Spirit Medium (5e Class)
The Spirit Realm[edit]
Once something dies, it's spirit roams the material plane for about a week normally before moving on to the next part of their afterlife. These spirits are undetectable by most as they are, for all extensive purposes, nothing. Spirits do not keep their physical forms and rather become vague silhouettes of the creature they once were. Spirits cannot be more than 120ft from their corpse, if their corpse is in multiple parts, they are tied to the largest part. They cannot interact with the material plane, all they can do is observe. A spirit medium, for whatever reason, has ability to see these spirits, the souls of the dead. The medium might help their lost souls find their way, or condemn them to suffer for their actions while living. Or maybe, the medium finds a loved one or pet and decides to spend more time with them.
Spirit Medium's job[edit]
Illustration By Georges Rochegrosse |
Many Spirit Medium's choose different paths. Some are recruited and given jobs, others stumble into the powers and give themselves' responsibilities.
The more aggressive will use their abilities to punish the spirits who sinned, they become the devil by torturing the wicked. They believe that is their duty even if they don't particularly enjoy it. They believe someone must perform this act or the world is unjust, if the wicked are not punished then why spend your life doing good? They will not give seek out the living evil but then kill them and continue to punish them in death. The more kind of the Spirit Medium choose a path of helping the spirits. Many die with unfinished business or desire with revenge. These souls are now helpless to complete their tasks without the help of a medium. A person who takes this path is probably honourable and cannot say no to people pleads. They are a private investigator for the dead. Finally, there are those without a duty and rather a personal gain. They use the power to reunite with a loved one whom they lost, so they can spend more time together. It's the bond between them that drives them, rather than a sense of moral obligation.
Creating a Spirit Medium[edit]
What gave you this ability to see spirits? If an entity gave them the ability, does your character have a job/responsibility? Does your character have a significant spirit in-particular who follows him around? Why do they follow him around? Do you avenge the dead? Punish the wicked? Or see your loved ones again?
- Quick Build
You can make a Spirit Medium quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Hermit background. Third, choose <!-elaborate on equipment choices->
Class Features
As a Spirit Medium you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Spirit Medium level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Spirit Medium level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: One artisan's tools of your choice
Saving Throws: Charsima,Wisdom
Skills: Choose three from Arcana, History, Survival, Nature, Religion, Insight, Perception, Deception, and Persuasion.
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- leather armour
- (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two simple weapons
- (a) Explorer's pack or (b) Scholar's pack
- One artisan's tools of your choice
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4x10 in funds.
Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Cantrips Known | Death's Glare |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | +2 | Ghost Sight, Spiritual Duty, At-will Magic | 2 | - |
2nd | +2 | Death's Glare | 2 | 1d6 |
3rd | +2 | First-hand Account, Living Dead | 2 | 1d6 |
4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 1d6 |
5th | +3 | Spiritual Duty feature | 3 | 1d6 |
6th | +3 | Haunting Visage | 3 | 2d6 |
7th | +3 | Ghoulish Tongue | 3 | 2d6 |
8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 2d6 |
9th | +4 | Spiritual Duty feature | 3 | 2d6 |
10th | +4 | Undead Spirits | 4 | 2d6 |
11th | +4 | Visage of Protection | 4 | 3d6 |
12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3d6 |
13th | +5 | Spiritual Duty feature | 4 | 3d6 |
14th | +5 | One of Them | 4 | 3d6 |
15th | +5 | — | 4 | 3d6 |
16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4d6 |
17th | +6 | Spiritual Duty feature | 5 | 4d6 |
18th | +6 | Cold Reply | 5 | 4d6 |
19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4d6 |
20th | +6 | The Medium | 5 | 4d6 |
Ghost Sight[edit]
You can see spirits still roaming around the material realm. Spirits cannot roam more than 120ft from their corpse, if their corpse is in multiple parts, they are tied to the largest part. This feature allows you to see spirits and from them to hear you however you cannot hear them.
Spirits are able to see the material realm however they cannot hear anything from the material realm other than your voice. Spirits do not keep their physical forms and rather become vague silhouettes of the creature they once were, however, spirits will keep their personalities. Spirits will eventually move on in due time if their purpose is complete.
It is up to the DM's discretion as to how reliable this feature is, as it can be very disruptive to some games e.g. a murder mystery. Adjustments can be made to how long the spirits will stay in the material plane, how far they will wander from their body and how cooperative they will be to the character, to better suit the game.
Spiritual Duty[edit]
At 1st level, you chose a Spiritual Duty. Choose between Servant of Death, Soul Sherlock and Ghost host, All detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st and again at 5th, 9th, 13th and 17th.
