Mord-Sith (5e Class)

Mord-Sith

Candidates to become Mord-Sith are selected from the gentlest and kindest girls, regardless of rank, wealth or any other factors. The kindest girls always make the best Mord-Sith because they have the farthest to fall. Mord-Sith must have no siblings. They are kidnapped along with their parents and trained from a young age on three levels. Each time, she must be "broken."

The first breaking is a time during which she is tortured to the point of obedience so strong that she would do absolutely anything her master/mistress tells her, without question or hesitation. The girl is hung from a chain and tortured methodically with the use of an Agiel until she breaks. This part of the training rids her of her sense of self and personal desires.

During the second breaking, she is forced to watch as her teacher slowly and brutally tortures her mother to the point of being broken, and eventually, death. This is to rid her of compassion.

The third, and arguably the most difficult, breaking is when she is given the instrument of torture and must inflict pain and suffering upon her own father until he breaks as well, and then she must kill him. When she has completed this task, she is a full Mord-Sith.

The life of a Mord-Sith is easiest for those who are Lawful Evil, and indeed the process of training and breaking is meant to force them into that alignment. However, a Mord-Sith may have managed to keep her original alignment (usually Good, based on the candidate selection parameters) by burying it deep and repressing or ignoring it. She will usually still emit Lawful Evil behaviors, especially when in the presence of her master/mistress, but if she gets out on adventures of her own her true alignment may find ways to peek out through the patterns of behavior she has been trained to follow.

Creating a Mord-Sith

Quick Build

You can make a Mord-Sith quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Acolyte background. Third, choose weaponized gauntlets and the explorer's pack. Fourth, choose Intimidation and Insight.

Class Features

As a Mord-Sith you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Mord-Sith level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Mord-Sith level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Leather, Studded Leather
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Whip
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, and Religion

Equipment

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

• an Agiel (arcane focus) and a suit of red leather armor
• (a) a whip or (b) a pair of weaponized gauntlets (can be used to make unarmed strikes) or (c) 10 darts
• (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 2d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Mord-Sith

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Mistress of Pain	Features	Max Spells Known	Max Cantrips Known	Max Spell Slots	Slot Level
1st	+2	1d4	Agiel, Mistress of Pain	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	1d4	Fast Movement, Spelldrinker	3	4	1	1st
3rd	+2	1d4	Discipline	4	4	2	2nd
4th	+2	1d4	Ability Score Improvement	5	5	2	2nd
5th	+3	1d6	Mistress of Fear	6	5	2	3rd
6th	+3	1d6	Discipline Feature	7	5	2	3rd
7th	+3	1d6	Improved Initiative	8	5	2	4th
8th	+3	1d6	Ability Score Improvement	9	5	2	4th
9th	+4	1d6	Wholeness of Body	10	5	2	5th
10th	+4	1d6	Extra Attack	11	6	2	5th
11th	+4	1d8	Discipline Feature, Additional Max Spell Slot (6th level)	12	6	3	5th
12th	+4	1d8	Ability Score Improvement	12	6	3	5th
13th	+5	1d8	Spellthief, Additional Max Spell Slot (7th level)	13	6	3	5th
14th	+5	1d8	Improved Spelldrinker	13	6	3	5th
15th	+5	1d8	Thought Swiper, Additional Max Spell Slot (8th level)	14	6	3	5th
16th	+5	1d8	Ability Score Improvement	14	6	3	5th
17th	+6	1d10	Discipline Feature, Additional Max Spell Slot (9th level)	15	6	4	5th
18th	+6	1d10	Enchantment Drinker	15	6	4	5th
19th	+6	1d10	Ability Score Improvement	15	6	4	5th
20th	+6	1d10	Master Spelldrinker	15	6	4	5th

Agiel

As a Mord-Sith, you must start play with an arcane focus, and that arcane focus must be an Agiel. An Agiel is a bright red leather rod about one inch thick and twelve inches long. In the hands of anyone other than a Mord-Sith it is merely an arcane focus like any other, but a Mord-Sith learns how to channel power through it to cause immense pain. You may wield your Agiel as a simple finesse weapon that deals necrotic damage using your Mistress of Pain damage die based on your level as shown in Table: Mord-Sith. When you hit a target with your Agiel, you may force them to make a Constitution saving throw at a DC equal to 10 + the damage dealt by the attack; if they fail, they gain one level of your choice of exhaustion or bleed* which lasts for an hour. You may force such a saving throw a number of times equal to your Mord-Sith level plus your Charisma modifier, after which you may not do so again until you complete a short or long rest.

*Bleed: the target loses 1 hit point per bleed level at the start of its turn due to blood loss; bleed level can be reduced to zero by spending an action on a DC 15 Medicine check or by regaining any number of hit points.

