Villainous Class Options
These subclasses expand upon the Villainous Class Options on pg. 96 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, adding an additional option for each class (except the Warlock as having The Fiend as an Otherworldy Patron felt villainous enough).
Artificer
Cursemonger
Many artificers craft magic objects to aid others, some craft to delve deeper into their understanding of magic, and others craft merely to sell for financial gain. You instead see a grander opportunity: to create an object of desire as the perfect trap to curse some unsuspecting soul. Imbued with malice, cursed items can be an occasional annoyance or an unending source of suffering. You have begun to perfect your art of cursing, merely to sow uncertainty and evil into the world or perhaps as a means to protect yourself and your creations. One thing is certain, as long as at least two creatures exist one will wish harm on the other, and what better way to administer that harm than in the guise of a gift?
Tool Proficiency
3rd-level Cursemonger feature
You gain proficiency with alchemist's supplies. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.
Cursemonger Spells
3rd-level Cursemonger feature
You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Curse Monger Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
Cursemonger Spells
| Artificer Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | bane, hex |
| 5th | blindness/deafness, Nystul's magic aura |
| 9th | bestow curse, remove curse |
| 13th | aura of purity, polymorph |
| 17th | contagion, greater restoration |
Cursed Items
3rd-level Cursemonger feature
You can begin crafting cursed items. You may apply the curse to a nonmagical item over the course of 1 hour by expending a spell slot. Alternatively, you may expend a spell slot (no action required) at any point when you craft a magic item or infuse an item to make the item cursed. An item can only hold one curse.
The function and properties of the curse are up to you, but are limited by the level of spell slot expended and the DM's discretion. The higher the level of spell slot expended, the more powerful the curse can be. See the Curse Power table for examples of curse power at different levels.
A nonmagical cursed item can't gain more power from a spell slot higher than 5th level, but when you apply a curse over the course of making a magic item, the curse can be more powerful (excluding consumable magic items). A curse on a common item or an infused item counts as if the spell slot expended were one higher, one on an uncommon item counts as two higher, one on a rare item counts as three higher, one on a very rare item counts as four higher, and one on a legendary item counts as five higher.
When a creature other than you holds the cursed item for 1 minute, it must make a Charisma saving throw versus your artificer spell save DC. On a failure, it automatically attunes to the item. If a creature was already at its maximum for item attunement, it immediately unattunes to one other item at random. If a creature succeeds this saving throw, it is immune to this effect for this cursed item. Any creature may choose to attune to the item normally, even if it has succeeded this saving throw. A creature attuned to a cursed item can't break the attunement except through the remove curse or greater restoration spells or through a special condition you can create when applying the curse. If the item was an infused item, the curse also ends if the infusion ends.
Curse Power
| Spell Level | Possible Effects |
|---|---|
| 1st | The creature gains a skin blemish or a foul odor. or The creature becomes slightly thirsty each time water is mentioned. |
| 2nd | The creature becomes worried every stranger is going to steal its gold. or The creature must expend all its movement to stand up from prone. |
| 3rd | The creature is frightened of one randomly determined creature type other than its own creature type. or While it rains above the creature, it can never enter shelter and must leave shelter if already there. |
| 4th | The creature gains dark vision out to 150 feet, but is blinded in bright light. or Each time the creature regains hit points, the total amount regained is reduced by 1 (but the total regained can never be less than 1). |
| 5th | The creature can only breathe water. or The creature has disadvantage on ability checks of your choice. |
| 6th | All friendly creatures become indifferent to the creaure. or The creature changes into a random creature of the same creature type it was. |
| 7th | The creature becomes grotesque and malformed and has disadvantage on Charisma ability checks and saving throws or The creature is blinded or poisoned. |
| 8th | The creature must succeed on a DC 10 ability check to do basic things like walk more than 100 ft. without losing balance or lift something 15 lbs. or more. or The creature has a vulnerability to a damage type of your choice (except bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing). |
| 9th | The creature must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw against your artificer spell save DC at the end of each long rest or lose all memories since its last long rest. or A random ability score becomes 4. |
Minor Curse
3rd-level Cursemonger feature
You may administer a smaller, transitory curse. As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target is cursed for 1 minute. The curse ends early if the target dies, you die, you are incapacitated, or you curse the same target with this feature again. Choose one of the following options for the curse:
- Clueless. A cursed target has disadvantage on its first saving throw made against your artificer spells.
