Dirge/Priest of Nihilism (5e Class)

Troubor, Bard, Minstrel, Gleeman, and Loremaster. All are names that talk about wandering spirits, who use music, dance and merriment to delight, distract and delude their audience.

But, there is a darker side. The Anti-Bard. The Dirge. Nilhilism embodied. Part Bard, Part Warlock, Part Cleric - though they do not believe in God(s) - or rather they don't believe there is any reason for them to interact with the Mortal Realms and that even if gods did... they would only make things worse. Unlike Warlocks, the Dirges haven't formed an alliance with a lower realm, a Greater Fey or the like.

They disprove the saying "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

These are the dark harbingers, the luckeaters, Mirthless, The Joyless ones, the Dark Souls.
Dirges recite histories, statistics and use their companions and opponent's insecurities as whetstones upon which they hone their abilities.

While Bards were originally a nigh-unfeasible mix of Fighter, Rogue, and Druid, they were made into a regular class with the onset of 2e AD&D. The classic Bard combines the combat prowess of the Fighter and acrobatic skill set of the Rogue with magical abilities. Using magical songs, Bards can buff their allies and devastate their enemies. The 5e Bard stays true to the classic archetype, providing a powerful caster who can hold their own in close combat, and a damned fine skill monkey to boot.

To create the reverse, we need to invert the paradigm. A Cleric, Warlock and Inversion of Bardic abilities. Focused on debuffing/jinx'ing targets.

Creating a Dirge/Nihilist

Of course, apart from the mechanical aspects, the Bard is a class that demands to be roleplayed. The Dirge is not different, its special abilities and spells demand that you think creatively. Its strengths push you to intercede for people constantly. It wants you to be offensive, morose, and at times utterly depressing and it was designed that way. If you want to be snarky, (a bit silly), the Dirge might be the class for you.

Class Features

As a Dirge you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per Dirge level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Constitution modifier per Dirge level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: light armor
Weapons: Staff, Dagger, and Whip (exclusively)
Tools: Poisoner's Kit
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Pick four from the following: History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Performance, Persuasion, Deception, Religion

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• Leather Armor, Whip
• (a) Explorer's Pack or (b) 3 Books of Gothic Prose
• (a) A Dagger or (b) A Staff
• (a) a diplomat's pack or (b) an entertainer's pack

Table: The Dirge

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	Spell Level	Mehs	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
							1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	Enervate, Expertise/ Master of None	3	5	1st	1	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Familiar, Emotional Abusive	3	6	1st	1	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Tough Love, Choose Divive Pact (not granted)	3	7	2nd	2	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	8	2nd	2	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Disruptive Banter, Channel Divine	3	9	3rd	3	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	Troll's Regeneration,	5	10	3rd	3	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	Orator	5	11	4th	4	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Divine Strike	5	12	4th	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	Additional Language	5	13	5th	5	4	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+4	Divine Pact Feature	5	13	5th	5	4	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+4	Divine Filler	7	14	6th	6	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	7	14	6th	6	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	+5	Additional Language	7	15	7th	7	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
14th	+5	Divine Pact Feature	7	15	7th	7	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
15th	+5	Enervate	7	16	8th	8	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	9	16	8th	8	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
17th	+6	Divine Pact Feature	9	17	9th	9	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	Channel Divination (3)	9	17	9th	9	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	9	18	9th	10	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	A cookie	9	18	9th	10	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

SPELLCASTING

You have learned to tangle and force the shape of the fabric of reality in discord and in alignment to your wishes and your spells are part of your repertoire, magic that you can use to co-opt and corrupt the efforts of others in situations. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and below for the Dirge spell list.

SPELLCASTING AND CLASS FEATURE ABILITIES

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Dirge spells. Your magic comes from the ability to warp reality and force patterns, it is in part divine, and in part aberrant ability. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell/Class Feature save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

CANTRIPS

You know three cantrips of your choice from the Dirge spell list. You learn additional Dirge cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Dirge table.

