EditorBFG
Explorer
I've made a skinchanger class for my 5E game set in GRR Martin's Westeros. I won't be using the druid class, so I needed a similar class that possesses animals rather than shapechanging into them, but one that also had spells in keeping with the setting rather than the higher magic of default D&D.
Since this class had weaker spells and has to possess nearby animals rather than just becoming them (running the risk of a particular kind of beast not being around), I made its abilities while possessing an animal a bit stronger and more varied than the normal Moon Druid.
Ideally, a character playing this class gets the lay of the land and knows an animal for them to possess is nearby before a fight, but if a character does not or cannot do so, they may be at a disadvantage. How objectionable is that disadvantage relative to the value of simulating the source material?
Specifically, how do we feel about the abilities of this class?
I dream of a tree sometimes. A weirwood, like the one in the godswood. It calls to me. The wolf dreams are better. I smell things, and sometimes I can taste the blood.
—Bran Stark, A Clash of Kings
[sblock="Skinchanger Class Features"]Skinchanger
Class Features
As a skinchanger, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d6 per skinchanger level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per skinchanger level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords
Tools: Choose any one set of artisan’s tools
Saving Throws: Charisma, Wisdom
Skills: Choose three skills from Animal Handling, Arcana, History, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
• (a) a spear or (b) a mace
• (a) leather armor or (b) scale mail
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple
weapon
• (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
Spellcasting
Your bond with nature and your preternatural insight allow you to cast Divination spells. These spells can be from any existing class; a listing of such spells is provided below under Spells Known. In addition, you may also know cantrips from the Abjuration and Enchantment schools, which are listed below under Cantrips.
(Spell slots per level is as the druid class.)
Cantrips[/i] .At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from this list: blade ward, friends, guidance, resistance, true strike, and vicious mockery. You learn additional cantrips of your choice from this list at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Skinchanger table.
Casting Spells. The Skinchanger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You do not need to prepare your spells; you can cast any Divination spell of a level which you have slots to cast.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your skinchanger spells. The power of your spells comes from your bond with nature and preternatural insight. You use your Wisdom whenever a skinchanger spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a skinchanger 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 skinchanger spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.
Spellcasting Focus. You can use any friendly beast within 120 feet as a focus for your skinchanger spells. You do not need to be touching the beast, they just need to be present and friendly to you. A beast cohort or bonded beast works admirably for this purpose. You can also use a druidic focus, just as if you were a druid.
Eschew Components.nUnlike other spellcasters, you do not require verbal or somatic components for your spells.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher
You know all spells of the Divination school of a level which you are able to cast. The list of Divination spells is as follows:
1st Level
Comprehend Languages
Detect Evil and Good
Detect Magic
Detect Poison and Disease
Hunter's Mark
Identify
Speak with Animals
2nd Level
Augury
Beast Sense
Detect Thoughts
Find Traps
Locate Animals or Plants
Locate Object
See Invisibility
3rd Level
Clairvoyance
Tongues
4th Level
Arcane Eye
Divination
Locate Creature
5th Level
Commune
Commune with Nature
Contact Other Plane
Legend Lore
Rary's Telepathic Bond
Scrying
Animal Bond
The character can touch a single beast of Intelligence 6 or lower that is friendly to them or charmed by them and form a bond with that creature. The challenge rating of the beast must be 1/4 or lower, and it cannot have a flying or swim speed. At 2nd level, the maximum challenge rating goes up to 1/2. At 3rd level, the maximum challenge rating equals the character's skinchanger level divided by 3 (rounded down). At 4th level, the maximum Intelligence of a beast that can be bonded with goes up to 7; at 8th level, it goes up to 8. The bonded beast acts independently of the character, but always obeys their commands. So long as the character and the bonded beast are within 120 feet of each other, they can communicate as if by telepathy, understanding each other via this link. In combat, the bonded beast rolls their own initiative and acts on its own turn. The bonded beast cannot take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help action unless the character uses their action to order the beast to attack, but it can take other actions as normal. Beginning at 7th level, on any of the character’s turns when the bonded beast doesn't attack, the character can use a bonus action to command the beast to take the Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help action on its turn. The bonded beast gains advantage on attacks against creatures within 5 feet of the character. The bond lasts until the character chooses to end it, but cannot be longer than 8 hours, and the character cannot have such a bond with more than one beast at once.
Once a bond ends, the character must finish a long rest before they can form another one.
