Hollower Variant (5e Class)

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Hollower

Deep in the abyss of a long defiled tomb, a lone archaeologist pushes aside the lid of a sarcophagus, only to reveal something he will never unsee. As he slowly walks back through the camp at his peers, the madness within his soulless eyes infests and consumes all those he sees.

A thief, huddled in the shadows of an unnamed latent ally, brushes away the dust from her latest prize. As the strange idol seems to shift and glow in her hands, her mind is overwhelmed with the darkness of inconceivable greed. From this day onwards, no item in existence will be enough to quell her destructive hunger.

A black-cloaked apprentice flees the guards of his master’s palace, frantically rifling through the pages of the forbidden tome of Aseroth for a way to escape his fate. As his eyes dart across the pages filled with ancient nines, voices that are not his own begin to infest his thoughts. lie turns in his tracks, and uttering a few syllables of a silent forgotten language, a creature of indescribable madness tears his assailants apart.

Secrets not meant to be known

Within the deepest archives and the must secret libraries of the gods, resides knowledge that has been hidden since before time began - secrets that were never mean to be revealed - But such secrets have their own way of making sure they are found...

A hollower's background is not important. However, they have come to discover the truth of the void, the unspeakable darkness of its existence has warped their mind and reality forever. Some choose to embrace the unquenchable power that this emptiness contains, consuming all that they touch. Others Seek to contain the madness within, realizing only too late that the darkness once locked within their mind has become all too real Still others can do nothing but spread the insanity that now devours them piece by piece Whatever a Hollower’s origin, their fate remains inextricably linked to the maddening emptiness of the void. They are a whole in the very fabric of reality, and their very existence unravels the world around them.

Creating a Hollower

When building your Hollower, think about what events led them to their dark discovery. What was the defining moment that revealed to them the inconceivable truth? Did they uncover some dark secret while exploring forgotten texts? Did the life of an adventurer lead them to discover knowledge that should never been revealed? Perhaps it was some dark artifact, or a botched ritual that granted them their grim enlightenment. Or maybe they have already been cast into the void themselves, and somehow managed to claw their way back into reality by force of will alone.

A Hollower is not like other warriors or spell-casters. Their abilities are not limited by the laws of magic or the strength of their own bodies, however, this power does not come without a cost. The more a hollower draws on the power of the void, the more warped and twisted their mind becomes. If left unchecked, this madness will eventually consume and destroy them, just as it does everything else.

Be sure to consider how your hollower has learned to cope with their ever-deepening insanity. Do they hide from the world and lock themselves away, or do they freely demonstrate the unsavory depths of their madness in hopes of confusing or terrifying those around them? What are your hollower's goals and ambitions? Do they someday hope to rid themselves at the unspeakable darkness that assails their mind? Or are they already too far gone to care, seeking only to spread the chaos and emptiness that consumes them?

Quick Build

You can make a Hollower quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose any background. Third, choose armor that doesn't have disadvantage on stealth checks.

Class Features

As a Hollower you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light and medium Armor
Weapons: Simple and Martial Bladed Weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Arcana, Perception, Investigation, Intimidation, Deception, and Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) Two daggers or (b) a longsword
• Leather Armor
• An explorer's pack
• An item of dark significance

Table: The Hollower

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Nullblade Damage
1st	+2	Void Energy,Nullblade, Maddening Power	1d10
2nd	+2	Void Manifestations, Knowledge of the Unknowable	1d10
3rd	+2	Devourer of Light	2d10
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2d10
5th	+3	Void Manifestations Feature	3d10
6th	+3	Step through Darkness	3d10
7th	+3	Consummate Madness	4d10
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4d10
9th	+4	Madman's Gambit, Extra Attack	5d10
10th	+4	Shroud of Nothingness	5d10
11th	+4	Void Manifestations Feature	6d10
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	6d10
13th	+5	Step through Darkness, Consummate Madness	7d10
14th	+5	Armor of Emptiness	7d10
15th	+5	Peer through Nothingness	8d10
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	8d10
17th	+6	Void Manifestations Feature	9d10
18th	+6	Step through Darkness, Nonexistence	9d10
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	10d10
20th	+6	Echoes of the Emptiness	10d10

Void Energy

Hollower's tap into forces that were never meant to be contained and contact with such devastating powers does not come without risk. Every time a hollower touches the void, they risk losing themselves to the madness on the other side.

