Occultist
In a quiet village nestled between mist-shrouded mountains, a devout elf served as a healer, her prayers answered by the light of her god. But when a terrible plague swept through her home, and her fervent pleas went unanswered, doubt crept into her heart. Desperate to save those she loved, she sought out an ancient tome whispered of in fearful tones, hidden deep within the forest. The book's pages, filled with cryptic symbols and eldritch tongues, promised knowledge beyond the reach of her faith. As she delved deeper into its forbidden secrets, the warmth of the divine faded, replaced by a chilling power that hummed in her veins. She abandoned the gods that had forsaken her, embracing the dark, intoxicating mysteries of the occult, knowing there would be no turning back.
Whispers of Eldritch Tongues
Among the many secrets an Occultist uncovers in their journey is the knowledge of Eldertongue, a maddening language spoken by beings beyond the comprehension of most mortals a cacophony of sounds that claw at the edges of the mind. Yet to these scholars its a language that transcends the limitations of the physical world. Through this archaic speech, Occultists communicate with entities from beyond, binding them to their will or unraveling the mysteries of the cosmos.
Scholars of the Forbidden
Occultists are not born into their power; they seek it out, driven by an insatiable curiosity or a desire for control over forces greater than themselves. Unlike wizards, who harness arcane energies through structured study, or warlocks, who bargain with otherworldly beings, Occultists pursue the occult through forbidden knowledge and ancient rites.
Quick Build
You can make a Occultist quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Intelligence, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the sage background from the Player's Handbook.
Optional Rule: Multiclassing
If your group uses the optional rule on multiclassing in the Player's Handbook, here's what you need to know if you choose the Occultist as one of your classes.
Ability Score Minimum. In order to multiclass, you must have at least a 13 in Intelligence to take a level in this class, or to take a level in another class if you are already an Occultist.
Proficiencies Gained. If Occultist isn't your initial class, you gain two skill proficiencies from the Occultist list when you take your first level in this class.
Occultist
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Occultism, Eldertongue, Aura |
| 2nd | +2 | Occult Pursuits |
| 3rd | +2 | Gaze of the Abyss, Occult Pursuits feature |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | Witch Breaker |
| 6th | +3 | Occult Pursuits Feature |
| 7th | +3 | Occult Pursuits Feature |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | Aura Manipulation |
| 10th | +4 | Occult Pursuits Feature |
| 11th | +4 | Reforge Spirit |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | Witch Hunter |
| 14th | +5 | Occult Pursuits Feature |
| 15th | +5 | Occult Pursuits Feature |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | Extraplanar Paragon |
| 18th | +6 | Occult Pursuits Feature |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | Archaic Patriarch |
Class Features
As a occultist, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per occultist level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Witch level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: none
- Weapons: simple weapons
- Tools: one set of artisan's tools of your choice.
- Saving Throws: Intelligence, Constitution
- Skills: Choose three from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, Slight of Hand and Religion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a item1 or (b) item2
Occultism
Begging at 1st level, occultists begin their journey into the occult by practicing a number of special skills.
Occult Ability
Because you learn of the occult through study, you use Intelligence when setting your Occult ability. You use the following formulas when setting the save DC and attack rolls used by your occultist features.
Occult save DC = 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Occult attack modifier = Your Proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Witch Shock
As an action, you can target one creature or object you see within 60 feet and make an Occult attack against it as you hurl a ghoulish bolt of energy at it. on a hit, the target suffers 1d8 psychic damage and the target can't recover hit points or gain temporary hit points until the end of its turn.
The damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).
Archaic Knowledge
You count as a warlock for the sake of the ability to attune to items with a class restriction. When a feature refers to a spellcasting ability or modifier, you use your Occult ability instead. When a feature requires you to expend a spell slot you may use the feature once per long rest instead.
Eldertongue
Also, at 1st level, you gain access to the unearthly language of Eldertongue. Eldertongue sounds like madding gibberish to any sane creature, but a creature under the effects of a madness-inducing spell (i.e. crown of madness, etc) or hex spell can understand it perfectly.
Aura
Finally at 1st level, you gain awareness of your aura, the vital force that all life possesses. Your aura extends 10 feet around you in all directions and grants you the following benefits;
- You have advantage on Intelligence saving throws imposed by creatures within your aura.
- As a bonus action, you can force a creature within your aura to make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, you learn its alignment.