Greensight
The character begins to have prophetic dreams that hint at the future. When the character finishes a long rest, roll a d20 and record the number rolled. The character can replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made by themselves or a creature they can see with this prophetic roll. The player must choose to do so before the roll. Starting at 3rd level, roll two dice for this ability and record the results of two prophetic rolls separately. Each prophetic roll can be used only once. When the character finishes a long rest, they lose any unused prophetic rolls
Warg Dreams
Whenever you begin a long rest, if you have a bonded beast (as gained from your Animal Bond ability), roll 1d6. On a result of 1-5 you have a normal night of sleep. A result of 6 indicates you have fallen asleep and slipped into the skin of your bonded beast, filling your mind with strange sensations and experiences. If you wish, you can choose to roll a 6 on this roll. While wearing the beast’s skin, your body is unconscious, and cannot regain consciousness while you are linked. While in this state, you can use an action to attempt to link with the beast, influencing its actions. The beast rolls a Wisdom save against your skinchanger spellcasting DC. If you win, you are linked, and you take control of the beast. You may act normally, but your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of your beast, though you retain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. If the beast wins, it retains control, but you can see through its eyes and experience what it experiences. You cannot attempt to influence the bonded beast by linking with it if you have used the Warg feature (see below) twice since your previous rest (whether it was a long rest or short rest) before starting this new one.
Until you reach 2nd level as a skinchanger, you cannot free yourself from the beast, whether you are linked or merely passively observing, unless you make a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw. You may attempt this saving throw just once for every hour you occupy the beast. An ally can give you another saving throw before this time is up by shaking your sleeping body vigorously. You generally retain your alignment and personality as well, but they are influenced by those of the beast. When you are linked to the beast, controlling it, the DM can ask you to make a DC 13 Charisma save whenever you attempt to do something that strongly conflicts with the beast’s instincts. If you fail, you must act as the beast would or take d6+1 psychic damage. Should you die, a part of yourself enters the bonded beast, making it more intelligent, with emotional ties to people, places, and events inherited from you.
While you are linked to the beast whose skin you inhabit, the following rules apply:
• Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, and your general personality and alignment (as described above). You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours. lf the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them.
• You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Leaving your body breaks your concentration on any spell you've already cast.
• While inside the beast, you use its hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, your body has the same number of hit points you had before you transformed.
• If the beast is reduced to 0 hit points while you are inside its skin, you instantly snap back into your body and regain consciousness. However, any excess damage is inflicted on your actual body as psychic damage. For example, if you are inside the body of the beast when it takes 10 damage and has only 1 hit point left, you revert to your actual body, awaken, and take 9 psychic damage. As long as the psychic damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you suffer no other ill effects.
• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.
• All equipment stays with your body.
Beast Sense
Starting at 2nd level, the character can take an action to detect the presence of aberration, beast, dragon, fey, and undead creatures within 300 feet until the end of their next turn. They can identify the type of creature, but cannot determine the creature’s exact location, only the general direction if they are within 300 feet. At times, when dealing with beasts common to an area, the DM may need to determine if there are any within range. If the character is looking for a specific type of beast, if this is a terrain in which that beast is naturally occurring, roll 2d8 and multiply the result by 10 (or by 20 if in a civilized settlement). If the total is 300 or less, the nearest specimen of that beast is detected as being that many feet away. If the total is more than 300 feet, there are none of that beast within range.
Warg Bond
Starting at 2nd level, you can link to your bonded beast (as per the Warg Dreams ability) and control it whenever you wish. When you attempt to link to your bonded beast, they do not receive a saving throw to resist—you automatically take control when you use your action to influence the beast. In addition, you can now use this ability when you are not asleep during a rest, simply by using an action to take control of your bonded beast.
You can use the Warg Bond feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
You can remain in control of the beast’s body for a number of hours equal to half your skinchanger level (rounded down). Your consciousness then returns to your own body unless you expend another use of this feature. You can return to your own body earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically return to your on body if the beast falls unconscious, drops to 0 hit points, or dies.
Third Eye Open
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your Warg Bond ability to link to other beasts in the same way you control your bonded beast. At 3rd level, this can be any beast within a number of feet equal to 10 times your skinchanger level plus 100 (130 feet at 3rd level, 140 feet at 4th level, etc.), that is CR 1 or lower, does not have a flying or swimming speed, and has an Intelligence of 6 or lower. These limitations loosen as you go up in skinchanger levels, however, as shown on the Third Eye Open table, below. At 4th level, for example, you can transform into any beast that has a challenge rating of 1 or lower that doesn't have a flying speed.
Third Eye Open Warg Link Table
Beasts with an Intelligence of 6 or lower do not receive a saving throw to resist—you automatically take control when you use your action to influence the beast. You do not need to interact with the beast, you must merely be aware of its existence. At 4th level, the maximum Intelligence of a beast that can be bonded with goes up to 7; at 8th level, it goes up to 8; however, beasts with an Intelligence of 7 or higher receive a Charisma saving throw against this ability, against your skinchanger spellcasting DC. In addition, you gain the ability to use your Warg Bond ability-- in this fashion or on your bonded beast-- on your turn as a bonus action, rather than as an action.
If you are already aware of the particular beast's existence (by perceiving it directly or by use of your Beast Sense ability, for example), you can use this ability normally. If you are just trying to possess a beast of a particular type without actually knowing one is within range, roll 1d6 if such beasts are naturally occurring in the local terrain. On a result of 1 to 5, multiply the result by 20, and the beast is that many feet away. On a result of 6, there is no specimen of that beast within range. If there is no beast within range, you may choose a different beast and try a second time as a reaction. If this fails as well, you cannot try again this turn.
