Occultist
About this class
Scholars of forbidden magic who burn their own sanity to force power from unknowable patrons. Embrace a dark unknowable patron with knowledge that drives you to madness.
I use the condition Frightened on a lot of designs. I treat it like vulnerable/restrained. Here is the description of the condition:
Frightened: When you gain the Frightened condition, you must remain at Far range from the source of your fear. If you’re not, you must first move to Far range when gaining the Spotlight before taking any other actions. If you are unable to do so you have to mark a Stress.
Included subclasses
Domains
Codex
Midnight
Starting stats
Hope feature
Class features
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Sanity
You begin the day with 6 Sanity. Sanity is recovered by resting. When you mark your last Sanity, you become Possessed. While Possessed, you randomly cast one card from your loadout. You have no control over the choice. Possession ends when you regain Sanity.
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The Dark Binding
Your patron is permanently attached to your Spellcast trait. Spend 1 Sanity to gain advantage on any roll involving this trait.
Class items
- A forbidden text filled with sigils, names, and half-translated rituals.
- A blade, idol, brand, or relic bound to your patron through blood.
Character questions
Background prompts
Connection prompts
Subclass cards
Printable via header menu
Dark Vessel
Foundation
SPELLCAST TRAIT: Presence
Eldritch Manifestations: You allow fragments of your patron to inhabit your body. You know know the following Eldritch Manifestations:
The Crawling Choir: Your mouth splits and whispers spill from beneath your skin. You gain advantage on Presence rolls.
The Black Carapace: Your flesh hardens into alien obsidian plating. When you mark an Armor Slot, you may reduce the number of HP you mark by 2.
Your initial manifestation costs 2 Sanity.
Switching to a different manifestation costs 1 Stress.
You may have only one manifestation active until the scene ends.
Dark Vessel
Specialization
Embrace Darkness: You know the following manifestations:
The Watching Halo: A crown of eyes opens across your head and shoulders. You cannot be surprised. You gain advantage on rolls to detect hidden or unseen creatures.
The Writhing Branch: Additional limbs tear free, bending at impossible angles. Increase your attack ranges by 1 range.
The Hollow Crown: A void opens above your skull, forming an unseen throne for your patron. Creatures within Close range take disadvantage on action rolls.
Dark Vessel
Mastery
Eldritch Surge: While you have an active Eldritch Manifestation, after a successful attack or spellcast, you may spend Sanity to unleash your patron’s influence. You may use Eldritch Surge once per turn. Each adversary within Close range must make a Reaction Roll (13). On a failure, apply the effect based on Sanity spent:
Sanity: Frightened until end of next turn.
Sanity: Mark a Stress.
Sanity: Vulnerable until end of next turn.
Sanity: Restrained until end of next turn.
Sanity: Cannot be spotlighted unless the GM spends 2 Fear until end of your next turn.
Sanity: You willingly become fully Possessed. All Eldritch Surge effects (1–5) are active in this state.
Ritualist
Foundation
SPELLCAST TRAIT: Knowledge
Profane Offering: When you use Void Summons you must mark 1 HP or 1 Stress to complete the summon.
Void Summon: Void Summon costs 1 Sanity. They cannot be targeted. A Void Summon persists until you summon another or it's dispelled. Choose one:
Voidling: When you deal damage to a creature, the Voidling deals half that damage additionally.
Eyestalk Sigil: A floating eye gives truesight vision over a target removing cover.
Grasping Shade: The first time a creature moves into Close range of you, it must succeed on a Reaction Roll (13) or become Restrained by shadowy tentacles.
Ritualist
Specialization
Greater Bindings: You may have two void active at the same time. You can now summon stronger Void Summons. The following cost 2 Sanity:
Witherwalker: A crawling mass of black roots and pale tendrils that withers life. Creatures within Close range treat the area as Difficult Terrain. When an adversary fails a Reaction Roll in Close range, it also marks Stress.
Endless Unmaking: A floating black void that corrupts space and devours all it touches. Targets that take damage from you are temporarily Vulnerable. Vulnerable targets within Close range mark an extra HP when damaged.
Ritualist
Mastery
Master of the Unknown: You may have a number of void summons active equal to your Knowledge modifier.
Void Cataclysms: You can now summon legendary Void Summons. The following cost 3 Sanity:
The Gaping Maw: You tear open a Close-range area of eyes and grinding teeth. Creatures that enter or start there must succeed on a Reaction Roll (13) or become Restrained. Restrained creatures mark 1d4 Stress at the start of their turns.
The Starving Fog: You summon a Close-range area of sentient eldritch mist. You cannot be targeted while in the fog. Adversaries that start their turn within the fog mark Stress. When an adversary dies within the fog, you clear 1 HP per its Difficulty tier.
Occultist
Scholars of forbidden magic who burn their own sanity to force power from unknowable patrons. Embrace a dark unknowable patron with knowledge that drives you to madness.