- As an action, you can reduce your movement speed to 0 to push your aura out extending it to encompass an area 30 feet around you in all directions for 1 minute or until you retract it as a bonus action. You can do this once and must finish a short or long rest before you can do so again.
Occult Pursuits
At 2nd level, you begin to pick the fruits of archaic knowledge, allowing you to choose 2 Rank 1 Occult Pursuits to start your journey. You learn an additional Pursuit at 3rd, 6th, 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.
At each of these levels you can choose from any Occult Pursuit feature that you qualify for. You must begin with Rank 1 features before you can take a Rank 2 feature from the Pursuit.
Gaze of the Abyss
At 3rd level, your knowledge of eldritch arts has not only warped you mentally but also physically. You gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet, or is doubled to a maximum of 120 feet if you already have darkvision.
Additionally, your eyes can see in magical darkness as if it were regular darkness.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Witch Breaker
At 5th level, when you use witch shock from your Occultism feature, add your Intelligence modifier to the damage it deals on a hit.
Aura Manipulation
At 9th level, you have begun to master the manipulation of your aura. When you extend your aura using your Aura feature you halve your movement speed rather than reduce it to 0 and can extend your aura a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier and regain all uses of this feature upon finishing a long rest.
Reforge Spirit
At 11th level, the very soul is malleable when studied by an occultist. When you take a long rest, you can remake your spirit changing which saving throws you have proficiency with.
Witch Hunter
At 13th level, those who can escape your ire are none. While a creature is within your Aura you always have advantage on attack rolls with witch shock from your Occultism feature.
Extraplanar Paragon
At 17th level, you have become a living conduit for the powers that lay beyond your plane of existance. You gain the following benefits:
- Charisma ability checks made against celestials, fiends, and undead are always made with advantage.
- Ability checks you make to issue commands to creatures you have summoned through a spell, an Esoteric Art, or Eldritch Artifacts are done with advantage, and the creatures have disadvantage in all checks and saving throws to disobey your orders.
- You can cast the plane shift spell without a spell slot or components once per long rest. When you cast this spell this way you cannot target unwilling creatures.
Archaic Patriarch
At 20th level, elders in the circles of occutists are measured in eons not years, and with such age comes terrible power. You gain the following benefits;
- You suffer none of the frailty of old age, and you can't be aged magically. In addition, you no longer need food or water.
- The range of your Aura is doubled.
- You have advantage on any saving throws that lets you add your proficiency bonus imposed by creatures within your aura.
Occult Pursuits
Demonology
With parchments bearing sigils inscribed in blood and eyes alight with both trepidation and excitement, the Demonologist harnesses the very essence of the lower planes. It is a dance with danger, an embrace of the otherworldly, and a plunge into the depths where mere mortals fear to tread.
Fiend Summoning
Within the flickering incantations and smoldering censers, the Fiend Summoner emerges as a masterful weaver of infernal bonds, an architect of transient alliances between realms.
Pentagram
Rank 1 Fiend Summoning feature, Demonology
As a bonus action, you create a 10-foot-radius, magical circle centered on a point on the ground that you can see within 30 feet of you. Runes and markings line the circle affecting a creature touching it in the following ways;
- If the creature attempts to leave the circle by non-magical means must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save the creatures movement speed is reduced to 0 until the start of its next turn.
- The creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against targets outside the circle.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus and regain all uses upon finishing a long rest.
Fiendish Contracts
Rank 2 Fiend Summoning feature, Demonology
You have linked with the lower planes allowing you to call forth their diabolical denizens to serve you. As an action you can summon a number of fiends whos Challenge Ratings are equal to or lesser than your Intelligence modifier with no individual fiend having Challenge Ratings greater than your Proficiency bonus.
The fiends are unfriendly toward you and your companions. Roll initiative for the them, they have its own turns. It is under the Dungeon Master’s control and acts according to its nature on each of its turns, which might result in its attacking you if it thinks it can prevail, or trying to tempt you to undertake an evil act in exchange for limited service.
On each of your turns, you can try to issue a verbal command to the devil (no action required by you). It obeys the command if the likely outcome is in accordance with its desires, especially if the result would draw you toward evil. Otherwise, you must make a Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) check contested by its Wisdom (Insight) check. You automatically succeed this check if you say the devil’s true name. Otherwise the fiend act on its own accord.
The fiends appears in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. The fiends disappears when they drop to 0 hit points or after 1 hour has passed.
