Grave Digger (5e Class)

Grave Digger

For most creatures, the death is the end of the road, the release from obligations, from struggles and the time you are finally allowed to rest after a hard life. For some, however, the death is the starting point of their journey, and where the work begins. Grave diggers are some of those individuals, tasked with the job of the closure in the funeral rites, by burying the deceased.

More than just that, they are responsible for keeping the resting place from the departed clean, organized, maintaining the order and organization of such places. They act as wardens of graveyards, protecting them from the action of robbers, defilers and evil necromancers, ensuring that the final rest of those who were buried there will be respected and the dead will be honored.

Sometimes they also need to not only stop creatures from entering these sites, but from leaving. When restless souls cause corpses to raise from their grave or linger between planes, the grave digger is the one who help them to find comfort and finally rest, sometimes by talking with the dead, and sometimes by bludgeoning them until they stop moving using their trusty shovel.

Creating a Grave Digger

When creating a grave digger, ask yourself why did you ended up in such a laborious task? Most gravediggers are related to religious orders in a way or another, although some, specially the undertakers, may end up become grave diggers for payment, no matter how small.

Gravedigger by Adam Lane

Quick Build

You can build a Grave Digger quickly by taking the following steps: Strength should be your primary ability score, followed by Wisdom. Constitution comes as a tertiary important ability, since your hit points are important as a tank class. Second, choose the Hermit or the Acolyte backgrounds. Third and finally, choose as your starting equipment the handaxe, the light crossbow and 20 bolts, the dungeoneer's pack, a leather armor, a holy symbol, a dagger and a shovel.

Class Features

As a Grave Digger you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Grave Digger level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Grave Digger level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception and Religion

Equipment

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

• (a) a handaxe or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two simple weapons
• (a) an dungeoneer's pack or (b) a priest's pack
• a leather armor, a holy symbol, a dagger and a shovel
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Grave Digger

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Death Affinity, Gravedigger's Shovel
2nd	+2	Fast Digging, Turn Undead
3rd	+2	Grave Digger Archetype, Protector of Graveyards
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Archetype Feature, Destroy Undead
6th	+3	Death Challenger, Undead Resilience
7th	+3	Absorb Death
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Invisible Shovel
9th	+4	Archetype Feature
10th	+4	Eternal Vigil
11th	+4	Archetype Feature
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Archetype Feature
14th	+5	Shoveler Rebuke
15th	+5	Corpse Resilience
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Archetype Feature
18th	+6	Death's Companion
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Grave Guardian

Death Affinity

Starting at 1st level, you can understand the lost souls who wander through the material plane, which cause you to be a less likely target for them. If an undead targets you directly with an attack or a harmful spell, that creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC (an undead needn't make the save when it includes you in an area effect, such as the explosion of Fireball). On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or forfeit targeting someone instead of you, potentially wasting the attack or spell. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. An undead is also immune to this effect for 24 hours if you target it with an attack or a harmful spell.

Additionally, you have advantage on all Charisma and Wisdom (Insight) checks made to interact with undead. You also have advantage on saving throws against any disease.

Gravedigger's Shovel

Starting at 1st level, when you finish a long rest, you can touch a shovel of your choice and transform it into your gravedigger's shovel. Your gravedigger's shovel have the following properties:

Shovel

The shovel is considered a melee simple weapon that causes 1d8 damage, with the versatile (1d10) property. You can cause either slashing or bludgeoning damage with the shovel.

Shovel Magic

While wielding the shovel, you can cast mold earth and spare the dying. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this cantrip.

Enemy of Undeads

Whenever you hit an undead with the shovel, the undead has disadvantage on attack rolls against you until the end of your next turn.

Strike of Burial

As an action, you can make a special attack with the shovel. On a hit, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or is knocked prone. At 5th level, the creature takes additional 1d8 on a failed save. At 11th level, the attack causes additional 1d8 on a hit, and 2d8 on a failed save. The damage increase to 2d8 and 3d8 respectively at 17th level.

Fast Digging

Starting at 2nd level, whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can use your bonus action to walk or burrow up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks. This movement doesn't count against your movement speed maximum.

In addition, you gain a burrow speed of 10 feet.

Turn Undead

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your knowledge about the dead to ward off undead creatures.

As an action, you present your shovel and utter a command censuring the undead. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage.

A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there's nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.

Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Protector of Graveyards

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your control over the souls of both living and dead creatures to hinder or heal the souls. Once you use either option of Ward Off Spirits, you can't use it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Ward Off Spirits

As a bonus action, you can stop souls from approaching the protected area. Each creature of your choice in an area of 30-foot radius around you must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier). Undead creatures have disadvantage on the save. On a failed save, a creature must use its reaction to leave the area. In addition, whenever a creature tries to enter the area, it must succeed on the saving throw to be able to do so.

