D&D 5E Original Character Class: The Mancer

YES, I finally finished it.  After this it will be a long break from doing stuff for 5th Edition.  I'll be needing time to work on the upcoming semester of college work, and to work on getting a job as a web designer.  I'll also be changing the blog a bit, and I'll be working on a full website for my work instead of the blog for my postings.

Mancer

Pyromancer, image by SANTTOS!

Electricity swirls about him, coursing along his arms and glittering in his eyes, but he is not the target, he is like a lightning rod, a battery, he is the source of the power.

She is the heart of heat, the flame is her blanket, her comforter.  She is passion, and fury, she is the fire, and she is never cold or hot.

Mancers are beings born with something extra, something special that allows them to tap into an elemental power, to channel it at will and manipulate it in whatever way they see fit.  Mancers typically channel only one particular element, and this helps denote what type of mancer they are, such as an electro-mancer, flame-mancer, ice-mancer, wind-mancer, and earth-mancer.

Born to Power

Mancers are born with the ability to generate and manipulate a particular elemental force.  They learn to wield their powers alone, with an innate talent that other wielders of magical power would envy.  How they learn, how they train can vary.  The power of the mancer rarely deviates, rarely growing beyond one elemental capability.

The power that mancers embody is not limited to just what they can expel in the form of bolts of fire, or lightning.  Some can sheath their body in protective flames, sense the tremors in the air, or even become the lightning.  While their power range is focused, and limited to a degree, their power is quite potent and not the limit of their capabilities.

Mastery of the Elements

Mancers are capable warriors, not scholars of magic but still innately capable of wielding their own particular elemental aspects with impunity.

There are some magic users who do possess innate mancer capabilities, and there are also mancers who learn to broaden their capabilities by learning to wield spells.  While there are some that feel that mancers are no better or worse than warlocks, they would be mistaken.

When a mancer ventures out into the world they do so to further their mastery, to sharpen their mind and powers upon the stone of experience.  Those who are mancers use their powers on a near constant basis, a constant exercise like how one would lift weights.

Creating a Mancer

There are only a few important pieces of information that need to be considered for the character’s background: What element is your focus, and are you about the brute power you can bring to bear or are you one for finesse?  Do you use your power to stamp out evil where you find it, or are you keen on subjugation?  What set you on the path of adventure in the first place?

Do you wield only your powers, or have you taken time to develop more martial skills to supplement them?  But these weapons are merely tools, and possibly ways through which you can channel your powers.

Quick Build

You can make a mancer quickly by following these suggestions.  First off, Wisdom should be the highest ability score, followed by Dexterity or Strength.  No one background is a particular perfect fit since mancer’s can be found in any background.  Finally, choose an elemental aspect that suits the character’s method of fighting, namely are they a long-range type or melee type combatant.

CLASS FEATURES

As a mancer, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice:  1d8 per mancer level

Hit Points at 1^st Level:  8 + your Constitution Modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels:  1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution Modifier per mancer level after 1^st

Proficiencies

Armor:  Light armor

Weapons: Simple weapons

Tools: Choose 1 tool that you are proficient with.

Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom

Skills:  Choose two skills from Animal Handling, History, Medicine, Nature, Stealth, Survival.

Equipment

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

·         (a) any simple weapon or (b) short sword

·         (a) explorer’s pack or (b) dungeoneer’s pack

·         Leather armor, and one dagger

MANCERY FOCUS

At 1^st level, you must choose the direction in which your mancer powers will grow.  Select one of the following options:

·         Cryomancer:  Your powers involve the cold.  All of your powers gain the “COLD” damage type.  As a cryomancer you gain resistance to cold damage.  Additionally, you are perfectly at home in cold environments and suffer no debilitating effects from a cold environment.  Thus, you could spend an hour swimming in a frozen lake and be perfectly healthy when you were done.

