Mesmerist, Variant (5e Class)

Mesmerist, Variant

Mesmerist are magical anomalies who wield deception and illusions as a weapon. Using powerful illusions, clones, and phantasmal manifestations to ensure that their enemies can’t believe their own eyes, mesmerist tip the balance of every fight in their favor.

Creating a Mesmerist, Variant

Quick Build

You can make a mesmerist quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Charlatan or Entertainer background. Third, choose a rapier, a burglar’s pack, and thieves’ tools and a dagger for your starting equipment.

Class Features

As a Mesmerist, Variant you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Mesmerist, Variant level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Mesmerist, Variant level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Thieves’ tools or Three musical instruments of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) a rapier or (b) a longsword or (c) any simple weapon
• (a) a diplomat's pack or (b) an entertainer's pack or (c) a burglar's pack
• (a) two musical instruments or (b) thieves’ tools and a dagger
• Leather armor and a dagger
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4x10 in funds.

Table: The Mesmerist, Variant

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
				1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	Spellcasting, Expertise, Master of Disguise	2	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Seperated Self	2	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Bag of Tricks	2	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Fiction over Fact	3	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	—	3	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	Master Manipulator	3	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	—	3	4	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+4	—	4	4	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+4	Hamstring Mind	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	+5	—	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
14th	+5	—	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
15th	+5	—	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
17th	+6	—	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	—	4	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	Conscious Continuum	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Spellcasting

You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in warping it with your illusions and words. Your spells are part of your vast arsenal, magic that you use to bend different situations to your advantage.

Cantrips

You know two cantrips of your choice from the mesmerist spell list. You learn additional mesmerist cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Mesmerist table.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Mesmerist table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your mesmerist spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these mesmerist spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. You prepare the list of mesmerist spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the mesmerist spell list. When you do so, choose a number of mesmerist spells equal to your Charisma modifier + your Mesmerist level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you are a 3rd-level mesmerist, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Charisma of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Healing Word, you can cast it using a 1st-level or 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can also change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of mesmerist spells requires time spent in deep planning or meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your mesmerist spells. Your magic comes from the the special connection your words and artistic outlets have with The Weave, able to shape and influence the world and those around you. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a mesmerist spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast any mesmerist spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a musical instrument or your voice as a spellcasting focus for your mesmerist spells.

Expertise

At 1st level, choose two of your skill proficiencies, or one of your skill proficiencies and your proficiency with thieves' tools or a musical instrument. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

At 6th level, you can choose two more of your proficiencies (in skills, with thieves' tools, or with musical instruments) to gain this benefit.

Master of Disguise

At 1st level, as an action you can weave together a masterfully crafted illusion binding The Weave to your whims changing your voice and appearance (including your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings on your person). You determine the specifics of the disguise, including your coloration, hair length, and sex. You can also adjust your height changing your size to Small or Medium. You can’t change your body type, so you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs. Otherwise, the extent of the illusion is up to you.

The changes wrought by this feature fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, if you use this feature to add a hat to your outfit, objects pass through the hat, and anyone who touches it would feel nothing or would feel your head and hair. If you use this feature to appear thinner than you are, the hand of someone who reaches out to touch you would bump into you while it was seemingly still in midair.
To discern that you are disguised, a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception), a creature who can see through illusions does so with advantage. You remain in this form for 1 hour or until dismissed as a a bonus action.

