Eldritch Cathar (5e Class)
Eldritch Cathar
A half-elf noblewoman runs frightened through the darkened streets, her ill-gotten gains falling from her arms. She has spent many weeks accruing her wealth, surreptitiously murdering her family members and taking their lands and money for herself. But, she never counted on one of them harboring a horrifying secret.
Now, an eldritch cathar is after her. A practitioner of a forgotten magic that has one objective: to kill.
The noblewoman runs across a street, where she is nearly run down by a carriage. She stumbles and falls. Before she can get her bearings, a dark shape leaps from the top of the passing carriage. In the light of the lamp on the street corner, she sees the face of her nephew, somehow now paler and gaunt. He draws a knife, and plunges it into his evil aunt's chest. Dark shadows spring from the wound, and into the young man's hand.
His aunt is dead. He now holds her life in his hands. There is still time to save his mother from the poison his aunt gave her, and the young man hurries away.
Holders of Life and Death
An eldritch cathar is a practitioner of a dark and forgotten magic. Those who use it must be careful, lest they accidentally take their own life and allow others to use it.
Creating an Eldritch Cathar
How did you come to practice this magic? Was it an esoteric study? Did you meet a master and learn from them? Were you studying medicine, and start trying to find new ways to conquer death?
- Quick Build
You can make an eldritch cathar quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the folk hero background.
Class Features
As a Eldritch Cathar you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Eldritch Cathar level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Eldritch Cathar level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light, medium, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Wisdom
Skills: Choose 3 from Arcana, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, or Persuasion
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) A pike or (b) A war pick and a shield
- (a) Leather armor or (b) A chain shirt
- (a) A scholar's pack or (b) An explorer's pack
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Soul Siphon, Eldritch Resistance |
| 2nd | +2 | Advanced Insight |
| 3rd | +2 | Eldritch Practice |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack |
| 6th | +3 | Invoke Nightmares (2d8) |
| 7th | +3 | Become Ethereal |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | Occult Ritual |
| 10th | +4 | Supernatural Defense |
| 11th | +4 | Invoke Nightmares (3d8) |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | Horrifying Glare |
| 14th | +5 | Invoke Nightmares (4d8) |
| 15th | +5 | Overexposure |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | Horrify Glare Improvement |
| 18th | +6 | Become Etherial Improvement |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | Eldritch Reaper |
Soul Siphon
When an enemy dies within 30 ft. of you, you may use a reaction to gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + your eldritch cathar level. You are able to use this feature once, and regain expended uses upon finishing a short or a long rest.
Eldritch Resistance
You are resistant to non-magical diseases and have a resistance to poison damage. If you already have a resistance to poison damage, you are immune to it.
Advanced Insight
At 2nd level, you gain proficiency in the Insight skill. If you are already proficient with this skill your proficiency bonus is doubled for it.
Eldritch Practice
At 3rd level, your skill under pressure and gift for eldritch magic grants you a minor practice which enhances your combat potential. You gain one of the following features of your choice. You are not able to choose any option more than once, even if you are allowed to choose again.
- Protective Practice
You gain a +1 bonus to AC.
- Resurrective Practice
You have a pool of healing which replenishes when you take a short or long rest. With the pool, you can restore a total number of hit points equal to your eldritch cathar level. As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool.
- Offensive Practice
You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 14th 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.
Invoke Nightmares
When you reach 6th level, you can reach into creatures' minds and reveal their nightmares. As an action, you can target one enemy within 40 ft., forcing them to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + Wisdom modifier). On a failed save, the target takes 2d8 psychic damage and becomes frightened of you. On a successful save, the targeted creature takes 1d8 psychic damage, and does not become frightened of you. The damage for this feature increases to 2d10 at 11th level, to 2d12 at 16th level.
Become Ethereal
At 7th level, your body can enter the ethereal plane for just a moment. When a creature makes any attack which targets you, you can use your reaction to take no damage by slipping out of the material plane, and returning a second later. You can only use this feature once, and you cannot again until you complete a short or long rest. This number increases to two at 18th level.
Occult Ritual
At 9th level, you can spend 1 minute performing a ritual with occult magic. Once the ritual is completed, you or an ally can gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your eldritch cathar level + your Wisdom modifier which disappears after a long rest. Once you use this feature, you cannot again until you complete a long rest.
Supernatural Defense
At 10th level, your body in imbued with eldritch magic which protects you from evil. You have a resistance to necrotic damage.
Horrifying Glare
At 13th level, just one glance can drive your foes to their knees, teetering on the brink of insanity. As an action, you can stare into the eyes of one creature within 60 ft. who has eyes and can see. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + Wisdom modifier). On a failed save, the target falls prone and is stunned for 1 minute. At the end of each of the the target’s turns, it can retry the saving throw. On a success, the target is no longer stunned. Once you successfully use this feature once, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest. That number increases to two at 17th level.
Overexposure
At 15th level, your mind has numbed to the gruesome scenes of death which lay in your wake. You gain resistance to psychic damage and have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Eldritch Reaper
At 20th level, you can use your bonus action, to become a true eldritch reaper for 1 minute. While in this form, you can take the souls of the living, not just the dead. When you hit another creature with an attack, you gain 5 temporary hit points. You also deal an additional d10 necrotic or radiant damage (your choice). Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Multiclassing
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the eldritch cathar class, you must meet these prerequisites:
13 or higher Strength score
13 or higher Wisdom score
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the eldritch cathar class, you gain the following proficiencies: Proficiency with light and medium armor, shields, and simple weapons.
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