·         Pyromancer:  Your powers involve the heat.  All of your powers gain the “FIRE” damage type.  As a pyromancer you gain resistance to fire damage.  Additionally, you are perfectly at home in hot environments and suffer no debilitating effects from a hot environment.  Thus, you could spend hours in a desert and the heat wouldn’t affect you in the slightest (though you would still need to eat and drink normally).

·         Earthmancer:  Your powers involve the kinetics.  All of your powers gain the “FORCE” damage type.  As an earthmancer you gain resistance to force damage.  Additionally, when moving in environments where your movement would be hampered or impeded (such as a slippery slope) then you are able to move/act normally, suffering no disadvantage to your actions.  Thus, if you would not be hampered by slippery surfaces like mud, but you can still be entangled, or held.

·         Voltmancer:  Your powers involve lightning or electricity.  All of your powers gain the “LIGHTNING” damage type.  As a voltmancer you gain resistance to lightning damage.  Additionally, you are often fuller of energy than most, and need less time to recuperate.  As such, a short rest for you is 30 minutes instead of 1 hour.  A long rest is 6 hours instead of 8 hours.  You also have advantage on saving throws against spells/powers that would put you to sleep.

·         Windmancer:  Your powers involve the wind and air.  All of your powers involve using the wind/air, but it is important to note that this is not a normal damage subtype.  Your attacks can be either Force or Thunder based.  You can choose between the two damage subtypes when you use the attack.  Force damage has the benefit of normal range.  Thunder damage has half the range, is louder, but can push target back at least 10ft.  In addition to this you are able to hold your breath 2x longer than normal, and survive suffocation for the same increased length of time.  Thus if the character has a CON of 14, they can hold their breath for 6 minutes, and if they start to suffocate then they have 4 rounds to get to the surface.

NOTE 1:  Necromancers are not apart of the Mancer class, this is due to the nature of what a necromancer is, how their own powers/spells work, and that they stand as an antithesis to what real mancers are – walking embodiments of the forces of nature, not abominations of that nature.

NOTE 2:  Damage resistance from the class does not stack with racial damage resistance (though powers/spells may allow for stacking), if one is present (like with Dragonborn).  Instead of loosing out on this benefit, the character gains Damage Reduction, reducing damage of their elemental type by 3pt.

MANCERY POWERS

At 1^st level, mancers gain a limited number of special powers.  These powers work in a similar respect to spells but are not spells in and of themselves (the use of a counter spell would still work).  You know one minor power, and one major power.  You also gain an elementally focused use of the “Prestidigitation” spell.  When using this you don’t need a verbal component for the spell, or it’s material aspect (if one would have normally been needed).  Additionally, the things that you can do with he spell are now limited to what would be possible with your elemental focus.  For example, you could create a dancing figure of fire or ice instead of cleaning a 1x1ft area.

Mancer powers make use of the characters Wisdom modifier for attack rolls and saving throws.

Spell save DC = 8 + your prof. bonus + your WIS mod.

Spell Attack Mod. = your prof. bonus + your WIS mod.

·         Minor Power:  A minor power is like a cantrip and does 1d8 damage and gains +1d8 damage at levels 5, 11, and 17.  The range of the attack is dependent upon the damage type (below).  Unless noted in the aspects below, these powers make use of a normal Spell Attack roll.

o   Cryo:  Creates a beam of cold that has a range of 60ft.  Target’s speed is reduced by 10ft. (Like the Ray of Frost spell).  This can also be used to create a 10ft x 10ft section of ice on a surface that imposes a slippery condition and force targets moving through the area to make a Dexterity save to do so safely (if they fail the save, they are rendered prone).

o   Pyro:  Creates a beam of fire that has a range of 60ft.  Flammable objects will ignite if they aren’t being carried/worn.

o   Earth:  Creates a bullet of stone that has a range of 120ft, dealing either bludgeoning, or piercing damage (one or the other, your choice when the power is used).  The attack made with this is fast and gives a +1 to attack rolls made.