RITUAL CASTING

You can cast any spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

CLASS FEATURES

Enervate

You discourage others through biting words, rebukes, and statistical probabilities of their failure and eventual death at a loved one's hands.
To do so, you use a reaction to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear YOU. That creature rolls your Enervation die, a 1d6 at 1st level, and subtracts the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature does damage. If the creature can't hear, or doesn't speak your language the enervation fails, and Creatures Immune to Charm and Constructs are immune.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Your Enervation die changes when you reach certain levels in this class; at 5th level (d8), at 10th level (d10), and finally at 15th level (d12).

Polyglot

At Character Creation - When choosing your background, if the background includes a skill you already have, rather than chose another skill, you instead learn an additional Language. You gain an additional language every 4 levels after 1st (ie 5th, 9th; 13th; 17th;)

Expertise/Master of None

Choose three skills you are proficient in. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with those skills. After taking a Long Rest, randomly choose one of those skills. You lose proficiency in that skill until the end of your next Long Rest. At 10th level, you can choose three more skills you are proficient in to gain this benefit and drawback.

What this means is that, out of three (or six, at 10th level) skills, at any one time two of them have doubled Proficiency, and one of them has no Proficiency, randomly chosen after each Long Rest.

Pet

At 2nd level you will acquire a pet. This isn't a magical familiar, if lost/killed it cannot be resummoned. It is a companion animal that will serve as your familiar providing abilities and enhancements. Unlike Ranger animal companions, you don't resummon it during a ritual long rest. No, you have to go find another one. Buy/steal or coax it into your service if you need to replace it. Once the type of creature is chosen (see below) it is the one that grants you those benefits alone. You cannot have a goat and switch to a cat, you are stuck with a goat. Meh.

Emotionally Abusive

You may add your Intelligence Modifier to any Psychic damage source you deal. On a critical hit (or the creatures critical fail on a save or attack) creature(s) Must make a Wisdom Save or become Frightened while around you.

At 10th level: In combat, you may add an additional 1 point of psychic damage per round that you've dealt with Psychic damage. (ie if for 4 rounds you've attacked with Psychic damage you deal +4 damage on the next Psychic attack). If you spend a turn without using a spell or ability that deals Psychic damage, this counter resets to 0.

Tough Love

At 3rd level, you use a bonus action to use your biting tongue to compel a target creature within 60ft to redouble their efforts and do better. It is not nice, and its very pointed, but the target receives an enervation die or your Intelligence Modifier to enhance an Attack roll To Hit, for Damage, Saves, Ability and Skill checks. The Target Takes an enervation die of Psychic Damage to their current MAX HP. Once given the recipient has 1 minute to use this die before or after they make a roll, but always before the DM determines whether the attack roll or ability is successful.

Divine Path and Pact

At 3rd level, You receive nothing. But that's reality. However, at this seemingly arbitrary point in your development, you must choose a path of divinity and form a pact toward such. You don't gain anything, but later on, you'll have to keep to your decision...

• Existential - life has no intrinsic meaning or value. With respect to the universe, existential nihilism posits that a single human or even the entire human species is insignificant, without purpose and unlikely to change in the totality of existence.
• Mereologic - is the position that objects with proper parts do not exist (not only objects in space but also objects existing in time do not have any temporal parts), and only basic building blocks without parts exist, and thus the world we see and experience full of objects with parts is a product of human misrepresentation (i.e., if we could see clearly, we would not perceive compositive objects).
• Epistemological - all knowledge is accepted as possibly untrue or unable to be known. Additionally, morality is seen as subjective or false

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of you 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.

Disruptive Banter

At 5th level, you gain the ability to use your Enervation to disrupt a single spell or mind-influencing effect. As an action, you can start a performance that lasts up to a minute. During that time, you and any allied creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. And nonfriendly creatures are at disadvantage for such. A creature must be able to hear you to be affected. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or silenced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required). Hostile Creatures attempting to maintain concentration must make a save each against your spell DC. If their concentration is broken, they take <spell slot level>d6 psychic damage as a backlash. While the Dirge continues his litany, if a caster in the area attempts to cast a spell that requires concentration, it automatically fails at the beginning of the Dirge's next action round.

