Overseer
Overwhelm your enemies in a swarm of fury
Overseer
Adorned in loose leathers, a human meanders down a forgotten forest path, humming to himself as a glimmering trail of colourful wasps pour out from his loose sleeves. An ever present buzzing fills the quiet forest canopy as an assassin collapses through the foliage, their blistering skin exposed as the cheerful humming grows distant.
An old and wrinkled half-orc hunches over her staff, cackling to herself as tiny skeletal hands pierce through the soft earth under the feet of her enemies. Rattling bones pierce exposed flesh, crawling onto unsuspecting victims. She gives her brew a taste before whispering an incantation, filling the air with black electric sparks.
Thin wiry strings flow from the hands of a bespectacled gnome. The tavern air fills with laughter and amazement as wooden dolls laying on the table stand at attention, ready to start a raucous night of merriment.
Overseers find comfort in company, extending their will out to those that are willing to accept it. The connections they form with those that find affinity in their presence finds itself forming a tangible magical bond.
Creating an Overseer
When deciding on your Overseer, it is good to think about what kind of creatures your character has an affinity for, and what kind of relationship you have with your horde.
Horde Callers
Those with a strong sense of will can project their souls outwards and form magical links with their surroundings. These individuals tap into their well of consciousness to manifest their will into the material world. Overseers extend their identities and merge the boundaries between the individuals, but those that delve too deep risk losing their sense of self and are consumed by the hordes they seek to master.
Mark of Empathy
The act of projecting one's will can leave noticeable traces. Vulnerable targets are drawn to these signs and converge into an amalgam that breathes and thinks as one.
| d6 | Mark |
|---|---|
| 1 | You occasionally feel emotions that are not yours |
| 2 | Humming vibrations permeate the air around you |
| 3 | You hear comforting whispers when upset |
| 4 | Small creatures gather around you for no reason |
| 5 | Your skin changes colour with your mood |
| 6 | Your voice carries a slight echo |
Class Features
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d12 per Overseer level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per Overseer level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Charisma, Constitution
Skills: Choose 2 from Arcana, Animal Handling, History, Investigation, Intimidation, and Persuasion
Starting 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) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
- Leather armor, any simple weapon, and two daggers
Quick Build
You can quickly make an Overseer with these suggestions. First, make Charisma your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the hermit background.
Overseer
| LVL | PB | Features | Cantrips Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Swarming Horde, Spellcasting | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Symbiosis, Vigilance | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Parasitic Leeching, Solidarity | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Swarming Horde Feature | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Mindful Presence, Empowered Will | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Manifest Horde, Parasitic Leeching Improvement | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | — | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Swarming Horde Feature | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Focused Swarms | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | — | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Manifest Horde, Parasitic Leeching Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Swarming Horde Feature | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17th | +6 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Overwhelming Affliction | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Dispersion | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Swarming Horde
Your mind or soul has an intrinsic connection to a horde of creatures that act as an extension of your will. The form that these creatures take grant you unique abilities. Choose the swarming horde that you exert your will over.
Your choice grants you features when you choose it at 1st level, and again at 6th, 10th, and 15th level.
Manifest Horde
Each swarming horde manifests as a medium swarm of creatures that represents your will. As an action, you can manifest the horde in an unoccupied space that you can see within 30 feet of you. The swarm is friendly to you and your companions and obeys your commands. Its statblock is determined by the subclass you choose. You determine what form your horde takes. As an action, you can choose to have the horde rejoin your body.
In combat, your horde shares your initiative count, but taking its turn immediately after yours. You can mentally communicate with your horde and it obeys your commands (no action required by you). If you don't issue any, it takes the Dodge action and uses its move to avoid danger.
Your horde shares your hit points, disappearing if you drop to 0 hit points or go unconscious. If an ability or spell would damage both you and your horde at the same time, it instead damages one of the targets of your choice instead. If the horde ends its turn at a distance greater than 60 feet from you, you take 1d10 psychic damage.
