Ravenkin
A Homebrewed Prestige Class
The Raven Queen
The name of this goddess of death is long forgotten, but she is called the Raven Queen. She is the spinner of fate and the patron of winter. She marks the end of each mortal life, and mourners call upon her during funeral rites, in the hope that she will guard the departed from the curse of undeath.
She was once a powerful mortal sorcerer-queen who wielded ice magic. When she died, she came to Pluton, the domain of the evil death god Nerull. Nerull, impressed with her will and ambition, gave her form and made her his consort, naming her Nera. She stole Nerull's power over mortal shades, and managed to destroy him and become the
new god of death.
Having forsaken Nerull's former dominion of Pluton, which now floats empty and silent in the Astral Sea, the Raven Queen's citadel lies in the Shadowfell; a massive castle cut from black ice and covered in fresh snow.
Here in Letherna the Raven Queen roosts, guiding the souls of the dead to their final resting place. The dominion of the goddess of death is a dangerous one: located in the middle of a frozen forest, combined with the proximity of the Raven Queen's abode and the deadliness of the Shadowfell in general. The surrounding area is far from safe: it is stalked by those souls who were rejected, didn't pass on, and crave the warmth of the living.
Ravenkin
Death has her eyes on you.
Through your deeds or devotion, or perhaps even on a whim, the Raven Queen chose you to become one of her Ravenkin and serve her purposes. Accepting the offer brings great boons to you as well as responsibilities.
Deny it and risk the wrath of the goddess of death. You choose to serve, whether because of your ambitions, devotion, or fear of death, the Raven Queen will not deny your destiny, and you are free to pursue it, but remember; in the end everyone's fate is death.
So celebrate your life while it lasts.
Prerequisites
In order to advance as Ravenkin, you must meet the following prerequisites (in addition to the multiclassing prerequisites for your existing class):
- Character level 10th. Only someone who is strong enough to shape the world and carry within them a powerful destiny can hope to become Ravenkin.
- Complete the Journey to Fate's Palace. In order to advance in this class you must first visit the realm of the goddess of Death and been granted an audience by her. Only on extremely rare occasions would someone still living manage to enter Letherna and thus complete the perilous journey. However, there are no rules demanding that you are still alive when you reach the palace, and all the souls of the dead pass through there.
- Gain the Raven Queen's Favor. Either through your actions in fighting her enemies, or your devotion to her, or perhaps because the destiny you are meant to fulfil is important enough that your death upsets the cosmic balance, the goddess of Death and Fate took personal interest in you and changed you into Ravenkin.
Ravenkin
| Level | Features |
|---|---|
| 1st | Between Life and Death, Winter's Favored, Ravenkin Cabal |
| 2nd | Fighting Style, Shadow Scythe |
| 3rd | Ravenkin Cabal Feature, Vitality Eternal |
| 4th | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | Ravenkin Cabal Feature, Quickened Corpus |
Class Features
As Ravenkin, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per Ravenkin level
- Hit Points per Level: 1d8 (5) + Constitution modifier per Ravenkin level
Proficiencies
- Armor: None
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: None
- Skills: Religion
Between Life and Death
Starting at 1st level, you begin a transient existence on the border between life and death, being neither and both alive and dead at the same time. You retain your original type, and in addition you are also considered undead for the purposes of spells and abilities that detect creature type.
Your life functions slow down and you age only one year for every 10 years that pass. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened. You have advantage and add your proficiency to saving throws to resist the effects of the Shadowfell.
In addition you have advantage on death saving throws.
If you die, then raise dead can be cast on you with no material components and you do not suffer any penalties from the spell.
Winter's Favored
Also at 1st level, you gain resistance to cold and necrotic damage.
Ravenkin Cabal
In addition, at 1st level you pick a Ravenkin cabal to be part of. You can choose between Raven Knight, Raven Consort or Harbringer.
Fighting Style
Beginning at 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Grim Casting
When you cast a spell that deals cold or necrotic damage, or can cause creatures to become frightened, the DC for the spell increases by 1.
Spellblade Training
When you cast a cantrip as your action you can use your bonus action to make a single weapon attack with a one- handed weapon.
