The dwarven woman, clad in bear furs, clenches her axe and crouches low. The snowbank obscures her from her prey: a gargantuan yeti. She lies in wait for several moments, waiting for it to get close enough. When it does, she leaps from her hiding position----and as she flies through the air, her skin begins to freeze while shards of ice crystallize around her.
A sick baron lies in his bed, his mind muddled from a burning fever. When an armored human enters his room, he is initially relieved----surely, this must be a paladin, come to cure his ailments! But his relief turns to fear as the human walks over to his bed side, puts a gauntleted hand on the nobleman's chest, and drains the sickly baron of what little remains of his life force.
Embers begin to pour from underneath the red scales of a male dragonborn, the sensation painful but familiar. As the embers surround him, he rushes towards the troll barreling towards him. The two clash, and the dragonborn plunges a red-hot shortsword into the troll's chest, felling the monstrous creature.
Diabolists are wielders of both weapons and dark magic. They let this magic consume them, trading their own vitality for greater and greater powers.
Mysterious Origins
No two diabolists earn their powers in the same manner. It might be an inborn ability inherited from a planar ancestor, a curse from defiling sacred ground, or the boon of a patron entity. The only uniting element of these powers is their consumptive nature. In order to fully utilize the full potential of their magic, diabolists must sacrifice a part of themselves
----physically to be certain, but perhaps emotionally too.
After all, must one become a monster to fight monsters? Many diabolists that find themselves fighting for a good cause justify their methodology in this way: the ends justify the means. Perhaps they do; that is for you to decide.
No Power is Free
As previously mentioned, the dark magic diabolists wield is consumptive, almost parasitic in nature. The source of a diabolist's power is their very vitality, be it the physical blood that runs in their veins or the sanctity of their own soul. This is what they sacrifice in order to achieve the great power they possess. Allowing this power to corrupt them, to take control, it runs quite a risk. In their darkest moments, they do not always have full control of it. A diabolist always has to think: is it worth it?
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 diabolist as one of your classes.
Ability Score Minimum. As a multiclass character, you must have at least a Constitution score of 13 and a Strength score or Dexterity score of 13 to take a level in this class, or to take a level in another class if you are already a diabolist.
Proficiencies Gained. If diabolist isn't your initial class, here are the proficiencies you gain when you take your first level as a diabolist: light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, and martial weapons.
Spell Slots. You can add the spell slots you gain from the Profane Magic feature to your spell slots from any other source.
Class Features
As a diabolist, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d10 per diabolist level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per diabolist level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: All armor, shields
- Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
- Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Athletics, Acrobatics, Religion, Deception, and Intimidation
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
- (a) a martial melee weapon or (b) two simple melee weapons
- (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
- Two daggers and a dungeoneer's pack
The Diabolist
Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Maximum Corruption |
Spells Known |
Spell Slots |
Slot Level |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | +2 | Profane Magic, Unholy Covenant | — | 2 | 1 | 1st |
2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Corruption, Covenant feature | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
3rd | +2 | Vile Fortitude | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1st |
4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1st |
5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
6th | +3 | Desecrated Strikes | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
7th | +3 | Covenant feature | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2nd |
8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2nd |
9th | +4 | Undaunted | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3rd |
10th | +4 | Vile Fortitude Improvement | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3rd |
11th | +4 | Covenant feature | 5 | 7 | 2 | 3rd |
12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 7 | 2 | 3rd |
13th | +5 | Dark Diablerie (4th level) | 6 | 8 | 2 | 3rd |
14th | +5 | Unholy Presence | 7 | 8 | 2 | 3rd |
15th | +5 | Covenant feature | 7 | 9 | 2 | 3rd |
16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 8 | 9 | 2 | 3rd |
17th | +6 | Dark Diablerie (5th level) | 8 | 10 | 2 | 3rd |
18th | +6 | Vile Fortitude Improvement | 9 | 10 | 2 | 3rd |
19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 9 | 11 | 2 | 3rd |
20th | +6 | Diabolic Sovereign | 10 | 11 | 2 | 3rd |
Profane Magic
Your dabbling with dark magic allows you to manifest spells. This power is sporadic and dangerous, making it less than safe to wield----but you are capable of it nonetheless.