Channel Divine

At 5th level, you gain the ability to channel "divine" energy directly from your angst over the nature and paradox of divinity, using that energy to fuel magical effects. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Divinity again. Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your Dirge spell save DC.
You can use your Channel Divinity twice between rests, and beginning at 18th level, You can channel it 3 times.

Troll's Regeneration

Beginning when you reach 6th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Enervation when you finish a short or long rest.

Orator

At 7th level, you gain the ability to use Tongues (as the spell - but without spell components costs) You regain the use of this spell when you finish a short or long rest.

Divine Strike

At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your attacks with vicious commentary and rejoinders - a gift in irony from some deity. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 psychic damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8. In addition, you add your Intelligence modifier to the damage.
If you are unable to speak, or they are unable to hear (they are deaf, or you are silenced) the ability deals no effect.

Divine's Path Channel and Pact

Once you've chosen your path, here are the specific features you've unlocked. At 5th level, you may choose to Channel one aspect of your Pact Divinity as an action from either below or what is within your specific pact.

Choose one:

• Channel: Nilhism: Everyone except you within a 30-foot radius must make a Wisdom save or become incapacitated until after your next action; a creature that fails has its concentration broken, and a Summoned Creature that fails its save is dispelled. Creatures attacked immediately lose the incapacitated condition.

-or-

• Channel: Jinx: For up to 1 minute or until concentration is broken, creatures except you within a 50-foot radius makes all ability checks, saves (including death), and attack rolls at disadvantage.

Dark Thoughts

Beginning at 10th level, your angst hones your mental fortitude, You have resistance to psychic damage, and whenever a creature deals psychic damage to you, that creature takes the same amount of damage that you do; Attempts to gain insight into you are at disadvantage; you turn the mind-affecting magic of your enemies against them and you are immune to being charmed. When another creature attempts to charm you, you can use your reaction to attempt to turn the charm back on that creature, in addition that creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened by you for 1 minute.

Shared Delusion

Starting at 14th level, you can plunge a creature into an illusory realm. As an action, choose a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. It must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, it is charmed or frightened by you (your choice) for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). This effect ends early if the creature takes any damage. Until this illusion ends, the creature thinks it is lost in a dark diasporic version of reality, the appearance of which you choose. The creature can see and hear only itself, you, and the illusion - the experience (if frightening) deals d10 psychic damage each round when the effect is ended they are frightened of you. If the effect was charming, they gain the belief they are healed and fully restored as if a long rest - they are not, and they'll think they are casting spells, using abilities they cannot use
You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.

• Channel Apathy: Undead

You get it. Being Alive sucks and being undead isn't an improvement. When you channel your Apathy, all undead creatures that can hear or see you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is apathetic for 1 minute or until it takes damage from you. An apathetic creature will disengage and move at half rate back to its resting place. It will ignore any creature not trying to attack it (treat as if invisible).

If Intelligent, the creature can be spoken to and it will respond, begrudgingly.

• Channel Apathy: Pain

Life is ultimately suffering, does it really matter the source? When you channel Apathy you or a target gains temporary hit points equal to their current HP for 1 minute.

At the end of the minute, the target compares the difference between their MAX Hp and their current health total with temporary hit points included and subtract the difference from their real HP. (Note: Yes, this may kill the creature outright.)

• Channel Apathy: Death requires level 9

The Afterlife, if it exists, is likely eternal suffering. This joker in front of you would only add to the misery of those miserable souls. Meh, call yourself sentimental for that pet you watched die that time. your pet doesn't deserve this A-Hole's whining filling the afterworld(s).

You channel your power to bring a creature that had died up to a minute ago, back to life with 1 hp. They and you have resistance to healing for 1 day, and you have disadvantage on all Social checks against that creature in the future.

Didn't Even Try

Beginning at 10th level, you gain the "hinder" action. You may choose a target within 15ft and that target has disadvantage on their next skill check.