- Exposed. You gain a bonus to weapon attack rolls against the cursed target equal to your Intelligence modifier.
- Insecure. The cursed target has disadvantage on all contested ability checks versus you.
- Milky-eyed. You always have at least half cover from the cursed target.
- Stiff-jointed. The cursed target's movement speed is reduced by one-quarter.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Excruciating Execration
5th-level Cursemonger feature
All creatures cursed by you are more susceptible to your aggressions. Your attacks and spells deal extra damage equal to 1d6 plus your Intelligence modifier to a creature cursed by you. This damage can be your choice of force, necrotic, poison, or psychic damage, and you choose each time you deal the extra damage.
Improved Imprecations
9th-level Cursemonger feature
Your understanding of curses and ability to invoke them has made you a deadlier adversary:
- A creature cursed by you is always considered in range of your artificer spells of 1st level or higher, and if the spell normally requires you to be able to see the target it doesn't for casting in this way.
- You may now choose two options when using your Minor Curse against a creature.
- The extra damage you deal with your Excruciating Execration increases to 2d6 plus your Intelligence modifier.
Cursed Item Adept
15th-level Cursemonger feature
You can use the power of a curse to supply your crafting. If you craft a magic item with a curse that is not consumable, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.
Reverse Affliction
15th-level Cursemonger feature
When you resist a harmful effect, you may reform its harmful essence and send it back to its creator. If a creature you can see forces you to make an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw against magic and you succeed, you may use a reaction to force the creature to make the same saving throw against your artificer spell save DC. The creature suffers the same effects on a success or failure that the magic stipulates. If the magic requires concentration, you can't concentrate on the magic which simply ends at the end of the turn.
Barbarian
Path of the Cannibal
Cannibalism has happened in times of desperation in many places and times, but walking the Path of the Cannibal means taking something abhorrent a creature would only do as a last resort and turning it into a lifestyle. The reasons can vary from the belief that eating another creature grants you some of its power, to being used as a way to manifest dread in your foes, or to simply not waste available meat. In some cultures it is thought to be an addiction. That once someone begins to consume their own kind, they become driven to do it again and again.
Bite
3rd-level Path of the Cannibal feature
Your life as a cannibal has made your teeth a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. You may make a bite attack as a bonus action against a creature grappled by you. When you make a successful bite attack against a creature that is the same creature type as you, you gain temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt.
Sustenance
6th-level Path of the Cannibal feature
When you finish a long rest after having consumed a meal of meat from a creature that is the same creature type as you within the last 24 hours, you regain all expended Hit Dice. Five successful bite attacks against a creature qualifies as a meal, although it may also be consumed outside of combat.
Savage Display
10th-level Path of the Cannibal feature
You prey on your foes' view of you as a savage monster. As a reaction to reducing a creature to 0 hit points, you may make a frightening display of gore and violence, such as bathing yourself in the creature's blood, presenting its beating heart, or ripping its body to shreds with your teeth. Each hostile creature within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failure, it is frightened of you for 1 minute.
A creature frightened in this way makes another Wisdom saving throw at the end of its turn. On a successful save, the effect ends for it.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Powerful Jaws
14th-level Path of the Cannibal feature
Your bite attack scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 and increases in damage becoming 1d8 + your Strength modifier.
Bard
College of Demoralization
While most bards are known for inspiring their fellow compatriots, the bards of the College of Demoralization are taught ways to demoralize adversaries. By sapping the very will to fight or even live, these bards are able to help conquer a peoples in a war effort, allow a dictator to subjugate the masses, or break someone for their own personal ambitions.
Dispirit
3rd-level College of Demoralization feature
You have learned to turn your inspiration into discouragement. As a bonus action, you can expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration to attempt to demoralize a creature within 60 feet of you who can hear you. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your bard spell save DC. On a failure, you choose either ability checks, attack rolls, or saving throws. For the next minute or until your concentration is broken (as if you were concentrating on a spell), when the creature makes the chosen roll, it must roll the Bardic Inspiration die and subtract it from the roll.
Pain
6th-level College of Demoralization feature
Your subjugation of a creature pains its psyche. At the start of a creature's turn for the first minute it is under the effects of your Dispirit feature or blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, exhausted, grappled, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, restrained, or stunned by one of your spells, you may choose to deal psychic damage to it equal to 1d6 plus your Charisma modifier. This damage does not end the condition or spell if it normally would.
