Reaver (5e Class)

Reaver

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Bleeding from her earlier wounds, a human swings her greatsword, cleaving a Minotaur in half. The remaining horde halts as her screams of torment and anguish echo throughout the forest.

As the elaborate coronation carries on, a well dressed Halfling inquires about recent events, knowing when her adversary attempts to lie to her. No weapons are allowed, but she readies a hidden one that appears from her own blood and sinew.

Traversing the battlefield, staff in hand, the elf lifts his hand and casts a devastating spell. Sapping the life force from his foes, they turn to dust before his power.

Reavers are obsessed with gaining power, consuming their enemies flesh or soul. Using their bodies to transform themselves into a higher being. Reavers don't worship gods or otherworldly entities, instead they lust for the power

Secrets and Exploration

Not every Reaver is openly deranged and obsessive. Many, prefer to even hold positions of power, be that government or socially. High authority is usually the perfect place for corruption and consumption. Moving about without scrutiny or question. However there are less fortunate individuals must find other ways to gain power, without causing too much noise in the meantime.

When a Reaver takes up the life of an adventurer their lust for power is lessened by the constant battle and discovery of lost treasures. Pursuing their goals can be a major challenge, and dangerous one at that. Beyond the walls of civilization are countless horrors, ancient tombs, and great evils. All are possible avenues for power and prestige.

Dark Hunger

The Reaver, at some point in their life, begun a dark path of craving power. Perhaps they stumbled upon the rotting carcass of a long dead god or titan. Meditated so deeply, or explored a transient plane too far, and peered into the void. Or possibly in an attempt to bargain for power as a warlock does, the Reaver contacted the dead god Tharizdun, or some other crazed deity, and was driven mad. No matter what the reaver will do anything for the power they crave.

Commoners and scholars will never truly understand where real power comes from. But those that follow the path of the reaver do, it comes from within. To gain such power a Reaver will do anything, eat the flesh of the powerful, siphon lingering magics from people and places, or even fuse your own life with that of a created monstrosity to artificially ascend. No matter how a reaver decides to raise themselves one thing always remains the same, power at any cost.

Creating a Reaver

As you craft your Reaver consider what course set you on your path for power. Did you stumble upon an ancient alter and discover a ritual to gain the powers of a god-like being? Did you witness something of horror and become obsessed with controlling such horrors? Perhaps you've always craved the power of others. Consuming their power to become yours is both addicting, and euphoric. Few have also been born into this life, either into a cult, or other group.

How did you choose to further your cause to gain this strength? Perhaps you consumed the flesh of your enemies, or those you felt were stronger than you. Or you crave their magical prowess instead, siphoning their essence and absorbing it. Experimentation into creating an eternal body, capable of growth for more power has always been a temptation and taboo thought. One thing remains clear for you though. Power is out there, and you will have it.

Quick Build

You can make a Reaver quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength or Dexterity. Second, choose the Acolyte or Urchin background.

Class Features

As a Reaver you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Reaver level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Reaver level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons and Hand Crossbows
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength and Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Acrobatics, History, Intimidation, Insight, Medicine, Perception, or Religion

Equipment

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

• (a) Hand Crossbow with 20 bolts. or (b) 2 Handaxes or (c) 2 Shortswords
• (a) Quarterstaff or (b) 5 Javelins
• (a) Dungeoneer's Pack or (b) Explorer's Pack
• Leather armor and a dagger
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 * 10 in funds.

Table: The Reaver

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Fury
1st	+2	Soul Leech	—
2nd	+2	Aura of Pain, Fury	2
3rd	+2	Dark Calling	3
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4
5th	+3	Calling Feature	5
6th	+3	Blood and Glory	6
7th	+3	Crimson Avarice	7
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	8
9th	+4	Deceitful Intent	9
10th	+4	Calling Feature	10
11th	+4	Blood Sense	11
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	12
13th	+5	Improved Blood and Glory	13
14th	+5	Calling Feature	14
15th	+5	Unyielding Will	15
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	16
17th	+6	Fury Rising	17
18th	+6	Calling Feature	18
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	19
20th	+6	Essence of Life	20

Soul Leech

At 1st level you learn to control the flow of life during death. As a reaction, if a creature is reduced to 0 HP within 30 feet of you may transfer life essence from this creature then you gain temporary Hit Points equal to 1d8 + your Reaver Level. This cannot be used on constructs or undead. You can use this up to your proficiency bonus and you regain your uses at the end of a Long Rest. Temporary Hit Points does not stack, you instead take the higher number.