Pointless Persuit

Starting at 14th level, you instill within a creature the certainty that its current path is fruitless and to abandon the effort. As an action, choose a creature that you can see within 20 feet of you. It must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, it is effectively charmed by you. Whatever the DM holds as its current goal/action it abandons. (ie A Creature in a battle might stop and leave combat; a person attempting to get a degree might quit school). This effect lasts up to 1 day. If a new reason to engage in that pursuit comes up, that creature can re-engage, In the example of the combat, if another creature attacks it while it is attempting to leave combat, it gets to save again. Either way, At the end of each additional day the creature saves again at advantage, failure means it continues to avoid that activity/pursuit. If the creature is prevented from pursuing the activity for 21 days, it becomes permanent - again, if another situation arises that motivates the creature, it is not prevented from starting its action again.
You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

• Channel Futility: Janusian Blessing

Target creature you see in 60ft they as an action simultaneously rolls a 20 and a 1 for their next roll attempt, taking the results of these rolls together.

For example, they managed to pick the lock, but also break their thieve's tools, or makes the attack against a creature, but drops their weapon as they fall prone before it.

• Channel Futility: Mediocrity Requires Concentration

The effort you make ultimately only offsets the failures you'll suffer. When you channel Futility, whenever any creature (including yourself) within 50ft makes an attack, saving throw or ability check, unless the result is a natural "1" or "20" their roll is considered to be an "8" + any bonuses (Any creature with Expertise has their expertise suppressed while Mediocrity is enforced.) Mediocrity lasts up to 10 minutes or until concentration is lost (special note: Concentration Checks for the Dirge are unaffected by mediocrity)

• Channel Futility: Bitter Frustration Requires Concentration

Things just don't go as they should, which is predictable, which means they go as they should... which means... <sigh>

When you channel Futility, you create a bubble with a 30 ft radius centered on you. All rolls (to hit, saves, skill and ability checks) inside the affected area are at disadvantage and are further subject to the negative bonus equal to your Intelligence Modifier. Creatures take 1 point psychic damage if they fail their effort. The effect's duration is concentration, (also at disadvantage) or until 10 minutes have passed.

Entropic Ward

Beginning at 10th level, you learn to magically ward yourself against attack and to turn an enemy's failed strike into good luck for yourself, When a creature makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that roll. If the attack misses you, your next attack roll against the creature has advantage if you make it before the end of your next turn. On a critical fail against you, you regain a use of enervation.
You may use this feature (Int Modifier) times every short or long rest.

Placebo

At 11th Level you gain the ability as an full round to use a placebo. Taking Water or wine, or whatever - you roll a performance check (action) Upon administering the Placebo to a single creature (bonus action), the creature(s) gets better (2d4 temporary hit points), and they make a Wisdom save with advantage, against your performance roll as the DC, if they fail they also regain 1 real hp. The creature and you must be able to communicate for this to happen. You may do this any number of times, sadly until a creature successfully saves against your Placebo. Once a creature saves, That creature cannot benefit from your placebo, ever, and you may not use another placebo until a day has passed.

Solipsism

Starting at 14th level, as an action you create an extra-natural force. The Dirge and whomever he informs of his intent must make a Wisdom save against the Dirge's Charisma Ability score as the DC. On a successful save all those that succeeded experience the Solipsism as real.
Unlike true illusions, the image created by this spell does more than just duplicate reality. The image formed is real for those who believe in it. The illusion has all the normal properties that its form and function allow. Thus, a solipsistic bridge spanning a chasm could be crossed by the priest and those who believed. All others would see the priest apparently walking out onto nothingness Likewise, a solipsistic giant would cause damage beyond just Psychic to those who believed it, and Solipsism of a barrier would block a dragon's breath weapon. Creatures not affected (the dragon) by the Solipsism would be able to move through the object as if doesn't exist (because, to them - it does not).
Solipsism can create only illusions that are external to the Dirge. Thus, the Dirge cannot create an illusion that he is the size of a giant, is unwounded, or has sprouted wings
The effect must be less that 64000 cubic feet (40 x 40 x 40) in size. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again. This power requires concentration

• Channel Dysfunction: Pauli Effect

Things break down and don't work, more so around you. When you channel this power all other creatures within 30ft of you immediately lose attunement to their magical item(s).

