Cursed Classes

ver. 1.6

Everything you need to transform

cursed afflictions into compelling adventurers

By Alex Clippinger, Bryan Holmes,

Ryan Langr, Jacob S. Kellogg,
Ashley May, Isaac A. L. May,
and Matthew Whitby
Editing by Kayla Bayens, Layout by Ashley May, Cover by Dana Braga

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This work was assembled using The GM Binder, a free tool provided by Ivel.
All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by Alex Clippinger, Bryan Holmes, Ryan Langr,
Jacob S. Kellogg, Ashley May, Isaac A. L. May, and Matthew Whitby and published under the Community
Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
 Table of Contents
Becoming Cursed 1 Revenant 44
Multiclassing ..............................................................................1 Creating A Revenant .............................................................. 44
Cursed Doesn't Mean Evil ................................................. 2
Alignment Shifting for Fun and Profit ....................... 4 Route of the Avenger ..................................... 48
Cursed Doesn't Mean Grimdark ....................................4 Route of the Umbraged ................................ 49
Aging Under A Curse ............................................................5 Route of the Drowned ...................................50
Bound Spirit 6 52
Vampire
Creating A Bound Spirit .........................................................6 Creating A Vampire ................................................................ 52
Suit of Armor ............................................................... 10 Path of the Dark Master ........................... 58
Flesh Golem ....................................................................12 Path of the Daywalker ................................. 59
Stone Golem ...................................................................13 Path of the Alp ..........................................................60
Floraspawn 15 Backgrounds 61
Creating A Floraspawn .........................................................15 Arcane Apprentice ............................................................... 61
Spore Savant .................................................................. 19
Sacrifice ..................................................................................... 63
Guardian ....................................................................................65
Woad Warrior .............................................................. 21
Credits ..................................................................................... 67
Vegepeople ........................................................................ 22
Lich 24
Creating A Lich ......................................................................... 24
Pathway of the Baelnorn ......................... 30
Pathway of the Omniscient ................... 31
Pathway of the Wastes ...................................32
Lycanthrope 33
Creating A Lycanthrope ....................................................... 33
Calling of the Werebear ............................37
Calling of the Wereboar ...........................38
Calling of the Wererat ................................39
Calling of the Weretiger ......................... 40
Calling of the Wereape ................................40
Calling of the Werewolf ...........................41
Calling of the Wereraven ....................... 42
Calling of the Werecrocodile ......... 43
 Becoming Cursed

T
he process of becoming a cursed Communication is key when planning a cursed
class varies widely. Whether class. These class options generally involve a high
someone is bitten, resurrected, degree of outside influence on an adventurer. One
marked, infected, overgrown, or in does not simply decide to “take a level in Woad
some other way afflicted, doesn’t Warrior” without a narrative reason. Likewise,
necessarily matter from a these classes are not things that should ever be
mechanical standpoint. What forced on a player. If an adventurer was bitten by a
matters is that the curse has now become a part of vampire and their player hadn’t already expressed
them and what happens next will impact their an interest in taking levels in the vampire class,
growth. then it’s time for the DM and player to discuss the
Not all curses show their full effects matter away from the table. If the player wishes to
instantaneously. Someone bitten by a lycanthrope multiclass into vampire, so be it, but if they don’t
or vampire might feel alright for a little while, want to interrupt their current leveling path it’s up
whereas someone whose soul has been ripped out to the DM to determine an alternate route for
of their body and put into a suit of armor is going them to either be cured, or instead show signs of
to immediately take notice. For players and vampirism as described in the vampire and
Dungeon Masters this has a significant impact on vampire spawn stat blocks.
when and how a level in a new cursed class is
taken. Multiclassing
For classes that may be steadily transformative
such as the vampire, lycanthrope, or floraspawn, To qualify for a new class you must meet the ability
some time may pass between when they become score prerequisites for both your current class and
afflicted with the curse and when it takes hold. your new one, as shown in the Multiclassing
Mechanically speaking, it means that they won’t Prerequisites table. For example, a barbarian who
immediately gain a level in their new cursed class decides to multiclass into the druid class must
but instead, they will gain that level the next time have both Strength and Wisdom scores of 13 or
they would level up. Once they have received their higher. Without the full training that a beginning
level, their curse can manifest fully. As it turns out, character receives you must be a quick study in
they weren’t “alright” after all. your new class, having a natural aptitude that is
For classes that change more dramatically or reflected by higher-than-average ability scores.
abruptly, the new cursed class level should be Multiclassing Prerequisites
taken immediately. Ideally a Dungeon Master can Class Ability Score Minimum
time this event to occur when everyone would
naturally gain a level. However, Dungeons & Bound Spirit Strength 13
Dragons is an organic game and situations aren’t Floraspawn Constitution 13 or Strength 13
always ideal. If it’s an inappropriate time to gain a Lich Intelligence 13
level, either because the party is tracking Lycanthrope Constitution 13
experience points or because few significant Revenant Wisdom 13
events have happened since the last milestone was Vampire Charisma 13
passed, it might be a good time to work out a deal
with the afflicted player. For example, they may
receive an “advance” on their level, taking their
new cursed class level early and foregoing the next
level-up when they reach the appropriate
milestone.
1
Cursed Doesn’t Mean Consider the ways a curse will and won’t change
your character. A werewolf in the wild is a
Evil werewolf, first and foremost. However, an
adventurer with lycanthropy is still at their core
Generally speaking most vampires, werewolves, the person they always were. Their curse will
and liches you encounter will be of the evil present new challenges, but their entire lives do
persuasion. It’s not too difficult to understand why. not suddenly become engulfed by the affliction.
In order to survive in a world that would consider They will likely still hold onto the goals, dreams,
you an abomination, you have to be willing to and aspirations they held before, perhaps even
selfishly prioritize your strength and growth over more tightly.
the wellbeing of others. Though it’s entirely
possible to be a vampire of good alignment who The Good Bound Spirit
doesn’t steal the blood of other sentient creatures
to survive, they seldom grow to the power of a To become a bound spirit is the ultimate out of
vampire lord before they’re overtaken by the angry body experience. Though most golems
mob that heard there was an undead creature in encountered in the wild may be hostile or at least
their midst. highly territorial, this is by their design and not
However, adventurers are not ordinary people. their nature. Many souls are bound to inorganic
Whether an adventurer is inflicted with their curse containers in order to allow them to be better
well into their career, or their life as an adventurer guardians. Some are placed in vessels as the
is set into motion by the curse they have received, highest form of dedication to their vows, while
they are not required to walk a narrow path. Even others are forced into these constructs against
when the urge to feed or hunt is strong, they have their will.
the potential to be stronger in order to control the An adventurer can still hold tightly to whatever
primal senses within them. They have the power to goals and pledges were sworn in life before
tell their own story, rather than letting themselves becoming a bound spirit. While some may view
be swallowed whole by their curse. their curse as precisely that, others may look at
their potentially ageless forms and see a blessing.
Becoming a bound spirit may have even been their
own idea.
The Good Floraspawn
Nature beyond the influence and corruption of
others is generally a peaceful and neutral entity. At
its most primal level, nature only wishes to
continue its own existence, which is no different
from most humanoid creatures. While this may
sometimes result in man-eating plants or
organisms that reproduce by taking over the body
of a host, it’s important to remember that their
intent is not evil or to do harm simply for the sake
of it.
Becoming a floraspawn of any nature shouldn’t
have an active impact on the alignment of an
adventurer. The natural urge of any floraspawn is
simply to survive. If anything, becoming more
attuned to nature may draw a creature more
closely to the ideas of law and neutrality as they
gain a deeper understanding of the world around
them.
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 The Good Lich The Good Revenant
Good people generally don’t become liches of their Revenants walking the world are neutral creatures
own accord. Lichdom, unfortunately, requires by nature. Their goals tend not to be good or evil
feeding on the souls of reasonably intelligent living but instead single-mindedly driven toward revenge
creatures in order to fuel one’s own survival and and pushed by the dwindling sands in the
growth of power. That being said, cursed classes hourglass of their lives. With only one year to carry
often come as curses, and a lich may not have ever out their vengeance, some revenants may appear
wanted to become a lich in the first place. How evil in nature simply because they are willing to do
they choose to react to this change determines the whatever is necessary to complete their task.
kind of person that they are rather than the However, an adventurer who has been restored
affliction itself. to life (or unlife, as it were) is not necessarily
The selection of targets can have a lot to do with bound to the same strict rules as your average
separating the good liches from the bad liches. revenant. Their desire to continue forward and
Rather than simply taking any soul available, the accomplish their goals left incomplete may have
lich may be picky and only take the souls of people less to do with killing their murderer and more to
who are demonstrably evil or who seek to do harm do with dismantling the social systems that
to others. The lich fueled by the souls of evil created them. These are not goals that can be
cultists and murderous bandits may be a far kinder accomplished quickly by killing one person, and
lich than one who takes their souls wherever they reckless behavior may not help them achieve that
find them. goal. Furthermore, adventurer revenants have less
tenuous ties to the world, and without the press of
The Good Lycanthrope a one-year time limit they can focus on how to do
There are two kinds of lycanthropes in the world: things properly rather than quickly.
those who struggle against the murderous urges of The Good Vampire
their curse and only transform once a month,
generally blacking out for the event, and there are Inside the belly, nay, the soul of every vampire lies
those who give in fully to it and relish it. Many a hunger that constantly gnaws at them. Vampires
lycanthropes encountered in the wild are endlessly hunger for the life that they have lost and
decidedly evil, not solely as an effect of their curse sate that hunger by feasting on the blood of the
but because they choose not to fight their primal living. The very nature of vampirism has the ability
instincts to hunt and kill. Their willingness or even to twist the minds and hearts of those afflicted
joy in viciously killing and consuming others is with its curse, and they may be more drawn to feed
what leads them down the path of evil. on people who embody the life they’ve lost rather
Adventurers, however, tend to be made of than simply to feed for the sake of sustenance.
tougher stuff than other folks. An adventurer can This twisted nature can be resisted by strong
put in the effort to control their curse rather than hearts and minds at great difficulty. A vampire
either ignoring it or letting it control them. An does not necessarily have to feed on a sentient
adventurer inflicted with lycanthropy may always creature when a captured sheep or deer will sate
feel as though a vicious beast is lingering, stalking their hunger just as well. Like the lich, a vampire
at the edges of their mind just waiting for a may be selective of their targets and deign evil
moment to pounce and take over. It is the creatures to be more suitable prey than innocents.
adventurer’s job to chain that beast.

3
Alignment Shifting Cursed Doesn’t Mean
For Fun And Profit Grimdark
Though changing one’s alignment isn’t required The idea of becoming afflicted with a curse tends
when being inflicted by a curse, that doesn’t mean to conjure up dark imagery of one suffering and
that a character can’t experience these changes. struggling against foul external forces that seek to
Remember, however, that vampirism itself does corrupt them. Many cursed classes involve a
not cause a person to become evil. When a variety of dark subjects like drinking the blood of
character’s alignment shifts after receiving their the living, stealing souls, seeking vengeance, or
affliction, it has more to do with their own being bound to a cold and ageless shell. Curses are
worldview becoming altered by the change they seldom positive things.
have endured. Feeling as though they are being However, adventurers make a habit of turning
hunted by those who have no interest in how good seldom occurrences into their daily norms. Their
a person they are, or as though they are hated or lives consistently revolve around bizarre
feared by people who refuse to understand, can coincidences, millennia-old prophecies, and
drive a once kind person to become selfish and chosen ones. Just because becoming a revenant
isolated for the sake of self-preservation. means taking on a solemn and restless duty for
Alternatively, an adventurer who once walked on most people doesn’t mean an adventurer needs to
darker paths may view their affliction as an become bogged down by it. Nothing in the vampire
awakening of sorts. Many curses come at life-or- class description says that they have a daily
death moments, when a person survives an event brooding requirement.
that could easily have killed them but instead they Different adventures and campaigns have
walk away changed. This brush with mortality may different moods, and the introduction of cursed
cause some people to examine their lives from a classes doesn’t necessarily mean that your upbeat
different perspective, and consider the way they and sunny campaign has to suddenly take a turn
treat others. for the dark side. Take this time to consider the
A shift in one’s heart comes slowly and steadily humor that could be found in these conditions.
and is not something that should be rushed. Perhaps the party falls under attack by a group of
goblins who think the Spore Savant would make
for a really good soup.

4
 Floraspawn differ in their immortality. A Spore
Aging Under a Curse Savant has died once already and they generally
Stories of vampires and liches living for thousands see no change in lifespan. Vegepeople can extend
of years have permeated the realms since time their lives somewhat through the use of their
immemorial. There is some truth to the photosynthesis, but almost all of them age as
immortality of those living under a curse, but there normal. Woad Warriors are a special exception for
are also some myths that must be dispelled. when they are about to die, they may instead fully
Immortality is one of the end goals for many of give in to their transformation and become Wood
those under these curses, however, there is always Woads meant to protect their home forest.
a price for lengthening one's life. The goal of many a lich is to continue well after
One should think of the addition of a curse as a the body would perish. Liches are supplied with
change in the way the body functions, in many power and life through their phylactery and with
cases the mind of a creature will stay the same proper care, they do not have a limit on their age.
especially if their will is strong. The spirit may Effects that age a lich are ineffective as part of
dislike its new trappings and it’s far more likely their very being is suspended elsewhere.
that the cursed will die in some gruesome way Lycanthropes see no real difference in aging
rather than of old age. Still, the concept of aging is even if they become more hearty, their bodies still
a complex one that must be addressed. remain as the race they once were. The process of
Bound spirits are more likely to go mad within changing forms withers any extended longevity
their shells then they are to be lost to rust and they may have seen.
failings. Being unable to fully feel or experience Revenants remain in the world only due to their
the world around them does something that can curse. Having been once dead already they no
drive them to ever more drastic means to feel. longer age within their reclaimed flesh. The
Each of the forms the bound spirit takes has its unchained revenants described in these pages
own maintenance and if taken care of they may choose to rest when they believe their work is
live for hundreds of years. There is a limit to what finally done and not a day before then. They
the mind can take though and many let themselves cannot be aged through any magical means.
go when their spirit tells them to, often when they Vampires continue to live as long as they
reach the mortality of their original body. continue to feed. A well-fed vampire has no limits
for how long it may live. Also, much like the
revenant, it’s form is locked in and ages no longer.
Vampires respond to being aged through magic
with extreme hunger, they must feed quickly to
nourish their bodies when exposed to such effects.
5
 Trapped Souls
Once a humanoid soul, all bound spirits have been
trapped to a physical form without the ability to
return to their body or be resurrected traditionally.
Regardless of how they were bound be it through a
blood vow, curse, or binding contract they all share
the same fate. It should be reiterated though that
for some being a trapped soul is a curse, whereas
for others it is a blessing of the highest order.
Many Shapes and Sizes
Spirits can be bound to just about anything. From
everyday objects such as rugs or swords, to
specialised containers such as phylacteries or soul
Bound Spirit jars. There is however a tendency to bind a spirit
They stare down, eyes peering across what was to humanoid-shaped forms mostly to serve as
once their body as it stares back at them, lifeless. A servants or guards. Most creators of bound spirits
whirl of magic covers their spectral form, urging are surprised to discover the agency that the spirit
them towards the suit of armor standing idle in the still has rather than being instantly enslaved to
corner of the room. Her next waking memory is their every whim bound spirits can learn and
from within the suit of armor, she feels the ability master their new forms with time.
to move and speak return. Yet she feels trapped, Once a soul finds itself in its new shell, there is a
bound to this form of steel. magical equivalent of homeostasis where the spirit
Bodies are flawed. Each person has few unconsciously desires to return to the form it once
strengths, but they're hobbled by weak and was. This results in the soul’s magnificent ability
superfluous parts. A dwarf cackles as he stitches to alter the body to match the racial traits they
the last limb into place. His own body has served once held previously, to “carry on as normal”
enough of a purpose. The blood-soaked tome that despite the new shape they take.
sits on his desk was simple enough to follow. He
should be able to move his spirit into this new Creating a Bound Spirit
perfect form without issue. One spell later, the As you create a Bound Spirit the most important
cackling is replaced with a burst of booming question is how and why your character’s soul was
laughter, as he lives once more! trapped inside the body of choice. While it has
Deep within a sacred temple, death need not be been stated that their soul is trapped, your
the end of the faithful. The most sacred of artefacts character may have been perfectly willing to place
require a constant guard, one that humanoid their soul inside a golem to carry out a sacred
bodies simply cannot accomplish. As she mutters vows or to prolong their own life. Alternatively, if
one last prayer nodding to the priest before lifting they were bound by someone else answering some
her gaze to the looming stone golem. It’ll be her of these questions can help flesh out your
new body. One without the need to sleep, eat or character: Who were they? Why were they creating
drink. The perfect defender. golems? How did they know your character? What
No matter how their spirit came to be bound, are their motives? Did they expect your character
they are forced into forms that are far from their to be a mindless slave?
normal ones. It can take weeks, even years to
adjust to the feeling of being trapped in an object.
Whether they see it as a blessing or a curse, it
opens up a whole new realm of possibilities.

