Cipher
A group of bandits surrounds a seemingly defenseless halfling. As they demand he turn over his coin, a primal fear creeps into the back of their minds. Nameless horrors dance in the far corners of their vision and the halfling smiles as the thieves scatter, screaming in confusion and terror.
A human clad in light armor leads a party through a ravine. She holds her hand up, gesturing for them to stop. She informs the party that she feels a number of hostile minds past the next bend, and they should ready themselves for an ambush.
A mind flayer unleashes a violent wave of psionic energy towards its victims. To its shock, it experiences horrific pain not unlike a hot iron being driven through its skull. As the monstrosity reels back, a smirking half-elf draws his weapon and lunges forth.
All these heroes are ciphers, those born with strange psionic gifts. Through training and force of will, they learn to channel their unusual energies to read minds, confuse foes, manipulate others, and bend their surroundings to their will.
Masters of the Mind
Ciphers are uncommon and often misunderstood individuals with extraordinary mental abilities. Like sorcerers, they have many talents that draw directly from their innate abilities, but ciphers have the unique ability to peer through the psionic energy of the world to manipulate other souls. While wizards use complex formulae in large tomes and clerics tap into the passion of their faith, ciphers are able to operate directly through the power of their minds... and yours.
Creating a Cipher
When creating a cipher, consider your character's background. When did your powers first manifest? How were your unnatural abilities received by those around you? Did you receive formal training to focus your gifts, or are you self-taught?
Consider why your abilities led you to leave home and travel. Did you no longer feel like you fit in? Were you forced to leave by distrustful neighbors? Are you simply searching for someone to help you understand your abilities? Or are you driven by some other motivation altogether?
Quick Build
You can make a cipher quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Charisma your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence, then Dexterity or Constitution. Second, choose the hermit or outlander background.
Class Features
As a cipher, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per cipher level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per cipher level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light Armor and Medium Armor
- Weapons: Simple Weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
- Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Insight, Perception, Deception, and Persuasion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
- (a) leather armor or (b) studded leather armor
- (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
- (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
Alternatively, you can ignore the equipment here and in your background , and buy 5d4 x 10 gp worth of equipment from chapter 5 in the Player's Handbook.
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The Cipher
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Talents Known | Powers Known | Base Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Psionics | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2nd | +2 | Soul Whip, Telepathy | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 3rd | +2 | Psionic Archetype, Telekinetic Barrier | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 5th | +3 | Psychic Backlash, Enhanced Soul Whip | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 6th | +3 | Archetype feature | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 7th | +3 | Extra Attack, Tier II Powers | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 9th | +4 | Mental Fortress | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| 10th | +4 | Archetype feature | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| 11th | +4 | Focus Surge, Enhanced Soul Whip | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| 13th | +5 | Tier III Powers | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| 14th | +5 | Archetype feature | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| 15th | +5 | Brutal Backlash | 4 | 8 | 4 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 8 | 4 |
| 17th | +6 | ─ | 4 | 9 | 5 |
| 18th | +6 | Enhanced Soul Whip | 4 | 9 | 5 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 10 | 5 |
| 20th | +6 | The Complete Self | 4 | 10 | 5 |
Psionics
As a natural user of psionics, you can master and use psionic talents and abilities, the rules of which appear at the end of this document. Psionics are a special form of magic, distinct from spellcasting.
Cipher Talents
A cipher talent is a minor psionic power that you are capable of using without expending Focus points. At 1st level you know two talents of your choice. You learn additional talents of your choice at higher levels. The Talents Known column of the Cipher table shows the total number of talents you know at each level; when that number goes up for you, choose a new talent.
Cipher Powers
A cipher power is a powerful effect manifested through intense focus by a fully realized cipher. A cipher only knows a few powers at any given time.
Cipher powers are categorized into three "tiers" which reflect how difficult the effect is to manifest. At 1st level, you may only know Tier I powers, but gain access to Tier II powers at 7th level and Tier III powers at 13th level.
At 1st level, you know one power of your choice. The Powers Known column of the Cipher table shows the total number of powers you know at each level; when that number goes up for you, choose a new power.