Two Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Shadow Scythe
Starting at 2nd level, as an action, you can magically transform a weapon you are holding into a shadow scythe for 1 hour per Ravenkin level you have, shrouding the weapon in darkness. While the weapon is transformed, you are proficient with it while you wield it.
The weapon is considered as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. The weapon reverts to normal if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also reverts to normal if you use this feature again, if you will it so (no action required), or if you die.
While transformed, the shadows shrouding the weapon prevent anyone from seeing the it, though the shroud itself is visible. It also blocks any light the weapon may be shedding. While transformed, the weapon deals an additional 1d4 necrotic damage on a hit.
In addition, on a hit, you can choose to revert the weapon back to its original form, dealing an extra 1d8 necrotic damage per Ravenkin level.
You can transform the weapon a number of times per day equal to your Ravenkin level.
Vitality Eternal
When you reach 3rd level in this class, your transient existence and proximity to Death herself allows you to tap to the energies of the transition between life and death.
When you are reduced to 0 hit points, instead of having to fail three death saving throws to die, you instead have to fail a number of saving throws equal to the levels in this class that you have.
In addition, you can use your action to draw upon these energies even further and heal yourself, by rolling one of your hit die and adding your Constitution modifier to it, healing yourself for the result rolled.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level in this class, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1.
This increase can bring your total in either score to above 20.
Quickened Corpus
When you reach 5th level in this class, your special relationship with Death allows you to function even when suffering grievous wounds.
When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you don't fall unconscious, but instead keep fighting as normal while you make death saving throws until you actually die.
When you take damage in this state, you make a Constitution saving throw, with a DC equal to 10 or the damage suffered, whichever is higher, ignoring the damage on a success and automatically failing the death saving throw on a failure.
Ravenkin Cabals
Raven Knight
The Raven Queen’s influence across the Shadowfell depends on trusted agents: among them are the esteemed order of the Raven Knights. Charged with protecting the Raven Queen’s realm and safeguarding the Shadowfell from those who would pervert its dark power for dread purposes, they move with impunity across the plane, even going so far as to venture into distant worlds where they bring battle to the Raven Queen’s myriad enemies.
You don the black garb worn by all in this august order, cladding yourself in the soft velvet robes and wielding the deity’s power in her name. In reward for your eternal service, the deity grants you a mighty fortress and lands in the Shadowfell to rule as you wish, warriors to fight beneath your banner, and servants to attend to your every wish. You might be a servant still, but you live as a king.
Sorrowborn
Starting at 1st level, your physique subtly alters as you feel the effects of the Shadowfell and the Raven Queen's favor.
Your Dexterity and Constitution both increase by 1, and this increase can bring your total in either score to above 20. Furthermore, your speed increases by 10 feet.
Additionally, your connection to death allows you to use the Everflow to your own purposes. Once per day you can cast the Traverse Everflow spell at 7th level as an innate spell.
Bleak Visage
Also at 1st level, you can change your appearance to resemble that of a Sorrowsworn, turning your skin black and your eyes red, with black thorns jutting out of your face.
You do so as a bonus action and the change lasts for 10 minutes, unless you fall unconscious or choose to end it early (no action).
While transformed this way you have advantage in Charisma (Intimidate) checks, and any creature within 30 feet of you that wishes to attack you must first succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or have disadvantage on attack rolls against you until the start of its next turn.
You have a number of uses of this feature, equal to your Ravenkin level. You regain spent uses when you complete a long rest.
Shadow Rush
When you reach 3rd level in this class, you can manipulate the energies of the Shadowfell to assume a ghostly appearance when moving at speed.
When you take the dash action, you turn incorporeal. While incorporeal, you have resistance against nonmagical damage, and your targets are resistant against your nonmagical attacks. You can move through objects and creatures, treating them as difficult terrain, but must end your movement in empty space. If you don't then you take 1d10 force damage.
When you use this feature you remain incorporeal until the end of your turn.
You have a number of uses of this feature, equal to your Ravenkin level. You regain spent uses when you complete a long rest.
Soul Reaper
When you reach 5th level in this class, your attacks affect the psyche of your targets, giving them a certainty of death, while you strengthen yourself with what they've lost.
When you hit with an attack, you deal an extra 1d6 psychic damage to the target and you gain temporary hit points equal to this psychic damage. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute.