The Pauli effect is a term referring to the apparently mysterious, anecdotal failure of technical equipment in the presence of Austrian theoretical physicist Wolfgang Pauli. The term was coined using his name after numerous instances in which demonstrations involving equipment suffered technical problems only when he was present

• Channel Dysfunction: Juxtaposition

Things never make sense, but then again they shouldn't obviously we're not here for "a reason" we're just here, wherever that is. As either a bonus action or a reaction you may channel this power, make a ranged to hit roll for a creature or object that you can see or know its absolute position (are very familiar with) within 100ft. You and that target change places. If the creature is hostile, it gets a Dexterity Save to avoid being shifted, and instead, you appear in its square crowding it.

• Channel Dysfunction: Leech Requires Concentration

You not only suck the fun out of events, you suck the very luck from the room as well. When you channel this you create a 20'ft radius aura. All creatures except you in the radius have a -d4 for all their Ability, Skill, and initative checks. Damage amounts are also reduced by 2.

You gain a +1 on your To Hit, Ability checks, and Saving throw rolls. The effect last for 1 minute or until concentration is broken.

A Cookie

At 20th level, you get a Cookie. Congrats.

---

Meh

These are abilities, powers, or enhancements you unlock
You may additionally choose from the following invocations from Warlocks: Bewitching Whispers, Chains of Carceri, Dreadful Word, Eyes of the Run Keeper, Fiendish Vigor, Mask of Many Faces, Mire the Mind, Misty Visions, Witch Sight.

• BEGUILING INFLUENCE
  

You gain proficiency in the Deception and Persuasion skills.

CHANNEL

You gain a new Channel Ability from your Divine Path

Aspect of the Moon

You no longer need to sleep and can’t be forced to sleep by any means. To gain the benefits of a long rest, you can spend all 8 hours doing light activity, such as reading and keeping watch.

FAMILIAR EMPOWERMENT

• Black Cat - unlucky 1 per day
• Bats - 1 point of health regained per successful attack
• Crows - Targets are always considered to share a language (includes Animals and Plants), this doesn't mean you can speak or understand all languages. Just that the requirement to share a common language for some feature's is set aside).
• Owls - Gain 30 darkvision
• Goats - Random one each day.
• Rats - Gain disease
• Ravens - Gain Deception (or Expertise in Deception if you already are proficient)
• Snakes - Gain persuasion (or Expertise in Persuasion if you already are proficient).

• FAMILIAR UPGRADE This may be taken multiple times
  

Your Familiar now has one of the following

• Advancement - Your Familiar is one step higher CR (CR 1/8 moves to CR1/4, CR 1/4 moves to CR 1/2, CR 1/2 moves to CR 1 and so on). It's Health and attack bonuses move accordingly.
• Aggro - Your Familiar makes two(2) attacks when it takes an attack action.
• Awakened - Your Familiar now has a 10 Intelligence and 10 Wisdom. It's similarly caustic and abrasive in its personality, but it can now act without guidance in combat. If you choose this again in the future increase its Ability Scores in its Intelligence and Wisdom by 1.
• ___ of Ill Omen - Your Familiar has use of your Enervation and you gain 1 additional use of it.
• Fortified - Your Familiar uses the Max HP for its template. (Each subsequent use of this grants your familiar 2d6+5 additional HP.)
• Jinx - All checks while within 10ft of it are at disadvantage.
• Magical- Whenever you cast a spell targeting "self" you may include or exclude your Familiar in the effect. So long as you are within 60ft of your familiar you may use it to make the touch for spells that require such.
• Slippery - Your Familiar can dodge as a bonus action.
• Speedy - Your Familiar can dash as a bonus action and gains +15 to its movement speed when doing so.
• Stealthy - Your Familiar gains Stealth (or Expertise in Stealth if it already was proficient)
• Telepathy - You can communicate telepathically with your familiar and perceive through your familiar's senses as long as you are on the same plane of existence. Additionally, while perceiving through your familiar's senses, you can also speak through your familiar in your own voice, even if your familiar is normally incapable of speech. If your familiar is of low intelligence you'll get "warm" or "cold" feelings from communication with it.