Incite Fury
Starting at 3rd level, you are better able to coax the body you are possessing to keep fighting, even when it is wounded and its instincts tell you to flee. While you are influencing a creature via your Warg link, you can use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to grant ld8 temporary hit points per level of spell expended to that body, for as long as you inhabit it. If that body is still conscious when you break the link, the body is healed for a number of hit points equal to half the temporary hit points remaining, if any, but cannot exceed its normal maximum hit points.
Beastling Path
At 3rd level, you choose a Beastling Path, a focus for you’re the growth of your burgeoning supernatural abilities as a skinchanger, as detailed at the end of this class description. There are three Beastling Paths: Path of the Den, Path of the Fang, and Path of the Howling.
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.
Weirwood Walker
At 5th level, when you use your Warg Bond ability, you can possess plants as well as beasts, though you must still abide by all other limits of your Warg Bond and Third Eye Open abilities.
Predictive Strike
Starting at 6th level, you are able to integrate your ability to predict another creature’s actions with your combat prowess while in another form. When you use the body of a creature you are controlling via your Warg link to make successful melee attack, you can expend one skinchanger spell slot to deal extra damage of that same type to the target, in addition to the attack's normal damage. The extra damage is 1d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus ld8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by ld8 if the target is a humanoid.
Monstrous Warg
At 7th level, when you use your Warg Bond ability, you can spend a spell slot to possess creatures other than beasts. When in those forms, use the rules governing the magic jar spell, except you do not gain any spellcasting or innate spellcasting power of the new form, nor may you use legendary lair actions, but you are not limited by the 100 foot range dictated by that spell, but rather by the range of your Third Eye Open ability. For those purposes, your original body is considered the container. You are limited to linking to creatures with a CR of equal or less than your character level. You are still limited by your Third Eye Open ability’s limits on the Intelligence of any creature possessed, and creatures of Intelligence 7 or above receive a saving throw.
The kind of creature you can link with using this ability is determined by the spell slot you use, as follows:
• 3rd-level slot or higher: You can link with plants or beasts with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
• 4th-level slot or higher: You can link with humanoids with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
• 5th-level slot or higher: You can link with giants with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
• 6th-level slot or higher: You can link with fey with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
• 7th-level slot or higher: You can link with monstrosities with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
• 8th-level slot or higher: You can link with dragons with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
• 9th-level slot or higher: You can link with any kind of creature, including undead, with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
Sky Scout
At 7th level, when you are not currently using your Warg Bond ability, you can make an extra brief use of it to scout the area around you using the eyes of a nearby bird. This does not count as one of your uses of the Warg Bond ability. When you use this ability, you may cast the arcane eye spell, but instead of conjuring an invisible eye, you are temporarily possessing a raven, eagle or other bird. You cannot use the bird in combat with this power (though you may be able to possess it with your Warg Bond ability as a separate action), you can only use it for the same purposes as an arcane eye spell. If the bird is attacked or killed, the spell immediately ends. Unlike a normal arcane eye, the bird can only pass through openings large enough for its body.
Baleful Dominion
When you reach 9th level, most creatures sense your power and become hesitant to attack your body. When a beast or humanoid creature attacks your original body, that creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your skinchanger spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature must choose a different target, or the attack automatically misses. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
The creature is aware of this effect before it makes its attack against you. This ability can be used even when you are influencing a creature with your Warg link; it happens automatically so long as your original body is alive, even when your soul is elsewhere.
Baleful Strike
Starting at 10th level, when you influence a creature with your Warg link, your attacks in that form count as magical for purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.
Cunning Warg
Starting at 11th level, you master your Warg link to a degree that the body you are influencing moves even more quickly than normal. When you are influencing a creature with your Warg link, you can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat while you are in that body. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action. When you reach 15th level, you can use this same ability in your normal form.
Brutal Warg
Beginning at 13th level, when you are influencing a creature with your Warg link, in you can roll one additional damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack made in that body. This increases to two additional dice at 17th level.
Blindsense
Starting at 14th level, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you.
Second Domain
At 17th level, you choose a second Beastling Domain. You gain all benefits of that Beastling Path.
Elusive
Beginning at 18th level, you are so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren't incapacitated.
The Three-Eyed Raven
At 20th level, you can use your Warg Bond ability an unlimited number of times.[/sblock]
[sblock="Beastling Paths"]
Beastling Paths
At 3rd level, you choose a path that will guide how your supernatural abilities develop as you move towards your destiny. Each Beastling Path grants two abilities when selected, and another at 9th level. At 17th level, you can select a second Beastling Path, and gain all benefits of that Beastling Path as well.
The strongest trees are rooted in the dark places of the earth. Darkness will be your cloak, your shield, your mother's milk. Darkness will make you strong.