Contract of the Occult: Ars Goetia. You have advantage on ability checks to command fiends to perform ability checks or cast spells.
Contract of the Occult: Nine Hells. You have advantage on ability checks to command fiends to grant you information or gather information.
Contract of the Occult: Abyss. You have advantage on ability checks to command fiends to attack creatures.
You can use this feature Once and regain all uses upon finishing a long rest.
Enma's Ledger
Rank 3 Fiend Summoning feature, Demonology
You create an artifact that takes the form of a scroll, tome, or notebook. You can write the true name of a creature within this book and the DM rolls 1d4 hiding the result. After a number of days equal to the roll an agent of Enma (using the statistics of an assassin but a fiend rather than humanoid) will be summoned and relentlessly attempt to kill the named creature.
You can only do this once and cannot do so again until the agent either succeeds in killing the target, you burn the page voiding the attempt, or the agent dies in the attempt. You will be mentally notified of the result of the agent.
Monster Name
Size, Alignment
- Armor Class AC
- Hit Points Hitpoints
- Speed Speed
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Str (Mod) Dex (Mod) Con (Mod) Int (Mod) Wis (Mod) Cha (Mod)
- Saving Throws saving_throws
- Skills skills
- Damage Vulnerabilities damage_vulnerabilities
- Damage Resistances Resistances
- Damage Immunities Damage_Immunities
- Condition Immunities condition_Immunities
- Senses Senses
- Languages Languages
- Challenge Challenge and Xp
Actions
Multiattack. The Creature Name makes Number and type of attacks
Ability Description. Attack Style: Attack Bonus to hit, Reach/Range, one target. Hit: Damage Damage Type damage
General Ability Description. General Attack Description ' style='position:absolute; top:0px; left:270px; width:716px; transform:rotate(0deg)scaleX(1)scaleY(1);'>
Acolyte of the Skin
Amidst the crimson flicker of ritual flames, the Acolyte of the Skin steps forth—a weaver of flesh and essence, and a harbinger of the uncanny bond between mortals and demons. Guided by the alluring embrace of the abyss, the Acolyte of the Skin embarks on a harrowing journey to entwine their being with the very essence of fiends.
Skin Graft
Rank 1 Acolyte of the Skin feature, Demonology
You replace portions of your skin with that of a fiends to begin altering your bodies constitution. You gain additional hit points equal to double your Intelligence modifier and gain resistance to fire damage.
Organ Graft
Rank 2 Acolyte of the Skin feature, Demonology
Your pursuits has lead you to further altering your body with the harvested parts of fiends. Choose an organ from the lost below to be replaced by a fiendish equivalent. You can take this feature more than once.
Heart. Whenever you recover hit points you gain additional temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Liver. You gain resistance to poison damage and have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.
Lungs. You can breathe normally underwater and you have advantage on saving throws made against harmful gases and vapors such as the cloudkill spell or a Green Dragons breath weapon.
Stomach. You have advantage on saving throw against disease and you only require half as much food to be healthy as normal.
Eyes You can cast the detect magic spell at will.
Fiendish Ascension
Rank 3 Acolyte of the Skin feature, Demonology
Prerequisite: Have all organs from the Organ Graft feature
After replacing your organs with that of fiends you have performed a dark ritual to fully attune your body to the diabolic power. Your creature type becomes fiend in addition to your other creature types and you gain the following benefits;
- Whenever you recover hit points you gain additional temporary hit points equal to double your Intelligence modifier.
- You gain immunity to poison damage and the Poisoned condition.
- You can hold your breath indefinitely while you're not incapacitated.
- You are immune to disease immunity and no longer need to eat.
- You gain truesight up to 15 feet.
Undeath
In the quiet depths of crypts and under the moon's gaze, necromancy beckons with its chilling siren's call to those who would seek mastery over the eternal threshold. The Undeath Occultist, a devoted disciple of the dead, is a conductor of macabre symphonies of life and death.
Necronomicon
The Necronomicon Adept is both scholar and summoner. Their incantations echo with the weight of souls, and their presence is an ominous reminder of the boundary they tread.