Separated Self

Starting at 2nd level, you may split your sense of self into The Weave manipulating it to manifest tangible expressions of your will. As an action on your turn you may manifest a number of these clones up to your Charisma modifier in a space within 30 feet of you. The maximum number of clones you can have manifested is equal to your Charisma modifier, if you were to manifest additional clones with this feature over the limit the old clones dissipate until you meet it. A creature can not tell the difference between you and your clones unless it use its action to inspect your properties and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception). They are considered as magical and can be dispelled by a dispel magic spell so long as the caster targets you instead of your illusions, the DC is your Spell Save DC. Your clones are able to pass through each other and other creatures, but not through walls and other solid objects as they’re ever shifting between illusion and reality. Their AC and movement are equal to yours at the time of manifesting, though do not gain the bonus from spells and effects such a the Shield spell on you. A clone may not benefit from spells or features outside of this class, and a is destroyed if hit by an attack. A clone can be destroyed only by an attack that hits, it ignores all other damage and effects. The clones takes their turns on your initiative. On your turn, you can mentally command the clones where to move (no action required by you). You can use your bonus action to mentally command clones to take the Dash or Disengage action. Whenever you disguise yourself as part of the Master of Disguise feature you may have your clones take the same disguise or each assume different ones. Each time a creature targets you with an attack while you have clones within 10 feet of you, roll a d20 to determine whether the attack instead targets one of your clones as your entangled and synchronized movements are impossible to predict. If you have five clones, you must roll a 6 or higher to change the attack’s target to a clone. With four to three clones, you must roll an 8 or higher. With two to one clone, you must roll an 11 or higher. These clones last until dismissed as a bonus action and must remain within 60 feet of you. Once you have used this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest. Alternatively you may expend a spell slot of 2nd level or higher to use this feature.

Bag of Tricks

In your time studying and manipulating The Weave you’ve found different ways to add variety to your arsenal expanding your bag of tricks.

At 3rd level, you gain two tricks of your choice. You gain an additional trick at 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th level. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the tricks you know and replace it with another trick that you could learn at that level. You may select tricks from the following list:

• Misdirection

You can now see and gain line of sight from the perspective of your clones. You may cast your spells as though they originated from your clone. If you cast a damaging spell this way, you may add your Charisma modifier to the damage.

• Man of Many Heights

Whenever you or your clones disguise yourself as part of the Master of Disguise feature you can now adjust the disguise height to Tiny or Large size.

• Improved Minor Illusion

When you choose this trick you learn the Minor Illusion cantrip if not already known. When you cast Minor Illusion, you can create both a sound and an image with a single casting of the spell.

• Mesmerizing Voice

If you speak to a humanoid for 1 minute about any subject, they must succeed on a Intelligence saving throw against your Spell save DC or become charmed by you, and have disadvantage on Perception checks. The charm ends after one hour, if the target takes any damage, or if it witnesses you attacking or damaging any of its allies. Even if the target succeeds on the saving throw, it has no hint that you tried to charm it. Once you use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

• Lustrous Levitation

Prerequisite: 7th level

As a bonus action on your turn you can manifest an illusion which helps carry you through the air whether that be wings, clouds, or the illusion of a creature granting you a flying speed of 30 feet. Clones you have manifested by the Separated Self feature gain this benefit as well. This manifestation lasts for 1 hour or until dismissed as a bonus action on your turn. You can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

• Malleable Illusions

Prerequisite: 7th level

When you cast an illusion spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can use your action to change the nature of that illusion (using the spell's normal parameters for the illusion), provided that you can see the illusion.

• Intellectualize

Prerequisite: 9th level

You gain additional uses of the Separated Self feature equal to your Intelligence modifier.

• Illusory Reality

Prerequisite: 15th level

When you cast an illusion spell you can choose one inanimate, nonmagical object that is part of the illusion and make that object real. You can do this on your turn as a bonus action while the spell is ongoing. The object remains real for 1 minute. For example, you can create an illusion of a bridge over a chasm and then make it real long enough for your allies to cross.

The object can't deal damage or otherwise directly harm anyone. Once you have used this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest.

• Mirrored Mirage

Prerequisite: 15th level

As a reaction to being hit by a spell or attack, you may have a clone within range of the attacking creature transform into it. This clone then repeats the same spell or attack that hit you targeting the attacking creature. The attacking creature must make an Intelligence saving throw vs your Spell save DC. On failure, the creature takes psychic damage equal to the damage dealt to you. On success, a creature takes a half of the damage dealt to you. The transformed clone then dissipates. You can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

• Charismatic Conditioning

You may add your Charisma modifier to Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a spell.

• Split Personality

It is now impossible to discern you from your clones manifested by the Separated Self feature, even through magical means.

• Solid State

The clones manifested by the Separated Self feature have become more rooted in reality and as a result can’t be dispelled and are able to use the Help action.

• Slip State

Prerequisite: 12th level

The clones manifested by the Separated Self feature have become more ethereal and evasive, as a result clones are able to use the Dodge action.