Horde Spells
Each swarming horde as a list of associated spells. Each of these spells count as a Overseer spell for you, but it doesn’t count towards the number of Overseer spells you know.
Spellcasting
Your connection to the swarm has imbued you with an affinity for magic. You can manifest your spiritual connection to your horde in the form of spellcasting. To onlookers, your magic courses through you and your swarm as if a single connected hivemind.
Connected Mind
Your spells come forth from your connection to your horde. Your horde acts as your spellcasting focus and must be within 30 feet of you when you cast any spell with this Spellcasting feature. When you cast a spell, you can choose to make your horde immune to its effects.
Spell Slots
The Overseer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your Overseer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Alarm and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Alarm using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the Overseer spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Overseer table shows when you learn more Overseer spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Overseer spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Overseer spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Overseer spells, since your ability to impose your will onto your horde creates your magical affinity. 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 Overseer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell Save DC
Spell attack modifier
Symbiosis
At 2nd level, the magic that connects you to your horde strengthens. When you damage a creature with a spell of 1st level or higher, you can gain temporary hit points equal to twice the spell level plus your Constitution modifier.
Vigilance
At 2nd level, fragments of your horde are always present around you. You can add your Charisma modifier to your Perception checks.
Parasitic Leeching
At 3rd level, your horde can sense and redirect the flow of life energy in its surroundings. As a bonus action, you can command one swarm of your horde to target a creature that shares a space with it. Roll 1d8 plus your Constitution modifier. You can choose to take that much necrotic damage and heal the target by the amount of damage you took. You can instead choose to deal that number as necrotic damage against the target and heal the amount dealt as damage. A creature that is not willing rolls a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC.
You can perform this bonus action a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you take a long rest. The damage of your Parasitic Leeching increases to 2d8 at 7th level, and 3d8 at 14th level.
Solidarity
At 3rd level, the presence of your swarm imbues you with a sense of support and courage. You and your horde are immune to the frightened condition.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th 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.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Swarming Horde Feature
At 5th level, you gain a feature from your Swarming Horde.
Mindful Presence
At 6th level, your hordes can detect lurking dangers. Your hordes gain blindsight with a range of 5 ft. Within that range, they can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if they're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, they can see invisible creatures within that range.
Empowered Will
At 6th level, your hordes’ attacks are considered magical.
Manifest Horde
At 7th level, when you summon your horde, you can choose to summon two swarms instead of one. Two hordes cannot occupy the same space.
Parasitic Leeching Improvement
At 7th level, your Parasitic Leeching damage increases to 2d8.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 8th 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.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Swarming Horde Feature
At 10th level, you gain a feature from your Swarming Horde.
Focused Swarms
At 11th level, you can concentrate the effects of your spells using your hordes. When you cast an Overseer spell that deals damage within an area of effect, you can choose to limit the spell’s area of effect to the spaces that your hordes occupy. When doing so, you can choose to add your Constitution modifier to the the damage rolls of the spell.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 12th 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.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Manifest Horde
At 14th level, when you summon your horde, you can choose to summon three swarms instead of one. Two hordes cannot occupy the same space.
Parasitic Leeching Improvement
At 14th level, your Parasitic Leeching damage increases to 3d8.
Swarming Horde Feature
At 15th level, you gain a feature from your Swarming Horde.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 16th 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.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Overwhelming Affliction
At 18th level, your horde has gained the ability to probe your enemies for weaknesses. Any creature that shares a space with your hordes rolls with disadvantage against spells that you cast.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 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.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Dispersion
At 20th level, your will controls your physicality. As an action, you and all objects that you carry disperse, transforming into a swarm that retains your statistics and features, and you can choose to increase your size by up to two size categories. While you are in this form, you gain the following:
- Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage
- Telepathy up to a range of 60 feet
- 60 feet fly speed
- You can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and you can move through any opening that is 1 inch or smaller
- Your Focused Swarms and Overwhelming Affliction affect creatures that occupy the same space as you
This form lasts 10 minutes or until you use a bonus action to end it. You can use this feature once per day, regaining all expended uses when you take a long rest.
