Occultist (5e Class)

With a pseudodragon curled on his shoulder, a young elf in golden robes smiles warmly, weaving a magical charm into his honeyed words and bending the palace sentinel to his will. Shifting his gaze between a battered tome and the odd alignment of the stars overhead, a wild-eyed tiefling chants the mystic ritual that will open a doorway to a distant world. Occultists are seekers of the knowledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. Through their study of the occult, occultists unlock magical effects both subtle and spectacular. Drawing on the ancient knowledge of beings such as fey nobles, demons, devils, hags, and alien entities of the Far Realm, occultists piece together arcane secrets to bolster their own power. 5e warlock variant.

When making an occultist, think of why you decided to study the occult instead of making a pact like a warlock. Did you want more martial prowess? Or maybe you'd rather master dark rituals than pact magic?

Quick Build

You can make an occultist quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the hermit background. Third, choose a quarterstaff, leather armor, a scholar's pack, and two daggers.

Class Features

As a you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion

Equipment

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

• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) Leather armor and a shield or (b) Chain mail
• (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack or (c) a burglar's pack
• Two daggers

Starting at 1st level, you can use your action to create a pact weapon in your empty hand. You can choose the form that this melee weapon takes each time you create it (see the Weapons section for weapon options). You are proficient with it while you wield it. This weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. When you attack with your pact weapon, you can use your Charisma modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls.

You can use any weapon you summon with your Pact of the Blade feature as a spellcasting focus.

Your pact weapon disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die.

You can transform one magic weapon into your pact weapon by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. You can then dismiss the weapon, shunting it into an extradimensional space, and it appears whenever you create your pact weapon thereafter. You can’t affect an artifact or a sentient weapon in this way. The weapon ceases being your pact weapon if you die, if you perform the 1-hour ritual on a different weapon, or if you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to it. The weapon appears at your feet if it is in the extradimensional space when the bond breaks.

Also at 1st level, you learn the find familiar spell and can cast it as a ritual.

When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite.

Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack with its reaction.

Beginning at 2nd level, your deep studies of the occult have lead you to hear sinister voices that reveal to you the secrets of the dark arts.

You learn the Eldritch Blast cantrip which you can cast at will. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

The sinister voices lead you to uncover a grimoire called the Book of Shadows which binds itself to your soul. When you gain this feature, choose three cantrips from any class’s spell list (the three needn’t be from the same list). While the book is on your person, you can cast those cantrips at will.

If you lose your Book of Shadows, the sinister voices will lead you to it. The book returns to your person if it is destroyed. The book turns to ash when you die.

At 3rd level, you choose a specialization for your occult research. Choose between the Dark Knight, the Shadow Tamer, and the Eldritch Loremaster. Each are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you additional features at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

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.

At 5th level, you've learned to channel your sinister powers through your weapon attacks.

As a bonus action, you can imbue your Pact Weapon with sinister energy. Until the start of your next turn, the next time you hit a creature with your Pact Weapon, you auto cast Eldritch Blast on the targeted creature. This use of Eldritch Blast produces one less beam than it would otherwise (one beam at 5th level, two beams at 11th level, and three beams at 17th level). Each beam hits the targeted creature without fail (the charisma modifier is only added to one beam).

At 5th level, when you cast Eldritch Blast, its range is 300 feet.

Beginning at 6th level, the sinister voices invade your mind at all times, including your dreams. In the process, they reveal to you deeper truths to Eldritch power.

When you hit a creature with your Eldritch Blast, you can apply one of the following effects:

• Move that creature in a straight line 10 feet closer to yourself
• Push the creature up to 10 feet away from you in a straight line
• Reduce that creature’s speed by 10 feet until the end of your next turn

A creature can only be affected by one of these effects per turn, and only ONCE that turn.

In addition, when you cast Eldritch Blast, add your Charisma modifier to the damage it deals on a hit.

Starting at 6th level, you can cast Disguise Self at will.

Starting at 7th level, you can cast Detect Magic at will, without expending material components.

Also at 7th level, you can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.

Beginning at 10th level, you can cast Levitate on yourself at will, without expending material components.

At 11th level, you can now cast Alter Self at will.

Starting at 14th level, you have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.

Starting at 15th level, you can cast Invisibility on yourself at will.

At 18th level, as an action, you gain the ability to see through solid objects to a range of 30 feet. This special sight lasts for 1 minute or until your concentration ends (as if you were concentrating on a spell). During that time, you perceive objects as ghostly, transparent images. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

In addition, you can cast Arcane Eye at will.

Beginning at 18th level, you can see the true form of any shapechanger or creature concealed by illusion or transmutation magic while the creature is within 30 feet of you and within line of sight.

At 20th level, you can cast True Seeing on yourself at will.

Dark Knights are warriors of the occult. They're understanding of the dark arts are harnessed through weaponry, armor, and deadly strikes.