Raven Consort
Your journeys have seen you sent countless souls to death and conquer uncountable dangers before coming yourself in front of the Raven Queen. In your way, you’ve shown death the respect she deserves, never shrinking from your duty or ignoring your destiny. Even those who don’t know you sense that you are beloved by Death herself, now on the brink of the greatest reward anyone could hope to receive from her.
You have received a tiny sliver of death's power to use in her name, but how it will be used is up to you.
Whatever you choose, once your destiny is fulfilled you'll stand proudly beside the deity of death as an icon of what others can achieve. You'll serve her as advisor, confidant, and perhaps even lover.
Union of Three Faiths
Starting at 1st level in this class, the Raven Queen bestows you with a facility to cast spells.
Cantrips
You know the frostbite, guidance and toll the dead cantrips.
Spell Slots
The table below shows how many spell slots you have and the level they are. To cast one of your Ravenkin spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.
| Ravenkin level | Number of spell slots | Slot level |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | 1 |
| 2nd | 2 | 1 |
| 3rd | 2 | 2 |
| 4th | 2 | 2 |
| 5th | 2 | 3 |
Spells known at 1st level and higher
At 1st level you know 2 spells from the Ravenkin list and you learn 1 additional spell per Ravenkin level above that. The spells must be of a level that you have spell slots to cast.
If you have the Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature from another class, then you can use the spell slots gained from that feature to cast Ravenkin spells and vice versa.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Ravenkin spells you know and replace it with an other spell from the Ravenkin spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Ravenkin Cabals
Spellcasting ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Ravenkin spells, so you use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability.
In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a ravenkin spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spellcasting focus
You can use a holy symbol of the Raven Queen as a spellcasting focus for your Ravenkin spells.
Raven Consort Spell List
| 1st-level spells: |
|---|
| Armor of Agathys (PHB) |
| Bane (PHB) |
| Cause Fear (Xanathar's) |
| Cure Wounds (PHB) |
| Ice Knife (Xanathar's) |
| Inflict Wounds (PHB) |
| Protection from Evil and Good (PHB) |
| 2nd-level spells: |
|---|
| Augury (PHB) |
| Chains of Doom |
| Gentle Repose (PHB) |
| Guiding Bolt (PHB) |
| Invisibility (PHB) |
| Ray of Enfeeblement (PHB) |
| Silence (PHB) |
| Slashing Shadow |
| 3rd-level spells: |
|---|
| Feign Death (PHB) |
| Fear (PHB) |
| Life Transference (Xanathar's) |
| Revivify (PHB) |
| Speak with Dead (PHB) |
| Vampiric Touch (PHB) |
Winter's Raven
Also at 1st level you learn the find familiar spell. You can only use it to gain a white raven, a spirit in service to the Raven Queen. You don't require material components to cast the spell. The familiar is considered undead for the of spells and abilities that detect creature type.
The familiar shares the statistics of a regular raven, except the white raven has darkvision of 120 feet, is immune to cold, necrotic and non-magical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage and has hit points equal to your total level.
When you see through the eyes of your familiar, you can cast a spell and have it originate from your familiar's space rather than yours.
You have a number of uses of this later feature equal to your Ravenkin level. You regain spent uses when you finish a long rest.
Fate's Veil
Beginning at 3rd level, when you finish a long rest roll two d20s and record the numbers rolled. You can replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made by you or a creature that you can see with one of these fate rolls. You must choose to do so before the roll, and you can replace a roll in this way only once per turn.
Each fate roll can be used only once. When you finish a long rest, you lose any unused fate rolls.
Death's Companion
When you reach 5th level in this class, your connection to Death allows you to take control of departing souls for a while.
When you kill a creature with an attack or a spell, you can choose to draw out its soul and create a soul vestige (use the statistics of a shadow (MM pg. 269)). This vestige follows your commands and lasts for one minute before it is destroyed, releasing the soul to the afterlife. Furthermore, this vestige's attacks can't create more shadows.
You can have a number of vestiges under your control at the same time, equal to your Ravenkin level.
Ravenkin Cabals
Harbringer
Some creatures seek to escape death’s grasp. A wizard walks the dark path of lichdom to attain immortality. A noble seeks to receive a vampire's blood kiss, and throughout the aeons there has been a plethora of people trying varied approaches to avoid their fate.
