Combat Specialist (5e Class)

Combat Specialist

Elite in the Field

A veteran skirmisher snow mouse, showing that size does not impede one from being a Combat Specialist. By Kin Chan

"No matter if it is the wrath of dragons, the deception of fey or the overwhelming numbers of goblins and imps... These men are the Elite of the Elite, and they only bow to one king."

A regiment of elves clash against a battalion of orcs deep down in a forest. The elves have the advantage, and press with their well-coordinated formation and precise strikes, while the orcs are pushed further and further back. Suddenly, a elvish soldier has their neck split open by a blade, and three more fall in a blur before the first even hit the ground. The regiment only sees the female orc after, but the gap in their formation has already been made, and the battalion of orcs capitalize on the broken formation. The skirmisher vanishes in the orcish battalion, creating another hole in the elvish regiment's formation and turning the tide of battle... never caught.

A marauder watches as his henchmen of gnolls surround a wagon, his eyes enjoying the delightful scene of the human guards' frontline falling apart. Suddenly, a halberdier clad in metal plate jumps from the wagon and takes the frontline with a shout, pulling the attention of all bandits to him. His wide swings mow down his foes, and the few attacks that get through are redirected to him and merely glance off the man's armor. The marauder curses as even his escaping henchmen are incapacitated or felled in their blatant desertion, and sees no alternative but to flee away from the Knight with what's left of his force... leaving the wagon untouched.

The little gnome prepares a spell amidst the chaos of battle, knowing that no ordinary magic can harm the lich he is facing. His valiant comrades, a halfling and a dragonborn, fight viciously in this accursed dungeon, trying buy him time as the spell is shaped. The lich, loving their desperate attempts, toys with their lives by tiring them out with it's endless hoard of minions. Soon, the lich sees the Gnome releasing a fireball at itself and let out a raspy laugh as it attempts counterspell the incoming flaming orb... only to realize the spell is to dense and it can't be disrupted in time, and watching both itself and it's precious undead minions being turned to ashes because of it's arrogance of mistaking a Channeler for a Sorcerer.

Combat Specialists are, as the name suggests, specialists in combat. They are not necessarily skilled enough in the art of war to become great generals or even commanders of their own right, but they are far superior in comparison to your average fighter. Relying on accumulated experience, refined talent, hard work and their martial capability, these soldiers are often compared to the Warforged in times of war... for they have attained an inhumane perfection in the flow of battle, and are often adamant in their alligeances.

Creating a Combat Specialist

When creating a Combat Specialist, stop everything you are doing and ask yourself... why? Why your character's specialty is combat? What drove them to become an Elite themselves? Was this their means to fulfill a promise they hold more dearly than their life? Was it a childhood dream they had when watching the glorious Knights of their Sovereign? Is there anything that motivates them to continue on this path, or are they lost now that they finally acquired exactly what they dreamed of? More important than any of those, however, is the question... why fighting, specifically? Is this for revenge, for the betterment of oneself, or maybe to protect loved ones? Perhaps is this because the character has no other relevant skill other than their ability in combat, and so they focused on that for the entirety of their life? Or maybe were they forced in this life since small, and now all they know is how to swing their blade with perfection? Create a story, a reason, an argument to convince yourself why your character had the willpower and determination to go through hell to become a Combat Specialist, and why do they keep pursuing this goal, if they even do anymore.

Quick Build

You can make a Combat Specialist quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity for Skirmisher, Strength for Knight or Intelligence for Channeler. Second, choose the Soldier background. Third, choose any combination of equipment.

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Class Features

As a Combat Specialist you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth and Survival.

Equipment

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

• (a) one martial melee weapon and a shield or (b) two martial melee weapons
• (a) leather, a longbow and 20 arrows or (b) chain shirt, one heavy crossbow and 20 bolts or (c) chain mail
• (a) explorer's pack or (b) dungeoneer's pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4x10 gp in funds.