Spell Slots
The Diabolist table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your diabolist 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.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
At 1st level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the diabolist spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Diabolist table shows when you learn more diabolist spells of your choice of 1st level or higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 5th level, for example, you learn a new diabolist spell, which can be 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the diabolist spells you know and replace it with another spell from the diabolist spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your diabolist spells, as your as your magic is drawn from your very vitality. You use your Constitution whenever a diabolist spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a diabolist spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier
Spell Attack Modifier = Your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier
Spellcasting Focus
You can use your own body as a spellcasting focus for your diabolist spells, allowing you to ignore non-costly material components.
Unholy Covenant
Two things are true of every diabolist: first, an unholy force has left their mark on them; and second, they have accepted this force in order to wield it. This acceptance is known as a diabolist's covenant, and it is where their power derives from.
Choose the Covenant of Blood, the Covenant of Disaster, the Covenant of Flame, the Covenant of Frost, the Covenant of Instinct, the Covenant of Plague, or the Covenant of Shadow, each detailed at the end of the class description.
Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 2nd, 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
Fighting Style
Starting 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.
Blind Fighting
You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
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.
Eldritch Warrior
You learn two cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. They count as diabolist spells for you, and Constitution is your spellcasting ability for them.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the warlock spell list.
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.
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Corruption
Also at 2nd level, you can take on the corruptive power of your covenant to bolster your own capabilities. At the start of your turn in combat, you can expend one hit die you gained from this class (no action required), called a diabolist hit die, to take on a stage of Corruption.
While you are corrupted, you have a pool of d10's, called corruption dice, equal to your stage of Corruption. Any spent corruption dice replenish at the start of each of your turns while you are corrupted. When you deal damage to a creature with an attack, you can spend any available corruption dice and roll them, dealing additional damage to the target equal to the total result. The type of damage is determined by your choice of Unholy Covenant. This damage can only be dealt to one creature at a time.
Taking on this dark power has its drawbacks, however. While corrupted, any damage you take is increased by your stage of Corruption, and any hit points you regain are reduced by your stage of Corruption.
At the start of each of your turns while corrupted, you can spend additional diabolist hit dice to increase your stage of Corruption, up to your maximum stage as shown in the Maximum Corruption column of the Diabolist table. The maximum amount of hit dice you can expend at once to take on stages of Corruption is equal to half your maximum stage of Corruption (rounded up). If you take on additional stages of Corruption, it always happens first on your turn.
Corruption lasts for 1 minute. You cannot end it early unless the remove curse spell is cast on you while you are corrupted.
Vile Fortitude
At 3rd level, unholy energy sustains your body. You are immune to disease, and you no longer need to eat or drink.
Additionally, when you finish a short rest, you regain half of your expended diabolist hit dice (rounded up), and when you finish a long rest, you regain all of your expended diabolist hit dice.
Starting at 10th level, you regain all expended diabolist hit dice when you finish a short or long rest.
Starting at 18th level, for every 10 years that pass, your body only ages 1 year.
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.
Extra Attack
At 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, when you take the Attack action on your turn.
Desecrated Strikes
At 6th level, profane power suffuses your blows. Your weapon attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Undaunted
At 9th level, your experience with unholy magic and dark secrets leave you with nothing to fear. You are immune to the frightened condition.
Dark Diablerie
At 13th level, you unlock an ancient incantation of dark power, called a diablerie. Choose one 4th-level spell from the diabolist spell list as this diablerie. You can cast your diablerie spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
At 17th level, you gain one 5th-level diabolist spell of your choice that can be cast in this way. You regain all expended uses of your Dark Diablerie when you finish a long rest.
Unholy Presence
At 14th level, your very presence is an affront to holiness. You and allied creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to radiant damage. You can only grant this benefit while you are conscious.
