Lunatic
Darkness fills the king's chambers as the slumbering lord's eyes lose focus of the silver pendant dangled above his head. A mysterious elven woman places her hands over his maddening mind as a wicked smile wraps across her face.
A tall drow man clad in dark robes strolls through moonlit fields, calmly reading from a withered book. All around him clashes the swords of his adversaries, drawn against one another as they forget what it was they were ever guarding.
Under midnight glow, a beacon of milky light glimmers from the grasp of a human girl. With luminous valiance, she empowers her allies to fight onwards, even those who thought they'd breathed their last.
Lunatics have been graced with divine capability to study the moon and its wonders, channeling the arcane through its phasal pattern. As life grows and decays in an ever-changing cycle, so too does the aspect of the moon, like a mirrored reflection of our own world seen in its silvery face. If one would survey for too long the ebb and flow of the cycle, pondering the mysterious phases of existence, their mind should crumble into madness. Though the lunatics toe the lines of insanity, some even embracing it, they further their connection to the lunar body.
Darkness and Light
Creation and destruction, understanding and madness, birth and burial, as the cycle of life and death spins ever onward, so too do your powers. With each new moon, your abilities can drive others to madness, pulling them into darkness and decay. And with the full moon comes new life, creation and radiance spill from your fingertips.
Divine Understanding
Lunamancy was taught first to the elves as an artform from an ancient goddess who gifted her worshippers the moon as a conduit for arcanic energies. Now the study of the moon is passed down to the seldom few who can gaze into its face without slipping totally into insanity. To be a lunatic is to understand existence from an estranged view, knowing that each life taken will eventually return into life that is given, and each life created will soon be another destroyed. Though this insight is too painful for some to accept, the daughter of the night skies has imparted to you serenity from beyond this realm.
Creating a Lunatic
When creating a lunatic, try to think of a way that your character relates to the cycle. Were they taught from an early age that lost ancestors are never really gone? Has your character faced their demise directly and returned from the brink of death with new wisdom? The most important thing is an acknowledgement of the lack of creation or destruction of energy, only shifting forms.
Duty is rarely a main focus of lunatics, who fall more into spectatorship and observation than participation. The motives of lunatics can vary greatly though, as lunamancy is seen more as an art than a religion or a science.
Quick Build
You can make a lunatic quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma or Dexterity. Second, choose the sage background.
Lunatic
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Cantrips Known |
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Spellcasting, Blessings and Woes (1/rest), Midnight Eyes | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Lunar Spirit | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Lunar Spirit Feature | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Madness Within, Blessings and Woes (2/rest) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Arcane Recycling, Lunar Spirit Feature | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Mindtap, Blessings and Woes (3/rest) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | — | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | — | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 14th | +5 | Lunar Spirit Feature | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 15th | +5 | Blessings and Woes (4/rest) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 17th | +6 | Lunar Spirit Feature | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Blessings and Woes (5/rest) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20th | +6 | On Whom it Gleams | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Class Features
As a lunatic, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per lunatic level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your constitution modifier
- Hit Points at higher levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per lunatic level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armor, medium armor
- Weapons: Simple weapons, longswords, scimitars, shortswords, and longbows
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Dexterity, Wisdom
- Skills: Choose two from Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Stealth
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a sickle or (b) a dagger
- (a) a shortbow and 20 arrows or (b) a quarterstaff
- (a) a priest's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- leather armor and a holy symbol in the shape of a crescent moon
Spellcasting
As a student of the moon, you are granted the ability to cast spells through its feyish power. However, as the life of the moon slowly cycles in and out of existence, so too do your spellcasting abilities.
Cantrips
At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the lunatic spell list. You learn additional lunatic cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the lunatic table.
Preparing and Casting Spells
Lunatics do not prepare their spells in the morning when they wake up, instead their available spells are determined by the phase of the moon. Even when the moon is not visible, a lunatic will still feel its presence and power. You may cast any lunatic spell, provided the lunar phase requirement is met and you have a spell slot of the spell's level or higher available. Your spell slots are detailed in the lunatic table and lunatic spells are listed at the end of the class description. You regain expended spell slots at the end of a long rest.
Lunar Phases
It is through the moon and its phases that lunatics cast their lunamancy spells, abiding by the rules as follows:
- During a waxing moon, spells marked with a 🌔 symbol can be cast
- During a waning moon, spells marked with a 🌘 symbol can be cast
- During a new moon, spells marked with a 🌘 or 🌑 symbol can be cast
- During a full moon, spells marked with a 🌘, 🌔, or 🌕 symbol can be cast
- If a spell does not specify a lunar phase, it can be cast at any point during the moon’s cycle
Lunar Tracking
Just as a wizard will know exactly what components they carry at all times, it is your job, and yours alone, to know the phase of the moon as per your DM’s world. Should you forget, your DM decides in a manner that may or may not benefit you.