In addition, whenever you gain a level in this class, you may replace one power you know with a different one of your choice.
Focus Points
Using psionic powers causes a great deal of mental strain in addition to drawing upon some measure your own internal psionic energy. This capacity is represented by your Focus points. Each cipher power requires a certain amount of Focus points to use, while cipher talents require no points.
The number of Focus points you have is equal to your Base Focus value from the Cipher table plus your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 total Focus). You regain all expended Focus points after a short or long rest.
You can not have fewer than 0 Focus points.
Psionic Ability
Charisma is your psionic ability for your cipher powers. You use your Charisma modifier when setting a saving throw DC for a cipher power or when making an attack roll with one.
Psi Save DC
Psi attack modifier
Soul Whip
Starting at 2nd level you learn to infuse your weapons and unarmed strikes with a parasitic psionic energy that lashes out against targets. When you successfully attack with a held weapon you are proficient in or your unarmed strike, add +1 to the damage roll.
Additionally, you regain 1 expended Focus point each time you roll a 20 on the d20 roll for an attack using a proficient weapon or your unarmed strike, or deal a killing blow with a proficient weapon or unarmed strike to a creature of significant threat (DM’s discretion).
Starting at 5th level attacks with nonmagical weapons you are proficient in or your unarmed strikes are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. Additionally, your soul whip damage bonus is now +2.
Starting at 11th level the damage bonus from your soul whip is now +3.
Starting at 18th level the damage bonus from your soul whip is now +4.
Telepathy
At 2nd level your mind awakens to the ability to communicate via telepathy. You can telepathically speak to any creature within 120 feet of you in this manner. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic messages, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language or be telepathic itself.
Cipher Archetype
At 3rd level you choose a Psionic Archetype: Ascendant, Beguiler, or Soul Blade. Each archetype specializes in specific applications of psionics.
Your archetype gives you features when you choose it at 3rd level and additional features at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
Psychic Backlash
Starting at 3rd level your mental defenses are strong enough that you are able to instinctively retaliate against attempts to invade your mind. Whenever you successfully make a Wisdom saving throw against a hostile spell or psionic ability, you deal 1d4 psychic damage to the creature that caused you to make the check.
Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against hostile spells or abilities that attempt to read your thoughts, inflict charm, or that deal psychic damage in some form.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Telekinetic Barrier
Starting at 5th level you learn to use your cipher abilities to protect yourself. As a bonus action, you may spend a number of focus points to erect a barrier of psionic energy around yourself, granting you 3 temporary hit points for each focus point spent for the next hour.
Extra Attack
At 7th level you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Mental Fortress
Starting at 9th level, you gain a basic understanding of how to augment your defenses using your own internal psionic energy. You can replace your proficiency in Wisdom saving throws whenever you finish a short or long rest. To do so, choose Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, or Intelligence. You gain proficiency in saves using that ability, instead of Wisdom. This change lasts until your next short or long rest.
Focus Surge
Starting at 11th level, you gain the ability to push your mind beyond its normal limits. As an action, you may restore half of your maximum focus (rounded down). You can use this feature once per long rest.
Brutal Backlash
Starting at 15th level your psychic backlash is so violent as to overwhelm the senses of anyone it strikes. Whenever a hostile creature takes psychic damage from you as the result of Psychic Backlash, that creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, that creature is stunned until the end of its next turn.
The Complete Self
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no Focus points remaining, you regain half of your Focus points.
Cipher Archetypes
Ascendant
Ascendant ciphers train to use their powers when they are completely focused. This can make their powers devastating when they are finally unleashed. Whether earned or not, ascendants have a reputation for being cocky and overconfident.
Empowered Psionics
Starting at 3rd level your cipher powers are more potent while fully focused. When using a power while your current focus is equal to your maximum focus, the values of any damage dice you would roll for that power are maximized and any saving throws made against an effect caused by that power is made with disadvantage. This disadvantage on saving throws only applies to the initial effect, and any saving throws made for ongoing effects are made normally, even if that effect was caused by an empowered attack.