Call the Grave
Rank 1 Necronomicon feature, Undeath
You learn to master the dead through your aura. Over the course of 10 minutes you can raise the corpse of a medium or small creature (both use either the zombie or skeleton statblocks your choice) to serve you. This undead servant acts on your initiative after you and gains additional hit points equal to your Occultist level, adds your Occult attack modifier to the damage of their weapon attacks, and acts under your mental command (no action required). To command this undead servant it must be within your aura, if it leaves your aura it must use its turn to move back into it and if it cant its movement speed is reduced to 0, and if it cannot return before the start of your next turn it crumbles to dust. You can only have 1 undead servant at a time.
Witch Decay
Rank 1 Necronomicon feature, Undeath
Your Witch Shock harnesses necromantic powers. You can choose to have your witch shock feature deal necrotic damage and if you do and reduce a creature to 0 hit points it rises as a zombie with 1 hit point under your control for 1 minute before dieing again.
Desecrate the Dead
Rank 2 Necronomicon feature, Undeath
You learn to use your aura to exploit the dead. As an action, you can choose any number of corpses or undead under your control within your aura. Those corpses explode into noxious gas forcing creatures other than you within 10 feet of them to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, creatures take 2d10 poison damage or half as much on a successful save.
Undead Gestalt
Rank 2 Necronomicon feature, Undeath
Your body is a conduit for necromancy. As an action, you can sever a part of your body to create a special undead under your control. You can create one of the creature below sacrificing a number of hit dice and a body part that becomes the creature, you must have enough hit dice and body parts to use this feature. You cannot regain these lost hit dice or regrow these body parts until the creature dies or returns to you (action required) and these undead can never be removed from your control.
- Deadmans Hand - Requirements: 1 hit die, one hand
- Flying Eye - Requirements: 2 hit die, one eye
- Grave Worm - Requirements: 3 hit die, your tongue
Dead Servant
Rank 3 Necronomicon feature, Undeath
The undead you can summon from your Call the Grave feature can now use either the mummy or wight statblocks.
Beyond Death
Rank 4 Necronomicon feature, Undeath
Apparitionism
An interpreter of phantoms, a guardian of spectral truths, and a weaver of the tenuous threads that bind the living and the departed. The Apparitionist, sometimes refered to as mediums embark on a haunting journey to unveil the enigmatic bond that traverses the threshold.
Spiritual Sight
Rank 1 Apparitionism feature, Undeath
You can see creatures in the etherial plane if they are within your aura.
Litchdom
A seeker of immortality, a weaver of forbidden rituals, and a harbinger of the eldritch pact that bridges the realm of the living and the dominion of the undying. The Occultist of Lichdom embarks on a perilous journey to transcend the boundaries of mortality.
Atrophy
Rank 1 Litchdom feature, Undeath
Mysticism
Crystalology
Crystalology teaches the powers that gemstones hold transcending aesthetics; they channel through energies and magnifying the power of auras that lay dormant within all living things.
Cultivation
Akashic Records
Dragonology
The Dragonologist's path is one of reverence and understanding. They unravel the intricacies of dragonkind, cataloging the myriad variations of scales, the tales of elemental breaths, and the nuances of draconic temperament. With each encounter, they forge a connection between two worlds—the ancient and the present, the arcane and the earthly.
Dragon Tyranny
Clad in scales that gleam with the fire of determination and wielding claws and wings of an indomitable will, the Dragon Tyrant is a relentless seeker of draconic might and form.
Dragon Song
Adorned in robes that bear motifs reminiscent of dragon anatomy and armed with quills and scrolls, this Dragonologist is a scholar and an adventurer in one. Their words resonate with the echoes of dragon songs, the voices that carved the earth and flooded the world.
Breath of the Elements
Rank 1 Dragon Song feature, Dragonology
Philosophy
Amidst the labyrinthine corridors of thought and beneath the stars' contemplative gaze, the Philosopher emerges as a seeker of profound truths, a custodian of ancient ideologies, and a weaver of the tapestry that binds the realms of the tangible and the abstract.
Yoga
Embarking on an introspective journey, delving deep into your own consciousness, mastering your soul through precise body movements. Yoga, the sacred science of self, bridges the material and mystical realms.
Way of Movement
Rank 1 Yoga feature, Philosophy
Your reach becomes 5 feet greater than normal as you dislocate and stretch beyond your normal limits, this reach increases by a further 5 feet each time you take this feature, you can take the Use an Object action at that range. Additionally, you choose one of the following Yoga techniques.
You can take this feature more than once.
Rising Hawk. your jump height increases to your remaining movement speed. If you hit a creature with a melee attack while airborne you take no falling damage until the start of your next turn.