When you reach 14th level in this class, the damage you deal increases to 2d6 plus your Charisma modifier.
Loss of Will
14th-level College of Demoralization feature
A creature's will to live can evaporate around you. Whenever an enemy creature is 25 hit points or below and ends its turn within 10 feet of you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your bard spell save DC or die.
Druid
Circle of Cataclysm
The Circle of Cataclysm preaches nature's destructive qualities. Typhoons, tsunamis, wildfires, earthquakes, floods, the natural world is rife with means to destroy environments. But the flood brings nutrients to the river banks, and the wildfire allows plants to germinate, spread, and grow. This is what the Circle of Cataclysm holds to heart; the notion of destruction to foster new growth. They can be found creating smaller cataclysms among farms, forests, and cities. But the ultimate goal is to have the whole world be almost utterly destroyed, so it can begin to grow again anew.
Circle Spells
2nd-level Circle of Cataclysm feature
Your devotion to mass destruction or pandemonium grants you the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of Cataclysm Spells table to further your apocalyptic objectives.
Once you gain access to a cataclysm spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn’t appear on the druid spell list, the spell is nonetheless a druid spell for you.
Circle of Cataclysm Spells
| Druid Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | darkness, gust of wind |
| 5th | erupting earthEE, Melf's minute meteorsEE |
| 7th | confusion, storm sphereEE |
| 9th | cloudkill, insect plague |
Variant: Alternative Spells
For players who do not have access to Elemental Evil Player's Companion, the cataclysm spells erupting earth, Melf's minute meteors, and storm sphere can be replaced with sleet storm, fireball, and control water respectively.
Bonus Cantrip
2nd-level Circle of Cataclysm feature
You learn one additional druid cantrip of your choice.
Harbinger
2nd-level Circle of Cataclysm feature
You announce the arrival of great destruction. When you cast a spell with an area of effect that allows a creature to make a saving throw to take half damage, you may grant creatures advantage on the saving throws and double the size of the area of effect.
Demolition
6th-level Circle of Cataclysm feature
Your destruction becomes more effective against unnatural makings. You and your spells deal triple damage to objects and structures. Additionally, when a spell you cast ignites a flammable object, the ignited object's fire fills a 5-foot cube.
Renewal
10th-level Circle of Cataclysm feature
The blood and corpse of a creature can germinate new plant life under your service. If you reduce a creature that is not a construct or undead to 0 hit points on your turn and its body remains, you may use your reaction to have an awakened tree sprout from the ground growing from the creature's body. Roll initiative for the awakened tree, which has its own turns and obeys your verbal commands.
The awakened tree remains in your service for 1 minute, at which point it turns into a tree.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Cataclysm
14th-level Circle of Cataclysm feature
You can choose the form of destruction you wish to reign down around you. As an action, bring forth the cataclysm of your choice from one of the options below. Any save required will be against your druid spell save DC. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
Flood. Water bursts from the ground within 15 feet of you in a 10 feet long 10 feet high and 5 feet thick wall and travels 5 feet in a direction of your choice. On your subsequent turns, the flood moves 10 feet in the same direction. Each creature of size Large or smaller in an area the flood occupies must succeed on a Strength saving throw or become restrained by the flood. The flood carries any restrained creatures with it when it moves as well as any objects not being worn or carried and puts out any fire or flame in the area. A creature restrained by the flood can use an action on its turn to make a Strength saving throw ending the condition on a success. The flood continues for 1 minute before receding.
Ice Age. You surround yourself with frigid air and wind in a 120 foot radius for 1 minute. Each creature other than you that begins its turn within the radius or moves into the radius for the first time on its turn must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take cold damage equal to 1d10 plus your Wisdom modifier.
Tectonic Shift. A fault line bursts in 5 foot by 30 foot line within 30 feet of you. The opening is 5d10 feet deep. Each creature on that line must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the creature falls into the opening. A creature that successfully saves moves with the fault line's edge as it opens. Each creature within 5 feet of the line when it opens must succeed a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.