Fury

Starting at 2nd level you gain access to Fury to spend on attacks and skills. Whenever you deal damage or take damage, you gain a single point of Fury. You cannot gain more than what is listed in the Fury column. These points remain until you take a short rest or expend them using abilities. Some abilities will require a Fury DC which is 8 + Constitution modifier + Proficiency Bonus. When gaining Fury points, these cannot be added on purpose by an ally or yourself. However, for example in a Bar Fight against an ally. They are being actively hostile towards you, and as such. You would gain Fury to enact revenge. You do not start with these points after a rest.

Aura of Pain

Also at 2nd level you learn to channel psychic energy of torment around you in a short distance. As an action you may spend 1 Fury point to create a vortex centered around you. All creatures that start their turns or enter within 10 feet of you must make a Wisdom Saving Throw against your Fury DC. On a failed save targets take psychic damage equal to half of your Reaver Level, rounded down in d8s, or half on a successful save. You take half damage from this ability automatically and it cannot be reduced. At the start of your next turn, with no action required, you may expend 1 Fury point to maintain the vortex. Undead and Constructs are immune to this effect. For example, if you were a 3rd Level Reaver, you would be dealt 1d8 psychic damage, halved automatically. This feature would not provide you with another Fury.

Dark Calling

At 3rd level, you choose a path that shapes your destiny. The Devourer, The Corrupted Forger, and the Source Leech, are all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 5th, 10th, 14, and 18th 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.

Blood and Glory

At 6th level when you are at or below 3/4 your maximum HP your attack rolls score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. For example if your maximum HP is 100 HP and you are at 75 HP, you critical on 19 & 20's.

Crimson Avarice

At 7th level your greed for vitality becomes nearly limitless. You can use an action to consume your current amount of Fury points. For each point consumed you regain 1d8 points of health. You cannot use this ability again until you finish a short rest or long rest.

Deceitful Intent

Starting at 9th level you learn to understand the subtle changes in a creatures life force when interacting with them. You gain advantage on all Insight checks.

Blood Sense

At 11th level your connection with the vitality of life essence becomes stronger. You gain Blindsight up to 15 feet. You cannot perceive undead or constructs with this feature, however normal sight would perceive them.

Improved Blood and Glory

At 13th level when you are at or below 3/4 your maximum HP your attack rolls score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20. For example if your maximum HP is 200 HP and you are at 150 HP, you critical on 18-20.

Unyielding Will

At 15th level when you fail a saving throw, but before the effects apply, you may spend Fury points to gain +1 to the roll per point spent. Your DM will inform you if you passed, after spending the desired amount of points.

Fury Rising

Starting at 17th level, whenever you roll initiative you gain 1d4 Fury points.

Essence of Life

Upon reaching 20th level your power is absolute. As a bonus action you count as having max Fury points and remain at max until the end of your next turn. Once this effect ends you reset to 0 points. You cannot use this ability again until you finish a long rest.

Reaver Archetypes

There are three distinct archetypes of the Reaver. The Devourer, a melee warrior that contains heavy sustainability in the battlefield, and a hunger for flesh. The Corrupted Forger, halfway between a summoner and a light fighter they are more than what meets the eye. Finally the Source Leech, a mage with little magic reserves, but a knack at taking life forces and casting spells with it. Each archetype has very different mechanics from each other and as such offers a wide spectrum of gameplay.

Calling of the Devourer

The hunger, it calls you. Unrelenting and irresistible, you cannot avoid it. The calling of the Devourer grants you a ferocity unlike any other. Your fury shall only grow as you feed on your foes. When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the bonus proficiencies: Medium armor, shields, and melee martial weapons.