• Transposition

Prerequisite: 12th level

As a bonus action on your turn you may switch places with one of your clones manifested by the Separated Self feature. As a reaction you may switch places with a clone, though you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

• Vanish

Prerequisite: 5th level

As an action on your turn you may cast the Invisibility spell targeting you and or your clones manifested by the Separated Self feature. Once you have used this feature a twice, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest.

• Mist of Molding Minds

Prerequisite: 7th level

As a reaction to a clone dissipating/being destroyed or dispelled, you may have it burst into a 20-foot-radius cloud of smoke/mist. Each creature of your choice within range must make a Intelligence saving throw vs your Spell save DC or fall under the effects of the Confusion spell.

Ability Score Improvement

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.

Fiction Over Fact

Beginning at 5th level, you’ve begun to exert your influence over The Weave straining your life force itself into it to add life to your illusions. Whenever you take an action to disguise yourself as part of the Master of Disguise feature you may expend one Mesmerist hit die. Roll the expended hit die and take damage equal to the result + your Constitution modifier empowering your disguise to take root in reality transforming you into your illusion granting that disguise the following bonuses:

• You may change your body type as you see fit and are no longer restricted to having the same basic arrangement of limbs.

• As this illusion has become reality, the changes wrought by this feature hold up to physical inspection as your changes have become tangible.

• Creatures make an Intelligence (Investigation) check to oppose your disguise with disadvantage.

• You stay in the new form until you use an action to revert to your true form or until you die.

• Your game statistics do not change no matter what form you transform into as the changes are only in appearance.

Clones manifested from the Seperated Self feature gain the benefits from this feature if disguised during the same action. Alternatively, as an action you may expend a hit die to transform your clones, granting them the benefits of this feature.

Master Manipulator

At 7th level, your words have begun to infect the mind of others, allowing you to implant suggestions within creatures that they can’t seem to recall. While speaking to a creature for one minute, you may cast the Suggestion spell without expending a spell slot targeting them. If cast this way the spell doesn’t require concentration, and only requires verbal components which are embedded into the conversation. Additionally, creatures have no memory of you casting this spell. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to this feature for 24 hours. You may use this feature a number of times equal your Charisma modifier, regaining all uses once you finish a long rest.

Hamstring Mind

At 11th level, you’ve learned mind is such a fragile thing and so easily crushed if one simply knows what buttons to push. As a bonus action select a creature within 30 feet of you or one of your clones manifested from the Separated Self feature, the target must succeed on a Intelligence saving throw or have disadvantage on their next Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throws until the start of your next turn. Once you have used this feature twice, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Conscious Continuum

Finally at 20th level, your time spent splitting your sense of self into The Weave and pouring your life force into it has resulted in your manifestations being much more than just illusions, turning them into phantoms. As part of the action to manifest clones by the Separated Self feature, you may select a number of clones and expend a Mesmerist hit die per clone selected. Roll the expended hit die and take damage equal to the results, bringing life to your clone granting the selected clones the following bonuses:

• Clones can no longer be dispelled by a dispel magic spell.

• Clones are no longer destroyed when hit as they now have 50 hit points each, and still ignore all other damage and effects.

• Clones may now benefit from spells add features outside of this class.

• As a reaction to being hit by a spell or attack, you may have clones within 15 feet of the attacking creature appear all around the target assaulting them with visions of themselves as the target’s nightmares. The attacking creature must make an Intelligence saving throw vs your Spell save DC. On failure, the creature takes 1d8 psychic damage per clone assaulting them. On success, a creature takes half damage. Once you have used this feature this way three times, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

• Once per day, if you would drop to 0 hit points or be killed, you can instead have your consciousness transfer to one of your clones under the effects of this feature effectively resuming your life as if you had always been the chosen clone. Your hit points are equal to the amount the clone had.

Once you have used this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest. Alternatively you may expend a spell slot of 5th level or higher to use this feature.

Mesmerist, Variant Spell List

You know all of the spells on the Mesmerist, Variant spell list.

