Voidbinder [v.0.4]
This is playtest content
This is version 0.4 of the Voidbinder class for fifth edition Dungeons and Dragons. The class is currently being tested. Any feedback on the class, including critiques and anecdotes of how it performs in play are greatly appreciated. You can reach me on r/dndhomebrew, where my username is u/Arcane_P34, r/unearthedarcana (also u/Arcane_P34), as well as on ENWorld, where my username is @Aebir-Toril.
The Voidbinder
A screaming human charges at a horde of goblins, her body decaying into ribbons of eldritch energy as she runs. Before the goblins have a chance to counterattack, the whole front line is dead, and the human is behind them.
A serene elf raises her hand, and shifts through a series of solid, stone walls in the Fane of Nightmares, arriving, incorporeal, in the sleeping chamber of the cultists. Laughing softly, the elf drifts from cultist to cultist, quietly withering their physical forms.
Chanting fervently, a dwarf wearing black and purple robes dashes through the battlefield with incredible speed, and utters a blasphemous chant that causes the Yuan-Ti before him to, wracked with pain, cry tears of blood as death draws near.
All of these heroes are Voidbinders, people whose dabbling in the powers of the Void has ruined their physical forms and corrupted their souls. Whether your acquisition of Voidbinder powers was voluntary or involuntary, pact-based, or a curse, deliberate, or an accident, you have gained certain Void-based powers that, although they fray your form and disrupt reality, have great potential.
Class Features:
As a Voidbinder, you gain the following class features:
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d6 per Voidbinder level
Hit Points as 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per Voidbinder level after 1st.
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Religion, and Stealth
Equipment [3d4 x 10 gp]
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) 5 daggers or (b) a hand crossbow and 20 bolts
- (a) a greatsword or (b) two light martial weapons
- (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
- One martial weapon, 10 darts, and a whip
Void Points
The majority of your most powerful Voidbinder abilities are fueled by the unearthly energy of the Void, which you have limited access to. In play, this Void energy is represented by Void points, which must be spent in order to use many Voidbinder abilities.
At 1st level, you have 4 Void points to activate abilities with. The number of Void points available to you increases with your Voidbinder level, as shown in the Void Points column of the Voidbinder table.
Once you exhaust your pool of Void Points, you cannot activate abilities that require Void Point expenditure until you regain your Void points.
You regain all expended Void Points when you finish a short or long rest.
Unarmored Defense
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your Ac equals 10 + your Dexterity Modifier + your Intelligence modifier.
Void Stride
Starting at 1st level, you can channel the energy of the Void to phase in and out of existence rapidly. Once on your turn, you may activate your Void Stride. While your Void Stride is active, you have resistance to psychic and necrotic damage, and you can take the Dash and Disengage actions as bonus actions instead.
The Void Stride lasts until the beginning of your next turn. You can activate your Void Stride a number of times equal to your Voidbinder level + your Intelligence modifier. Once you have expended all uses of your Void Stride, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Unreal Stealth
Starting at 2nd level, you can expend 1 Void Point to take the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn.
Void Strikes
Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to imbue your attacks with the power of the Void.
As a bonus action, for the cost of 1 Void Points, you can imbue your attacks with the energy of the Void. For the remainder of your turn, each of your attacks deals an additional 1d4 necrotic damage on a hit.
this increases to 2 Void Points and an additional 1d6 necrotic damage at 7th level, and 3 Void Points and an additional 1d8 necrotic damage at 14th level.
Voidbinder Decays
When you reach 3rd level, you select an archetype, a decay, which defines what type of Voidbinder you are. Choose your decay from the following: Vortex Decay, Wraith Decay, or Voidsoul Decay, all of which are detailed at the end of this class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th 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 yourchoice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Void-Empowered Attacks
Starting at 6th level, your attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcome resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Void of Emotion
Beginning at 9th level, you are immune to being charmed or frightened.
Permanent Emptiness
Starting at 9th level, your body has been corrupted by Void energies to the extent that you no longer need food or water to survive. Furthermore, you are immune to disease and poison.
