Corrupted Soul (5e Class)

Corrupted Soul

Who mourns the dead and living? Why? The dead have rest. The living have yet time. But what of those who cannot live and cannot die? What of them who wander, tortured for all eternity, their bodies withering as their souls persist, unable to leave? Like rust binds a sword to its sheath, so too doth a soul to its body when enraptured by corruption. Unable to let go, unable to stay, unable to rest, unable to dream ... Bound to a damned existence of pain.

Rotten Inside And Out

Corrupted souls are people who dabbled in dark arts and magic which eventually infected their very souls and core. This sort of damage is irreversible and cannot be drawn out or healed. The corruption only spreads from that point on, slowly eating at the host mentally and physiologically. As their souls get more corrupted, they gain more power at the expense of their bodies, which they are bound to by corruption. The effects eventually become visible at the skin as the body begins to change due to the curse. Some develop superhuman qualities and cannibalistic tendency while others get corrupted flesh and limbs. This continues in agony until nothing is left but a monster.

Creating a Corrupted Soul

By spterson085

How has your character been cursed with this? Was it a fated happening? Did your character defy some rule of magic or encounter a curse? As you grow more and more corrupted, how does your character handle that feeling? Are they grieving and down on their luck, or relishing the feeling of power? Do you seek a way to lift or alleviate your corruption? If so, how?

Quick Build

You can make a Corrupted Soul quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the Hermit or Criminal background.

Class Features

As a Corrupted Soul you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light and Medium Armor, shields
Weapons: Simple and Martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength and Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth, and Survival

Equipment

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

• (a) A Maul or (b) a Longsword and a Whip
• (a) A Longbow with a quiver of 10 arrows or (b) any two simple weapons
• (a) Scale Mail or (b) Studded Leather Armour
• (a) Dungeoneer's pack or (b) Explorer's pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 3d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Corrupted Soul

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Soul Points	Features
1st	+2	5	Spark of Corruption, Replenish
2nd	+2	10	Eldritch Eyes
3rd	+2	15	Corrupted Touch
4th	+2	20	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	25	Corrupted Flesh
6th	+3	30	Manifestation
7th	+3	35	Corrupted Flesh Upgrade
8th	+3	40	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	45	Corrupted Flesh Upgrade
10th	+4	50	Flesh Morpher, Manifestation improvement
11th	+4	55	Corrupting Miasma, Corrupted Flesh Upgrade
12th	+4	60	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	65	Destructive Conduit, Corrupted Flesh Upgrade
14th	+5	70	Synchronized Corruption, Manifestation improvement
15th	+5	75	Spatial Corruptor, Improved Flesh Morpher
16th	+5	80	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	85	Kegare Charge, Corrupted Flesh Upgrade
18th	+6	90	Blood of Jubilex
19th	+6	95	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	100	Eternal Rot

Design Note: Instead of traditional archetypes, this class is based around customization by choosing the features to get at higher levels

Spark of Corruption

You are infected from the soul, which makes you vulnerable internally. But this corruption likewise grants you powers to use, in exchange for more of your soul, and eventually your body. Starting 1st level, you have your soul's energy harnessed as an exchange which you can feed the corruption in you, represented by soul points. Your level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Soul Points column of the class table. As your soul strengthens against the corruption, you gain more base points to use.

Some of your features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC for all features using soul points is calculated as follows:

Soul Corruption save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

When you spend a soul point, it is unavailable until you regain the points by use of the Replenish feature.

You spend soul points to fuel corruption bargain features, where the corruption is allowed to devour your mind and body in exchange for bursts of power or special abilities. You start knowing two such bargain features and gain more features at later levels:

Maddened Surge

You can spend one soul point to double your movement speed on your turn, no action necessary.

Resilience

Immediately after you take damage from an attack or spell, you may spend 5 soul points to halve the damage dealt to you without any action.

Replenish

Your soul cannot last long before the corruptive influence prevails, and with you trading parts and your body left and right for power, you're nigh to be devoured by the rot. So, you must be able to bolster yourself by adding soul essence to your own to guard and last against the corruption. You gain the power to draw out and devour souls of the fallen starting at 1st level. Types of creatures souls that can be eaten are as per DM's discretion. The only beings that cannot be devoured under any circumstances are Undead beings of any kind, and Constructs; they are filled with an essence that mocks life and are not "truly alive." You can use an action to eat the life essences of the recently deceased. The creature must have died in the past hour for the essence to be consumed, and you must be within 10 feet of the creature to eat its soul. When consumed, you regain expended soul points equal to the CR of the soul consumed (minimum of 1). You cannot regain more points than the total shown on the table with this feature. You can use this ability equal times your Wisdom modifier, regaining use after you finish a long rest. Since you eat the life essence, it makes the soul consumed unable to be revived in any way other than the wish spell.

