Scarcaster (5e Class)
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Scarcaster
Not many civilized folks know of the mysterious individuals known as scarcasters. Some say they are a mysterious cult of worshipers to ancient gods, while others say they gain magic from ancestral spirits, and others still say it comes from nature itself. While all of these are true depending on the individual in question, it is universal that scarcasters are ferocious warriors with mystic powers, who fight like animals and draw power into their ritual scars.
Ancient Scars
Scarcasters are practitioners of ancient magic, which is drawn from powerful spirits. Through ritual scarification, they channel this power into their bodies and use it to fight like beasts; without weapons. The magic channels into their hands so they become claws and let all who face them know to beware of their wraith.
Many, however, make the mistake of comparing it to the rage of a barbarian. While they are similar on the surface, a barbarian’s rage ultimately comes from within themselves whereas a scarcaster is granted their power from a spirit that they pay homage to. They are not generous either, and thus the scarcaster must contact them regularly and give tribute. These spirits can only be contacted through concoctions made from powerful herbs, which cause those who ingest them to go into a trance-like state. Only the scarcasters know of how to brew such potions and make many others which temporarily enhance their abilities, adding to their already formidable power. Let this be a lesson to all that scarcasters are not to be underestimated.
Creating a Scarcaster
When making a scarcaster, think about what drove you to seek a spirit’s power. How did you come to learn of its existence? How long have you trained to use the power it’s granted? Did you learn on your own or were you taught by a fellow scarcaster? Do you know any others? What is your reasoning for becoming a scarcaster? Do you seek vengeance, to guard nature against civilization, or do you simply seek faith in a higher power other than the gods?
- Quick Build
You can make a Scarcaster quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose from the Hermit, Feral Child, or Outlander background.
Class Features
As a Scarcaster you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Scarcaster level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Scarcaster level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Blowguns, improvised weapons, simple melee weapons, slings, unarmed strikes
Tools: Herbalism kit and one wind instrument
Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
Skills: Choose four from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Primal Strikes | Scarcastings | Primal Movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Primal Strikes, Scarcasting, Unarmored Defense | 1d4 | 1 | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Primal Movement | 1d4 | 2 | +10 ft. |
| 3rd | +2 | Ancient Spirit | 1d4 | 3 | +10 ft. |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d4 | 4 | +10 ft. |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack, Sanguine Slash | 1d6 | 5 | +10 ft. |
| 6th | +3 | Ancient Spirit feature, Nature's Wrath | 1d6 | 6 | +15 ft. |
| 7th | +3 | Primal Movement (5 ft) | 1d6 | 7 | +15 ft. |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Vicious Vitality | 1d6 | 8 | +15 ft. |
| 9th | +4 | Shaman's Brew | 1d8 | 9 | +15 ft. |
| 10th | +4 | Animalistic Offense | 1d8 | 10 | +20 ft. |
| 11th | +4 | Primal Movement (10 ft) | 1d8 | 11 | +20 ft. |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement, Extra Attack (2) | 1d8 | 12 | +20 ft. |
| 13th | +5 | Animistic Offense Improvement | 1d10 | 13 | +20 ft. |
| 14th | +5 | Ancient Spirit feature | 1d10 | 14 | +25 ft. |
| 15th | +5 | Primal Movement (15 ft) | 1d10 | 15 | +25 ft. |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d10 | 16 | +25 ft. |
| 17th | +6 | Guardian of Nature | 1d12 | 17 | +25 ft. |
| 18th | +6 | Ancient Spirit feature | 1d12 | 18 | +30 ft. |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d12 | 19 | +30 ft. |
| 20th | +6 | Embodyment of Nature | 1d12 | 20 | +30 ft. |
Primal Strikes
Beginning at 1st level, your pact with nature allows you to fight as the beasts do, using unarmed strikes instead of martial melee weapons, although improvised do benefit from this feature.
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only simple, or improvised melee weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or a shield:
- You can roll a d4 slashing damage in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or improvised weapon. This die changes as you gain scarcaster levels, as shown in the Primal Strikes column of the Scarcaster Table.
- When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or an improvised weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn.
Unarmored Defense
While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
Scarcasting
You have a natural bond with the wild, and with that bond comes a great power, seeded within you. Your access to this power is represented by a number of scarcastings. Your scarcaster level determines the number of castings you have, as shown in the Scarcastings column of the Scarcaster table.
You can spend these points to fuel various scarcastings. You start knowing three such scarcastings: Claws of the Beasts, Wild Senses, and Mask of the Beast. You learn more scarcastings as you gain levels in this class.
When you spend a scarcasting, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended scarcastings back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your scarcastings.
Certain scarcasting actions require your target to make a saving throw to resist the action's effects. The saving throw is calculated at follows:
- Scarcasting save DC =
8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Claws of the Beasts
Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 scarcasting to make an unarmed strike as a bonus action. You can only use this scarcasting once per turn.
Wild Senses
You can spend 1 scarcasting to gain advantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks related to hearing, sight, and smell for 1 minute.
