The Spiritualist (5e Class)

The Spiritualist

Hidden in an alley, a diminutive cloaked figure appears to mutter quietly to themself, petitioning the spirit of a dead cultist. After hearing a suitable answer, the gnome approaches a shuttered door and provides the password only a select few should know.

A young human closes her eyes briefly in concentration before they suddenly open, filled with a spectral glow. Her posture shifts and she draws her sword, confronting her foe with practiced, measured movements which hint at decades of mastery, unattainable with her youthful inexperience.

A tiefling stands alone in a graveyard, muttering under his breath as he sets the candles and incense in its proper place. Finally satisfied, he sits in the middle of the candles as spectral energy converges upon him, opening his mind to contact another plane.

Connecting to the material plane is a transitive plane known as the Phantasmal Plane. After passing on, the spirits of the dead travel through the Phantasmal Plane, venturing into the afterlife. Spiritualists are able to connect with these spirits, drawing upon their talents and knowledge to augment their physical abilities or cast magic. Some spiritualists seek out this connection, while others may have been exposed to it by accident or during a tragic event.

A Conduit For The Dead

The path of a spiritualist is a hard, lonely path that few seek. Many spiritualists discover their abilities during a near death experience or after witnessing death. A few spiritualists seek out a connection with the dead, desperate to hold on to those they have lost. Regardless of their past, all spiritualists have forged a connection with the dead, granting them access to skills and knowledge lost to the past.

Spiritualists are an oddity in the world. Most people have only heard stories about spiritualists, whispered in secret and shrouded in rumor. These rumors tend to paint spiritualists in a dark light, referring to them as necromancers or black mages. Despite their reputation, many spiritualists find a place in society. Some keep a low profile while others find respectable ways to use their talents, passing themselves off as shamans or soothsayers. For the most part though, spiritualists are shunned from society and forced to live lives of isolation with only the spirits around them as company.

Spiritualists have a complex relationship with death. Many spiritualists seek to preserve the natural cycle of life and death, looking upon undeath as an abomination, while others attempt to prevent death at all costs, seeing undeath as its natural remedy. Whatever the case, all spiritualists have strong feelings about the loss of life and don't take death lightly. Spiritualists show reverence to graves and memorials and oppose unnecessary killing. This doesn’t mean spiritualists are pacifists though as they will defend their beliefs vigorously, even until their last breath.

Spiritualists have a strong connection with the past. Harnessing this bond, spiritualists gain access to lore and magic few others can claim. Spiritualists draw on what they learn to give them the upper hand against their foes, giving them a versatile and unpredictable set of skills Whether by channeling the skills of a master swordsman or by casting magic directly, spiritualists can hold their own against the most powerful contenders.

Haunted By The Past

Almost by definition, spiritualists are drawn to a life of adventure. Whether to accomplish the last wishes of a fallen comrade or to get revenge for the loss of a loved one, spiritualists always have a strong motivator in their past that pushes them away from a mundane life. It's hard to forget your purpose when the dead are ever present, reminding you of your task. Spiritualists are tireless in the pursuit of their goals and will often seek out like minded allies to help them on their quest.

Despite their reputation, spiritualists prove themselves a valuable asset in any adventuring party. Their ability to recall information and skills is useful when coordinating an attack or digging up information on the party's enemies. And if all else fails, spiritualists aren't afraid of getting their hands dirty, channeling the skills of experts to strike down their foes.

Creating a Spiritualist

The foundation of any spiritualist character is the pivotal event in your past that connected you with the dead. Consider what led you down this path. Did you survive a disaster that wiped out your whole town? Did you choose this path in a desperate attempt to hold onto a loved one who passed? Did you stumble upon this connection after a near death experience? Consider what impacts your past may have on your adventures and your motivations.

What currently drives you to adventure? Did the spirit of a fallen comrade entrust you with a task? Perhaps you're seeking revenge on someone from your past. Are you searching for the killer of someone close to you? Or maybe you're simply trying to prevent the deaths of the innocent around you.

Quick Build

You can make a spiritualist quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength or Dexterity your highest ability score, depending on whether you want to focus on melee weapons or on archery (or finesse weapons). Your next-highest score should be Wisdom. Second, choose the Haunted background.