6
 Quick Build
You can make a bound spirit quickly by following
Class Features
these suggestions. First, make Strength or As a bound spirit, you gain the following class
Constitution your highest ability score depending features.
on whether you want to focus on crushing or on Hit Points
withstanding heavy hits. Your next-highest score Hit Dice: 1d12 per bound spirit Level
should be Wisdom, or Intelligence if you plan to Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution
adopt the Suit of Armor archetype. Second, choose modifier
the acolyte background. Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your
Constitution modifier per bound spirit level after
the 1st
The Bound Spirit Proficiencies
Proficiency Essence
Armor: None
Level Bonus Features Points Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Bound Body, Tools: Mason’s tools, tinker’s tools, one type of
1st +2 Constructed Nature — artisan’s tools of your choice
2nd +2 Will of the Soul 3 Saving Throws: Constitution, Wisdom
3rd +2 Body Augmentation 3 Skills: Choose three from Arcana, History, Insight,
4th +2 Ability Score 4
Investigation, Nature, and Religion
Improvement
Soul Escape, Equipment
5th +3 Constructed Nature 4 You start with the following equipment, in addition
(2d8) to the equipment granted by your background:
Ability Score
6th +3 Improvement 4 (a) a martial weapon or (b) any two simple
7th +3 Bound Body feature 5 weapons
Ability Score (a) two light hammers or (b) any simple weapon
8th +3 Improvement 5 (a) a dungeoneer's pack, (b) an explorer’s pack
9th +4 Body Augmentation 5 or (c) a scholar's pack
10th +4 Ability Score 6
Improvement
11th +4 Constructed Nature 6
(3d8)
12th +4 Ability Score 6
Improvement
13th +5 ─ 7
14th +5 Bound Body feature 7
15th +5 Body Augmentation 8
16th +5 Ability Score 8
Improvement
17th +6 Constructed Nature 8
(4d8)
18th +6 Bound Body feature 9
19th +6 Ability Score 9
Improvement
20th +6 Indomitable Spirit 9

7
Bound Body Body Augmentation
Choose a body to be bound to which describes At 3rd level, you gain the ability to augment the
what your soul has been trapped inside: Suit of body your soul is trapped inside as you desire. You
Armor, Flesh Golem, or Stone Golem. All three are gain two of the following Body Augmentation
detailed at the end of the class description. Your options of your choice. You gain another at 9th and
choice grants you features when you choose it at 15th level.
1st level and again at 7th, 14th, and 18th level.
Additional Arms
Constructed Nature Prerequisite: Flesh Golem or Stone Golem
A spirit bound in a body doesn’t require air, food, You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever
drink, or sleep. In addition, as an action you may you take the attack action on your turn.
make a Slam attack. This melee weapon attack Animated Face
deals 1d8 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning You gain the ability to animate your face to speak
damage. This increases to 2d8 at 5th level, 3d8 at and make facial expressions. You gain proficiency
11th level, and 4d8 at 17th level. in either Persuasion or Intimidation.
Will of the Soul Berserk
As a bonus action you may choose to go berserk,
At 2nd level, you tap into the willpower that resides attacking the nearest enemy creature you can see.
within your soul. This willpower is represented by If no enemy is near enough to move to and attack,
essence points which can be used to enhance you instead attack the nearest object. While
certain abilities. berserk, you deal an additional 1d6 damage to all
melee weapon attacks. Once you become berserk,
Essence Points you continue to do so until no more enemies are
You have 3 essence points, and you gain more as visible.
you reach higher levels as shown in the Essence Damage Resistance
Points column of the Bound Spirit table. You can You may choose one of the following types of
never have more essence points than shown on the damage; bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing. You
table for your level. You regain all essence points gain resistance to all damage of that type not made
when you finish a long rest. from magical or adamantine weapons.
You can spend essence points to gain the
following benefits: Darkvision
Cost Speed Effect You gain darkvision of 120 feet.
1 Reaction You may reduce the result of an
enemy die roll by 1.
Elemental Absorption
You may choose one of the following types of
You may increase the result of an
2 Reaction Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma
damage; acid, lightning, fire, poison, or cold. When
saving throw by 2. you take damage of that type you take no damage
3 Action You may regain 1 hit dice. and instead regain a number of hit points equal to
Until you finish your next long
the damage dealt. This feature can be used only
3 Action rest, you may increase your once per short rest.
Strength or Dexterity by 1.
You gain advantage against the
3 Reaction next saving throw against being
Paralyzed, Petrified, or Poisoned.

8
 False Appearance Soul Escape
Prerequisite: Stone Golem or Suit of Armor
While you remain motionless, you become At 5th level you gain the ability to temporarily
indistinguishable from a statue or suit of armor. leave your bound body. As an action you can
detach your soul from your body, for up to 10
Immutable Form minutes. While outside of your body the body
You become immune to any spell or effect that ceases to move. After the duration is finished your
would alter your form. soul is trapped back inside your body.
Magical Fists As a soul, you have incorporeal movement
Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the allowing you to move through other creatures and
purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to objects as if they were difficult terrain. You have a
nonmagical attacks and damage. fly (hover) speed of 40 feet. You take 1d10 force
damage if you end your turn inside an object.
Magical Resistance In addition, you may attempt to possess one
Prerequisite: Flesh Golem or Suit of Armor humanoid you can see within 5 feet. The target
You may as a reaction choose to gain advantage humanoid’s CR must be at least 2 less than your
on saving throws against spells and other magical current level, otherwise the attempt automatically
effects. This feature can be used only once per fails. For example, at 5th level you may possess
short rest. any humanoid with a CR 3 or less, at 6th level this
becomes CR 4 and so on. The humanoid must
Reinforcement succeed a Charisma saving throw (DC = 8 + your
Prerequisite: Suit of Armor proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier) or
You gain a +2 bonus to your AC. be possessed by you for up to 5 minutes. While
Slow possessing a humanoid you cannot be targeted by
Prerequisite: Stone Golem any attack, spell, or other effects. You maintain
You may target one creature you can see within your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores
10 feet. You may cast the slow spell targeting but use the target’s statistics, not gaining access to
them, with a Wisdom spell save DC of 8 + your its knowledge class features or proficiencies. The
proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. possession ends when the body is reduced to 0 hit
This feature can be used only once per short rest. points, you end it as a bonus action, the 5 minutes
runs out, or if you are forced out by an effect like
Two Heads the dispel evil and good spell. Once you use this
Prerequisite: Flesh Golem feature, it cannot be used again until you finish a
You gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) long rest.
checks.
Unblinking
Indomitable Spirit
You gain immunity to the blinded condition. When you reach 20th level, you master control
over your spirit freeing yourself entirely. The
Ability Score Improvement duration of your Soul Escape feature is increased
When you reach 4th level and again at 6th, 8th, indefinitely. While as a soul you are immune to the
12th, 16th, and 19th level you can increase one charmed, exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, and
ability score of your choice by 2, or you can poisoned conditions. In addition, you may as a
increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As bonus action traverse from the Ethereal Plane to
normal, you can’t increase an ability score above the Material Plane or vice versa.
20 using this feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo
taking this feature to take a feat of your choice
instead.
9
 Arcane Rune Etchings
Bound Body Starting at 7th level, you can carve arcane runes
Souls can be bound to many different forms, either into your plated body. When you gain this feature
willingly or trapped by sinister magic. Although you learn how to inscribe one major rune or two
many variations exist there are three bound bodies minor runes into your armor (see “Arcane Rune
used: a suit of armor, a golem of flesh, and a golem Options”). Each time you gain a level in this class,
of stone. you may replace one rune you know with a
different one.
Suit of Armor You gain one more major or two minor arcane
rune etchings of your choice from the Arcane
Clanking suits of metal built to protect warriors in Rune Etchings at 14th level.
the heat of battle and now just an empty steel shell.
Unwavering and without expression, they are the Suit of Armor Spellcasting Ability
archetypal guardian of all things magical. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability when using
Equipped with a soul-bound sword or covered in arcane runes. In addition, you use your
etched arcane runes, Suits of Armor can be a Intelligence modifier when setting the saving
versatile melee or spell casting threat. throw DC for a spell you cast and when making an
attack roll with one. Your armor functions as an
Finest Steel arcane focus for any spells. You can perform the
Due to your body being a suit of armor, you are ill- somatic components of spells even when you have
suited for wearing anything additional. You have a weapons or a shield in one or both hands.
base AC of 16 + your proficiency bonus (your
Dexterity modifier doesn’t affect this number). You Conflux
gain no benefit from wearing armor but if you are Major rune. You add half your Intelligence modifier
using a shield you can apply the shield’s bonus as to the saving throw DC for wizard spells you cast.
normal. Defense
Soul-Bound Weapon Minor rune. As a bonus action, until the start of
A suit of armor is incomplete without a matching your next turn your AC is increased by your
weapon, as such you may choose one weapon Intelligence modifier. Once you use this feature,
equipped to become a soul-bound weapon. As a you can’t use it again until you finish a short or
bonus action you may release the soul-bound long rest.
weapon to allow it to hover magically in an Educate
unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. If you can
see your weapon you may mentally command it as Minor rune. Your soul-bound weapon is replaced
a bonus action to fly up to 50 feet and either make with a spellbook, allowing it to cast cantrips you
one attack against a target within range of it or know as a bonus action.
return to your hand. You may only be soul-bound to Empowered
one weapon at a time. If your soul-bound weapon Major rune. You learn two 2nd-level wizard spells
is destroyed or you wish to bind to a new weapon, and gain two 2nd-level spell slots.
it takes 1 hour to soul bind to a different weapon.
Enchant
Major rune. Your soul-bound weapon is now
magical, dealing an extra 1d6 damage of that
weapon’s type.

10
 Expand Ever-Guardian
Minor rune. You may take this rune, only if you When you reach 14th level, you learn to embody
have the ability to cast spells. You gain an the guardian nature of a suit of armor. You can
additional spell-slot of your choosing, out of those choose one willing creature you can see within 60
you already have available. feet of you to become their guardian. Whenever a
creature you can see targets the creature you are
Fleetfoot guarding, if you are within 10 feet of it, you and the
Minor rune. You may use a bonus action to take creature swap places and you become the target
the Dash action. instead. You gain resistance to the incoming
Flurry
damage. You can use this feature twice, and you
regain all expended uses of it when you finish a
Major rune. You can attack twice, instead of once, long rest.
when you take the Attack action on your turns.
Arcane Mastery
Mending Beginning at 18th level, you may siphon the arcane
Minor rune. When taking a short-rest, you may use energy throughout your steel body to empower
an extra d10 when rolling Hit Dice. Once you use your actions. Using your action, you gain arcane
this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a empowerment. For 1 minute you gain the
long rest. following benefits:
Obliterate You gain an additional action on each of your
Major rune. You learn one 3rd-level wizard spell turns. That action can only be used to make the
and gain 3rd-level spell slot. Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash,
Soul Conversion Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action.
Minor rune. You may expend three essence points You may cast an additional spell on each of
to regain one spell slot of your choosing. Once you your turns.
use this feature, you can’t use it again until you You gain magical resistance, granting
finish a short or long rest. advantage on saving throws against spells and
other magical effects.
Spectral
Once you use this feature you can’t use it again
Major rune. When releasing your soul-bound until you finish a long rest. In addition, you gain
weapon, a spectral copy of the weapon is created one more major or two minor arcane rune
instead. Your original soul-bound weapon remains etchings of your choice from the Arcane Rune
in your hand. The spectral weapon cannot be Etchings.
interacted with.
Study
Minor rune. You learn one 1st-level wizard spell
and gain one 1st-level spell slots.
Utility
Minor rune. You learn three wizard cantrips.

11
 Mind of their own
Starting at 1st level, whenever you take damage
you can choose to allow one of your arms to be
severed. Until reattached, the severed arm has an
AC 13 and 15 hit points. It acts under your
command and on your same turn during the
initiative order. You may only control one severed
Flesh Golem arm at a time, however this increases to two once
A grim culmination of multiple limbs, organs, and you reach 10th-level. If both arms are severed you
flesh of humanoids flesh golems are often dark lose the ability to attack. A severed arm has a
creations. The souls trapped within them are the speed of 5 feet and can make one unarmed melee
creators of the flesh golem, the spirit of the attack on its turn with disadvantage unless you can
attached head, or an unfortunate sacrifice. Despite see the arm and its target. You may also throw a
being gruesome amalgamations flesh golems are severed arm to make a ranged grapple attack.
incredibly resilient and possess inhuman strength. Strength Beyond Reason
Starting at 7th level, you can call upon the
Ever-Weaving Stitches lightning infused within your muscle tissue to
Whenever you start your turn under half of your become inhumanly strong. On your turn, you can
maximum hit points, you main regain hit points invigorate your muscles as a bonus action. While
equal to 1d4 + Constitution modifier. If you take invigorated you gain the following benefits:
acid or fire damage, this trait doesn’t function at
the start of your next turn. Your Strength modifier is doubled.
When you make a melee unarmed attack using
Strength, you gain an extra 1d12 lightning
damage to the attack.
The invigoration lasts for 1 minute. It ends early
if you are knocked unconscious, or you end it early
as a bonus action. When it ends, you suffer 3 levels
of exhaustion.
12
 No Sense In Wasting
Starting at 14th level, you’ve now mastered the
ability to connect the limbs of the recently
deceased to your body. You may harvest limbs
from humanoid corpses that have been dead for no
longer than a day, to gain the following benefits:
Each additional arm adds an extra 1d4
bludgeoning damage to the first creature you
hit on each of your turns with a melee weapon
attack, but the arms cannot aid you in any other
way due to their cumbersome nature
(maximum of 4)
Each additional leg adds 5 feet of movement
speed (maximum of 2)
An additional head grants you 1 bonus Essence
Point (maximum of 1) Stone Golem
It’s Alive! Chiselled from slabs of stone, stone golems are the
Beginning at 18th level, you embody the lightning most ancient form of bound spirits. They act as
in your body, becoming an unstoppable guardians within tombs, protectors of lost cities,
monstrosity. Using your action, you spark lighting and entirely timeless. Adventurers coming face to
from your invigorated amalgam form. For 1 face with a stone golem often face a near
minute, you gain the following benefits: unstoppable force, swords were never crafted to
cut stone.
An aura of lightning surrounds you in a 10 foot
radius when a creature enters the area for the Stone Form
first time on a turn or starts its turn there it Due to your body being entirely stone, you are ill-
must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a suited for wearing anything additional. You have a
failed save, the creature takes 2d12 lightning base AC of 17 + your proficiency bonus (your
damage or half as much on a successful one. Dexterity modifier doesn’t affect this number). You
You regain 2d12 hit points at the start of your gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are
turn. using a shield you can apply the shield’s bonus as
If you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can make normal. In addition, you are also immune to the
a Constitution saving throw DC 10. If you petrified condition.
succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead. Each Unstoppable Charge
time you use this feature after the first, the DC You can use an action to charge in a 30-foot-long
increases by 5. It resets once the duration by 5-foot-wide line. Any creature caught in the path
expires. must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 10 +
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again your Strength modifier). On a failure, the creature
until you finish a long rest. takes 1d12 bludgeoning damage per your Bound
Spirit level and is knocked prone. On a success,
the creature takes half damage and is not knocked
prone. You can use this feature twice, and you
regain all expended uses of it when you finish a
short rest.
13
Essence of the Juggernaut
Beginning at 6th level, you gain the following
options to expend your Essence Points:
Cost Speed Effect
1 Bonus
Action
Your next Unstoppable Charge is
10 ft. wide.
You may gain immunity to one of
the following damage types until
2 Reaction the start of your next turn:
bludgeoning, piercing, and
slashing.
You open your mouth to target
one creature you can see within
10 feet of you. The target must
succeed a Wisdom saving throw
DC 14 against this magic. On a
failed save, the target can’t use
reactions, its speed is halved, and
3 Action attackit can’t make more than one
on its turn. In addition, the
target can take an action or bonus
action on its turn, not both. The
effect lasts 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.

Gargoyle Wings
Starting at 14th level, your stone form is sculpted
to allow for wings to protrude from your shoulder
blades. You now have a flying speed of 60 feet.
Monument of Annihilation
Beginning at 18th level, you may find the power to
become a pure unstoppable force. Using your
action you call upon the essence of annihilation.
For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:
Two spheres of annihilation appear on either
fist, they do not destroy any object on your
person, but grant an extra 4d10 force damage
to your unarmed melee or slam attacks.
You are immune to the charmed, exhaustion,
frightened, and paralyzed conditions and from
being knocked prone.
Any attacks against a Large or smaller creature
forces it to make a Strength saving throw DC
18 or be knocked prone.
You deal double damage to objects and
structures.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again
until you finish a long rest.

14
 Nature Always Returns
The ancient power that lives within all floraspawns
grants them the ability to come back from even the
most deadly wounds. Through training and
exposure to the elements a floraspawn’s skin
grows tougher against attacks, beneath this layer
of protection is the body they once had. Many
floraspawns lean into this shell and use it as both a
layer of protection and a deadly weapon against
their foes.
Synthesis And The Means
To Eternal Life
The change into a plant-like creature has many
implications. While you start to change into
something that is no longer considered the race
you once were, you also gain a connection to the
very essence of nature. With a steady supply of
water, sun and soil floraspawn grow more vital.
Synthesis is the core of most of the floraspawn’s
powers and new sprouts should explore the
variables of this newfound energy.
Floraspawn Creating a Floraspawn
A dwarven woman stands in the middle of a field, While creating your floraspawn, consider the
arms outstretched soaking up the sunlight. Her elements that came together to create them in the
companions wait as she performs this ritual and first place. A background will help inform many of
grows bark on her skin. Ever since she fell in the these decisions. A sage may have found an ancient
forest she’s been bound to a creature of the woods. ritual while an outlander could stumble into a
An elf was meant to protect a grove but failed in grove and get changed by its denizens. What drove
their duty they offer themselves up to the druids you to accept your new changes? Did you always
there to become a Woad as penance. Now they have this connection to nature? Were you a person
roam the forest with club and shield in hand, ready in the wrong place at the wrong time, or was this
to protect the grounds from anyone who would do always your goal?
them harm. You should also decide how your stance has
The halfling farmer wakes up in the field of changed since you’ve started training your new
mushrooms granted power through their spores, form. Those who become floraspawns can feel the
she now walks the world intent on defeating the heart of nature itself flowing through them. This
evil that plagues it. may change their perspective on deities and nature
No matter what form a floraspawn takes they all itself. Those that were adventurers before this may
act as an extension of the forest’s power. Many have a very different backstory from those that
floraspawns choose a life of adventure and even changed while living daily life as a simple hunter
travel past the bounds of their woods. or farmer.