Cantrips

Control Flames, Dancing Lights, Encode Thoughts, Friends, Guidance, Light, Mage Hand, Magic Stone, Message, Mind Sliver, Minor Illusion, Mold Earth, Prestidigitation, Produce Flame, Shape Water, Thaumaturgy, Vicious Mockery, Word of Radiance

1st Level

Absorb Elements, Alarm, Animal Friendship, Armor of Agathys, Arms of Hadar, Bane, Bless, Catapult, Cause Fear, Charm Person, Chromatic Orb, Command, Compelled Duel, Create or Destroy Water, Detect Magic, Disguise Self, Dissonat Whispers, Distort Value, Entangle, Faerie Fire, Feather Fall, Fog Cloud, Healing Word, Heroism, Illusory Script, Magic Missile, Shield, Silent Image, Silvery Barbs, Sleep, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Thunderwave, Unseen Servant

2nd Level

Air Bubble, Alter Self, Animal Messenger, Arcane Lock, Blur, Calm Emotions, Cloud of Daggers, Continual Flame, Crown of Madness, Darkness, Detect Thoughts, Dragon’s Breath, Enhance Ability, Enlarge/Reduce, Enthrall, Flaming Sphere, Gift of Gab, Hold Person, Invisibility, Jim's Glowing Coin, Kinetic Jaunt, Knock, Levitate, Magic Mouth, Mind Spike, Misty Step, Nathair's Mischief, Pass Without Trace, Phantasmal Force, Pyrotechnics, Rope Trick, Shadow Blade, Silence, Skywrite, Spray of Cards, Suggestion, Tasha’s Mind Whip

3rd Level

Antagonize, Blink, Counterspell, Create Food and Water, Daylight, Dispel Magic, Enemies Abound, Fast Friends, Fear, Fly, Galder’s Tower, Gaseous Form, Glyph of Warding, Haste, Hunger of Hadar, Hypnotic Pattern, Incite Greed, Intellect Fortress, Major Image, Meld into Stone, Motivational Speech, Nondetection, Phantom Steed, Pulse Wave, Slow, Spirit Shroud, Thunder Step, Tidal Wave, Tiny Servant, Wall of Sand, Wall of Water, Water Walk, Wind Wall

4th Level

Arcane Eye, Banishment, Charm Monster, Compulsion, Confusion, Control Water, Dimension Door, Dominate Beast, Evard's Black Tentacles, Fabricate, Fire Shield, Galder's Speedy Courier, Giant Insect, Greater Invisibility, Hallucinatory Terrain, Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound, Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, Phantasmal Killer, Polymorph, Raulothim's Psychic Lance, Stone Shape, Wall of Fire, Watery Sphere

5th Level

Animate Objects, Awaken, Bigby’s Hand, Control Winds, Create Spelljamming Helm, Creation, Dawn, Dominate Person, Dream, Far Step, Geas, Hold Monster, Immolation, Infernal Calling, Insect Plague, Maelstrom, Mislead, Modify Memory, Negative Energy Flood, Passwall, Seeming, Skill Empowerment, Summon Draconic Spirit, Synaptic Static, Teleportation Circle, Transmute Rock, Wall of Force, Wall of Stone

6th Level

Arcane Gate, Contingency, Create Homunculus, Disintegrate, Forbiddance, Guards and Wards, Heroes’ Feast, Investiture of Flame, Investiture of Ice, Investiture of Stone, Investiture of Wind, Mass Suggestion, Mental Prison, Otiluke's Freezing Sphere, Otto's Irresistible Dance, Programmed Illusion, Scatter, Tasha's Otherworldly Guise, Tenser's Transformation, Wall of Ice, Wall of Thorns, Widogast's Transmogrification

7th Level

Create Magen, Crown of Stars, Divine Word, Draconic Transformation, Dream of the Blue Veil, Etherealness, Forcecage, Mirage Arcane, Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, Mordenkainen's Sword, Plane Shift, Power Word: Pain, Prismatic Spray, Project Image, Regenerate, Resurrection, Sequester, Simulacrum, Teleport

8th Level

Antipathy/Sympathy, Clone, Demiplane, Dominate Monster, Feeblemind, Glibness, Illusory Dragon, Maddening Darkness, Mighty Fortress, Mind Blank, Power Word: Stun, Reality Break, Telepathy

9th Level

Astral Projection, Gate, Imprisonment, Power Word: Heal, Power Word: Kill, Psychic Scream, Shapechange, True Polymorph, Weird, Wish

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Mesmerist, Variant class, you must meet these prerequisites: You must have a Charisma score of 13 or higher in order to multiclass in or out of this class.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Mesmerist, Variant class, you gain the following proficiencies: None

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