The DC to Intimidate someone hit by your Agiel is lowered by an amount equal to the total damage they have taken from it (including bleed) since their last long rest.

Your Agiel only benefits from Mord-Sith class features while you are holding it; out of your hands it is simply an arcane focus like any other. Only one Agiel in your possession may benefit from Mord-Sith class features at a time; any additional Agiels you own are simply arcane focuses with no additional benefits.

Mistress of Pain

• In order to gain a level of Mord-Sith, you must have been tortured with an Agiel for a number of consecutive half-hours equal to the Mord-Sith level you wish to attain.
• You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes, Agiel, and whip.
• When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike, Agiel, or whip on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.

Spelldrinker

A Mord-Sith does not have any magic power of her own; rather, beginning at 2nd level, she is able to steal the magic of her enemies. You do not learn any spells by leveling up, and your spell slots do not refresh by resting. Instead, any time you are the target of a spell or are within a spell's area of effect, you may make a Charisma Saving Throw versus the spell's Save DC. If you succeed, you absorb the spell rather than being affected by it: you gain a spell slot and you add that spell to your list of spells known. If you fail the saving throw, the spell affects you normally. If you already know as many spells as you may know at your level, you may replace a spell you already know with the new spell. You may absorb cantrips this way, but you do not regain a spell slot from absorbing a cantrip. You cannot absorb your own spells or the spells of other Mord-Sith.

You may absorb any spell from any spell list and any spellcaster. Your spellcasting ability is Charisma for any spell you cast, and you use your Agiel as an arcane focus for your spellcasting. Table: Mord-Sith shows how many spell slots you may have at any time, and what the level of those slots is when you gain them; all of your spell slots are the same level, until 11th level when you start being able to gain additional higher level spell slots. For example, at 13th level, you have a maximum capacity of 3 5th level slots, 1 6th level slot, and 1 7th level slot. You may only gain a spell slot of 5th level or higher by absorbing a spell of its level or higher.

Fast Movement

Beginning at 2nd level, when unencumbered and wearing Leather, Studded Leather, or no armor, your movement speed increases by +5 feet. At 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels, this bonus increases by an additional +5 feet.

Discipline

At 3rd level, you choose a Discipline. Choose between Torturer, Bruiser, or Whip-Master, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.

Ability Score Increase

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.

Mistress of Fear

Beginning at 5th level, you gain advantage on all saving throws versus fear effects and you gain proficiency with the Intimidation skill (if you were already proficient with Intimidation, you now add double your proficiency bonus to Intimidation checks).

Improved Initiative

Beginning at 7th level, you add your proficiency bonus to Initiative checks.

Wholeness of Body

At 9th level, you gain the ability to heal yourself. As an action, you can regain hit points equal to three times your Mord-Sith level. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 10th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Spellthief

Beginning at 13th level, so long as a spell you absorb stays on your list of Spells Known, that spell is removed from the spell list and list of spells known of the one you absorbed it from, and the spell slot they used to cast it does not refresh. You gain a bonus to Intimidate against anyone missing a spell or ability stolen by you, equal to double the highest level of spell or spell slot they are missing (minimum 1). These effects immediately end if you die or lose that known spell; otherwise it is permanent.

Improved Spelldrinker

Beginning at 14th level, you add double your proficiency bonus to Spelldrinker saving throws.

Thought Swiper

Beginning at 15th level, you can hear the thoughts of anyone currently missing a spell or spell slot you have stolen, as the Detect Thoughts spell. This requires concentration but has unlimited range and does not require line of sight.

Enchantment Drinker

Beginning at 18th level, if you are struck by an enchanted weapon, the weapon must make a Charisma Saving Throw with a DC of 20 plus your Charisma modifier. If it fails, the enchantments are stripped from the weapon and you gain a spell slot and spell at DM discretion based on the weapon's enchantment. The weapon is no longer magical until you expend that spell slot, lose that known spell, or die; until then, you treat the weapon's wielder as though the spell and spell slot gained from the weapon were stolen from them.

Master Spelldrinker

At 20th level, a Mord-Sith learns to truly make her target's magic her own. Any time someone missing a spell slot you have stolen is within 30 feet of you, you may use their spell slots of levels lower than the highest level you have stolen from them as though they were your own. For example, if a Wizard within 30 feet of you is missing a 4th level spell slot that you stole, you may spend one of his unspent 3rd level spell slots to cast a spell you know at 3rd level or lower.

Torturer

Torturers excel at dealing damage and causing pain with their Agiel.

