Death Born (5e Class)

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Death Born

Death is not just the absence of life, but something with its very own existence. The necrotic energy replaces life, consuming it, and the conflict between these forces are responsible for the natural cycle. There are, however, those capable of harnessing this power. Necromancers; the undead; and then are the Deathborn.

Deathborn are those who learned how to harbor the necrotic energy within their own being, being filled by its power and unlocking its full potential. The path of a deathborn is dangerous, and many powerful warriors succumbed to its power unsuccessfully. But to those who are capable to withstand its deathly power, the reward is great control over life and death.

Creating a Death Born

When creating a death born, the most important question is concerning how you became a death born? Were you part of a necromantic sect, imbued with necrotic energy to serve as guardian of their profane rites? Were you imbued by deathly energy as the sole survivor of a battle? Did you sought out after the knowledge of life and death, seeking to master this power by power sake?

Quick Build

You can make a Death Born quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Acolyte or Soldier background. Third, choose the Greatsword, five javelins, the dungeoneer's pack, a chain mail and a shield as your starting gear.

Class Features

As a Death Born you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Death Born level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Death Born level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, Perception, and Persuasion

Equipment

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

• (a) a greatsword or (b) any martial weapon
• (a) five javelins or (b) any simple melee weapon
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• Chain mail and a shield

Table: The Death Born

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Deathstrikes
1st	+2	Deathstrike, Accursed Might	2
2nd	+2	Relentless Endurance, Sanguinolent Retort	4
3rd	+2	Death Born Archetype	6
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	8
5th	+3	Extra Attack, Brutal Strikes	10
6th	+3	Archetype Feature	12
7th	+3	Deathly Might	14
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	16
9th	+4	Lethal Retort (+1d6)	18
10th	+4	Archetype Feature	20
11th	+4	Bloodied Rebirth	22
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	24
13th	+5	Lethal Retort (+2d6)	26
14th	+5	Archetype Feature	28
15th	+5	Necrotic Fountain	30
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	32
17th	+6	Lethal Retort (+3d6), Critical Necrosis	34
18th	+6	Deathly Ascension	36
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	38
20th	+6	—	40

Deathstrike

Starting at 1st level, whenever you hit a creature on your turn with a melee weapon attack, you can drain its vitality. You cause necrotic damage instead of the regular damage for your weapon, and you regain hit points equal to half the damage caused.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to the number shown on the Deathstrike Column on the Death Born table (twice per level). You regain your uses of this feature after finishing a long rest.

Accursed Might

Also at 1st level, you add your proficiency bonus to all your Strength checks. In addition, once per turn when you make a Strength check, saving throw or damage roll, roll a d6. If you roll below your proficiency bonus, you add the number rolled to the check, save or damage roll.

Sanguinolent Retort

At 2nd level, when you are hit by an attack, you can make a melee weapon attack against that creature (no Reaction required). You cause additional damage to that creature on a hit equal to half the damage you've taken.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you roll initiative again, or until you finish a long rest.

Relentless Endurance

At 2nd level, whenever you succeed on a Strength or Constitution saving throw to reduce the damage of an effect to half, you suffer no damage instead.

Death Born Archetype

At 3rd level, you can choose one of the Archetypes shown at the end of this class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 10th and 14th levels.

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.

Blessing of the Titans (Optional Feature)

At 19th level, you can choose to gain a Blessing or an Epic Boon, instead of an Ability Score Improvement.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Brutal Strikes

At 5th level, once per turn when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack using Strength, you can push that creature up to 10 feet back.

Deathly Might

By 7th level, your necrotic might allow you to temporarily suppress debilitating conditions to aggress upon an opponent. Whenever you are stunned, paralyzed, incapacitated, poisoned or frightened, you can spend an use of your Deathstrike to ignore the effects of the condition until the end of your turn.

The next attack you make on this turn have the effects of Deathstrike on a hit, and you can reroll the save against that effect. On a miss, the condition resumes normally.

Lethal Retort

At 9th level, whenever you use your Sanguinolent Retort, you cause additional 1d6 necrotic damage. This increases to 2d6 at 13th level and 3d6 at 17th level.