Mask of the Beast
You can spend 1 scarcasting to take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on your turn, with advantage if you are in natural terrain.
Primal Movement
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield or weapon. This bonus increases when you reach certain scarcaster levels, as shown in the Scarcaster table.
At 7th level, you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed and you add 5 ft to your long jump. This increases to 10 ft at 11th level and 15 ft at 15th level.
Ancient Spirit
At 3rd level, you choose an ancient spirit to devote your worship to, who grants you power in return. Choose between the Spirit of the Hunt, Spirit of the Elements, Spirit of the Root, Spirit of the Faerie, or Spirit of the Ancestor detailed at the end of the class description. The spirit you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 14th, 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.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. This increases to three at 12th level in this class.
Sanguine Slash
Starting at 5th level, you can spend 1 scarcastings to induce bleeding on a target you hit with a primal strike for 1 minute, if it is a creature and not a construct or undead. While bleeding, the target suffers damage equal to 1d8 + your proficiency bonus at the start of your turn. You may spend additional scarcastings to increase the dice rolled (max 4). You can only use this feature on one strike per turn or use this on a target already affected by the strike.
Nature’s Wrath
Starting at 6th level, your primal strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Vicious Vitality
Starting at 8th level, you make spend 2 scarcastings to make an unarmed strike using your mouth. If you hit with the bite, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier and you gain temporary hit points (minimum of 1) equal to the damage dealt. You cannot use this feature again until your second turn after using it.
Shaman's Brew
Starting at 9th level, you gain enough experience with plants to start brewing special potions to enhance your abilities. The effects of these potions are minimal at first, but you can spend scarcastings to increase their potency. Provided you have the components, you may expend 4 scarcastings to brew one of the following potions:
- Troll Blood. Despite the name, troll blood is not one of the ingredients in this potion. It instead uses black sage, fennel, pine bark, willow leaves, and Devil's club. Drinking this potion allows you to heal 5 hit points at the start of your turn for 1 minute. When you expend a scarcasting into the brew, the hit points you heal increases by 5 (max 15).
- Turtle's Sheild. This strong, viscous potion uses buckeye, marsh-mallow, arnica, and neem as its ingredients. Drinking this potion grants you resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical weapon attacks for 1 minute. When you expend a scarcasting into the brew, the duration of the resistance is extended by an additional 12 seconds (max 48). If you expend two scarcastings into the brew, the resistance is extended to magical attacks.
- Dream Walker. Dream Walker is a powerful psychedelic potion used to place those who drink it in a trance-like state which lasts 1 minute. Scarcasters use this potion to contact their patron spirits more directly than through simple prayer. Not just anyone can use this potion and only in dire situations should it be taken straight, as its ingredients are poppy, nightshade, psilocybin mushrooms, foxglove, wolf's bane, willow bark, henna, and hemlock. When you drink the diluted potion, you enter a trance, during which you may contact your spirit, as if you had cast divination. When you expend a scarcasting into the brew, you may stay in the trance an additional minute (max 3, 6 at 15th level), during which you gain an additional question. If you drink the potion straight, you may ask two additional questions or request your spirit to intervene (rolling as you would for a cleric[1]), must make a death save for each question you ask.
Animistic Offense
Starting at 10th level, you can understand and communicate verbally with beasts, as though you had cast Speak with Animals. This feature has the same limitations as Speak with Animals, except that you must make a Persuasion check (DC 10 + the animal’s intelligence score) if you ask them to perform a task or favor. At 13th level, you may add your proficiency bonus to the roll.
Guardian of Nature
At 17th level, you may spend 4 scarcastings to become resistant to any spells or magical effects cast from an unnatural source, such as a wizard or a magical trap, for a minute. While in this state, you have advantage on any saving throws caused by such effects and any damage taken from them is halved.
Embodiment of Nature
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no scarcastings remaining, you regain 4 scarcastings. Additionally, the primal magic that you wield causes you to age more slowly. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 5 years.
Spirit of the Hunt
The spirit you worship is a mighty animal, who sought you out and granted you their power. Such spirits are often called upon by hunters, as they can make any far more formidable than the animals the bare likeness to. By choosing this spirit, you become a hunter in the truest sense.
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Spirit of the Elements
The spirit you worship is an ancient being of elemental power, who seeks a body to channel their energy through. The elements in their purest forms are your strength and a direct connection to the Elemental Planes is granted through this pact. By satiating this spirit, you are given power beyond which most can even imagine.
- Elemental Claws
At 3rd level, your Primal Strikes become empowered with elemental energy. This manifests itself in the form of additional damage or effects, depending on which plane your spirit comes from. The effects are as follows:
Fire.
Your Primal Strikes now deal an additional 1d6 + Wisdom modifier of fire damage. If the target is a creature or a flammable object, it ignites. Until a creature takes an action to douse the fire, the target takes 1d8 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. The number of dice increases to 2 at 6th level, 3 at 14th level, and 4 at 18th level.
Earth.