Beginning at 1st level, you gain access to a pool of unnatural power called Void energy. Unlike other classes, there is no limit to the amount of Void energy you have access to, however each time you use Void energy, you must succeed on a DC 10+proficiency Intelligence save, or suffer a level of Void Madness as shown on the Tables below.

For every level of madness, you are afflicted with the DC increases by 2.

Nullblade

Your connection to the void has become strong enough that you can harness and shape the negative energy it contains into a weapon. As a bonus action on your turn, you may create any bladed weapon you are proficient with out of void energy. The weapon has the damage die that are the same of the base weapon. This weapon appears as an empty silhouette or a weapon shaped hole in the world and ceases to exist if it leaves your possession. Attacks made with this weapon are considered magical, and use your charisma modifier in place of strength or dexterity.

When you make an attack with your Nullblade, you may spend Void energy to deal additional damage as a bonus action. At 1st level, this damage is 1d10 but it increases with your level. This damage ignores resistance and immunity.

Over the course of a long rest, you may consume an existing weapon into the void by spending a number of void energy equal to the weapon's enhancement bonus. If you do so, you gain the ability to summon a nullblade with the same statistics as the weapon that was consumed. You can consume as many weapons in this way as you like, however only one nullblade can be wielded at any time. A weapon consumed in this way can not be restored by any means short of a wish spell.

Maddening Power

Whenever you expend Void energy, you are opening yourself up to the maddening power of the void, and must roll a DC 10+proficiency intelligence save, or contract a level of void madness as shown below Each level of madness you are already afflicted with increases the dc of the save by 2. You may choose to fail.

Void madness comes in levels, and the effects you are likely to suffer become more devastating as your level of madness increases Your first 10 levels of madness are rolled on the Incessant Madness table; Levels 11-20 are rolled on the Debilitating Madness table, and any levels above 20, are rolled on the Crippling madness Table. Roll 1dx based on the levels that the table contains.

Void Madness does not dissipated with time, and cannot be cured through normal means such as Lesser or Greater Restoration spells. Instead, a Hollower uses Madness to fuel their most powerful abilities, recovering sanity as they wreck havoc on the world around them.

When your level of madness decreases, the Most Devastating effects disappear first. For example, reducing your madness level from 21 down to 20, removes one effect from the Crippling madness table, and reducing your madness level from 15 to 10 would remove 5 effects from the Debilitating Madness table. Which effects from each table are removed are decided by you. as you slowly claw Back your sanity.

Knowledge of the Unknowable

At level 2, witnessing the end of days has hardened your mind against fear, and your presence feels like an unsettling absence in the fabric of reality. You gain advantage on saving throws against becoming frightened, and gain proficiency in the intimidation skill if you do not already have it. If you are already proficient in intimidation, you may add twice your proficiency modifier to intimidation checks.

Devourer of light

Beginning at 3rd level, you have learned to feed the dark forces you wield by erasing light from the world. As a bonus action on your turn, you may spend Void energy to extinguish any single light source you can see, creating a zone of magical darkness around it that extends 10 ft in all directions. This zone lasts for 1 minute and flows around corners and obstacles.

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

At 5th level and again at 14th level you may attack a 2nd and 3rd time.

Step Through Darkness

Beginning at 6th level, you can use the darkness of the void to travel vast distances instantly. One per round as part of your move action, you may step into any zone of magical darkness and reappear at another point within a zone of magical darkness within 30 ft.

This increases to 60 ft at 13th level, and 120 ft at 18th level.

Consummate Madness

From 7th level onward, You have learned how to subtly influence the way in which the void twist your mind. Whenever a class feature causes you to roll on a madness table, you may roll twice and choose from either result.

At 13th level, you may roll 3 times and choose either result.

Madman's Gambit

Your growing madness makes you unpredictable and hard to pin down. At 9th level, you gain an extra attack and you have advantage against opportunity attacks. In addition, when a creature makes an opportunity attack against you and misses, you may spend void energy as a reaction to deal your null blade damage the triggering attacker.

Shroud of Nothingness

At level 10. You can harness the vast emptiness of the void to move unseen through the world. While you are within a zone of magical darkness, you may use void energy as bonus action to make yourself invisible. This effect persists until you make an attack so long as you remain in magical darkness.

Armor of Emptiness

By 14th level, you have learned to wield the madness of the void as a shield. Once per short rest, when you are targeted by a weapon attack while within a zone of magical darkness, you may use your reaction to spend Void energy, increasing your AC by 1/2 (rounded up) your current madness level until the start of your next turn

Peer through Nothingness

By peering through the emptiness of the void, you are able to see even the darkest secrets of the world clearly. Beginning at 15th level, When you use your Shroud of Nothingness class feature, you may spend additional Void energy to gain truesight as if under the effect of the True Seeing Spell. This effect persists as long as you remain in magical darkness, but does not extend to other creatures you make invisible.