A creature can freely enter the area after succeeding this saving throw at least once. The effect ends earlier if you are knocked unconscious, or if you leave the protected area.

Heal the Spirit

As a bonus action, you can recover injured creatures. Each creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you regains hit points equal to 1d6 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) if it has no more than half of its maximum of hit points.

Funerary Rites

As an action, you can use this feature to cast gentle repose or the funeral rite version of the ceremony spell. You can also cast these spells as a ritual, without spending a use of this feature.

You also can use this feature to ask a single question to a deceased creature. This works as the speak with dead spell, but you can only make a single question.

Destroy Undead

Starting at 5th level, when an undead fails its saving throw against your Turn Undead feature, the creature is instantly destroyed if its challenge rating is at or below a certain threshold.

Destroy Undead

Gravedigger Level	Destroys Undead of CR . . .
5th	1/2 or lower
8th	1 or lower
11th	2 or lower
14th	3 or lower
17th	4 or lower

Death Challenger

Starting at 6th level, whenever you succeed on a death saving throw or a Constitution saving throw or when you stabilize a creature with spare the dying, you can regain hit points equal to 1d8 + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 hit point).

In addition, when you do so, you can choose to end any harmful condition or spell on yourself or on a creature within 30 feet when you do so.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Undead Resilience

At 6th level, you gain resistance to necrotic and poison damage and advantage on saving throws against the poisoned condition.

In addition, whenever you take 10 points of damage or more in a single attack or effect, you can cause creatures of your choice within 10 feet to take necrotic or poison damage equal to half your grave digger level.

Absorb Death

Starting at 7th level, when a creature within 60 feet of you takes poison or necrotic damage, you can use your reaction to take necrotic damage in that creature's place, causing that creature not to take the damage.

This damage to you can't be reduced or prevented in any way, not even by immunity to it.

Invisible Shovel

At 8th level, while wielding the gravedigger's shovel, you gain the ability to subtly control the ground in a 20-foot radius around you.

You can cause the earth or dirt ground (but not stone) in the area to become difficult terrain, using your action. You can end this effect as a bonus action.

In addition, you can dig the earth using this ability. If the area around you is lose earth, you can use an action to excavate it, move it along the ground, and deposit it on another part of the area. This movement doesn’t involve enough force to cause damage. You can dig 5-foot cube each turn.

Eternal Vigil

Beginning at 10th level, you are devoted to protect sacred sites from desecration, spending hundreds of years wandering trough graveyards to ward off the evil. You can hold your breath indefinitely, and you don't require food, water, or sleep, although you still require rest to reduce exhaustion and still benefit from finishing short and long rests.

You also age at a slower rate. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year, and you are immune to being magically aged.

Finally, once between rests, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + your grave digger level. When you do so, if you put a severed body part of yours back in place when you use this feature, the part reattaches.

Shoveler Rebuke

Starting at 14th level, when you are hit by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to attack the creature with your gravedigger's shovel. The attack instantly hits (no need for attack roll).

The attacker must also make a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failed save, the attacker takes additional 1d8 damage and is knocked prone.

Corpse Resilience

Starting at 15th level, you have advantage on saving throws to avoid becoming paralyzed or stunned.

Death's Companion

At 18th level, you gain immunity to necrotic and poison damage. You also can cast speak with dead at will, without spending spell slots or material components.

In addition, while talking with a deceased creature, you can use one of the questions you get to ask for the creature's help. If you do so, the creature will aid you for 1 hour, as if you had cast summon undead at 5th level, without needing components and without requiring concentration. The undead is always the Ghostly form.

Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Grave Guardian

At 20th level, you become the true guardian of the burial grounds. You can use your action to gain the following benefits for 1 hour:

• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical attacks.

• Your allies have advantage on death saving throws while within 30 feet of you.

• You have advantage on Constitution saving throws, as do your allies within 30 feet of you.

This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Archetypes

Fossor

A fossor is a gravedigger that work as keeper of graveyards of temples and religious orders. They receive the religious training of clerics, but their job is to keep the sacracy of resting places and preventing the violation or corruption of said places. More than just putting undeads to rest and digging graves, a fossor needs to ensure the gravestones are well kept, and some even work addorining and sculpting them, and some are even responsible for the building of crypts in holy graveyards.

Religious Acolyte

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the Religion and History skills. You also gain proficiency with the mason's tools and painter's supplies.

Additionally, you learn the guidance, resistance and detect evil and good spells. You can cast detect evil and good once without expending a spell slot, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

Diligent Precant

Starting at 3rd level, you can cast guidance and resistance as a bonus action. Additionally, you cast guidance or resistance on an ally within 30 feet of you.