15
Quick Build
You can make a floraspawn quickly by following The Floraspawn
these suggestions. First, make Constitution or
Strength your highest ability score depending on if Proficiency
Synthesis
Temporary Hit
you wish to lean into your synthesis abilities or Level Bonus Features Points Pool
focus on raw combat. Your next-highest score Way of
should be Dexterity or Wisdom if you wish to focus 1st +2 Wood, —
on survival within the wilderness. Second, choose Natural
Defense
the outlander background.
2nd +2 Synthesis 8
Class Features 3rd +2 Way of Wood
feature 12
As a floraspawn, you gain the following class 4th +2 Ability Score 16
features. Improvement
5th +3 Extra Attack 20
Hit Points 6th +3 Wood Walker 24
Hit Dice: 1d6 per floraspawn level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution 7th +3 Way of Wood
feature 28
modifier Ability Score
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your 8th +3 Improvement 32
Constitution modifier per floraspawn level after 9th +4 Splinters 36
the 1st Ability Score
10th +4 Improvement 40
Proficiencies
Armor: None 11th +4 Hungry
Roots 44
Weapons: All weapons must be made from natural
materials; club, greatclub, light hammer, 12th +4 Ability Score
Improvement 48
quarterstaff, sling 13th +5 ─ 52
Saving Throws: Constitution, Strength 14th +5 Way of Wood 56
Skills: Choose three from Survival, Nature, feature
Investigation, Perception, and Stealth 15th +5 Blessing of 60
the Mother
Equipment Ability Score
You start with the following equipment, in addition 16th +5 Improvement 64
to the equipment granted by your background: 17th +6 ─ 68
(a) 2 clubs or (b) a greatclub 18th +6 Way of Wood
feature 72
(a) sling and 20 sling bullets or (b) a
quarterstaff 19th +6 Ability Score
Improvement 76
(a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer’s 20th +6 Forest Tyrant 80
pack

16
 Way of the Wood Ability Score Improvement
At 1st level, you determine what ritual or natural When you reach 4th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and
phenomenon has changed you. Choose the way of 19th level, you can increase one ability score of
Spore Savant, Vegepeople, or Wood Woad all your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability
detailed at the end of the class description. The scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t
way you choose grants you features at 1st level and increase an ability score above 20 using this
again at 3rd, 7th, 14th and 18th level. feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo
Natural Defense taking this feature to take a feat of your choice
Also beginning at 1st level, the transformation into instead.
a living plant has made your body more hardy and Extra Attack
flexible. Your AC becomes 11 + your Dexterity
modifier + your proficiency bonus. Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice instead
of once whenever you take the Attack action on
Synthesis your turn.
At 2nd level, you have learned to enrich yourself Wood Walker
through your connection to nature. You gain a pool
of special temporary hit points. These special Starting at 7th level you know your way through
temporary hit points stack with other temporary any forest or swamp. When traveling through
hit point bonuses and can be recovered through forest or swamp terrain, you receive advantage on
communion with nature. Spending at least 1 any Wisdom (Survival) checks. Difficult terrain in
minute within the sunlight, standing on solid earth these areas does not slow you down and while in
or within water that has a depth of 3 feet or more these types of terrain your synthesis grows
begins to fill your temporary pool of hit points. stronger. While in a forest or swamp your pool
Being subjected to any of these conditions gives regains hit points at the start of your turn equal to
you 1 hour of special regeneration. This effect half your floraspawn level + your constitution
does not stack with itself. Under this effect, your bonus to a minimum of 1 hit point per turn.
pool regains hit points at the start of your turn
equal to half your floraspawn level + half of your Splinters
Constitution bonus to a minimum of 1 hit point per At 9th level when an attack cuts through your
turn. If you maintain 1 hour of synthesis, you do hearty bark, you retaliate in full. As a reaction,
not need to eat this day, if you maintain 4 hours of when your temporary hit points are reduced by a
synthesis you no longer need to sleep within the creature, you may choose to cause your bark to
next 24 hours. Synthesis fails to work on planes break away in a hail of splinters. You may either
you are not used to. You must spend 7 days within propel your bark at a single target up to 60 feet
a new plane before you learn how to invoke away or allow it to explode in a 5 foot area around
synthesis. you. Each creature affected must make a Dexterity
Some abilities connected to your hit point pool saving throw against your Pool save DC. A target
require your target to make a saving throw to takes half of your pool maximum - half your
resist their effects. The saving throw DC is remaining pool hit points in piercing damage on a
calculated as follows: failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Pool save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your You may use this ability a number of times equal to
Constitution modifier. your Constitution modifier and you regain all
expended uses of it when you finish a long rest

17
Hungry Roots
Beginning at 11th level the first time each turn you
are exposed to magical effects that restore hit
points, you may instead add these hit points to
your synthesis pool. When you use this effect,
instead of normally rolling one or more dice to
restore hit points with a spell, you instead use the
highest number possible for each die and restore
that amount to your pool. Any amount over your
pool is divided evenly and given to all creatures
standing in a 5 foot area around you.
Blessing of the Mother
Starting at 15th level, you are able to infuse others
with nature’s blessing. As a bonus action, you can
touch a creature and draw power from your
synthesis pool to grant temporary hit points to that
creature, up to half of your current pool. When a
creature has these temporary hit points reduced to
0 you may use your reaction to bolster their bark
with an additional supply of temporary hit points
up to a maximum of your level.
Forest Tyrant
At 20th level you have bound the spirit of nature to
your body and have learned how to bolster yourself
with ancient power. As an action, you turn into an
avatar of the forest. You become a large size
creature and your current synthesis pool hit points
double in size. Your Strength and Constitution
each increase by +6. Your maximum for these
scores is now 26. Your pool can no longer be
restored while in this form and at the start of each
of your turns, you lose 20 temporary hit points
from your pool. All melee attacks you make have
the siege property, dealing double damage to
objects and structures. As an action, or when your
pool has been fully depleted, you revert back to
your normal form. Any temporary hit points
remaining in the pool stay for 10 minutes, after
which the pool is reduced to 0. Once you have used
this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish
a long rest.

18
 Ways of the Wood
Floraspawns are created through several rituals
and acts of nature. The ways of the wood are what
give a floraspawn their power.
Spore Savant
A Spore Savant was exposed to the spores of a
myconid sovereign after their death. Perhaps they
were wandering caves and fell into a colony. Spore
Servants are generally mindless members of the
colony who do the bidding of those within it
however, there are few that break free of those
bonds and retain their minds and those few are
known as Spore Savants. When a creature retains
control over its own mind the myconids elevate it
and extend their power to the creature so it may
live without the colony. Many of the savants are
allowed to see the world and through their
connection to the colony they share information
that would otherwise be hidden. They can act as
the eyes and ears of a colony or simply act on their
new interests with their newfound power.
Spore Savants have learned how to harness the
spores that make up their bodies in uniquely Darklight Photosynthesis
terrifying ways. They thrive in the darkness and Beginning at 3rd level a Spore Savant is able to
are fierce warriors that control the battlefield engage their synthesis in darkness. When you are
through their very essence. standing in darkness, either magical or natural for
Collective Thought at least 1 minute you gain the properties of
Starting at 1st level, you have become part of a synthesis as if you were standing in sunlight. At
spore collective and communicate with the 14th level, this ability works in both dim light and
collective through rapport spores. You may choose complete darkness.
any Intelligence skill to become proficient in or Sickening Spores
alternatively, you may select any tool proficiency Also at 3rd level, you have learned how to release
instead. You may change this skill or tool deadly spores that attack the nerves. As a bonus
proficiency each time you finish a long rest. action, you may release a cloud of spores from
Spores in Sunlight your body. All creatures in a 5 foot area around you
Also at 1st level, while in sunlight, you have must make a Constitution saving throw against
disadvantage on attack rolls as well as on Wisdom your pool save DC or be stunned for one round.
(Perception) checks that rely on sight. Also, you Using this ability takes 10 points from your pool.
can see normally in darkness both magical and Once a creature has made its saving throw against
nonmagical to a distance of 120 feet. the spores it becomes immune to the effect for the
next 24 hours.

19
Bioluminescent Cloud Fungal Fury
At 7th level, you have learned how to protect When you reach 18th level you have learned how
yourself from sunlight by creating a cloud of to control your spores to restore vitality. As a
darkness that flickers with bioluminescent spores. reaction when an ally within 60 feet is reduced to
As an action, for 1 minute you may create this 0 hit points, you can infect them with your spores.
cloud which functions as a darkness spell centered The ally remains at 0 hit points but gains
on you. You may select a number of creatures temporary hit points equal to those in your pool,
within 60 feet equal to half your Constitution your pool resets to 0. While your ally has these
modifier, these creatures are immune to the effects temporary hit points they no longer need to make
of the cloud. Using this ability consumes 5 points death saving throws however, they cannot be
of your synthesis pool when used and 5 more at healed by any means. Also, while under this effect
the start of each round. While this ability is active, your ally can roll an extra weapon damage die
your pool can no longer be restored. You may when determining the extra damage for a critical
disable the cloud as a bonus action during your hit with a melee attack. This ability can only be
turn, otherwise it stops working automatically used once and resets after finishing a long rest.
when your pool can no longer pay the cost.

Designing A Spore Savant

Just like other races, no two myconids look the
exact same, and spore savants have a great degree
of design potential. When brainstorming your own
spore savant, draw inspiration from the wide world
of marvelous fungi to describe their appearance.
Gyromitra esculenta (Brain Mushroom) - A "false
morel", this mushroom has a wrinkled, brain-like
texture sure to tempt any Illithid.
Hydnellum peckii (Devil's Tooth) - This strange
mushroom tends to ooze a red liquid that
resembles blood. This fungus can work
especially well for characters in a horror setting.
Trametes versicolor (Turkey Tail) - This mushroom
creates "shelves" of variegated brown and white
fungus that tend to grow along vertical surfaces.
Hericium erinaceus (Satyr's Beard) - Growing in
thin hanging tendrils, this fungus could double a
a mop of hair or even a beard on an especially
overgrown spore savant.
Mycena chlorophos (Night Light Mushroom) -
This bioluminescent mushroom appears a bold
green color in the dark, so it's not advised for
stealthy spore savants.
Lactarius indigo (Blue Milk Cap) - A white
mushroom with a vivid blue underside, allowing
you to color your spore savant as boldly as you
like. Furthermore, your spore savant could adopt
another property from this mushroom, by
turning their blood indigo blue.
Phallus Indusiatus (Veiled Lady) - This mushroom
features a "lacey" skirt of white fungus under the
cap, which could make for a naturally-growing
veil or other feature on an adventurer.
Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric) - The most
popularly recognizable mushroom in the world,
this fungus features a white stem, a bright red
cap with white spots all over.

20
 Thicket Theory
At 1st level, you gain proficiency with all martial
weapons and shields. As an action, while holding a
weapon in your hand, the metal within the weapon
changes to petrified wood. After the weapon leaves
your hand it returns to the original metal it was
made from. At 7th level, any weapon converted in
this way counts as magical for overcoming
resistances.
Reinforced Natural Defense
Beginning at 1st level your specific transformation
has made you even more durable. Your AC
becomes 14 + your Dexterity modifier (maximum
of 2) + your proficiency bonus. However, you now
have vulnerability to fire damage and you are
denied your proficiency bonus to your armor class
until the start of your next turn when you take fire
damage.
Petrified Bark
At 3rd level as long as hit points remain in your
pool you gain resistance to all bludgeoning,
piercing and slashing damage. This effect also
extends to other creatures when affected by
Blessing of the Mother.
Spread Roots
At 7th level, you have learned how to sow your
Woad Warrior roots into the ground under your feet. As a bonus
Wood woads are created through sacrifice. action while on solid ground, you take root as long
Generally the result of a ritual from certain druid as you are not standing on metal or stone that is
circles, wood woads are only partially alive and more then 1 foot thick. You may spread your roots
exist to serve for specific tasks. The ritual used is up to 20 feet in any direction from where you are
meant to consume the creature’s heart, creating a standing and you may also spend hit points from
binding with a tree that will birth a newly sprouted your pool to increase the distance your roots travel,
woad from its roots. There are legends that speak 5 hit points for every 10 feet further to a maximum
of wood woads who have not lost their hearts. of 60 feet. You may use this ability a number of
They retain aspects of their former selves, times equal to your Constitution modifier and you
memories and passions from their past life. These regain all expended uses of it when you finish a
creatures are known as Woad Warriors. long rest. While your roots are planted
The Woad Warrior is a tireless defender, their underground and you are standing in a square
connection to the forest itself has enriched them occupied by them, you cannot be knocked prone or
with knowledge of battle and the skills to protect pushed any distance.
those they choose. While the Woad Warrior is able
to make their own choices on who they serve the
forest holds a special place for them and they carry
its roots woven into their thick armored bark.

21
Root Strider Vegepeople
Also at 7th level, you may use 10 feet of your
movement to step magically into one living tree Vegepygmies are known as terrible little creatures
within 5 feet of you. You then can emerge from a that roam the jungles and swamps of the world.
second living tree within 60 feet of you that you The creation of these strange creatures happens
can see. You appear in an occupied space within 5 through exposure to a substance known as russet
feet of the second tree. Both trees must be Large mold. Most accounts of russet mold say it is an
or bigger. As a bonus action, you may also use this alien substance, all accounts speak of its dangers.
ability to pass through your network of roots. You When a creature infected with the mold dies its
may appear anywhere along your root network as body becomes a host for more vegepygmies. In
long as you pass through only connected squares. rare cases a host is not dead but the mold believes
Once you use the ability to pass through your roots they are. It is at this point that the russet mold
your movement speed is reduced to 0 for that turn. bonds to the creature instead of using it as a host.
This rare occurrence is seen as a sign of the end
Nature’s Nourishment times by vegepygmies and they quickly toss the
At 14th level, while standing over your roots your creature out of their colonies.
synthesis is bolstered. While you are standing over Vegepeople can control the russet mold to a
your roots, your pool now regains hit points at the finite scale. They can create more vegepygmies
start of your turn equal to half your floraspawn from their flesh and even raise up plant-like
level + double your Constitution modifier to a mounts from dead animals. All Vegepeople share a
minimum of 1 hit point per turn. This effect only second consciousness with the mold that lives
occurs when you are standing over your roots and inside them, and it is a constant power struggle to
ends if you do not start your turn over them. get the mold to obey their demands.
Stalwart Defender Moldy Marrow
At 18th level, when an ally is in danger you may Starting at 1st level, russet mold has bonded into
spread your roots and come to their aid. As a your bones and organs. You gain damage
reaction when an ally within 60 feet of you is the resistance against piercing and lightning damage.
subject of an attack after the roll has been made
but before damage has been dealt, you may lay Vine Grapple
your roots in a line towards your ally and Also at 1st level, you have learned how to grapple a
immediately travel through them to defend them. creature at a distance using your vines. You may
Your ally is moved to an unoccupied square within attempt a grapple at a distance of 10 feet.
5 feet and the attack now targets you. You have Creatures can be moved or shoved at this distance,
resistance to the damage dealt by the attack. This you may only grapple one creature this way. You
ability consumes 40 temporary hit points from may grapple an additional creature at 3rd level, 7th
your pool. level and 18th level.
Mold Shaping
Beginning at 3rd level you have learned how to
shape your vines and mold into impressive
weapons. You may take any non-magical melee
weapon you have in your possession and perform
a special ritual with it. The ritual takes 1 full hour
and destroys the original weapon in the process.
You gain proficiency in this weapon and can
summon the weapon in a mass of vines as a bonus
action. You may only have one weapon absorbed at
a time. Each time you select a new weapon, you
must perform the ritual again.
22
 Russet Weapon Pygmy Pals
At 7th level, you can now absorb even magical At 14th level, you can now spread the russet mold
weapons with your Mold Shaping feature. The into any humanoid or giant in order to create loyal
weapons you absorb are no longer destroyed in the vegepygmy servants. As an action, you may spread
process. As a bonus action, when attacking with a your spores to a humanoid or giant type creature
Mold Shaped weapon you may spend temporary within 5 feet or through your vines if the creature
hit points from your pool equal to 5 × your is currently vine grappled. The creature must make
floraspawn level. For every 5 hit points you spend a Constitution saving throw against your pool DC
from the pool you may add an extra 1d6 force or take 2d6 poison damage and become poisoned
damage to the attack. for 1 hour if they fail. Once this ability takes effect
on a creature you cannot use it again until you
Thorny Mount finish a long rest.
Also at 7th level, you have learned how to spread If the creature dies within that time period or
the mold to a creature of the beast type to turn it has already been dead for less than 24 hours its
into a faithful companion. As an action, you may body becomes a host for several vegepygmies. You
spread your spores to a beast type creature within create 1 newborn from a Small corpse, 2 from a
5 feet or through your vines if the creature is Medium corpse, 4 from a Large corpse, 8 from a
currently vine grappled. The creature must make a Huge corpse, or 16 from a Gargantuan corpse.
Constitution saving throw against your pool DC or The vegepygmies are born from the corpse 24
take 2d6 poison damage and become poisoned for hours after the mold has set in. The vegepygmies
1 hour if they fail. Once this ability takes effect on a follow you and unless given orders they take the
creature you cannot use it again until you finish a Dodge action to defend themselves.
long rest. On each of your turns you can use a Bonus
If the creature dies within that time period or Action to mentally Command your vegepygmies if
has already been dead for less than 24 hours you the creatures are within 60 feet of you. Each time
raise the creature up as a medium or large size you issue your vegepygmies orders you must
version of the thorny (Volo’s Guide to Monsters). spend 2 points from your pool for each creature
Your thorny serves you as a mount, both in Combat controlled that turn. You decide what action the
and out and you have an instinctive bond with it creature will take and where it will move during its
that allows you to fight as a seamless unit. While next turn, or you can issue a general Command
your thorny is within 1 mile of you, you can such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor.
communicate with it telepathically. You can't have If you issue no commands the creature only
more than one thorny bonded to you at a time. The defends itself against Hostile creatures. Once
thorny dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points given an order, the creature continues to follow it
and doesn’t regenerate. until its task is complete.
After 24 hours, the vegepygmies all turn into
compost and cannot be restored to life.
Russet Reaver
When you reach 18th level all weapons created by
Russet Weapon have the reach property and now
inflict an extra 2d6 poison damage on every swing.
As a bonus action after dealing damage with a
Russet Weapon you may immediately attempt to
grapple the creature.