Unstable Body
Starting at 10th level, if you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can release the energies of the Void as your physical form fails. When you are reduced to 0 hit points and not killed outright, you can expend 5 Void Points to unleash a wave of energy that extends out from you for 30 feet in all directions, dealing 8d6 necrotic damage to all creatures (other than you) that are within range.
Once you use this ability, you can's use it again until you finish a long rest.
Improved Void Stride
Starting at 13th level, whenever you activate your Void Stride, your jump distances are doubled until your Void Stride ends.
In addition, while your Void Stride is active, you have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks.
Eyes of the Void
Beginning at 14th level, your connection the the Void allows you to peer through reality in a way few others can.
You can see in magical and normal darkness out to range of 120 feet. You can see invisible creatures and the true forms of shapeshifters out to the same range.
Improved Unreal Defense
Beginning at 18th level, you can expend 6 Void Points to take the Dodge action without expending an action or bonus action once on each of your turns.
Aspect of Void
At 20th level, while your Void Stride is active, you are immune to all damage other than Force damage, and attacks of opportunity made against you automatically miss.
Vortex Decay
Voidbinders who follow the Vortex Decay are nightmares in combat. Ripping through hordes of enemies in an instant, they nimbly execute all who oppose them.
Vortex of Blades
Starting when you choose this decay at 3rd level, you gain access to a Void technique known as the Vortex of Blades. As a bonus action, you can expend 3 Void Points to activate your Vortex of Blades, which lasts for 1 minute or until you fall unconscious. While your Vortex of Blades is active, you gain the following benefits:
- Your base speeds temporarily increase by 10 feet.
- Attacks of opportunity made against you have disadvantage.
- Your weapon attacks each deal an additional amount of necrotic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier on a hit.
Nimble Destroyer
Beginning at 7th level, whenever a creature makes an attack of opportunity against you and misses, you can make an attack with a melee weapon that you are holding against it as a reaction.
Dancer in the Dark
Starting at 11th level, while you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can take one reaction on each turn in combat.
Eternal Vortex
Starting at 15th level, when you die, you can expend 8 Void Points to instantly return to life with full hit points and the effect of a haste spell cast on you.
Once you return to life using this ability, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Wraith Decay
Voidbinders who follow the Wraith Decay embrace the slow destruction of their physical forms. Rather than rage against it, members of the Wraith Decay use the annihilation of their bodies to their advantage, allowing them to become incorporeal warriors no longer bound by mortal laws of motion.
Wraith Stride
Starting when you choose this decay at 3rd level, your Void Stride allows you to phase through obstacles. While your Void Stride is active, you can pass through creatures, objects, and surfaces. If you are inside of a creature, object, or surface when your turn ends, you take 1d10 force damage, and you are then teleported into the nearest unoccupied space.
Drain Essence
Starting at 7th level, when you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, you gain 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier temporary hit points.
The Voidbinder
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Chants Known | Void Points | Void Strikes Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Unarmored Defense, Void Stride, Soul of the Void | — | 4 | - |
| 2nd | +2 | Unreal Defense, Void Strikes | — | 6 | 1d4 |
| 3rd | +2 | Voidbinder Decays, Voidbinder Decay Feature, Void Chants | 3 | 8 | 1d4 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 10 | 1d4 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack (2) | 3 | 14 | 1d4 |
| 6th | +3 | Void-Empowered Attacks | 4 | 16 | 1d4 |
| 7th | +3 | Voidbinder Decay Feature | 4 | 18 | 1d6 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 20 | 1d6 |
| 9th | +4 | Void of Emotion, Permanent Emptiness | 4 | 24 | 1d6 |
| 10th | +4 | Unstable Body | 4 | 26 | 1d6 |
| 11th | +4 | Extra Attack (3), Voidbinder Decay Feature | 5 | 28 | 1d6 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 30 | 1d6 |
| 13th | +5 | Improved Void Stride | 5 | 34 | 1d6 |
| 14th | +5 | Eyes of the Void | 5 | 36 | 1d8 |
| 15th | +5 | Voidbinder Decay Feature | 5 | 38 | 1d8 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 40 | 1d8 |
| 17th | +6 | Devastating Power | 6 | 44 | 1d8 |
| 18th | +6 | Improved Unreal Defense | 6 | 46 | 1d8 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 48 | 1d8 |
| 20th | +6 | Aspect of Void | 6 | Unlimited | 1d8 |
Void Motion
Beginning at 11th level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, you can expend 2 Void Points to gain a fly (hover) speed equal to your base walking speed for 1 minute or until you fall unconscious.