Class Features

As a Spiritualist you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Spiritualist level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Spiritualist level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Deception, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion, Religion, Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
• (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) two shortswords or (b) 2 simple melee weapons
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• a trinket
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 x 10gp in funds.

Table: The Spiritualist

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
			1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Phantasmal Sight, Spirit Pupil	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Fighting Style, Spellcasting, Channel Spirits	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Inseparable Spirit, Spiritual Channel	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Extra Attack	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Supernatural Dodge	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Spiritual Channel Feature	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	—	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Spirit Sentry	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	Improved Channel Spirits	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	—	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Unearthly Lore	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	Spiritual Channel Feature	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	—	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Phantom Gaze	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Spiritual Channel Feature	4	3	3	3	2

Phantasmal Sight

You are surrounded by spirits passing unseen through the Phantasmal Plane. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such spirits. For the next ten minutes, you are able to see any spirit in the Phantasmal Plane within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. Additionally you are able to communicate with these spirits for the duration. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Spirit Pupil

You learn to harness the knowledge of the spirits around you. After every long rest, you may choose 2 skills and 1 language. You gain proficiency in these skills and know the chosen language until you take another long rest. You may choose 3 skills at 4th level and 4 skills and 2 languages at 8th level.

Emulate Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you can emulate a particular style of fighting from the spirits around you. Choose one of the following options. You can't have the same Fighting Style option more than once at a time, even if you later get to choose again. After every long rest you may choose a new Fighting Style, replacing your old one.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Spellcasting

By 2nd level, you have learned to draw on your connection with the spirits of the dead to cast spells. The spiritualist spell list is detailed after the class description.

Preparing and Casting Spells

You prepare the list of spiritualist spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the spiritualist spell list. When you do so, choose a number of spiritualist spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your spiritualist level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 5th-leveI spiritualist, you have four 1st-leveI and two 2nd-leveI spell slots. With a Wisdom of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell hex, you can cast it using a 1st-leveI or a 2nd-leveI slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of spiritualist spells requires time spent in meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your spiritualist spells, since the power of your magic relies on your attunement to the spirits of the dead. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spiritualist spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Ritual Casting

You can cast a spiritualist spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a trinket as a spellcasting focus for your spiritualist spells.

Channel Spirits

Starting at 2nd level, you are able to draw upon the spirits around you, enhancing your abilities. Whenever you roll, but before the DM tells you the outcome of your roll, you can expend one spiritualist spell slot to enhance any skill or weapon proficiency. If you enhance a skill proficiency you gain a bonus to rolls involving that proficiency and a bonus to the associated saving throw. If you enhance a weapon proficiency you gain a bonus to attack and damage rolls using that weapon. The bonus lasts for 3 turns in combat and 1 minute outside of combat. This bonus cannot stack. The bonus is +2 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus another 2 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of +8. The extra damage dealt when you use this feature is necrotic damage.

Inseparable Spirit

By 3rd level, your connection with the Phantasmal Plane is strengthened making your spirit harder to separate from your body. When damage reduces you to 0 hit points, you can make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 5 + the damage taken). On a success, you instead drop to 1 hit point. You can't use this feature if you are reduced to 0 hit points by radiant damage or by a critical hit. After the saving throw succeeds, you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Spiritual Channel

When you reach 3rd level your connection with the spirits of the dead evolves, beginning to follow a specific channel. The most common channels are the Channel of the Haunter, the Channel of the Phantom, the Channel of the Reaper, and the Channel of the Necromancer, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level.

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.

Extra Attack

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

Supernatural Dodge

Starting at 6th level, the spirits are able to prompt you to dodge out of the way of danger, giving you supernatural reflexes. When an attacker hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you.

Spirit Sentry

Starting at 10th level, the spirits around you are able to help you react to unexpected threats, alerting you to danger. You gain a +5 bonus to initiative. You can't be surprised while you are conscious. Other creatures don't gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden from you. Additionally, you can cast the clairvoyance spell once per long rest without expending a spell slot or material components.