23
 Not Enough Hours In A
Day
The world is filled with so much knowledge, more
than most mortals could ever hope to absorb in a
single lifetime. When one life is not enough
powerful magic users pursue dark arts to extend
their own existence into undeath. Many liches are
believed to be consumed by the madness that
drives them to such extremes, but some are all too
clear of mind. Selfishly focusing on their goals by
any means necessary. That being said, not all
liches are self-centered and some devote their
near-endless lives to helping others.
Be Still My Heart
With their desiccated, hollowed body carrying no
heartbeat, the “life” of a lich is maintained within
another mechanism. A phylactery is the heart of a
lich, containing the souls that fuel them, as well as
Lich the magic runes that preserve their existence.
While some liches may be tempted to hide their
“You’ll never settle down and find a husband if you phylacteries away, adventuring liches must
spend all day in the library,” they said. She tired of struggle with the balance of protecting the trinket
hearing about how late nights studying would give that preserves their unlife while also needing it as
her wrinkles. Now her desiccated face is creased both their functioning spellbook and their magical
with laugh lines, and the cackle of her voice focus.
echoes throughout the halls of the abandoned
university. While they threw their lives away to the Creating a Lich
pursuit of shallow mortal joys, she dedicated her When creating your lich consider what drove them
life to cracking open the mysteries of the universe. to the pursuit of undeath. What events brought
His funeral was a warm and pleasant affair. His them face to face with the fear of their own
children thanked him for all he had done, and his mortality? Did they choose to become a lich, or
grandchildren laid flowers at his feet before he left was the curse accidentally inflicted upon them?
them. The daffodil from his great-granddaughter What goals will they pursue with potentially
has since turned to dust between the pages of his unlimited time? Will boredom become an issue?
favorite magic tome but he still watches over her Liches need to regularly consume the souls of
descendants from the tower up on the mountain. reasonably intelligent creatures to preserve
Fortune favors the bold they say, and she was themselves. How do they feel about taking the
never one to turn away from risk. Tucking her souls of others in order to preserve their own
phylactery into the rogue’s bag of holding was lives? Are they picky about the souls they take, or
typically her way of saying, “You go on ahead, I’ll will anyone do? How do they treat their phylactery,
see you next week.” When she did this the party and how do they regard others who might get
knew to flee to a safe distance because things close to it?
were about to get very, very explosive.

24
 The Lich
Proficiency Cantrips Spells
Level Bonus Features Known Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +2 Phylactery 3 4 2 — — — — — — — —
2nd +2 Soul Consumption 3 5 3 — — — — — — — —
3rd +2 Immortal Pathway 3 6 4 2 — — — — — — —
4th +2 Ability Score 4 7 4 3 ─ ─ ─ — — — —
Improvement
5th +3 Reaper's Greed 4 8 4 3 2 ─ ─ — — — —
6th +3 Immortal Pathway 4 9 4 3 3 ─ ─ — — — —
Feature
7th +3 ─ 4 10 4 3 3 1 ─ — — — —
8th +3 Ability Score 4 11 4 3 3 2 ─ — — — —
Improvement
9th +4 ─ 4 12 4 3 3 3 1 — — — —
10th +4 ─ 5 13 4 3 3 3 2 — — — —
11th +4 ─ 5 14 4 3 3 3 2 1 — — —
12th +4 Ability Score 5 15 4 3 3 3 2 1 — — —
Improvement
13th +5 — 5 16 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 — —
14th +5 Immortal Pathway 5 17 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 — —
Feature
15th +5 — 5 18 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 —
16th +5 Ability Score 5 18 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 —
Improvement
17th +6 — 5 19 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1
18th +6 — 5 20 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1
19th +6 Ability Score 5 21 4 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 1
Improvement
20th +6 Demilich 5 22 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1

Quick Build
You can make a lich quickly by following these
suggestions. First, make Intelligence your highest
ability score so you can better cast spells. Your
next-highest score should be either Dexterity or
Constitution to increase your chances of survival.
Next, choose the sage background. Third, choose
the mage hand, light, and chill touch cantrips
along with the following 1st-level spells for your
spellbook: dissonant whispers, cause fear, feather
fall, mage armor, and detect magic.

25
 As a reaction when you see a suitable creature
Class Features die within 60 feet of you, you can capture its soul
As a lich, you gain the following class features: charge and feed it to your phylactery. Your
phylactery can hold a maximum number of soul
Hit Points charges equal to 1 + your lich level. Suitable
Hit Dice: 1d6 per lich level creatures for your phylactery must meet all of the
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution following requirements:
modifier The creature is not an undead or construct.
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your The creature has a Challenge Rating 1/2 or
Constitution modifier per lich level after the 1st higher.
Proficiencies The creature can understand at least one
Armor: None language.
Weapons: Daggers, darts, quarterstaffs, light When you finish a long rest, your phylactery
crossbows regains 1 soul charge. When you finish a short rest
Tools: None where you expended at least 1 of your Hit Dice to
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Constitution regain hit points, your phylactery gains 1 soul
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, charge if it’s below its maximum capacity.
Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and
Religion Spellcasting
Equipment You have learned how to weave magic into your
You start with the following equipment, in addition phylactery much as you would a spellbook. If you
to the equipment granted by your background: once had a spellbook you may siphon the magical
inscriptions from the book into your phylactery.
(a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger See chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook “for the
(a) a dungeoneer's pack, (b) an explorer’s pack general rules of spellcasting and the “Spells List”
or (c) a scholar's pack section below for the lich spell list.
A phylactery, which acts as your arcane focus
and spellbook (see feature) Cantrips
At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice
Phylactery from the lich spell list. You learn additional lich
cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown
Your soul is tied to an object that allows you to live in the Cantrips Known column of the Lich table.
forever so long as you keep it supplied with the
life-force of others. While you have at least 1 soul Phylactery Storage
in the phylactery, any spell whose sole purpose is At 1st level, your phylactery may contain 4 1st-level
to return you to life can substitute your phylactery lich spells of your choice. Your phylactery is the
as the sole material component required to cast record of the lich spells you know, except your
the spell. Your phylactery acts as the arcane focus cantrips, which are fixed in your mind.
for your lich spells.
When you die and your phylactery contains at
least 1 soul charge, your body reforms next to your
phylactery within 1d8 days. If you die and your
phylactery is either destroyed or doesn’t contain
any soul charges you can only be returned to life
through the normal use of such spells.

26
 Ritual Casting
You can cast a lich spell as a ritual if that spell has
the ritual tag and you have the spell within your
phylactery. You don’t need to have the spell
Preparing and Casting Spells prepared.
The Lich table shows how many spell slots you
have to cast your lich spells of 1st level and higher. Learning Spells of 1st Level and
To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot Higher
of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all Each time you gain a lich level, you can add one
expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. lich spell of your choice into your phylactery for
You prepare the list of lich spells that are free. Each of these spells must be of a level for
available for you to cast. To do so, choose a which you have spell slots, as shown on the Lich
number of lich spells from your phylactery equal to table. On your adventures, you might find other
your Intelligence modifier + your lich level spells that you can add to your phylactery (see the
(minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a “Your Phylactery” sidebar).
level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you’re a 3rd-level lich, you have
four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an
Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared spells can Your Phylactery
include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any The phylactery is a mirror of your soul, instilling
combination chosen from your phylactery. If you knowledge into your very essence is one of the
prepare the 1st-level spell magic missile, you can reasons you have taken up this path as a lich. You
have learned to record raw magical information into
cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the phylactery so it may better serve you in the
the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of future. You may record new magic into your
phylactery when you come across a spellbook, scroll,
prepared spells. tome or even the phylactery of another lich.
You can change your list of prepared spells
when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of When you find a spell on the lich spell list that is of
1st level or higher, you can add it to your phylactery
lich spells requires time spent aligning with your if it is of a spell level you can prepare, and if you can
phylactery and memorizing the incantations and spare the time to decipher and copy it.
gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 Copying that spell into your phylactery involves
minute per spell level for each spell on your list. reproducing the basic form of the spell, then
deciphering the unique system of notation used by
those who wrote it. You must practice the spell until
Spellcasting Ability you understand the sounds or gestures required,
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your lich then transcribe it into your phylactery using your
spells since you learn your spells through own notation.

dedicated study and memorization. You use your For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours
and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material
Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your components you expend as you experiment with the
spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to
Intelligence modifier when setting the saving record it. Once you have spent this time and money
you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.
throw DC for a lich spell you cast and when
making an attack roll with one. A traditional phylactery is an amulet in the shape of a
small box. However, a phylactery can take on any
form as long as the inside of the amulet can be
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + inscribed with silver-etched arcane sigils of naming,
binding, immortality, and dark magic. Some
your Intelligence modifier phylacteries are boxes, while others are lockets (on
necklaces or rings), bottles, hollow crystal orbs, or
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + other creative containers.
your Intelligence modifier

27
Lich Spells
Cantrips (0 Level) 2nd Level 4th Level 7th Level
Chill Touch Arcane Lock Arcane Eye Crown of StarsXGE
Control FlamesXGE Blindness/Deafness Banishment Delayed Blast Fireball
Dancing Lights Blur Blight Etherealness
Fire Bolt Cloud of Daggers Compulsion Finger of Death
FrostbiteXGE Crown of Madness Death Ward Mirage Arcane
InfestationXGE Darkness Dimension Door Plane Shift
Light Darkvision Otiluke's Resilient Sphere Power Word Pain
Mage Hand Detect Thoughts Shadow of MoilXGE Prismatic Spray
Mending EarthbindXGE Stoneskin Reverse Gravity
Message Enlarge/Reduce Teleport
Minor Illusion Flaming Sphere 5th Level
Poison Spray Gentle Repose Antilife Shell 8th Level
Prestidigitation Hold Person Cloudkill Antimagic Field
Ray of Frost Knock Danse MacabreXGE Earthquake
Shocking Grasp Levitate Dominate Person Feeblemind
Spare the Dying Melf's Acid Arrow EnervationXGE Maddening DarknessXGE
Toll the DeadXGE Mind Spike Hold Monster Power Word Stun
Mirror Image Legend Lore
1st Level Misty Step Negative Energy FloodXGE 9th Level
Absorb Elements XGE
Phantasmal Force Planar Binding Gate
Alarm Ray of Enfeeblement Scrying Power Word Kill
Armor of Agathys Scorching Ray Seeming Psychic ScreamXGE
Arms of Hadar See Invisibility Synaptic StateXGE Time Stop
Bane Shadow BladeXGE Teleportation Circle Weird
Burning Hands Spider Climb Wall of Force Wish
Cause FearXGE Web
Chromatic Orb 6th Level
Color Spray 3rd Level Arcane Gate
Command Animate Dead Circle of Death
Comprehend Languages Bestow Curse Create Undead
Detect Magic Clairvoyance Disintegrate
Disguise Self Dispel Magic Eyebite
Dissonant Whispers Enemies AboundXGE Harm
Earth TremorXGE Erupting EarthXGE ScatterXGE
Expeditious Retreat Fear Soul CageXGE
False Life Feign Death
Feather Fall Fireball
Find Familiar Fly
Fog Cloud Gaseous Form
Ice KnifeXGE Life TransferenceXGE
Identify Magic Circle
Jump Melf's Minute MeteorsXGE
Mage Armor Speak with Dead
Magic Missile Stinking Cloud
Protection from Evil and Tongues
Good Vampiric Touch
Ray of Sickness
Shield
Silent Image
Tasha's Hideous Laughter
Witch Bolt

28
 Soul Consumption Demilich
Starting at 2nd level, you can consume the soul At 20th level, if you’re reduced to 0 hit points or as
charges stored within your phylactery to regain an Action on your turn, you can consume all but 1
power. As a bonus action while your phylactery is of the soul charges in your phylactery to take on a
on your person, you can consume 1 soul charge in demilich form. Your body disintegrates into a Tiny
your phylactery and choose one of the following floating skull and swirling cloud of dust. Your
effects: phylactery is carried within the dust cloud of your
Regain hit points equal to 1d4 + your form; your other possessions are left behind in
Intelligence modifier. your space. Your demilich form has the following
Recover an expended 1st-level spell slot. additional features:
Your hit points and hit point maximum are
Immortal Pathway equal to 4 x your lich level.
At 3rd level, you choose a pathway that will define Your walking speed is replaced by an equal
your unending immortal existence: the Pathway of flying speed (hover).
the Baelnorn, the Pathway of the Omniscient, or You are resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and
the Pathway of the Wastes. The pathway you slashing damage.
choose grants you features at 3rd level and again If you are subjected to an effect that allows you
at 6th and 14th level. to make a saving throw to take only half
damage, you instead take no damage if you
Ability Score Improvement succeed on the saving throw and only half
damage if you fail.
When you reach 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th You regain a number of expended spell slots of
level, you can increase one ability score of your a combined level equal to the number of soul
choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores charges expended.
of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase You don’t need to perform somatic or verbal
an ability score above 20 using this feature. components for your lich spells, and your
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo phylactery continues to act as your arcane
taking this feature to take a feat of your choice focus.
instead.
Your transformation lasts 10 minutes or until
Reaper’s Greed you are reduced to 0 hit points. Soul charges you
accumulate during this transformation must be
Beginning at 5th level, when multiple creatures immediately spent as part of the same reaction
capable of feeding your phylactery die used to acquire them. When the transformation
simultaneously (such as from the same area of ends, you die. When you are returned to life, you
effect spell), you can use your reaction to capture a can’t use this feature for 7 days from the point at
number of souls up to 1 + your Intelligence which you were revived.
modifier (minimum 2).

29
 Resilient Form
Immortal Pathways Also at 3rd level, as a reaction when you take
As you gain more arcane knowledge, you find ways damage of a specific type you can use 1 soul
in which to shape your very spirit. An immortal charge to become resistant to that damage type for
pathway represents a new power manifested. 1 minute.
Touch of Eternal Rest
Pathway of the Baelnorn At 6th level, you may use an action to make a
When an elven mage is nearing the end of their melee touch attack against a creature within 5
lives they are sometimes called on to become feet. The creature must succeed on a Constitution
something greater. They are asked to live longer saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your
than their time would allow them so they may Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus or
continue important studies for the elven people. fall unconscious for 1d4 turns. While in this state,
There are times where the elven magics used to the creature is intangible between the ethereal
make a Baelnorn have been spread further, so plane and your own and it cannot be targeted by
seeing a Baelnorn outside of the elven people is other effects. In this state you can send a
possible but rare. In recent times a Baelnorn is no nightmare to the creature, the nightmare causes
longer made, but are instead converted through a 1d10 psychic damage to the creature at the end of
sanctifying ritual. The impurities of undeath are each of its turns. When the effect ends the
cleansed from the lich to create a freshly creature is unaware of what happened and has no
awakened Baelnorn. recollection of the nightmare or dream it
experienced. You may use this ability a number of
Gift of the Seldarine times equal to your Intelligence modifier and
When you choose this pathway at 3rd level, your regain all uses after you finish a long rest.
phylactery feature changes. You no longer have a You can also use this effect on an ally, sending
phylactery and all soul charges flow into your body the ally a dream instead of a nightmare. While in
instead. You must spend 24 hours converting the the dream the creature restores 1d10 hit points at
energy inside the phylactery into your enriched the end of each of its turns.
form. This process transfers all the souls residing
inside the phylactery. You are required to use an Image of Ancestry
arcane focus to cast spells. Suitable creatures for At 14th level, the Baelnorn can consume several of
your phylactery have further limitations its charges to create a duplicate of itself from its
replacement body. For every 3 charges consumed
The creature is not an undead or construct. the duplicate remains for one turn. The duplicate
The creature has a Challenge Rating 1/2 or appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of
higher. you, it cannot move or be moved from this space.
The creature can understand at least one The duplicate mimics your action on each of its
language. turns. It can pick different targets for these
The creature must be evil aligned or is known actions. When it casts a spell it uses your spell
to have committed a vile act that you bore slots to do so. The duplicate’s attacks make use of
witness to or the creature willingly sacrifices your spell save DC and attack bonuses. The
itself to you in death. duplicate can be targeted, it has your armor class
Also when you die your body reforms through and half of your hit points. If the duplicate is
the magic of the Seldarine over an 8 hour period. reduced to 0 hit points it vanishes instantly. You
You cannot reform another body until another 7 may use this ability once and regain use of it after
days have passed. you finish a long rest.

