In worlds, where magic resides and mighty creatures lunger, it happens, that people are highly influenced by the great forces around them. Sometimes a child gets born, that inhabits the power to adapt to its surroundings to survive everything the brutal worlds throw at him. Survivalist are people with one special ability: to harvest the essence of a fallen creature and turn it into wisdom and capability for themself. They use the abilities of monsters and become a monster themself. Learning and adepting are the weapons of the survivalist.
hit dice:
1d8
hit points at 1st level:
8 + your Constitution modifier
hit points at higher levels:
1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per survivalist level after 1st
armor proficiencies:
Light armor, medium armor
weapon proficiencies:
no weapon proficiencies
tools:
no tool proficiencies
saving throws:
Dexterity, Intelligence
skills:
Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, Stealth or Survival
starting equipment:
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) studded leather armor or (b) scale mail
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- a dagger
spellcasting:
This class can't learn or cast spells.
class features:
Harvest
At 1st level, you learn the special ability to harvest the essence of a fallen creature and learn one of its abilities. If a creature dies within 60 ft. of you, you can try to harvest its essence, if its CR is equal or lower than your level. You must make an Intelligence check against 14 but the save DC decreases by 2 for every point the CR of the creature is lower than your level. On this occasion CRs of 1/2 counts as 1, of 1/4 as 2, of 1/8 as 3 and of 0 as 4 points under level 1. If you don't succed on the check you fail to harvest the essence. If you do succed you learn random one of the abilities of the dead creature (the DM rolls to decide). If you learn an ability with the same name of one you already know, you can decide which version you want to keep. You can learn an unlimited amount of abilities but you can only have some prepared. You can have an amount of active as well as passive abilities prepared accordingly to your proficiency bonus (Level 1 = 2 active and 2 passive abilities). After you finish a long rest, you can choose to change your prepared abilities. You can use the Harvest ability equal to your Intelligence Modifier per long rest.
Adaptation
You can use your active monster abilities instead of your weapon attacks. If you use a learned ability from a creature, you use the hit and damage modifier of the ability for your rolls and your hands or feet transform accordingly. For example, if you use a hoove attack from a goat your hands turn into hooves for the time of the attack. You can't wield weapons or a shield if you want to use a learned ability. When you later prepare a learned resistance or sense your skin and other body parts transform accordingly, as long as the ability is prepared. For example you grow fur against cold or stony skin against fire and your eyes glow in the dark if you learn darkvision from an owl. If you prepare an ability you choose how it affects your appearance.
Monster Essence
At 1st level, your ability to harvest essence awakened and you've taken your first essence. You decide from which monster type you've taken that essence and develop a special connection to that type. Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
Subclass choices:
- Beast Essence (many attacks)
- Elemental Essence (spells and elemental attacks)
- Undead Essence (tanking damage and survive)
- Monstrosity Essence (utility)
- Celestial Essence (healing and radiant damage)
Ability Score Improvement
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.
Multiattack
At 5th level, you learn the "Multiattack" ability, which let you attack twice with any active ability. If you already know this ability, you can choose to replace it if you want. The ability must be prepared to take effect.
The Monster Within
At 7th level, you can ignore the Hit Modifier of your active abilities and use instead your Dexterity Modifier + your Proficiency Modifier, if this value is higher than the original Hit Modifier.
Monster Sense
At 9th level you can use your Harvest ability to learn senses. You can't learn the same sense twice, so if you harvest the essence of a creature that has a worse or equal sense than that, which you already know, the sense can't be rolled by the DM. You can always have only one sense prepared but it doesn't count as a prepared ability. You can change your prepared sense after you completed a long rest.
Monster Resistance
At 11th level, you can use your Harvest feature to learn damage resistances. You can't learn the same resistance twice, so if you harvest the essence of a creature that has the resistance you already know, the resistance can't be rolled by the DM. You can always have only one resistance prepared but it doesn't count as a prepared ability. You can change your prepared Resistance after you completed a long rest.
Unlimited Growth
At 13th level, you can try to harvest essences of creatures with higher CR than your level. If you do so the save DC increases by 2 for every point the CR is higher than your level.
Controlled Harvest
At 15th level, when you use your harvest ability, you can choose if you want to harvest an ability, a resistance or a sense.
Perfect Insight
At 17th level, you can choose to see the status table of the died creature before you decide, if you want to use your harvest ability.