Improved Channel Spirits

By 11th level, your bond with the spirits is so strong that they assist your every action. Any time you roll for an ability check, attack roll, damage roll, or saving throw, you may add 1d6 to your roll. Additionally, your attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Unearthly Lore

Beginning at 14th level you are able to uncover lore from the spirits. Once per long rest, as an action you may name or describe a person, place, or object. The spirits bring to your mind a brief summary of the significant lore about the thing you named. The lore might consist of current tales, forgotten stories, or even secret lore that has never been widely known. The more information you already have about the thing, the more precise and detailed the information you receive is.

Phantom Gaze

Starting at 18th level, you become adept at peering into the spectral plane. You gain truesight with a range of 60 feet. You are also able to use your Phantasmal Sight an unlimited number of times.

Channel of the Haunter

Spiritualists of the Channel of the Haunter are able to partially draw spirits into the material plane. Using their connection with the deceased, they can manipulate the world around them to hinder their foes and sow chaos on the battlefield.

Channel Spells

You gain channel spells at the spiritualist levels listed.

Channel of the Haunter Spells

Spiritualist Level	Spells
3rd	catapult
5th	hold person
9th	pulse wave
13th	gravity sinkhole
17th	telekinesis

Ethereal Manipulation

At 3rd level, you learn how to use the spirits around you to interact with the world. You are able to command the spirits to levitate or interact with objects within 10 feet of you. You are able to freely move levitated objects anywhere within 10 feet of you. Any actions you take using this feature such as attacking with a weapon or making a slight of hand roll, use your proficiencies as normal, but use your Wisdom score in place of the normal ability score.

Spectral Interference

At 7th level, the spirits are able to interfere with the enemies around you. When you take the attack action, you can use your Ethereal Manipulation Feature to shove or grapple any creature in addition to your attack(s). Keeping a creature grappled in this way requires concentration.

Make Contact

At 15th level, you become able to channel spirits into your enemies. The dominate beast, and dominate person spells are always prepared for you. Once per long rest, you can cast either of these spells without expending a spell slot.

Master of the Veil

At 20th level, as an action, you can open a rift to the Phantasmal Plane, becoming a living conduit of spirit influence. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

• You levitate 5 feet above the ground, you ignore difficult terrain and can move across water. You can’t be knocked prone.
• The range of your Ethereal Manipulation feature increases to 30 feet.
• When you attack, you can use your Spectral Interference feature once on every enemy within range of your Ethereal Manipulation
• You have advantage on any rolls you make using your Ethereal Manipulation feature.

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

Channel of the Phantom

Spiritualists of the Channel of the Phantom are drawn into their connection to the Phantasmal Plane. These spiritualists gain a deep connection to the plane itself and are able to harness its energy to achieve otherworldly feats.

Channel Spells

You gain channel spells at the spiritualist levels listed.

Channel of the Phantom Spells

Spiritualist Level	Spells
3rd	feather fall
5th	invisibility
9th	blink
13th	greater invisibility
17th	far step

Spectral Body

At 3rd level your connection with the Phantasmal Plane begins to shape you. You are able to briefly flit into the Phantasmal Plane to escape your enemies. As a bonus action you can turn invisible until the end of your turn.

Phantom Step

At 7th level you learn to harness the energy of the Phantasmal Plane to fly. You gain a flying speed of 40 feet.

Incorporeal Movement

At 15th level you learn how to disconnect yourself from the Material Plane. You can expend a spell slot to become able to move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain for 1 minute. You take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside an object. You also gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons for the duration.

Going Ghost

By 20th level the energy of the Phantasmal Plane suffuses your whole being, transforming you into a ghost. You gain all resistances, immunities, abilities, and special actions from the Ghost stat block in the Monster Manual. Your character type changes to undead. You gain immunity to effects that turn undead.

Channel of the Reaper

Spiritualists of the Channel of the Reaper draw upon the spirits through their connection to them. These spiritualists are able to draw out the life force of the spirits around them, harvesting this life force to bolster themselves.

Channel Spells

You gain channel spells at the spiritualist levels listed.

Channel of the Reaper Spells

Spiritualist Level	Spells
3rd	inflict wounds
5th	wither and bloom
9th	vampiric touch
13th	blight
17th	enervation

Life Reaper

At 3rd level, you learn how to harvest the life from a fallen creature. When a creature you have damaged within the last turn gets reduced to 0 hit points, you may gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + your spiritualist level (minimum of 1).