Eldritch Eyes

Starting at 2nd level your corruption peeks out of your body's eyes when anyone looks in them and gazes into your rotten soul. This not only makes you frightening but also bares the pure corruption into the soul of another, as the eyes are windows. You may choose to roll with advantage on an Intimidation or Insight check you make. You can use this feature a number of times equal your Wisdom, regaining use after finishing a short or long rest.

Corrupted Touch

Starting at 3rd level, your soul's acrid rot pervades your touch, though it has yet to eat away at your body. You are able to spread this damaging quality onto others to harm them. You may expend ten soul points to use this feature, manifesting a corrupted, ethereal hand of your soul and shooting it to claw a creature within 120 feet. Make a ranged weapon Attack against the creature to assail it with the rot of your soul. On a hit, the target takes necrotic damage equal to 3d8 + your Wisdom modifier, and it can't regain Hit Points until the end of its next turn. Until then, the target has the stain of corruption on them, which manifests as a fragment of your own corrupted soul latching on. You can choose how this looks, including the shape and color of your corruption.

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.

Corrupted Flesh

The corruption spreads from your soul onto your body now, taking parts of it while granting extraordinary abilities. Starting 5th level, your eyes go first, being the windows to your soul. You may choose one of the following effects as your feature for the corresponding levels:

• All Seeing Eyes. You may spend 10 soul points to overcharge your eyes. You gain blindsight for one minute with a range equal to 5 x your Wisdom modifier.
• Hypnotic Gaze. You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill. You may expend 20 soul points and an action to look at a creature within melee range which can see you. They must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed for the next hour or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. The charmed creature regards you as a friendly acquaintance. When the spell ends, the creature knows it was charmed by you.
• Menacing Glare. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. You may expend 10 soul points and an action to look at a creature within melee range which can see you. They must succeed a Charisma saving throw or become frightened until the end of their next turn.
• Medusa's Gift. As an action you may spend 25 soul points to glare at another creature within 30 feet of you. They must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or become paralyzed until the beginning of their next turn.
• Inquisitor's Sight. You gain proficiency in the Investigation skill. As an action you may spend 15 soul points to cast the spell identify without expending a spell slot or components.

Starting 7th level, your arms and hands start to be affected by the corruption.

• Shadowy Misdirection. You gain proficiency in the sleight of hand skill. You may expend an action to use 15 soul points. For the next minute, all Perception checks roll with disadvantage against you.
• Corrupted Claw. You may expend 5 soul points to make an unarmed strike as a bonus action. This attack deals necrotic damage equal to your corrupted soul level.
• Iron Reaver. You may expend 10 soul points to make an unarmed strike as an action. This attack deals magical slashing damage equal to five times your Wisdom modifier.
• Corruption's Grip. You have advantage in all checks to grapple other creatures. The creature takes 5 necrotic or acid damage (you choose) at the start of each of their turns while grappled by you as your corruption erodes their soul and flesh on contact.
• Phantom Limb. Your corruption permanently manifests an alternate set of limbs based on your own, but these are not very normal at all. These two pairs of arms have a reach of 30 feet. You can use these extra arms to manipulate an object, open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. These hands can't attack, activate magic items, or carry more than 50 pounds each.

Starting 9th level, the corruption of your flesh surfaces in your legs and feet.

• Swift Foot. You gain 20 feet of walking speed and can walk through difficult terrain as though normal.
• Pounding Kick. You may expend 20 soul points to expend an action and make a powerful kick as an unarmed strike. This attack deals magical bludgeoning damage equal to five times your Wisdom score.
• Steady Footing. You no longer take falling damage, as you can always land with amazing acrobatic grace and steady footing. You also have advantage in saving throws against being moved against your will or being knocked prone.
• Omniterrain. Using 5 soul points, you can change your movement speed without using an action to another speed as the corruption alters your body. For example, you can change your walking speed to a swimming or flying speed. If you have multiple movement speeds, you can only alter one at a time with this feature.
• Phantasmal Float. Your legs cease to appear solidly. You gain a flying speed of 5 feet, but you cannot fly higher than 5 feet off surfaces, constantly hovering. This means you can float across surfaces of water and lava, but you cannot float across nothing.