Tracking the phases of the moon can be done either using a two week in-game cycle, or if your group plays regularly, you can estimate off of the phase of the real moon!
Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your lunatic spells, as it is through wisdom and study of the cycle of existence that you have learned lunamancy. You use your Wisdom whenever a lunatic spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a lunatic 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 lunatic spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you are underneath moonlight (or the new moon). The spell still has the same lunar phase requirements.
Superior Spellcasting Focus
Your spellcasting focus is the moon itself, though you still require a free hand to channel its energy. It replaces even the material components that specify a price or would normally be consumed.
Midnight Eyes
Starting at 1st level, you gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, its range extends out an additional 60 feet.
Blessings and Woes
Also at 1st level, you have attained brief control over the cycle of destruction and creation. If a spell you cast or attack you make would do damage to a creature, you can choose to cycle that energy as a bonus action and give temporary hit points equal to half the damage amount + your Wisdom modifier to any creatures you choose within 30 feet, including yourself, distributed as you like. This ability can be used once at 1st level and additional times at higher levels, as shown in the class table. You regain expended uses after a short or long rest.
Lunar Spirit
When you attain 2nd level, a spirit of the moon rests on you. You can choose from among the Spirit of Radiance, Spirit of Darkness, Spirit of the Beast, or Spirit of the tide, granting you features at 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 14th, and 17th level, all of which are detailed later in the class description.
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.
Madness Within
After reaching 5th level, a touch of lunacy is instilled within you, which bleeds into the minds of others. Roll a d100 and you gain a character flaw as detailed in the Indefinite Madness table.
When you hit a creature with an attack, you can use a bonus action to invoke your Madness Within to make them roll a d10 and consult the table below.
| d10 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | They take an additional (1d10 + your Wisdom modifier) psychic damage |
| 5-7 | They are frightened by you until the end of your next turn |
| 8 | They are stunned until the end of your next turn |
| 9 | They drop any items they are currently holding |
| 10 | They suffer one level of exhaustion |
Arcane Recycling
As a 6th level lunatic, you gain the ability to cycle some arcanic energy. After finishing a long rest, you can choose a friendly creature or yourself to bestow with your holy symbol, and they become your subject. As that subject takes damage from enemies, you regain expended spell slots. If they are within 120 feet of you, as a reaction to them taking damage you can regain spell slots with an accumulative level of one for every 10 damage that creature has taken since finishing a long rest or since the last time you used this ability (whichever was more recent). For example, if a subject has taken 20 damage, you can choose to regain either a 2nd level spell slot or two 1st level spell slots.
Mindtap
At 10th level, even when a creature resists your lunamancy, you gain insight into their next steps. Choose a single creature who has succeeded a Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom saving throw against one of your spells this turn. You gain advantage on the next attack you make against them before the end of your next turn. Alternatively, you can forgo your advantage to give a friendly creature who can hear you advantage on their next attack against that creature before the end of your next turn by telling them the insight you learned.
On Whom it Gleams
Once you reach 20th level, you have been given authority over the moon. When you roll initiative, you may sway the phase of the moon to the orientation you desire.
Lunar Spirits
As one studies the art of lunamancy, they eventually gain a spirit upon them from the great celestial body. There are different Lunar Spirits representing the duality and balance of existence, each with their own unique capabilities.
Spirit of Radiance
Observers of the moon’s light, these lunatics invoke their Spirit of Radiance to bring about new wisdoms, understanding, and rebirth. In shimmer and elegance, they call forth power from times prior and times yet to come, embracing change with ease. When you accept this Lunar Spirit, you are committing yourself to not only to protect the living world as it is currently, but also to returning life to those whose passing was not yet the end.
Dreamseer
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to look into the mind of a dreaming creature. You gaze into a creature that is asleep (not unconscious), that you can see and is within 10 feet, and it must succeed a Wisdom saving throw equal to your spell save DC. If it fails, you can choose one of the following effects, though the information is conveyed through dreamlike imagery:
- You learn one goal that motivates the creature
- You learn about one important event that has happened in the creature’s life recently.
- You learn one thing the creature fears
If the creature succeeds the saving throw by 5 or more, it is awakened. If attempted on a creature that is immune to having its thoughts read, the ability fails and the creature is awakened. Each additional time Dreamseeing is attempted on a creature after the first but before taking a long rest, the creature makes their Wisdom saving throw at advantage.
Hallowed Glow
Starting at 3rd level, you possess the capability to instill the moon's energy in a physical object, you learn the light cantrip (which does not count against your number of cantrips known). When you cast light on a weapon or holy symbol, you can choose to have friendly creatures in the range of light have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. This effect lasts for one hour and to reactivate it, you must recast light.
