The Transcendental
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | Spell Slots | Max Spell Level | Guardian CR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Planar Magic | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1/4 |
| 2nd | +2 | Education in Cosmology, Aberrant Explorer (x1) | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1/4 |
| 3rd | +2 | Herald of the Planes, Otherworldly Influence (x1) | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1/4 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1/2 |
| 5th | +3 | Mana Creation, Aberrant Explorer (x2) | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1/2 |
| 6th | +3 | Herald of the Planes feature, Otherworldly Influence (x2) | 4 | 8 | 3 | 1/2 |
| 7th | +3 | - | 4 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| 9th | +4 | Aberrant Explorer (x3) | 4 | 12 | 5 | 1 |
| 10th | +4 | Planar Grace | 5 | 13 | 5 | 2 |
| 11th | +4 | Herald of the Planes feature, Otherworldly Influence (x3) | 5 | 14 | 6 | 2 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 15 | 6 | 3 |
| 13th | +5 | Repel Evil and Good, Aberrant Explorer (x4) | 5 | 16 | 7 | 3 |
| 14th | +5 | - | 5 | 18 | 7 | 4 |
| 15th | +5 | Otherworldly Influence (x4) | 5 | 19 | 8 | 4 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 20 | 8 | 5 |
| 17th | +6 | Breaching Arcana | 5 | 21 | 9 | 5 |
| 18th | +6 | Herald of the Planes feature | 5 | 22 | 9 | 6 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 23 | 9 | 7 |
| 20th | +6 | Energy Resistance | 5 | 24 | 9 | 8 |
The Gods and The Planes
In the world of Vifel, the Gods and the Planes are tied together. The Gods live in the planes and their powers are tied to the planes they live in. The transcendentals understand all of that; they know all about the planes and how the powers of a god are affected by the plane where that god lives and they may worship and devote themselves to several gods.
But even if transcendentals believe in multiple gods, only one will choose them as herald - a hand-picked champion that hears a calling to deliver the god's word to the world. The herald's job is to bring peace (or war) to the material plane in the name of the god they represent. The god sends powers, protection and allies from the plane they are, to aid their heralds.
Transcendentals use their faith in the gods and their understanding of the planes to handle the powers they receive. This allows them to channel powerful spells and summon powerful creatures through the manipulation of the weaves of the planes.
This can sometimes also work backwards, where the transcendental sends something back to their gods through their connection, usually in exchange for more power. Sometimes they will send wealth, other times knowledge and other times even their own life force to their god.
The relationship between a transcendental and their god is like the one of a master and an apprentice. The transcendental worships several gods, like a student that learns with several teachers, but one of them will accept the transcendental as apprentice and guide them into a more specialized path, making them a herald.
The transcendental borrow themes from clerics and paladins, as expected, due to their faith and spiritual link to gods and religion, but at the same time they also dip a little into sorcerer and warlock themes due to the fact that the planes are more tied to arcane magic, rather than divine magic.
Creating a Transcendental
When creating a transcendental, consider how and why a god chose you as their herald. You must have something in common with your patron god for them to take a liking for you. How did you experience your calling to become a Transcendental? How were the signs sent by your god? After being chosen, how did it shape your character and what do you do to your god to maintain this connection?
Additionally, when a connection is created between you and your god, an item that is important to you becomes your Portian Key - a mundane item that you use to channel your god's power. Define this item, how important it is to you and how you use it to cast spells and use abilities.
Your Portian Key may be a picture of a loved one that died and fuels your need for revenge, and a god that embodies destruction like Umberlee gave you the power to fulfill your duty. Or maybe you were seeking knowledge and during a massive discovery, you heard a calling by Celestian, a god of knowledge that lives in the Astral Plane, and your book of ancient history became a Portian Key.
Quick Build
You can make a transcendental quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Wisdom, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Acolyte background. Third, choose the Chaotic Shaft, Dancing Lights and Mage Hand cantrips.