—The Three-Eyed Raven, a Dance with Dragons
Path of the Den
Rather than focus on the power of your warg body, you learn how to protect places that are dear to you, such as a lair where you can hide and repel intruders, as well as people and creatures under your care. You gain greater magical powers to protect your lands and loved ones, powers that increase as you gain levels.
Beastling Abjuration
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Beastling Path, you add all Abjuration spells to your class spell list, in addition to your normal spells.
Beastling Ward
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Beastling Path, you add +1 to your AC. In addition, if your Wisdom modifier is higher than your Dexterity modifier, you add your Wisdom modifier to AC instead of your Dexterity modifier. This ability can be used while in your original body and also while in the body of a creature you are influencing via your Warg link.
Beastling Stride
Starting at 9th level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard.
In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede movement, such those created by the entangle spell. At 15th level, a number of allies equal to up to half your level may benefit from this ability, so long as they are within 60 feet of you and you choose to grant them this benefit.
A dream. I was Ghost, I was on the edge of the mountain looking down on a frozen river, and something attacked me. A bird... an eagle, I think...
—Jon Snow, A Clash of Kings
Path of the Fang
Your focus for your abilities is simple: strength in battle. These abilities help you defend your body and defeat your enemies as swiftly as possible when skinchanging.
Combat Frenzy
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Beastling Path, while you are influencing a creature via your Warg link, you can use bonus action to enter a frenzied state that makes your attacks more deadly. For one minute, you add your proficiency bonus to your damage rolls for melee attacks with the creature’s body. Once you use this ability, you must complete a short or long rest before using it again.
Reckless Beast
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Beastling Path, while you are influencing a creature via your Warg link, you can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce desperation. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you advantage on melee attack rolls you make using the linked creature’s body during this turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage until your next turn.
Beastling Critical
At 9th level, while you are influencing a creature via your Warg link, attacks you make using the linked creature’s body score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. At 15th level, attacks you make using the linked creature’s body score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.
Once a horse is broken to the saddle, any man can mount him. Once a beast’s been joined to a man, any skinchanger can slip inside and ride him. Orell was withering inside his feathers, so I took the eagle for my own. But the joining works both ways, warg. Orell lives inside me now, whispering how much he hates you. And I can soar above the Wall, and see with eagle eyes.
—Varamyr Sixskins, A Storm of Swords
Path of the Howling
You have devoted yourself to empower the same inner strength that allows you to skinchange, granting you dominance not only over the creatures you possess but over the lands around you, including nearly every creature that crosses your path.
Beastling Enchantment
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Beastling Path, you add all Enchantment spells to your class spell list, in addition to your normal spells.
Baleful Presence
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Beastling Path, you gain the ability to magically intimidate other creatures. As an action, choose one creature that you can see within 5 feet of you. If the target can see or hear you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your skinchanger spell save DC or be frightened by you until the end of your next turn. The frightened creature is incapacitated and visibly dazed. On subsequent turns, you can use your action to maintain this effect, extending its duration until the end of your next turn. However, the effect ends if you move more than 5 feet away from the creature, if the creature can neither see nor hear you, or if the creature takes damage.
Once the effect ends, or if the creature succeeds on its initial saving throw against this effect, you can't use this feature on that creature again until you finish a long rest. This ability can be used while in your original body or in the body of a creature you are influencing via your Warg link.
Call Natural Allies
Starting at 9th level, when you are in a natural setting, you can call creatures from the nearby area to fight on your behalf, using your attunement to the natural world to convince them to aid you. The DM chooses beasts appropriate to the terrain to come to your aid from among those that could hear you and that are within 1 mile of you, in one of the following groups:
• One beast of challenge rating 2 or lower
• Two beasts of challenge rating 1 or lower
• Four beasts of challenge rating 1/2 or lower
• Eight beasts of challenge rating 1/4 or lower
These beasts approach you from their current location, and will fight alongside you, attacking any creatures that are hostile to you. They are friendly to you and your comrades, and you roll initiative for the called creatures as a group, which takes its own turns. The DM has their statistics.
After 1 hour, these beasts return to their previous location. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again in the same general area for 24 hours, since the same animals will not repeatedly heed your call.
At 15th level, you gain the ability to call intelligent creatures to your presence as well. You target something within 60 feet, either a Huge or smaller object or creature or an area that is no larger than a 200 foot cube. Then specify a kind of intelligent creature, such as humans or giants. All creatures of the specified type within 60 feet of the target feel an intense urge to approach the target, and continue to feel this urge whenever they are within 60 feet of it or able to see it. When such a creature can see the target or comes within 60 feet of it, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or use its movement on each of its turns to enter the area or move within reach of the target. When the creature has done so, it can't willingly move away from the target. The effect lasts for 10 days.
If the target damages or otherwise harms an affected creature, the affected creature can make a Wisdom saving throw to end the effect, as described below.
If an affected creature ends its turn while not within 60 feet of the target or able to see it, the creature makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the creature is no longer affected by the target and recognizes the feeling of attraction as magical. In addition, a creature affected by this is allowed another Wisdom saving throw every 24 hours while the effect persists. A creature that successfully saves against this effect is immune to it for 1 minute, after which time it can be affected again.
