you cannot be moved, pushed, grappled, frightened, or knocked prone against your will until the start of your next turn, even if magically compelled to do so. You must be standing on the ground to use this ability.

 

 

Fangs of the Fire Snake.

Your arms and legs become enveloped in roaring gouts of flame. When you make an unarmed attack on your turn, you can choose to strike out tendrils of flames which stretch out beyond your normal reach. Your reach increases by 5 feet for that attack, and it deals fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage. If the attack hits you can spend 1 ki point to deal an extra 1d10 fire damage.

Fang of the Frost Wolf.

You summon a shard of razor- sharp ice and fling it at your foe. You can spend 1 ki

point to cast ice knife*.

Fist of Four Thunders.

You slam your fists together in front of you, causing a thunderous boom that blows away everything around you. You can spend 1 ki point to cast thunderwave.

Fist of Unbroken Air.

You summon a swirling wind and concentrate it around your fist. When you make an unarmed attack on your turn, you can choose to strike out condensed bursts of air which stretch out beyond your normal reach. Your reach increases by 10 feet for that attack. If the attack hits you can spend 1 ki point to force the target to make a Strength saving throw or be pushed back 10 feet and be knocked prone.

Golden Snake’s Icy Path.

Whenever you take the Dash action, until the end of your turn for any movement you make along a surface you can leave a trail of slippery ice. This ice counts as difficult terrain and lasts until the start of your next turn.

Rumbling Badger.

You shake the ground, causing a tremor that knocks over your foes. You can spend 1 ki point to cast earth tremor*.

Rush of the Gale Spirits.

You send a blast of air outward with a thrust of your open palm. You can spend 2 ki points to cast gust of wind.

Shape the Raincloud.

You can spend 1 ki point to cast create or destroy water.

Sweeping Cinder Strike.

With a wide sweeping gesture, you summon forth a barrage of hot cinders. You can spend 1 ki point to cast burning hands.

 

 

Water Whip.

You summon a long, rubbery whip of pure water that you grip by one end. You can spend 1 ki point as a bonus action to create a whip of water that shoves and pulls a creature to unbalance it. A creature that you can see that is within 30 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes bludgeoning damage equal to your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier, plus an extra

1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and you can either knock it prone or pull it up to 25 feet closer to you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don’t pull it or knock it prone. You can’t use Water Whip and cast a spell during the same turn.

6th Level Elemental Disciplines

Starting at 6th level, you can learn the following disciplines:

A Leaf on the Wind.

A powerful wind rises up to catch you as you fall. Your Slow Fall ability no longer requires a reaction to use, and instead you may use it automatically whenever you are conscious and not incapacitated, and it negates all falling damage regardless of distance. When you use the Slow Fall ability, you may also glide along the air to move 5 feet in any horizontal direction for every 5 feet that you fall.

Burning Ember Flourish.

You reach out with your ki to snuff out a source of fire, causing it to go out with a bang or to sputter black smoke. You can spend 2 ki points to cast pyrotechnics*.

Crushing Hand of the Mountain.

You focus your strength into your outstretched fist, summoning a hand of earth from the ground. You can spend 2 ki points to cast maximilian’s earthen grasp*.

Curtain of Unyielding Wind.

You let out a fierce howl as a mighty wind begins swirling around you. You can spend 2 ki points to cast warding wind*.

Gong of the Summit.

You strike the air as if it were a gong. You can spend 2 ki points to cast shatter.

Hatchling’s Flame.

You focus your ki into a torrent of fire that streaks away from you. You can spend 2 ki points to cast aganazzar’s scorcher*.

 

 

Impenetrable Iron Tortoise Shell.

You summon an earthen barrier to defend yourself or an ally. As a reaction, you may spend 1 ki points to use your Deflect Missiles ability against an attack you can see within 30 feet of you. Any damage not prevented by this ability is taken by the original target of the attack. If you reduce the damage to 0, you can’t make an attack with it.

Mote of the Sun.

Your ki manifests as a roaring orb of fire. You can spend 2 ki points to cast flaming sphere.

