The Chef
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Secret Ingredients | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Chef's Special (d6), Secret Ingredient | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Spellcasting, Good Eats (d6) | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Cooking Focus | 2 | 3 | ─ | ─ | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | 3 | ─ | ─ | ─ | ─ |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack, Chef's Special (d8) | 3 | 4 | 2 | ─ | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Rapid Cooking, Cooking Focus Feature | 3 | 4 | 2 | ─ | ─ | ─ |
| 7th | +3 | Exotic Ingredients | 3 | 4 | 3 | ─ | ─ | ─ |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | ─ | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | Good Eats (d8) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ─ | ─ |
| 10th | +4 | Chef's Special (d10) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ─ | ─ |
| 11th | +4 | Cooking Focus Feature | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | ─ | ─ |
| 13th | +5 | Good Eats (d10) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | ─ |
| 14th | +5 | True Flavor | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Chef's Special (d12), Cooking Focus Feature | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ─ |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ─ |
| 17th | +6 | -- | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Good Eats (d12) | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Instant Banquet | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Class Features
As a chef, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per chef level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light and medium armor, shields
- Weapons: Simple weapons, longswords, scimitars, shortswords, and warhammers
- Tools: Cook's utensils and one other type of artisan's tools
- Saving Throws: Constitution and Intelligence
- Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Deception, Investigation, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, and Persuasion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
- (a) five light hammers or (b) any simple melee weapon
- (a) an explorer's pack and chef's utensils
- (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
Chef's Special
You have begun work on your signature dish. As a bonus action, you can produce a single serving of a food item from available materials. You must have chef's utensils on hand in order to use this feature. A creature can consume your chef's special as a bonus action, granting them 1d6 healing and an equal amount of temporary hit points. Only a single serving of Chef's Special can exist at one time. If you create a new one before the old one was consumed, the old one is destroyed.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest, which also destroys any Chef's Special which still exists from before the rest.
The die associated with your Chef's Special increases when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.
Secret Ingredient
The true secret to good cooking is the secret ingredient. At 1st level you know how to add one secret ingredient to your Chef's Special, chosen from the list of Secret Ingredients at the end of this class. Secret Ingredients typically modify your Chef's Special's effects in some way.
When you gain certain chef levels, you can add additional ingredients to your Special, as shown in the Secret Ingredients column of the Chef table.
Each time you gain a level in this class, you can exchange one of your Secret Ingredients for another Secret Ingredient for which you meet the requirements.
Spellcasting
By 2nd level, you have learned to draw on primal magic through natural ingredients to cast magic.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Chef table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your chef spells of 1st level or higher, 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 prepare the list of chef spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the chef spell list. When you do so, choose a number of chef spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your chef 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-level chef, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence 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 cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level 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 chef spells requires time spent experimenting with cooking: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your chef spells, since their power derives from the strength of your convictions. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a chef spell you cast when making an attack roll with one.
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Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
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Spell Attack Modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spellcasting Focus
You can use cook's utensils (see "Equipment") as a spellcasting focus for your chef spells.
Good Eats
At 2nd level, whenever you set up camp you produce a heartening meal for your friends. You and any friendly creatures sharing your camp during a long rest can roll a d6 at the end of the rest and increase their current and maximum health by the result for that day.
The extra hit points increase when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d8 at 9th level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.
Cooking Focus
At 3rd level, you choose a type of cooking to devote your focus to, such as Baking or Roasting. Your choice grants you features when you pick it and again at 6th, 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 your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
At 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Rapid Cooking
At 6th level, you regain all expended uses of your Chef's Special whenever you finish a short or a long rest.
Exotic Ingredients
At 7th level, you can produce food from nearly anything. Any creature which benefits from your Chef's Special or Good Eats feature also receives enough nourishment to last for one day. They must still drink water as normal.
True Flavor
At 14th level, you unlock the true flavor of one of your Secret Ingredients. You can no longer change that ingredient out when you gain a level in this class, but you can add the benefit described under its True Flavor entry.
Instant Banquet
At 20th level, you can conjure a whole banquet during a short rest. You and your allies who partake of the banquet regain health and hit dice as if they had completed a long rest instead, and gain the benefit of Good Eats. They do not gain any other benefits of a long rest, including regaining spell slots or other class features.
Cooking Focuses
Each chef eventually decides to dedicate their efforts to one specific type of cooking. Described here are the Baking Focus, the Roasting Focus, and the Soups Focus.
Baking Focus
Baking is about blending multiple ingredients into a single flawless product. Bakers can be confectioners, pie-makers, bread-makers, or a mix thereof. Their foods tend to be lighter side dishes or desserts that perfectly complement any number of main courses.
A Good Rise
At 6th level, whenever a creature consumes a helping of your Chef's Special, they can roll twice and use the better result one one of the associated dice.
Mana Biscuits
At 11th level, you learn to produce a mana biscuit. Each time you complete a long rest, you produce a number of mana biscuits equal to the highest level spell slot you possess (maximum 5). A creature capable of casting spells can eat one of your mana biscuits as an action to regain a 1st level spell slot. If you eat a mana biscuit which you created, you can instead increase the level of one of your unexpended spell slots, up to a a maximum of 5th level.