Table: The Combat Specialist

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Martial Prowess
2nd	+2	Moment of Respite
3rd	+2	Specialization
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Extra Attack, Chase, Guard Break
6th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
7th	+3	Specialization Feature, Martial Prowess
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Reflexive Reactions
10th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
11th	+4	Inflexible, Specialization Feature
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Inhuman Reflexes, Martial Prowess, Extra Attack
14th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
15th	+5	Specialization Feature, Respite Improvement
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Martial Mastery
18th	+6	Specialization Feature
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Eternal Combatant

Martial Prowess

Beginning at 1st level, you develop a style of combat on your own. Choose one of the fighting styles options below, and again at 7th level and 13th level. You cannot take an option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Blind Fighting

You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.

Close Quarters Shooter

When making a ranged attack while you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover against targets within 30 feet of you. You have a +1 bonus to attack rolls on ranged attacks.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

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.

Mariner

As long as you are not wearing heavy armor or using a shield, you have a swimming speed and a climbing speed equal to your normal speed, and you gain a +1 bonus to armor class.

Thrown Weapon Fighting

You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon.

• In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.

Tunnel Fighter

As a bonus action, you can enter a defensive stance that lasts until the start of your next turn. While in your defensive stance, you can make opportunity attacks without using your reaction, and you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against a creature that moves more than 5 feet while within your reach.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Unarmed Fighting

Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8.

• At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.

Moment of Respite

Beginning at 2nd level, you developed a small pool of stamina that you can tap into to replenish your energy. You have a number of respite dice equal to your proficiency bonus, and their size is d10. You can use your respite die to perform one of the following:

• At the start of your turn, you can spend one respite die to stabilize your mind or body. End one temporary condition, except exhaustion, affecting you.
• As a bonus action, you can spend one respite die to forcibly close fresh wounds. Roll the dice and recover a number of hit points equal to the result + your constitution modifier.
• As an action, you can spend one respite die to draw from your reserves. Remove one level of exhaustion affecting you.

You recover one spent respite dice at the end of a short rest, and all spent respite dice at the end of a long rest.

Specialization

At 3rd level, you further specialize your tactics and training, shaping it in a powerful combat style. Choose between the agile Skirmisher, the durable Knight, or the powerful Channeler, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th level.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 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.

Chase

Beginning at 5th level, you know how to close the distance between you and your opponent when they least expect it. Whenever a hostile creature moves to, or is moved into, an unoccupied space within range of your walking speed, you can use your reaction to move up to your walking speed in their direction. You must end this move closer to the enemy than you started.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action. The number of attacks increase to three at 13th level.

Guard Break

Your experience in battle allows you to more easily recognize and abuse your opponent’s weaknesses in battle. Beginning at 5th level, when you attack a creature, you may declare a feint, forfeiting the attack’s damage and giving you advantage on your next attack against them. If both the feint attack and the following attack hit, the opponent’s AC is reduced by half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) until the start of their next turn.

• This feature cannot be used on the same creature more than once per round.

Reflexive Reactions

Beginning at 9th level, your body has long gotten used to the flow of battle, allowing you to react before thinking. You may take a number of reactions equal to your proficiency bonus per round.

Inflexible

Your eyes have witnessed the horrors of war, and your ears have experienced the sweet poison of deceit, so much so that you can easily ignore those now. Beginning at 11th level you become immune to the frightened and charmed conditions, and you have advantage on checks to discern lies and see through disguises and illusions.

Inhuman Reflexes

Beginning at 13th level, your body moves on it's own at the slightest opportunity, often causing more destruction with your reactive strikes than your intended attacks. You have advantage on opportunity attacks, and hostile creatures provoke opportunity attacks from you even if they take the Disengage action before leaving your reach, or would otherwise not provoke opportunity attacks from you, provided they are not hidden from you. Additionally, if a creature provokes an opportunity attack from you and both attack rolls would hit them, you may transform the hit into a critical hit.