Psionic Overload
Starting at 6th level, you can overload an opponent's mind in order to batter down their mental defenses. Once per long rest you can impose disadvantage on a target’s saving throw against a power or talent you use.
Consumptive Power
At 10th level you gain the ability to sacrifice your physical durability in exchange for psionic power. When activating a cipher power, you can pay its focus cost with double that amount in hit points instead of focus points. Both your current hit points and your maximum hit points are reduced by this amount. This reduction cannot be lessened in any way and the reduction in your hit point maximum lasts until your next long rest.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
Defensive Mindweb
Starting at 14th level you gain the ability to link the minds of you and your allies together in a defensive web. As an action, you can up to five friendly creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you are linked into a defensive mindweb for the next minute. Whenever a creature in the mindweb makes a saving throw they use the highest modifier for that saving throw among all the members of the web as if it was their own. If a member of the mindweb is knocked unconscious or otherwise incapacitated, they are removed from the web. If the cipher that created the mindweb is incapacitated, the mindweb ends.
You may use this feature once per long rest.
Beguiler
Beguilers emphasize the mind-bending powers of ciphers, relying on deception and illusion to defeat their enemies. Some beguilers are known for their odd sense of humor, love of riddles, and fondness for keeping secrets.
Keen Mind
Starting at 3rd level your Psi Save DC is permanently increased by 2. Additionally, the range of all of your cipher powers is increased by 10 feet.
Beguiling Whispers
Starting at 6th level cipher powers that give target creatures advantage on saving throws while in combat against you or creatures friendly to you (such as Whispers of Treason and Puppet Master) no longer do so.
Cheap Shot
Starting at 10th level whenever you successfully attack with a weapon against a prone or stunned target or successfully attack from stealth, you regain 1 expended Focus point.
Echoing Horror
Starting at 14th level whenever you land the killing blow against a hostile creature with a cipher power every other hostile creature within 20 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened of you for the next minute. At the end of each of its turns, an affected creature can make a Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the effect ends.
Soul Blade
Soul Blades focus all of their energy on offensive powers and the use of martial weapons. Among ciphers, they are known for their aggression and short tempers, though not all soul blades have such a hostile disposition.
Martial Training
At 3rd level you gain proficiency with shields and martial weapons.
Soul Annihilation
Starting at 3rd level you gain the ability to channel raw psionic energy into your attacks. As a bonus action, you can imbue a weapon you are holding or your unarmed strike with psionic energy. The next time you hit with said weapon before the end of your turn you deal an additional 1d8 force damage for each Focus point you spent. If you do not successfully strike anything before the end of your turn, the energy dissipates and any Focus points spent are wasted.
Combat Focus
At 6th level you have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a power or spell when you take damage.
Draining Whip
At 10th level your soul whip becomes more efficient at generating focus in melee. You regain 1 expended Focus point each time you roll either a 19 or a 20 on the d20 roll for an attack using a proficient melee weapon or your unarmed strike. Additionally, your soul whip gains an extra +1 to its damage rolls using a proficient melee weapon.
Empowered Annihilation
Starting at 14th level you soul annihilation now deals an additional 1d10 force damage for each Focus point you spend on the ability.
Cipher Talents
Delusion
Cipher Talent
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Duration: 1 minute
As an action, you plant a false belief in the mind of one creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. You can create a sound or an image. Only the target of this talent perceives the sound or image you create.
If you create a sound, its volume can range from a whisper to a scream. It can be your voice, someone else's voice, a creature's roar, a musical instrument, or any other sound you pick. It lasts for 1 minute.
If you create an object, it must fit within a 5-foot cube and can’t move or be reflective. The image can't create any effect that influences a sense other than sight. The image lasts for 1minute, and it disappears if the creature touches it
Detect Minds
Cipher Talent
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Duration: Concentration, Up to 10 minutes
As an action you may extend your consciousness into the surrounding area to detect the presence of other minds. While concentrating, you know the rough location of any creature within 50 feet of you in addition to having an general understanding of whether or not the creature is intelligent (i.e. whether it's sentient, a simple animal, etc.) and an understanding of what the creature's current emotional state is (whether it's angry, afraid, excited, etc.). You can detect additional creatures for up to 200 feet, but you cannot perceive their intelligence or emotional state and information about their numbers and positions may or may not be inaccurate (DM's discretion).