Class Features
As a transcendental, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d6 per transcendental level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: ld6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per transcendental level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: None
- Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
- Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Medicine, Persuasion and Religion.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
- (a) a priest's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- two daggers
- your portian key
If you forgo this starting equipment, as well as the items offered by your background, you start with 5d4 x 10 gp to buy your equipment.
Multiclassing and the Transcendental
If your group uses the optional rule on multiclassing in the Player's Handbook, here's what you need to know if you choose transcendental as one of your classes.
Ability Score Minimum. As a multiclass character, you must have at least a Wisdom score of 13 to take a level in this class, or to take a level in another class if you are already a transcendental.
Planar Magic and Spellcasting. You can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting class feature of other classes to cast transcendental spells you have prepared and you can use spell slots from your Planar Magic feature to cast 1st level spells from other classes that you have prepared.
Planar Magic
Your connection to the planes and to your patron has given you the power to cast spells.
Portian Key
You were hand picked by a god or entity to be someone important. You heard the "call" or saw the "signs" and answered it. When the connection was made between you and your entity, you got an important item called the Portian Key.
The Portian Key is any object that has great value to you. It is usually a mundane item that becomes magical when you and your god connect. The Portian Key allows you to channel the magic provided by your patron to you. The item is called a "key" because one of its main functionalities is to open portals to other planes.
If you lose your Portian Key, or if it breaks, you need to use another item important to you and spend 75 gp with materials for a ritual to reconnect with your patron and turn this new item into a new Portian Key. The ritual takes 8 hours and requires your undivided attention and focus.
You can choose any patron for your character, but in Vifel, all gods live in planes, and the plane that your god lives will influence your subclass at 3rd level. You can take a look at the subclasses at the end of the class' description before deciding on the patron for your Transcendental character. If you wish, you can wait until 3rd level to decide, and until there, consider that your connection was made with an unknown entity.
Cantrips
You know three cantrips of your choice from the transcendental spell list. You learn additional transcendental cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Transcendental table.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Transcendental table shows how many Spell Slots you have. All of your Spell Slots are of 1st-level. To cast one of your Transcendental Spells of 1st Level, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended Spell Slots when you finish a Long Rest.
To cast one of your Transcendental Spells of 2nd Level or higher, you must expend a number of 1st-level spell slots equal to the level of the spell.
For example, when you are 5th Level, you have seven 1st-level Spell Slots. To cast the 1st-level spell Thunderwave, you must expend one of those slots. To cast the 3rd-level spell Fireball, you must expend three of those slots.
You prepare the list of spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the transcendental spell list. When you do so, choose a number of transcendental spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your transcendental level (minimum of one spell). A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Max Spell Level column for your level. You can change your list of prepared Spells when you finish a Long Rest.
Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your Spellcasting ability for your Transcendental Spells. Your spell power comes from the planes, granted by your deity and comes through your unnatural connection to them. The energy of the planes that you channel may have different names for different people, like Ether or Prana, but you call it Mana.
The amount of spell slots that you have represents the amount of Mana that you can draw from the planes and it increases with more Transcendental levels, as you learn to gather more energy and to be more efficient with it. You use your Wisdom whenever a Transcendental spell refers to your Spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Transcendental spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a Portian Key as a Spellcasting focus for your Transcendental Spells. Most class features also use a Portian Key.
Ritual Casting
You can cast a transcendental spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.
Mana Exchanges
You have the power to call upon your deity's help. You give some power to your deity, in the form of spell slots, and they return some benefits to you. These features that allow you to spend spell slots and gain some new effects are called Mana Exchanges.
Mana Exchange: Planar Protection
Using an action, you can perform a quick ritual using your Portian Key in which you connect with your patron to ask for protection. For that you must spend a number of spell slots equal to or fewer than your transcendental level.
Touch a target creature, that creature gains the following effects:
- When rolling for a saving throw, they add a bonus on the roll equal to double the amount of spell slots used;
- They gain 5 temporary hit points for each spell slot used.