Respite Improvement

Through effort and experience, you have expanded your pool of stamina into something greater, and have learnt how to better utilize it. Beginning at 15th level, the number of respite dice you have increases to twice your proficiency bonus. In addition to the normal uses, you may spend one respite dice to perform one of the following:

• When you make a skill check or saving throw, you can spend one respite die to push the limits of your body. You gain advantage on the roll.
• When you make a skill check or saving throw, you can spend one respite die to quickly access past experiences to aid you. Roll the dice and add the result to your roll.
• At the start of your turn, you can spend one respite die to shore up your defenses. Roll the dice and gain an amount of temporary hit points equal to twice the result. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute, or until depleted.

Additionally, you can spend any amount of hit die as a bonus action, recovering an amount of respite dice equal to the amount of hit die spent. You cannot have more than your maximum amount of respite dice at once. You also recover two respite dice on a short rest, rather than only one.

Martial Mastery

Beginning at 17th level, you attain mastery of your own combat style. You gain additional benefits based on your fighting styles, as shown below.

Marksmanship (Requires the Archery fighting style)

You gain +2 to damage rolls you make with ranged weapons.

• Additionally, attacking with the long range of your ranged weapons no longer imposes disadvantage on your attack rolls.

Awakened Senses (Requires the Blind Fighting fighting style)

The range of your blindsight is increased by 20ft.

• Additionally, you have tremorsense with a range equal to your blindsight range.

Piercing Bolts (Requires the Close Quarters Shooter fighting style)

When you critically strike a creature within 30ft of you with a ranged attack, you triple the damage, instead of doubling it.

• Additionally, you can ignore the 'loading' property of crossbows.

Fortification (Requires the Defense fighting style)

While you wear armor you reduce any non-magical damage you take by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus. If your armor is magical, it instead reduces any damage you take by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus. This applies after resistances, but before vulnerabilities.

• Additionally, while you are wearing armor, your gain another +1 bonus to your AC.

Grace (Requires the Dueling fighting style)

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapon, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC.

• Additionally, your walking speed increases by 10ft when you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapon.

Heavy Expertise (Requires the Great Weapon Fighting fighting style)

When you are wielding a melee weapon with two hands, it gains the "reach" property. If it already has it, it is increased by 5 ft. instead.

• Additionally, you gain +1 to your AC when you are wielding a two-handed weapon with two hands.

Parkourist (Requires the Mariner fighting style)

The length of your long jump is increased to half of your walking speed, rounded up to the nearest 5 or 0. The height of your high jump is increased to one quarter of your walking speed, rounded up to the nearest 5 or 0. These values are applied with or without a running start, but only when you are not wearing heavy armor or holding a shield.

• Additionally, as long you are not wearing heavy armor or holding a shield, when you are prone, standing up uses only 5 feet of your movement, and you may use 5ft of movement to vault over a creature or obstacle no taller than half the height of your high jump

Deft Hands (Requires the Thrown Weapon Fighting fighting style)

As an action, you may choose any amount of creatures within 15ft of you. Make one ranged attack with a "thrown" weapon against each chosen creature. Each attack must use a different "thrown" weapon.

• Additionally, weapons with the "thrown" property ignore half-cover and three-quarters-cover against targets within their normal range.

Field Control (Requires the Tunnel Fighter fighting style)

While in your defensive stance, whenever a creature moves more than 5 feet while within your reach, it provokes opportunity attacks from you instead of allowing you to make a melee attack against it as a reaction.

• Additionally, you may push a creature up to 10ft away from you when you hit them with an opportunity attack. If the creature hits an obstruction of its size or larger, it is stunned until the end of its next turn.

Precision (Requires the Two-Weapon Fighting fighting style)

When you wield a separate weapon on each hand, the critical range of your attacks increase by 1 (19-20, 18-20, etc).

• Additionally, you gain +1 to your AC when wielding separated weapons on each hand.

Trained Body (Requires the Unarmed Fighting fighting style)

Your unarmed strikes' dice increase by one step again.

• Additionally, you may use dexterity, instead of strength, for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes.

Eternal Combatant

Something drives you forward, guiding you through the heat of combat and pulling every inch of your body and mind away from the mere thought of death, making it nearly impossible for your enemies to strike you down in battle. Beginning at 20th level, when you are reduced to 0 hit points and there is any remaining damage, make a constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 10 or half of the remaining damage, whichever is higher. On a success, you drop to 1 Hitpoint instead. Additionally, when you fail a constitution saving throw, you can spend one die from your "Moment of Respite" feature to automatically succeed on the save, regardless of the result of the roll.