[/sblock]
Since this class had weaker spells and has to possess nearby animals rather than just becoming them (running the risk of a particular kind of beast not being around), I made its abilities while possessing an animal a bit stronger and more varied than the normal Moon Druid.
Ideally, a character playing this class gets the lay of the land and knows an animal for them to possess is nearby before a fight, but if a character does not or cannot do so, they may be at a disadvantage. How objectionable is that disadvantage relative to the value of simulating the source material?
Specifically, how do we feel about the abilities of this class?
I dream of a tree sometimes. A weirwood, like the one in the godswood. It calls to me. The wolf dreams are better. I smell things, and sometimes I can taste the blood.
—Bran Stark, A Clash of Kings
[sblock="Skinchanger Class Features"]Skinchanger
Class Features
As a skinchanger, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d6 per skinchanger level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per skinchanger level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords
Tools: Choose any one set of artisan’s tools
Saving Throws: Charisma, Wisdom
Skills: Choose three skills from Animal Handling, Arcana, History, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
• (a) a spear or (b) a mace
• (a) leather armor or (b) scale mail
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple
weapon
• (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
Spellcasting
Your bond with nature and your preternatural insight allow you to cast Divination spells. These spells can be from any existing class; a listing of such spells is provided below under Spells Known. In addition, you may also know cantrips from the Abjuration and Enchantment schools, which are listed below under Cantrips.
(Spell slots per level is as the druid class.)
Cantrips[/i] .At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from this list: blade ward, friends, guidance, resistance, true strike, and vicious mockery. You learn additional cantrips of your choice from this list at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Skinchanger table.
Casting Spells. The Skinchanger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You do not need to prepare your spells; you can cast any Divination spell of a level which you have slots to cast.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your skinchanger spells. The power of your spells comes from your bond with nature and preternatural insight. You use your Wisdom whenever a skinchanger spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a skinchanger 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 skinchanger spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.
Spellcasting Focus. You can use any friendly beast within 120 feet as a focus for your skinchanger spells. You do not need to be touching the beast, they just need to be present and friendly to you. A beast cohort or bonded beast works admirably for this purpose. You can also use a druidic focus, just as if you were a druid.
Eschew Components.nUnlike other spellcasters, you do not require verbal or somatic components for your spells.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher
You know all spells of the Divination school of a level which you are able to cast. The list of Divination spells is as follows:
1st Level
Comprehend Languages
Detect Evil and Good
Detect Magic
Detect Poison and Disease
Hunter's Mark
Identify
Speak with Animals
2nd Level
Augury
Beast Sense
Detect Thoughts
Find Traps
Locate Animals or Plants
Locate Object
See Invisibility
3rd Level
Clairvoyance
Tongues
4th Level
Arcane Eye
Divination
Locate Creature
5th Level
Commune
Commune with Nature
Contact Other Plane
Legend Lore
Rary's Telepathic Bond
Scrying
Animal Bond
The character can touch a single beast of Intelligence 6 or lower that is friendly to them or charmed by them and form a bond with that creature. The challenge rating of the beast must be 1/4 or lower, and it cannot have a flying or swim speed. At 2nd level, the maximum challenge rating goes up to 1/2. At 3rd level, the maximum challenge rating equals the character's skinchanger level divided by 3 (rounded down). At 4th level, the maximum Intelligence of a beast that can be bonded with goes up to 7; at 8th level, it goes up to 8. The bonded beast acts independently of the character, but always obeys their commands. So long as the character and the bonded beast are within 120 feet of each other, they can communicate as if by telepathy, understanding each other via this link. In combat, the bonded beast rolls their own initiative and acts on its own turn. The bonded beast cannot take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help action unless the character uses their action to order the beast to attack, but it can take other actions as normal. Beginning at 7th level, on any of the character’s turns when the bonded beast doesn't attack, the character can use a bonus action to command the beast to take the Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help action on its turn. The bonded beast gains advantage on attacks against creatures within 5 feet of the character. The bond lasts until the character chooses to end it, but cannot be longer than 8 hours, and the character cannot have such a bond with more than one beast at once.
Once a bond ends, the character must finish a long rest before they can form another one.
Greensight
The character begins to have prophetic dreams that hint at the future. When the character finishes a long rest, roll a d20 and record the number rolled. The character can replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made by themselves or a creature they can see with this prophetic roll. The player must choose to do so before the roll. Starting at 3rd level, roll two dice for this ability and record the results of two prophetic rolls separately. Each prophetic roll can be used only once. When the character finishes a long rest, they lose any unused prophetic rolls
Warg Dreams
Whenever you begin a long rest, if you have a bonded beast (as gained from your Animal Bond ability), roll 1d6. On a result of 1-5 you have a normal night of sleep. A result of 6 indicates you have fallen asleep and slipped into the skin of your bonded beast, filling your mind with strange sensations and experiences. If you wish, you can choose to roll a 6 on this roll. While wearing the beast’s skin, your body is unconscious, and cannot regain consciousness while you are linked. While in this state, you can use an action to attempt to link with the beast, influencing its actions. The beast rolls a Wisdom save against your skinchanger spellcasting DC. If you win, you are linked, and you take control of the beast. You may act normally, but your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of your beast, though you retain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. If the beast wins, it retains control, but you can see through its eyes and experience what it experiences. You cannot attempt to influence the bonded beast by linking with it if you have used the Warg feature (see below) twice since your previous rest (whether it was a long rest or short rest) before starting this new one.