The protection stays on the creature until their next long rest or until an effect triggers a saving throw, at which point the protection is used, and after the triggering effect resolves, the bonus and the temporary hit points that remain (if any) vanish. A creature can have only one Planar Protection active at a time. If a creature gains the protection while already having it, the effects of the first protection end.
Mana Exchange: Planar Guardian
During a short or long rest, you can perform a ritual using your Portian Key, during which you connect with your patron to ask for aid. For that you must expend a number of spell slots equal to or fewer than your transcendental level. They send you a powerful creature, that you call a Planar Guardian.
Since the Guardian is a sentient creature, your GM has control of it. The guardian obeys your commands, considering it can understand them, and, during combat, takes its turn right after yours. You need to use your action to tell it what to do, otherwise it will always prioritize your protection over anything else (even to the cost of its own safety).
On 1st and 2nd levels you can only summon the simplest forms of Planar Guardians: creatures from the material plane. You can choose between one of the following options: a skeleton (MM p. 272), a pseudodragon (MM p. 254), a flying sword (MM p. 20) or a wolf (MM p. 341).
Beginning at 3rd level, you expand your options of guardians that you can choose, which is defined by your subclass.
If you expended the maximum number of spell slots (a number of slots equal to your level), your guardian's CR is shown on the Guardian CR column of the Transcendental table for your level. If you didn't expend the maximum number of spell slots, the CR is calculated based on the level where the expended amount would be the maximum. For example the maximum amount of spell slots you can expend with your guardian at 5th level is 5, so whenever you expend 5 spell slots (regardless of your current level) you'll use the CR shown for 5th level, which is 1/2.
The guardian stays active until it dies and you can only have one planar guardian at a time. If you perform the ritual while having a guardian already, the first one vanishes in dust when the second is summoned. Whenever you summon a new guardian you may choose a different creature.
If you fall unconscious or die, your guardian is free to act as they wish. If they are good they may stick until they believe everything is safe. If they are evil they may turn against you or your friends. Up to your GM, when you lose control of the guardian your patron may retrieve it, making the guardian vanish in dust.
Education in Cosmology
Starting at 2nd level, whenever you make a check to recall information about cosmology, the gods and the planes, you do it at advantage.
Additionally, you can use an action to gain the ability to see into the Ethereal Plane, out to a range of 60 feet, for 1 minute. You can use this ability once and you regain its use after a short or long rest.
Aberrant Explorer
Starting at 2nd level, you are particularly familiar with certain types of plane and are adept at traveling and surviving in such place. Choose two favored planes that aren't the Material Plane, the Astral Plane or the Ethereal Plane. You gain the following benefits:
- When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your favored planes, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you're proficient in;
- You can identify when a creature, object, deity or anything comes from or is affected by one of your favored planes;
- You can sense when there are portals that lead to one of your favored planes, up to 100 feet from you in any direction, and where exactly they are within that range.
Also choose one of your favored planes, you absorb energy from it to improve your damage. Each plane is associated with a type of damage, and whenever you deal that type of damage, you increase that instance of damage by 1d6. The bonus applies to one damage roll of a spell or attack, not multiple rolls.
Your GM determines the type of damage associated with each plane, but here's a few examples:
| Plane | Damage Type |
|---|---|
| Fire | Fire |
| Water | Cold |
| Ooze | Acid |
| Plane | Damage Type |
|---|---|
| Feywild | Psychic |
| Shadowfell | Force |
| Mechanus | Lightning |
For example, if you absorb energy from the Elemental Plane of Fire, you can increase the damage of one of the rays from Scorching Ray by 1d6 or the damage of your Fireball by 1d6.
At 5th, 9th and 13th levels, you gain both effects again, choosing two more favored planes and one more of your favored planes to absorb energy from.
Herald of the Planes
You are the messenger of an entity, and they grant you a fraction of their power, but, this power is drawn mainly from the plane that the entity lives. Starting at 3rd level, choose one plane related to your deity: Astral Plane, Feywild, Shadowfell, Mount Celestia, The Abyss or Mechanus. Each plane is detailed at the end of the class description, and each one provides examples of entities associated with it.
