Devourer (5e Class)
Devourer
"They're truly peculiar. They can eat almost anything and they only seldom die from the act. The core of flame elementals, poison dart frog meat, the flesh of ghouls filled with paralytic agents, I've seen them not only recover from eating these creatures but benefit from them as well. It's like they have an innate sense of the wild and they can somehow mimic their food. Repulsive, but deeply fascinating. -Anu Garaphos, Book Thief"
A group of goblins rush a human woman, her eyes flash green as she breathes out a cloud of dust, leaving all but one of the goblins as statues. She moves on him in his moment of fear and ending his life with fangs dripping with venom. A kobold stretches his newly grown wings, the leftovers of the tyrant dragon before him, its blood still dripping from his mouth. This wasn't his first draconic meal, and it wouldn't be his last either.
A Devourer is someone who has studied and consumed the flesh and bones of monsters to the point where the line between themselves and the creatures they hunt has blurred. Many have become a Devourer in times of famine or while lost without food. Others may be a curious adventurer with a taste for the unusual, eating those they defeat in a dungeon or in the wild. Some may just have a hunger that never seems to go away, eating anything they get their hands on. No matter the reason, a Devourer hungers for something more in life, and their bodies have been changed to reflect this.
Creating a Devourer
As you are creating a Devourer, keep in mind how your character relates to society and why they choose this. Many Devourers took up their ways out of necessity while others do it out of tradition. Hunting monsters is dangerous and eating many of them reckless. Why did you start eating monsters? Was it out of necessity or curiosity? Is it something you hide or show with pride? Were you taught this or stumbled on to it? Have you always had an affinity for the wild? How do you fair in cities or in more social environments? Did you learn these ways from your family? How do the physical changes made affect you?
- Quick Build
You can make a Devourer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score followed by Wisdom then Strength. Second, choose the Outlander background. Third, choose the hide armor, a battleaxe for the martial weapon and a shield, the longbow, and the cook's pack.
Class Features
As a Devourer you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Devourer level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Devourer level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: Cooking Utensils, Leatherworking Tools
Saving Throws: Constitution, Wisdom
Skills: You get Animal Handling and choose one from Survival, Nature, Athletics, Acrobatics, Insight, Perception, and Medicine
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) Leather Armor or (b) Hide Armor
- (a) A martial weapon and a shield or (b) Two martial weapons
- (a) A longbow and 20 arrows or (b) Two hand crossbows and 20 bolts
- (a) A cook's pack or (b) An explorer's pack
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 gp in funds.
Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features |
---|---|---|
1st | +2 | Real Good Chompers Monster Devourer |
2nd | +2 | Iron Stomach Fighting Style |
3rd | +2 | Differing Tastes |
4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
5th | +3 | Extra Attack Real Good Chompers |
6th | +3 | Differing Tastes |
7th | +3 | Swift Move Monster Devourer |
8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
9th | +4 | Iron Stomach |
10th | +4 | Differing Tastes |
11th | +4 | Second Fighting Style Real Good Chompers |
12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement |
13th | +5 | Monster Devourer |
14th | +5 | Differing Tastes |
15th | +5 | Iron Stomach |
16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
17th | +6 | Real Good Chompers |
18th | +6 | Swift Move |
19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
20th | +6 | Greater Beast Real Good Chompers |
Real Good Chompers
One the defining traits that cause Devourers to stand out is their unnatural ability to eat just about anything. Their teeth have changed to be able to crush and tear into monsters, whether they might be giant insects or an unfortunate golem.
At 1st level, your enhanced bite is now a natural weapon. You can make a melee attack with your bite as an unarmed strike doing 1d4 + your Strength modifier in damage. You do not need a free hand to make this bite attack.
- If you already have a bite attack, either by way of your race or some other means, use whichever bite is stronger. For instance, if you are a lizardfolk you would have a natural bite attack of a 1d6 + Str. At level 1 as a Devourer your bite would be a 1d4 + Str. Since your bite from your race is stronger you would use the 1d6 + Str until your bite from the devourer class exceeds that at 11th level, at which point it becomes 1d8 + Str.
At 5th level your bite is 1d6+Str, at 11th level your bite is 1d8+Str, at 17th level your bite is 1d10+Str, and at 20th level your bite is 1d12+Str.
Monster Devourer
At 1st level, you've been working with monsters and strange magical beasts and have started to learn how they act, what they can do, and what you can learn from them.
- Monster Lore
You can tell what works and what doesn't with creatures you encounter. Make a nature check, DC 12 + the CR of the monster (minimum of 1), to understand the resistances of the monster.