Patient Badger Listens.

You reach out with your ki to the ground beneath you. You can spend 2 ki points as a bonus action to gain tremorsense with a range of 30 feet and a burrow speed equal to half of your walking speed for up to 1 minute. Your movement leaves behind a tunnel that remains for as long as this ability is active, and then collapses.

Red Dragon’s Claws.

Rays of fire spring from your outstretched hand to sear your foes. You can spend 2 ki points to cast scorching ray.

Swarming Ice Rabbit.

A flurry of magic snowballs erupts from a point you choose within range. You can spend 2 ki points to cast snilloc’s snowball swarm*.

Water Jet.

You can spend 2 ki points as an action to unleash a jet of water in a line that is 30 feet long and 5 feet wide. Each creature in the line must make a Strength saving throw, taking bludgeoning damage equal to your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. In addition, you can move each target that fails its saving throw to any unoccupied space touching the line.

11th Level Elemental Disciplines

Starting at 11th level, you can learn the following disciplines:

Dance of Three Ways. You summon six spheres of

earth from the ground, suspend them in the air around you, and ignite them with your fiery ki. With a thought, you launch these blazing meteors at your foe. You can spend 3 ki points to cast melf’s minute meteors*.

Earth Reaches for Sky.

Focusing your strength with a deep, rumbling shout, you swing your arms up high, causing an eruption of churned earth and stone that engulfs your foes. You can spend 3 ki points to cast erupting earth*.

 

 

Eternal Mountain Defense.

Your body hardens to stone, nearly impervious to weapons. You can spend 4 ki points to cast stoneskin, targeting yourself.

Flames of the Phoenix.

With a hand motion, you conjure a tiny bead of burning energy. You spend 3 ki points to cast fireball.

Fist of the Elements.

The elements swirl around your weapon. You can spend 3 ki points to cast elemental weapon, choosing from only the damage types cold, fire, or thunder. Your unarmed strikes count as a weapon for the purposes of this discipline.

Hua’s Water Prison.

You conjure up a sphere of water that engulfs and imprisons foes that touch its surface. You can spend 4 ki to cast watery sphere*.

Mist Stance.

A swirling mist envelopes your body and you merge with it, becoming a cloud. You can spend 3 ki points to cast gaseous form, targeting yourself.

One with the Tides.

You reach out with your ki and become one with water. You spend 2 ki points as an action to gain underwater adaptations for 8 hours. While this ability is active, you can breath normally underwater, you gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed, and you gain blindsight with a radius of 60 feet while underwater.

Rain of the Frigid Glacier.

You cool the air in the skies above you, condensing the water droplets into freezing rain and sleet. You can spend 3 ki points to cast sleet storm.

Raise the Troubled Earth.

You stir the earth around you into action, summoning a wall of sand to serve as your barricade. You can spend 3 ki to cast wall of sand*.

Raise the Still Waters.

Though water can give way easily, it can just as easily offer great resistance. You can spend 3 ki to cast wall of water*.

Ride the Wind.

You summon a mighty wind that envelopes your body, sweeping you to where you want to go. You spend 3 ki points to cast fly, targeting yourself, except your fly speed is equal to you movement speed.

 

 

River of Hungry Flame.

You sweep your hands upward, causing a wall of blazing hot fire to leap up from the ground. You can spend 4 ki points to cast wall of fire.

Sea’s Fury.

You conjure up a mighty wave of water that crashes down on your foes. You can spend 3 ki to cast tidal wave*.

Shape of the Flowing River.

You touch the body of water with your ki, coaxing it to change its form. You can spend 4 ki points to cast control water. Spellfist Stance. You effortlessly flow between martial and elemental assault. When you use your action to use an elemental discipline, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action, or you can use your

Flurry of Blows.

Sweeping Crosswind. A wall of strong wind rises from the ground, batting away anything in its path. You can spend 3 ki points to cast wind wall.

 

 

Avatar of the Elements.