Glamour
Cipher Talent
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Duration: Concentration, Up to 1 hour
You focus your psionic energies towards subtly influencing the minds of others, causing the awareness and perceptions of others to slide off of you. Anyone who looks at you finds your appearance to be utterly mundane and not noteworthy in any way, shape, or form.
Most humanoids will simply fail to notice you or assume that you're supposed to be wherever you are and ignore you. Creatures will still take notice of you in locales and situations where other humanoids aren't supposed to be present. For example: You may be able to blend in easily while attempting to infiltrate a cult meeting, but a troop of goblins will still notice that a human has wandered into their cave and a guard will still take note of someone attempting to step into a bank vault.
Should you do something to arouse suspicion or draw undue attention to yourself, a creature may make a Perception check. If successful, that creature now sees though the effect of the talent, but is not aware of the glamour. Psionic creatures and creatures with truesight not only see through the effect with ease, but also perceive the glamour itself.
Psychokinesis
Cipher Talent
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 20 feet
- Duration: Concentration, Up to 10 minutes
You are able to move small objects through thought alone. When you use this talent each round as an action for the duration you can exert your will on any number of objects you can see within range, so long as the combined weight of each object you are targeting does not exceed 5 pounds. You may effect the same targets each round, or select new ones. Creatures are immune to the effects of this talent.
You may hurl objects you are manipulating up to 20 feet in any direction (even beyond the talent's range), but you are incapable of moving objects with enough force to deal damage this way.
If an object leaves the talent's range, it is no longer under your influence. If you attempt to target more than 5 pounds worth of objects, you overexert yourself and the effects of this talent abruptly come to a halt.
You cannot attack or activate magic item through the use of psychokinesis, but you are capable of fine manipulation such as manipulating a simple tool, opening a door or a container, stowing or retrieving an item from an open container, or pouring the contents from a vial.
Pyrokinesis
Cipher Talent
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Duration: 10 minutes
You focus your psionic energy into a single point, creating a small flame in the palm of one of your open hands. The flame provides bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. The flame is mundane in nature and can be used to ignite flammable objects. You may make a melee attack with the palm holding the flame, dealing 1d4 fire damage on a successful hit. You must have at least one free hand to maintain the flame. You may dismiss the flame at any time.
Read Object
Cipher Talent
- Casting Time: 10 minutes
- Range: Self
- Duration: Instantaneous
As a cipher you can focus intently on an object for several minutes in an attempt to glean visions of some of the history surrounding it. The visions you receive may consist of images of previous owners of the object, impactful events that the object was in the presence of, or even events of emotional significance to the owner of the object at the time. The visions can be vague or misleading, but tend to be more clear and concise for objects that held significant sentimental value to their owners or were in the presence of truly significant happenings. Powerful magical items and artifacts, particularly sentient ones, may or may not resist having their histories read and have even been known to lash out at unsuspecting ciphers.
Telekinetic Burst
Cipher Talent
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Duration: Instantaneous
You try to blast one creature your can see within range with a burst of sheer telekinetic force. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or take 1d6 bludgeoning damage. If it takes any of this damage and is Large or smaller, you can push it up to 10 feet in a straight line in a direction of your choice. You can’t lift the target off the ground unless it is already airborne or underwater.
The talent’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
Read Thoughts
Cipher Talent
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 15 feet
- Duration: Concentration, Up to 1 minute
As an action you can attempt to probe the thoughts of a creature within range that you can see. If the creature you choose has an Intelligence of 3 or lower or doesn’t speak any language, the creature is unaffected.
The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, you learn the surface thoughts of the creature—what is most on its mind in that moment.
Questions verbally directed at the target creature naturally shape the course of its thoughts, so this spell is particularly effective as part of an interrogation.