Devouring Smite

Starting at 3rd level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend Fury points to deal Necrotic damage to the target and steal life, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 1d8 per point spent, to a maximum of 5d8. Any Necrotic damage you deal this way heals you half for that amount, rounded down. You cannot heal from attacks made against constructs or undead and can only regain HP this way an amount of times equal to your Constitution Modifier (Minimum of 1) after every Long Rest, and you do not gain Fury points from this attack.

Fighting Style

Also at 3rd 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.

Bastion - While wearing armor, you gain +1 AC. When a creature that is within 5 feet of you is attacked by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Dueling - While wielding a one-handed weapon in the main hand, and either a shield or nothing in the offhand, you gain +2 to damage rolls with the main hand weapon. However, if the offhand is left empty, you gain advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks while in combat.

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.

Two-weapon Fighting - When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack, by 11th Level. You may make a 2nd attack in this off-hand attack when using a bonus action to do Two-weapon Fighting. You are able also to draw and stow two weapons at once.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Fervor

Starting at 10th level when you activate Soul Leech it triggers for each death within range until the start of your next turn. However you do not gain the temporary hit points more than once. Also, you gain a rush of adrenaline, gaining an additional 10 feet of movement for each death until the end of your next turn.

Striking Fear

At 14th level when you hit with a critical attack, all hostile creatures within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Fury DC or be frightened by you until the end of your next turn.

Unrelenting Hunger

At 18th level whenever you critically hit a target you gain an extra Fury point, and you also gain an additional attack. You cannot gain more than one additional attack per turn.

Calling of the Corrupted Forger

Corruption is the way of power, turning your enemies own essence against them. Like the undead hordes, you too will use your enemies death to strengthen yourself. You shall create monstrosities in the pursuit of power, and eventually gift yourself that power. Godhood is within your grasp.

Rot Burst

Starting at 3rd level, whenever you use your Soul Leech you may force a Constitution Saving Throw against your Fury DC, to all hostile creatures within 10 feet of your Soul Leech. Or deal d6 Necrotic damage per point spent, as the target bloats and explodes.

Corrupted Construct

Giant Red Crystallite, Faygo_Rain, https://www.pinterest.com/lausinfatt/elemental-creature/

Also at 3rd level you are skilled enough to form a construct with the appearance as if it was made of sinew and crystallized blood. You may have it in any shape you'd like as long as it is either bipedal or a quadruped. You may spend 2 hours on a ritual that creates your own construct, it follows only your commands telepathically or verbally but can only do simple commands. The ritual requires a bag of salt and large quantity of fresh blood. You may store the construct in a small empty bottle and it is reduced to magically infused salts. It takes an action to summon the construct from the bottle, and an action to store it again, a minute after being stored, it returns to full HP and loses any conditions. If the construct is reduced to 0 HP, it vanishes into a pile of blood. You may only have a single construct at one time. Its HP is managed by your Hit Die, for example at 3rd Level, you have 3d10, the construct then has 3d10+its constitution modifier.

Corrupted Construct

Medium construct, natural Armor Class 10 (natural armor) Hit Points Hit Die Amount Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 3 (-4) 5 (-3) 3 (-4) Skills Athletics +5 Senses passive Perception 7 + Your Proficiency Bonus Languages understands creators language but cannot speak. Actions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (11) 2d6+3 slashing damage.

• The construct adds your proficiency bonus to its AC, to hit, damage rolls, and any skill checks and saving throws.
• The construct acts simultaneously on your turn and can make a single attack.

Corrupted Infusion

At 5th level you begin fusing your own body with a the materials that make up your construct. You can create claws, clubs, blades, or other melee weapons that protrude from your hands or arms, as well as a shield that can be created at will. You gain the following benefits:

• You can also choose to meld with a melee weapon, gaining its magical effects for your unarmed strikes but not its basic damage rolls. Your attacks will also count as magical if the weapon is magical.
• Whenever you make an unarmed strike, your damage becomes 1d6 + modifier bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing, and counts as being Finesse and Light. The damage is increased to 2d6 at 10th level, and 3d6 at 15th level.
• You gain a ranged unarmed strike that deals 1d4+ modifier piercing damage, counts as being Finesse, Light, and has a reach of 20 feet. The damage is increased to 2d4 at 10th level, and 3d4 at 15th level.
• As a reaction to being attacked, you can create a crystallized shield in front of you, increasing your AC by +3 until start of your next turn.