FUMBLE

Expend a HD, if the target creature is currently holding a weapon in their main hand, the next time that creature attacks and misses they must make a Dexterity Save or drop it. If their save was 10 or less, or their attack roll was 5 or less, the weapon breaks). (Does not apply to natural or magical weapons.

ILL-FATED DEMISE

Whenever a creature (including other players) rolls a natural 1, when they are around you, they take a point of damage. If you are in combat your attacks there after gain an additional point of damage until the end of combat (this effect stacks).

• JUDAS KISS Requires Level 16
  

Make an attack roll to touch a target creature. Unless that creature is blessed within 1 minute at the end of the minute it takes 10d10 necrotic or psychic damage (your choice). Wisdom save for half damage. You can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

LEGENDARY FAILURE

When an opposing creature uses a legendary action, you gain an additional Reaction until the end of your next turn.

PSYCHIC ATTACK

As an action you may attack a creature with a verbal barrage - within earshot - make an attack roll, using the creature's Wisdom or Charisma (your choice) as its AC. Upon success, you deal 2d6 Psychic damage. at 6th 2d10; at 14th 4d6; at 18th 4d10.

• RUIN
  

As a reaction and when a target rolls a 20, target must make a Wisdom Saving throw or all 20s will result as if you roll a natural 1. Lasts 1 minute. You can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

---

---

Spell

A note: These spells are experiments, and are unique to the Dirge. They are slightly more powerful or variants of existing spells, it is intended that the GM/DM not provide these spells to other classes as that would both (Likely) make the other classes unbalanced, and would remove the unique debuff perspective of this class.

Spells marked with (*) are variants of existing spells, and should be the same as cannon with a unique flavor for the dirge

Spells marked with (^) are new spells and should be reviewed by the GM for balance.

Cantrips: Blade Ward, Distraction, Devilish Charm, Enmity/Regret, Guidance, Minor Illusion, Poison Spray, Rending, Resistance, Spare the Dying, Vicious Mockery

Spell List
1st	2nd	3rd
Bane Command Comprehend Languages Decieving Bolt Dirge Bolt Dissonant Whispers Ensnaring Strike Entangle Ray of Sickness Killing Jar Shield Silent Image Sleep Tasha’s Piteous Sobbing	Crown of Madness Darkness Diminish Ability Enthrall Intensify Sensation Ray of Enfeeblement Shatter	Bestow Curse Counterspell Curse Tablet Dispel Magic Fear Haste Hypnotic Pattern Major Image Slow Tongues
4th	5th	6th
Blight Confusion Greater Invisibility Kiss of Torment Phantasmal Killer Polymorph	Awaken Animate Objects Cloudkill Dominate Person Dream Hold Monster Mislead Modify Memory Seeming	Disintegrate Eyebite Forbiddance Mass Suggestion Enervating Ennui Programmed Illusion Truesight

---

Cursed Tablet^ (Ritual)
Level: 3rd
Casting: 10 Minutes
Range: 30 feet
Components: V,S,M (Lead Tablet)
Duration: 1 Week
You inscribe your victim’s name on a lead tablet, invoke the spirits of the dead, and place the tablet in an occupied tomb.
Each midnight thereafter, your victim must succeed at a Wisdom saving throw. Failure means the subject suffers horrifying nightmares of his own death. When the target wakes up, he will have taken a level of exhaustion that cannot be removed until he gets an undisturbed night’s rest. He will also take 1d10 psychic damage. The levels of exhaustion are cumulative. If the target succeeds on the saving throw, he is unaffected that night.
If your target succeeds at three saving throws in a row, the curse is broken and the spell ends. If the curse tablet, which radiates both magic and evil, is found and destroyed, this also breaks the curse, but it will inflict 1d10 psychic damage to the target as well. Because the curse is laid upon the tablet and not directly on the target, a remove curse spell will not end the curse. It will, however, give the target advantage on the next night’s saving throw.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the spell lasts an additional two days per spell slot above 3rd level.