Your Primal Strikes now deal bludgeoning damage instead of slashing, and deal your Primal Strike Damage Die + Strength modifier + Wisdom modifier. If the target is a creature, it becomes covered in earth and has its movement reduced by 5 feet until the start of its next turn. The number of feet the target’s movement is reduced by increases to 10 at 6th level and 15 at 14th level. At 14th level, you may expend a Scarcasting to increase the movement reduction by 5 (reducing the target’s movement speed to a minimum of 10 feet). In addition, you spend to Scarcastings to make the target roll a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Air.
Your Primal Strikes now deal an additional 1d6 + Wisdom modifier of bludgeoning damage. At 6th level, you can expend 2 scarcastings to force a creature you hit to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes an additional d6 of bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. On a success, the creature takes half the additional damage and is not knocked prone.
Water
Your Primal Stikes now deal an additional 1d6 + Wisdom modifier of bludgeoning damage. When you hit a creature, you can use 1 scarcasting to create and freeze water around it. For 30 seconds, that creature is restrained and cannot move.
- Elemental Essence
When you reach level 6, you become learn to manifest the elemental power of your elemental spirit. A manifestation requires you to spend scarcastings each time you use it.
Spirit of the Root
The spirit you worship is tied to one of the beings who were long before the birds and beasts: a plant. These spirits are protectors, guardians of ancient lands they inhabit, and can be just as wrathful as they can be generous. Under the worship of this floral being, you have the power to protect your allies like a mighty oak.
- Binding Brambles
Starting at 3rd level, you may spend 2 scarcastings to wrap magical vines around a target you hit. That creature is restrianed for 1 minute must use its action to make a Strength check against your scarcasting save DC to free itself. You may expend an additional scarcasting to bind a larger creature (1 scarcasting for each size larger than Medium). You can use this scarcasting on only one creature a turn until 6th level where a second creature can be affected.
- Oaken Shield
At 6th level, you may expend 2 scarcastings to increase your or a targets AC for an hour, as though you had cast barkskin. You may also expend 3 scarcastings to cast either cure wounds or revivify. You may not use both on the same turn.
- Master Shaman
At 14th level, you become familiar with all types of plants and can create different potions using the Shaman's Brew feature. In addition to those listen with the Shaman's Brew, you may also create the following potions:
Spirit of the Faerie
The spirit you worship is a cunning Archfey, who uses you as an engine of entertainment on the Material Plane. Scarcasters who worship Archfey are not unlike warlocks who do the same, except in the nature of their pact. Whatever their purpose is for choosing them, they have taught you to master the art of trickery.
- Friend of the Faerie
Starting at 3rd level, you can speak, read, and write in Sylvan. Additionally, you know whenever any Fey creatures are within 60 feet of you and may add your proficiency bonus to skill checks related to them. If it is a skill you are already proficient in, your bonus is doubled if the check is related to Fey creatures.
- Fairy Flash
At 6th level, you hit a creature, you may expend 2 scarcastings to outline it in blue, green, or violet light (your choice). For 1 minute, that creature sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius, can't benefit from being invisible, and any attack rolls against it have advantage. At 6th level, you may use this scarcasting on a second creature, and a 3rd at 14th level.
Additionally, you can expend 4 scarcastings to cast counterspell or conjure woodland beings. At level 14, you can expend 6 scarcastings to cast conjure fey and expend additional scarcastings to increase the spell level (1 for each level above 6th) at 18th level.
- Luck of the Fey
At level 14, you can expend 4 scarcastings reroll a d20, should you roll a 1. You must take the new roll and can only use this scarcasting once per turn.
Spirit of the Ancestor
The spirit you worship is a great ancestor from your family line. Be they a great hero asked to help give purpose or a wronged sibling who wants to make right, scarcasters who worship ancestors are guardians of their communities. With the help of the ancestor in question, you are purposed to protect those close to you.
- Grave Feeling
Starting at 3rd level, your Primal Strikes deal an additional 1d6 + Wisdom modifier of necrotic damage. The number of dice increases to 2 at 6th level, 3 at 14th level and 4 at 18th level. Additionally, at 14th level, undead or other creatures that are immune or resistant to necrotic damage are not to the additional necrotic damage of your Primal Strikes.
- Protector of the People
Starting at 6th level, you can spend 2 scarcastings to add 2 to the AC or saving throw a target of your choice within 60 feet of you, as a reaction. You can spend an additional scarcasting to increase the addition by 1 (maximum of 3, 5 at 14th level). Additionally, at 14th level, you can spend 2 more scarcastings to make the effect last 1 minute.
- Not Dead Yet
Starting at 14th level, you may add half your Constitution modifier, rounded down (minimum of 1), to death saving throws. At 18th level, you may add 8 scarcastings to reroll a death saving throw, taking the new roll. You cannot use this on the same death save twice.
Multiclassing
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Scarcaster class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 16 and Wisdom 16.
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the scarcaster class, you gain the following proficiencies: Nature and Survival.
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- ↑ PHB pg. 95