Stone Skipping Step. You can use your bonus action to teleport using your movement speed.
Cobra's Den. You can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing as if it where difficult terrain.
Coiled Dragon. You can occupy the same space as another creature increasing that creatures armor class by 2, if the creature attempts to move you can use your reaction to attempt to grapple the creature you use your Intelligence modifier for any skill checks when grappling this way.
Pixies Form. As a bonus action, you can reduce your size by 1 category. You can return to your regular size at will.
Pressure Touch
Rank 1 Yoga feature, Philosophy
Your knowledge of the body allows you to exploit it. you apply the effects of your Witch Shock feature when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike.
Soul Shape
Rank 2 Yoga feature, Philosophy
Prerequisite: have taken the Way of movement feature at least 3 times
You mastery over movement allows you through great effort to contort the shape of your very soul. You can cast the polymorph spell targeting yourself and if you do you retain your ability to speak and do not need to concentrate on the spell.
You can use this feature once and regain all uses upon finishing a long rest.
Between the Raindrops
Rank 2 Yoga feature, Philosophy
You can manipulate your body so perfectly you could walk through rain dry. When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by your Occultist level.
Soul Provenance
Rank 2 Yoga feature, Philosophy
Prerequisite: have taken the Way of movement feature at least 5 times
The soul is not limited to the confines of the body and the body is not bound by the confines of the soul. You gain the following benefits;
- You are considered to be touching everything within your aura.
- Severed body members (fingers, legs, tails, and so on), if any, are restored after 10 minutes. If you have the severed part and hold it to the stump, this instantaneously causes the limb to knit to the stump.
- your movement speed is doubled.
Nihilism
Those who embrace this philosophy dive headlong into the void, forsaking conventional meaning and purpose. Nihilism rejects the comforting illusions that bind most mortals, stripping away the falsehood that is reality.
Samsara
You embark on a journey that transcends time and existence itself, seeking to unravel the mysteries of reincarnation and the eternal cycle of life and death.
Orthodoxy
Priesthood
Sainthood
Blasphemy
Alienism
Ceremorphosis
Telepath
Rank 1 Ceremorphosis feature, Alienism
You gain the ability to probe other creatures’ minds. You can cast detect thoughts spell once and you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Whenever you cast the detect thoughts spell this way you alter it in the following ways;
- It does not require concentration.
- The benefits that require you to use an action instead require the use of a bonus action.
- If you use the option to probe deeper and the target fails its Wisdom saving throw, it is vulnerable to psychic damage you inflict until the end of your next turn.
Witch Flay
Rank 1 Ceremorphosis feature, Alienism
Your Witch Shock bends cognition to its breaking point. When you hit a creature with your Witch Shock feature their perception is altered having disadvantage on attack rolls against you until the end of their next turn.
Telekinesis
Rank 2 Ceremorphosis feature, Alienism
You have learned to manipulate force within your own aura granting you the following benefits;
- You can manipulate an objects, open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial.
- As an action, you can attempted to grapple a creature with telekinetic force, you use your Intelligence modifier for any skill checks when grappling this way and can only grapple one creature in this way.
Advance Telepath
Rank 3 Ceremorphosis feature, Alienism
You are always under the effects of the detect thoughts spell against creatures within your aura and can telepathically speak to any creature within your aura, if you don't share a language the creature hears your message in Eldertongue gaining an understanding the language for 1 minute.
Controlled Ceremorph
Rank 3 Ceremorphosis feature, Alienism
Your tadpole has been fully integrated into your brain, untethered from a hive you have stoen the essense of the illithid. You gain the ability to as an action, wildshape into a Ceremorph. You can do this once per long rest.
Ceremorph
- Armor Class 13 + your Intelligence modifier
- Hit Points 5 x your Occultist level
- Speed 30ft fly (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) Your Int Modifier 17 (+3) 17 (+17)
- Saving Throws Wis +6 + PB, Cha +6 + PB
- Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16
- Languages Eldertongue
Magic Resistance. The ceremorph has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Occult Mind. You retain all benefits from your occult class features.
Actions
Multiattack. The ceremorph makes two tenticle attacks.
Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: Int Modifier + PB to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) psychic damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 15) and must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or be stunned until this grapple ends.
Mind Wave (Recharge 5–6). All creatures within you aura must make a Intelligence saving throw. on a failed save, each creature takes 22 (4d8 + 4) psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Elder Entities
Star Spawn