Bloodied Rebirth

At 11th level, when you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can spend an use of Deathstrike to make an attack against a hostile creature within reach as a Reaction. On a hit, you are reduced to 1 hit point instead.

Necrotic Fountain

At 15th level, whenever start your turn below half your maximum hit points or lower and have 0 Deathstrikes, you regain 1 Deathstrike.

Critical Necrosis

At 17th level, whenever you score a critical hit against a creature with a melee weapon attack, you cause additional Necrotic damage equal to your Death Born level. If you are below half your maximum hit points, you can forgo this additional damage and grant this attack the properties of a Necrostrike (without spending uses).

Deathly Ascension

At 18th level, your body is fully infused with necrotic energy. Your type changes to undead. You are immune to Necrotic and Poison damage, diseases and the poisoned condition. You no longer age nor can you be magically aged, and you no longer need to drink, eat or breathe. You also don't require sleep, but you still need to rest to gain the benefits of a long rest.

Deathborn Subclass

Ravager

The first deathborn were created by dark rites of necromancers, who searched a way of creating more powerful warriors in the battlefield. Their experiments resulted in a devastating creation: the Ravagers, emotionless and filled with pure lust for blood.

Deathly Cleave

Starting at 3rd level, whenever you use your Deathstrike, you can make a melee weapon attack against a creature within 5 feet of your target.

Terrorize

At 6th level, when you hit a creature with a Deathstrike, that creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Emotionless

At 10th level, you are immune to the charmed and frightened conditions.

Deathly Flurry

Starting at 14th level, whenever you use your Deathstrike, you can make an additional attack without using an Action.

Gravebound

Some Deathborn do not revel in carnage, but instead serve as keepers of balance between life and death. Bound to ancient pacts with spirits or deities of death, the Gravebound channel necrotic energy to shield the living from worse fates and command the stillness of the grave.

Graveguard Ward

At 3rd Level, when you use your Deathstrike, you can choose to protect an ally instead of harming a second target. Choose a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see. That creature gains temporary hit points equal to the necrotic damage you dealt with the Deathstrike.

Soulbinding Chains

At 6th Level, when a creature within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your Reaction to bind your essence to theirs. You take half the damage they would take, and they take the other half. Until the start of your next turn, both you and the bonded creature gain resistance to necrotic damage.

Grave Resilience

At 10th Level, you gain resistance to necrotic and poison damage. Additionally, you no longer age magically, and cannot be aged magically.

If you die, you rise at dawn as if affected by the Revivify spell, provided your body is mostly intact. You can only use this resurrection once per long rest.

Tether of Oblivion

At 14th Level, when you hit a creature with Deathstrike, you can tether its soul to you. Until the end of your next turn, that creature cannot regain hit points and cannot teleport or become invisible.

In addition, whenever a tethered creature makes an attack while within 30 feet, you can force it to make a Constitution saving throw, or take 3d6 necrotic damage on a failed save.

Harbinger of Ruin

Harbingers of Ruin are deathborn who forsake all defense for devastation. Imbued with unstable necrotic forces, they are living weapons of entropy who seek to unravel the world with each blow.

Entropic Overload

At 3rd Level, when you use a Deathstrike, you can choose to overload your weapon with necrotic force. If you do, the target and all creatures within 5 feet of it (excluding you) take necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

This does not affect constructs or undead.

Crashing Ruin

At 6th Level, whenever you deal necrotic damage to a creature that is at full hit points, you can reroll any 1s on the damage dice.

Additionally, you ignore resistance to necrotic damage.

Doom Aura

At 10th Level, you exude a ruinous presence. As a bonus action, you can activate a 10-foot aura for 1 minute. Enemies that start their turn in the aura take necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

You can activate this aura once per long rest, or by expending a Deathstrike.

Apocalyptic Crescendo

At 14th Level, when you use Deathstrike, you can unleash a crescendo of entropy. All enemies within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failed save, they are blinded and take 4d6 necrotic damage. On a success, they take half damage and are not blinded.

You can use this feature once per long rest, unless you sacrifice two uses of Deathstrike to use it again.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Deathborn class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 13, Constitution 13.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Deathborn class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons.

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