At-Will Magic[edit]
Your connection with the spirit realm and its inhabitants grants you the innate ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting.
- Cantrips
You know 2 cantrips of your choice from the Spirit Medium spell list. You learn additional Spirit Medium cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Spirit Medium table.
- Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Spirit Medium spells, so 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 Spirit Medium 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
- Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your Spirit Medium spells.
Death's Glare[edit]
At 2nd level, you can stare directly into the souls of the living and pull at them to leave their own bodies. As a bonus action, you choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you, that creature must make a wisdom saving throw against your Spirit Medium spell save DC. On a failed save, that creature takes 1d6 psychic damage.
The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Death's Glare column of the Spirit Medium table. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a short/long rest.
First-hand Account[edit]
At 3rd level, when tasked with recalling knowledge you can rely on spirits to give you the answer. You can now link your mind to the spirit realm, you can spend 10 minutes searching for a spirit who may know the answer (this does not require you to move). After 10 mins, you can use a Charisma(Persuasion) check instead of any Intelligence-based checks. This cannot be used to give you access to secrets or incredible obscure knowledge, and rather only the knowledge that any other player could get access to with a good enough roll.
Living Dead[edit]
Beginning at 3rd level, your constant use of your connection with the spirit realm begins to have an effect on you. You don't need to breath, 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.
Ability Score Improvement[edit]
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.
Haunting Visage[edit]
At 6th level, you can briefly grant people sight into the spirit realm, however this is a maddening sight to a normal mortal. As a action, you can touch a creature within 5 feet of you. That creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Spirit Medium spell save DC or be frightened by yon until your next turn. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Alternatively, if you have the mage hand cantrip. You can instead, use your action to control the mage hand into touching a creature within 5 feet of it.
Ghoulish Tongue[edit]
At 7th level, You can also now cast Speak with Dead at will, without expending a spell slot.
One of Them[edit]
Beginning at 10th level, You become more and more ghostly. You can cast Invisibility, Misty Step, Fly or Gaseous Form at their lowest spell level. You need to finish a long rest before you can use this feature again
Visage of Protection[edit]
Beginning at 11th level, Spirits around you can absorb energy from you. As a reaction when you take when you take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, you can gain resistance to the triggering damage type until the start of your next turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier(a minimum of once). When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.
Undead Spirits[edit]
Beginning at 14th level, you grow to have a greater understanding of the undead. You can cast dominate monster on a undead creature using your Spirit Medium Spell Save DC. You need to finish a long rest before you can use this feature again
Cold Reply[edit]
Beginning at 18th level, you can hear spirits. They can talk to you.
The Medium[edit]
At 20th level, you can become half-spirit, half-living for 1 minute. In this state:
- you can cast Invisibility, Misty Step, Fly or Gaseous Form at their lowest spell level, at will and as bonus actions,
- Death's Glare becomes a free action,
- Visage of Protection doesn't expend uses.
You need to finish a long rest before you can transform using this feature again
Spiritual duties[edit]
Servant of Death[edit]
Whether hired or just driven by morals, you see your access to the spirit realm as a divine right to punish those who sinned in earth. You are the judge, jury, executor and then torturer.
- Judge
You see into the souls of the living and judge all of their sins. After 1 minute of looking at a creature, you get advantage on wisdom(Insight) checks against them.
- Spirit prison
Starting at 1st level, when you kill a creature. You can imprison the spirit of the creature inside of yourself to suffer. This feature grants the following effects:
- You gain temporary hit points equal to your Spirit Medium level.
- Whenever a creature of the same race as the spirit trapped hits you, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by 1d6, instead sharing the pain with on the spirit trapped inside. If you roll a 6 on the die, the spirit is in too much agony that it breaks apart and is lost to the void and the effect ends.
- You must succeed on a DC 13 Charisma saving throw whenever you take damage in combat. On a failed save, the spirit is released and the effect ends.
- If you become incapacitated, the spirit is released and the effect ends. This includes long rests.
You need to finish a long rest before you can imprison a spirit using this feature again
- Inescapable Justice
At 5th level, you can grapple a creature's very soul. As a action, you can choose a creature you can see within 5 feet. That creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Spirit Medium spell save DC or be restrained for 1 minute. The restrained creature can use its action to make a Wisdom check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself. Alternatively, if you have the mage hand cantrip. You can instead, use your action to control the mage hand into touching a creature within 5 feet of it. You need to finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.
- Soul Food
At 9th level, you learn eating the souls of the wicked to be an effective punishment. You can use your action, then you heal for double the damage you deal from Death's Glare at the end of your turn. You need to finish a short/long rest before you can use this feature again
- Death's Empowered Glare
At 13th level, you can add your charisma modifier to one damage roll of Death's Glare.