o   Volt:  Creates a crackling line of lightning that has a range of 60ft.  If there is an opponent that is adjacent to the initial target then the lightning can jump to them, forcing them to make a DEX save.  If they fail, they take half the damage of the attack.  If the succeed they take no damage.

o   Wind:  Creates an attack that is difficult for enemies to perceive as you’re working with one of the fundamental forces of nature.  The attack affects a 5ft x 5ft square area and requires the target to make a CON save as they find the wind ripping at them dealing force damage.  If they make the save, they take no damage.

o   Melee Use:  While these minor powers are meant to be used at a range, you can also choose to use your elemental powers in melee combat.  The melee attack is sheathed in the element, and while it doesn’t deal additional damage, it does allow you to affix your elemental damage type to the attack and use it for determining if the attack can overcome a target’s resistances or capitalize on their vulnerabilities.  Also, the secondary effect being applied with your melee attack, but only once per attack action.  Thus if you can make multiple melee attacks on your turn you apply the secondary effect only 1 time.

·         Major Power (Enhancers):  These are like leveled spells, far stronger applications of one’s base minor power.  These are essentially enhancements that you can use a limited number of times on your minor power.  These enhancements, called enhancers, change your damage, as well as changing how the power may function.

o   Burst:  Increase damage by +2 dice.  The attack forces targets that are within a 10ft x10ft square area to make a DEX save.  If failed, they take full damage, and if they succeed, they take half damage.  If the attack already affects an area it adds to the area.

o   Trauma:  The attack’s effect lingers a while dealing additional damage.  The power changes to affect only 1 target (if it does not already do so).  The attack deals an additional +1 die of damage when it hits.  The target then must make a CON save.  If the target fails, roll a 1d4, for a number of turns, starting on the player’s following turn, the target takes 1d6 damage until the effect ends (though each time the target would suffer damage they can make a CON save to cancel the damage (if they fail the effect continues).

o   Wrap:  Increase damage by +2 dice.  The attack affects a number of individual 5ft spaces (what 1 character occupies) equal to the user’s WIS modifier +2.  These spaces must be used adjacently (a diagonal use uses 2 spaces) but can be molded to fit any space you need.  This can help in avoiding hurting an ally, or to affect the area surrounding yourself.  The wrap does not have to originate in space in front of you but can be targeted on anyone/thing up to 30ft away.  The opponent must make a DEX Save.  If they succeed in their save they  take half damage.

o   Boost:  Increase the damage by +2 dice.  Range is increased by 60ft.

o   Obstacle:  The nature of this is dependent upon the elemental source.  This creates a barrier that obstructs a 10ft line and is 10ft high made of the elemental source.  The obstacle has HP equal to the user’s WIS modifier x their caster level.  When the obstacle is hit/touched the victim the takes the base damage.  Physical obstacles (ice, & earth have spikes), but can be climbed at a disadvantage, while energy obstacles (fire, electric, & wind) have no physical substance, and if one attempts to pass through it, they take damage a second time with no save.  This obstacle can be created within 30ft of the character (overriding any previous ranges for the base minor power).

o   Trap:  By imbuing a 5ft area with elemental energy you can create a trap to be triggered under certain desired events.  If you can see the spot you can trigger the trap when you want to, other wise you can state a desired, but simple, outcome for triggering the trap.  Such an event could be when a being steps in the spot, or when if they pass under it, by it, or if they have a weapon drawn while in the space.  Once a trap is set it lasts a number of minutes equal to the users WIS modifier x2.

o   Fan:  Increase damage by 2 dice. The attack can be caused to fan across an area.  This creates a 15ft cone effect, forcing opponents in the area to make a DEX save.  If they fail, they take full damage, though if they succeed, they take only half damage.

o   Torrent:  Increase damage by 2 dice.  The attack is poured out across an area.  This creates a 30ft line effect, forcing opponents in the area to make a DEX save.  If they fail, the take full damage, though if they succeed, they take only half damage.