• If you are reduced to exactly 0 hit points, you regain 1 hit point immediately after taking the damage.
• If an effect would kill you as the result of reducing you to 0 hit points, it doesn't kill you if you regain hit points due to this feature.
• This feature can only be used in combat.

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Skirmisher

Skirmishers are agile combatants, dashing through the battlefield with hit-and-run tactics. A skirmisher is not a master of deception and stealth like an assassin, nor is it capable of fighting hordes of enemies like a champion, but they excel at creating and abusing opportunities that surge in battle while maintaining themselves concealed in its chaos.

Hit-and-Run

Your strict and intensive physical training has greatly improved your reflexes and mobility. Beginning at 3rd level, while you wear light or no armor, you gain the following benefits:

• Your walking speed is increased by a number of feet equal to 5 times your proficiency bonus.
• You gain proficiency in dexterity saving throws.
• Your speed cannot be reduced and you are immune to the effects of difficult terrain while you are not grappled or restrained.

Ghost

You have learnt how to make yourself less threatening during a combat, mingling with the battlefield to the point not even your enemies can find you. Beginning at 3rd level, while in combat you can attempt to hide even while you are in the open, provided you have 3 or more creatures within 5 ft. of you that are not aware of you, or are not hostile to you. You can remain hidden even if you move in the open, provided you end your movement in a space with 3 or more creatures within 5 ft. of you, or in a position where you are not clearly visible. While concealed this way your movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, and creatures have disadvantage on any ability checks made to perceive you. You may stop being hidden at will, and you automatically stop being hidden when you attack a creature or cast a spell. You may also stop being hidden if you take any action your DM judges would break stealth.

Precise Strike

You can easily recognize where to strike for the best results, often causing devastating results in moments, or outright eliminating threats before your foes even notice. Beginning at 7th level, your critical range increases by 1 step. Additionally, when you critically stike a creature you can choose to perform one of the following:

• Cripple-> You cripple the creature in some way. You can reduce its speed to 0 until the end of their turn. Alternatively you may impose disadvantage on their attack rolls or saving throws until the end of their next turn.
• Hemorrhage-> You grievously wound the creature. You deal 2 additional necrotic damage, ignoring resistances and immunities, for every damage die rolled.
• Vanish-> You simply vanish amidst the situation. You can move up to half of your speed immediately after the attack. You are considered hidden until you stop moving.

Danger Sense

Your body has been conditioned to react against threats, allowing you to move while others sit still and watch their incoming doom. Beginning at 11th level, You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, you can't be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Evasive Footwork

You have learnt how to weave in and out of the gaps in the enemy forces, and your expertise with movement allows you to dance around aware foes without fear of reprisal. Beginning at 15th level, your movement does not provoke opportunity attacks even from creatures that are aware of you, and you can move up to 10 ft. whenever you successfuly hit a creature in combat.

Stalk

You have learnt how to completely erase your presence, allowing you to hide even in plain sight. While hidden in plain sight, you cannot move more than half of your walking speed unless you are in combat, you gain the benefits of your Ghost feature even if you do not meet its requirements, and your first successful attack is transformed into a critical hit. You stop being hidden if you take any amount of damage, if you interact with any creature, and immediately after you take any action.

Regardless if you are hidden or not, your critical range increases by 1, your damage modifier is affected by your critical hits, and you gain advantage on dexterity saving throws.

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Knight

Clad in heavy plates, Knights are practically walls in the frontlines. They take the brunt of the enemy assault, keeping the incoming threats from reaching their less resilient companions.

Hold the Line

Your specialty is to keep your opponents close to you, preventing them from ever reaching your exposed allies. Beginning at 3rd level, while wearing medium or heavy armor, you gain the following benefits:

• Your AC increases by half your proficiency bonus, rounded down.
• The area within your reach is considered difficult terrain for hostile creatures.
• Whenever you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, you can reduce their walking speed to 0.