Unending Brilliance
When you reach 6th level, you learn the animate dead spell, which can be cast during a waxing or full moon. When you use this spell to reanimate a corpse, that creature looks as they did when they were alive, but with a pale-blue glow, and they retain pieces of their sentience from life, as per the DM’s discretion.
Additionally, if a creature under your animate dead spell would drop to 0 hit points, it combusts as it dies dealing an additional 2d10 radiant damage to any creature within 10 feet of it.
As the Moon Rises
At 14th level, you gain a flight speed equal to double your walking speed while under moonlight.
Victory in Death
The lines between life and death are blurred to you. At 17th level, you learn to call forth a warrior soul from times passed.
As an action, you may resurrect the spirit of a now-deceased ally to fight valiantly beside you. The spirit can be of any creature you knew personally, who died, and whose spirit is free and willing. They gain all of the abilities they had in life and their turn begins immediately after yours.
They appear within 30 feet of you, looking as they did in the peak of their time, with the same equipment, though as a shimmer of moonlight (if it is a previous PC, allow the original player to control them, otherwise, the DM chooses).
The spirit's duration in this plane lasts for 10 minutes, or until their hit points reach 0. If you attempt to call forth a spirit who is not dead or is not free and willing, Victory in Death fails. Once this ability is used, it can’t be used again until after the next full moon rises.
Spirit of Darkness
Like a well-kept secret, those who have been bestowed with the Spirit of Darkness are seldom found when not sought after. Coming forth like the nightfall, these lunatics are unseen and unremembered, like those spoken of in faint whispers. By your command the world bends and distorts, and out of darkness, from the corners of eyes, where nightmare bleeds into waking moment, do you strike.
Dimmed Mind
At 2nd level, creatures in dim light or darkness make saving throws against your spells at disadvantage.
Darkcaster
When you reach 3rd level, you can cast darkness ignoring lunar phase requirements, and if it is your first turn during combat, you can cast it as a bonus action. When you cast darkness, you can choose a number of creatures up to your spellcasting modifier who gain the ability to see through the darkness as if it were dim light for the duration of the spell.
Shadow Strider
After attaining 6th level, you gain the ability to stride from one shadow to another. While you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness.
Lingering Dull
At 14th level, darkness clings to you and spills out should you fall in battle. When you drop to 0 hit points, each creature within a 20 foot radius of you must succeed a Constitution saving throw against your Spell save DC or take 4d10 necrotic damage.
The Nightmare Cometh
Once every lunar cycle, the moon vanishes from our sights, leaving us to wonder where it lies. At 17th level, you can disappear in the same manner. Once per new moon, when you cast invisibility on yourself, you can choose to cast it with this ability. Its duration instead lasts for 24 hours, and when you cast a spell or make an attack that would end the spell, your proficiency bonus is doubled. If the spell or attack would do damage, the damage dice increases by 1. Once this ability is used, it can’t be used again until the next new moon passes.
Spirit of the Beast
All around you, you have witnessed the changing forms of living creatures. You have watched and learned how the deer’s antlers sprout in the spring, and how the bear’s might withers in the winter, engaging in this cycle yourself to become a master of supernatural transformations.
Summoner
At 2nd level, you learn the find familiar spell and can cast it during a full or new moon. Your familiar can only take the shape of a creature from the following list: bat, cat, owl, rat, raven, or spider.
Mark of the Beast
After reaching 3rd level, the beastial forms you study cause changes to take place within you. You grow either claws, fangs, or a set of horns, and you gain a +1 to Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
As an action, you can make a melee spell attack using your Mark of the Beast against a creature within 5 feet of you. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 + your spellcasting modifier piercing damage. The damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8) and 17th (4d8).
Lunarmorph
Starting at 6th level, as an action, you can transform your familiar into one of the following creatures: giant owl, giant wolf spider, panther, swarm of bats, swarm of rats, or a swarm of ravens, as long as it corresponds with the form your familiar is in currently. For example, if your familiar is currently a raven, it would Lunarmorph into a swarm of ravens.
Your familiar retains the abilities it normally has but it gains the stats and actions of its new form. If you dismiss your familiar, Lunarmoph ends. If your familiar’s hitpoints drop to 0, it disappears until you recast find familiar. This ability lasts for 1 hour and can be used once per short or long rest.
Feral Flight
Beginning at 14th level, greater bestial changes take place among you. As a bonus action, you can cause either bat-like or raven-like wings to burst from your body, dealing 2d6 slashing damage to you. You gain a flight speed of 30 feet, and the wings last until you’re incapacitated, you die, or you dismiss them as a bonus action. Wearing armor not made to accommodate the wings prevents you from using this ability, and your clothing may be torn when you sprout your wings.