Survival of the Fittest
At 20th level, you become the ultimate survivalist. The save DC of your Harvest is now 10 and increases only by 1 per point-difference. When you use your Harvest ability, you can now choose which ability, resistance or sense you want to learn. You can now choose to learn a movement type and speed of the dead creature, too. The learned movement types are always prepared and are only replaced if the new movement speed is higher. You can now prepare 7 active and passive abilities, 2 resistances and 2 senses at once.
subclass options:
Beast Essence
Beast Abilities
At 1st level you learn your first monster abilities. You choose two from the active and one from the passive ability table:
| Active ability |
Effect |
| Weasel Bite |
Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 4 piercing damage. |
| Pony Hooves |
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2d4 + 4 bludgeoning damage. |
| Crab Claws |
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 1 slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). You have two claws, each of which can grapple only one target. You can't attack while grapple with both hands. |
| Snake Bite |
Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. |
| Passive Ability |
Effect |
| Keen Sight |
The hawk has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. |
| Pack Tactics |
The rat has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the rat's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. |
| Flyby |
The winged snake doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach. |
| Hold Breath |
The dolphin can hold its breath for 20 minutes. |
Beast Compability
Beginning at 1st level, if you use your Harvest ability on a beast type creature, you make your intelligence check with advantage.
Beast Speed
At 6th level, you count as double wielding. As a Bonus Action, you can make an additional attack, without adding the Ability Modifier to the damage roll.
Beast Senses
At 10th level, you learn an ability called "Beast Sense", which replace "Keen Sight", "Keen Smell" and "Keen Hearing". If it's preapared it gives you advantage on all Wisdom (Perception and Insight) checks.
Multiattack (x3)
At 14th level, you learn the "Multiattack" ability, which let you attack three times with any active ability. If you already know this ability, you can choose to replace it if you want. The ability must be prepared to take effect.
Elemental Essence
Elemental Abilities
At 1st level you learn your first monster abilities. You learn one passive, one active and the active "Breath Weapon" ability. You can choose the active and the passive ability from the tables below.
| Active Ability |
Effect |
| Fire Strike |
Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 60 ft., one target. Hit: 1d10 + 2 fire damage. A flammable object hit by this spell ignites if it isn’t being worn or carried. |
| Frost Strike |
Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 2 cold damage. A creature hit by this spell has its speed reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. |
| Lightning Strike |
Melee Spell Attack: +5 to hit, touch, one target. Hit: 1d10 + 2 lightning damage. You have advantage on the attack roll if the target is wearing armor made of metal. A creature hit by this spell can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn. |
| Acid Strike |
Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 2 acid damage. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against 12 or his AC is reduced by 2 until the end of your next turn. |
Breath Weapon: You exhale a 15-foot cone of one element of your choice. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d8 elemental damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If you used this ability you can roll 1D6 at the end of each of your turns. If you roll a 5 or 6, your breath weapon recharges and you can use it again at your next turn. When you gain this ability, you choose if your breath weapon deals fire, cold, lightning or acid damage. You can't change its damage type afterwards.The damage of your breath weapon increases, when you gain levels:
- Level 5: 3d8
- Level 10: 4d8
- Level 15: 5d8
- Level 20: 6d8
| Passive Ability |
Effect |
| Illumination |
You can start and stop to shed bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light in an additional 30 feet at will. |
| Invisible in Water |
You become invisible while fully immersed in water for at least 10 seconds. |
| Air Form |
You can turn into air and revert at will. In this form, you leave all equipment behind and can't attack, but you can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. |
| Siege Monster |
You deal double damage to objects and structures. |
Elemental Compability
Beginning at 1st level, if you use your Harvest ability on an elemental type creature, you make your intelligence check with advantage.
Elemental Spellcasting
Beginning at 6th level, you can keep different versions of "Innate Spellcasting" you learn and prepare multiple versions at once. Additionaly, when you cast a spell, you ignore the Hit Modifier and the Save DC and use instead your Intelligence as Spellcasting Ability. Your Hit DC equals your Intelligence Modifier + your Proficiency Modifier and your Save DC 8 + your Intelligence Modifier + your Proficiency Modifier, if these values are higher than the original ones. The save DC of your Breath Weapon changes, too.
Spellcasting Adept
At 6th level, you learn an new "Innate Spellcasting" ability, which enables you to cast one cantrip, one 1st level spell and one 2nd level spell from the Druid Spell List you choose. You can cast the 1st Level Spell 3 times per long rest and the 2nd level spell once per long rest.
Elemental Spellfocus
At 10th level, when you use your Harvest ability on a creature that has the ability "Innate Spellcasting" or is able to cast spells, the DM informs you about it and you can choose to learn his "Innate Spellcasting" ability or a special ability that contains two of his spells. The choosen spells are rolled by the DM. The learned spells don't need material components, except components with a cost.