Improved Wraith Stride
Starting at 15th level, while your Void Stride is active, you cannot become blinded, deafened, paralyzed, petrified, or prone.
In addition, while your Void Stride is active, your speeds are tripled, rather than doubled.
Voidsoul Decay
Voidbinders who follow the Voidsoul Decay study the ancient Void Chants to a further extent than even other Voidbinders. Their Chants empower them, and grant them strength in and out of combat. Unlike other Voidbinders, Voidbinders from the Voidsoul Decay believe that their Void Chants are the most powerful element of their repertoire.
Master of Chants
Starting when you choose this decay at 3rd level, you gain one additional Void Chant.
Voice of the Void
Beginning at 7th level, while you are concentrating on a Void Chant, you have advantage on Constitution saving throws made to maintain concentration.
In addition, you gain proficiency in the Deception and Persuasion skills.
Skilled Chanter
Starting at 11th level, you can concentrate on up to two Chants at once, rather than one.
Invigorating Chanting
Starting at 15th level, while concentrating on a Chant, you gain 5 temporary hit points at the beginning of each of your turns.
Void Chants
If a Void Chant has prerequisite, you must meet them to learn it. You can learn the Void Chant at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.
Save DCs for Chants
If a Chant effect mentions that the target must make a saving throw, you use your Chant saving throw DC. If a Chant effect mentions an attack roll using your Chant attack bonus, you use your Chant attack bonus, as detailed below:
Chant Save DC: 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.
Chant Attack Bonus: your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.
Concentrating on Chants
All void Chants require concentration as if you were concentrating on a spell. All Void Chants are thus marked "conc." Normally, you can concentrate on only one Chant at one time. If you activate a Chant, normally, you lose concentration on any other Chants you were concentrating on. All other rules pertaining to maintaining concentration are identical to concentrating on a spell.
Void Point Costs
If a Void Chant mentions a cost that is stated in Void Points, you must expend the listed number of Void Points in order to activate it.
Chants
Abrogation Chant
Cost: 1 Void Point to Activate
conc.
You can expend 1 Void Point to activate this Chant as a bonus action. The Chant lasts until you deactivate it as a bonus action for no Void Point cost, or until you lose concentration.
While the Abrogation Chant is active, you gain the following benefits:
- Your AC increases by +1 while wielding at least one melee weapon.
- You have resistance to force damage, and you are immune to the effect of magic missile spells.
Acumen Chant
Cost: 1 Void Point to Activate
conc.
You can expend 1 Void Point to activate this Chant as a bonus action. The Chant lasts until you deactivate it as a bonus action for no Void Point cost, or until you lose concentration.
While the Acumen Chant is active, you gain the following benefits:
- You have advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) checks.
- You gain the ability to cast detect magic as an action for the cost of 1 Void Point.
- You gain the ability to cast identify as an action for the cost of 1 Void Point.
Barbaric Chant
Cost: 2 Void Points to Activate
conc.
You can expend 1 Void Point to activate this Chant as a bonus action. The Chant lasts until you deactivate it as a bonus action for no Void Point cost, or until you lose concentration.
While the Barbaric Chant is active, you gain the following benefits:
- You have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
- Your melee weapon attacks deal an additional +1 damage of the same type as the melee weapon's base damage type on a hit.
Destructive Chant
Cost: 2 Void Points to Activate
conc.
You can expend 1 Void Point to activate this Chant as a bonus action. The Chant lasts until you deactivate it as a bonus action for no Void Point cost, or until you lose concentration.
While the Destructive Chant is active, you gain the following benefits:
- Your attacks deal an additional +1 necrotic damage on a hit.