Taunt

Sometimes there is no line to hold, and when that happens you alone have to be the wall your allies can hide behind. Beginning at 3rd level, as a bonus action you may force any amount of creatures within 30ft of you to make a charisma saving throw with the DC equal to 8 + twice your proficiency bonus. On a success, nothing happens. On a failure, they have disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures that are not you for 1 minute. A creature affected by this feature can repeat their saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on themselves on a success.

• You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all uses of this feature at the end of a long rest.

Deflection

Your sharp reflexes and better use of your armor can save you in a pinch, allowing you to deflect the force of a successful hit. Beginning at 7th level, you can spend a reaction when you are damaged by an attack to deflect it with your armor. Reduce the damage by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus. If the damage is reduced to 0 and you still have any remaining damage reduction from this feature, you deflect the blow back to the attacker, dealing damage equal to the remaining reduction. This feature cannot be used more than once against the same instance of damage.

• At 15th level, you can reduce the damage from spells as well. If a spell requires a saving throw, you can use this feature more than once against it, but you do not deal any damage back, regardless of how much damage reduction is left.
  

Protect the Weak

You often are not alone in the frontlines, and it’s your duty to protect your allies. Beginning at 11th level, whenever an ally within your reach takes damage from an attack or spell that requires an attack roll, you can spend a reaction to reduce the damage by your “Deflection” feature. When you reduce any instance of damage this way, you cannot damage the attacker back with it, regardless of how much damage reduction is left.

• Additionally, the reach of any melee weapon increases by 5ft while you are using it.

Guardian

You excel at holding a line and keeping even the most powerful of cavalry from breaking through, but you have also mastered the ability to keep your foes at a good distance. Beginning at 15th level, you are immune to any effects that would move you against your will, you count as one size larger when grappling and resisting grapples, and you gain a damage threshold equal to your proficiency bonus. When you take damage equal to, or lower than, your damage threshold, it is reduced to 0 instead.

• Additionally, the range of your Taunt feature increases to 60ft, and affected creatures can’t willingly move away from you in addition to having disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures that are not you.

Stalwart

You are the paragon of defense, the living fortress keeping the enemies at bay. Beginning at 18th level, your hit point maximum increases by 54, then by 3 every subsequent level. Additionally, you regain an amount of hit points equal to your proficiency bonus at the start of your every turn, provided you have at least 1 hit point remaining.

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Channeler

Channelers are potent Spellcasters that retain a great portion of their physical training, seeking to understand the weave in its purest form instead of pursuing the pinnacle of physical combat. Though they are often mistaken as Sorcerers, they are better paired with Wizards, as their versatility and unparalleled destructive power comes from study and practice, rather than natural talent.

Spellcasting

You have learned how to access and control the weave in a... different way. Beginning at 3rd level you get the following benefits:

Known Cantrips
You know 2 cantrips from the Wizard’s spell list. You learn another cantrip from the Wizard’s spell list at 7th level (3 cantrips), 11th level (4 cantrips), 15th level (5 cantrips), and 18th level (6 cantrips). Whenever you gain a new feature in this subclass, you can replace one cantrip you know for another cantrip from the Wizard spell list.

Known Spells
Your studies of the weave have granted you an in-depth knowledge of the spellcasting used by Wizards. You know any and all spell from the Wizard’s spell list, provided it’s level is lower than, but not equal to, your proficiency bonus.

• Channelers can ignore the need for a spellbook due to their extensive knowledge, but require a considerably greater focus and concentration to shape the weave in their desired form. You can only cast a spell through this feature if you have it prepared, spending spell points as necessary
• The burden of magic weighs on the mind, and applying knowledge is often much harder than acquiring it. You can only prepare spells whose level is lower than, but not equal to, your proficiency bonus.

What differs Channelers from common Wizards is their access to the chaotic essence of the primordial weave, granting them versatility comparable to those of Sorcerers. During a long rest, you can perform a special ritual to modify your list of prepared spells.