Deceiving Bolt* (Guiding bolt)
Level: 1st
Casting: 1 Action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V,S
Duration: 1 Round
A bolt of darkness streaks toward a creature of your choice within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 4d6 psychic damage, and the next attack roll made by this target is at disadvantage. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

Diminish Ability^ (reversible)* (Enhanced Ability)
Level: 2nd
Casting: 1 Action
Range: 15 feet
Components: V,S,M
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
Your whisper biting words that touch upon a creature in range's fears and insecurities, you must make a ranged attack and the target and you must share at least one common language. If the target meets those requirements, it must make a Wisdom Save vs your spell DC. If they fail, you may choose one of the following effects: the target gains the effect until the spell ends.

• Butterfly’s Endurance. The target has disadvantage on Constitution checks. It also loses 2d4 Maximum hit points.
• Babe’s Strength. The target has disadvantage on Strength checks, and his or her carrying capacity is halved.
• Bull’s Grace The target has disadvantage on Dexterity checks. It takes double damage from falling.
• Lepor’s Splendor The target has disadvantage on Charisma checks.
• Chicken’s Cunning The target has disadvantage on Intelligence checks.
• Donkey’s Wisdom. The target has disadvantage on Wisdom checks.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 2nd.
This spell is reversible, see Enhanced Abilities. (Memorization allows either spell's effect, Reversing the Spell requires a use of Tough Love)

Dirge Bolt* (Witchbolt)
Level: 1st
Casting: 1 Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V,S,M
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
A beam of crackling, jet black energy lances out toward a creature within range, forming bands of dark energy looping between you and the target. Make a ranged spell attack against that creature. On a hit, the target takes 1d12 necrotic or damage, and on each of your turns for the duration, you can use your action to deal 1d12 necrotic damage to the target automatically. The spell ends if you use your action to do anything else. The spell also ends if the target is ever outside the spell’s range or if it has total cover from you.
At higher level When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the initial damage increases by 1d12 for each slot level above 1st.

Distraction^
Level: Cantrip
Casting: 1 Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: S,M
Duration: 1 round
One creature you can see must make a Wisdom saving throw or lose 1 action (or attack action) and half its movement, too preoccupied with its own thoughts or too distracted by shiny things to notice any movement, sound, or smell around them. Creatures with an Intelligence of 3 or less or that are immune to being charmed are unaffected by this spell.
The number of people you can affect increases to 3 when you reach 5th level, 6 when you reach 5th level, and 12 when you reach 17th level.

Emnity/Regret* (Friends)
Level: Cantrip
Casting: 1 Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: S,M (a small amount of soured milk on a bit of bridge that was broken)
Duration: Special
For the Initial duration (1 round per Creature's CR/Level) - The target is moved to hatred and bitter enmity against you (and those with you), and has disadvantage on all Charisma-based skill checks. On the roll of 5 or less the creature (if prone to violence) will attack you. Another creature might seek retribution in other ways (at the DM’s discretion). The targeted creature is allowed to roll a Wisdom or Charisma save (their choice) against attacking. If they fail, the attack hostilities continue. At the end of the spell, the targeted creature is aware that it was given feelings of hatred and enmity towards you and your fellow party members, but not from where. The creature; if good - will likely seek to make amends; if evil - may seek to kill you anyway, or to align with or grill the party about what just happened.

Enervating Ennui
Level: 6th
Casting: 1 Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Choose one creature that you can see within range. The target is struck with ennui. Creatures that can’t be charmed are immune to this spell. The target creature loses all its movement and has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws and attack rolls. While the target is affected by this spell, other creatures have advantage on attack rolls against it. As an action, the creature makes a Wisdom saving throw to regain control of itself. On a successful save, the spell ends.

Intensify Sensation
Level: 2nd
Casting: 1 Action
Range: touch
Components: V,S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You touch a creature, who must make a Constitution saving throw if unwilling. The creature will perceive any physical or emotional sensation as being unbelievably powerful, for good or bad. A creature under the influence of this spell is incapacitated for the duration.
Spells designed to create an emotion or physical sensation have twice the duration as normal and the creature saves against them at disadvantage. Creatures may save again at the start of each round.