Entrap Soul

Starting at 7th level, you can trap the soul of a person you slay, temporarily binding it to your service. When you slay a humanoid, you can cause its spirit to rise from its corpse as a specter, the statistics for which are in the Monster Manual. When the specter appears, it gains temporary hit points equal to half your spiritualist level. Roll initiative for the specter, which has its own turns. It obeys your verbal commands, and it gains a special bonus to its attack rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +0). The specter remains in your service until the end of your next long rest, at which point it vanishes to the afterlife. Once you bind a specter with this feature, you can't use the feature again until you finish a long rest.

Parasitic Bond

Beginning at 15th level, you're able to draw out life essence from the spirits around you. Every time you use your Channel Spirits feature you regain 1d6 hit points per slot level expended.

Reaping Soul

By 20th level your aura gains life draining effects. Once per turn you may cast the spell wither and bloom centered on yourself as a bonus action without expending a spell slot.

Channel of the Necromancer

Spiritualists of the Channel of the Necromancer give spiritualists their bad reputation. They specialize in using the spirits of the dead to manipulate and animate corpses to do their bidding.

Channel Spells

You gain channel spells at the spiritualist levels listed.

Channel of the Necromancer Spells

Spiritualist Level	Spells
3rd	command
5th	ray of enfeeblement
9th	summon undead
13th	spirit of death
17th	danse macabre

The Last Dance

At 3rd level, you learn how to temporarily place a spirit into a fallen creature, animating its corpse. Once per turn, when a beast or humanoid you can see within 60 feet of you that is small or medium gets reduced to 0 hit points you may use this feature, causing its corpse to reanimate as a zombie under your control, the statistics for which are in the Monster Manual. It may immediately take one turn and then dies.

Prolonged Animation

At 7th level, you are able to place spirits inside corpses for an extended period of time. You learn the animate dead spell and it is always prepared for you. You can cast animate dead once per long rest without expending a spell slot. When you cast animate dead, you can target one additional corpse or pile of bones, creating another zombie or skeleton, as appropriate. Whenever you create an undead, it has additional benefits:

• The creature's hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to your spiritualist level.
• The creature adds your proficiency bonus to its weapon damage rolls.
• The creature's intelligence score becomes 12 and it gains the ability to speak. It knows all languages known to you.

Strength of the Grave

At 15th level, all undead you create are aided by the spirits around them. All undead under your control may add your proficiency bonus to their attack rolls.

Lord of Death

At 20th level, you can use your abilities to bring undead under your control, even those created by other forces. As an action, you can choose one undead that you can see within 60 feet of you. That creature must make a Charisma saving throw against your spiritualist spell save DC. If it succeeds, you can't use this feature on it again. If it fails, it becomes friendly to you and obeys your commands until you use this feature again. Intelligent undead are harder to control in this way. If the target has an Intelligence of 8 or higher, it has advantage on the saving throw. If it fails the saving throw and has an Intelligence of 12 or higher, it can repeat the saving throw at the end of every hour until it succeeds and breaks free.

All undead under your control regain hit points equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) at the start of their turn. Additionally, all undead you create are permanently animated and under your control until their hit points are reduced to zero, at which point they die as normal.

Spiritualist Spell List

You know all of the spells on the basic spell list and additional spells based on your subclass.

1st Level

alarm, bane, bless, cause fear, comprehend languages, disguise self, false life, fog cloud, hex, identify, shield, unseen servant

2nd Level

augury, blindness/deafness, borrowed knowledge, crown of madness, darkvision, gentle repose, mirror image, misty step, pass without trace, phantasmal force, see invisibility, silence

3rd Level

bestow curse, clairvoyance, fear, feign death, remove curse, revivify, speak with dead, spirit guardians, spirit shroud, tongues

4th Level

arcane eye, banishment, confusion, death ward, dominate beast, phantasmal killer

5th Level

animate objects, contact other plane, dispel evil and good, dominate person, dream, legend lore, raise dead, scrying

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the spiritualist class, you must meet these prerequisites: Wisdom 13

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

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