You will show them the error of their ways. The Raven Queen has gifted you the means to fulfil your destiny and in return asks to assist the prideful that seek to escape death in meeting their fate. You are the herald of death and when you reveal yourself those that would defy fate tremble in fear.
Raven Wings
Starting at 1st level you gain the ability, as a bonus action,
to magically manifest a pair of black feathered raven-like
wings from your back. While the wings are present, you
have a flying speed of 20 feet. This speed increases by 10
feet for every extra Ravenkin level you have above 1st.
The wings last until you're incapacitated, you die, or you dismiss them as a bonus action.
Guardian of Life and Death
Also at 1st level you have learned to identify creatures that could disturb the barriers between life and death and learned how to more efficiently destroy them. You know the spell detect evil and good and can use it a number of times per day equal to your Ravenkin level.
Also when you make a weapon attack, you deal bonus damage to the target if it is a fiend or undead, equal to your Ravenkin level.
In addition you know the gentle repose spell, but can only cast it as a ritual. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for the above spells.
Voice of Doom
When you reach 3rd level in this class, you can channel the power of the goddess of death through your voice, condemning an enemy to death.
As an action you speak words of condemnation, targeting one creature that you can see and can hear you. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Ravenkin level) or take radiant damage equal to three times your Ravenkin and have its movement speed reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn.
On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and it’s speed is unaffected. Fiends and undead have disadvantage on this saving throw.
You have a number of uses of this feature, equal to your ravenkin level. You regain spent uses when you complete a long rest.
Clarion of Dread and Sorrow
When you reach 5th level in this class, your mere presence
heralds death to creatures around you as you reveal the
certainty of their fate.
As an action you transform, causing the shadows around and your voice to deepen while your eyes start emanating a pale light and you produce an aura of menace in a 30 feet radius. The first time any enemy creature enters the aura or starts its turn there during a battle, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Ravenkin level) or become frightened of you for 1 minute or until it takes any damage.
Attacks against the frightened creature have advantage.
This transformation last for 1 hour, and during that period you can revert back to normal and transform again as an action. Once you use this feature you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
New Spell Descriptions
Chains of Doom
2nd-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a length of chain at least 3 links long)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
- Classes: Cleric, Warlock, Wizard, Ravenkin
Two phantom chains spring from the ground and walls around a creature within range. That creature must pass a Dexterity saving throw for each chain created by this spell. When the creature fails its saving throw against a chain, that chain latches onto the creature. While the creature has one or more chains latched to it, the creature is restrained and takes an additional 1d4 necrotic damage per chain whenever it takes damage.
On its turn, a creature latched onto by one or more chains may use its action to make a Strength (Athletics) ability check for each chain attached to it. On each success, one chain is broken and no longer attached to the creature.
When this spell ends, the chains fade out of sight until they dissipate completely.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, each level above 2nd the spell creates one additional chain.
Slashing Shadow
2nd-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard, Ravenkin
When you complete this spell, a hissing, hurtling ribbon of pure darkness flies from your hand. Make a ranged spell attack against a single creature within range that you can see. On a hit, the target takes 5d8 necrotic damage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd.
Traverse Everflow
6th-level transmutation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard, Ravenkin
When you cast this spell beneath the Everflow, you and up to six other willing creatures transform into a pure spirit form and join the river of souls above you. All the equipment you and the creatures carry also transforms.
While in this form you can will yourself and the creatures accompanying you to move at a rate of 200 miles per hour along the stream towards Letherna, or at a rate of 40 miles per hour the opposite way.
Also, while in this form, you can't speak, see or hear, or take any other action other than choose your direction. The creatures accompanying you can't do anything. None of you can be attacked, or interacted with.
Travelling this way is taxing and could kill you. For each hour, or part of an hour, you and your companions spend in the Everflow, you each gain one level of exhaustion and you must succeed on a DC 10 + (hours spent in the Everflow) Wisdom saving throw or take 4d6 psychic damage.
When you end this spell, you and your companions re- materialize at your new location beneath the Everflow.
Note: This spell only works in the Shadowfell, directly beneath or within 10 miles of the Everflow.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the rate of travel towards Letherna increases by 100 miles per hour and away from Letherna by 20 miles per hour, for every slot level above 6th.