Agiel Specialty

At 3rd level, Torturers gain the following benefits:

• Your Mistress of Pain die increases by one step (1d4 becomes 1d6, 1d6 becomes 1d8, 1d8 becomes 1d10, 1d10 becomes 1d12).
• When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike, Agiel, or whip on your turn, you can make one additional attack with your Agiel as a bonus action.

Improved Agiel Specialty

Beginning at 6th level, your Agiel becomes a +1 magic weapon, and when you successfully hit a target with your Agiel and they fail their saving throw, you may cause one of the following effects in place of exhaustion or bleed:

• The target is stunned for one round.
• The target is blinded for 1d6 rounds.
• The target is deafened for one minute.

Greater Agiel Specialty

Beginning at 11th level, Torturers gain the following benefits:

• Your Agiel becomes a +2 magic weapon.
• On any critical hit with your Agiel, it deals an additional 2d6 necrotic damage to the target (these dice are not doubled by the critical).
• When you successfully hit a target with your Agiel and they fail their saving throw, you may cause the target to be poisoned for one minute in place of exhaustion or bleed.

Agiel Mastery

Beginning at 17th level, Torturers gain the following benefits:

• Your Agiel becomes a +3 magic weapon.
• When you successfully hit a target with your Agiel and they fail their saving throw, you may cause the target to become paralyzed for 1d6+1 rounds in place of exhaustion or bleed.

Bruiser

Bruisers excel at unarmed combat and grappling.

Brawling

At 3rd level, Bruisers gain the following benefits:

• You may use your Mistress of Pain die in place of the damage die of your unarmed strikes.
• When you successfully hit a target with an unarmed attack, you may attempt to grapple them as a bonus action.
• When unarmored and unencumbered, you add your Charisma bonus to your AC. When unencumbered and wearing Leather or Studded Leather armor, you add +1 to your AC.

Ki

Beginning at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical. You also gain a Ki Pool equal to half your Mord-Sith level. Your Ki Pool refills at the end of a short or long rest. You may spend points from your Ki Pool in the following ways:

• Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
• You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.
• You can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.
• You can spend 1 ki point to give yourself advantage on any grapple check.

Improved Ki

Beginning at 11th level, your Ki Pool is equal to your Mord Sith level, and you gain the following additional ways to spend Ki points:

• On successfully hitting a target with an unarmed attack, you can spend 1 ki point to force the target to make a Dexterity saving throw. If it fails, it is knocked prone.
• On successfully hitting a target with an unarmed attack, you can spend 1 ki point to force the target to make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, you can push it up to 15 feet away from you.
• On successfully hitting a target with an unarmed attack, you can spend 1 ki point to prevent the target from taking reactions until the end of your next turn.

Quivering Palm

At 17th level, you gain the ability to set up lethal vibrations in someone's body. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 ki points to start these imperceptible vibrations, which last for a number of days equal to your Mord-Sith level. The vibrations are harmless unless you use your action to end them. To do so, you and the target must be on the same plane of existence. When you use this action, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage. You can have only one creature under the effect of this feature at a time. You can choose to end the vibrations harmlessly without using an action.

Whip-Master

Whip-Masters excel at the use of a whip in combat.

Whip Specialty

At 3rd level, Whip Masters gain the following benefits:

• You may use your Mistress of Pain die in place of the damage die of your whip.
• When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike, Agiel, or whip on your turn, you can make one additional attack with your whip as a bonus action.
• When you successfully hit a target with a whip attack, you may attempt to grapple them as a bonus action. If successful, you may choose to enter the grapple as normal or to give the target the Restrained condition for as long as you stay within your whip's range of them and do not use your whip for anything else. Each round on the target's turn they may spend their action to attempt to escape with a Strength Saving Throw with a DC of 8 plus your Dexterity modifier plus your Proficiency bonus.

Whip Control

Beginning at 6th level, your reach with a whip increases from 10 feet to 15 feet, and whenever you hit a creature with a whip, you gain a bonus equal to the damage dealt by that attack to your next Intimidation or Animal Handling check targeting that creature. You can also use your whip as though it were a grappling hook attached to 15 feet of rope.

Touch of the Lash

At 11th level you gain the ability to deliver touch spells through your whip, allowing you to make a touch attack with your whip in place of any allowed unarmed touch attack as part of casting a touch spell, treating any contact with your whip as though it was contact with you for the purpose of delivering touch spells.

Whip Mastery

Beginning at 17th level, your reach with a whip increases from 15 feet to 20, and you can use your whip as though it were a grappling hook attached to 20 feet of rope. You gain an additional reaction each round that can only be used for opportunity attacks with a whip.

Multiclassing

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

• Charisma 13 or higher.
• Tortured by an Agiel for at least half an hour, then given an Agiel to use as your own.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Mord-Sith class, you gain the following proficiencies: Charisma Saving Throws, Whip

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