Thirsting Blade

Beginning at 3rd level, when you hit a creature with your pact weapon, you can choose to gain hit points equal to 1d4 - 1 (min 1). If you choose to do so, the damage you dealt with your pact weapon becomes necrotic.

At 13th level, the hit points you gain becomes 1d6.

Eldritch Armor

Starting at 3rd level, whenever you use your action to create your pact weapon, you can also choose to create and don a suit of Eldritch Armor which you are proficient with. You can choose how the armor appears whenever you don it, you can also choose if the armor is semi-transparent or not. The armor dissipates when you dismiss your pact weapon.

While donning the armor, your AC becomes equal to 10 + half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) + your Charisma Modifier.

Improved Pact Weapon

At 9th level, your pact weapon gains a +1 bonus to its attack and damage rolls, unless it is a magic weapon that already has a bonus to those rolls.

In addition, your weapon attacks with your pact weapon score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Finally, when you don your Eldritch Armor, your AC becomes equal to 11 + half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) + your Charisma modifier.

Superior Pact Weapon

At 13th level, your pact weapon counts as a magic weapon with a +2 bonus to its attack and damage rolls, unless it is already a magic weapon that you transformed into your pact weapon.

In addition, you can attack with your pact weapon twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Finally, when you don your Eldritch Armor, your AC becomes equal to 12 + half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) + your Charisma modifier.

Ultimate Pact Weapon

At 17th level, your pact weapon counts as a magic weapon with a +3 bonus to its attack and damage rolls, unless it is already a magic weapon that you transformed into your pact weapon.

In addition, your weapon attacks with your pact weapon score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.

Finally, when you don your Eldritch Armor, your AC becomes equal to 13 + half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) + your Charisma modifier.

Shadow Tamers can you use their understanding of the dark arts to control monsters and use their familiars as weapons.

Beast Speech

Starting at 3rd level, you can cast Speak with Animals at will.

Gift of the Ever-Living Ones

At 3rd level, whenever you regain hit points while your familiar is within 100 feet of you, treat any dice rolled to determine the hit points you regain as having rolled their maximum value for you.

In addition, whenever you would take damage that would reduce your hit points to 0, you can use your reaction to have your familiar take the damage instead.

Voice of the Chain Master

Starting at 9th level, you can communicate telepathically with your familiar and perceive through your familiar's senses as long as you are on the same plane of existence. Additionally, while perceiving through your familiar's senses, you can also speak through your familiar in your own voice, even if your familiar is normally incapable of speech.

Investment of the Chain Master

At 13th level, when you cast Find Familiar, you infuse the summoned familiar with a measure of your eldritch power, granting the creature the following benefits:

• The familiar gains either a flying speed or a swimming speed (your choice) of 40 feet.
• As a bonus action, you can command the familiar to take the Attack action.
• The familiar’s weapon attacks are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming immunity and resistance to nonmagical attacks.
• If the familiar forces a creature to make a saving throw, it uses your spell save DC.
• When the familiar takes damage, you can use your reaction to grant it resistance against that damage.

Chains of Carceri

At 17th level, you can cast Hold Monster at will – targeting a celestial, fiend, or elemental – without expending material components. You must finish a long rest before you can use this invocation on the same creature again.

Eldritch Loremasters have the deepest understanding of the dark arts out of any occultists. Their knowledge has led them to greater spellcasting.

Master of the Elements

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your sinister powers to manipulate the elements of nature itself. You learn the Gust, Shape Water, Mold Earth, and Control Flames cantrips and can cast them at will.

Eyes of the Rune Keeper

Beginning at 3rd level, you can read all writing.

Book of Ancient Secrets

At 9th level, you can now inscribe magical rituals in your Book of Shadows. Choose two 1st-level spells that have the ritual tag from any class's spell list; these rituals needn’t be from the same spell list. The spells appear in the book. With your Book of Shadows in hand, you can cast the chosen spells as rituals. You can't cast the spells except as rituals, unless you've learned them by some other means.

On your adventures, you can add other ritual spells to your Book of Shadows. When you find such a spell, you can add it to the book if the spell's level is equal to or less than half your occultist level (rounded up) and if you can spare the time to transcribe the spell. For each level of the spell, the transcription process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp for the rare inks needed to inscribe it.

Aspect of the Moon

Starting at 13th level, you no longer need to sleep and can’t be forced to sleep by any means. To gain the benefits of a long rest, you can spend all 8 hours doing light activity, such as reading your Book of Shadows and keeping watch.

Mystic Arcanum

At 17th level, you can pick one spell from any spell list and add it to your Book of Shadows. You can cast this spell without material costs. When you cast this spell, you must finish a long rest before casting this spell again.

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Occultist class, you must meet these prerequisites: Charisma 16 and a Constitution of 12

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Occultist class, you gain no proficiencies

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