Elemental Knowledge
At 14th level, as a Bonus Action you can choose to make an nature check against 8 + the CR of the creature. If you succed, you learn the Immunities, Resistances and Vulnerabilities of the creature against elemental damage (fire, cold, lightning, thunder, acid, poison). Additionaly if you choose to learn the special ability which contains two spells from the creature, you can choose which spells you want to learn.
Undead Essence
Undead Abilities
At 1st level you learn your first monster abilities. You learn the active "Life Drain" ability and choose one from the passive ability table:
| Life Drain |
Melee Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 1d6 + 2 necrotic damage. You regain Hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. |
| Passive Ability |
Effect |
| Regeneration |
You regain 2 Hit Points at the start of your turn, if you have less than half your hit points left. If you take fire or radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of your next turn. |
| Magic Resistance |
You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. |
| Detect Life |
You can magically sense the presence of creatures up to 60 ft. away that aren't undead or constructs. You can recognize their type, but you must be conscious and awake to sense something. |
| Detachable Hands |
As a free action, you can detach one or both hands from your body. If you do so you take 1d4 damage per hand. you can still feel your hands and can move every Hand freely. While detached they use the stats of a "Crawling Claw" and can move and act after your turn. If the Hand dies, it falls limp, till you reattach it to your body. You can reatach every hand as a free action. If you don't reatach a hand in 24 hours after taking it off, you lose the connection and grow a new one over the next 24 hours. |
Undead Compability
Beginning at 1st level, if you use your Harvest ability on an undead type creature, you make your intelligence check with advantage.
Undead Body
At 6th level, you count as an undead. You don't need to drink, eat, sleep or breath anymore. Additonaly you get a permanent resistance against necrotic damage. Later if you have necrotic prepared, it becomes necrotic immunity.
Undead Persistance
At 10th level, you can't be killed that easily anymore. You get the ability "Improved Undead Fortitude" and your maximum hit points increase by 10.
| Improved Undead Fortitude |
If damage reduces you to 0 hit points, you must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant. On a success, the you drop to 1 hit point instead. This abilty can save you 3 times per day and you can reroll the first fail of a day. |
Undead Terror
At 14th level, you learn one advanced active undead ability. You can choose one of the Advanced Active Ability table:
| Advanced Active Ability |
Effect |
| Rotting Fist (1/day) |
Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2d6 + 4 bludgeoning damage plus 3d6 necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with mummy rot. The cursed target can't regain hit points, and its hit point maximum decreases by 3d6 for every 24 hours that elapse. If the curse reduces the target's hit point maximum to 0, the target dies, and its body turns to dust. The curse lasts until removed by the remove curse spell or other magic. |
| Children of the Night (1/Day) |
As a Bonus Action, you magically call 1d4 swarms of bats or rats, provided that the sun isn't up. While outdoors, you can call 1d6 wolves instead. The called creatures arrive next round, acting as allies of you and obeying your spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until you die, or until you dismiss them as a bonus action. |
| Create Specter (1/day) |
As a Bonus Action, you target a humanoid within 10 feet of you that has been dead for no longer than 1 minute and died violently. The target's spirit rises as a specter in the space of its corpse or in the nearest unoccupied space. The specter is under your control and remains until it dies. You can have no more than five specters under your control at one time. |
| Paralyzing Touch
(1/day) |
Melee Spell Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 3d6 cold damage. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. |
Monstrosity Essence
Monstrosity Abilities
At 1st level you learn your first monster abilities. You can choose two from the Active Ability and one from the Passive Ability table:
| Active Ability |
Effect |
| Beak |
Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 4 piercing damage. |
| Tentacle |
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 2 bludgeoning damage. The target gets pushed 10 ft. back. |
| Hook |
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 2 piercing damage. The target can't move away from you until the end of its next turn. |
| Tendril |
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 20 ft., one creature. Hit: 1d4 + 2 slashing damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 12). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained and has disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. Tendrils raise from your back and you can have up to 6 tendrils at once. |
| Passive Ability |
Effect |
| Spider Climb |
You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. |
| False Appearance |
While you remain motionless, you are indistinguishable from a normal natural formation, like a rock or a bush. |
| Labyrinthine Recall |
You can perfectly recall any path you have traveled. |
| Amphibious |
You can breathe air and water. |
Monstrosity Compability
Beginning at 1st level, if you use your Harvest ability on a monstrosity type creature, you make your intelligence check with advantage.
Monstrosity Degeneration
At 6th level, you can change the number of your body parts at will. As an action you can grow up to four versions of one body part or let them disappear. You can grow them at any spots of your body you like. For example you can grow four more arms on your back. You can control these body parts like you can the original ones. You can't have more than four additional body parts at once and they must be of the same type.