At 7th level, your understanding advances and you can determine a monsters damage resistances and immunities as well as condition immunities.
- Monster Moves
You've been studying and consuming monsters long enough that you've started to learn to fight and survive like them. In battle if a creature uses an ability that you can see or hear you can make an animal handling check, DC 10 + the CR of the monster (minimum of 1), to understand the ability. If you pass the check you have a basic understanding of the creature's intent in using the ability and what it does. Also if you devour the creature while it is still fresh you have a chance to gain the ability to use that move yourself in the future.
- Monster Adaptability
You have adaptability slots equal to your Constitution modifier. You can assign a power, move, or attribute from creatures you eat to an adaptability slot. If you do not have an adaptability slot open and you consume a creature to gain something new you must choose one of your old adaptations to replace before you roll to see what you get from them.
If you have a move or ability tied to an adaptability slot there is no limitation on how often you can use that ability unless the ability itself says so.
- Monster Menu
You've had to do a lot of things to survive out there and sometimes you're trapped underground and need to eat a gibbering mouther for sustenance. With enough determination and grit you can devour almost anything you come across and over the years you've discovered that you have an ability to take on the attributes and abilities of the things you devour if they are fresh enough.
Eating a creature takes time relative to your size.
Size of Creature | Time to Consume |
---|---|
2 sizes smaller | 1 Action |
1 sizes smaller | 1 minutes |
Same Size | 10 minutes |
1 sizes larger | 1 Hour |
2 sizes larger | 4 Hours |
When you eat a creature make a Constitution check to see if you can gain something from them. You can gain many things from creatures including special moves or abilities they might have, resistances or immunities, and attributes or appendages. You can only gain one thing from a creature eaten and you can only learn an ability if you have seen or heard it and successfully understood it via Monster Moves. The fresher the creature the easier it is to gain what you want with less ill effects. When you choose to gain something from a creature eaten you must have a free adaptability slot or free one before you roll to see what you gain from the creature if anything and if you receive a negative effect it takes that slot until you replace it with something else.
If you choose not to try and gain an ability/resistance/effect/ect. from a creature but devour them anyway, then depending on the creature, you will gain your Constitution modifier + half the creature's CR (minimum of 1) in temporary hit points. However, eating some wild beasts can cause damage to you. If you eat a poisonous frog, for example, you have to deal with the damage it causes you and the poisons still present. As you level in this class the damage for different types will lessen as your stomach gets stronger.
- If you eat something for temporary hit points and it hurts you, the temporary hit points are removed first before the damage effects your main health.
Constitution Check | Fresh (Recently killed) | Old (After a few hours or days) | Rotting (More than a few days) | Ancient |
---|---|---|---|---|
DC 25 | An immunity the creature has or player choice from it's stats and abilities | An ability or move or a resistance the creature has | A resistance the creature has | Something at random from the creature |
DC 20 | An ability or move or a resistance the creature has | A resistance the creature has | A basic bonus the creature provides | Extra 4d10 Damage |
DC 15 | A resistance the creature has | A basic bonus the creature provides | Extra 3d10 Damage | A basic negative from the creature |
DC 10 | A basic bonus the creature provides | Extra 2d10 Damage | A basic negative from the creature | A Vulnerability the creature has |
Under | Extra 1d10 Damage | A basic negative from the creature | A Vulnerability the creature has | Death |
At 13th level, your ability to pull abilities and traits from monsters improves. When you make a Constitution check to gain something from eating a monster you may now add your proficiency as well.
- For GM's: This part needs to be handled by you a little bit. Giving an ability to a player is usually straight forward but if a creature doesn't have an ability or any resistances or immunities then you may have to give them something else. Maybe their AC increases, their hit point maximum increases, or one of their attributes goes up. These examples are what I mean when I say a basic bonus or a basic negative above, something that effects the numbers or appearance but isn't too severe. Remember they are using an adaptability slot to do this and they are only going to have so many. Also if you feel like a power or resistance is too powerful you can always tie a vulnerability to them or shift how the power works slightly. If you need examples on other things to give players the Monster subclass has a table it uses that may be good reference.
Iron Stomach
Beginning at 2nd level, Your stomach has been trained to withstand unusual things as well as the poisons that monsters usually contain. You can eat inorganic materials if you wish but they do not provide nutritional value and if you ingest something that would cause you to take poison, bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing damage you have resistance to that damage. Also if you need to roll a Con save against a poison or effect from eating something you can roll with advantage.
At 9th level, Your stomach continues to develop and you can now eat more things. You now have resistance to all damage types that you ingest. You can no longer be poisoned, diseased, or paralyzed by something you devour.