o   Empower:  This is like an improved use of the character’s base melee use of their powers.  Here your weapon is considered magical and has a more pronounced elemental effect.  Your weapon also deals 1d6 additional damage of your elemental type.  The empowerment lasts a number of turns equal to your WIS modifier +1.  The effect ends at the end of the last turn of its use.

o   Elemental Armor:  You can sheath yourself in your elemental type.  This can create spikes on your body or a sheath of the energy you wield.  You gain +1 AC, and any melee attack that hits you triggers a response from your elemental armor, dealing 1d6 of your elemental damage to the target automatically (they get no save), though this triggered effect only occurs for 1 attack from the opponent.  If the opponent can make multiple attacks, then they trigger the response only 1 time.  Elemental Armor lasts a number of turns equal to your WIS modifier +1.

At level 1 you gain the full use of the minor aspects of your powers, plus you may choose 2 Major effects that you wish to know how to use.  Every 3 levels you can choose 1 new major effect to use.

MANCERY POINTS

Mancers can use their major powers a limited number of times via a pool of points.  This number is based upon the character’s level (see the progression table).  When a major power is used it ticks off 1 point.  Initially, at low levels, characters can only use one major power at a time.  These points recover fully once a long rest is taken.  A short rest recovers a bit of power as well, but this is limited to the character’s WIS modifier (at least 1 point is recovered after a short rest).

ELEMENTAL SAVANT

At 2^nd level you are particularly adapt at dealing with your particular element.  If you’re ever the target of a spell of your elemental type that requires a saving throw you have advantage on those saves.  If the save is for half damage, this combines with your existing resistance to the elemental type and you take no damage instead.

ELEMENTAL MASTERY

At 3^rd level you set down a path of mastering your elemental abilities.  You can choose one path of mastery to specialize in:  Soul Mastery, Pole-Star Mastery.  Your mastery grants you features at 3^rd level and again at 6^th, 10^th, and 14^th level.  These masteries are further explained later.

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

At 4^th level the character gains the same ability score improvements that all classes have.  This is repeated at at 8^th, 12^th, 16^th, and 19^th level.

IMPROVED MAJOR POWERS

At 7^th level you possess an increased ability to wield your enhancers to make your major powers.  These improvements increase the cost of the major power by 2pts.  You can only add one improvement to your major powers at a time.  At level 10 you can add two improvements onto the power.  At level 14 you can add a third, and at level 18 you can add a fourth.

·         Die Type:  The die type is increased from d6’s to d8’s (if already a d8, increase to a d10).  You also may add +1 die to the damage the power deals.

·         Range or Area Of Effect:  Double the area that the power will affect when used.  Thus, if it affects 15ft cone it will instead affect a 30ft cone.  In the case of range at which the power can be used, the distance is also doubled.  Note that you can only use one or the other, not both (not yet at least).

·         Modifier/Score:  If the enhancer has a static bonus that it grants then the number is increased by +1 (for example: a +1 would become a +2).  If a score is generated (like hit points) then the number granted is increased by 5.

·         Duration:  If the power has a duration then the length of that duration is doubled.

ELEMENTAL ABSORPTION

At 9^th level you learn to wield your elemental powers to temporarily boost your health.  When you use the power, for a number of turns equal to your WIS modifier +1, you can absorb damage of your chosen elemental type (in the case of being able to choose between 2 damage types, you must choose one that this will apply to at the moment).  When you take damage from the elemental source you can roll 1d10, damage is reduced by this amount and you gain an equivalent number of temporary HP equal to this.  If you already possess an ability to reduce damage the dice are rolled anyway to simply absorb the damage.  This absorption is not cumulative, but refreshes, replacing a previous total with a new total if the new total is higher than the previous amount.  This temporary HP lasts for 5 minutes or until expended.

ELEMENTAL IMMUNITY

At 17^th level your elemental powers start reaching their apex.  You gain immunity to damage of the type of your powers.  Note that if your chosen elemental power possesses 2 damage types, your immunity extends to only 1 of those damage types.