Extra Secret Ingredient
At 15th level, you can mix in even more secret ingredients to your Chef's Special. You know how to use an additional Secret Ingredient. You can change which ingredient you know whenever you complete a long rest.
Roasting Focus
Roasting is about bringing out the best in a piece of meat or sometimes a vegetable. Roasters are more aggressive as their foods tend to require intense heat and rapid adjustments.
Bonus Proficiency
At 3rd level when you choose this focus, you gain proficiency with martial weapons.
Cleaver Mastery
Also at 3rd level, you have mastered the use of edged weapons in the creation of fine cuisine. You can use an edged weapon instead of cook's utensils for the purposes of spellcasting and producing your Chef's Special.
It's Too Raw!
At 6th level, when you deal damage with a weapon attack, you can use your bonus action to consume a helping of Chef's Special. If you do, instead of its normal effects you deal additional fire damage equal to two of its dice.
Improved It's Too Raw!
At 11th level, you deal additional fire damage equal to one of your Chef's Special dice, even if you do not consume your Chef's Special on that attack.
Bonfire Roasters
At 15th level, you always have the spell fireball prepared and it does not count against your normal limit for spells prepared. Additionally, you can cast fireball once at 3rd level without consuming a spell slot. You regain the ability to do so whenever you complete a short or a long rest.
Soups Focus
Soup is an almost meditative food, well suited for restful days and careful contemplation, but it is also convenient and bolstering. Soup chefs tend to be more flexible of thought as they do not need to worry as much about precise changes in recipe.
Bonus Proficiency
At 3rd level when you choose this focus, you gain proficiency with heavy armor.
Keep it in a Flask
Also at 3rd level, you learn to preserve your Chef's Special, keeping it fresh and hot for longer. You no longer are limited to having a single helping of your Chef's Special created at one time.
Chowder
At 6th level, you learn to create a thicker soup that really sticks to the ribs. You can use two of your uses of Chef's Special to create a Chowder Special. A Chowder Special grants the benefits of your Chef's Special, with all effects (such as damage, healing, or bonuses) and durations doubled. Once you have created a Chowder, you cannot create another one until you have completed a long rest.
Deep Pot
At 11th level, whenever you create one of your Chef's Specials, you may create a second one for free as part of the same action. The extra Chef's Special uses a d4 instead of your normal die when determining its effects.
Ironsides
At 15th level, your long experience with heavy iron cookwear has strengthened your body and mind. You are proficient in all saving throws.
Secret Ingredients
If a secret ingredient has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. You can learn a Secret Ingredient at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.
Anise
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with anise gains resistance to poison damage and immunity to the poisoned condition for 1 hour.
True Flavor. They are instead immune to poison, and whenever they would take poison damage they gain the same number of temporary hit points instead.
Basil
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with basil deals additional damage when striking in melee. Once per turn, they may add your Chef's Special die to the damage they deal with a melee weapon attack. This effect lasts up to a minute and may be used a number of times equal to your Intelligence bonus (minimum 2). Additional Chef's Specials eaten do not increase the damage dealt by this effect but do allow it to be used additional times.
True Flavor. The effect now lasts one hour and may be used any number of times. You may only grant the benefit of basil's true flavor to one creature at a time; other creatures get the normal effect of basil. If a new creature consumes your special, you choose whether the old creature or the new creature benefits from stoneroot.
Basilisk Flank
Requires 7th level Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with basilisk flank also receives a bonus on all saving throws equal to your Intelligence bonus for the next minute.
True Flavor. While the effect lasts, if the eater fails a saving throw, they can use their Reaction to succeed instead. Then the effect ends.
Bay leaves
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with bay leaves increses the healing and temporary hit points of your chef's special by an additional die.
True Flavor. The healing and temporary hit points are increased by two more additional dice, for a total of four dice.
Cardamom
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with cardamom can breathe water as well as air for one hour.
True Flavor. For the duration of the water breathing effect, the eater also has darkvision and a swim speed equal to their land speed.
Clarified Ochre Jelly
Requires 7th level Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with clarified ochre jelly becomes mildly acidic. Whenever a creature strikes them in melee, that creature takes acid damage equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). This effect lasts for one minute.
True Flavor. The acid damage increases to 1d4 plus your Intelligence modifier, and the consumer gains immunity to lightning damage for the duration.
Cloves
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with cloves gain advantage on Charisma checks for one hour.
True Flavor. While the effect lasts, the eater may attempt to charm a single creature which they are speaking to. After a minute of conversation, their target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failed save, they are charmed by the eater for the remaining duration of the cloves effect. On a successful save, they are immune to this effect for 24 hours.
Demon Pepper
Requires 13th level
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with demon pepper sheds heat with every step. Once on each of their turns without using their action, they may deal fire damage equal to your Chef's Special die to a creature they specify within 5 feet of them. This effect lasts up to a minute and may be used a number of times equal to your Intelligence bonus (minimum 2). Additional Chef's Specials eaten do not increase the damage dealt by this effect but do allow it to be used additional times.