I use the condition Frightened on a lot of designs. I treat it like vulnerable/restrained. Here is the description of the condition:
Frightened: When you gain the Frightened condition, you must remain at Far range from the source of your fear. If you’re not, you must first move to Far range when gaining the Spotlight before taking any other actions. If you are unable to do so you have to mark a Stress.
Domains
Codex + Midnight
Starting Evasion
10
Starting Hit Points
5
Class Items
- • A forbidden text filled with sigils, names, and half-translated rituals.
- • A blade, idol, brand, or relic bound to your patron through blood.
Occultist’s Hope Feature
Eldritch Junction : Spend 3 Hope to regain 2 Sanity. Until the end of the scene, if you would mark Stress you may mark Sanity instead.
Class Features
Sanity
You begin the day with 6 Sanity. Sanity is recovered by resting. When you mark your last Sanity, you become Possessed. While Possessed, you randomly cast one card from your loadout. You have no control over the choice. Possession ends when you regain Sanity.
The Dark Binding
Your patron is permanently attached to your Spellcast trait. Spend 1 Sanity to gain advantage on any roll involving this trait.
Occultist Subclasses
Choose either the Dark Vessel or Ritualist subclass.
Dark Vessel
Play the Dark Vessel if you want to embrace corruption, stand at the center of danger, and turn your own mind into a conduit for overwhelming eldritch power.
Spellcast Trait
Presence
Foundation Features
Eldritch Manifestations: You allow fragments of your patron to inhabit your body. You know know the following Eldritch Manifestations:
The Crawling Choir: Your mouth splits and whispers spill from beneath your skin. You gain advantage on Presence rolls.
The Black Carapace: Your flesh hardens into alien obsidian plating. When you mark an Armor Slot, you may reduce the number of HP you mark by 2.
Your initial manifestation costs 2 Sanity.
Switching to a different manifestation costs 1 Stress.
You may have only one manifestation active until the scene ends.
Specialization Feature
Embrace Darkness: You know the following manifestations:
The Watching Halo: A crown of eyes opens across your head and shoulders. You cannot be surprised. You gain advantage on rolls to detect hidden or unseen creatures.
The Writhing Branch: Additional limbs tear free, bending at impossible angles. Increase your attack ranges by 1 range.
The Hollow Crown: A void opens above your skull, forming an unseen throne for your patron. Creatures within Close range take disadvantage on action rolls.
Mastery Feature
Eldritch Surge: While you have an active Eldritch Manifestation, after a successful attack or spellcast, you may spend Sanity to unleash your patron’s influence. You may use Eldritch Surge once per turn. Each adversary within Close range must make a Reaction Roll (13). On a failure, apply the effect based on Sanity spent:
Sanity: Frightened until end of next turn.
Sanity: Mark a Stress.
Sanity: Vulnerable until end of next turn.
Sanity: Restrained until end of next turn.
Sanity: Cannot be spotlighted unless the GM spends 2 Fear until end of your next turn.
Sanity: You willingly become fully Possessed. All Eldritch Surge effects (1–5) are active in this state.
Ritualist
Play the Ritualist if you want to control the battlefield with summoned horrors, shape space through forbidden rites, and let bound entities do the work.
Spellcast Trait
Knowledge
Foundation Features
Profane Offering: When you use Void Summons you must mark 1 HP or 1 Stress to complete the summon.
Void Summon: Void Summon costs 1 Sanity. They cannot be targeted. A Void Summon persists until you summon another or it's dispelled. Choose one:
Voidling: When you deal damage to a creature, the Voidling deals half that damage additionally.
Eyestalk Sigil: A floating eye gives truesight vision over a target removing cover.
Grasping Shade: The first time a creature moves into Close range of you, it must succeed on a Reaction Roll (13) or become Restrained by shadowy tentacles.
Specialization Feature
Greater Bindings: You may have two void active at the same time. You can now summon stronger Void Summons. The following cost 2 Sanity:
Witherwalker: A crawling mass of black roots and pale tendrils that withers life. Creatures within Close range treat the area as Difficult Terrain. When an adversary fails a Reaction Roll in Close range, it also marks Stress.
Endless Unmaking: A floating black void that corrupts space and devours all it touches. Targets that take damage from you are temporarily Vulnerable. Vulnerable targets within Close range mark an extra HP when damaged.
Mastery Feature
Master of the Unknown: You may have a number of void summons active equal to your Knowledge modifier.
Void Cataclysms: You can now summon legendary Void Summons. The following cost 3 Sanity:
The Gaping Maw: You tear open a Close-range area of eyes and grinding teeth. Creatures that enter or start there must succeed on a Reaction Roll (13) or become Restrained. Restrained creatures mark 1d4 Stress at the start of their turns.
The Starving Fog: You summon a Close-range area of sentient eldritch mist. You cannot be targeted while in the fog. Adversaries that start their turn within the fog mark Stress. When an adversary dies within the fog, you clear 1 HP per its Difficulty tier.
Background Questions
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Connections
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