- Your attacks ignore resistance to necrotic damage.
Doom Chant
Cost: 2 Void Points to Activate
conc.
You can expend 1 Void Point to activate this Chant as a bonus action. The Chant lasts until you deactivate it as a bonus action for no Void Point cost, or until you lose concentration.
While the Doom Chant is active, you gain the following benefits:
- Hostile creatures within 15 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws using Charisma and Constitution.
- As an action, you can expend 3 Void Points to invoke the terrifying power of the Void to expose the frailness of flesh and plant forms. Choose a non-Undead, non-Construct, non-elemental creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. The target must make a Constitution saving throw.
On a failed save, it take 2d4 necrotic damage and becomes poisoned for 1 minute or until you lose concentration. If the target's saving throw fails by 5 or more, it is poisoned for 10 minutes or until you lose concentration instead.
Mighty Chant
Cost: 1 Void Point to Activate
conc.
You can expend 1 Void Point to activate this Chant as a bonus action. The Chant lasts until you deactivate it as a bonus action for no Void Point cost, or until you lose concentration.
While the Mighty Chant is active, you gain the following benefits:
- You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks.
- As a reaction, when you would be forced to make a Strength saving throw to avoid being pushed pack, knocked prone, or restrained, you can expend 2 Void Points in order to choose to succeed on the saving throw instead.
Nihil Chant
Cost: 1 Void Point to Activate
conc.
You can expend 1 Void Point to activate this Chant as a bonus action. The Chant lasts until you deactivate it as a bonus action for no Void Point cost, or until you lose concentration.
While the Nihil Chant is active, you gain the following benefits:
- Your thoughts cannot be read by magic.
- As an action, you can expend 2 Void Points to enter a state known as Void Serenity, which lasts until you use an action to end it or until you lose concentration. While your Void Serenity is active, you lose the ability to make attacks, make ability checks, or move.
However, while Void Serenity is active, you regain 10 hit points on each of your turns, and gain the ability to cast clairvoyance at will.
Painful Chant
Cost: 1 Void Point to Activate
conc.
You can expend 1 Void Point to activate this Chant as a bonus action. The Chant lasts until you deactivate it as a bonus action for no Void Point cost, or until you lose concentration.
While the Painful Chant is active, you gain the following benefits:
- You lose 2 hit points at the beginning of each of your turns in combat.
- Your attacks deal an additional 1d4 necrotic damage to creatures with half or fewer than their hit point maximum hit points remaining.
Saprogenic Chant
Cost: 1 Void Point to Activate
conc.
You can expend 1 Void Point to activate this Chant as a bonus action. The Chant lasts until you deactivate it as a bonus action for no Void Point cost, or until you lose concentration.
While the Saprogenic Chant is active, you gain the following benefits:
- You cannot gain hit points or temporary hit points.
- Creatures within 15 feet of you cannot gain hit points or temporary hit points.
Changelog
v.0.1: Inaugural version of the Voidbinder.
v.0.2: Added Void Points, removed Void Illusion Void Arcane, added Void Point costs to Chant effects, changed Curse of Irrationality's Duration from 1d4 to 1d8 rounds, tweaked ability damage, re-worked Vortex of Blades, added Void Point costs to certain features, changed Void Stride.
v.0.3: Reworked Void Stride, removed Void Arcanes, added the Void Strikes class feature, completely reworked Chants, removed Weakening Chant, revised wording, changed hit die from a d4 to a d6
v.0.4: Fixed typos, changed "their" to "her", Replaced Unreal Defense with Unreal Stealth, added "other than Force damage" to Aspect of Void, removed Insane Chant, reworked formatting.
Credits
I would like to thank all of the talented homebrewers and balancing-masters on r/dndhomebrew and r/UnearthedArcana for their helpful feedback. Thank you for taking the time to work on my homebrew class:
- u/C1awed
- u/ZiggenTheLord
- u/Sparkdog
- u/ThatRandomGuy199
- u/a2a3a2a3
- u/GravyeonBell
- -u/Tekhead001
- u/bored_ethan
- u/Faminertbh