Until you reach 2nd level as a skinchanger, you cannot free yourself from the beast, whether you are linked or merely passively observing, unless you make a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw. You may attempt this saving throw just once for every hour you occupy the beast. An ally can give you another saving throw before this time is up by shaking your sleeping body vigorously. You generally retain your alignment and personality as well, but they are influenced by those of the beast. When you are linked to the beast, controlling it, the DM can ask you to make a DC 13 Charisma save whenever you attempt to do something that strongly conflicts with the beast’s instincts. If you fail, you must act as the beast would or take d6+1 psychic damage. Should you die, a part of yourself enters the bonded beast, making it more intelligent, with emotional ties to people, places, and events inherited from you.
While you are linked to the beast whose skin you inhabit, the following rules apply:
• Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, and your general personality and alignment (as described above). You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours. lf the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them.
• You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Leaving your body breaks your concentration on any spell you've already cast.
• While inside the beast, you use its hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, your body has the same number of hit points you had before you transformed.
• If the beast is reduced to 0 hit points while you are inside its skin, you instantly snap back into your body and regain consciousness. However, any excess damage is inflicted on your actual body as psychic damage. For example, if you are inside the body of the beast when it takes 10 damage and has only 1 hit point left, you revert to your actual body, awaken, and take 9 psychic damage. As long as the psychic damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you suffer no other ill effects.
• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.
• All equipment stays with your body.
Beast Sense
Starting at 2nd level, the character can take an action to detect the presence of aberration, beast, dragon, fey, and undead creatures within 300 feet until the end of their next turn. They can identify the type of creature, but cannot determine the creature’s exact location, only the general direction if they are within 300 feet. At times, when dealing with beasts common to an area, the DM may need to determine if there are any within range. If the character is looking for a specific type of beast, if this is a terrain in which that beast is naturally occurring, roll 2d8 and multiply the result by 10 (or by 20 if in a civilized settlement). If the total is 300 or less, the nearest specimen of that beast is detected as being that many feet away. If the total is more than 300 feet, there are none of that beast within range.
Warg Bond
Starting at 2nd level, you can link to your bonded beast (as per the Warg Dreams ability) and control it whenever you wish. When you attempt to link to your bonded beast, they do not receive a saving throw to resist—you automatically take control when you use your action to influence the beast. In addition, you can now use this ability when you are not asleep during a rest, simply by using an action to take control of your bonded beast.
You can use the Warg Bond feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
You can remain in control of the beast’s body for a number of hours equal to half your skinchanger level (rounded down). Your consciousness then returns to your own body unless you expend another use of this feature. You can return to your own body earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically return to your on body if the beast falls unconscious, drops to 0 hit points, or dies.
Third Eye Open
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your Warg Bond ability to link to other beasts in the same way you control your bonded beast. At 3rd level, this can be any beast within a number of feet equal to 10 times your skinchanger level plus 100 (130 feet at 3rd level, 140 feet at 4th level, etc.), that is CR 1 or lower, does not have a flying or swimming speed, and has an Intelligence of 6 or lower. These limitations loosen as you go up in skinchanger levels, however, as shown on the Third Eye Open table, below. At 4th level, for example, you can transform into any beast that has a challenge rating of 1 or lower that doesn't have a flying speed.
Third Eye Open Warg Link Table
| Level | Max. CR | Features | Example |
| 3rd | 1 | No flying or swimming speed, Intelligence 6 or lower | Dire Wolf |
| 4th | 1 | No flying speed, Intelligence can be 7 or lower (beast receives a saving throw) | Giant octopus |
| 6th | 2 | No flying speed | Polar bear |
| 8th | 2 | Intelligence can be 8 or lower (beast receives a saving throw) | Giant eagle |
| 9th | 3 | — | Killer whale |
| 12th | 4 | — | Elephant |
| 15th | 5 | — | Giant crocodile |
| 18th | 6 | — | Mammoth |
If you are already aware of the particular beast's existence (by perceiving it directly or by use of your Beast Sense ability, for example), you can use this ability normally. If you are just trying to possess a beast of a particular type without actually knowing one is within range, roll 1d6 if such beasts are naturally occurring in the local terrain. On a result of 1 to 5, multiply the result by 20, and the beast is that many feet away. On a result of 6, there is no specimen of that beast within range. If there is no beast within range, you may choose a different beast and try a second time as a reaction. If this fails as well, you cannot try again this turn.