Nonexistence

At level 18. your maddening power allow you to shift the fabric of reality to temporarily negate a target's very existence. As an action on your turn, you may spend Void energy to force a target within 20 ft to make a intelligence saving throw vs 8 + your proficiency bonus + your intelligence modifier. A target can choose to fail this saving throw. On a failure, the target disappears from reality as if they had never existed for 1 minute. The target cannot take actions or be targeted until this effect ends, and any attempts to remember or recall the target fails.

Echoes of the Emptiness

Your connection to the unending void has grown so strong that even the faintest hint of shadow becomes a maddening darkness in your presence. Beginning at 20th level, you to treat all darkness as magical darkness for the purpose of your Hollower Abilities.

Void Manifestations

The emptiness of the void cannot be harnessed without consequences. By 2nd level, the hungering darkness you have opened yourself up to has begun to warp your mind, and possibly even your body. How a hollower copes with their ever-growing madness comes to define them and shape the way in which the void manifests within them.

Devouring Hunger

For many Hollowers, the pull of the void is simply too strong to resist. Why fight the darkness when they can feed it instead? Such Hollowers quickly begin to destroy everything they touch. Devouring the world around them to feed the ever growing Hunger that grows inside.

Pull of the Void

Beginning at the 2nd level when you choose this manifestation, you learn to channel the hungering power of the void to draw foes within range of your attacks. As an action on your turn, you can create a 10ft spherical zone of gravity centered on your nullblade.

Within the zone, movement away from the sphere's center is halved, and movement towards its center is doubled. Creatures that move into or begin their turn within the zone must succeed on a strength saving throw vs 8 + your intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus, or be pulled 5 feet toward its center.

While this zone is active, your level of madness is reduced by on level per round. The zone ends when your madness level reaches 0. or when you choose to end it as a bonus action.

Destructive Pull

By 5th level. The vacuous power that you wield is enough to consume and devour objects within the world. Your nullblade deals additional damage to unattended non-magical objects equal to you current level of madness.

In addition, while your Pull of the Void class feature is active, unattended non magical items within your sphere of gravity 5ft weighing less than 50lbs are pulled 5ft towards you each round, and you may use your reaction to reduce that triggering attack roll of ranged attacks made against you by your current level of madness.

Devouring Attack

When you reach 11th level, the destructive power of your nullblade consumes all that it touches, when you hit with an attack with your nullblade against a target while your Pull of the Void class feature is active, You may spend a bonus action to make a intelligence check against the targets AC On a success, the targets armor or shield takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a Shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed, and cannot be recovered by any means short of a wish spell.

Consume Magic

At level 17, your Hungering madness is enough to consume even the raw magic within the world. When you use your Pull of the Void Feature, you may choose for the sphere to consume magic, as per the spell anti magic field. If you do so. the Your level of madness reduces by 2 each round instead of 1.

Seed of Corruption

Unable to cope with the madness on their own, some hollowers seek to escape their torment by spreading it to others. Infesting the minds of their foes with the same darkness that afflicts them, these Seeds of Corruption Wreck Havoc on the sanity of those that stand in their way.

Infest the Mind

Beginning at 2nd level when you choose this manifestation, The emptiness of your eyes reflects visions of the dark nothingness from which you draw your power. Whenever you make an attack with your null blade against a target you can see, you may make an intimidation check as part of the attack. On a success, the target is afflicted with a level of madness. If a target dies while afflicted with madness from this feature, subtract the number of levels of madness the target was Inflicted with from your own.

Painful Insanity

At 5th level the madness that you sew within the minds of your foes causes them to greater and greater pain with each attack. When you spend Void energy to deal extra damage against a target afflicted with madness, you deal additional damage equal to the target’s current level of madness + your intelligence modifier

Distort Senses

By the time you reach 11th level, you have learned to manipulate the madness within your foes to your own advantage. When an enemy afflicted with madness makes an attack or casts a spell or attack that targets you or an ally, you may use your reaction to reduce the attack roll or spell save DC by their current level of madness + your intelligence modifier.

Dominate Madman

At level 17 you gain the ability to twist and shape the insanity you have inflicted upon your enemies in order to control their actions. As an action an your turn, you may force a target you have afflicted with madness to make a intelligence saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, the target is dominated by you for a number of rounds equal to it's current level of madness. When the domination ends. the targets madness level is reduced to O.