Pain Unending

Starting at 10th level, you can now cause your Aura of Pain to appear around your construct as well as yourself. This ability requires 2 Fury points to create and maintain. A target that is in range of both must make a separate checks for each.

Forger's Armor

Starting at 14th level you are skilled enough to maintain offense and defense capabilities of the infused construct material inside you. Your Dexterity Modifier for calculating AC is doubled to a maximum of +8, but cannot be used for medium or heavy armor.

Salvo

At 18th level you can make your construct become unstable, with explosive results. As the action of your construct, all creatures within a 20 foot radius of it must make a Dexterity Saving Throw against your Fury DC as shards of crystallized shrapnel explode outwards. Targets that fail the saving throw take 1d8 magical piercing damage, or half as much on a successful save. You may spend Fury points to increase the damage by 1d8 per point spent. After which your construct fuses back together, awaiting your next command.

Calling of the Source Leech

Magic is power, and blood is the mechanism to achieve that power. Sapping that magic from others strengthens your spells and leads you to near godhood. Those in your way shall move aside, or perish in your wake. When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Arcana.

Source Leech Spellcasting

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain access to arcane magic. Also, any spell that requires blood as a component can be taken from either yourself or a nearby, fresh, source. This source cannot have been dead long enough for the blood to coagulate. If you take damage as part of a spells components, or as part of the spell itself, you gain a Fury point. However this point cannot be used for the current spell you are attempting to cast.