ELEMENTAL FORM

At 20^th level you can assume the form of an Elemental, though with your vastly stronger powers.  While in this form the character gains the following traits, and just one of the accompanying elemental traits that corresponds to your chosen elemental type:

·         Damage Resistances:  Bludgeoning, Piercing, & Slashing from nonmagical weapons.

·         Damage Immunities:  Poison, and your base elemental type.

·         Condition Immunities:  Exhaustion, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Unconscious

·         Senses:  Darkvision 60ft

·         Cryo:  You gain the ice equivalent of the Fire Elemental’s “Fire Form” only you deal Cold damage instead of fire damage.  You are also susceptible to Fire and take an extra die of damage from Fire sources like the “Water Susceptibility” of the Fire Elemental.  If moving in water, you freeze the water around you in a 30ft radius.  Creatures in this radius must make a STR save to break free of the ice and must in turn make a DEX save to move along the icy surface.  You can move freely through ice and water without your speed being impacted.  Also, if underwater you do not need to breath.  You may also travel through ice as if it weren’t there, leaving no trace of your passage.

·         Pyro:  You possess the Fire Elemental’s “Fire Form, Illumination, & Water Susceptibility” traits.  You have condition immunities to being grappled and made prone.

·         Earth:  You gain the Earth Elemental’s “Earth Glide, and Siege Monster” traits.  You also can burrow up to 30ft.

·         Volt:  You possess an “Electric Form” that is the same as the “Fire Form” except that targets don’t catch fire.  You gain Damage Resistance to fire and can teleport up to 90ft away.  You also gain the “Illumination” trait from the Fire Elemental.

·         Wind:  You possess the Air Elemental’s “Air Form, & Whirlwind Attack” traits.  The saving throw of the Whirlwind attack is based off that of your powers.  This still has a recharge in place in order to use it again.  You also gain Damage Resistance to lightning & thunder.  You have condition immunities to being grappled and made prone.  You also possess flying up to 90ft.

This elemental form cannot be maintained indefinitely, however.  The form can only be assumed once per day (recovered after a long rest), and you can remain in this form for up to half your level in hours.

ELEMENTAL MASTERY

Upon reaching 3^rd level the character gains access to one of two forms of elemental mastery.  These forms of mastery are Soul Mastery, and Pole-Star Mastery.  Each elemental mastery is noted below.  You gain a feature from your form of mastery at level 3, then again at levels 6, 10, and 14.

SOUL MASTERY

To be a mancer is to have mastery over a single element, but there are some who gain mastery over another element, the souls of all living things.  A soul-mancer can manipulate the spirits of things, enhance them, or even harm them.

SPIRIT SIGHT

At 3^rd level you gain the following features.

o   Darkvision:  If you do not already possess the ability, you gain Darkvision as if you were an elf.

o   Spiritvision:  You are able to see the hidden world, the world within the world.  With 10 minutes of meditation you are able to make use of the following combination of spells, Detect Magic, and See Invisibility spells.  This requires concentration for up to 10 minutes.  While this is active you can, with an Insight roll, determine a person’s alignment (DC being 8 + The target’s Wisdom Save Bonus).  If your skill roll is successful you are able to discern the exact alignment of the target.  If you fail, then the target’s alignment remains marred and difficult to discern.  You cannot try this skill use again on the same target within a 10-minute period of time.  When using spiritvision there is no outward sign of you doing so unless someone is using Detect Magic, or also possess the Spirit Sight ability.