Tier I Cipher Powers
Amplified Thrust
Tier I Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 20 feet
- Focus Cost: 1
- Duration: Instantaneous
You throw a bolt of psionic energy at an allied creature you can see within range. The bolt bounces harmlessly off the allied target and hits the nearest hostile creature within 30 feet. That creature takes 2d8 psychic damage and must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pushed 10 feet back from the ally and is knocked prone. If there is more than one close hostile creature equidistant to the target ally, then that ally gets to choose which one is hit.
Antipathetic Field
Tier I Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 1
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You create a toxic physical manifestation of the mutual antipathy between the you and your target. Choose one creature that you can see within range. A beam of antipathetic energy connects you and your target in a straight line for the duration of the power or until line of sight is broken with the target. Any hostile creatures caught in the line at the start of your turn must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 2d6 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Eyestrike
Tier I Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 1
- Duration: 1 minute
You attempt to shock your target's visual receptors in an effort to blind them. Choose one creature that you can see within range to make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, the target is blinded for the duration. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make a Constitution saving throw. On a success, the effect ends.
Mental Binding
Tier I Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 2
- Duration: 1 turn
You attempt overwhelm a creature's mental ability to communicate with its own body in an attempt to stun it. Choose one creature that you can see within range to make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, the target is stunned until the end of your next turn.
Mind Blades
Tier I Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 2
- Duration: Instantaneous
You co-opt the essence of a target of your choice that you can see within range, creating blades of psionic force that strike it. Three additional blades then leap from that target to as many as three other targets. Each target must be within 30 feet of another target. A target can be a creature or an object and can be targeted by only one of the blades. A target must make a Dexterity saving throw. The target takes 3d6 slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Mind Wave
Tier I Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self (20-foot cone)
- Focus Cost: 1
- Duration: Instantaneous
A wave of raw, psionic force sweeps out in front of you. Each creature in a 20-foot cone originating from you must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d6 psychic damage and is pushed 10 feet away from you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t pushed. In addition, unsecured objects that are completely within the area of effect are automatically pushed 10 feet away from you by the spell’s effect.
Phantom Foes
Tier I Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 1
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You attempt to invade the mind of a target, causing it to believe that it is surrounded by phantom foes. Choose one creature that you can see within range to make an Intelligence saving throw. If it fails, the target believes it is surrounded and is treated as if it is flanked for the duration. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make an Intelligence saving throw. On a success, the effect ends.
Whispers of Treason
Tier I Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 1
- Duration: 1 hour
You attempt to bend the mind of a creature you can see within range. It must make a Wisdom saving throw, and does so with advantage if you or your companions are fighting it. If it fails the saving throw, it is charmed by you until the spell ends or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. The charmed creature regards you as a friendly acquaintance. When the spell ends, the creature knows it was charmed by you.
Tier II Cipher Powers
Body Attunement
Tier II Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 1
- Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
You probe the mind and soul of a creature in an attempt to steal the strengths of its defenses. Choose one creature you can see within range. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, its AC is reduced by 2 and your AC is increased by 2 for the duration.
Ectopsychic Echo
Tier II Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 1
- Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
You create a rebounding wave of psychic feedback between you and an ally. Choose one allied creature that you can see within range. A beam of antipathetic energy connects you and your target in a straight line for the duration of the power or until line of sight is broken with the target. Any hostile creatures caught in the line at the start of your turn must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 2d6 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Mind Lance
Tier II Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Focus Cost: 1
- Duration: Instantaneous
A lance of pure psychic force blasts out from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d12 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Pain Block
Tier II Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 1
- Duration: 1 hour
Provides an allied creature with a mental block against their pain. Choose one allied creature you can see within range. That ally gains 2d4 + 4 temporary hit points for the duration. You cannot use this power on yourself.
Puppet Master
Tier II Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 2
- Duration: Concentration, 10 minutes
You attempt to beguile a humanoid that you can see within range. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for the duration. If you or creatures that are friendly to you are fighting it, it has advantage on the saving throw.
While the target is charmed, you have a telepathic link with it as long as the two of you are on the same plane of existence. You can use this telepathic link to issue commands to the creature while you are conscious (no action required), which it does its best to obey. You can specify a simple and general course of action, such as “Attack that creature,” “Run over there,” or “Fetch that object.” If the creature completes the order and doesn’t receive further direction from you, it defends and preserves itself to the best of its ability.