True Flavor. The damage of this effect increases to twice your Chef's Special die, and its number of uses doubles.
Dragon Cutlets
Requires 13th level Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with dragon cutlets gains the ability to spew a cone of fire once within the next minute. As an action on their turn, they can exhale a 30-foot cone of flame. Creatures in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, they take damage equal to three rolls of your Chef's Special die. On a successful save, they take half damage.
True Flavor. The damage of the cone increases by an additional die, and it can now be used a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 2).
Ectoplasm
Requires 7th level Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with ectoplasm becomes slightly intangible. They have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks made to squeeze through small spaces. Additionally, they do not provoke opportunity attacks for movement and they can move through and occupy other creatures' spaces without penalty (including enemies). This effect lasts for one minute.
True Flavor. For the duration, the creature can move through solid objects not made to repel ghosts as if they were difficult terrain. If they end their movement in a solid object they take 1d10 force damage and are ejected into the nearest empty space.
Ginger
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with ginger can communicate telepathically with creatures they share a language with for the next hour. The range of the telepathy is 10 feet times your Chef level.
True Flavor. The creature is also immune to psychic damage, the charmed and dominated conditions, and magical effects which attempt to read its thoughts or influence its emotions for the same duration.
Hot Pepper
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with hot pepper becomes flushed with heat. For the next hour, they have resistance to fire damage.
True Flavor. They are instead immune to fire damage. For the same duration, they gain a special ranged attack with a 30 foot range. This special ranged attack deals fire damage equal to your Chef's Special die, and
Manticore Steak
Requires 7th level Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with manticore steak gains insight into ranged weapon trajectories. The close and long range of their ranged weapon attacks are doubled for one minute.
True Flavor. The first time the eater hits with a ranged weapon attack each turn while the effect lasts, they may make an additional ranged weapon attack as a bonus action.
Nutmeg
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with
True Flavor.
Oregano
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with
True Flavor.
Paprika
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with
True Flavor.
Roc Eggs
Requires 13th level Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with roc eggs grows a pair of powerful wings for one minute. They gain a fly speed equal to their land speed. A creature can dismiss this effect early as a bonus action.
True Flavor. Their fly speed increases to twice their land speed, and the duration increases to one hour.
Saffron
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with
True Flavor.
Shrieker Caps
Requires 7th level Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with shrieker caps becomes more aware of their surroundings. They have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relating to touch or sound for one hour.
True Flavor. The eater also gains blindsight with a range of 20 feet for one minute after eating the special.
Stoneroot
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with stoneroot has their armor class increased by 1 for the next minute.
True Flavor. The armor class increase improves to 2, and the duration improves to one hour. You may only grant the benefit of stoneroot's true flavor to one creature at a time; other creatures get the normal effect of stoneroot. If a new creature consumes your special, you choose whether the old creature or the new creature benefits from stoneroot.
Treant Acorns
Requires 13th level Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with treant acorns increases their current and maximum HP by the same amount as their healing from the Chef's Special for the next hour. This effect is cumulative with other effects which increase maximum HP.
True Flavor. For one minute after consuming the Chef's Special, the eater regains hit points at the start of each of their turns equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). Once a creature has benefited from the True Flavor of treant acorns, you cannot grant that benefit to another creature until you have completed a short or a long rest.
Turmeric
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with
True Flavor.
Vanilla
Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with
True Flavor.
Wyvern Venom
Requires 7th level Someone who consumes Chef's Special made with wyvern venom becomes venemous themselves. For the next minute they can spit a 30-foot line of poison as an action on their turn. Creatures in the area must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, they take damage equal to two rolls of your Chef's Special die. On a successful save, they take half damage.
The eater can use this poison spit a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1).
True Flavor. The damage increases to three rolls of your Chef's Special die, and there is no limit on the number of times it can be used. Once a creature has benefited from the True Flavor of Wyvern Venom, you cannot grant that benefit to another creature until you have completed a short or a long rest.
Spell List
The following is a list of spells available to the chef. New spells are noted in italics and described at the end of the list.
1st Level
- Burning Hands
- Charm Person
- Create or Destroy Water
- Cure Wounds
- Detect Magic
- Detect Poison and Disease
- False Life
- Goodberry
- Grease
- Purify Food and Drink
- Ray of Sickness
- Sleep
2nd Level
- Alter Self
- Continual Flame
- Enhance Ability
- Enlarge/Reduce
- Flaming Sphere
- Flame Blade
- Hold Person
- Lesser Restoration
- Locate Object
- Magic Mouth
- Ray of Enfeeblement
- Scorching Ray
- Suggestion
3rd Level
- Dispel Magic
- Fireball
- Haste
- Nondetection
- Plant Growth
- Protection from Energy
- Remove Curse
- Vampiric Touch
- Water Breathing
4th Level
- Conjure Minor Elementals
- Control Water
- Dominate Beast
- Freedom of Movement
- Giant Insect
- Polymorph
- Stone Skin
- Wall of Fire
5th Level
- Commune with Nature
- Conjure Elemental
- Dominate Person
- Flame Strike
- Greater Restoration
- Mass Cure Wounds