Starting 11th level, your internal workings are corroded and changed by the taint of corruption.

• Retain Guts. You can keep your guts in for a bit longer if you're hit by a fatal move that would otherwise spill it all out. When you would be dropped to 0 hit points, you can instead drop to 1 hit point instead. You can use this feature once, regaining use after you finish a long rest.
• Iron Stomach. You can eat anything and nothing will go wrong. You become immune to diseases and being poisoned by food or drink.
• Venomous Insides. Venomous acid bubbles in your stomach as the corruption eats away at your insides and converts the innards into a biological weapon. The stronger your inside is, the higher toxicity the acid is. You may expend 30 soul points to expend an action and spit a bout of corrupted acid at a creature within 30 feet of you. It must attempt a Constitution saving throw. On failure, it takes 14d6 acid damage and becomes poisoned. On success, it takes half as much damage and is not poisoned.

Starting 13th level, your main body below your neck has pretty much succumbed to the corruption.

• Ethereal Form. Your form is very hazy now, with the edges seeming wisping and fraying due to the corruption. You gain resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage.
• Fluid Form. As your body deteriorates, becoming partially a soul and losing physicality, you can pass through objects like air. Using 20 soul points, you gain the ability to move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. This lasts for 1 hour. You also no longer need to breathe.

Starting 17th level, the corruption has worked its way entirely throughout your flesh, ending its spread at the crown of your head once it has pervaded every nook and cranny.

• Corrupted Mentes. The corruption enshrouds your mind almost protectively from other influences. You become aware of any divination magic which targets you and you cannot be affected by any which you refuse. You also gain resistance to psychic damage.
• Mouthpiece of Death. The barrier between you and the soul disintegrates, allowing you to make conversation with the ethereal. You are considered permanently under the effects of speak with dead. You also can cast the etherealness spell once, without spell slots or components. You regain use of this spell when you finish a long rest.
• Aura of Corruption. All Beasts with a Wisdom score below 14 are uneasy around and are prone to avoid you and have disadvantage on attack rolls against you.
• Corruption Barrier. You emanate the corruption's influence into the ether. You gain advantage on all Charisma saving throws. Also, you become immune to being charmed and frightened.

Manifestation

The corruption eating away at you gains the powers now to grow and manifest outside you as it eats more of you and gains more power. Starting 6th level, you can project your corruption from yourself to distract or frighten others.

Summon Corruption

You can spend an action to expend 20 soul points to conjure a bit of corruption in an unoccupied space of your choice within 60 feet of you which lasts for up to 1 minute. It occupies a space like a Medium creature and appears like some malformed mass of darkness. You can choose how it appears, including its color, shape, etc. Any creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of the corruption must make a Wisdom saving throw. The creature takes 3d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. As a bonus action, you can move the corruption up to 30 feet. If you ram the corruption into a creature, that creature must make the saving throw against the corruption's damage, and the corruption stops moving this turn. When you move the corruption, you can direct it over barriers up to 10 feet tall and jump it across pits up to 10 feet wide.

Starting 10th level, the corruption now passively manifests around you as a dark miasmatic aura permanently. This aura appears as a shadowy dark mass that seems to radiate from you. While you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your Armor Class equals 13 + your Strength modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Starting 14th level, the aura now has form and ravenous sentience. It remains attached to you, but will tear at anything that appears hostile to you, its host. When you are attacked by a creature within 5 feet of you, the aura manifested on you automatically attacks viciously in retaliation, with no action on your part. This attack shares your modifiers and proficiency bonus, and deals necrotic damage equal to 4d8 + your Corrupted Soul level.

Flesh Morpher

Your corruption is like a parasite. It is not wholly aware of how it may die with you should you perish. However, it does grant you some ability to heal flesh wounds in a pinch and cure other ailments, at the exchange of more spirit. Starting 10th level, you may expend 30 soul points to regain hit points equal to 4d8 + your corrupted soul level as a bonus action. You cannot regain hit points over your hit point maximum with this feature. When you use this feature, you can also choose from one of the additional effects below to apply:

• You remove one stack of exhaustion from yourself.
• You end one curse on yourself, including an attunement to a cursed magic item.
• You remove any reduction to one of your ability scores.
• You remove one effect reducing the target’s hit point maximum.

