Cross-Class Subclasses (5e Variant Rule)
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Most of you have thought of this idea before.
"Why can't my Druid have an Animal companion? That's just a Ranger thing now?"
"Can my Bard specialize in a school of Magic, like a Wizard does?"
"What if the Anti-paladin has a demonic Patron? Shouldn't that reflect in his Oath-breaker features?"
Well, normally, the answer to any of these would be "sorry, you're out of Luck". Never liking that answer, I set to work creating what follows. It was created on just the bare bones of game balance, so advice on alterations would be greatly appreciated, as would any appropriate artwork one might attach to any given section.
Most of what you'll find here is actually pretty dry. While the idea of a Rogue with Way of Shadow (Monk) class features may be exciting, the sheer breadth of material steers toward only the barest hint of that potential appearing on any given page here. Alas: you will be consigned to reading through the various lists and figures truly fit for the dusty tomes of a classical wizard. In addition to these are special considerations written for certain unusual or problematic class features, as well as how to convert those feature more in the direction of playability in non-native class use.
Archetype | Primary Class | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barbarian | Bard | Cleric | Druid | Fighter | Monk | Paladin | Ranger | Rogue | Sorcerer | Warlock | Wizard | |
Barbarian | — | Skald | Devout* | Shaman | Savage | Aberrant* | Warmonger* | Wild One* | Myrmidon* | Precursor* | Forsaken* | Ravager* |
Bard | Maunderer | — | Pilgrim | Fochlucan | Warsong* | Voice* | Divinesong* | Gad | Troubadour* | Manipulator* | Akashic | Spellsong* |
Cleric | Rage Priest* | Evangelist | — | Faithful | Templar | Theologian | Divine Avatar | Wildborn* | Radiant* | Oracle | Heretic | Ardent |
Druid | Chieftain | Naturesong* | Earth Speaker* | — | Woodsman* | Naturalist | Protector* | Reeve | Concealed* | Protean | Thamaturge | Wildspell* |
Fighter | Brute | Squire | War Cleric* | Protector | — | Drunken Master | Crusader* | Peacekeeper* | Cad | Warmage | Interrogator | Spellblade |
Monk | Yaban* | Geisha | Disciple | Shizen* | Samurai* | — | Kensai | Sohei | Ninja | Yōjutsu | Mahōtsukai* | Wu Jen |
Paladin | Zealot | Guidon | Guardian | Ancient* | Justicar | Oathbound* | — | Warden | Nightseeker* | Original* | Oathforger* | Master |
Ranger | Reaver* | Charmer* | Wild Priest* | Wanderer* | Commando* | Itinerant | Watchkeeper | — | Infiltrator | Changer* | Wildpact* | Enchanted* |
Rogue | Highwayman* | Dilettante | Left Hand* | Wild Knife* | Swashbuckler | Shinobi | Inquisitor | Stalker | — | Stealthborn* | Mountebank* | Beguiler* |
Sorcerer | Progenitor | Maestro* | Contemplative | Greenbond | Myrmidarch | Hermit | Primordial | Natureborn | Battleborn | — | Witch | Magus |
Warlock | Devourer* | Muse | Apostate | Twisted* | Ignoble* | Seeker* | Blackguard | Wildbound* | Vivicist | Prodigy* | — | Scholar* |
Wizard | Chosen* | Dramaturge | Theurgist | Menhir | Mageknight* | Ascetic* | Exalted One* | Spell Bow* | Nightspell* | Psion | Pactmaker* | — |
* Added by other contributors. I would like to thank everyone who helped by providing names for this table.
Class Archetype Sub-Pages
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Warning: contains lists. |
Primal Paths, for non-Barbarians
Bardic Colleges, for non-Bards
Cleric Domains, for non-Clerics
Druidic Circles, for non-Druids
Martial Archetypes, for non-Fighters
Monastic Traditions for non-Monks
Sacred Oaths, for non-Paladins
Ranger Archetypes, for non-Rangers
Roguish Archetypes, for non-Rogues
Sorcerous Origins, for non-Sorcerers
Warlock Patrons, for non-Warlocks
Arcane Traditions, for non-Wizards
Using Base Classes as Subclasses (5e Variant Rule)
Archetypes with Spell Lists
While a variety of Archetypes have spell lists associated with them—normally a list of spells which the class treats as both known and always prepared—it's not fair to treat these spell lists similarly regardless of the class they are granted to.
Noncasters
- Barbarians, Fighters, Monks, and Rogues do not normally receive any benefit from a bonus spell list.
Bards, Rangers, Sorcerers and Warlocks
- Treat spells granted by the Archetype as spells of the character's respective class. They may be learned just as any other spells from that class's spell list. All spells known by these classes are treated as always prepared.
- A Sorcerer may cast any spell granted to them by their Archetype--regardless of whether they have explicitly learned the spell--if they do so by expending an appropriate number of Sorcery points equivalent to that spell's level.
Clerics, Druids and Paladins
- Treat spells granted by the Archetype to be spells known, and always prepared. They do not count against your maximum spells known, or number of spells prepared.
Wizards
- Add spells granted by the Archetype to the Wizard's spellbook. They are considered 'spells known', but are NOT considered always prepared.
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