Swarming Hordes
Overlords will find an affinity for certain forms of hordes. These can range from insects to machines, and from undead creatures to plants.
Plague Horde
Not all that find solace amongst the groves and forests draw their comfort in the grandiose. Some eke our their existence amongst the smaller creatures that creep and crawl. The plaguebearers see the beauty in the misperceived insignificant and extend their consciousness out to such creatures. Oftentimes, the pests and crawlers that plaguebearers grow so fond of carry poor reputations for their venomous traits, something that their overseers receive with gusto. For beings that extend their consciousness out for all to receive are never truly alone.
At 1st level, you can form an insect horde when you use your Swarming Horde feature. Additionally, you learn the Poison Spray cantrip and you can cast it with an insect horde as the origin of the spell.
Plaguebearer Spell List
| Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1 | Animal Friendship, Beast Bond |
| 5 | Beast Sense, Summon Beast |
| 9 | Fly, Phantom Steed |
| 13 | Dominate Beast, Polymorph |
| 17 | Contagion, Insect Plague |
Noxious Venom
At 5th level, your knowledge of virulent diseases and plagues grows. A creature that fails its Constitution saving throw against your bestial swarm’s Sting attack is poisoned until the end of your next turn.
Insect Cloud
At 10th level, your insect horde can temporarily increase its vigour. As an action, your insect horde can enter a swarming frenzy until the end of its next turn. While the insect horde is in a frenzy, its Sting attack’s poison damage increases by 2d6 and any creature sharing the horde’s space is blinded.
Necrotizing Toxin
At 15th level, your insect horde becomes a vector of a deadly disease. A creature that fails its Constitution saving throw against your insect horde’s Sting attack is diseased for one minute. While diseased, the creature becomes vulnerable to poison damage, loses immunity to the poisoned condition, loses resistance and immunity to poison damage, and rolls with disadvantage against poison and disease. This ability does not affect constructs.
Insect Horde
Medium Swarm of Tiny Beasts, Unaligned
- Armor Class 12 + PB (natural armor)
- Hit Points Shared HP
- Speed 25 ft., burrow 25 ft., climb 25 ft., fly 25 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 15 (+2) 11 (0) 8 (-1) 10 (0) 10 (0)
- Damage Immunities Poison
- Condition Immunities Poisoned
- Languages understands the languages you speak
Hivemind. You can add your proficiency bonus to any ability check or saving throw that the horde makes.
Swarm. The horde can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the horde can move through any opening large enough for a tiny creature.
Actions
Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack bonus to hit, 0 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4+2+PB piercing damage. The target must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC, taking 2d6 poison damage on failed save or half damage on success.
Mechanical Horde
Medium Swarm of Tiny Constructs, Unaligned
- Armor Class 15 + PB (natural armor)
- Hit Points Shared HP
- Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 11 (0) 9 (-1) 8 (-1)
- Languages understands the languages you speak
Hivemind. You can add your proficiency bonus to any ability check or saving throw that the horde makes.
Swarm. The horde can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the horde can move through any opening large enough for a tiny creature.
Whirring Cogs A creature that ends its turn in the horde's space takes slashing damage equal to your PB.
Actions
Shrapnel. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack bonus to hit, 0 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8+2+PB piercing damage.
Mechanical Horde
Occasionally, inventors with a particularly strong sense of empathy may become to attuned to the masterpieces they construct. Eventually, such beings begin to forge pieces of their souls into their creations. In response, these mechanical creations take on a life of their own, acting as an extension of their creator’s will.
At 1st level, you can form an mechanical horde when you use your Swarming Horde feature. Additionally, you learn the Green Flame Blade or Booming Blade cantrip. When you cast either spell, you can have a mechanical horde expend its reaction to perform an attack instead of you.
