Roguish Archetype: Medium
This is a homebrewed option for rogues. It allows for you to be the spiritualistic rogue your party needs! You can contact the spirits on other planes among other eerie features.
Medium Quirks
| d8 | Quirk | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | You often speak to a spirit of a loved one, and act only with its blessing. | |
| 2 | You prefer to sleep during the day. | |
| 3 | You often wear a veil to conceal your face. | |
| 4 | You prefer to sleep near graveyards. | |
| 5 | You name creatures you slay that are without names. | |
| 6 | You wear white paint to appear ghostly. | |
| 7 | You never answer to any name but your own name. | |
| 8 | You avoid contact with others, since their spirits are strong to the touch. |
Otherwordly Charm
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills: Deception, Performance, or Persuasion. If you are already proficient in the chosen skill, you double your proficiency bonus for checks made with that skill .
You also learn one language of your choice.
Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the ability to perform a séance over the course of 10 minutes. Once per long rest, you and up to 4 companions can chose a spirit to summon, and one or more creatures must provide the spirit's name or a treasured possession to be used as components. While performing the séance, all creatures involved must maintain concentration as you gain the effects of the contact other plane spell. However, the number of questions that can be asked is equal to your Charisma modifier, and the save DC for the spell is reduced by 1 for each creature involved. The séance immediately ends if you fail the spell save or when all questions have been asked and answered. You gain the ability to perform an additional séance before requiring a long rest at 13th and 17th level. At 3rd level, whenever a creature within 5 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to gain temporary hit points equal to half your rogue level + your Charisma modifier that last for 1 minute. Starting at 9th level, you learn the guidance cantrip. You can cast augury spell and speak with dead spell, but only as rituals. When you cast the augury spell, a nearby spirit appears to you to convey the information you seek. Starting at 9th level, you can have vengeful spirits aid you in combat. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can mark the creature until the end of your next turn. This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or you die, or if someone else marks the creature. If a creature marked by you deals damage to you, you can use your reaction to make an attack against that creature. You have advantage on that attack roll. Regardless of the number of creatures you mark, you can make this special attack a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest. Starting at 13th level, your continuous communing with the spirits has imbued you with the ability to see into the Ethereal. You gain 30 feet of vision into the Ethereal plane. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.Séance
Spiritual Shield
Spiritual Guidance
Vengeful Mark
Ethereal Sight
Reliable Séances
Starting at 13th level, you gain advantage on Intelligence saving throws while performing a Séance.
Otherworldly Venture
At 17th level, you can cast the astral projection spell, without needing material components. When you do so, you can't take any other creatures with you.
You can cast this spell once per short or long rest.
Credits & Change Log
Last Update: January 6th, 2019
- Séance by David Rapoza
Version 1
- Created this roguish archetype.
Designer Notes
Greetings, everyone! I was inspired to make a pair of spiritual subclasses for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition due to the lack of existing options available. Here, I have created the Medium roguish archetype for rogues. Quick note, I chose rogue over warlock due to warlock's patron system being tied to a singular being and the existence of the Undying Patron option provided in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Anyways, let us delve into the Medium.
Mediums may have some quirks to them that made them who they are. Perhaps, they tried to reach out to a recent dead relative without the aid of the church. Alternatively, death may have always been a part of your life, but your ability to speak with them is a more recent development. Whatever it may be, I suggest you, or your player that plans to play this archetype, to select one or more Medium quirks to aid in the roleplay aspect and prevent the character from being just another rogue.
As a Medium, you gain an otherworldly charm, the ability to perform séances, and the ability to shield your own spirit by using others. The Otherworldy Charm is to aid in emphasizing the nature of being a Medium with their ability to speak with spirits but also the people surrounding them that wish to find closure with lost relatives, friends, or ancient mentors. Often, creatures will use their native language, especially in death or private, so I granted Mediums the extra language fluency. Séance is the defining feature for this archetype. Although it grants a 5th-level spell as a ritual, the contact other plane spell is the perfect spell for a séance. I did tune the spell to work in favor for the level the Medium is currently. Finally, Spiritual Shield provides a combat-themed incentive that provides decent sustain at the cost of your reaction.
As a Medium levels, their ties to the spirits strengthens. Spiritual Guidance serves to be a supportive feature, and Vengueful Mark serves as the offensive feature. Both work together to enhance the Medium's stronger connection with the otherworldly. Ethereal Sight capitalizes on ensuring the knowledge on what spirits the Medium calls upon. The sight may also reveal secrets to dungeons that darkvision would not. Furthermore, the additional séances per long rest and more reliable séances provides ribbons to the archetype.
To end this archetype, I thought an Otherworldy Venture would encircle the theme. The Medium's spirit can venture forth, and, perhaps, it can be call upon by other Mediums. Although, the Medium in question should never forget to return to its body.
If you have any suggestions for this roguish archetype, please submit them to this Unearthed Arcana Reddit link. It is also available for use on D&D Beyond via this link.
©Wizards of the Coast LLC.