As an ultimate display of your mastery of the elements, you can spend 5 ki as an action to have the elements of earth, fire, air, and water form a protective sphere around your body, gaining multiple benefits for 1 minute. While this ability is active, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage. You also gain a burrow, fly, and swim speed equal to your movement speed. Lastly, you can use any of the following abilities as a bonus action:

1

You create a small earthquake on the ground in a 15-foot radius around you. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone.

2

You create a line of fire 15 feet long and 5 feet wide extending from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 4d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

3

You create a 15-foot cube of swirling wind centered on a point you can see within 60 feet of you. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 2d10 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If a Large or smaller creature fails the save, that creature is also pushed up to 10 feet away from the center of the cube.

4

You create a 15-foot cone of ice shards extending from your outstretched hand in a direction you choose. Each creature in the cone must make a Constitution save throw. A creature takes 3d6 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that fails its save against this effect has its speed halved until the start of your next turn.

17th Level Elemental Disciplines

Starting at 17th level, you can learn the following disciplines:

Breath of Winter.

You inhale deeply and then exhale, blasting a cone of frigid air out in front of you that freezes everything in its path. You can spend 5 ki points to cast cone of cold.

 

 

Eyes of Fire.

Your foes may try to hide in darkness, but their ki lights up like a torch to you. You may cast see invisibility without expending any ki. In addition, while under the effects of see invisibility, you may spend 2 ki points as a bonus action to gain truesight until the end of your next turn.

Eye of the Hurricane.

You stretch out your ki to embrace the winds. You can spend 5 ki points to cast control winds*.

Mold the Mountain.

You master the many forms that earth may take. You can spend 5 ki to cast transmute rock*.

Swirling Crab’s Revenge.

Your ki manifests as a swirling pool of water, smashing and pulling your foes towards its center. You can spend 5 ki points to cast maelstrom*.

Wave of Rolling Earth.

The ground shakes and emits a low rumble as a wall of stone erupts up into being. You can spend 5 ki points to cast wall of stone.

 

 

Way of the Kensei

Monks of the Way of the Kensei train relentlessly with their weapons, to the point that the weapon becomes like an extension of the body. Founded on a mastery of sword fighting, the tradition has expanded to include many different weapons.

A kensei sees a weapon much in the same way a calligrapher or a painter regards a pen or brush. Whatever the weapon, the kensei views it as a tool used to express the beauty and precision of the martial arts. That such mastery makes a kensei a peerless warrior is but a side effect of intense devotion, practice, and study.

Sword Body

2nd-level Kensei Cultivator Feature

Your deep attunement to the resonating forces of the world transforms your martial prowess. Embracing the path of the Sword cultivator, you gain the following benefits:

• Thunderous Affinity: Your strikes resonate with the power of thunder, allowing you to deal Thunder damage with your attacks.
• Artistic Grace: The harmonious connection to the resonant energies enhances your performance abilities, granting proficiency in the Performance skill.
• Dexterous Presence: The resonance within you bolsters your agility, increasing your Dexterity score by 2 points (to a maximum of 20).

Thunderous Call

2nd-level Kensei Cultivator Feature

At 2nd level, you can harness the thunderous essence within you. By spending 2 Ki, you emit a powerful resonating call that echoes within a 40-foot radius. Each creature within this area that can see and hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be Taunted by your thunderous presence for 2 turns.

Taunted enemies are compelled to direct their next attacks toward you, or they suffer disadvantage on attacks against anything else. You can invest additional Ki to enhance the DC of the Wisdom saving throw, with each additional Ki point increasing the DC by 1.

As you progress along the path of the resonant cultivator, your Thunderous Call becomes a potent tool for controlling the battlefield, manipulating the actions of your adversaries through the sheer force of your thunder-infused presence.

 

 

Path of the Kensei

When you choose this tradition at 2nd level, your special martial arts training leads you to master the use of certain weapons. This path also includes instruction in the deft strokes of calligraphy or painting. You gain the following benefits:

Kensei Weapons. Choose two types of weapons to be your kensei weapons: one melee weapon and one ranged weapon. Each of these weapons can be any simple or martial weapon that lacks the heavy and special properties. The longbow is also a valid choice. You gain proficiency with these weapons if you don’t already have it. Weapons of the chosen types are monk weapons for you. Many of this tradition’s features work only with your kensei weapons. When you reach 6th, 11th, and 17th level in this class, you can choose another type of weapon – either melee or ranged – to be a kensei weapon for you, following the criteria above.