30
 Pathway of the Experimental Vulnerability
At 6th level, your accumulated experience allows
Omniscient you to twist your spells to your advantage. When
Whereas other liches may look upon souls like you target a Known Source creature, you can
scraps of wood to fuel their fire, the Omniscient expend a number of souls equal to half the
views souls like books. Tasty delicious books full of creatures CR (rounded down, minimum of 1). If
information to be devoured. The lives swirling the spell requires a saving throw you can force the
within a lich’s phylactery are not that of sheep or creature to make the save at disadvantage. If the
cattle, they are at least modestly intelligent spell requires an attack roll you make the roll at
creatures and it would be terribly wasteful to not advantage, and for this casting of the spell the
use every part of the soul. target becomes vulnerable to the damage type of
the spell or loses one level of resistance or
Knowledge Syphon immunity.
When you choose this pathway at 3rd level, you Knowledge is Power
can draw upon the collective experience of the At 14th level, when you capture a soul from a
souls you have collected. When you make an Known Source creature you regain hit points
Intelligence ability check, you may expend 1 soul equal to their CR.
in your phylactery to add +5 to the roll.
Known Source
Also at 3rd level, you choose one creature type:
aberrations, beasts, celestials, dragons,
elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities,
oozes, or plants. Alternatively, you can select two
races of humanoid (such as gnolls and orcs) as
known sources. When you collect a soul from a
known source, it counts as an additional soul. You
have advantage on knowledge checks to recall
information about these types of creatures.
You may choose an additional known source
when you reach 6th level, and again at 14th level.

31
Pathway of the Wastes Desert Soul
Also at 3rd level, you gain resistance to fire
A lich who travels in the dry arid wastes of the damage and you do not need to drink or suffer
world has found a way to use their own organs as from the effects of dehydration. If you are affected
phylacteries, effectively granting them five by an ability that alters your form (such as a
phylacteries. Your form is skeletal and gaunt, your polymorph spell), you can choose to succeed on
skin dried and desiccated and your soul split in the saving throw if you wish.
many parts. Most liches who follow this pathway
lived their mortal lives in dry arid regions. Desiccating Touch
At 6th level, as an action when you touch a living
The Five Souls creature, the creature must succeed on a
When you choose this pathway at 3rd level, your Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8 +
phylactery feature changes. You have 5 your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency
phylacteries: your stomach, intestines, lungs, liver, bonus. The creature suffers necrotic damage equal
and heart. The five organs are placed in special to your lich level and you gain an equal number of
ritual jars and collectively store consumed souls. temporary hit points, or half as much on a
You can store a number of souls equal to 5 + your successful saving throw and you gain no
lich level. temporary hit points. If you kill a creature in this
When you die, you can reform next to any one of way, their body turns to salt and crumbles. This
your five phylacteries regardless of your distance leaves no trace of the creature. Revivify and raise
to that organ. If one of these phylacteries is dead will not restore the creature to life and gentle
destroyed they are permanently destroyed forever. repose has no effect on the salt.
If all five phylacteries are destroyed, your physical
form crumbles to dust. Only a wish spell can Dust to Dust
restore an organ, and the spell can only restore At 14th level, as an action you can expend 5 soul
one organ per casting. charges from your phylacteries. If you do so your
form becomes that of an air elemental but
appears as a sandstorm. This functions identically
to the Druid Wildshape class feature. While in this
form, whenever you take the attack action you can
use a bonus action to use your Desiccating Touch.

32
 Lunar Power
The moon and its phases are the biggest
influences on when the other has control over your
body. The closer to the full moon the more difficult
those urges are to control. However, many
lycanthropes track the phases of the moon and
take precautions to protect their loved ones. These
protections include chaining themselves up and
keeping the moon out of sight.
Creating a Lycanthrope
As you create your lycanthrope character consider
how you came into your power. Were you born as a
lycanthrope? Were you attacked by a creature and
afflicted with a curse? Were you the subject of an
Lycanthrope alchemist’s experiment? Were you given as a
sacrifice to a lycanthrope willingly or otherwise?
Bear pelts were fetching a high price in the Do you even know how you came about your
northern mountains. Unscrupulous hunters were curse, or is that one of the great mysteries that you
beginning to venture into the dens where their seek to uncover?
prey slept for the winter. They did not know that Consider how you deal with these aspects of
these mountains were under the protection of a your life. Lycanthropes who have always
ranger, only that they were turned back from their possessed their gift or who have lived with it for
pursuit by a tall-standing brown bear that told many years may be better equipped to handle the
them “Get out.” duality of their lives whereas the newly cursed may
As a half-elf she was not an imposing figure. The struggle with the changes they endure. How do
bandits that surrounded her knew no fear, but you view your lycanthropy? Would you inflict
neither did she. As she stretched her arms and another with it if you could? Would it be a gift
fingers upward an eerie caw echoes off of every given to a friend or a curse saved for your worst
surface and her night-black feathers become enemy? How do you feel about other lycanthropes?
silhouetted before the moonlight. Now they knew Would you cure it if you could?
fear.
There were rumors swirling in the town that a
rakshasa was on the prowl. The town guard was
on high alert for a vile and powerful fiend. What no Inflicting Lycanthropy
one knew to look for was the halfling thief who Many players will want to know: how can they infect
crept through the shadows in the night with catlike their fellow party members with their gifts? The
simple answer is: whenever the DM deems it
grace and stripes on his furry face. possible. However, as this is a class it is
recommended that if you allow your players to
Uncontrolled Fury infect one another that they must take their next
level in Lycanthrope.
A lycanthrope has a powerful beast lingering at the
fringes of their mind always wanting to escape and
hunt. Even while in complete control of their
actions, someone trying to hide their primal secret
can find it difficult to ignore this rage.

33
The Lycanthrope
Level Proficiency Bonus Transformation Duration Features
1st +2 10 min Primal Calling, Transformation, Lunar Sensitivity
2nd +2 20 min Lycanthropic Resistance
3rd +2 30 min Savage Attacks
4th +2 40 min Ability Score Improvement
5th +3 50 min Extra Attack
6th +3 1 hour Primal Calling Feature
7th +3 1 hour, 10 min Savage Control, Beast Speak
8th +3 1 hour, 20 min Ability Score Improvement
9th +4 1 hour, 30 min Lunar Sensitivity Improvement
10th +4 1 hour, 40 min Lycanthropic Immunity
11th +4 1 hour, 50 min Wild Combatant
12th +4 2 hours Ability Score Improvement, Primal Calling Feature
13th +5 2 hours, 10 min Natural Predator
14th +5 2 hours, 20 min Supernatural Senses
15th +5 2 hours, 30 min Lunar Sensitivity Improvement
16th +5 2 hours, 40 min Ability Score Improvement
17th +6 ∞ Greater Savage Control
18th +6 ∞ Primal Calling Feature
19th +6 ∞ Ability Score Improvement
20th +6 ∞ Legendary Lycanthrope

Quick Build
You can make a lycanthrope quickly by following
these suggestions. First, make Strength your
highest ability score. Your next-highest score
should be Dexterity or Constitution if you wish to
focus on survival within the wilderness. Second,
choose the hermit background. Third, choose
either Werebear, Wereboar, or Werewolf as your
primal calling selection. Remember to add a
second saving throw designated by your primal
calling.

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 Class Features Transformation
Hit Points Also at 1st level, as an action, you can transform
Hit Dice: 1d8 per lycanthrope level into your animal form or your hybrid form. When
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution you change form you can stay in that form for up to
modifier 10 minutes per Lycanthrope level before changing
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your back. The equipment you are carrying or wearing
Constitution modifier per lycanthrope level after is not transformed. You cannot cast spells while
1st transformed in either your hybrid or animal forms,
and cannot use abilities which require your voice
Proficiencies while in your animal form.
Armor: None While in your animal form you are considered a
Weapons: Sickle, dagger, club beast. Regardless of which form you take you have
Tools: None the shapeshifter tag. When you die, you revert to
your true form. While in your animal form you use
Saving Throws: Constitution the statistics of the beast that you become but
Skills: Choose two from Nature, Religion, Animal retain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma
Handling, Perception, Deception, and Intimidation ability scores as well as your hit points. In your
Equipment hybrid form you retain all your statistics except
You start with the following equipment, in addition where noted in your Primal Calling feature. You
to the equipment granted by your background: can use this ability twice, you regain all uses after
you finish a short or long rest
(a) a longbow and 20 arrows or (b) a hand
crossbow and 20 bolts Lunar Sensitivity
(a) two simple melee weapons or (b) one As a Lycanthrope you are at the mercy of the
martial melee weapon moon. Each night you must make a Wisdom
(a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s saving throw with a DC based on the phase of the
pack moon. For places that have no moon, the DC is 5.
Two daggers Failure indicates you must transform into your
Primal Calling beast form. If you can see the moon you suffer
disadvantage on the saving throw. You can choose
At 1st level, your bloodline begins to exhibit itself. to fail the saving throw if you wish. This does not
Choose Wereape, Werebear, Wereboar, count as a use of your Transformation class
Werecrocodile, Wererat, Wereraven, Weretiger, or feature.
Werewolf. You gain the Transformation Moon Phase Saving Throw DC
Lycanthrope class feature and your choice grants
you abilities at the 1st, 6th, 12th, and 18th levels. Full 20
Starting at 1st level, your transformation will Waxing/Waning 15
grant you natural attacks. The damage for these Crescent 10
attacks are as follows: New 5
Bite, tusk and beak attacks deal 1d6 piercing
damage.
Claw attacks deal 1d6 slashing damage.
Fist attacks deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage.

35
If you failed the saving throw, your character must
obey the following rules below: Savage Attacks
You stay transformed until dawn. At 3rd level, while in your hybrid or beast form
You cannot control your transformation until whenever you roll damage dice from natural
dawn. attacks, you can reroll 1s and 2s. You must take
Your character must hunt and kill a living small the new result.
or larger creature and eat of its flesh. Until you
do each round you want to perform an action Extra Attack
other than attacking a living creature, you must Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice,
make another Wisdom saving throw to see if instead of once, whenever you take the Attack
you can do so. Failure indicates you must take action on your turn.
the attack action that turn or suffer 1d10
psychic damage that cannot kill you. Savage Control
If you do not kill a creature before dawn you
gain 4 levels of exhaustion when dawn arrives. By 7th level, you can use your shapeshifting
feature 4 times before needing to finish a long rest.
This ability improves at the 9th level in the
following ways listed: Beast Speak
If you fail your saving throw you can choose to Also beginning at 7th level, you are always affected
transform into either your beast or hybrid form, by the speak with animals spell but only for
unless you failed the save by 5 or more. Failing animals that are the same as your animal form. At
by 5 or more defaults to your beast form. 14th level, this expands to all beasts.
You no longer need to make saving throws to
perform actions other than attacking. Lycanthropic Immunity
Failing to kill a creature before dawn gives one Starting at 10th level, you no longer take extra
level less of exhaustion (three levels). damage from silvered weapons. Additionally,
This ability further improves at the 15th level as beasts see you more as one of their own than your
shown: actual creature type. Beasts are not bothered by
your presence unless they succeed on a
You no longer need to make Lunar Sensitivity Perception check when you are using stealth to
saving throws regardless of the moon phase. hunt them.
You no longer need to kill a living creature at
night. You no longer gain exhaustion from Wild Combatant
failing to kill a creature at night.
At 11th level, whenever you use the Attack action,
Lycanthropic Resistance you can use your bonus action to make one
additional attack with a natural weapon. Instead of
Beginning at 2nd level, while in your animal or a natural attack you can attack with the weapon
hybrid form you reduce damage from slashing, specified in your Primal Calling feature.
piercing and bludgeoning damage from non-
magical weapons that aren’t silvered by an amount Natural Predator
equal to your Lycanthrope level. Additionally, you Starting at 13th level, your damage from your
have vulnerability to damage from silvered natural attacks increases to 1d8 damage of the
weapons regardless of which form you are in. same type. These attacks count as magical for the
purposes of overcoming damage resistance and
immunity.

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 Supernatural Senses Primal Callings
Beginning at 14th level, whenever you roll a You have several different callings available to you,
Wisdom (Perception) check, you also know if there depending on the curse that’s been afflicted.
are any creatures that are affected by illusion or
transmutation spells or any creatures with the Calling of the Werebear
shapeshifter tag within 30 feet.
Infamous for their ability to reject their violent
Greater Savage Control impulses, werebears achieve a balance between
their primal and former lives that other
At 17th level, you can use your shapeshifting lycanthropes do not know. However, it isn’t
feature an unlimited number of times. uncommon for other lycanthropes to consider this
a weakness of the werebear: a kindness they reject
Legendary Lycanthrope in favor of the hunt.
At 20th level, when you shift into your animal form, Primal Calling
you may choose to become Huge. Should you After selecting this calling at 1st level, your animal
become Huge you gain all of the following benefits: form is a brown bear. In your hybrid or bear forms
All of your speeds increase by 10 ft. you gain a bite and a claw attack. You are
Your AC becomes 15 while in your animal form considered proficient with these attacks as well as
if it is lower. with greataxes. You are proficient in Strength
You gain temporary hit points equal to your saving throws. While in your hybrid form, if you’re
total hit points that lasts until you leave your not wearing armor your AC becomes 10 + your
animal form. dexterity modifier + your strength modifier.
Your attacks deal 2 more dice of damage and
their reach increases by 5 ft. Grizzled Strength
You gain +4 on your Strength and Dexterity At 6th level, you gain a climb speed equal to your
scores while in this form. base walking speed. Additionally, whenever you
use your transformation feature you gain
These benefits last for 10 minutes and then you temporary hit points equal to your Lycanthrope
must change back to your natural form. Once you level.
have used this feature you cannot use it again until
you’ve finished a long rest. Ursine Toughness
Beginning at 12th level, whenever you reduce a
creature to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit
points equal to your Constitution modifier.
Bloodthirsty Rage
At 18th level, you are not rendered unconscious
when reduced to 0 hit points as long as you dealt
damage to a foe before the end of your turn and
have not cast a spell. You are still dying and need
to make death saving throws as usual. You are still
subject to damage at 0 hit points as described in
the death saving throw section of combat.

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Calling of the Wereboar Feral Hog
Beginning at 6th level, your base walking speed
Perhaps more than other lycanthropes Wereboars increases by 10 feet. Additionally, your Proficiency
embrace their change. They use their strength Bonus is doubled for any ability check you make
with reckless abandon, they enjoy allowing their that uses your Strength modifier.
primal urges to guide them and where most other
lycanthropes are solitary or form packs the Goring Charge
Wereboar goes wherever it likes and makes friends At 12th level, if you move at least 10 feet towards a
with whoever entertains them the most. target and strike with a natural attack, you roll an
extra d6 for damage, the target must succeed on a
Primal Calling Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. The
After selecting this calling at 1st level, your animal DC for this saving throw is 8 + your proficiency
form is a boar. In your hybrid or boar forms you modifier + your Strength modifier.
gain a tusk attack. You are considered proficient
with these attacks as well as with mauls. You are Rock Steady Strength
proficient in Strength saving throws. While in your Starting at 18th level, creatures damaged by your
hybrid form if you’re not wearing armor your AC melee weapon attacks and natural attacks are
becomes 10 + your dexterity modifier + your pushed back 5 feet.
strength modifier.

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 Calling of the Wererat
Wererats are famous in most large cities and are Friend of the Darkness
likely the most prolific lycanthropes in existence. At 6th level, you gain darkvision and you have
Sometimes considered a scourge for their habits advantage with Wisdom (Perception) checks that
they make for excellent thieves. Their ability to talk rely on smell. Additionally, your Proficiency Bonus
to normal rats also gifts them with a huge is doubled for Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
information network, allowing them to operate
nearly unseen. Darting Attacks
Starting at 12th level, whenever you use your
Primal Calling bonus action with the Wild Combatant feature, you
After selecting this calling at 1st level, your animal can make two natural attacks instead of one. If you
form is a giant rat. In your hybrid or giant rat do these attacks only deal damage equal to the
forms, you gain a bite attack. You are considered ability modifier you used to attack.
proficient with these attacks as well as with
shortswords and hand crossbows. You are Lethal Precision
proficient in Intelligence saving throws. While in Beginning at 18th level, when you score a critical
your hybrid form if you’re not wearing armor your hit with your natural weapons, roll an extra 1d8 for
AC becomes 10 + your dexterity modifier + your damage.
intelligence modifier.

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Calling of the Weretiger Calling of the Wereape
Proud, bloodthirsty hunters who pride themselves One might think that given the similarities
on their lycanthropic heritage as a noble would between the great apes and humanoids, the curse
their own bloodline. Weretigers operate alone or of the Wereape would be somehow lesser. One
sometimes in small prides. They are often seen as would be wrong. Wereapes are willing to throw
the opposing end of the primal spectrum when themselves completely into the primal instincts of
compared to Wereboars. For as much as the their calling without ever losing the spark of
Wereboar enjoys basking in dirt and enjoying the intellect that guides them to the use of tools and
animalistic side of themselves, the Weretiger tactics.
focuses on the intellectual aspects of their form.
By combining their sharp minds and sharper Primal Calling
reflexes, they consider themselves to be the perfect After selecting this calling at 1st level, your animal
hunter. form is an ape. In your hybrid or ape forms, you
gain a fist attack. You are considered proficient
Primal Calling with this attack, as well as with greatclub and
After selecting this calling at 1st level, your animal greataxes and can wield them in one hand. You are
form is a Tiger. In your hybrid or tiger forms, you proficient in Strength saving throws. While in your
gain a bite and a claw attack. You are considered hybrid form if you’re not wearing armor your AC
proficient with these attacks as well as with becomes 10 + your dexterity modifier + your
scimitars and longbows. You are proficient in strength modifier.
Charisma saving throws. While in your hybrid
form if you’re not wearing armor your AC becomes Strong Grip
10 + your dexterity modifier + your charisma Beginning at 6th level, you gain a climb speed
modifier. equal to your base walking speed. When you hit a
creature who has not taken damage this turn with
Feline Blessing your fist attack, your attack deals an extra 1d6
Beginning at 6th level, your base walking speed bludgeoning damage. This damage increases to
increases by 10 feet. Additionally, you gain 2d6 at 12th level, and 3d6 at 18th level.
darkvision and you have advantage with Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on smell or sight. Crushing Smash
At 12th level, when you score a critical hit with
Reckless Attacks your slam attack the creature must succeed on a
Starting at 12th level, whenever you use your Constitution saving throw against a DC equal to 8
bonus action with the Wild Combatant feature, you + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength modifier
can make two natural attacks instead of one. If you or become stunned until the end of their next turn.
do these attacks only deal damage equal to the
ability modifier you used to attack. Shake Off Death
Starting at 18th level, when you are reduced to 0
Pouncing Hunter hit points you may use your reaction to expend and
At 18th level, as a reaction to a creature moving roll a number of hit die up to your Constitution
within 30 feet you can move directly towards them modifier. You regain a number of hit points equal
and make a melee attack roll. If you hit, the target to the amount rolled and suffer a level of
is knocked prone. exhaustion equal to one half the amount of hit die
used (rounded down, minimum 1).