Diabolic Sovereign
At 20th level, you are fully in control of your dark powers. You gain the following benefits.
- The maximum number of hit dice you can expend at once to take on stages of Corruption is now equal to your maximum stage of Corruption, instead of half of your maximum.
- When you roll initiative, you regain up to 5 expended diabolist hit dice. If not expended within 1 minute, they disappear.
- While you are corrupted, whenever you spend corruption dice to deal extra damage, you can roll each die twice and take either result.
Unholy Covenants
A diabolist's covenant is the form their dark powers take. There are many different covenants, but 7 are the most common: Blood, Disaster, Flame, Frost, Instinct, Plague, and Shadow. They each manifest in different ways----still corrupting the wielder, but granting a host of unique and powerful abilities for any aspiring diabolist.
Covenant of Blood
Diabolists of the Covenant of Blood wield hemomantic magic. They draw vitality from others to fuel themselves, manipulating the life force of others to their benefit. Of all the covenants, this one could be considered the most "evil" or "unholy", but none can deny the efficacy of diabolists who wield this power----abominable as they might seem on the surface.
Covenant of Blood Features
Diabolist Level |
Feature |
---|---|
1st | Crimson Vitality |
2nd | Blood Incarnate |
7th | Consumption |
11th | Sanguine Extraction |
15th | Vampiric Embrace |
Crimson Vitality
When you gain this covenant at 1st level, your talent for blood magic bolsters your fortitude. You have resistance to necrotic damage.
Additionally, your hit point maximum increases by 1 and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class.
Blood Incarnate
At 2nd level, while you are corrupted, you gain the following benefits.
- The additional damage you deal is necrotic damage. When you deal this damage to a hostile creature, you regain hit points equal to the number of corruption dice spent, which is not reduced by your Corruption feature as normal.
- At the start of each of your turns, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Corruption stage + your Constitution modifier. You gain these temporary hit points after you take on any additional stages of Corruption (if any), and they last until the start of your next turn.
Consumption
At 7th level, you can feast on the vitality of your foes. As a bonus action while you are corrupted, you can expend a number of available corruption dice up to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) and choose that many creatures within 30 feet of you. Each chosen creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your diabolist spell save DC, as you draw the life force out of them.
On a failed saving throw, a creature takes 1d10 necrotic damage, but none on a successful saving throw. You then regain hit points equal to half the total necrotic damage dealt (rounded up), which isn't reduced by your Corruption feature as normal.
Sanguine Extraction
At 11th level, you can prevent your foes from restoring themselves. Whenever you deal necrotic damage to a creature, that creature can't regain hit points until the start of your next turn.
Vampiric Embrace
At 15th level, you have supernatural regeneration that makes defeating you nigh impossible. When you take damage that isn't psychic or radiant, you can use your reaction to regain hit points at the start of your next turn equal to the damage taken. If you are corrupted, the number of hit points you regain isn't reduced as normal.
You can use this reaction once, and must finish a short or long rest before doing so again.
Covenant of Disaster
Diabolists of the Covenant of Disaster embody the chaos and destruction of the natural world. Their power is felt in storms of all kinds, from tempests and tornadoes to cyclones and hurricanes. Wind and lightning assaults their foes, stopping at nothing to wreak havoc on a wide scale. You can never quite predict these diabolists, as chaos is in their very nature.
Covenant of Storm Features
Diabolist Level |
Feature |
---|---|
1st | Tempestuous |
2nd | Disaster Incarnate |
7th | Storm Surge |
11th | Crash Lightning |
15th | Violent Squall |
Tempestuous
When you gain this covenant at 1st level, you become as chaotic and swift as the storm. You have resistance to lightning damage.
Additionally, your speed increases by 10 feet, and you can take the Disengage action as a bonus action.
Disaster Incarnate
At 2nd level, while you are corrupted, you gain the following benefits.
- The additional damage you deal is lightning damage. When you deal this damage to a creature, they must make a Strength saving throw against your diabolist spell save DC or be pushed away from you in a straight line. The distance they are pushed is equal to 5 x the number of corruption dice spent.