Your choice may grant you either access to specific spells or additional options when making Mana Exchanges, but never both. It also defines which creatures you can summon as your planar guardian. Finally, it also grants benefits at 3rd, 6th, 11th and 18th levels.
Planar Spells
Your choice of subclass may sometimes have a list of spells. At 3rd, 5th, 9th, 13th and 17th levels you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Planar Spells table. Once you gain access to one of these spells, you always have it prepared, and it doesn't count towards the number of spells you can prepare each day.
If you gain access to a spell that doesn't appear on the transcendental spell list, the spell is nonetheless a transcendental spell for you.
Mana Exchange: Mana Restoration
Your choice of subclass may sometimes have a Mana Exchange option that restores mana instead of spending it. You can restore a maximum of spell slots equal to your Proficiency Bonus and then you need a Long Rest before using this feature again.
Otherworldly Influence
At 3rd level, you use the influence of the planes to modify your spells. You learn a cantrip of your choice from the Transcendental spell list. It uses your choice from Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma as its spellcasting ability (You choose it when you gain the cantrip).
Whenever you cast it, you can apply one of the modifications below:
- Change one of its damage types to other of your choice;
- Change one of its saving throws to other of your choice;
At 6th, 11th and 15th levels, you choose one more cantrip to learn, that can be modified as well.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th, 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.
Mana Creation
Beginning at 5th level, you can create mana to conjure powerful spells. Choose one 3rd-level spell from the Transcendental spell list. You can cast it once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
At every two levels, you can change this spell into one of higher level. At 7th-level you can change it to a 4th-level spell, at 9th-level into a 5th-level spell, and so on.
Repel Evil and Good
At 10th level, you acquire even more protection against extraplanar forces. When a celestial, elemental, fey, fiend or undead is within 9m/30ft of you, you can use your action to attempt to transport it to the border regions of the Ethereal Plane. The target must succeed a Charisma saving throw or be transported. The target remains there until they succeed another Charisma saving throw, which they repeat every 1 minute. When the target returns, it reappears in any unoccupied space of its choice within 9m/30ft of the space it left.
You can use this feature once and you regain its use after a long rest. You also regain its use if a celestial, elemental, fey, fiend or undead causes you or one of your allies to drop to 0 hit points.
Planar Grace
Beginning at 13th level, the blessings of the planes are always present with you. You add a bonus +2 to all your saving throws.
Breaching Arcana
At 17th level, any creatures roll for saving throws in disadvantage against 1st-level transcendental spells that you cast.
Energy Resistance
At 20th level, you become one with the magical energy of the planes. You gain resistance to two damage types of your choice.
Transcendental Spell List
Spells marked with an asterisk are custom and can be found in this link.
Cantrips
- Acid Splash
- Blade Ward
- Booming Blade
- Chaotic Shaft*
- Chill Touch
- Cover Imperfection*
- Create Bonfire
- Dancing Lights
- Fire Bolt
- Frostbite
- Guidance
- Infestation
- Instant Arcana*
- Lightning Lure
- Mage Hand
- Mending
- Mind Sliver
- Poison Spray
- Produce Flame
- Ray Of Frost
- Resistance
- Sacred Flame
- Sword Burst
- Toll The Dead
1st Level
- Absorb Elements
- Alarm
- Armor of Agathys
- Arms Of Hadar
- Burning Hands
- Ceremony