Level Cantrips Known Spell Slots Slot Level 3 2 2 2nd 4 3 2 2nd 5 3 2 3rd 6 3 2 3rd 7 3 2 4th 8 3 2 4th 9 3 2 5th 10 4 3 5th 11 4 3 5th 12 4 3 5th 13 4 3 5th 14 4 3 5th 15 4 3 5th 16 4 3 5th 17 4 4 5th 18 4 4 5th 19 4 4 5th 20 4 4 5th Cantrips You know two cantrips of your choice from the Reaver spell list. You learn additional Reaver cantrips of your choice a higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Source Leech table. Spell Slots The Source Leech table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your Reaver spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, when you are 5th level, you have two 3rd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell Thunderwave, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 3rd-level spell. Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher At 3rd level, you know six 1st or 2nd-level spells of your choice in any order from the Reaver spell list. You prepare spells from your known list at the end of a Long Rest by channeling the Fury and Mage Blood inside of you. When you do so, choose a number of Reaver spells equal to your Constitution modifier + half of your Reaver level (rounded down with a minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you are a 5th level Reaver, you have 2 3rd level spell slots. With a Constitution of 16, your list of prepared spells can include five spells of 1st, 2nd or 3rd level, in any combination. These spells are cast using the higher slot, and casting the spell does not remove it from your list of prepared spells. You learn 1 new spell from the Reaver Spell List for every level increase, as your body adapts to the new forms of magic. Ritual Casting You can cast a Reaver spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared. Siphoning Ritual You may learn new spells by preforming a ritual that siphons magic from the blood and essence of the corpses mages and other magical entities. To determine if you can learn a spell from the ritual you must pass an Arcana Check DC = 8 + Your current proficiency bonus + Spell level that the ritual would reveal to you. Your DM informs you of the spell that is possible and they pick the spell. Any spell you can potentially learn cannot exceed what you would already know from the Slot Level from the Source Leech table. To begin the ritual you must create an arcane circle and place the corpse of the magic user in the center of it. You then begin the ritual that lasts 2 hours per spell level of the learnable spell. You can reduce the time the ritual takes by having more than one corpse of a magic user. Each corpse after the first reduces the time by 2 hours to a minimum of 1 hours. While preforming this ritual you do not count as having a short or long rest. Spellcasting Ability Constitution is your spell casting ability for your Reaver spells, so you use your Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Reaver spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier Spellcasting Focus You can use an arcane focus (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your Reaver spells, or a Reaver weapon that you are proficient in. Fury Casting You may use Fury points to cast spells. For each point spent, the spell counts as that level of spell slot used. You cannot spend more points than what is known for your current level of spell slots from the Source Leech table. You still must follow all other requirements for casting spells. Cantrips cannot be used with Fury points. For example, a 9th level Source Leech may cast Vampiric Touch as a 5th level spell by either using a spell slot or by spending 5 Fury points. Vortex of Pain Starting at 5th level you may now cast your Aura of Pain at a distance now, up to a range of 60 feet. The vortex is also increased in size to 15 feet in diameter. Crystallized Form At 10th level you have the ability to become temporarily encased in a crystallized skin. As a bonus action on your turn, you gain resistance to all damage except radiant, psychic, and force damage. This lasts for the next minute, and cannot be used again until you take a long rest. High Cast Starting at 14th level you can cast powerful select spells with relative easy. You may choose 4 spells from your known spells that may be cast at half the cost of Fury points, rounding up. Whenever you learn a new spell, you may change your High Cast selection. Magical Conduit At 18th level you learn a ritual that lets you connect to the flow of magic from reality itself. You spend 6 hours preforming a ritual that allows you to learn a single 6th level spell from the Reaver spell list, this spell is your Conduit spell. The learned spell can only be cast from Fury casting, and is done so at half the cost, rounding up. The spell can also be cast at a higher level, still obeying the casting cost. You may select a new spell to become your Conduit spell after preforming the ritual again. Spell List Most of these spells are either damaging or debilitating spell types, and they are designed more around damaging others and yourself, along with any other conditional or debilitating spells. Cantrips Acid Splash, Blade Ward, Booming Blade, Chill Touch, Create Bonfire, Fire Bolt, Frostbite, Green-Flame Blade, Gust, Magic Stone, Poison Spray, Produce Flame, Ray of Frost, Shillelagh, Shocking Grasp, Thorn Whip, Thunderclap, True Strike 1st-Level Absorb Elements, Arms of Hadar, Burning Hands, Catapult, Cause Fear, Chromatic Orb, Color Spray, Compelled Duel, Earth Tremor, Entangle, Faerie Fire, False Life, Grease, Hellish Rebuke, Hex, Ice Knife, Magic Missile, Ray of Sickness, Sleep, Thunderwave, Witch Bolt 2nd-Level Aganazzar's Scorcher, Blindness/Deafness, Blur, Cloud of Daggers, Crown of Madness, Dust Devil, Earthbind, Enlarge/Reduce, Enthrall, Flame Blade, Flaming Sphere, Gust of Wind, Heat Metal, Hold Person, Magic Weapon, Maximilian's Earthen Grasp, Melf's Acid Arrow, Moonbeam, Phantasmal Force, Pyrotechnics, Ray of Enfeeblement, Scorching Ray, Shatter, Snilloc's Snowball Swarm, Spike Growth, Web, 3rd-Level Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Counterspell, Dispel Magic, Erupting Earth, Fear, Fireball, Hunger of Hadar, Hypnotic Pattern, Lightning Bolt, Melf's Minute Meteors, Sleet Storm, Slow, Stinking Cloud, Tidal Wave, Vampiric Touch, Wall of Sand, Wall of Water, Wind Wall 4th-Level Banishment, Blight, Compulsion, Confusion, Dominate Beast, Elemental Bane, Evard's Black Tentacles, Grasping Vine, Ice Storm, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, Phantasmal Killer, Polymorph, Storm Sphere, Vitriolic Sphere, Wall of Fire, Watery Sphere 5th-Level Animate Objects, Bigby's Hand, Cloudkill, Cone of Cold, Contagion, Dominate Person, Flame Strike, Geas, Hold Monster, Immolation, Insect Plague, Maelstrom, Planar Binding 6th-Level Chain Lightning, Circle of Death, Create Undead, Disintegrate, Flesh to Stone, Investiture of Flame, Investiture of Ice, Investiture of Wind, Otiluke's Freezing Sphere, Otto's Irresistible Dance, Sunbeam, Wall of Ice Multiclassing Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Reaver class, you must meet these prerequisites: Constitution 13 or higher, along with either a Dexterity 13 or Strength 13 Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Reaver class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light Armor and Simple Weapons Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Classes