- At the start of each of your turns, you can choose a number of creatures within 10 feet of you equal to your Corruption stage. The chosen creatures cannot take reactions until the start of your next turn.
Storm Surge
At 7th level, you can move like lightning. At the start of your turn while you are corrupted, you can spend a number of available corruption dice up to your proficiency bonus (no action required) to immediately fly a number of feet equal to 10 x the number of corruption dice spent.
If you move within 5 feet of a hostile creature during this movement, that creature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your diabolist spell save DC, taking lightning damage equal to the number of corruption dice spent + your Constitution modifier on a failed saving throw or half as much on a success.
You spend corruption dice for this feature after you take on additional stages of Corruption (if any).
Crash Lighting
At 11th level, you can send incredible amounts of lightning through your enemies. Once per turn when you deal lightning damage to a creature, you can choose to have lightning crash into another creature of your choice within 15 feet of the original creature. The chosen creature takes lightning damage equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).
Violent Squall
At 15th level, you can assault your enemies with wind. As an action, you can choose any number of creatures within 30 feet of you. Each chosen creature must make a Strength saving throw against your diabolist spell save DC or either be pulled 30 feet towards you or pushed 30 feet away from you in a straight line (you decide which), and then knocked prone.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Covenant of Flame
Diabolists of the Covenant of Flame use fiery magic to burn away their foes. Of all the covenants, this is the most purely destructive, with unholy fire burning impossibly hot for impossibly long at the diabolist's whims. Ashes and cinders follow in their wake, and fires of destruction flicker and dance behind their eyes.
Covenant of Flame Features
Diabolist Level |
Feature |
---|---|
1st | Borne of Fire |
2nd | Flame Incarnate |
7th | Raze |
11th | Immolating Embers |
15th | Phoenix's Vengeance |
Borne of Fire
When you gain this covenant at 1st level, you are used to the heat and devastation that fire can bring. You have resistance to fire damage.
Additionally, when you cast a spell that deals fire damage, you gain a bonus to one of the spell's damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus.
Flame Incarnate
At 2nd level, while you are corrupted, you gain the following benefits.
- The additional damage you deal is fire damage. When you deal this damage to a creature, they take extra fire damage equal to the number of corruption dice spent.
- At the start of each of your turns, hostile creatures within 5 feet of you take fire damage equal to your Corruption stage + your Constitution modifier. This damage is dealt after you take on any additional stages of Corruption (if any).
Raze
At 7th level, you can wreak fiery destruction at a whim. As an action while you are corrupted, you can spend any number of available corruption dice and roll a number of d10's equal to the corruption dice spent -- 1. Every creature in a 15-foot cone in front of you must make a Dexterity saving throw against your diabolist spell save DC, taking fire damage equal to the total rolled on a failed saving throw or half as much on a success.
Immolating Embers
At 11th level, your fire magic persists and burns your enemies alive. Once per turn when you deal fire damage to a creature, you can choose to immolate that creature (no action required). If you do, they take fire damage at the start of their next turn equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).
Phoenix's Vengeance
At 15th level, unholy fire ensures you live. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to instead drop to 1 hit point.
When you do this, you unleash your fiery wrath on the creature who reduced you to 0 hit points. That creature immediately takes damage equal to twice your diabolist level; if this damage reduces them to 0 hit points, you then regain the same amount of hit points.
Once you use this reaction, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Covenant of Frost
Diabolists of the Covenant of Frost are masters of the cold. Ice is both a shield and a sword to them, gathering around them when they are struck and locking down their foes as they launch their assault. This covenant is inexorable in nature, stopping at nothing to bring down even the mightiest of opponents. If you ever draw one's ire, the chill in your bones won't even let you run away.
Covenant of Frost Features
Diabolist Level |
Feature |
---|---|
1st | Harbinger of Winter |
2nd | Frost Incarnate |
7th | Glacial Guard |
11th | Unending Blizzard |
15th | Frozen Over |
Harbinger of Winter
When you gain this covenant at 1st level, an icy chill surrounds you always. You have resistance to cold damage.