- Chaos Bolt
- Chromatic Orb
- Comprehend Languages
- Create Or Destroy Water
- Detect Evil And Good
- Detect Life*
- Detect Magic
- Detect Poison And Disease
- Disguise Self
- Dissonant Whispers
- Earth Tremor
- Ensnaring Strike
- Entangle
- Expeditious Retreat
- Faerie Fire
- Find Familiar
- Fog Cloud
- Grease
- Guiding Bolt
- Hail Of Thorns
- Hellish Rebuke
- Ice Knife
- Identify
- Jump
- Illusory Script
- Mage Armor
- Magic Missile
- Protection From Evil And Good
- Ray Of Sickness
- Sanctuary
- Shield
- Shield Of Faith
- Snare
- Tasha's Caustic Brew
- Tenser's Floating Disk
- Thunderwave
- Unseen Servant
- Witch Bolt
2nd Level
- Acid Arrow
- Blur
- Cloud Of Daggers
- Dust Devil
- Earthbind
- Elusiveness*
- Flaming Sphere
- Flock Of Familiars
- Healing Spirit
- Maximilian's Earthen Grasp
- Misty Step
- Moonbeam
- Protection From Poison
- Ray Of Enfeeblement
- Rope Trick
- See Invisibility
- Shadow Blade
- Shatter
- Silence
- Spike Growth
- Spiritual Weapon
- Summon Beast
- Warding Bond
- Web
3rd Level
- Animate Dead
- Blink
- Call Lightning
- Conjure Animals
- Conjure Barrage
- Create Food And Water
- Elemental Weapon
- Erupting Earth
- Fireball
- Fly
- Galder's Tower
- Glyph Of Warding
- Hunger Of Hadar
- Life Transference
- Magic Circle
- Melf's Minute Meteors
- Phantom Steed
- Protection From Energy
- Sleet Storm
- Speak With Dead
- Spirit Guardians
- Spirit Shroud
- Stinking Cloud
- Summon Fey
- Summon Lesser Demons
- Summon Shadowspawn
- Summon Undead
- Thunder Step
- Tidal Wave
- Water Breathing
4th Level
- Anti-Magic Ward*
- Banishment
- Blight
- Conjure Minor Elementals
- Conjure Woodland Beings
- Dimension Door
- Elemental Bane
- Elemental Calamity*
- Evard's Black Tentacles
- Fire Shield
- Galder's Speedy Courier
- Giant Insect
- Grasping Vine
- Guardian Of Faith
- Ice Storm
- Leomund's Secret Chest
- Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound
- Phantasmal Killer
- Storm Sphere
- Summon Aberration
- Summon Construct
- Summon Elemental
- Summon Greater Demon
- Vitriolic Sphere
- Watery Sphere
5th Level
- Circle Of Power
- Cloudkill
- Conjure Elemental
- Conjure Volley
- Contact Other Plane
- Creation
- Danse Macabre
- Destructive Wave
- Dispel Evil And Good
- Far Step
- Flame Strike
- Hallow
- Infernal Calling
- Insect Plague
- Maelstrom
- Negative Energy Flood
- Planar Binding
- Raise Dead
- Summon Celestial
- Teleportation Circle
6th Level
- Arcane Gate
- Conjure Fey
- Create Undead
- Forbiddance
- Guards And Wards
- Heroes' Feast
- Planar Ally
- Scatter
- Summon Fiend
- True Seeing
- Word Of Recall
7th Level
- Arcane Sword
- Conjure Celestial
- Dream Of The Blue Veil
- Etherealness
- Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion
- Plane Shift
- Teleport
- Temple Of The Gods
8th Level
- Antimagic Field
- Demiplane
- Illusory Dragon
- Incendiary Cloud
- Maze
- Mighty Fortress
- Tsunami
9th Level
- Astral Projection
- Blade Of Disaster
- Gate
- Invulnerability
- Prismatic Wall
- Storm Of Vengeance
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The
Transcendental
A new challenging and complex class for the world's greatest roleplaying game. Made to fit the story of my world, Vifel.
This class is a mixture of Sorcerer, Priest and Warlock, trying to bring both arcane and divine magic together. Transcendentals draw powers from the planes, and summon a powerful ally called Planar Guardian, that protects them and aids them in battle.
The class adds new and different mechanics, mostly related to conjuration, evocation and abjuration, and uses the thematic of the planes to join it all together.
Version 0.4.1
Created by Rutherfordio2
Artist Credits:
Cover: Andrew Olson
Back: Jesper Ejsing
Page 5: Viktor Fetsch
Page 6: Ray Lederer
I'm still new and inexperienced in this homebrew thing, but I want to thank my players for hearing my ramblings about my concepts for 2 years now.