• You can spend 10 minutes per spell level to unravel the arcane threads connecting your mind to the essence of meaning of a prepared spell, removing it from your list of prepared spells.
• You can spend 20 minutes per spell level to fully assimilate the essence of a spell you know, but that you have not yet prepared, in order to add it to your list of prepared spells.
• You cannot have more than your intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus prepared spells at once, as the intricacies of magic take a large toll on your mind.

Spell Slots
Your study of the weave has focused greatly on the primordial aspects of magic and the chaotic freedom of the ancient spells, providing you with a versatility compared to those of Sorcerers. You are not bound by spell slots, instead you have spell points.

• You have an amount of spell points equal to your proficiency bonus + your level in Combat Specialist.
• In order to cast a spell, you must spend a number of spell points equal to the spell’s level. Spells cast this way are always cast at their lowest level.
• You regain a number of spell points equal to your proficiency bonus at the end of a short rest, and all spent spell points at the end of a long rest.

Spell Properties
Your contact with the chaotic essence of the weave, the very source of power that breathes life in sorcery, has granted your spells some unique properties.

• You can use your body as the arcane focus when casting spells and cantrips, empowering them as listed below. When you cast a spell or a cantrip this way, you take an amount of force damage equal to 1 + the spell’s level. This damage cannot be reduced in any way.
• Your spell attack modifier is equal to your intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. Your spell attack modifier increases by half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, for any spell or cantrip cast while using your body as the arcane focus.
• Your spell save DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your intelligence modifier. Your spell save DC increases by half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, for any spell or cantrip cast while using your body as the arcane focus.
• Your spells and cantrips don’t need material components, unless said component has a price, when you cast it while using your body as the arcane focus. You may also ignore verbal components, but not somatic components, when a spell is cast this way.

Spell Sculptor

Your study of the weave goes beyond the mere act of casting spells, allowing you to modify their very essence at the price of your own life force. Beginning at 3rd level, when you cast a spell or cantrip with the casting time no longer than 1 action while using your body as the arcane focus, you can choose to apply any amount of modifications to your spell, up to your proficiency modifier. You can take a modification more than once to apply it multiple times, unless otherwise stated. For every modification applied, you take 3 points of force damage that can’t be reduced in any way and increase the spell’s level by 1 for effects that would interact with it, such as counterspell. The benefits are listed below:

Compress-> You compress the magic with your own life force, increasing its density and its destructive power. The spell deals one additional damage die. If it only damages one target, it also deals an amount of additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus. The additional damage is of the same type as the spell’s damage. If the spell has multiple damage types, you may choose which type to improve with this modification. If the spell has no die, it deals an additional amount of damage equal to your proficiency bonus plus the spell's level.

Expand-> You stretch the dimensions of the spell, filling in the blanks with your vitality. All creatures in a 5ft radius of the spell must make a constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be affected as well. If the spell already affects an area, increase that area by 5ft.

Conceal-> You forcibly remove visual and auditory effects from the spell, making it invisible and silent at the price of backlash. If the spell requires an attack roll, you have advantage on the roll. If the spell requires a saving throw, the affected creatures have disadvantage on it. You cannot apply this modification more than once to a single spell. If the spell requires an attack roll AND a saving throw, you can only choose one of these to benefit from this modification.

Bombard-> You split your essence into smaller parts, using them to fuel brand new projectiles. The spell gains one additional projectile that deals half of the spell’s damage and applies any effects the spell already applies. If the spell already generates more than one projectile, the additional projectile generated by this modification deals the same damage as the original projectiles and apply any effects the spell already applies. If the spell does not generate projectiles, this modification cannot be applied to it.

Linger-> You replace part of the magic with a portion of your own energy, allowing you to reuse that fleeting magic in a short period of time. If the spell does not have a duration, it can be cast once more as a bonus action, for no cost, until the end of your next turn. If the spell has a duration, you double it or increase it by 24 hours, whichever increase is lower. If the spell doesn't have a duration, this modification cannot be applied more than one time at once to it. If the source of the spell is this modification, this modification cannot be applied to it.