Additionally, your speed cannot be reduced unless it is reduced to 0, and you ignore nonmagical difficult terrain.
Frost Incarnate
At 2nd level, while you are corrupted, you gain the following benefits.
- The additional damage you deal is cold damage. When you deal this damage to a creature, they must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your diabolist spell save DC or have their speed reduced by 5 x the number of corruption dice spent until the start of your next turn.
- The first time each round you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw, you gain a bonus to the roll equal to half your Corruption stage (rounded up).
Glacial Guard
At 7th level, you can summon shields of ice to protect you. As a bonus action while you are corrupted, you can expend a number of available corruption dice up to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to increase your AC by an amount equal to the corruption dice spent until the start of your next turn.
Any creature that attacks you while you are under this effect takes cold damage equal to the number of corruption dice spent to increase your AC + your Constitution modifier, whether they hit or miss.
Unending Blizzard
At 11th level, you can summon icy winds to whip around you, chilling your enemies to the bone. As a bonus action, you can activate or dismiss these winds, which extend 5 feet from you in every direction. Any hostile creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of you has their speed halved until the start of their next turn. This speed reduction is cumulative with the speed reduction granted by your Frost Incarnate feature.
Frozen Over
At 15th level, you can completely lock your foes in ice. As an action, you can choose a creature within 30 feet of you; that creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your diabolist spell save DC. On a failed save, they are paralyzed as supernatural ice locks them in place for 1 minute or until they are hit by an attack or fail a saving throw, which shatters the ice and frees them.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Covenant of Instinct
Diabolists of the Covenant of Instinct embrace the primal power of wild animals. They are often partially transformed in some way, taking on an appearance not dissimilar to some lycanthropes. These diabolists wildly dart around the battlefield and hunt their prey like a feral animal.
Covenant of Instinct Features
Diabolist Level |
Feature |
---|---|
1st | The Beast Within |
2nd | Instinct Incarnate |
7th | Thrill of the Hunt |
11th | Chase the Scent |
15th | Apex Predator |
The Beast Within
When you gain this covenant at 1st level, you let out your inner animal. You gain resistance to acid damage.
Additionally, your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 slashing damage instead of the normal damage and type for unarmed strikes. Your unarmed strikes also gain the light and finesse properties.
Instinct Incarnate
At 2nd level, while you are corrupted, you gain the following benefits.
- The additional damage you deal is acid damage. When you deal this damage to a creature, another creature of your choice within 5 feet you takes acid damage equal to the number of corruption dice spent.
- At the start of each of your turns, you can immediately move a number of feet up to 5 + 5 x your Corruption stage without provoking opportunity attacks. You take this movement after you take on any additional stages of Corruption (if any).
Thrill of the Hunt
At 7th level, you can send yourself into a feral frenzy. When you take the Attack action on your turn while you are corrupted, you can spend a number of available corruption dice up to your proficiency bonus to make an additional attack for every 2 corruption dice spent.
Chase the Scent
At 11th level, you have a supernatural sense for your prey. When you deal damage to a creature, you can decide to chase their scent for the next 10 minutes. While chasing a creature's scent, you can sense their approximate location. This sense allows you to ignore disadvantage on attacks rolls against that creature from being blinded, the creature being invisible, or the target being heavily obscured. You also have advantage on all checks to track or find the creature.
There is no limit to how many creatures whose scent you can chase at once.
Apex Predator
At 15th level, your strikes are as swift as a predator's. You can make 3 attacks, instead of 2, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Additionally, your unarmed strikes now deal 1d8 slashing damage.
Covenant of Plague
Diabolists of the Covenant of Plague do not wreak havoc directly. Their power is that of disease; epidemics and illnesses that kill slowly, invisibly. These diabolists weaken their foes as they fight, infecting them with vile afflictions until their body gives out from the terrible symptoms. You may think all the sweat you're exuding is because of the fight and not the fever you've contracted until it's far too late for you.