If you fly with these wings at least 15 feet straight toward a target and hit them with your Mark of the Beast attack, they take an additional 2d8 damage and must succeed a Strength saving throw against your Spell save DC or become restrained as you gore through them.
Primal Instinct
When you reach 17th level, your survival instinct is now linked to your shape changing abilities. As a reaction to taking damage, you can roll a d100. If you roll a 7 or lower, you can cast true polymorph immediately and without expending a spell slot. If you roll a 1, an unwilling creature cannot make a saving throw to resist the spell’s effect.
Spirit of the Tide
If they are lucky, those who live near bodies of water might have the Spirit of the Tide bestowed on them should they spend too much time gazing into the crashing waves of the ocean, or the white rapids of rushing rivers.
Fluid Casting
Starting as 2nd level, you gain the ability to mimic the moon’s inflection of waters around you, granting you additional spells to cast as per the same rules as normal. You also learn the cantrip shape water.
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | create or destroy water, grease |
| 2nd | mirror image 🌘, snowball storm |
| 3rd | tidal wave 🌔, gaseous form 🌘, water breathing, water walk |
| 4th | control water, watery sphere |
| 5th | maelstrom |
Formless
At 3rd level, you can change your form to be able to move like water while in precarious situations. You can fit through any size hole or crack that is no smaller than 1 inch by 1 inch.
Shapeless
At 6th level, your movement speed doubles while in water. Additionally, your movement does not provoke opportunity attacks while in water.
Become the Vessel
Once you have reached 14th level, you gain to ability to redirect the flow of kinetic energy, the way you do with water. As a reaction, when you are hit with an attack you can choose to make the attacker roll a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell save DC. If they fail, you redirect that attack to a new target within the range of the original attack. Once this ability has been used, it cannot be used again until you finish a short rest.
Gel-Type Warrior
After reaching 17th level, you have learned how to control the water in your own body and use it to become stronger. As an action, you take on the form of a gelatinous version of yourself, lasting until you fall unconscious or choose to dismiss the form. While in this state, your AC increases by 2 and you become immune to nonmagical attacks. However, you become vulnerable to fire damage.
Spell List
Lunatic Spells
Cantrips (0 Level)
- Guidance
- Magic Stone
- Message
- Minor Illusion
- Primal Savagery
- Resistance
- Shillelagh
- Toll the Dead
- Vicious Mockery
- Word of Radiance
1st Level
- 🌔 Bless
- 🌔 Cure Wounds
- 🌔 Faerie Fire
- 🌔 Heroism
- 🌔 Sanctuary
- 🌘 Bane
- 🌘 Dissonant Whispers
- 🌘 Hideous Laughter
- 🌘 Inflict Wounds
- Cause Fear
- Charm Person
- Disguise Self
- Sleep
2nd Level
- 🌔 Aid
- 🌔 Healing Spirit
- 🌔 Locate Object
- 🌔 Moonbeam
- 🌘 Blur
- 🌘 Crown of Madness
- 🌘 Darkness
- 🌘 Invisibility
- 🌑 Phantasmal Force
- Shadow Blade
- Silence
- Suggestion
3rd Level
- 🌖 Clairvoyance
- 🌖 Fly
- 🌖 Phantom Steed
- 🌖 Speak with Dead
- 🌕 Revivify
- 🌘 Hunger of Hadar
- 🌘 Hypnotic Pattern
- 🌘 Feign Death
- 🌘 Nondetection
- 🌘 Vampiric Touch
- Melf’s Minute Meteors
Lunatic Spells
4th Level
- 🌔 Aura of Life
- 🌔 Charm Monster
- 🌔 Death Ward
- 🌔 Resilient Sphere
- 🌔 Sickening Radiance
- 🌘 Confusion
- 🌘 Hallucinatory Terrain
- 🌘 Phantasmal Killer
- 🌘 Shadow of Moil
- 🌑 Divination
- Polymorph
5th Level
- 🌔 Commune with Nature
- 🌔 Hallow
- 🌔 Holy Weapon
- 🌕 Legend Lore
- 🌘 Modify Memory
- 🌘 Synaptic Static
- 🌑 Dominate Person
- Dream
- Seeming
6th Level
- 🌔 Flesh to Stone
- 🌔 Heal
- 🌕 Mass Suggestion
- 🌘 Harm
- 🌘 Mental Prison
- 🌑 Circle of Death
7th Level
- 🌔 Regenerate
- 🌕 Resurrection
- 🌘 Divine Word
- 🌘 Mirage Arcane
- Crown of Stars
8th Level
- 🌔 Holy Aura
- 🌔 Illusory Dragon
- 🌘 Dominate Monster
- 🌘 Maddening Darkness
- 🌑 Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting
9th Level
- 🌔 Power Word Heal
- 🌕 Wish
- 🌘 Power Word Kill
- 🌑 Imprisonment