Guarantee-> You infuse the spell with more of your will, providing you with a more precise control of it. The spell gains +2 to the spell's attack modifier or the spell's save DC, whichever is applicable.

Soothe-> You use the magical flux to transfer part of your own life to another creature. After casting the spell, roll one of its dice again. A creature of your choice within its range, other than you, recovers an amount of hit points equal to the die roll + your proficiency bonus. If the spell already recovers any missing hit points, it instead gains one additional dice of recovery and heals one additional hit point per dice, or heals an additional amount equal to your proficiency bonus plus the spell's level if it doesn't have any die.

Ward-> You loop the backlashing energy through your body, projecting it outwards in a defensive manner. After casting the spell, you gain an amount of temporary hit points equal to twice the spell’s level, which last for 1 minute or until depleted. If the spell grants any temporary hit points, it does so one additional time.

Amplify-> You amplify the potency of a spell, heightening its effects. If the spell applies one effect that does not increase AC or provide a bonus to attack rolls and/or saving throws, it applies said effect one additional time. If the spell applies multiple effects, you choose which one is applied one additional time, provided the chosen effect does not increase AC or provide a bonus to attack rolls and/or saving throws. This modification cannot be used on spells that do not apply effects.

Weave the Energy

Your focus in the most basic aspects of the weave has refined your control over your own spells, greatly improving efficiency. Beginning at 7th level, when you cast a spell that affects more than one creature, you can choose any amount of creatures up to the spell’s level + your proficiency bonus. The chosen creatures are exempt from the effects of the spell, don’t take any damage from it, and automatically succeed the save, if any.

• Cantrips are treated as level 0 spells for the purposes of this feature.

Efficient Catalyst

Your long experience of using your own body as the very instrument to guide and shape the weave has scarred your body permanently, but now the magic flows naturally in your veins. Beginning at 11th level, your hit dice becomes a d8 and your maximum hit points are reduced accordingly. You take 1 less force damage from using your body as the arcane focus of your spells, only 1 force damage for every modification applied with your Spell Sculptor feature, and gain immunity to the damage and the harmful effects applied by your own spells.

Multi-Caster

You achieved a major breakthrough through your focus in the study of the primordial pillars of the weave and their connection with more modern spells: The ability to rapidly piece spells together. Beginning at 15th level, when you cast a spell with a casting time no longer than 1 action, you may immediately cast a second spell on the same action, provided the sum of the level of both spells is not greater than your proficiency bonus, and that the second spell does not have a casting time longer than 1 action. If you cast both spells while using your body as the arcane focus, both spells may be from any level, provided you can cast them at that level. You must still spend the spell points necessary to cast both spells.

• Additionally, you have learnt how to apply this alacrity to your most basic spells. Cantrips that had a cast time of 1 action may be cast as a bonus action.

True High Magic

Though the so-called “Epic Magic” has been long lost to time, you have learnt how to unlock the true potential of its predecessors, freely shaping a mere spell into the ancient magic it originated from. Beginning at 18th level, when you cast a spell or cantrip while using your body as the arcane focus, you may spend any amount of additional spell points. For each additional spell point spent, apply one benefit from your Spell Sculptor feature and consider the spell to be one level higher than it would otherwise be.

Immediately after casting the spell you suffer 1 level of exhaustion for every 5 spell points spent. If the spell is successfully cast, your body suffers from the backlash of forcibly amplifying magic to an extreme degree, and you take an amount of force damage equal to 5 times the amount of spell points spent, which cannot be reduced in any way. If this damage would reduce you to 0 hit points or fewer, you instead remain with 1 hit point, suffer one additional level of exhaustion, and cannot cast any spells until you are no longer affected by exhaustion. If you die as a result of exhaustion, you can only be revived through the Wish spell, as your essence scatters in the weave.

• Additionally, when you critically strike or reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you steal some of its essence and recover 1 spell point. These spell points cannot go beyond your maximum amount of spell points.

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Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Combat Specialist class, you must meet these prerequisites: Constitution of 13 or higher.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Combat Specialist class, you gain the following proficiencies: light and medium armor, shields, simple weapons.

3.33

(3 votes)

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