Starting 15th level, you may expend 50 soul points to fully restore your hit points to your hit point maximum as a bonus action. Your corruption can also effectively use your body as a conduit to change the flesh of others, healing those you see as allies and harming those you see as foes. The below additional effects are added to the above list for the feature:

• You can heal a creature within 5 feet of you for up to the same amount of hit points as you regained.
• You can force a creature within 5 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they take necrotic damage equal to the amount of hit points you regained. On a successful save, they take half as much.

Corrupting Miasma

Starting 11th level, you can use an action to expend 5 or more soul points (in multiples of 5) and create a cloud of corruption around yourself for 1 minute. This cloud covers a spherical radius equal to the number of soul points you expend, originating from you. This cloud moves with you and is heavily obscured, though you can see through it as normal. Wind cannot disperse this cloud. When a creature enters this cloud, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned. On a successful save, its speed is 0 until the end of its next turn and it has disadvantage on all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. While poisoned in this way, a creature can't take an action or a Bonus Action. A poisoned creature can attempt another Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the condition on a success.

Destructive Conduit

Starting 13th level, your corruption leaks from your body such that even those who harm you cannot come out unscathed, and that includes their weapons. When a creature hits you with a weapon attack, you can expend 5 soul points to use one of the following effects:

• If the attack is from a natural weapon (claw, fang, etc.), you can have the attacking creature take 2d6 acid or necrotic damage.
• The weapon used to attack you becomes stained with corruption and begins to morph erratically, making it harder to use. Any attacks made subsequently with the weapon affected are made with disadvantage.
• If the attack is from a melee wielded weapon (sword, club, etc.), your corruption latches onto it and yanks it away from the wielding creature. You can fling the weapon to any unoccupied space within 20 feet of you.
• If the attack is from a ranged wielded weapon (bow, sling, etc.), your corruption flings a copy of the ammunition at a creature of your choice within 30 feet of you. Make a new attack roll against the new target, as if you made the original weapon attack, and make a new damage roll.

Synchronized Corruption

Starting 14th level, your corruption seeks others that it has also stained and forces them into the same pain you feel. You are aware of any creature that is poisoned within 30 feet of you. As an action, you can expend 5 or more soul points and a poisoned creature within 30 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw. You can force a number of creatures equal to the number of soul points you expend/5 within range to make this save (so spending 30 points forces 6 creatures to make the save). On a successful save, a creature drops prone and cannot get back up until the end of its next turn. On a failed save, a creature drops prone and is also incapacitated, writhing in pain as your corruption eats away at it. For creatures that fail, they can reattempt the save at the end of each of turns and each time they take damage. On a successful save, the spell ends.

Spatial Corruptor

Starting 15th level, the corruption's effect on your body has made it so you no longer function with normal physics all the time. You gain the following two features you can use soul points for:

• As a bonus action, you can use 5 or more soul points (in multiples of 5) to teleport to a space within X feet of you, X being the amount of soul points you spend.
• As a bonus action, you can use 5 soul points to make yourself invisible for 1 minute, as if you'd used the invisibility spell on yourself. While you are invisible this way, you do not leave footprints.

Kegare Charge

Starting 17th level, the corruption absorbs impurities to use as fuel. While you are affected by a condition, you can use an action to end the condition and gain 5 soul points. You can only use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, regaining all use once you finish a long rest.

Blood of Jubilex

Starting 18th level, your souls corruption renders your blood to become like viscous goop, like the oozes ruled by Jubilex, one of the Underworld Kings. It accumulates the stuff of nightmares, agglutinating in darkness and vile thoughts which actually nourish the corruption in you. You can spend 1 minute feeding your blood to your corruption in exchange for a burst of power, to regain all your expended soul points from your Spark of Corruption feature. Once you regain soul points with this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

Eternal Rot

Your rotting inside has now covered your outside. The rot has become part of you, and the corruption is self-feeding. At 20th level, when you are hit by an attack dealing necrotic damage, you take no damage and instead regain hit points equal to half the amount of damage you would have taken. You cannot regain hit points over your hit point maximum with this feature. However, if you are healed over your hit point maximum by any effect, you instead gain temporary hit points, which expire and vanish when you start your next long rest. You can also choose instead to gain soul points instead of regaining hit points. If you do so, you only get half as many soul points.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Corrupted Soul class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 13, Wisdom 15, afflicted by madness

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Corrupted Soul class, you gain the following proficiencies: Intimidation, Medicine, Religion

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