40
 Calling of the Werewolf Canid Reflexes
At 12th level, creatures adjacent to you provoke
The most well known of all the lycanthropes, and opportunity attacks from you even if they took the
for good reason. They’re more primal than the Disengage action. Additionally, whenever you hit a
boar, more cunning than the rat, more dangerous creature with an opportunity attack its speed
than the bear, and more in tune with their primal drops to 0 for the rest of the turn. This stops any
souls than the tiger. They are the apex predator of movement they may have been taking.
all the lycanthropes and those who ignore these
facts are only regulating themselves to becoming Expert Tracker
future prey. Starting at 18th level, you can unerringly track the
last creature you dealt damage to. This works as
Primal Calling long as you and the target are on the same plane of
After selecting this calling at 1st level, your animal existence.
form is a wolf. In your hybrid or wolf forms, you
gain a bite and a claw attack. You are considered
proficient with these attacks as well as with
spears. You are proficient in Strength saving
throws. While in your hybrid form if you’re not
wearing armor your AC becomes 10 + your
dexterity modifier + your strength modifier.
Stalking Hunter
Beginning at 6th level, your base walking speed
increases by 10 feet. Additionally, you gain
darkvision and you have advantage with Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on smell or sight.

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Wereraven Quoth the Raven
At 6th level, your flying speed increases by 30 feet.
Quick, clever and elegant is the raven. Though the In hybrid or animal form you have advantage on
primal calling of the Wereraven may not be as wild any Charisma (Deception or Performance) check
and bloodthirsty as that of a wolf or boar, their made to mimic the voice or sounds of other
intellect and predisposition to mischief make the creatures.
Wereraven a fearsome figure. Wereravens are
opportunists and are always looking for an Nevermore
opening to take advantage of a situation. Beginning at 12th level, your presence heralds
doom in the collective unconscious. When you
Primal Calling transform, each creature of your choice that can
When you use your transformation feature at 1st see you within 60 feet must make a Wisdom
level your animal form is a Medium-sized raven. In saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your
your hybrid or raven forms, you gain a beak attack. Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier or be
You are considered proficient with this attack as frightened for 1 minute. A creature may repeat the
well as with slings, battleaxes, greataxes and saving throw at the end of each of their turns,
handaxes. You are proficient in Intelligence saving ending the effect on themselves on a success.
throws. While in your hybrid form if you’re not
wearing armor your AC becomes 10 + your Evasive Flight
Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence modifier. At 18th level, your flight speed increases another
30 feet. You do not provoke opportunity attacks
while flying. You have advantage on Dexterity
saving throws while flying and if an effect would
cause you to take half damage on a success, you
instead take no damage.

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 Werecrocodile
Though Werecrocodiles are terrifyingly strong,
they are not fools who charge blindly. The
Werecrocodile prefers life as an ambush predator.
Taking on their enemies not only when the
Werecrocodile is strong but when their target is
weak and unassuming.
Primal Calling
At 1st level your animal form is a crocodile. In
your hybrid or crocodile forms, you gain a bite
attack. You are considered proficient with this
attack as well as with spears and tridents. You are
proficient in Strength saving throws. While in your
hybrid form if you’re not wearing armor your AC
becomes 10 + your dexterity modifier + your
strength modifier.
Perilous Bite
Beginning at 6th level, your swim speed increases
to 30 feet. You can hold your breath for 15
minutes. When you hit a creature with your bite
attack you can choose to grapple them. A target
grappled in this way is also restrained.
Underwater Adaptation
At 12th level, you have darkvision out to 60 feet
while you are underwater. It cannot be impeded by
magical darkness. If you use your transformation
feature while you are in water you gain a number
of temporary hit points equal to your lycanthrope
level.
Underwater Assassin
Starting at 18th level, while submerged in at least
5 feet of water you have advantage on death saving
throws, and your weapon attacks score a critical
hit on roll a 19 or 20.

43
 The Difference between
Undead and Undeath
Common revenants return only to seek revenge on
those that took their lives. Those with far stronger
convictions manage to maintain some semblance
of their past existence. They are not mindless
undead on a mission, they are skilled warriors who
train their bodies to exact their revenge and
complete their goals. A revenant like this is known
as unchained. They continue to live on through
sheer will and determination. They walk the
boundary between life and death, never fully
existing in either place. This means an unchained
revenant must eat, sleep and drink as normal.
Fear Personified
Revenants have mastered the artform of invoking
terror. One glance from them can freeze their prey
stiff. When they start accepting the power of their
vengeance the unchained learn to embrace what
Revenant they are. Fear itself loses meaning to them and
The dwarven smith works tirelessly to reforge his their minds become too sharp and focused to be
broken sword. Even with the gash on his shoulder, controlled in any way. Despite the revenant’s
an open wound that no longer bleeds, his hammer solitary nature they work well in groups as
swings true with every strike. He was put down trackers and hunters and they function well in
while leading in a peasant revolt, but his body society as expert bounty hunters.
won’t stay down as long as his homeland lies in the Creating a Revenant
clutches of tyranny.
A muddy boot print remains on the broken door When creating your revenant, consider what
of the thieves’ den. Remnants of her grave dirty the person or situation led to their death. The core of
floor with smudges of dirt smeared across the every revenant will be their quest for revenge. Also
strewn bodies, now growing as cold as their remember that unchained revenants, such as the
hunter. While they lay still, a chilly elven woman one you will be playing, don’t have simple goals
stands over them, rigid and unblinking. She and retain much of their former self. They may still
doesn’t have to examine their faces to know she show emotion and have goals outside of their
didn’t catch him this time. Her killer was a wiley vengeance. Consider their revenge to be
one, but he won’t be able to outrun her forever. something of a long term goal. Perhaps they died
There is a sage in a place of higher learning from the cruelty of a tyrannical monarch and they
hidden within remote mountains. Some claimed now believe in overthrowing monarchical systems.
he was burnt at the stake for his heretical Their death may have been caused by a specific
teachings, but to this day the man with charred creature such as goblinoids and now they spend
skin continues to lecture on the separation of their unlife tirelessly hunting for these creatures.
religious and secular leadership. Two-hundred
years is a long time for a human to maintain their
tenure.

44
 Who were you before all this? Were you an
adventurer who met an unfortunate fate at the
hands of monsters or men? Were you a sailor who Class Name
was dragged down to the depths only to return Proficiency
with revenge on your mind? Were you a revenant Level Bonus Features
who completed their goal and instead of fading 1st +2 Prey, Grace of Undeath
away found reasons to stay attached to this world? 2nd +2 Fixated Tracker
You could have been punished as a criminal and
your hatred for those that betrayed you sustains 3rd +2 Route of Retribution
your unlife. 4th +2 Ability Score Improvement
5th +3 Extra Attack
Class Features 6th +3 Route Feature
7th +3 Unending Terror, Prey II
As a revenant, you gain the following class
features. 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement
9th +4 Frozen Stiff, Grace of
Hit Points Undeath II
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Revenant level 10th +4 ─
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution 11th +4 Route Feature
modifier 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your 13th +5 ─
Constitution modifier per revenant level after the
1st 14th +5 Mastery of Pain, Prey III
15th +5 Route Feature
Proficiencies 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement
Armor: All armor, shields 17th +6 Possessive Glare
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None 18th +6 Route Feature
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Strength Unending Terror
Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, 20th +6 Improvement
Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation,
Perception, Stealth, and Survival
Equipment Quick Build
You start with the following equipment, in addition You can make a revenant quickly by following
to the equipment granted by your background: these suggestions. First, make Strength or
(a) scale mail or (b) leather armor, a light Dexterity your highest ability score depending on
crossbow, and 20 bolts the weapons you wish to use. Your next-highest
(a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two score should be Wisdom if you wish to focus on
martial weapons tracking your prey and tricking the mind. Next,
(a) a longbow and 20 arrow or (b) two light choose the soldier background.
hammers
(a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s
pack

45
Prey Fixated Tracker
Starting at 1st level, if you spend at least 1 minute At 2nd level you have learned how to hunt your
observing or interacting with another creature prey like no other. When making a Wisdom
outside combat you can learn certain information (Survival) check to track a creature you may
about its capabilities compared to your own or if declare the type of that creature if you know it. You
they have a specific resistance or vulnerability. The receive advantage on your Wisdom (Survival)
DM gives you information on the creature checks to track creatures of that type for the next 8
including if they are your equal, superior, or hours. If the creature was subject to your Prey
inferior to two of the following characteristics of ability you cannot roll less than 10 on the Wisdom
your choice: (Survival) check.
Ability score Route of Retribution
Current hit points
Total class levels (if any) At 3rd level, you begin to recall more about the way
Resistances (not a comparison) you died. The manner of your death becomes the
Vulnerability (not a comparison) route to your retribution. Choose the Route of the
Avenger, the Route of the Umbraged or the Route
You may learn a third characteristic at 7th and a of the Drowned. The route you choose grants you
fourth at 14th level. Once you have used this ability features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, 15th
on a creature, you may not use it on the same and 18th level.
creature until 30 days have passed.
Grace of Undeath Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th
Beginning at 1st level you no longer age and are no level you can increase one ability score of your
longer required to make death saving throws when choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores
you are reduced to 0 hit points. Instead, you are of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase
catatonic and count as stabilized and you cannot an ability score above 20 using this feature.
heal any amount of hit points while in this state. Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo
You will wake up with 1 hit point in 1 hour. Each taking this feature to take a feat of your choice
time a creature with a challenge rating of ¼ or instead.
higher dies within 10 feet of you while you are in
this state, remove 20 minutes from the 1 hour Extra Attack
duration. If the duration is reduced to 0, you
awaken immediately with 1 hit point. At 9th level Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice,
the distance of this ability increases to 30 feet. instead of once, whenever you take the Attack
You can still be killed by effects that cause death action on your turn.
such as having your head cut off or by taking
damage 3 times while you are at 0 hit points.
Spells used to return a creature to life have no
effect on you, instead your body must be buried
with a diamond worth 500 GP in your hands. In
10 days time you will return to the world if your
body was not disturbed during this ritual.

46
 Unending Terror Mastery of Pain
Starting at 7th level you become immune to the Beginning at 14th level when you have identified a
charmed and frightened conditions and you may vulnerability in a creature you also learn how to
use your Prey ability as a bonus action during exploit it, as well as how to neutralize their
combat as long as the creature is within 120 feet. resistances. When your Prey ability has identified
When you strike a creature affected by your Prey a vulnerability in a creature the first attack on your
ability with a weapon attack, the creature must turn using that damage type does maximum
make a Wisdom saving throw or become damage. Instead of normally rolling one or more
frightened. The DC equals 10 or the damage done dice to deal damage with the attack, you instead
by the attack to a maximum of 20, whichever use the highest number possible for each die. On a
number is higher. You may use this ability a successful hit any resistances identified by the
number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier Prey ability are negated on that creature for 1
and you regain all expended uses of it when you minute.
finish a long rest. Starting at 20th level, when you
roll initiative and have no uses of Unending Terror Possessive Glare
remaining, you regain one use of this ability. At 17th level, the first time you are reduced to 0 hit
Frozen Stiff points you may use your reaction and attempt to
possess a creature within 60 feet of you that has a
At 9th level, as a reaction, when a creature within CR 6 or lower. This ability doesn’t work on
60 feet is about to move, you may reduce that creatures that do not possess a body that contains
creature’s movement to 0 if they fail a Charisma a spirit.
saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your Wisdom The creature must succeed on a Charisma
Modifier + your proficiency bonus. Creatures who saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your Wisdom
are currently frightened automatically fail the Modifier + your proficiency bonus or become
saving throw. You may use this feature twice and possessed.
regain all expended uses of it after you finish a You now control the body but this doesn't
short or long rest. deprive the target of awareness. You can't be
targeted by any attack, spell, or other effects except
those that deal radiant damage. When the form
suffers radiant damage you must make a Wisdom
saving throw to see if you can maintain control, the
DC of that saving throw is equal to the radiant
damage taken or 10 whichever number is higher.
You retain your alignment, Intelligence,
Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being
charmed and frightened. You otherwise use the
possessed target's statistics but don’t gain access
to the target's knowledge, class features, or
proficiencies.
The possession lasts until the body is reduced to
0 hit points, you end it as a bonus action, or you
are forced out by taking radiant damage. When the
possession ends you return to your body in its
catatonic state. No matter how long you were
within the other creature the duration of your
catatonic state remains 1 hour when you return.
You may use this ability once and regain use of it
after a long rest.
47
 On a failure, they are stunned until the end of their
Routes of Retribution next turn and take 6d6 necrotic damage. On a
You embrace the anguish, anger and methods success, they are not stunned and take half
which made you what you are. Your route of damage. You can use this ability a number of times
retribution is how you remember your death and equal to your Wisdom modifier. You regain this
also how you inflict your vengeance on others. ability after finishing a short or long rest.
Share the Curse
Route of the Avenger At 18th level, when you are forced to make a
The tethers that bind the unliving can be tenuous saving throw against any condition you may
ones but for the Avenger they are like steel chains. choose one of the following options:
The brutality of the Avenger is second only to their You may choose to automatically fail the saving
mettle, and they will not allow themselves to be throw, succumbing to the condition but
stopped by anything short of dying again. The inflicting the same condition on one creature
Avenger will let no weakness in their enemy slip you can see within 60 feet. They do not get a
by. saving throw. For as long as you are affected by
Focused Movement the condition, so are they.
Starting at 3rd level, when you are within 60 feet You may choose to roll at disadvantage. If you
of a creature affected by your Fixated Tracker succeed, you are immune to the effect for 24
ability your movement speed increases by 10 feet hours.
and that creature cannot take attacks of You may choose to gain advantage on the roll. If
opportunity against you. you fail, you suffer one additional level of
exhaustion.
Avenging Fire You may choose to resolve the effect normally.
At 6th level, at the end of your turn if two or more
of your weapon attacks deal damage to a target
they must succeed on a Constitution saving throw
with a DC equal to 8 + your Wisdom modifier +
your proficiency bonus, or become blind for 1
minute. The creature may repeat the saving throw
at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect
on themselves on a success.
Unending Retribution
Beginning at 11th level, when a creature you can
see who is blind, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, or
stunned succeeds on a saving throw you may use
your reaction to make them reroll. You can use this
feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom
modifier. You regain this ability after finishing a
long rest.
Charging Strike
At 15th level, if you use all of your movement to
move straight toward a target under the effect of
your Fixated Tracker in a turn and then hit the
creature with a melee weapon attack, the target
must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC
equal to 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your
proficiency bonus.
48
 Route of the Umbraged
They say that in death some see a light at the end
of the tunnel, a glimmer of hope and peace at the
end of their suffering. For the Umbraged there is
nothing but darkness and a willingness to sink
deeper and deeper into its depths in the pursuit of
their goals. The Umbraged flourish where the
living fear to tread.
Waxing Darkness
At 3rd level, you gain abilities to harness darkness
to your advantage. Once per short or long rest you
can cast the spell darkness. You gain darkvision
out to 60 feet if you don’t already have it, and your
darkvision cannot be impeded by magical
darkness created by yourself or allies.
Step of Umbrage
At 6th level, you gain the ability to step from one
shadow into another. When you are in dim light or
darkness as a bonus action, you can teleport up to
60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is
also in dim light or darkness.
Strikes of Shadow
At 11th level, when you make a melee weapon
attack while in dim light or darkness, you score a
critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 and deal an extra
2d6 necrotic damage.
Heightened Precision
At 15th level, when you use your Step of Umbridge
you can choose to make your next attack at
disadvantage. If it hits, it scores a critical hit and
you roll the damage die three times, instead of
twice.
Radiating Darkness
At 18th level, as an action you may choose to
activate an aura of darkness. You cast the darkness
spell on yourself and the radius is increased to 30
feet. For the next minute, each creature of your
choice within the aura has disadvantage on one
type of saving throw you choose, all attacks, and
must succeed on a Charisma saving throw with a
DC equal to 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your
proficiency bonus to move beyond the radius of the
darkness. You cannot use this ability again until
you finish a short or long rest.

49
Route of the Drowned Drowning
Beginning at 6th level, as an action you can cause a
Many threats lurk below the water's surface. creature to begin to drown if they are capable of
Sahuagin do the will of their shaman, while drowning. The target must make a Constitution
Koalinth wage wars against the surface realms saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Wisdom
and deeper evils lurk where light can’t reach. modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, the
There are many reasons why someone might die target takes 1d6 + half your Revenant level cold
by drowning, but in returning to life, this death has damage as icy water fills their lungs and the target
become a wellspring of power for you. cannot speak, hold its breath, or cast spells with
Flowing Movement
verbal components until the end of its next turn.
At 3rd level, you gain a swim speed equal to your You can use this ability a number of times equal to
walking speed and creatures lacking a swim speed your Wisdom modifier. You regain all uses of this
make opportunity attacks against you with feature after finishing a long rest.
disadvantage. If you already had a swim speed, Aquatic Channel
then add 10 feet of movement to it instead. At 6th level, you always have a wet appearance. If
you wish when you interact with objects, you leave
them equally wet. As an action, you can cast create
water. You can use this ability twice, regaining all
uses after finishing a short or long rest.
Water Step
At 11th level, you can use the spell misty step
provided you and your destination are both
touching at least a gallon of water. You can use this
feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom
modifier. You regain all uses of this feature after
finishing a long rest.