Living Nightmare

Very few hollowers are enable to embrace the void then be driven insane by it, becoming one with the void itself doing so. Becoming the thing they once wanted to destroy. Becoming the embodiment of a Living Nightmare.

Suppressing Darkness

Starting at 2nd level, you and the void become one, embracing each other and changing your very existence into something different entirely. Once per long rest, you must make a constitution saving throw equal or higher than a DC of 13 to remain in your humanoid form. On a failed constitution save, your true form is revealed, appearing in a monstrous silhouette created by a hole in the fabric of reality. You gain resistance to all damage that isn't magic, radiant, psychic, piercing, or force. You also has disadvantage on all rolls that are in direct light, magical or non magical. You may choose to fail.

Lastly, while in this form you gain 1 madness level for every creature or construct you kill. Every 3 levels you get will add +1 to how many creatures or constructs you can kill.

1 at 2nd, 2 at 5th, 3 at 8th, 4 at 11th, 5 at 14th, 6 at 17th, and 7 at 20th

Void Given Form

While in your true form you share the same hitpoints and AC you would have in your humanoid form. However, in your true form you cannot weild any weapons and cannot cast any spells. You have advantage on stealth and intimidation checks.

When attacking in your true form you deal 1d8 necrotic damage + 2 slashing damage. This increases by 1d8 every 4 levels.

Mental Barricade

Starting at 5th level, you have become adept at fighting off mental attacks. While in your true form, you gain resistance to psychic damage and have advantage against being charmed or frightened.

Pull of The Void

Starting at 7th level you can now change your form at will for an unlimited amount of time. You gain 1 madness level for everytime you change form.

Enchroaching Nightmare

Starting at 11th level, you can spend one action and a bonus action to banish 2 enemies you can see to the void. While in the void each enemy has to make a constitution with a DC of 10 + proficiencyBonus + your intelligence modifier or be driven insane and taking 7d4 psychic damage. The enemies reappear at the end of your next turn. You can only use this ability once per long rest.

Queen/King of Nightmares

Starting at 17th level, when the Enchroaching Nightmare class ability is activated, you can spend a bonus action to teleport your self into the void. Embracing your true form as you do so. If the targets of Enchroaching Nightmare has failed their constitution save, they will be under the affects of the spell Fear, seeing you as the bringer of their demise. For the two turns your in the void your attacks do an extra 2d8 piercing damage. You can only activate this skill once per long rest.

Madness Level

Table - Incessant Madness (level 1-10)

Level	Effect
1	Your mind is drained and sluggish. You suffer one level of exhaustion, and cannot gain the benefits of a short rest
2	Sensation is muddled, and you seem to hear colors or taste sounds. You have disadvantage on perception checks, and your passive perception becomes 0
3	You find yourself compelled to eat small inedible objects such as buttons, pebbles, bullets, or coins. You must make a dc 10 charisma save to resist consuming such objects.
4	The last few hours are a Blur, you cannot seem to remember anything that happened since your last long rest, and lose all experience gained during the missing hours until your memory returns.
5	You find yourself easily distracted and unable to focus on any single task or target. You cannot choose to repeat the same action or target the same creature or object twice in a row.
6	A guilty conscience weighs on you heavily holding you back from deceptive or immoral acts.You have disadvantage on skill checks to lie. deceive, or steal
7	You develop a noticeable vocal tick which others find unsettling. You have disadvantage on deception, persuasion and performance checks which rely on speech.
8	The idea of forcing your will on others is frightening and difficult, you have disadvantage on persuasion and intimidation checks.
9	Your fingers struggle to remember the nuances of written language. you must succeed on a DC 10 dexterity check in order to write legibly.
10	You find yourself pocketing anything not nailed down. If you unobserved within 5ft of a small object that would fit in the palm of your hand, you must succeed on a dc 15 charisma check or attempt to pocket the item.
11	Written Language becomes difficult as the symbols on the page seem to dance around. You must succeed on a DC 10 intelligence check to read any writing, even if you can normally read that language.
12	Your tongue ties itself in knots whenever you attempt to speak. You must succeed on a dc 10 dexterity save in order to speak coherently.
13	The difference between dream and memory is ill defined. You have disadvantage on knowledge checks made to recall information, however on a natural 1, you recall relevant information you have no way of knowing.
14	You find it bewildering to face asymmetry in battle. You have disadvantage on attack rolls while within 5 ft of an odd number of creatures
15	A vast hunger consumes you. You must succeed on a dc 15 charisma saving throw to avoid ingesting any food or drink provided to you. and suffer one level of exhaustion for every hour you go without food or drink.
16	You find it increasingly difficult to tell friend from foe. You must succeed on a DC 10 charisma check to correctly identify a creature as an ally or enemy in battle.
17	It becomes difficult to tell the truth, even when you know you should. You can add twice your proficiency bonus to deception checks when telling a lie, but must succeed on a DC 15 charisma save in order to tell the truth
18	Your dreams are plagued with terrible nightmares. You must succeed on a dc 15 charisma saving throw in order to gain the benefits of any long rests you take.
19	Pain is so deadened by your mind that you have difficulty recognizing when to avoid it. You gain temp hp equal to your charisma modifier each round but cannot add your dexterity modifier to your AC
20	You are uncharacteristically chipper, and gain advantage on all skill checks in which you are proficient.