Puppeteer Spell List
| Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1 | Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite |
| 5 | Branding Smite, Silence |
| 9 | Blinding Smite, Slow |
| 13 | Staggering Smite, Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere |
| 17 | Banishing Smite, Antilife Shell |
Extended Intent
At 5th level, your mechanical horde’s melee weapon attacks are treated as your melee weapon attacks for the purposes of spell and features. Your horde is considered a melee weapon worth at least 1 sp.
Distant Tether
At 10th level, you can cast spells while you are up to 60 feet away from a mechanical horde. Additionally, your mechanical horde’s Whirring Cogs deals additional damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
Pulse Wave
At 15th level, when a mechanical horde is hit by an attack or fails a saving throw, you can expend a reaction and increase its AC and saving throw bonuses by 5, including against the trigger, until the end of your next turn.
Grave Horde
Deep in the night, some folk find themselves resting amongst silent, still graves. However, for these folk, the graves are teeming with voices, hopes and feelings. The spirits of soldiers rejoicing past victories, or lovers reminiscing through the night.
The grave dwellers know the secrets that lay beyond the veil. They listen to lost souls, to hopes and dreams and warnings. They search for lost wisdom, and let their souls mingle with the wanderers and lingerers.
Some grave seers lose themselves, or come across particularly strong spirits. In these cases, they may unknowingly take on attributes of the fallen. For the night carries dangers that cloak themselves in the darkness.
At 1st level, you can form an undead horde when you use your Swarming Horde feature. Additionally, you learn the Resistance cantrip. When you cast Resistance, your undead horde gains its effects as well.
Grave Seer Spell List
| Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1 | Inflict Wounds, False Life |
| 5 | Shadow Blade, Invisibility |
| 9 | Bestow Curse, Speak with Dead |
| 13 | Blight, Death Ward |
| 17 | Enervation, Negative Energy Flood |
Unending Life
At level 5, your horde absorbs the life energies of your enemies to bolster its defensive capabilities. While it is sharing a space with a hostile creature, it gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage.
Absorption
At level 10, your horde can steal the life force of the creatures it harms. When it deals damage with its Necrotic Touch, you restore hit points equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). You can only regain hit points through this ability once per turn. Your Undead Hordes share a turn for this ability.
Life Sapper
At level 15, your horde of undead can attune to the life essence of creatures they touch. While an undead horde occupies the space of a hostile creature, each time the undead horde takes damage, the creature takes the same amount of damage.
Undead Horde
Medium Swarm of Tiny Undead, Unaligned
- Armor Class 13 + PB (natural armor)
- Hit Points Shared HP
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 9 (-1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1)
- Senses darkvision 60 ft.
- Languages understands the languages you speak
Hivemind. You can add your proficiency bonus to any ability check or saving throw that the horde makes.
Swarm. The horde can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the horde can move through any opening large enough for a tiny creature.
Actions
Decaying Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack bonus to hit, 0 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6+2+PB necrotic damage.
Reactions
Deathly Vigour (3/day). When the horde takes damage, it can expend a reaction to reduce the damage it takes by 1d10+3+PB.
Botanical Horde
Medium Swarm of Tiny Plants, Unaligned
- Armor Class 14 + PB (natural armor)
- Hit Points Shared HP
- Speed 25 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 9 (-1) 18 (+4) 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 4 (-3)
- Senses tremorsense 30 ft.
- Languages understands the languages you speak
Hivemind. You can add your proficiency bonus to any ability check or saving throw that the horde makes.
Swarm. The horde can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the horde can move through any opening large enough for a tiny creature.
Actions
Ensnaring Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack bonus to hit, 0 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4+3+PB bludgeoning damage, and a medium creature or smaller is grappled. Until the grapple ends, the horde cannot grapple another target.
Botanical Horde
Occasionally, druids enclaves will find an individual with an unusual influence over the plant life that surrounds them. Rather than becoming one with nature, these individuals seem to bend the plant life around them to their will, merging into a single entity. Such a connection may be seen as abhorrent or may be accepted.