Wildfire. Choose a creature or flammable object within 60 feet. If it is a creature, it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure or if it is a flammable object, it is on fire. At the beginning of its turn if a creature or object is on fire as a result of this feature (objects are on initiative count 20), it takes 1d10 fire damage, any flammable object within 10 feet of it is now on fire, and any creature within 10 feet of it must succeed a Constitution saving throw or become on fire. The creatures and objects remain on fire until a creature uses an action to put the fire out
Fighter
Raider
In wartime or outside of it, a Raider plunders and pillages looking to capture gold, treasures, or even people. They can target poor villages or walled cities assaulting from the outside or rioting from within. Although sometimes organized, Raiders revel in the chaos of a fray, able to exploit destruction and combustion to achieve their goals.
Hit and Run
3rd-level Raider feature
When you make an attack against a creature, that creature can not target you with opportunity attacks until the end of the turn.
Raiding Tactics
3rd-level Raider feature
You have learned a variety of ways to sow chaos and destruction. You can take the Use an Object action as a bonus action and are proficient with improvised weapons.
Spoils of War
7th-level Raider feature
our carrying capacity (including maximum load and maximum lift) is doubled, and you have advantage on Strength checks made to push, pull, lift, or break objects. In addition, when you drag or carry a creature grappled by you, it does not cost you extra movement.
Shocking Assault
10th-level Raider feature
You have mastered sudden assaults. If you damage a surprised creature, it must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice)). On a failure, it is stunned until the end of the first turn it is not surprised. You also have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in the combat yet.
Slaughter the Weak
15th-level Raider feature
Your ruthless attacks are especially vicious against the unprotected. You deal an extra 1d10 damage to any creature that is wearing no armor or that you have advantage against.
Incite Riot
18th-level Raider feature
You can draw others to your greedy, destructive ways. As an action, you can use your might to stir up unrest and violence. Choose a creature within 60 feet of you that can hear you. On subsequent turns, you can use your action to continue this frenzied agitation and choose one additional creature within 60 feet of you that can hear you.
At any point you may end of your tirade (no action required) and have each creature you chose (up to a maximum of 10) make a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice)). On a failure, the creature embraces its baser instincts. It will attack those it feels deserve it or steal objects it wishes to possess (this is usually those in wealth and power).
You can attempt to direct this anger and action toward a particular creature, group, or place during your screed, but ultimately the mob will do what it will. This madness lasts for at least 1 hour, but may last longer and spread to other creatures that witness the assaults and pillaging (DM's discretion).
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
Monk
Way of Forbidden Techniques
Monks of the Way of Forbidden Techniques have studied ways of manipulating ki other monks believe perverse. These techniques are abhorred due to needing to infect an opponent's ki with your own. This requires an abeyance where you cannot regain this ki, stopping the natural flow of the life force of the planes.
While there are monasteries where such skills can be taught, many monks of this tradition hide their exploration of these banned abilities under their unsuspecting master's very own eyes.
Ki Damage
3rd-level Way of Forbidden Techniques feature
You can limit a creature's hit points with your strikes. When you make a successful melee weapon attack, you may spend 1 ki point to deal extra damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die and reduce the target's maximum hit points by an amount equal to the damage of the attack.
The target's hit points remain reduced until you end the effect (no action required). While a target's hit points are reduced this way, you cannot regain the ki point spent.
Corrupted Ki
6th-level Way of Forbidden Techniques feature
You learn how to violently gain ki points at the cost of your body and mind. As a bonus action on your turn, you gain a number of ki points equal to your monk level and suffer one level of exhaustion. You must also make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 10. On a failure, you are afflicted with a short-term madness as determined by the Short-Term Madness table (pg. 259 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When you finish a long rest, the DC resets to 10.
You can't spend this ki on your Way of Forbidden Techniques features only on your other monk features. You lose this ki whenever you finish long rest and can't use this feature again while you have this ki remaining.
Sever Ability
11th-level Way of Forbidden Techniques feature
You can block a creature's abilities. As an action, touch a creature then choose an ability and spend any number of ki points. The creature must make a saving throw of the chosen ability. On a failure, the creature receives a penalty equal to the amount of ki points spent to ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, or save DCs using the chosen ability.
This penalty lasts until you decide to end the effect (no action required). While a creature has this penalty, you cannot regain the ki points spent.
Five-Point Quivering Palm
17th-level Way of Forbidden Techniques feature
You learn a variant of the Quivering Palm. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 5 ki points to start these imperceptible vibrations, which last for a number of days equal to your monk level. The vibrations are harmless unless you use your action to end them. To do so, you and the target must be on the same plane of existence. When you use this action, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage.