50
 Hydrokinesis Domination
Starting at 15th level, you can mentally manipulate At 18th level, you are able to manipulate the blood
water as though it were an appendage of your own within the bodies of living creatures. You can
body. If you target at least a gallon of water within target a living creature that is not a construct as an
50 feet you create a medium-sized tentacle of action. The creature must succeed on a
water in a 5 foot space that can manipulate objects Constitution saving throw with a DC of 8 + your
as though you were standing directly adjacent to Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus.
them. Any smaller amount of water can also be On a successful saving throw, this feature is not
manipulated, but the tentacle functions with the expended although your action is wasted. On a
limitations of the mage hand spell. failure, choose one action the creature could
Tentacles can act independently at the end of make. The creature uses its reaction and must
your turn. They can follow simple directions such perform the action as you describe. You can move
as “attack them”, “guard this”, or “open that”. You the creature up to half its speed during this time.
can maintain a number of tentacles equal to your You lose control of the creature if you cannot see
Wisdom modifier. it. At the start of your next turn, you must choose
to either release the creature or gain a level of
exhaustion. If you do so you can control the
creature for another turn. Once you use this ability,
you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

51
 Born From Death
Vampires are not born in the sense that most other
living creatures are. They are not born from warm
bodies, hatched from eggs, or even sprouted from
seeds. A vampire is born from the end of their
previous life, from a body fallen cold after being
drained of its life’s blood by another vampire. In
the beginning these mindless creatures are known
as vampire spawn, enslaved to the vampire who
sired them. Freedom from this enslavement is
granted when the master feeds their own blood to
their spawn or when the master dies.
Dead Folk Walking
Whereas many vampires are chained to their
Vampire graves, adventurous vampires manage to escape
this tether by any manner of technicality. Rather
He waits until the sun goes down. Silent, and than spending their daylight hours in their coffin,
patient. The bandits hijacked his carriage hours crypt, or under the dirt of their grave adventuring
ago. They’ve been rifling through the boxes and vampires may instead carry with them trinkets like
chests of his belongings but giving the coffin a a scrap of wood from their coffin or a bottle of
wide berth. He watches the last glimmers of their grave dirt. Though these relics of their brief
daylight vanish from beyond the broken seal of the deaths are not necessary to their continued
lid. They didn’t stay back far enough. existence they do offer the vampire some comfort.
She walks down the street at midday, smiling
and cheerful. The people of her village know her Creating a Vampire
and they love her. They never knew what she was
until that night. When the village was attacked, When making a vampire consider how your
they found her with a bloody mouth standing over character came into their curse. Were they already
a pile of dead orcish raiders. Still, they would never an adventurer when they were bitten? Did
call her a monster. She is their hero. vampirism drive them out into the open world?
Life as an adventurer was rough. His allies loved Were they accepted by their village and loved ones,
his strength, but they hated having to travel at or rejected? Did they know the person who cursed
night. They loved his charm, but they hated his them? Was it a traumatic experience, or something
hunger. They asked much of him but always they willingly consented to? Were they granted
treated him as a burden. The keep those their freedom by their master, either willfully or
adventurers once held still remains on the accidentally? Is their master still alive?
mountainside with but one man dwelling inside for Consider how your vampire views their curse
the last three hundred years. Finally, he got his fair and how it might alter the way they view other
share. living or dead creatures. Do they consider living
humanoids to be akin to prey and lesser than
themselves somehow, or do they seek a give and
take relationship? Do they take only what they
need to survive, or do they feast like gluttons? How
do they feel when they look ahead to the potential
prospect of outliving even their elvish companions?

52
 Quick Build
You can make a vampire quickly by following these The Vampire
suggestions. First, make Strength or Charisma
your highest ability score depending on if you Level
Proficiency
Bonus Features
Blood
Points
would rather attack or trick your prey. Your next
highest score should be Dexterity if you wish to 1st +2 Undead
Transformation —
strike quickly and quietly. Next, choose the Noble 2nd +2 Bloodthirst 2
background.
3rd +2 Dark Path 3
Class Features 4th +2 Ability Score
Improvement 4
As a vampire, you gain the following class features. 5th +3 Spider Climb, 5
Spawning (Ghoul)
Hit Points Improved Charming
Hit Dice: 1d8 per vampire level 6th +3 Allure, Curse Escalation 6
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution 7th +3 Eyes of the Night, Path 7
modifier feature
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your 8th +3 Ability Score 8
Constitution modifier per vampire level after 1st Improvement
9th +4 Shapechanger, 9
Proficiencies Spawning (Wight)
Armor: None 10th +4 Curse Escalation, Path 10
Weapons: Club, dagger, light crossbow, feature
quarterstaff 11th +4 True Charming Alure, 11
Tools: None Children of the Night
Ability Score
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma 12th +4 Improvement 12
Skills: Choose two from Deception, Intimidation, 13th +5 Path feature 13
Perception, Persuasion, Religion, and Stealth 14th +5 Undying Grace 14
Equipment 15th +5 Spawning (Vampire 15
You start with the following equipment, in addition Spawn)
to the equipment granted by your background: 16th +5 Ability Score
Improvement 16
(a) an explorer's pack or (b) an adventurer's 17th +6 Curse Escalation, Path 17
pack or (c) two healing potions feature
(a) A light crossbow and 20 bolts (b) a 18th +6 ─ 18
quarterstaff 19th +6 Ability Score 19
A dagger Improvement
A healing potion 20th +6 Ascendant Body 20

53
Undead Power of the Grave
Transformation Thanks to your curse you gain the following
benefits.
Your transition to undeath has produced a physical Undead Anatomy. Your creature type is undead.
transformation with a mixture of benefits and You do not need to consume normal food or water,
drawbacks. Your curse is currently fresh and you do not need to sleep, and you do not need to
undeveloped, but as you gain experience your breathe. To gain the benefits of a long rest you can
vampirism will strengthen and cause some of spend all eight hours doing light activity such as
these features to become more severe. keeping watch. While you are not wearing armor,
you have an AC of 16. Your Dexterity does not
Curse of Vampirism affect this number.
Bite. Your canines are slightly elongated,
Because of your curse you suffer the following forming the iconic fangs of a vampire. As an action
difficulties. on your turn you can use these fangs to make a
Sunlight Aversion. While you are in direct bite attack. This bite has a reach of 5 feet and
sunlight you have disadvantage on Wisdom deals 1d6 piercing damage. You are proficient with
(Perception) checks that rely on sight, as well as this attack.
on death saving throws. Claws. Your fingernails have transformed into
Blood Drinker. You must gain sustenance by retractable claws. You can use these claws to
drinking blood. A Small creature has enough blood perform unarmed strikes that deal 1d4 slashing
to feed you for a day, and it takes 1 minute to drink damage. Whenever you use your action to make a
that much blood from such a creature (or its bite attack, you can make one claw attack as a
corpse). You do not gain sustenance if the creature bonus action.
is undead or has been dead longer than 10 days. Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60
Restless Undeath. You cannot spend hit dice to feet of you as if it were bright light, and in
heal during a short rest, and you do not regain hit darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern
dice or hit points after finishing a long rest. color in darkness, only shades of gray. If you
already have darkvision, the range of that
darkvision increases by 30 feet.

54
 Bloodthirst
Starting at 2nd level, your bloodthirst intensifies
while also offering you greater power. Getting even Vampires: Decadent Predators
a sip of especially fresh blood grants you blood
points, up to a maximum number as shown in the In the foreword of the Curse of Strahd adventure,
Tracy Hickman discusses the history and thought
Blood Points column of the Vampire table. processes behind Dungeons & Dragons’ most
As an action, you can drink enough blood to gain famous vampire, Count Strahd von Zarovich. In
1 blood point. You do not gain this benefit if the doing so, he discusses the roots of the vampire
from a short story written by John William Polidori
blood comes from an undead creature or from a which was inspired by the poet Lord Byron. Like
creature that has been dead for more than 1 Lord Byron, Polidori’s vampire was described as a
minute. ‘decadent predator’ and an abuser hidden behind a
romantic veil. For all of the beauty and tragedy, both
To drink the blood of a living creature that Polidori’s vampire and the vampire crafted by Tracy
creature must be restrained, incapacitated, or and Laura Hickman were selfish monsters.
willing. Such a creature takes 2d6 necrotic Tracy later goes on in the foreward to bemoan
the evolution of the vampire mythos: “The vampire
damage. If the creature is immune to this damage, we so often see today exemplifies the polar
you gain no blood points. opposite of the original archetype: the lie that it’s
If a bloodthirst ability requires a target to make okay to enter into a romance with an abusive
monster because if you love it enough, it will
a saving throw, the save DC is equal to 8 + your change.”
Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. This idea of a monstrous but redeemable vampire
has varying mileage depending on who you talk to.
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for any spells Though tales of a particular daywalker who sparkled
cast using a bloodthirst ability. in the sun like diamonds have dominated the
Your blood points are used to power various fantasies of a generation, many critics point out that
the relationship glorified in the saga is unhealthy
abilities, described below. You will gain additional and abusive. Elements of control, isolation, and
uses of blood points as you gain levels in this class. emotional abuse become romanticized in these
tales.
Charming Allure The vampires of Dungeons & Dragons are
depicted in the Monster Manual very clearly as
You can spend 1 blood point to cast charm person being monsters. Going beyond their stat block and
as a 1st-level spell. their lawful evil alignment, the book goes to great
lengths to portray vampires as individuals who have
Death Bite become twisted by their curse of unlife. The book
tells of dark desires, obsession, jealousy, torture,
Whenever you hit with your bite attack, you can and other decidedly undesirable traits.
spend 1 blood point to deal 1d8 necrotic damage As a player, you have the utmost freedom in how
to the target in addition to the bite's normal you wish to portray your vampire. It is entirely
within your rights to play a vampire who is not a
damage. When you reach 11th level, this bonus monster, who struggles against their hunger and
damage increases to 2d8. desire and strives to be a better person. It is also
well within your rights to play one who is, at their
Regeneration core, truly a monster. Keep in mind, however, that a
vampire who is abusive or controlling is still a
At the start of each of your turns you regain hit monster, even if they do it under an air of
points equal to your current number of blood seduction, and redemption may be far beyond their
points, provided you aren't in direct sunlight or reach.
running water at the time and you already have at
least 1 hit point. If you take radiant damage, this
ability doesn't function on your next turn.

55
Dark Path You can have only one spawn at a time. If you
By the time you reach 3rd level you have begun to create a new spawn while your existing spawn is
come to terms with your new unlife. You have still intact, your old spawn becomes uncontrolled
made a decision about how you will cope with your and may attack you.
curse, represented by your choice of Dark Path: When you reach 9th level, your spawn uses the
the Dark Master, the Daywalker, or the Alp. Your game statistics of a wight, except its longsword
chosen path grants you features when you choose attack becomes a claw attack (1d8 slashing
it at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 13th, and damage) and it has no longbow attack. When you
17th level. Each path is detailed at the end of this reach 15th level, your spawn uses the game
class description. statistics of a vampire spawn.
Ability Score Increase Improved Charming
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, Allure
16th, and 19th level you can increase one ability Starting at 6th level, when using Charming Allure
score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two drinking a charmed target's blood does not
ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you automatically end the effect though they might still
can't increase an ability score above 20 using this be reluctant and need to be convinced.
feature. Also at 6th level, you can use your Charming
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo Allure feature to cast suggestion instead of charm
taking this feature to take a feat of your choice person by spending 1 additional blood point.
instead.
Curse Escalation
Spider Climb By 6th level, your curse is starting to become
Beginning at 5th level, you can climb difficult noticeably more extreme. You can no longer enter
surfaces including upside down on ceilings a residence without an invitation from one of the
without needing to make an ability check. occupants. Additionally, you suffer disadvantage on
all ability checks while you are in direct sunlight.
Spawning Starting when you reach 10th level, you take 10
Also at 5th level, you gain the ability to sire minor acid damage whenever you end your turn in
undead creatures with your cursed bite. Whenever running water and you have disadvantage on
you reduce a Medium or small humanoid to zero attack rolls while you are in direct sunlight.
hit points by either drinking its blood or hitting Finally, at 17th level, you take 10 radiant damage
with a bite attack, you can expend 2 blood points whenever you start your turn in direct sunlight.
to infuse it with a fraction of your curse. At the Eyes of the Night
beginning of your next turn, the subject rises as
your undead spawn. Your spawn uses the game Starting at 7th level, your vision becomes even
statistics of a ghoul. more accustomed to darkness. You can see
On each of your turns, you can use a bonus normally in both normal and magical darkness out
action to mentally command your spawn if it is to a range of 120 feet.
within 60 feet of you. You decide what action your
spawn will take and where it will move during its
next turn, or you can issue a general command
such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor.
If you issue no commands, your spawn only
defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given
an order your spawn continues to follow it until its
task is complete.
56
 Shapechanger
At 9th level, you gain the power to change your
form at will. If you aren't in direct sunlight or
running water, you can use your action to
polymorph into a tiny bat or a medium cloud of
mist or back into your true form.
While in bat form you can't speak, your walking
speed is 5 feet, and you have a flying speed of 30
feet. Your statistics other than your size and speed,
are unchanged. Anything you are wearing
transforms with you but nothing you are carrying
does. You revert to your true form if you are
reduced to zero hit points.
While in mist form you can't take any actions,
speak, or manipulate objects. You are weightless,
have a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can
enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. In
addition, if air can pass through the space you can
do so without squeezing, and you can't pass
through water. You have advantage on Strength,
Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws and you
are immune to all nonmagical damage, except
radiant damage.
True Charming Allure Undying Grace
Starting at 11th level, a target charmed by By 14th level, your curse has frozen your body
Charming Allure is always willing to let you drink against the ravages of time preserving a beautiful
their blood. and otherworldly grace. You become proficient
with Dexterity saving throws, and you have
Children of the Night advantage on Charisma checks related to flirting
Beginning at 11th level, you can call on other and romance.
creatures of the night to aid you. As an action, you
can expend 5 blood points to magically call 2d4 Ascendant Body
swarms of bats or rats provided that the sun isn't At 20th level, your undead might manifest in great
up. While outdoors, you can call 3d6 wolves physical power. Your Strength, Dexterity, and
instead. Constitution scores all permanently increase by 2
The called creatures arrive at the end of your and the maximum score for each of those abilities
next turn acting as your allies and obeying your increases by 2.
spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, Additionally, you gain resistance to bludgeoning,
until you are reduced to zero hit points, or until piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical
you dismiss them as a bonus action. attacks.

57
 Borrowed Face
Dark Paths At 10th level, when you use your Shapeshift
As you learn more about your curse you discover feature you can use it to transform into the form of
new ways of exploiting its powers. The dark path your connected soul. You maintain all their abilities
you choose determines how you utilize your and statistics, but if you are immersed in running
vampirism. water, enter an area of sunlight, or are reduced to
0 hit points you revert to your natural form. Using
Path of the Dark Master this feature breaks your connection with your
connected soul.
Many vampires choose a particularly faithful
servant promising them everlasting life as a Dominate Soul
vampire themselves. They serve not as a mindless At 13th level, you take control of your connected
slave, but a powerful undead in their own right soul’s body. You lose control over your body
who will maintain their free will. While these gifts including your senses. For the next 10 minutes,
aren’t close at hand these servants can become you fully control the target although you can use
powerful conduits for their undead masters. any of your class features through the connection.
After 10 minutes, the connection is closed and
Sip Their Soul your connection to your connected soul is broken.
At 3rd level, drinking the blood of a humanoid
allows you to connect to their soul. This needs to Soul Drinker
be a willing creature or they are allowed a Starting at 17th level, you can absorb the full soul
Charisma saving throw against a DC of 8 + your of your target. This drains their life force and they
Charisma modifier + your proficiency. rise as a vampire spawn. If they’re unwilling, they
Once drained in this fashion you are connected are reduced to 0 hit points and make death saving
to their soul. You remember everything they did in throws. You get their soul if they die and they
the last 10 minutes per vampire level. While become a revenant.
connected you can use their sight, smell, or taste,
as long as they are on the same plane of existence
as you. While borrowing their own senses, you
lose control over your own.
This lasts until you are on different planes of
existence, until your connected soul spends a
number of rounds equal to your vampire level in
sunlight or running water, or until you break the
bond by using one of the abilities below.
Lonely Soul
Also at 3rd level, whenever you use your Charming
Allure class feature, instead of charming a target
you can choose to erase your existence in their
mind. Once the target cannot see you, they forget
you exist and any memories of events you
participated in become hazy. This lasts until they
can see you again.
Deep Shadows
Starting at 7th level, as an action, you can teleport
adjacent to your connected soul provided they’re
near dim light or darkness and if that location has
room for you. Using this feature breaks your
connection with your connected soul.
58
 Path of the Daywalker Sanguinous Versatility
At 10th level, you become even more flexible in
Those unwilling to be relegated to the shadows of how you resist the effects of sunlight. When you
the night become Daywalkers, vampires who still make an attack in sunlight you may expend 2
feel connected to living societies. Rather than blood points to negate the disadvantage imposed
walking as a wolf among sheep the Daywalker is by sunlight.
akin to the shepherd, taking only what they need
from their herd and using their power to protect Saving for a Sunny Day
those under their purview. At 13th level, you’ve unlocked the secrets of storing
blood. Once per long rest, when you take an action
Nothing to See Here to gain a blood point, you can use a vial to store an
At 3rd level, you become adept at blending in with additional amount of blood points equal to your
the living. You gain proficiency in the disguise kit if Wisdom modifier. Drinking from this vial takes 1
you are not already. You have advantage on any minute and you can have a number of vials equal
Charisma checks made to disguise yourself or to to your Constitution modifier.
take on the persona and mannerisms of another Additionally, when you take radiant damage you
person. can use your reaction to expend blood points and
ignore an amount of radiant damage equal to the
Desensitization number of blood points expended.
At 7th level, you begin learning to overcome some
of the disadvantages of sunlight. The first ability
check you make after finishing a short or long rest Hoarding Blood
does not suffer disadvantage from being in the
sun. Additionally, you can expend 1 blood point to While it might behoove a vampire to hold onto
gallons of blood in reserve, the properties of
negate disadvantage on any Wisdom (Perception) coagulation make this nearly impossible. The
check you make. Daywalker has learned how to preserve blood using
their own supernatural power, but trying to hold
onto more than a modest amount can weaken them
more than the benefit the blood provides.