At 15th level, your stomach has progressed to a strange level of durability. You now have immunity to poison, bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage as well as resistance to all other damage types that you ingest. Also if something that you've eaten would drop you below 1 hit point you drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Fighting style
When you reach 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.
- Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
- 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.
- Protection
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
- Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
- Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
- Unarmed Grappler
If you attack a creature that you have grappled with an unarmed attack you have advantage on that attack.
Differing Tastes
At 3rd level, you choose a Devourer Subclass as you gain taste for something new. Choose between Magic, Monster, and Humanoid all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd, 6th, 10th and again at 14th.
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
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Swift Move
Starting at 7th level, on your turn you can use a move or ability you have tied to one of your adaptability slots in addition to your regular action and possible bonus action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Starting at 18th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn.
Second Fighting Style
At 11th level, you may choose an additional fighting style.
Greater Beast
At 20th level, Your ability to take on the abilities and attributes of the things you consume opens up. You now get your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) and your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1) in Adaptability slots.
Magic
After hunting monsters of varying sizes and shapes and traveling the world your tastes have started to refine. You like the delicate flavour of the Fey. The sweet tang of fiends stays with you. Whenever a wizard is nearby your mouth begins to water. You've developed a taste for magic.
Devourer Level | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | 1st level Spell Slots | 2nd level Spell Slots | 3rd level Spell Slots | 4th level Spell Slots |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3rd | Primal Savagery + 1 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - |
4th | Primal Savagery + 1 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
5th | Primal Savagery + 1 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
6th | Primal Savagery + 1 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
7th | Primal Savagery + 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
8th | Primal Savagery + 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
9th | Primal Savagery + 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
10th | Primal Savagery + 2 | 7 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
11th | Primal Savagery + 2 | 8 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
12th | Primal Savagery + 2 | 8 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
13th | Primal Savagery + 2 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - |
14th | Primal Savagery + 2 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - |
15th | Primal Savagery + 2 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - |
16th | Primal Savagery + 2 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - |
17th | Primal Savagery + 2 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - |
18th | Primal Savagery + 2 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - |
19th | Primal Savagery + 2 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
20th | Primal Savagery + 2 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
- Spellcasting Ability
When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells.
- Cantrips
You learn two cantrips: Primal Savagery and one other cantrip of your choice from the druid spell list. You learn another druid cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
- Spell Slots
The Magic Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your 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 Charm Person and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Charm Person using either slot.
- Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know three 1st-level druid spells of your choice on the druid spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Magic Spellcasting table shows when you learn more druid spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the druid spells you know with another spell of your choice from the druid spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
- Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your druid spells, since you learn your spells through experience and intuition. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a druid 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
- Magic Devourer
At 3rd level, you can now devour spirits and magic by draining the energies around you. If a creature is incorporeal and dies nearby you then you can use your reaction to consume it.
When you devour a creature that can cast a spell you have a chance to learn that spell and add it to your spells known. This spell can come from any list and will use your Wisdom as the spellcasting modifier. The creature must be fresh and you must have seen them cast it and passed your Monster Moves check. To gain the spell make a Constitution check DC15 + the spell level.
- Magic Recycler
Starting at 6th level, you can now replenish spell slots by eating magical creatures. If you eat a creature and choose not to gain any bonuses from them you may instead regain one slot equal to half the CR of the monster (minimum of 1st level). Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
- Magic Consumer
At 10th level, when a creature casts a spell targeting you you can consume a spell cast at you as a reaction and use it to replenish a spell slot of equal or lower level. Make a Constitution check DC 10 + the spell level of the spell cast. On a success, the creature’s spell fails and has no effect. On a failure, the creature's spell succeeds and you take the spell level x d10 in force damage. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
- Magic Ingester
At 14th level, you can consume magic items and use adaptability slots to fuse them into yourself. If you succeed the item is destroyed, takes up an adaptability slot, and you get the effects of that item as if you were wearing and attuned to it. This does not take up an attunement slot. If it is a weapon it adds effects to your natural weapons and if it armor it adds effects to your natural armor. If you fail to meet the check the item is destroyed and causes damage to you based on its rarity.
- Consumable magic items like potions and scrolls can not be eaten for their effects. Instead when they are consumed their effect occurs as normal.
- Some magic items have sentience or certain conditions required to destroy them. In these cases the items might not be consumable or, at the very least, doing so would be a very poor decision.