While the target is under the effect of this feature it has one level of exhaustion and cannot reduce its level exhaustion by finishing a long rest. Each time it completes a long rest, it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it suffers another level of exhaustion.
You can have only one creature under the effect of this feature at a time. You cannot regain the ki points spent using this feature while the target is under its effects. You can choose to end the vibrations harmlessly without using an action.
Ranger
Headhunter
Headhunters are first and foremost trophy hunters. They do not hunt for food, but for sport. The more challenging the opponent, the sweeter the victory, and they relish the mementos they take from the slain. They use these trophies of fallen foes to further feed their slaughter, gaining more power with the more creatures they kill. Some would think of this as murder, but the Headhunter has no such provincial notions. Any creature capable of killing another has a right to do so.
Headhunter Magic
3rd-level Headhunter feature
You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Headhunter Magic Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, and it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.
Headhunter Spells
| Ranger Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | expeditious retreat |
| 5th | hold person |
| 9th | fear |
| 13th | Mordekainain's faithful hound |
| 17th | scrying |
Dangerous Game
3rd-level Headhunter feature
You have experience hunting creatures able to turn the tables. While tracking a creature, you can't be surprised by it and have advantage on saving throws made to avoid or resist traps.
Trophy
3rd-level Headhunter feature
The trophies you take from your vanquished prey take on a magical nature. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points that has a challenge rating equal to one-quarter your level (rounded up) or greater, you may spend 1 minute within 1 hour of it dying to extract a trophy from its body (this can be its head, scalp, ear, claw, pelt, etc.).
The trophy can be used to power magical effects. A trophy has three uses. A trophy from a humanoid or one of your favored enemies has five uses. If a trophy is from a humanoid that is also your favored enemy, it has seven uses.
Once per attack, you may expend one use of a trophy to gain advantage on the attack roll, and if the attack hits, you deal an extra 1d12 damage. Alternatively, when casting a spell you can expend one use of a trophy to give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.
Hide-and-Go-Seek
7th-level Headhunter feature
You can prey upon the false sense of security of creatures who think they are hidden from you. You can track or take the Search action as a bonus action. If you successfully perceive a creature attempting to hide, you gain advantage on the first attack you make against it, and on a successful hit, the attack is a critical hit.
Talking Head
11th-level Headhunter feature
You can gain specific information concerning a creature through your trophies. As an action while holding a trophy, you can expend a spell slot to gain that creature's most recent memories. You gain access to 24 hours of memories from the creature's death for each level of spell slot you expend. You do not see these memories in real time, instead absorbing 1 hour of memories for each 1 minute you spend observing the memories. You are blinded and deafened to your own senses during this time. You are able to immediately view the memories of any time in the duration you wish, skipping around as you please.
Additionally as an action while holding a trophy, you can expend a spell slot to sense any other species of the creature within 1500 feet of you. For example if you have a young red dragon trophy and use this feature, you would sense young red dragons but not adult red dragons or young blue dragons. You learn the exact number, direction, and distance of the creatures. You know this information for a number of minutes equal to 10 times the level of spell slot expended.
Finishing Blow
15th-level Headhunter feature
When you reduce a creature to 20 hit points or lower, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your ranger spell save DC. On a failure, it is reduced to 0 hit points instead.
Rogue
Psychopath
You've honed your abilities to strike fear in weak and strong alike. Characterized by a severe lack of empathy and willingness to disregard laws and mores, the Psychopath can be seen as having a mental affliction as much as having a deliberate method of terror. It is this complete disregard for society and the people in it that makes Psychopaths so feared, even among other evil creatures.
Unnerving
3rd-level Psychopath feature
You give off a general feeling of dread and instability which you can channel against a creature. As an action, you may have a creature within 30 feet of you that can see you make a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failure, it is frightened of you for 1 hour.
If the creature succeeds on its saving throw, it cannot be frightened in this way for 24 hours.
You also gain an additional way to use your Sneak Attack; you don’t need advantage on the attack roll to use your Sneak Attack against a creature if the creature is frightened and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. All the other rules for Sneak Attack still apply to you.
Threatening
9th-level Psychopath feature
Someone can be so scared of you they become devoted to you, lest they incur your wrath. If a humanoid who is frightened of you has a challenge rating or level that is lower than your rogue level, is within 30 feet of you, and can see you, you may attempt to charm it. As an action, you have the humanoid make a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failure, it is charmed by you for as long as it is frightened of you. On a success, it cannot be charmed in this way for 24 hours.