Table - Debilitating Madness (level 11-21)

Level	Effect
1	Illness seems intent on taking you, even if no one else sees the signs. You suffer the effects of the spell contagion, as decided by the DM.
2	Your tinkers seem hesitant to obey your command, you have disadvantage on sleight of hand checks and attacks made using your dexterity modifier
3	You feel compelled to repeat yourself lest you make a mistake. Whenever you take an action, you must repeat that action ld4 times.
4	You cannot seem to recall how to use tools you once knew so well. You lose one weapon or tool proficiency, chosen by the DM.
5	Your mind is overwhelmed by everything joint} on around you. You must succeed on a dc 15 charisma check each round, or be stunned until the end of your next turn
6	You cannot seem to recall much of anything from the past week You cannot remember anything that has happened during the past ld6 days, and lose all experience gained in that time until your memory returns.
7	The world around you seems too large, or you seem to small. Your carrying capacity is reduced by ½, and weapons count as one size category larger for the purpose of wielding them
8	Even the lightest touch wracks your mind with mental anguish. You take an extra ld6 psychic damage whenever you take damage form a physical source.
9	Your eyes suddenly become too sensitive to see properly in all but the dimmest of light. You are considered blinded when not within darkness or dim light.
10	Whatever that was... you need more. You develop an addiction to the last substance you ingested and gain one level of exhaustion for every day you go without it.
11	You aren't sure why but that… thing terrifies you. You become frightened of a type of object or creature that you can see, chosen by the DM. You suffer from the frightened condition as described in the DM.
12	You are convinced that you are the main character within some strange story You may re-roll any Is on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks

Table - Crippling Madness (level 21+)

Level	Effect
1	Your mind refuses to commit new information to memory. At the end of each long rest, you forget everything that has happened since you first gained this madness effect and lose all experience you have joined since your last long rest.
2	A deep-seated emptiness grips your entire being, draining your will to take on even the smallest of tasks. You have disadvantage on all ability checks, saving throws, and attack rods, and cannot jam the benefits of a long or short rest.
3	Your body betrays you at every turn. You automatically fail stealth checks, and must succeed on a dc 15 charisma saving throw each round, or use your reaction to make a melee attack against a creature or object within 5 ft of you. If not creature or object is present, you instead attack empty space.
4	Even the idea of eating wracks your mind with terrible guilt. You are unable to willingly ingest food or drink, and if you are forced to do so, you must succeed on a DC 15 charisma save or throw up gaining no benefits from the food or drink.
5	You suffer intense flashes of past trauma, transporting your mind back into the terrifying events. When you are hit by a weapon or spell attack you must succeed on a dc 15 charisma check or be incapacitated for ld4 rounds.
6	You cannot remember anything from before you gained this madness effect, and must succeed on a dc 15 charisma check to benefit from any of your proficiencies. You still remember how to speak, walk, and otherwise function, and can still use abilities and features from your class.
7	Your ears ring with voices that are not your own. Whenever you enter a new area, you must succeed on a dc 15 charisma save or be under the effects of the hallucinatory terrain spell as controlled by the DM. On a natural 1, you are also under the effects of the phantasmal killer spell.
8	Your thoughts are suddenly flooded with knowledge and skills you have never experienced before. You gain proficiency in 1d4 skills, weapons, tools or languages as decided by the DM. Alternatively your DM may grant you one class feature from a class you have no level in.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Hollower class, you must meet these prerequisites: 16 Constitution

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Hollower class, you gain the following proficiencies: 16 Constitution and 16 Intelligence.

5.00

(one vote)

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