- Arcane Destruction
At 17th level, you can cast Power Word Pain at 7th level. You need to finish a long rest before you can use this feature again
Soul Sherlock[edit]
Many don't get the luxury of dying when it's convenient to them. Many die with unfinished business or seek revenge on a misjustice. Whilst they are now powerless to affect this situation, lots of these restless spirits will reach out to mediums to resolve these issues.
- Mystery Magnet
Your bridge to the material plane becomes a beacon in the spirit realm. Any spirit within 1 mile of your location is aware of your location and your willingness to assist them. However, evil-aligned spirits may also seek you out as a chance to exploit you. You also have advantage on Wisdom (insight) checks when interacting with spirits.
- Frightening Integration
At level 1, if you talk to a creature in a language that you can both understand for 10 mins. You can make that creature make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is frightened of you for 10 minute or until it takes any damage.
You need to finish a long rest before you can use this feature again
- Prime Suspect
Beginning at level 5, you can declare a creature your prime suspect. As a action, you can mark one creature within 5 of you by touching them. For the next 48 hours, you can add your charisma modifier to the damage roll of Death's Glare targeting the marked creature. Also, when the creature is within 120 feet of you, you are aware of the creature's exact location. You can not mark a new creature until the 48 hours has expired on the last marked creature.
- Avenging Hunt
Beginning at level 9, you can scry through the spirit's conflict, and you determine the current location of it's killer, if any. You take 10 minutes focusing on a spirit you can see within 30 feet of you. After 10 mins, if the spirit was murdered and the killer is with in 10 miles of your location, you are aware of direction of its killer from you and its rough distance from you (3 miles). Also you get a quick sensory stimulus, such as a brief smell or sound. E.g. the smell of alcohol if they're in a tavern, or a seagull's scream if they're by the docks. Note that, this feature locates the person who performed the final damage needed to drop the creature to 0 hp and not necessarily the person responsible. You need to finish a long rest before you can use this feature again. You cannot use this feature on the same spirit more than once.
- I call upon thee Spirits
At level 13, you are gaining a reputation upon the dead. You can now spend 10 minutes linking your mind to the spirit realm, then declare a name of a creature who has not been dead for more than a year. The dead creature you were thinking of will immediately appear within 5 feet of you in spirit form. The spirit will act the same as any other spirit and will disappear again after 1 min. You need to finish a long rest before you can use this feature again
- Arcane Detective Work
At 17th level, you can cast Scrying at 6th level You need to finish a long rest before you can use this feature again
Free Soul[edit]
They use the power to reunite with a loved one whom they lost, so they can spend more time together. It's the bond between them that drives them, rather than a sense of moral obligation.
- Soulmate
Beginning at level 1, you find your soulmate, a dead loved one, such as a best friend, a family member or pet. Your bond is so strong that you have the ability to summon them into the material plane. You can cast find familiar at will. The familiar appears as the faint spirit and has statistics of a hawk. It's size is determined by it's size when it was living. Your soulmate has the additional feature Incorporeal Movement. The familiar can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. They are longer tied to the contraint of 120ft from their corpse and are instead ties to being 120ft from you.
- Grave Knowledge
Your souls become intertwined, and you share knowledge with each other. you gain proficiency with two skills of your choice.
- Assist from the grave
Starting at level 5, you and your soulmate are synchronised in work. Your soulmate can now use their bonus action to Help with your attack roll.
- Possession
At 9th level, you can open a hole into the material plane and grant your soulmate the ability to possess a creature. As a action, you can choose a creature you can see within 30 feet. That creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Spirit Medium spell save DC or be charmed for 1 minute. The charmed creature can to make a Wisdom check against your spell save DC at the end of its turns. On a success, it frees itself. You need to finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.
- Sight of sore eyes
Starting at level 13, you can see through your soulmate's eyes and hear what it hears as a free action now and while you are no longer blinded or deafen to your own senses. Also you can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.
- Arcane Friendship
At 17th level, you can cast Conjure Celestial at 7th level. You need to finish a long rest before you can use this feature again
Spirit Medium Spell List[edit]
You know all of the spells on the basic Spirit Medium spell list and additional spells based on your subclass.
- Cantrips
- Chill Touch
- Sapping Sting
- Spare the Dying
- Toll the Dead
- Word of Radiance
- Dancing Lights
- Message
- Mage Hand
- Prestidigitation
- Minor Illusion
- Thaumaturgy
- Shocking Grasp
Multiclassing[edit]
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Spirit Medium class, you must meet these prerequisites: Charisma 13 Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Spirit Medium class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light Armor and simple weapons.
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