Covenant of Plague Features
Diabolist Level |
Feature |
---|---|
1st | Disease-Ridden |
2nd | Plague Incarnate |
7th | Miasma |
11th | Festering Strike |
15th | Virulent Outbreak |
Disease-Ridden
When you gain this covenant at 1st level, you know how best to utilize diseases. You gain resistance to poison damage.
Additionally, magical poison damage you deal ignores resistance to poison damage, and you are immune to disease.
Plague Incarnate
At 2nd level, while you are corrupted, you gain the following benefits.
- The additional damage you deal is poison damage. When you deal this damage to a creature, the targets take a penalty to all ability checks equal to half the corruption dice spent (rounded up) until the start of your next turn.
- When a hostile creature within 5 feet of you regains hit points, the number of hit points they regain is reduced by your Corruption stage.
Miasma
At 7th level, you can flood those around you with disease. As a bonus action while you are corrupted, you can spend a number of available corruption dice up to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) and choose a number of creatures within 15 feet of you equal to the number of corruption dice spent.
Each chosen creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your diabolist spell save DC. On a failed save, they are poisoned until the start of your next turn.
Festering Strike
At 11th level, you can take advantage of opponents riddled with disease. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack and that creature has the poisoned condition, you deal additional poison damage to the creature equal to your Consitution modifier (minimum of 1).
Alternatively, you can end the poisoned condition on the target early to deal poison damage equal to your diabolist level. Once you do this, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Virulent Outbreak
At 15th level, your diseases are more lethal than ever. Magical poison damage you deal now ignores immunity to poison damage, and creature's can't have advantage on saving throws against any diabolist spell or feature that would grant them the poisoned condition.
Additionally, when the poisoned condition ends on a creature you gave it to, one creature of your choice within 10 feet of them must make a Constitution saving throw against your diabolist spell save DC or take poison damage equal to half your diabolist level (rounded down).
Covenant of Shadow
Diabolists of the Covenant of Shadows play with the eyes and minds of their enemies. More than just the dark itself is the fear of what the dark contains, and this covenant utilizes both to achieve victory. A diabolist of shadow is a truly terrifying enemy to face----if you even see them coming at all, as it is very likely you won't.
Covenant of Shadow Features
Diabolist Level |
Feature |
---|---|
1st | Lurking in the Dark |
2nd | Shadow Incarnate |
7th | Waking Nightmare |
11th | Obfuscate |
15th | Crippling Fear |
Lurking in the Dark
When you gain this covenant at 1st level, you can use shadows to your advantage. You gain resistance to psychic damage.
Additionally, you can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 60 feet.
Shadow Incarnate
At 2nd level, while you are corrupted, you gain the following benefits.
- The additional damage you deal is psychic damage. When you deal this damage to a creature, they must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your diabolist spell save DC or take a penalty to attack rolls made against you equal to half the corruption dice spent (rounded up) until the start of your next turn.
- You gain a bonus to all Stealth, Deception, Intimidation, and Sleight of Hand checks you make equal to half your Corruption stage (rounded up).
Waking Nightmare
At 7th level, you can plant seeds of fear in the minds of your enemies. As a bonus action while you are corrupted, you can spend a number of available corruption dice up to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) and choose a number of creatures within 60 feet.
Each chosen creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your diabolist spell save DC or be frightened of you until the start of your next turn.
Obfuscate
At 11th level, you can hide yourself or your allies in darkness. As an action, you can choose a willing creature within 30 feet of you, including possibly yourself. For the next minute, or until you lose concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), the chosen creature is considered heavily obscured, as magical shadows flit around them and make them hard to keep track of.
Any creature that can see through magical darkness doesn't treat the target as heavily obscured.
Once you do this, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Crippling Fear
At 15th level, you inspire true terror in your enemies. While you are within line of sight of any creature that is frightened of you, their speed is reduced to 0 and they have disadvantage on saving throws.
Additionally, you are considered to be within line of sight of creatures that are frightened of you if you are within 30 feet of them, even if they cannot see you (such as you being heavily obscured, invisible, or behind cover, or the creature being blinded).