Monstrosity Shift
At 10th level, you can change your height at will. You can use an action to shrink up to 1/5 or grow up to 5 times your height. These changes have no impact on your abilities, stats or your movement speed. While you are bigger or smaller you count as concentrating and must make a constitution saving throw, if you take damage. If you loose concentration, you revert to your normal height and can't change it, untill you finished a long rest.
Advanced Monstrosity
At 14th level, you learn an advanced passive monstrosity ability. You can choose one from the Advanced Passive Ability table:
| Advanced Passive Ability |
Effect |
| Tunneler |
You can burrow through solid rock at 1/3 your movement speed and leave a 5 foot-wide, 8-foot-high tunnel in your wake. |
| Echolocation |
You gain 60 ft. blindsight. You can't use your blindsight while deafened. |
| Inscrutable |
You are immune to any effect that would sense your emotions or read your thoughts, as well as any divination spell that you refuses (Like scrying). You make Charisma (Deception) checks with advantage and Wisdom (Insight) checks made to ascertain your intentions or sincerity have disadvantage. |
| Rust Metal |
Any nonmagical weapon made of metal that hits you corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed. You can also choose to corrode metal that you touch. You need 10 minutes of touching to corrode 1 feet cube of metal. |
Celestial Essence
Celestial Abilities
At 1st level you learn your first monster abilities. You can choose two from the Active Ability and one from the Passive Ability table:
| Active Ability |
Effect |
| Holy Horn |
Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 3 radiant damage. |
| Holy Beam |
Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 3 radiant damage. |
| Healing Psalm (5/long rest) |
As a Bonus Action you sing a holy psalm. One creature in 10 ft. of you, including yourself, regains 2d4 + 2 hit points. |
| Healing Hymn (3/long rest) |
As a Bonus Action you sing a holy hymn. Up to 3 targets, including you, in 30ft. of you regain 1d4 + 2 hit points. |
| Pasive Ability |
Effect |
| Divine Awareness |
You get advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks. |
| Divine Aura |
You get a passive 10ft. aura, which gives you and any allied creature +2 on all saving throws. |
| Divine Stronghold |
You can't be charmed or possessed. |
| Divine Healer |
You get a bonus on all healing equal to your proficiency bonus. |
Celestial Compability
Beginning at 1st level, if you use your Harvest ability on a celestial or humanoid type creature, you make your intelligence check with advantage.
Celestial Weapons
Beginning at 6th level, you can harvest weapon abilities from humanoids. If you use one of them, you manifest a holy projection of the weapon in your hand until the end of the attack. If you hit with one of these weapons you deal 1d4 additional radiant damage and can use a Bonus Action to heal yourself or another creature in 30 ft. of you for the radiant damage you dealt.
Celestial Body
Beginning at 10th level, you get permanent resistance against radiant damage. If you prepare radiant resistance it becomes radiant immunity. Additionaly you get the passive ability "Divine Mercy".
| Divine Mercy |
You can channel 1 minute and spend any amount of your hit points to heal another creature for double the amount. |
Celestial Messiah
At 14th level, you get unendable healing abilities. The active abilities "Healing Psalm" and "Healing Hymn" have no more restricted uses and you learn one of the abilities, if you don't already know them. Additionaly you learn the "Revivify" Spell as a once per day usable active ability. You still need the monetary cost components.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | XP | Features | Active & Passive Abilities prepared |
|---|
| 1 | +2 | 0 | Harvest, Adaptation, Monster Essence | 2 |
| 2 | +2 | 300 | - | 2 |
| 3 | +2 | 900 | - | 2 |
| 4 | +2 | 2,700 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 |
| 5 | +3 | 6,500 | Multiattack | 3 |
| 6 | +3 | 14,000 | Monster Essence Feature | 3 |
| 7 | +3 | 23,000 | The Monster Within | 3 |
| 8 | +3 | 34,000 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 |
| 9 | +4 | 48,000 | Monster Sense | 4 |
| 10 | +4 | 64,000 | Monster Essence Feature | 4 |
| 11 | +4 | 85,000 | Monster Resistance | 4 |
| 12 | +4 | 100,000 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 |
| 13 | +5 | 120,000 | Unlimited Growth | 5 |
| 14 | +5 | 140,000 | Monster Essence Feature | 5 |
| 15 | +5 | 165,000 | Controlled Harvest | 5 |
| 16 | +5 | 195,000 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 |
| 17 | +6 | 225,000 | Perfect Insight | 6 |
| 18 | +6 | 265,000 | - | 6 |
| 19 | +6 | 305,000 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 |
| 20 | +6 | 355,000 | Survival of the Fittest | 7 |