Rarity | Constitution DC | Fail Damage |
---|---|---|
Common | DC2 | 1d10 magic damage |
Uncommon | DC5 | 2d10 magic damage |
Rare | DC10 | 4d10 magic damage |
Very Rare | DC15 | 10d10 magic damage |
Legendary | DC20 | 18d10 magic damage |
Artifact | DC25 | 24d10 magic damage |
Monster
You've heard that as you continue to age and travel that your tastes change. Monsters have come and gone and you've been to many places. You still haven't developed a new taste you just want more.
- Tasting
Starting at 3rd level through the consumption of your enemies you gain numerous bonuses. These manifest physically such as claws and enhanced strength, fangs or wings. These benefits are permanent and do not take up adaptability slots. If you become too monstrous however it may be hard to blend in with more 'civilized' peoples.
Creature Type | Number Consumed | Tasting | Schmorgesborg |
---|---|---|---|
Abberation | 5 | You gain coloured Darkvision for 60ft. | You gain a limited telepathy. You can read the minds of creatures within 15ft of you. |
Beast | 7 | Gain claws (1d4+Str) on your hands. | You gain advantage on natural weapon attacks. |
Celestials | 3 | Gain immunity to Disease | Gain resistance to radiant damage and you age slower, aging 1 year for every 10. |
Constructs | 5 | You gain resistance to bludgeoning | You gain resistance to psychic damage |
Dragon | 3 | Gain a prehensile tail. If used as a natural weapon it deals 1d8+Str bludgeoning damage. | Gain scaly wings that give a flight speed of your movement. |
Elemental | 5 | Gain elemental resistance depending on elemental type | Gain elemental immunity depending on elemental type |
Fey | 5 | Advantage to checks against charmed or frightened. | Gain a +2 Charisma. |
Fiend | 5 | You deal an additional 1d6 fire damage to creatures you hit with a natural weapon attack. | You gain resistance to piercing and slashing damage |
Giant | 3 | Gain a +2 to Strength | Gain a +2 Constitution. |
Humanoid | 5 | Gain a language and a proficiency in a skill | Gain a +2 Intelligence. |
Monstrosity | 5 | Gain a second set of arms | Gain a second mouth |
Ooze | 5 | Your skin starts producing sticky slime. You have advantage on grappling checks. | Gain a Blindsight 20ft. |
Plant | 5 | Skin becomes bark like, giving a +2 to AC | You deal an additional 1d6 poison damage to creatures you hit with your bite attack. |
Undead | 5 | Gain a resistance to Necrotic damage. | You can now heal from eating the living. When you use your bite attack on a living creature heal half the damage dealt. |
- The Hunter
Starting at 6th level you gain the ability to innately predict your quarry's moves as long as you have consumed it before to get a Tasting benefit from it. Any specific creature type you have consumed now gets disadvantage when attacking you due to your knowledge of how it acts. (i.e. if you have eaten at least 5 aberrations they now get disadvantage to attack rolls against you)
- Schmorgesborg
Starting at 10th level, after you have consumed double the amount of necessary creature types you start to become more like those creatures and gain additional benefits as your physical form permanently changes.
- Monster
Starting at 14th level, you gain +1 Strength and +1 Constitution and you are permanently one size larger.
Cannibal
The wilds are difficult to survive in but sometimes so are the cities. Monsters don't hold your focus and hunting in the woods isn't quite your fancy. You prefer a conversation with a meal and a nice evening. Your tastes have become a bit more vicious but also somehow a bit more discerning. You've developed a taste for humanoid flesh.
- Humanoids made of Meat
You have learned to hunt and capture humanoids.
Starting at 3rd level, you have advantage on survival checks to track humanoids, advantage on stealth checks to track humanoids, and advantage to attack humanoids.
- Memories in the Meat
Starting at 6th level, when you eat someone you gain their memories of the last 48 hours. Also if you devour them for an ability or attribute you can instead gain 2 of their skill proficiencies and one of their languages and assign them to an adaptability slot.
- Faces in the Meat
Starting at 10th level, when you eat someone and devour them you can assign their form to one of your adaptability slots. From now on you can use an action to shapeshift into them at will. It takes a bonus action to return to your original form.
- Saved by the Meat
Starting at 14th level, when you would be dropped to below 1 hp while shapeshifted into one of your humanoid forms you can decide to sacrifice that form, losing it permanently and freeing up that adaptability slot, to instead go to another form at half life.
You can only use this feature once every short or long rest.
Multiclassing
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Devourer class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Constitution or 13 Wisdom
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Devourer class, you gain the following proficiencies: Animal Handling, shields, light armor, medium armor, simple weapons, and martial weapons.
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