Incite Fury
Starting at 3rd level, you are better able to coax the body you are possessing to keep fighting, even when it is wounded and its instincts tell you to flee. While you are influencing a creature via your Warg link, you can use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to grant ld8 temporary hit points per level of spell expended to that body, for as long as you inhabit it. If that body is still conscious when you break the link, the body is healed for a number of hit points equal to half the temporary hit points remaining, if any, but cannot exceed its normal maximum hit points.
Beastling Path
At 3rd level, you choose a Beastling Path, a focus for you’re the growth of your burgeoning supernatural abilities as a skinchanger, as detailed at the end of this class description. There are three Beastling Paths: Path of the Den, Path of the Fang, and Path of the Howling.
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.
Weirwood Walker
At 5th level, when you use your Warg Bond ability, you can possess plants as well as beasts, though you must still abide by all other limits of your Warg Bond and Third Eye Open abilities.
Predictive Strike
Starting at 6th level, you are able to integrate your ability to predict another creature’s actions with your combat prowess while in another form. When you use the body of a creature you are controlling via your Warg link to make successful melee attack, you can expend one skinchanger spell slot to deal extra damage of that same type to the target, in addition to the attack's normal damage. The extra damage is 1d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus ld8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by ld8 if the target is a humanoid.
Monstrous Warg
At 7th level, when you use your Warg Bond ability, you can spend a spell slot to possess creatures other than beasts. When in those forms, use the rules governing the magic jar spell, except you do not gain any spellcasting or innate spellcasting power of the new form, nor may you use legendary lair actions, but you are not limited by the 100 foot range dictated by that spell, but rather by the range of your Third Eye Open ability. For those purposes, your original body is considered the container. You are limited to linking to creatures with a CR of equal or less than your character level. You are still limited by your Third Eye Open ability’s limits on the Intelligence of any creature possessed, and creatures of Intelligence 7 or above receive a saving throw.
The kind of creature you can link with using this ability is determined by the spell slot you use, as follows:
• 3rd-level slot or higher: You can link with plants or beasts with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
• 4th-level slot or higher: You can link with humanoids with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
• 5th-level slot or higher: You can link with giants with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
• 6th-level slot or higher: You can link with fey with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
• 7th-level slot or higher: You can link with monstrosities with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
• 8th-level slot or higher: You can link with dragons with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
• 9th-level slot or higher: You can link with any kind of creature, including undead, with a CR equal to or less than your character level.
Sky Scout
At 7th level, when you are not currently using your Warg Bond ability, you can make an extra brief use of it to scout the area around you using the eyes of a nearby bird. This does not count as one of your uses of the Warg Bond ability. When you use this ability, you may cast the arcane eye spell, but instead of conjuring an invisible eye, you are temporarily possessing a raven, eagle or other bird. You cannot use the bird in combat with this power (though you may be able to possess it with your Warg Bond ability as a separate action), you can only use it for the same purposes as an arcane eye spell. If the bird is attacked or killed, the spell immediately ends. Unlike a normal arcane eye, the bird can only pass through openings large enough for its body.
Baleful Dominion
When you reach 9th level, most creatures sense your power and become hesitant to attack your body. When a beast or humanoid creature attacks your original body, that creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your skinchanger spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature must choose a different target, or the attack automatically misses. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
The creature is aware of this effect before it makes its attack against you. This ability can be used even when you are influencing a creature with your Warg link; it happens automatically so long as your original body is alive, even when your soul is elsewhere.
Baleful Strike
Starting at 10th level, when you influence a creature with your Warg link, your attacks in that form count as magical for purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.
Cunning Warg
Starting at 11th level, you master your Warg link to a degree that the body you are influencing moves even more quickly than normal. When you are influencing a creature with your Warg link, you can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat while you are in that body. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action. When you reach 15th level, you can use this same ability in your normal form.
Brutal Warg
Beginning at 13th level, when you are influencing a creature with your Warg link, in you can roll one additional damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack made in that body. This increases to two additional dice at 17th level.
Blindsense
Starting at 14th level, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you.
Second Domain
At 17th level, you choose a second Beastling Domain. You gain all benefits of that Beastling Path.
Elusive
Beginning at 18th level, you are so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren't incapacitated.
The Three-Eyed Raven
At 20th level, you can use your Warg Bond ability an unlimited number of times.[/sblock]
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Beastling Paths
At 3rd level, you choose a path that will guide how your supernatural abilities develop as you move towards your destiny. Each Beastling Path grants two abilities when selected, and another at 9th level. At 17th level, you can select a second Beastling Path, and gain all benefits of that Beastling Path as well.
The strongest trees are rooted in the dark places of the earth. Darkness will be your cloak, your shield, your mother's milk. Darkness will make you strong.
—The Three-Eyed Raven, a Dance with Dragons
Path of the Den
Rather than focus on the power of your warg body, you learn how to protect places that are dear to you, such as a lair where you can hide and repel intruders, as well as people and creatures under your care. You gain greater magical powers to protect your lands and loved ones, powers that increase as you gain levels.