Agile Parry. If you make an unarmed strike as part of the Attack action on your turn and are holding a kensei weapon, you can use it to defend yourself if it is a melee weapon. You gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn, while the weapon is in your hand and you aren’t incapacitated.

Kensei’s Shot. You can use a bonus action on your turn to make your ranged attacks with a kensei weapon more deadly. When you do so, any target you hit with a ranged attack using a kensei weapon takes an extra 1d4 damage of the weapon’s type. You retain this benefit until the end of the current turn.

Way of the Brush. You gain proficiency with your choice of calligrapher’s supplies or painter’s supplies.

 

 

One with the Blade

At 5th level, you extend your ki into your kensei weapons, granting you the following benefits.

Magic Kensei Weapons. Your attacks with your kensei weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. Deft Strike. When you hit a target with a kensei weapon, you can spend 1 ki point to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target equal to your Martial Arts die. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.

Sharpen the Blade

At 9th level, you gain the ability to augment your weapons further with your ki. As a bonus action, you can expend up to 3 ki points to grant one kensei weapon you touch a bonus to attack and damage rolls when you attack with it. The bonus equals the number of ki points you spent. This bonus lasts for 1 minute or until you use this feature again. This feature has no effect on a magic weapon that already has a bonus to attack and damage rolls.

Unerring Accuracy

At 14th level, your mastery of weapons grants you extraordinary accuracy. If you miss with an attack roll using a monk weapon on your turn, you can reroll it. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.

 

 

Way of the Long Death

Monks of the Way of the Long Death are obsessed with the meaning and mechanics of dying. They capture creatures and prepare elaborate experiments to capture, record, and understand the moments of their demise. They then use this knowledge to guide their understanding of martial arts, yielding a deadly fighting style.

Demonic Body

Gain the following benefits and the features listed after this when you level up to the correct level:

• You can deal Necrotic damage with your attacks
• Gain proficiency in Survival

Drain

Starting at 2nd level, when you strike an enemy in melee, as long as you have a free hand, you can attempt to grab them, drain 1 Ki from them, and deal 1 unarmed strike die damage as part of your attack. This only works on Living creatures. They must make a CHA save to have no effects dealt to them. If they make the CHA save, no Ki is obtained.

Touch of Death

Starting when you choose this tradition at 2nd level, your study of death allows you to extract vitality from another creature as it nears its demise. When you reduce a creature within 5 feet of you to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + your monk level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point).

Hour of Reaping

At 5th level, you gain the ability to unsettle or terrify those around you as an action, for your soul has been touched by the shadow of death. When you take this action, each creature within 30 feet of you that can see you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

 

 

Mastery of Death

Beginning at 9th level, you use your familiarity with death to escape its grasp. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can expend 1 ki point (no action required) to have 1 hit point instead.

Touch of the Long Death

Starting at 14th level, your touch can channel the energy of death into a creature. As an action, you touch one creature within 5 feet of you, and you expend 1 to 10 ki points. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, and it takes 2d10 necrotic damage per ki point spent on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

 

 

Way of Mercy

Monks of the Way of Mercy learn to manipulate the life force of others to bring aid to those in need. They are wandering physicians to the poor and hurt. However, to those beyond their help, they bring a swift end as an act of mercy.

Those who follow the Way of Mercy might be members of a religious order, administering to the needy and making grim choices rooted in reality rather than idealism. Some might be gentle-voiced healers, beloved by their communities, while others might be masked bringers of macabre mercies.

The walkers of this way usually don robes with deep cowls, and they often conceal their faces with masks, presenting themselves as the faceless bringers of life and death.

Celestial Body

Gain the following benefits and the features listed after this when you level up to the correct level:

• You can deal Radiant damage with your attacks
• Gain proficiency in Religion

Heavenly Armor

Starting at level 2, You are able to form your Ki into floating shards which stop attacks. Spend 2 Ki to add 2 to your AC for 4 turns.