SOUL MENDING/SEVERING

At 6^th level you gain the ability to mend and sever.

o   Mending:  You are able to use your mancery points to allow you to heal the wounds of a target that is not yourself.  You must be able to touch the target you intend to heal.  1 point allows you to heal 1d8 HP, +1 per WIS mod of the target (not your own).  Each additional point spent allows you to heal an additional die.  The number of dice you may use for healing is limited to your proficiency bonus.  This can be used to heal any living thing, not undead, or fiend targets.  You may also use this in the same capacity as the lesser restoration spell or the remove curse spell (point cost is equal to the spell level).

o   Severing:  This functions in an opposing maner to mending.  Instead of healing, you inflict harm upon the very soul of the target.  You roll the same dice for damage as you would for mending, expending your mancery points in the same manner, although there is no WIS bonus to damage done.  The damage type of this is considered radiant.  You also must succeed in a melee attack roll first in order to deal damage to a target.  Additionally, this can also be used in the same manner as to how a cleric can Turn Undead as the cleric ability, and you can Destroy Undead as per the cleric ability at 5^th level.  The mancery points you expend to turn undead is 1 per undead that you wish to turn.  For destroying undead, the effect is the same as that of the cleric when an undead fails their save and is of a certain CR; however, you use your level in the place of the cleric level.

o   Influence:  Your mancery powers allow you to influence the mind of others through manipulation of their soul.  When engaging a target or group of targets in conversation where you are attempting to sway their mind or influence their actions, you may expend 3 mancer points to get advantage on your skill roll attempts, though you must concentrate to maintain the effect (it lasts so long as you concentrate or 1 hour, which ever comes first).  If the character is not proficient in the appropriate skill, they are needing to use they can expand 2 mancer points to gain temporary proficiency in the skill.  Thus, for a total of 5 points you get to make use of both aspects of this at the same time.  Note that you are not mind controlling, or charming the target, instead you are in sync with their thoughts, and emotions through your connection with their soul.

ASCENDING SPIRIT

At 10^th level you gain the ability to lift the spirits of your friends and allies, bolstering their resolve and strengthening them.  After this ability is used the character must take a short or long rest before they can use this ability again.  The character and any ally with in 60ft of the character gains advantage on one chosen saving throw, immunity to fear, and +1 to attack rolls, and a +1d4 to damage rolls.  The benefits of this last for 1 hour.

BRILLIANT SOUL

At 14^th level you possess the ability to project the power of your spirit in a powerful manner that can cause fear or awe in those that look upon you.  Those that seek to do you harm gain disadvantage on their attack rolls against you, and your allies, so long as they can see you, gain advantage on their saving throws.  The effects of this lasts for 1 minute and cannot be used again until a short or long rest is taken.

POLE-STAR MASTERY

Those that take up the path of the Pole-Star have aligned themselves with a greater power, and the power of a star burns with in them.

CELESTIAL FORCE

At 3^rd level you gain the following:

·         In addition to your elemental type you gain the addition of Radiance.

·         You can cast the cantrip, Light at will.

·         You have resistance to Radiant damage.

·         Additionally, you have advantage on Survival rolls when attempting to navigate.

STAR FIRE

At 6^th level you gain the ability to project a small, but deadly fraction of star fire.  When you project star fire it is as a “Torrent” major power.  Damage is radiant/fire damage, but there is one additional issue that Star Fire imposes on those struck by it, they may not apply Magic Resistance (if they possess it) against star fire.  The mancer point cost for using star fire is +1 to what is currently mixed into the power.  Star fire cannot be extinguished with water, and thus it can be used underwater.  Combustible materials will catch fire from this.

CELESTIAL AURA

At 10^th level you can exude a powerful aura that can harm anyone who dares to attack you, regardless of means.  On your turn, you can expend 1 mancer point per 1d8 of damage you wish to deal.  When targets succeed in an attack roll against the PC they must make a CON save.  If they fail the save, they take the damage.  If they succeed, they take no damage.  The effect can be maintained until the start of your next turn.

SOLAR FLARE

At 14^th level you gain the ability to unleash a deadly solar flare.  This is a more powerful version of the Star Fire Ability.  It is a major power build that makes use of the Wrap major power build instead of the torrent.  Damage dice is increased by 2, the number of 5ft spaces affects is doubled, but the attack always originates from the user.  Other than this the power has the same benefits as Star Fire.  There is no additional mancer point cost, but the power can only be used once, recovering it’s use after a long rest.