They Walk Among Us

At 17th level, taking radiant damage does not
inhibit your ability to heal from your blood points.

59
Path of the Alp Slumber
At 10th level, when you use your Energy Shape
There are many cultures around the world and class feature you can expend 1 blood point. If you
while all of them have stories of undead creatures do, the target must succeed on a Constitution
who drain the life from your veins, not all of them saving throw or fall asleep as though affected by
are so literal. Take for instance the alp: a spirit that the spell sleep. If they succeed on this saving
takes the form of a butterfly or cat. While most see throw, they are not aware they were the target of
harmless creatures, it isn’t until a swarm of them this feature.
descends upon a body and steals the breath from The DC for this saving throw is 8 + your
its lungs that their true nature is revealed. Stories Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus.
tell of loved ones hanging around doorways after
being visited by these white spirits, an ominous Breath Taker
sign that doom shall soon cross the path of the At 13th level, the range of your Energy Shape class
living. feature becomes 60 feet. Also, when you use your
Energy Shape class feature you can expend 1
Spiritual Vampire blood point. If you do a swarm of energy creatures
At 3rd level, your body dissolves and your spirit sharing your form descends upon your opponent.
becomes untethered. You no longer have a physical The target must succeed on a Constitution saving
form and while not possessing a dead body you are throw or begin to asphyxiate as though they were
invisible, you cannot speak and you cannot take drowning. You can sustain this effect by using 1
actions, bonus actions, or reactions. blood point. If you do not sustain the effect, the
If you rest on a dead corpse that shares your target can breathe normally.
creature type for at least 1 minute, you possess The DC for this saving throw is 8 + your
that body as though it were your own. The body Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus.
loses all of its statistics including attacks and
abilities, except for size. Use your statistics, Suffocating
attacks, and abilities instead.
Each 24 hour period you do not gain a blood A creature can hold its breath for a number of
minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier
point, you gain one level of exhaustion. Every 8 (minimum of 30 seconds).
hour period you possess a body you gain 1 blood When a creature runs out of breath or is choking,
point and lose one level of exhaustion. This is the it can survive for a number of rounds equal to its
Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round). At the
only way you can gain blood points. Possessing the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 Hit Points and is
corpse does not stop it from decaying. dying, and it can’t regain Hit Points or be stabilized
until it can breathe again.
Energy Shape For example, a creature with a Constitution of 14
can hold its breath for 3 minutes. If it starts
At 7th level, as an action, you can manifest your suffocating, it has 2 rounds to reach air before it
energy form for a period of time. When you do this drops to 0 Hit Points.
you appear as a ball of light or a creature made of
light. You can take the form of a cat, pig, dog, a
poisonous snake, or most commonly a butterfly. If One of Us
you are possessing a corpse you stop doing so and At 17th level, while not possessing a body you can
the corpse becomes prone. spend 1 blood point at the start of your turn. Doing
As part of the same action, choose a creature so allows you to act for the rest of the turn as
within 30 feet. Your energy entangles the target though you were possessing your original body,
causing them to have disadvantage on all attacks, which appears when you use this ability.
all saving throws except Constitution and all ability
checks. Their AC lowers by 2. You return to your
body at the end of this action.

60
 Backgrounds

E
very story has a beginning. For Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History
some the story of being a Tool Proficiencies: Alchemist’s supplies,
revenant began with them being herbalism kit
an accomplished sorcerer who Equipment: A bottle of black ink, a quill, a set of
was killed on the battlefield common clothes, a letter of introduction bearing
before they had accomplished all the crest of the apprentice’s master, a pouch
they had set out to do in life. For containing 10 gp
others, the story of their curse begins before they Suggested Methods of Affliction
ever became adventurers.
Any adventurer of a cursed class could Not every arcane apprentice stumbles into their
conceivably come from any background. While curse the same way. Choose a method of
many clerics begin as acolytes there is nothing to contracting your curse, or roll on the table below.
say they were not a charlatan seeking redemption, d6 Method of Affliction
or a noble fleeing from the vanity of the court.
Likewise, any cursed could be placed on a person 1 Idown.
was asked to drink a potion. It burned going
from any walk of life. That being said, sometimes I should have died falling off the library
the affliction of a curse is the most important part 2 ladder. My master saved me, but at what
of a person’s life to that point. For that reason the cost?
following backgrounds may help you construct a 3 Itowas carrying a stack of tall books and failed
level-one cursed adventurer. notice the magic circle I walked into.
4 Istone
went to sleep in my bed. I woke up on a
altar, hearing strange chanting.
Arcane Apprentice
Suitable for all cursed classes, especially magic 5 Ia took on some additional studying, and read
dusty tome I shouldn’t have.
users. I was organizing the potion cabinet when the
You have devoted your life to the service of a 6 shelf broke, and dozens of bottles fell on me.
master of the arcane, assisting them with their I don’t remember what happened next, but I
woke up changed.
research in hopes that you could someday become
a powerful arcanist yourself. Your life has until this Feature: House Of Learning
point generally revolved around helping your As an arcane apprentice in good standing with the
master by collecting their reagents, organizing academic community, you can expect shelter to be
their library, cleaning their study, cooking their offered to you from institutes of learning so long as
meals, or any number of odd jobs asked of an they possess dormitories or other living facilities.
apprentice. You will receive basic room and board from an
However being an apprentice to an arcane institute as long as you have not shown yourself to
master puts you in close proximity to all manner of be a threat to them.
strange chemicals, substances, spells, and runes of
questionable use. You may or may not be aware
that apprentices are sometimes called upon to be
test subjects, and that your master may or may not
ask your permission first.

61
Suggested Characteristics d6 Ideal
Arcane apprentices are generally magically 1 Research. A day without learning is a day
wasted. (Neutral)
inclined folk, though their transformation may
have robbed them of their magical potential. Still 2 Experimentation. It would be a waste not to
see what this curse is capable of. (Chaos)
they’re likely to continue to carry their fascination
with all things arcane. Arcane apprentices tend to 3 Rationality. Let’s not get carried away by
thinking with our emotions. (Lawful)
be studious individuals who value research and
discovery, as well as the betterment of their own 4 Breakthrough. I will study and utilize my curse
to build a better life for others. (Good)
skills and knowledge.
5 Selfishness. At the end of the day, all that
matters is furthering my own research. (Evil)
d8 Personality Trait
I’m always bursting with questions, and never 6 Fame. I want my name to be listed among the
greatest arcane researchers. (Any)
1 afraid of asking them. I am convinced there
are no stupid questions.
d6 Bond
There is nothing more precious in the world
2 than knowledge, and books are worth their 1 I will make my master proud of me.
weight in gold to me.
2 Iown
must find a cure for this curse, not for my
sake, but for others.
I always have an ill-timed anecdote about my
3 master’s research and experiments, which is
never as appropriate for the situation as I 3 My parents gave up everything to win my
apprenticeship. I must repay them.
think.
4 All of my efforts and study are for the good of
4 Iaspects
believe in being organized and orderly in all
of life.
generations to follow me.
5 Ischool
will do anything to serve and aid the magic
5 The quality of a city can be measured in the
size of its libraries and academies.
where I studied.
6 My fellow apprentices are like siblings to me.
6 Iand
like to break things to see how they work,
how to remake them. d6 Flaw
7 Idelivering
talk a lot when I’m nervous. A lot. Usually
essays on magical subjects. 1 IItcan’t think straight in a messy environment.
clouds my mind.
8 I’m convinced that other arcane students will
consider me a test subject and not a peer. 2 Iwhen
take a little too much pride in telling people
they’re wrong.
I can’t admit that I don’t know something,
3 and I’m prone to making up details and
presenting them as fact.
4 Imyjudge the failings of others harshly, and treat
own failings as catastrophic.
5 When I have a magic subject to study, I may
forego food or sleep.
6 I will do anything for the opportunity to learn.

62
 Sacrifice Suggested Characteristics
A sacrifice probably never intended to become an
Suitable for lycanthrope or vampire. adventurer before their life took a drastic turn.
You lived much of your life under the gaze of a They likely had plans to pursue a trade, maintain a
powerful beast. It was an accepted fact of life that home, and live out their life as a productive
an evil creature considered your home to be part member of their community. Taking on a cursed
of its territory, and your people to be cattle for the class will be a shock to their system and they may
slaughter. In spite of this you worked to build a life find themselves feeling like a fish out of water.
for yourself. That life was a relatively ordinary one
in spite of the surrounding circumstances until it d8 Personality Trait
was decided that you held more value to your 1 Ididn’t
always wanted to be an adventurer, I just
think it would happen like this.
community as a sacrifice than you did as a
contributing citizen. 2 Sometimes I don’t even notice when I grunt
or growl in place of using actual words.
You might have listened as the votes were
counted and your neighbors nominated you, or 3 Iand
try to apply rural bumpkin logic, experience,
solutions to everything.
perhaps you were drug from your home in the
middle of the night without warning. Perhaps the 4 Table manners escape me often, and I may
snarl if anyone gets near my plate.
choice was made by the local oracle, who hung a
marker above your door to signal to the beast that 5 I’m entirely oblivious to how out-of-my-
element I may be at any given time.
you were being offered up. Regardless of how it
came to be you were offered up, and the sacrifice 6 Ithat
don’t know how to behave like a noble but
will never stop me from trying.
was taken. 7 If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that
Whereas others have died or become enslaved, small-town life is preferable to adventuring.
you awoke with your wits about you still and a I don’t see why I should let a little curse that
strange new power coursing through your veins. 8 causes me to hunger for mortal flesh and
You had served your people as their sacrifice but blood stop me from living my life to the
fullest.
now they looked upon you in terror. You no longer
hold a place among them, and it is time you d6 Ideal
venture out into the world. 1 Peace. I just want to return to the simple life I
once had. (Neutral)
Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools, 2 Revenge. I want those who sacrificed me to
know the fear and pain I felt. (Evil)
vehicles (land)
Equipment: A small knife, a mess kit, a trinket 3 Change. Life is like a river and I must go with
the flow, even in violent rapids. (Chaos)
from your hometown, a set of traveler’s clothes,
and a pouch containing 10 gp 4 Faith. Everything happens for a reason. I just
have to figure out my purpose. (Lawful)
Feature: Walk Among The People 5 Nature. I feel closer to the wild than ever, and
I want to embrace it freely. (Any)
You fit in amongst the common folk with ease, as Break The Circle. I wasn’t the first sacrifice
long as you are able to hide the visible signs of 6 made, but I will be the last. I must end the
your cursed affliction. You can find a place to hide, beast before anyone else falls victim. (Good)
rest, or recuperate among other commoners
unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to
them. They will shield you from accusations of
being a lycanthrope, vampire, or other cursed
creature for as long as they believe you to not be
afflicted though they will not risk their lives for
you.

63
d6 Bond d6 Flaw
1 Isacrifice
still care for my neighbors and would
myself again for their sakes. 1 Iwill
don’t trust easily. I always assume others
betray me.
2 My home is my home, and I will return to my
land one day, regardless of its people.
2 When I drink too much, I get a little... feral.
3 Ieasily.
trust too quickly and share my secrets too
3 Before I became afflicted, I had a lover, and I
hope to see them again someday.
4 II’llfear the hunger inside of me, always worried
4 After I fled from home, I was taken in by a
kindly old hermit. I want to repay them.
hurt someone I care for.
5 Sorry, I can’t be held responsible for what I
5 Ilet
want to return home to see my family and
them know I’m safe.
do in the moonlight.
6 I’m enamored with the idea that now I am the
6 Ibehold a grudge against all those who let me
sacrificed.
hunter in power, and others my prey.

64
 Guardian Skill Proficiencies: Intimidation, Religion
Suitable for bound spirit or floraspawn. Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools,
Your dedication to the vows you have taken in musical instrument
life has never wavered, never been questioned by Equipment: A symbol of your vows or order, a
anyone but a fool. Much of your life has been spent musical instrument (one of your choice), a set of
honing your body to carry out the tasks that have common clothes or vestments, and a pouch
been asked of you. You are a guardian whether of a containing 10 gp
living being, a material place or object, or even the Feature: Knowledge of Sanctity
guardian of something more ephemeral like oral Your familiarity with sanctified, protected spaces
history or spiritual teachings. allows you to more easily recognize them even
However, the limitations of the mortal body when formed by faiths, orders, or organizations
make for a frail protector of ageless things without different from your own. You have advantage on
a little extra help. Whether you chose to give your Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence
body to your cause and accept the changes that (Investigation) checks to detect the presence of a
you have been blessed with or your fragile mortal guardian in spaces that currently have or have
body fell and your life was saved only by the curse, previously had a guardian like yourself.
the results are the same: You are now an ageless
guardian, with an eternity to uphold your vows. Suggested Characteristics
Guardians are dedicated people and their
dedication is usually not limited only to their vows
of stewardship. Instead of a wishy-washy
personality, consider an individual who commits
themselves fully to everything they set out to do. A
Guardian doesn’t have to agree with everything
that their organization believes and may have
some deeply held disagreements, but their
dedication to their purpose is nigh-unshakable.

65
d8 Personality Trait
1 I’m all too accustomed to an ascetic life and
luxuries make me uncomfortable.
2 Every promise I make, no matter how small, is
a matter of honor for me.
3 Iand
have little experience dealing with people
the world at large outside of my peers.
If I ever still my tongue, it’s still brutally
4 obvious to everyone that I want to say
something.
5 My teacher spoke wisdom applicable to every
situation and I’m always eager to share it.
I’m technically immortal, but not
6 indestructible. I need to be reminded of this
often.
7 Talking is for diplomats. I prefer a
straightforward approach.
8 Every problem, no matter how large or small,
is an exasperating test of my dedication.
d6 Ideal
1 Patience. I have all the time in the world to
wait out any problems. (Neutral)
2 Normalcy. I want only to return to the duties
I’ve been taken away from. (Lawful)
3 Pursuit. My vow has been broken, and so am I,
until I find another purpose. (Chaos)
4 Tradition. My traditions must be preserved,
upheld, and taught to others. (Any)
5 Greater Good. No vow is worth more than the
lives of the innocent. (Good)
6 Relentless. My pledge is worth more than
anything or anyone. (Evil)
d6 Bond d6 Flaw
1 My order gave me shelter when I was alone in
the world. I owe them everything.
I’m proud of my accomplishments in
1 guarding my vow and take note of them
often.
2 Iparents.
was given to my duty as an infant by my
I wish to make them proud.
2 Ifind
put no trust in others to safeguard what I
valuable.
3 Ionwas my teacher’s last pupil, and I must carry
their teachings for a new generation.
3 If my daily rituals are interrupted, I feel
unsettled for the whole day.
4 In my youth, my sleep was filled with visions
of my duty. My vow is destined.
4 Iline
have no sympathy for those who die in the
of duty. They were weak and failed.
5 My fellow guardians are like family to me,
sworn by blood vows. My heart still can’t resist a pretty face or
I must make the most of the opportunities 5 pleasing words, regardless of my body or
6 granted to me, lest I let down my peers who vows.
did not receive this blessing. I sometimes allow anger to cloud my
6 judgment and forget about my vows in the
haze.

66
Discover other products by Cursed Classes authors...
 Writing & Design Credits

BE What Goes Alex Clippinger - Lich.

Bryan Holmes - Lycanthrope, Werebear,
Wereboar, Wererat, Weretiger, Werewolf,
Drowned, Wastes, Dark Master, Alp.
Bump In The Ryan Langr - Omniscient, Wereape,
Wereraven, Werecrocodile, Avenger,
Umbraged, Daywalker.

Night Jacob S. Kellogg - Vampire.

Isaac A. L. May - Floraspawn, Revenant,
Spore Savant, Vegepeople, Wood Woad,
and Baelnorn.
Should an event as dramatic as a vampire bite or
Ashley May - Becoming Cursed chapter,
a brush with lycanthropy mean the end of an infoboxes, backgrounds.
adventurer? No!
Matthew Whitby - Bound Spirit, Suit of
Armor, Flesh Golem, and Stone Golem.
Instead, open the next chapter of your
adventurer's tale with their struggle or
Technical Credits
acceptance of their new found power. Cursed
Classes allows your adventurers to grow with Editing by Kayla Bayens.
their afflictions, learning to conquer them. Layout by Ashley May.

Art Credits
Dana Braga - Cover, class icons, and
interior art on pages 12, 19, 21, 32, 42,
and 50.
Dean Spencer - Interior art on pages 31,
41, and 58.
Bryan Holmes - Interior art on page 23.
Bradley K McDevitt - Interior art on
page 39.
CleoStarr - Interior art on page 43.
Fat Goblin Games - Interior art on page
47.
All other CC0 artwork sourced from
Pixabay, Unsplash, and Wikimedia
Commons.
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