Empathic (5e Class)

As an Empathic, emotions are your power. The ability to mold and manipulate the feelings of others make you who you are. Allies can be bolstered, foes can be weakened, and even your most hateful enemies can be brought to their knees in worship of your greatness. As an Empathic, you can see both the best and worst in people - their true character is laid out before you. Be careful with those you keep close - no one with an Empathic as a companion will be free of their emotional influence.

Class Features

As a Empathic you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Simple Melee Weapons
Tools: Three musical instruments of your choice, all gaming sets
Saving Throws: Charisma, Constitution
Skills: Insight, plus two skills of your choice from the following: Animal Handling, Arcana, Deception, Intimidation, Persuasion, Performance, and Religion

Equipment

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

• (a) TBD or (b) TBD

• If you are using starting wealth, you have TBD in funds.

Starting at 1st level, you can learn a number of spells equal to 1 + Emapthic Level + Charisma Modifier. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Empathic spells you know and replace it with another spell, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Starting at 1st level as a bonus action, you can make an Insight check of DC 10 + Target's Deception to learn one piece of information about the target. Options include: an ability it has, a stat, a spell it can cast, how a damage or condition type will effect it, its health, its AC, a subject of conversation that would interest it, or an opinion that will affect its emotional state. At level 13, you gain 2 pieces of information instead of 1. You may do this once per target per short rest, without risk of failure, however additional attempts on a target may cause you to become overcharged with emotion. If you fail on your second attempt, you are stunned for one minute. You may use your action to make a Constitution saving throw (matching the Empathy DC) to end the stun. If you fail on your third attempt, you take Xd6 psychic damage (X = total level), and you lose this ability for all creatures until you finish a long rest.

Starting at 2nd level, your empathetic powers begin to take form and affect those around you. Once per day, you can cast the spell Calm Emotions within a 20' radius sphere centered on you without sacrificing a spell slot. The duration of this spell is 1d10 minutes and has a DC of 15, which will increase to DC 18 at level 7, and DC 20 at level 15.

Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to, as an action, replicate the ability or spell of others, excluding weapon attacks. In order to to replicate the ability/spell, you must pass a Charisma check. (Spells) DC10+spell level (Abilities) DC10+ half "casting creatures" CR. When a creature uses an ability, you must be within 10' of either the caster or target area of the spell or ability in order to copy it. All spells are copied at the level that are cast. You can copy a spell before you can cast it, but you can't use it until you have an available slot. Abilities may take up any spell slot but expend a slot when cast. Abilities such as regeneration and spider climb last for 1 min when cast.

At 11th Level you no longer need the creature to use the ability to replicate it. You simply need to know it can use an ability, and must be within 30' of either the caster or target area of the spell or ability in order to copy it if copying when cast but if coping from knowing the creature can do it you must be in 30' of the creature

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.

The bonds you form in life become your strongest weapons in battle. At 5th level, you may make one battle bond with another person at a time. Per Long Rest, you may end a bond and forge a new one if desired. If the person you have a bond with dies, your bond automatically becomes Grieving Mourner, Nostalgic Widow or Vengeful Friend until you choose to forge a new bond with someone else.

Sworn Sibling If you damage an enemy, your bond partner has +2 to hit on their next attack against that target and vice versa. Magic users can add +2 to their DC for saving throw spells.

Loving Master and Loyal Servant When the master and slave are within 30ft of each other and either is attacked, they both gain temporary health equal to their respective constitution modifiers.

Passionate Lovers When you and your bond partner are within 100ft of each other, both of your attacks and spells deal an extra d6 fire or psychic damage.

Friendly Rivals When you or your rival does well (rolls a 17+), the other will be given advantage on their next roll for the opportunity to match.

Bitter Rivals When you or your rival do poorly (rolls 5 or lower), the other thrives and gains advantage on their next roll.

Uneasy Allies When you and your bond allies are within 60ft of each other, you will have advantage on initiative rolls and any perception and/or investigation rolls that are specifically looking for traps in the area.

Obsession When the object of the obsession is attacked, you can move up to 15ft to take the attack for them while the obsession gets an AC boost equal to the Empath's charisma modifier

Grieving Mourner You gain the ability to channel your grief into a shield that protects you from further emotional harm, making you resistant to psychic damage.

Nostalgic Widow You draw strength from your former bond partner to help you from beyond the grave. You gain advantage on all skill checks that are based on intelligence charisma and wisdom as if a whispered voice on the wind is guiding you.

Vengeful Friend You gain advantage when attacking creatures of the same race of the being that killed your former bond partner.

Starting at the 9th level, you can manipulate the emotions of those around you by making a spell attack on any target you can touch. The number of times you can do this is equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once) and the effects last for 1 minute unless otherwise specified. You regain any expended uses after a long rest. At level 18, when you cast manipulate emotions you can grant two effects.

Rage Grants the Barbarian's Rage on the target.

Fervor Grants advantage on all religion or intimidation checks and on attacks made against fiends.

Despair Gives disadvantage on all physical attack rolls made against a target of your choice.

Joy Target gains advantage on all persuasion checks and charisma saving throws for duration.

Enthusiasm Target can add the Empathic's charisma modifier to their initiative and attack rolls.

Power Target gains advantage on all strength, dexterity and constitution checks for duration.

Courage Target gains immunity to fear for duration.

Focus Target has advantage on all attacks on their next turn.

Fear Target is frightened for duration.

Shock Stuns target until end of their next turn.

Desire Acts as a Charm spell (of non-magic nature).

Frenzy Gives target creature an extra attack for duration.

Terror Target is frightened, with you as the object of this fear, for duration and takes 1d10 psychic damage.

Starting at 14th level, you can gain an additional proficiency in 1 saving throw and 4 other skills

At 17th level, you may send a spell back at the caster once per short rest. If it is an area of effect spell, they become the center of it.

At 20th level, you can polymorph into any creature you can see within 60'. You retain any spells or skills gained by your Empathetic Power.

Your emphatic powers can manifest in one of three ways. This begins at 3rd level and advances at levels 7th 11th 15th. (For the purposes of playtesting, only 1 option is listed below)

You are aware more than most of the power of words, actions, and emotions. You use them to make up for the strength your body lacks.

Diplomat's Tongue At 3rd Level you gain advantage on any check to negotiate using a charisma skill. You can also use Charisma in place of Wisdom for Animal Handling checks.

Persuasive Words At 7th Level you can use a reaction to give a creature disadvantage on saves against being charmed or frightened. Alternatively, you can use your action to talk a creature out of the charm or fear effect by making a contested roll against the person casting the the charm or fear effect. This is done using your charisma against the caster's Spell Save DC. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your charisma modifier, and regain expended uses after a long rest.

Expert in Many Things At 11th Level, you gain Expertise in 3 skills

Isolating Words At 15th Level, you can unleash a string of insults that causes a creature to retreat into their mind. The creature must make an Intelligence save against your Spell Save DC. On a failed save, the creature falls unconscious. This ability lasts until the creature has remove curse cast on it, or at the end of each of its turns. The creature may make a save with advantage if it is damaged. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

You can learn any non-homebrew spells you wish, however they must all be vetted and approved by the Dungeon Master.

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Empathic class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Charisma & Proficiency in Insight

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