Beastling Abjuration
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Beastling Path, you add all Abjuration spells to your class spell list, in addition to your normal spells.
Beastling Ward
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Beastling Path, you add +1 to your AC. In addition, if your Wisdom modifier is higher than your Dexterity modifier, you add your Wisdom modifier to AC instead of your Dexterity modifier. This ability can be used while in your original body and also while in the body of a creature you are influencing via your Warg link.
Beastling Stride
Starting at 9th level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard.
In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede movement, such those created by the entangle spell. At 15th level, a number of allies equal to up to half your level may benefit from this ability, so long as they are within 60 feet of you and you choose to grant them this benefit.
A dream. I was Ghost, I was on the edge of the mountain looking down on a frozen river, and something attacked me. A bird... an eagle, I think...
—Jon Snow, A Clash of Kings
Path of the Fang
Your focus for your abilities is simple: strength in battle. These abilities help you defend your body and defeat your enemies as swiftly as possible when skinchanging.
Combat Frenzy
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Beastling Path, while you are influencing a creature via your Warg link, you can use bonus action to enter a frenzied state that makes your attacks more deadly. For one minute, you add your proficiency bonus to your damage rolls for melee attacks with the creature’s body. Once you use this ability, you must complete a short or long rest before using it again.
Reckless Beast
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Beastling Path, while you are influencing a creature via your Warg link, you can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce desperation. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you advantage on melee attack rolls you make using the linked creature’s body during this turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage until your next turn.
Beastling Critical
At 9th level, while you are influencing a creature via your Warg link, attacks you make using the linked creature’s body score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. At 15th level, attacks you make using the linked creature’s body score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.
Once a horse is broken to the saddle, any man can mount him. Once a beast’s been joined to a man, any skinchanger can slip inside and ride him. Orell was withering inside his feathers, so I took the eagle for my own. But the joining works both ways, warg. Orell lives inside me now, whispering how much he hates you. And I can soar above the Wall, and see with eagle eyes.
—Varamyr Sixskins, A Storm of Swords
Path of the Howling
You have devoted yourself to empower the same inner strength that allows you to skinchange, granting you dominance not only over the creatures you possess but over the lands around you, including nearly every creature that crosses your path.
Beastling Enchantment
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Beastling Path, you add all Enchantment spells to your class spell list, in addition to your normal spells.
Baleful Presence
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Beastling Path, you gain the ability to magically intimidate other creatures. As an action, choose one creature that you can see within 5 feet of you. If the target can see or hear you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your skinchanger spell save DC or be frightened by you until the end of your next turn. The frightened creature is incapacitated and visibly dazed. On subsequent turns, you can use your action to maintain this effect, extending its duration until the end of your next turn. However, the effect ends if you move more than 5 feet away from the creature, if the creature can neither see nor hear you, or if the creature takes damage.
Once the effect ends, or if the creature succeeds on its initial saving throw against this effect, you can't use this feature on that creature again until you finish a long rest. This ability can be used while in your original body or in the body of a creature you are influencing via your Warg link.
Call Natural Allies
Starting at 9th level, when you are in a natural setting, you can call creatures from the nearby area to fight on your behalf, using your attunement to the natural world to convince them to aid you. The DM chooses beasts appropriate to the terrain to come to your aid from among those that could hear you and that are within 1 mile of you, in one of the following groups:
• One beast of challenge rating 2 or lower
• Two beasts of challenge rating 1 or lower
• Four beasts of challenge rating 1/2 or lower
• Eight beasts of challenge rating 1/4 or lower
These beasts approach you from their current location, and will fight alongside you, attacking any creatures that are hostile to you. They are friendly to you and your comrades, and you roll initiative for the called creatures as a group, which takes its own turns. The DM has their statistics.
After 1 hour, these beasts return to their previous location. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again in the same general area for 24 hours, since the same animals will not repeatedly heed your call.
At 15th level, you gain the ability to call intelligent creatures to your presence as well. You target something within 60 feet, either a Huge or smaller object or creature or an area that is no larger than a 200 foot cube. Then specify a kind of intelligent creature, such as humans or giants. All creatures of the specified type within 60 feet of the target feel an intense urge to approach the target, and continue to feel this urge whenever they are within 60 feet of it or able to see it. When such a creature can see the target or comes within 60 feet of it, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or use its movement on each of its turns to enter the area or move within reach of the target. When the creature has done so, it can't willingly move away from the target. The effect lasts for 10 days.
If the target damages or otherwise harms an affected creature, the affected creature can make a Wisdom saving throw to end the effect, as described below.
If an affected creature ends its turn while not within 60 feet of the target or able to see it, the creature makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the creature is no longer affected by the target and recognizes the feeling of attraction as magical. In addition, a creature affected by this is allowed another Wisdom saving throw every 24 hours while the effect persists. A creature that successfully saves against this effect is immune to it for 1 minute, after which time it can be affected again.
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