Killing Jar^ (Reversible) (Sanctuary)
Level: 1st
Casting: 1 Bonus Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V,S,M
Duration: 1 minute
You curse a creature within range. Until the spell ends, all creatures within 30ft make a Wisdom Saving Throw. On a failed save, the creatures must choose the cursed creature as their target for any attacks or hostile actions, or they may choose to lose their attack action and/or spell(s). This spell doesn’t protect others around the warded creature from area effects, such as the explosion of a fireball. If a creature makes an attack or targeted spell that affects creature affected by Killing Jar, that creature is no longer affected. This spell is reversible, see Sanctuary. (Memorization allows either spell's effect, Reversing the Spell requires a use of Tough Love)

Kiss of Torment^
Level: 4th
Casting: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V,S
Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
You must touch a creature’s bare flesh, either literally kissing the creature or brushing it with your fingertips. That creature may make a Constitution saving throw. On a success, the spell ends. On a failure, the creature takes 4d6 psychic damage and is in so much pain that it is incapacitated for the duration. It may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending that effect on a success. However, each round that the creature remains incapacitated, it takes an additional 2d6 psychic damage.

Major Curse^
Level: 6th
Casting: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V,S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You touch a creature, and it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become cursed for the duration of the spell. When you cast this spell, choose the nature of the curse from the following options:

♦ Choose one ability score. That ability is reduced to 3. ♦ The creature had disadvantage on all attack, damage, and saving throws.
♦ The creature is paralyzed for the duration of the spell.
♦ All attacks and spells deal an additional 1d12 necrotic damage to the target.
♦ The creature begins to slowly die. After every long rest, it takes 1d10 damage of a type of your choice and its hit point total is reduced by 1 point. Its total is restored to normal only after this curse is lifted.
♦ Whenever the creature encounters a particular substance, it becomes incredibly nauseated. It must make a Constitution saving throw or become incapacitated for 2d6 rounds due to vomiting and dry heaves and be poisoned for 10 minutes.

A remove curse ends this effect. At the DM’s option, you may choose an alternative curse effect, but it should be no more powerful than those described above. The DM has final say on the curse’s effect.
At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level, the duration is 24 hours. If you use a 9th-level spell slot, the spell lasts until it is dispelled. Using a spell slot of 7th level or higher grants a duration that doesn’t require concentration.

Nerve Dance^
Level: 6th
Casting: 1 Action
Range: 100 feet
Components: V,S,M(a six-inch strand of red spider silk and a torch)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You hold your hand out and three glowing red streamers shoot out. Each of these streamers wraps around a target of your choice within range, using your spell attack modifier to hit.
On a hit, they wrap around a target, grappling it (escape DC equal to your spell save DC), and must make a Wisdom saving throw. The creature takes 7d6 psychic damage and is incapacitated due to incredible pain for 1 minute on a failed saving throw, or half as much damage and is incapacitated for the next round on a successful one.

Rending^*
Level: Cantrip
Casting: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: S,M (nine broken needles)
Duration: Special
This spell creates a single break or tear in an object you touch -- broken chain links, break a key, put a ragged tear in a cloak, or rupture a wineskin. The break or tear is no larger than 1 foot in any dimension. The damage is magical and can be repaired by mending or dispel magic. This spell cannot permanently physically a magic item or construct, but it can remove the enchantment temporarily (1 minute). Normal Weapons suffer a -1 to attack rolls and to damage rolls (and may no longer perform critical hits), normal armor reduces its effectiveness by 1 AC point.

Tasha’s Piteous Sobbing* (Tasha's Hideous Laughter)
Level: 1st
Casting: 1 Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V,S,M
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
(Salty Water and bit of onion) A creature of your choice that you can see within range perceives everything as devastatingly sorrowful and drops to the floor sobbing, and crying. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or fall prone, becoming incapacitated and unable to stand up for the duration. A creature with an Intelligence score of 4 or less, or constructs are not affected. At the end of each of its turns, and each time it takes damage, the target can make another Wisdom saving throw. The target has advantage on the saving throw if it’s triggered by damage. On a success, the spell ends.

---

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Dirge class, you must meet these prerequisites:

Intelligence 13, Charisma of 10 or over

Proficiencies. When you multi-class into the Dirge class, you lose one of the following proficiencies (if you have one):

Poisoner's Kit, History, Insight, Nature, or Investigation

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Classes