Instrument of Gods

At 3rd level, you can use your trusty tool to channel the power of gods. As an action on your turn while wielding your gravedigger's shovel, you can force a creature within 30 feet to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier).

On a failed save, the target takes damage equal to your shovel damage die + your Wisdom modifier. The damage is radiant. A creature who takes damage from this effect also suffers the effects of your Strike of Burial feature.

In addition, you can use a bonus action to cover your shovel in divine power. If your next attack with the shovel hits, you cause additional 1d8 radiant damage. The damage increases to 2d8 at 11th level. You cause additional 1d8 damage against undead.

Divine Protection

At 5th level, you are blessed by the gods for your faithful work. You gain an additional reaction on your turn, which you can only use to activate divine protection.

If a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to deal radiant damage equal to 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier to that creature.

Sacred Vengeance

At 6th level, the gods punish any creature that dares to lay a hand upon you. If you lose 15 hit points or more on a single attack or after a failed saving throw, the source of the attack or effect must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or take radiant damage equal to your Divine Protection damage. The creature take 1 additional point of damage for each point of damage you take above 15.

The creature must be within 60 feet to be affected by this effect.

Detect Undead

At 9th level, you can meditate for 1 minute, focusing your senses on the presence of Undead creatures. You become aware of the presence of any undead creature within 1 mile radius.

You detect the presence of the undead and its general location, but to gather more specific information about it you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, spending 10 minutes. On a success, the DM reveal the specific distance of that undead creature, what type of undead creature it is, its resistances, immunities and vulnerabilities.

After failing this check, you can't use this feature again until you complete a short or a long rest.

Divine Destruction

At 11th level, you gain the ability to summon divine devastation upon your enemies. As an action, you can lift your gravedigger's shovel and cause an explosion of light that targets all creatures of your choice within a 20-foot-radius sphere.

Any creature of your choice in the area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take your Divine Protection damage. A creature doesn't need to make the save if the creature is behind total cover that is opaque.

Divine Resilience

Starting at 13th level, you can use a bonus action on your turn to gain advantage on the next Constitution or Wisdom saving throw (choose one) made until the start of your next turn.

Protection from Death

Starting at 17th level, you can't be unwillingly affected by harmful spells of the necromancy school. In addition, whenever a creature cast a necromancy spell targeting you, you can force that creature to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier). On a failed save, the target can't cast spells from the necromancy school until the end of your next turn.

Additionally, are automatically stabilized after reaching 0 hit points.

Undertaker

Undertakers take care of graveyards, but with emphasis in a single job - keeping the dead below the ground. Using of their trusty shovels and strong arms, they protect cemeteries from grave robbers and, most of all, destroy the undead. They are the bane of necromancers are undead raisers, and frequently wander outside their usual burying grounds to hunt and kill undead and their animators.

Deathly Vigor

Starting at 3rd level, you can extract the last breath of a deceased creature to restore your vitality. When you reduce a creature within 5 feet of you to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + your gravedigger level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point).

Dazing Shovel

Starting at 3rd level, when you hit a creature with your shovel, that creature can't take reactions until the start of your next turn.

Diligent Worker

Starting at 3rd level, you dig the earth with vigor and speed. You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Constitution modifier.

You also gain an additional way to use your Strike of Burial. After knocking a creature prone with the strike of burial, you can use your bonus action to cast mold earth to cover that creature in dirt or earth. If you do so, that creature movement speed is reduced to 0, unless it uses its action to dig itself from the earth.

Death Familiarity

Beginning at 5th level, you use your familiarity with death to escape its grasp. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can expend 1 hit die (no action required) to have 1 hit point instead. After doing so, you gain temporary hit points equal to the number rolled on the die + your Constitution modifier.

Fear of Death

At 6th level, you can inspire the fear of death and destruction on creatures who see you. As a bonus action, you can choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. Undead creatures have disadvantage on the saving throw.

Deadly Smite

Starting at 11th level, you can unleash the power of death trough your strikes. When you hit a creature with your shovel, you can expend 1 to 10 hit dice. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, and it takes 3d10 damage from the shovel's type per hit die spent on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Digger's Rampage

Beginning at 13th level, when you hit a creature with an attack from your gravedigger's shovel, you can use a reaction to make an attack with a shovel against another creature within 5 feet of you.

Shovel Flurry

Beginning at 17th level, when you make an attack with the shovel on your turn, you can make two additional attacks on the same turn, against the same target.

Once you do so, you can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Grave Digger class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength and Constitution must be above 13 and you must have a shovel and experience with undead creatures (2 encounters is enough)

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Grave Digger class, you gain the following proficiencies: one skill from the Grave Digger list and one set of tools

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