Implements of Mercy

When you choose this tradition at 2nd level, you gain proficiency in the Insight and Medicine skills, and you gain proficiency with the herbalism kit.

You also gain a special mask, which you often wear when using the features of this subclass. You determine its appearance, or generate it randomly by rolling on the Merciful Mask table.

Merciful Mask

• d6 Mask Appearance
• 1 Raven
• 2 Blank and white
• 3 Crying visage
• 4 Laughing visage
• 5 Skull
• 6 Butterfly

Hands of Healing

At 2nd level, your mystical touch can mend wounds. As an action, you can spend 1 ki point to touch a creature and restore a number of hit points equal to a roll of your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier.

When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can replace one of the unarmed strikes with a use of this feature without spending a ki point for the healing.

 

 

Hands of Harm

At 2nd level, you use your ki to inflict wounds. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 ki point to deal extra necrotic damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier. You can use this feature only once per turn.

Physician’s Touch

Starting at 5th level, you can administer even greater cures with a touch, and if you feel it’s necessary, you can use your knowledge to cause harm.

When you use Hands of Healing on a creature, you can also end one disease or one of the following conditions affecting the creature: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned.

When you use Hands of Harm on a creature, you can subject that creature to the poisoned condition until the end of your next turn.

Flurry of Healing and Harm

Starting at 9th level, you can now mete out a flurry of comfort and hurt. When you use Flurry of Blows, you can now replace each of the unarmed strikes with a use of your Hands of Healing, without spending ki points for the healing.

In addition, when you make an unarmed strike with Flurry of Blows, you can use Hand of Harm with that strike without spending the ki point for Hands of Harm. You can still use Hands of Harm only once per turn.

Hand of Ultimate Mercy

By 14th level, your mastery of life energy opens the door to the ultimate mercy. As an action, you can touch the corpse of a creature that died within the past 24 hours and expend 5 ki points. The creature then returns to life, regaining a number of hit points equal to 4d10 + your Wisdom modifier. If the creature died while subject to any of the following conditions, it revives with them removed: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, poisoned, and stunned.

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

 

 

Way of the Open Hand

Monks of the Way of the Open Hand are the ultimate masters of martial arts combat, whether armed or unarmed. They learn techniques to push and trip their opponents, manipulate ki to heal damage to their bodies, and practice advanced meditation that can protect them from harm.

True Body

Gain the following benefits and the features listed after this when you level up to the correct level:

• You can deal piercing or slashing damage with your attacks
• Gain proficiency in Sleight of Hand
• Your Wisdom score goes up by 2 points

Smashing Strike

Starting at level 3, you can spend 1 Ki at the end of your turn which consumes your reaction. Until your next turn, you must maintain concentration. If you are attacked, you must make a CON save or this strike is interrupted. On your next turn, your first attack deals an extra 4 damage die. Alternatively, you can spend 2 Ki to deal an additional 2 damage die on your next attack.

Open Hand Technique

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can manipulate your enemy’s ki when you harness your own. Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on that target:

• It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
• It must make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, you can push it up to 15 feet away from you.
• It can’t take reactions until the end of your next turn.

Wholeness of Body

At 6th level, you gain the ability to heal yourself. As an action, you can regain hit points equal to three times your monk level. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.

 

 

Tranquility

Beginning at 11th level, you can enter a special meditation that surrounds you with an aura of peace. At the end of a long rest, you gain the effect of a Sanctuary spell that lasts until the start of your next long rest (the spell can end early as normal). The saving throw DC for the spell equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Quivering Palm

At 17th level, you gain the ability to set up lethal vibrations in someone’s body. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 ki points to start these imperceptible vibrations, which last for a number of days equal to your monk level. The vibrations are harmless unless you use your action to end them. To do so, you and the target must be on the same plane of existence. When you use this action, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage.

You can have only one creature under the effect of this feature at a time. You can choose to end the vibrations harmlessly without using an action.