While a humanoid is charmed in this way, you may issue commands to it as a bonus action. You can specify a simple and general course of action, such as "Attack that creature," "Run over there," or "Fetch that object." If the humanoid completes the order and doesn't receive further direction from you, it defends and preserves itself to the best of its ability. It may move closer to you, if you allow it or order it.
You may also specify a more complex course of action, such as “Find the captain of the guard. Kill him. Take the silver orb from his body. Bring it back to me.” If you do, the humanoid may make a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failure, it follows your instructions as best as it can. On a success, it is no longer charmed by you and cannot be charmed in this way for 24 hours.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Fearless
13th-level Psychopath feature
Your recklessness and own projection of fear has inoculated you to dangers and made your confederates less likely to be scared of things that aren't you. You are immune to the frightened condition, and allies of your choice within 60 feet of you have advantage on saving throws to resist being frightened.
Terrifying
17th-level Psychopath feature
Your horrifying nature is more menacing up close. You can use your Unnerving feature as a bonus action, rather than as an action, against a creature within 5 feet of you.
Sorcerer
Malevolent One
A great evil affects you. Perhaps you are the reincarnated soul of a powerful arcane monster thought destroyed for good, or perhaps Evil itself has a will and has manifested itself in you. Or maybe these are lies we tell ourselves and all creatures have this power, if only they were as strong of conviction as you.
You may try to rebel against it, loathe its hold on you, or feel remorse and sorrow for your transgressions. But ultimately in your soul there is evil, and it consumes your thoughts and actions.
Dark Speech
1st-level Malevolent One feature
You learn to speak, read, and write Dark Speech, a dark, foreboding tongue. When you make Charisma (Intimidation) checks while speaking in Dark Speech, the check is made with advantage. A creature need not know the language to know to fear it.
Additionally, when you cast a spell with a verbal component that requires a creature to make a saving throw, you can use Dark Speech as a part of the casting. When doing so, one creature of your choice that was forced to make a saving throw takes 2d6 psychic damage before the spell takes affect.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.
If you have expended all uses you may continue to use this ability at the risk of your own mind. If you use this ability while having no available uses, you take 2d6 psychic damage and must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, you can only speak in Dark Speech until you finish a long rest.
Psychic Disturbance
6th-level Malevolent One feature
Being magically connected to you can strain a creature's mind as horrifying sensations begin to overwhelm it. While you are under the effects of a concentration spell, you may have the creature concentrating on the spell make a Wisdom saving throw against your sorcerer spell save DC at the end of each of its turns. On a failure, it takes psychic damage equal to 2d6 + your sorcerer level, or half as much on a success.
Baleful Watcher
14th-level Malevolent One feature
You may spend 5 sorcery points to watch a creature you have met and is on the same plane as you. You create an undetectable sensor within 10 feet of the target that lasts for 10 minutes. You can see and hear through the sensor as if you were there and can speak telepathically with the creature. The sensor moves with the target, remaining within 10 feet of it for the duration. When the sensor is created, the creature makes a Wisdom saving throw against your sorcerer spell save DC. On a success, it gets the sensation it is being watched for the duration.
Dark Soul
18th-level Malevolent One feature
The flame of your darkness cannot be so easily snuffed out. When you start your turn at 0 hit points and your body still exists, you may choose to regain all your hit points and sorcery points and become incapacitated and unable to move until the end of your turn as you transform into a dark, corrupted being. The look of this dark being is up to you, such as becoming sallow skinned and gaunt with flaming yellow eyes or to have black ichor continually seep out of your wounds, but you cannot change your size and none of your physical changes grant you additional properties (e.g. if you gain a monstrous fanged mouth, attacking with it grants you no special benefits you didn't already posses). You remain a dark being for 1 minute and gain the following characteristics during that time:
- You become immune to the charmed and frightened conditions.
- You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical weapons.
- You can use your Dark Speech ability without expending a use, taking damage, or needing to make the saving throw.
- When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to three times the creature's challenge rating or level.
- When a creature moves within 10 feet of you or starts its turn there, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your sorcerer spell save DC or become frightened of you until the end of the turn.
- If you fail a saving throw, you may spend 5 sorcery points to succeed instead.
