Path of the Occultic Warrior (5e Subclass)
Path of the Occultic Warrior
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- Barbarian Subclass
Most barbarians believe learning magic to be a fool's pursuit. In certain tropical regions, however, such practitioners - occultic warriors -are highly revered. These atypical barbarians sport esoteric attire, which can often be intimidating to outsiders. Often seen wearing hoods, masks, or monochrome face paint, these men and women wield their magicks both in and out of battle. Occultic warriors practice both light and dark magicks, seeing them more as tools than reflections of the soul. As such, they can be found filling a variety of roles, from warpriests to tyrants, or even freelancers. Whether as allies or enemies, adventurers that witness these warriors in action learn that they are deserving of respect, if not fear.
Spellcasting
| Barbarian Level | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | —Spell Slots per Spell Level— | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |||
| 3rd | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 4th | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 5th | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 6th | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 7th | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 8th | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 9th | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 11th | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 14th | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 15th | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 17th | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 18th | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 19th | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 20th | 3 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells.
Cantrips. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list. You learn another cleric cantrip of your choice at 10th level. Keep in mind when choosing your cantrips that you cannot cast them while raging.
Spell Slots. The Occultic Warrior 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 Command and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Command using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. You know two 1st-level cleric spells of your choice, one of which you must choose from the divination, enchantment, or necromancy spells on the cleric spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Occultic Warrior Spellcasting table shows when you learn more cleric spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be a divination, enchantment, or necromancy spell of your choice, and 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.
The spells you learn at the 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the cleric spells you know with another spell of your choice from the cleric spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be a divination, enchantment, or necromancy spell, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your cleric spells, since you learn your spells through communing with exarchs and spirits. 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 cleric 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
Animus Shell
Starting at 3rd level, you learn to wrap yourself in magical energy while you rage. In this state, you are able to manipulate the intangible and move the unmovable. Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage, and you may ignore creatures' natural immunities to the grappled condition when attempting to grapple, carry, or drag creatures.
Blood-Bound Blade
At 3rd level, you learn a ritual that creates a magical bond between yourself and one weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. You spend the ritual carefully drawing sigils onto the weapon using a bit of your own blood, and at the conclusion of which the blood flashes before disappearing.
Once you have bound a weapon to yourself, you can activate any of the following effects at will, each of which causes the sigils you inscribed into the blade to flare, shedding dim light in a 5 foot radius:
- Should any other creatures that attempt to use the weapon, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on such attack rolls until the start of your next turn.
- Your blood-bound weapon resonates with your magical frequency. As an action, you can expand your senses, detecting the weapon's distance and direction if it is within 1 mile of you.
- You can use your bonus action to magically pull it straight towards yourself, as if using the mage hand cantrip.
- Your blood-bound weapons function as conduits for your animus shell. While raging, your attacks made with the weapon count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
You can have up to two blood-bound weapons, but can move only one at a time with your bonus action. If you attempt to bind a third weapon, you must break the bind with one of the other two.
Arcane Wrath
At 6th level, you learn how to unleash your magicks while raging, even without the aid of sophisticated spells. You learn two black arts, which are fueled by your spell slots and usable only while you rage:
Blighting Strike. As a bonus action on your turn while raging, you can invoke the curse in your blood-bound blade, causing the weapon's sigils to glow a sickly green, while murky shadows drip from the weapon itself. The first time you hit a creature with that weapon before your rage ends, the curse infects the target creature, which takes bonus necrotic damage, and cannot regain hit points before the start of your next turn. The extra damage is 2d6 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d6 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d6.
Jinx. As an action, you can expend one of your spell slots, uttering a forbidden phrase. Each creature within 5 feet that can hear you must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC to resist the enchantment. For a 1st-level spell slot, a creature that fails its save takes psychic damage equal to 1d10 + your rage damage, and has disadvantage on its on next attack roll or ability check it makes before the end of its next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage, and suffers no additional effects. When using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 1st, to a maximum of 4d10 + your rage damage.
Using this feature counts as making an attack for the purpose of maintaining your Rage.
Reckless Casting
At 10th level, you become able to cast away all concern for safety to use your magics with fierce desperation. Whenever you cast a spell or use a barbarian ability that forces one or more creatures to make a saving throw, you can decide to proceed recklessly. Doing so gives other creatures disadvantage on saving throws you force this turn, but also gives you disadvantage on all saving throws against magic until the start of your next turn.
Grand Warshaman
At 14th level, you choose an cause to which you devote your shamanic efforts: light, darkness, or self. You gain additional spells and new abilities based on your chosen cause:
Light — "Traditional Healer." Your healing powers far exceed your peers'. You learn the spells Healing Word and Mass Healing Word, without counting them against the number of spells you can know. If you already know one of these spells, you may learn a different cleric spell in its place. This spell can be from any school of magic, but must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Additionally, you an cast both Healing Word and Mass Healing Word while raging, and may add your rage damage bonus to the number of hit points restored should you do so.
Additionally, you gain the ability to cast the Greater Restoration spell once, without using a spell slot. Once you have done so, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again.
Darkness — "Undead Ferocity." Your rage overflows into your thralls. You learn the Animate Dead spell, which does not count against the number of spells you can know. If you already know this spell, you may learn a different necromancy spell in its place. This spell can come from any class's spell list, but must be of a level for which you have spell slots. This spell counts as a cleric spell for you, even if does not normally appear on the cleric spell list. Should you decide to replace it later, you must choose a necromancy spell from any class's spell list that is of a level for which you have spell slots.
Additionally, whenever you enter a rage, any undead creature under your control also gains the following benefits of your rage:
- It has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
- When it makes a melee weapon attack using Strength, it gains a bonus to the damage roll that equal to your Rage Damage bonus.
- It has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
Self — "Occult Defense." Your familiarity with channeling magicks has allowed you to protect yourself from some of their hazards. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. You also learn the Counterspell spell, and can cast it even while raging. This spell counts as a cleric spell for you, but does not count against the number of spells you can know. Should you cast it while raging, you may add your rage damage bonus when making your spellcasting ability check.
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