Diabolist Spell List
1st Level
- Absorb Elements
- Armor of Agathys
- Arms of Hadar
- Bane
- Burning Hands
- Cause Fear
- Charm Person
- Disguise Self
- Dissonant Whispers
- False Life
- Frost Fingers
- Hellish Rebuke
- Inflict Wounds
- Ray of Sickness
- Tasha's Caustic Brew
2nd Level
- Blur
- Crown of Madness
- Darkness
- Flaming Sphere
- Hold Person
- Invisibility
- Magic Weapon
- Melf's Acid Arrow
- Misty Step
- Ray of Enfeeblement
- Rime's Binding Ice
- Scorching Ray
- Shadow Blade
- Snilloc's Snowball Swarm
- Suggestion
- Summon Beast
- Wither and Bloom
3rd Level
- Animate Dead
- Ashardalon's Stride
- Bestow Curse
- Counterspell
- Dispel Magic
- Fast Friends
- Fear
- Fireball
- Haste
- Hunger of Hadar
- Slow
- Spirit Shroud
- Stinking Cloud
- Summon Shadowspawn
- Summon Undead
- Vampiric Touch
4th Level
- Blight
- Charm Monster
- Dimension Door
- Elemental Bane
- Fire Shield
- Greater Invisibility
- Phantasmal Killer
- Polymorph
- Shadow of Moil
- Sickening Radiance
- Summon Elemental
- Vitriolic Sphere
- Wall of Fire
5th Level
- Antilife Shell
- Cloudkill
- Cone of Cold
- Contagion
- Danse Macabre
- Destructive Wave
- Dominate Person
- Enervation
- Far Step
- Hallow
- Hold Monster
- Immolation
- Negative Energy Flood
- Synaptic Static
Martyr Variant
The following class variant is available to characters who select diabolist as one of their classes.
Much like a diabolist, the Martyr is warrior infused with dark powers from a corruptive force. However, they eschew the use of traditional spells----instead, they fully embrace the darkness within, allowing it to take greater control in exchange for extraordinary might.
Hit Points
A martyr has a d12 hit die, gains 12 + their Constitution modifier at 1st level, and then 1d12 (or 7) + their Constitution modifier hit points per level after 1st.
Spellcasting
A martyr loses the Spellcasting feature, as well as the Dark Diablerie feature.
Corruption
A martyr's Corruption feature is identical to the diabolist's, with the following change.
- Your corruption dice are d12's, instead of d10's. This change also applies to the damage dealt by the Raze and Consumption covenant features.
Fighting Style
A martyr's Fighting Style feature is identical to the
diabolist's, with the following change.
- Remove the Eldritch Warrior fighting style from the
list of available fighting styles.
The Diabolist
A Constitution-based half-pact-caster that dabbles in dark magic. Wield forbidden power in the pursuit of your goals! Corrupt your very being to destroy your foes! Sacrifice your vitality in service to one of six Unholy Covenants!
Created by: u/KaiTries5
Artist Credits:
Cover - Tiefling, by Votdren
Page 1 - Dragon Knight, by Changyoung Jung
Page 1 - Siege of Inaolia, by Adam Miconi
Page 3 - Cabal Paladin, by Lius Lasahido
Page 4 - Vampire, by Gongcheng
Page 5 - Lorna, by Elisa Serio
Page 6 - Vaeril the Tempest Cleric, by Christian Hadfield
Page 7 - Ember Vanguard, by Wojtek Depczynski
Page 8 - Knight of the White Sun, by Anton Fort
Page 9 - Werewolf Vinfor, by Andrew Kuzinskiy
Page 10 - Skaven, by baklaher
Page 11 - Conquer, by peterskore
Page 12 - Dark Wizard, by Ville-Valtteri Kinnunen
Page 13 Blood Hunter, by Canh Nguyen
Back - Death Knight, by Jeaho-Hyun
Other Credits:
Page Stains by Jared Ondricek
Diabolist Icon by Game-icons.net