- As a reaction, you may cast a cantrip or move up to your speed when another creature's turn ends.
- You gain vulnerability to one damage as randomly determined from the Vulnerability chart.
If you die while in this form, your soul cannot be returned or resurrected by any known means, even the wish spell. Of course, it's possible disciples of darkness may discover a way to return you at great and dangerous cost.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again for 7 days.
Vulnerability
| d10 | Damage Vulnerability |
|---|---|
| 1 | Acid |
| 2 | Cold |
| 3 | Fire |
| 4 | Force |
| 5 | Lightning |
| 6 | Necrotic |
| 7 | Poison |
| 8 | Psychic |
| 9 | Radiant |
| 10 | Thunder |
Wizard
School of Dark Arts
Some magics are thought to be too vile, too wicked to practitioners of the arcane. For the School of Dark Arts this is merely a trivial matter of politics. Only a fool would limit their power, and your study of black magic grants you power.
Corruptible
2nd-level School of Dark Arts feature
You can sense in which way a creature is weakest. As an action, you choose one creature within 60 feet of you. You know which ability is the target's lowest saving throw. If more than one ability is the lowest, the DM secretly chooses one at random from lowest for you to learn.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.
Dark Spells
2nd-level School of Dark Arts feature
You gain certain nefarious spells from each school of magic at the wizard levels noted in the Dark Spells table. Once you gain a dark spell, it is added to your spellbook, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you have a dark spell that doesn’t appear on the wizard spell list, the spell is nonetheless a wizard spell for you.
Dark Spells
| Wizard Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 2nd | hellish rebuke |
| 3rd | suggestion |
| 5th | bestow curse |
| 7th | phantasmal killer |
| 9th | contact other plane |
| 11th | planar ally |
| 13th | symbol |
| 15th | glibness |
| 17th | power word: kill |
Left Hand Path
6th-level School of Dark Arts feature
When you finish a short or long rest and a magic item that requires attunement by a creature of evil alignment is within 1000 feet of you, you can sense its presence for a moment if the magic item wishes it. You do not sense the direction or distance to the object.
Right Hand Path
6th-level School of Dark Arts feature
The first time a creature attuned to a magic item that requires attunement by a creature of good alignment moves within 30 feet of you or starts its turn there, it must make a Charisma saving throw against your wizard spell save DC. On a failure, it becomes unattuned to the magic item. If it is attuned to multiple magic items that require attunement by a creature of good alignment, it makes a separate saving throw for each one.
Once a creature makes its required saving throws, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
Additionally, when a creature of a good alignment casts the counterspell or dispel magic spells to stop your wizard spells, it must always make a spellcasting ability check to succeed, regardless of the level of spells involved, and does so at disadvantage.
Dark Magic
10th-level School of Dark Arts feature
You have learned how to manipulate the dark arts to hide your spells. When you cast a spell, you may cast it without any somatic or verbal components and may make it appear as if the spell is coming from a different source within 30 feet of you such as another creature or another location, although the range of the spell still originates from you. If the spell specifies a creature is aware of the spell's effects, you may have it be unaware for this casting.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.
Forbidden Ritual
14th-level School of Dark Arts feature
You learn a ritual requiring a creature's soul. When a creature is reduced to 0 hit points within 120 feet of you, you may use your reaction to capture the creature's soul. You can perform a 1 hour ritual within 24 hours of capturing it to transform the soul into a vitrified soul. A vitrified soul can be used in the following ways:
Material Components. When you cast a spell with a material component that is consumed, you may use a vitrified soul in place of the component. A vitrified soul can be used to replace up to 500 gp in value of a material components. For example, the planar binding spell requires a 1000 gp jewel. You could use a vitrified soul and a 500 gp jewel or two vitrified souls as material components for the spell.
Temporary Hit Points. As an action, you may expend a spell slot and consume a vitrified soul. You roll 3d12 for each level of the spell slot expended and gain a number of temporary hit points equal the total.
Create Specter. By taking an hour, you extract the soul from the vitrified soul and turn it into a specter under your control. The soul need not have been from a humanoid for you to do this. You may have a number of specters under your control equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one). Any additional specters you create are not under your control.
You roll initiative for your specters as a group, which have their own turns. As a bonus action on each of your turns, you can mentally command a specter if it is within 120 feet of you (if you control multiple specters, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the specter 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, the specter only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the specter continues to follow it until its task is complete.