At 1st level, you can form an botanical horde when you use your Swarming Horde feature. You learn the Thorn Whip cantrip. When you cast Thorn Whip, you can have the spell originate from your botanical horde.
Leaf Caller Spell List
| Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cure Wounds, Entangle |
| 5 | Barkskin, Wither and Bloom |
| 9 | Plant Growth, Speak with Plants |
| 13 | Grasping Vine, Guardian of Nature |
| 17 | Tree Stride, Wrath of Nature |
Verdant Propagation
At 5th level, your plants can draw from your well of power to incite growth. As a bonus action, your botanical horde can increase its size category to a large swarm of small plants, or decrease its size back to a medium swarm of tiny plants. When the botanical horde is a large swarm, it can grapple any creature of large or smaller size. When your botanical horde makes an attack, it can target any number of creatures that occupy the same space as it.
Strangling Grasp
At 10th level, your botanical horde gains strength from your connection. When your botanical horde rolls to maintain a grapple on a creature, it can roll with advantage.
Unfettered Growth
At 15th level, your botanical horde grows denser and more lush. A creature grappled by your botanical horde is also restrained until the grapple is ended.
Cantrips (0 Level)
- Acid Splash
- Dancing Lights
- Fire Bolt
- Frostbite
- Infestation
- Mage Hand
- Mending
- Message
- Mind Sliver
- Minor Illusion
- Prestidigitation
- Resistance
- Sapping Sting
1st Level
- Absorb Elements
- Alarm
- Burning Hands
- Cause Fear
- Charm Person
- Colour Spray
- Detect Magic
- Detect Poison and Disease
- Disguise Self
- Faerie Fire
- Fog Cloud
- Frost Fingers
- Longstrider
- Mage Armor
- Sanctuary
- Shield
- Silent Image
- Speak with Animals
- Tasha's Caustic Brew
2nd Level
- Agnazzar's Scorcher
- Alter Self
- Blindness/Deafness
- Blur
- Cloud of Daggers
- Darkness
- Dust Devil
- Enhance Ability
- Find Traps
- Hold Person
- Invisibility
- Mirror Image
- Nathair's Mischief
- Nystul's Magic Aura
- Pass without Trace
- Phantasmal Force
- Rime's Binding Ice
- Snilloc's Snowball Swarm
- Web
3rd Level
- Counterspell
- Dispel Magic
- Fear
- Fireball
- Gaseous Form
- Intellect Fortress
- Lightning Bolt
- Major Image
- Nondetection
- Protection from Energy
- Sleet Storm
- Slow
- Stinking Cloud
- Vampiric Touch
4th Level
- Arcane Eye
- Banishment
- Charm Monster
- Compulsion
- Confusion
- Death Ward
- Fabricate
- Fire Shield
- Freedom of Movement
- Greater Invisibility
- Ice Storm
- Otiluke's Resilient Sphere
- Phantasmal Killer
- Stone Skin
- Storm Sphere
- Vitriolic Sphere
- Watery Sphere
5th Level
- Cloudkill
- Cone of Cold
- Contagion
- Creation
- Destructive Wave
- Dominate Person
- Hold Monster
- Immolation
- Insect Plague
- Maelstrom
- Mislead
- Rary's Telepathic Bond
- Seeming
- Skill Empowerment
- Synaptic Static
- Telekinesis
Homebrew
Class
The Overseer
Artists Credit
Cover Art: Alexander Davtyan
Page 2: Alexander Alexandrov
Page 3: Twen5
Page 4: Mathias Kollros
Page 5: Daniel Ljunggren
Page 6: Kuo Yang
Page 7: Claudio Pozas
Page 8 - Top: Alex Konstad
Page 8 - Bottom: Anne Stokes
Page 9: Jana Schirmer
Page 10: Faroldjo
Page 11 - Top: Aerozopher
Page 11 - Bottom: Michifromkmk
Page 12: Heroes of Camelot - Thorn Witch
Page 13: James Ryman