You can use your action to take total and precise control of the target. Until the end of your next turn, the creature takes only the actions you choose, and doesn’t do anything that you don’t allow it to do. During this time you can also cause the creature to use a reaction, but this requires you to use your own reaction as well. Each time the target takes damage, it makes a new Wisdom saving throw against the power. If the saving throw succeeds, the power ends.
Secret Horrors
Tier II Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 40 feet
- Focus Cost: 2
- Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
You realize the worst fears of the minds of nearby creatures. Choose one creature that you can see within range. That creature and all hostile creatures within 15 feet of it must make Wisdom saving throws. If a creature fails fails, it is frightened of you for the duration. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make a Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the effect ends.
Soul Ignition
Tier II Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 40 feet
- Focus Cost: 1
- Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
You force a target's soul to "leak" energy, igniting the air around it. Make a ranged psi attack against a creature you can see. On a hit, the target takes 2d12 fire damage, and on your turn, you can use your action to deal 1d12 fire damage to the target. The effect ends if you use your action to do anything else. The effect also ends if the target is ever outside the power's range or if it has total cover from you.
Tier III Cipher Powers
Amplified Wave
Tier III Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 2
- Duration: Instantaneous
You manifest the mental strength of allied creature you can see within range and project it outwards forcefully. Each hostile creature within 20 feet of that ally takes 4d8 psychic damage and must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is pushed 10 feet back from the ally and is knocked prone.
Detonate
Tier III Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 3
- Duration: Instantaneous
Splinters the soul of a target creature you can see within range with sheer force. Make a ranged psi attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 10d10 force damage. If you land a killing blow with Detonate, then each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on the killed target must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 4d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Ethereal Disintegration
Tier III Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 4
- Duration: 1 minute
Burns away the ethereal sinew that holds together the mind, body, and soul of a target creature within range, causing it to rapidly disintegrate. Make a ranged psi attack against the target. On a hit, the target begins to disintegrate for the duration. At the beginning of a disintegrating target's turn, it must make a Constitution saving throw. The target takes 3d10 force damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. If a creature is killed by this power, then it can be restored to life only by means of a True Resurrection or a Wish spell.
Ringleader
Tier III Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 4
- Duration: Concentration, 10 minutes
Imprints an insidious and powerful compulsion to obey the cipher across multiple targets. Choose one target creature you can see within range. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be dominated by you for the duration. Additionally, if the target fails its save then each hostile creature within 15 feet of the target must also make a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed for the duration. If you or creatures that are friendly to you are fighting it, it has advantage on the saving throw.
The dominated target behaves as if it was successfully targeted by the Puppet Master cipher power, while any secondary charmed targets behave as it they were charmed by the Whispers of Treason cipher power.
Stasis Shell
Tier III Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Focus Cost: 2
- Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
You isolate a single target from the world. Choose one creature you can see within range. If the creature is unwilling, it must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the target is either willing or fails its throw, it is enveloped in a shell of pure psionic energy and put into stasis for the duration. A creature in stasis is incapacitated (see the condition), cannot be moved, and is immune to damage. The creature appears as a distorted, semi-translucent image of itself and radiates psionic energy.
Tactical Meld
Tier III Cipher Power
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Focus Cost: 1
- Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
Connects your mind with the mind of a friendly, willing creature you can see within range for the duration. While your minds are linked you share sensory information freely between each other and can hear each other's thoughts. Each linked individual can provide the full benefits of the help action to the other as a bonus action regardless of range, so long as both individuals are within visual range of each other. Either one of the linked individuals can choose to sever the connection at any time.
Credits
The basis for the Cipher and many of its abilities comes from the class of the same name from Obsidian Entertainment's Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire.
Additional mechanics, balancing concepts, and flavor were based on Wizard's of the Coast's Unearthed Arcana: The Mystic Class and the classes and spells in the Player's Handbook.
Cover Art: Todd Lockwood
Additional Credits
Page 2 Artwork: Kazunori Aruga, Pillars of Eternity, ©Obsidian Entertainment
Special thanks to /u/JamesMusicus for creating Guidelines to Homebrewing Classes in D&D 5e.