Homebrew:Occultism
(OOC: This is an implementation of the Occultism subclass from The Crooked Moon)
Base Class: Wizard
Wizardry urges the relentless pursuit of knowledge that pushes every boundary in search of greater power and understanding, but some boundaries are never meant to be crossed. Occultists care not for these limitations, peering behind cosmic veils, devouring forbidden secrets, and pushing their understanding of spellcraft until reality itself tears open. It is from the strange, alien realms that are revealed which they draw even greater power, shattering all limits no matter the eldritch consequences.
Forbidden Knowledge
2nd-level Occultism feature
In your study of proscribed power, you learn Deep Speech or another language of your choice.
In addition, choose a 1st-level spell from the warlock spell list. You add it to your spellbook if it’s not there already, and it is a wizard spell for you.
Intrusion
2nd-level Occultism feature
Your search into the forbidden reaches beyond the universe yields great power but comes at the risk of letting something from beyond intrude into your reality.
You have an Intrusion Die, which starts at a d6, that can change as you use your features. The die can increase or decrease, along this progression of die sizes: d2, d3, d4, d6, d8, d10, d12.
The size maximum for your Intrusion Die is its starting size, which increases by one step when you reach certain levels in this class: 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), and 17th level (d12).
When you use a feature that risks Intrusion, roll your Intrusion Die. On a 2 or higher, no Intrusion occurs, and the Intrusion die reduces in size one step on the progression.
On a roll of 1, the Intrusion Die rises in size one step, and you roll on the Intrusion table to determine what happens as reality fractures. Intrusions use your spell save DC.
The Intrusion Die increases in size by one step (up to its starting size) when you finish a short rest, and it resets to its starting size when you finish a long rest.
Additionally, you can focus alien potency into your spells. When you cast a spell using a spell slot, you can risk Intrusion to choose one of the following.
- Overwhelming Mind.
- One target of the spell has disadvantage on the first saving throw made against it.
- Seeking Eye.
- You have advantage on the first attack roll you make for the spell.
| 1d12 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | You feel a presence behind you that whispers incomprehensible things into your soul. Until the end of your next turn, you can only do one of the following on a turn: take an action, a bonus action, or move. |
| 2 | Space twists and melts in a 30-foot radius around you. Each creature (including you) in the area struggles against the warping of reality. An affected creature’s speed is halved until the end of your next turn. |
| 3 | The nearest other creature within 60 feet of you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take necrotic damage equal to two rolls of your Intrusion Die (at its starting size), and you regain a number of hit points equal to the damage dealt. |
| 4 | Reality tears in your space until the end of your next turn. You and each creature that can see the tear must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of it while the tear exists. |
| 5 | One of your arms warps into an alien appendage, such as a distorted version of an arm or a twisting tentacle, for 1 minute. You can make unarmed strikes with the limb using your spell attack bonus. Instead of the normal damage, roll a number of your Intrusion dice (at its starting size) equal to your proficiency bonus. The target takes acid damage equal to the total rolled. |
| 6 | Alien landscapes overlay your vision, and you are blinded until the end of your next turn. |
| 7 | You regain an expended spell slot of 5th level or lower (your choice), and you take necrotic damage equal to twice the slot’s level. This damage can’t be reduced or prevented in any way. |
| 8 | You experience an instant of terrible clarity. You take psychic damage equal to two rolls of your Intrusion Die (at its starting size), and for 1 minute, your spell save DC is increased by 2. |
| 9 | For 1 hour, you hear whispered, disembodied thoughts of hateful scorn directed at you. While you can hear the whispers, you have disadvantage on ability checks and saving throws that rely on Wisdom. |
| 10 | When you cause this Intrusion and at the end of each of your turns for 1 minute, pulses in the fabric of space fill a 15-foot radius around you; you and each creature in the area are knocked prone. |
| 11 | An Aberration or a Fiend with a CR equal to your wizard level or lower (GM’s choice) appears in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. The GM decides the creature’s attitude (hostile/indifferent/ friendly) and actions. |
| 12 | Unnatural thoughts disorient you, and you are incapacitated until the end of your next turn. |
Reality Tear
6th-level Occultism feature
Choose a spell of 3rd level or lower from the warlock spell list. You add the spell to your spellbook if it’s not there already, and it is a wizard spell for you. When you cast the spell, you can risk Intrusion to remove the need to Concentrate on it, and the spell ends after 1 minute or its normal duration, whichever is shorter.
Additionally, you can cause an automatic Intrusion (and increase the die’s size one step, up to its starting size) to cast the spell once without a spell slot, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Occult Presence
10th-level Occultism feature
When you cause an Intrusion, you can roll twice on the Intrusion table and choose which result to use, and you can negate the Intrusion by gaining 1 level of exhaustion.
Additionally, you gain one of the benefits below, and you can change your chosen benefit when you finish a long rest. As a bonus action, you can cause an automatic Intrusion (and increase the die’s size one step, up to its starting size) to change your chosen benefit.
- Alien Consciousness.
- You gain immunity to the charmed and frightened conditions, and you can’t be possessed.
- Cosmic Resistance.
- You gain resistance to necrotic and psychic damage.
- Spatial Domination.
- You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed and can hover.
Beyond Space
14th-level Occultism feature
The nature of distance and location is revealed for the lie that it is. You add the scrying spell to your spellbook, if it’s not there already.
When you cast scrying, you can risk Intrusion to choose one of the following.
- All Knowing.
- Treat your connection to a target creature as if you have part of its body.
- All Seeing.
- Change the spell’s casting time to 1 action.
When you cast scrying, during the spell’s duration, you can cause an automatic Intrusion (and increase the die’s size one step, up to its starting size) to teleport yourself, and any willing creatures within 10 feet of you, to unoccupied spaces you can see through the scrying sensor. Once you teleport in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.