Grey Seer
These eldritch ratfolk are born with grey or
white fur and small horns that set them apart
from their kin and mark them for a path of
arcane greatness. They are trained to be grey
seers, the spiritual leaders of ratfolk society
who serve as messengers for their verminous
god. This position of divine authority allows
grey seers to remain somewhat above the
petty machinations and power plays of other
ratfolk, and even powerful warlords are weary
of incurring the ire of a grey seer and, by proxy,
its rat god.
The favor of the rat god is made
evident through the grey seer's devastating
magical abilities. Using their ruinous magic,
these ratfolk can conjure blasts of elemental
magic, summon massive rat tides, or drive
their allies into self-destructive battle frenzies.
They are also notoriously difficult to pin down
in combat, able to scurry just out of reach before
unleashing their destructive magic. The
protection of the rat god is ever-present, and
even those able to make seemingly accurate
attacks against a grey seer will often find their
strikes suddenly veer off course, or their spells
lose potency just as they reach their target.
Ratfolk Grey Seer
Medium humanoid, chaotic evil
- Armor Class 15 (studded leather)
- Hit Points 170 (20d8+60)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 16 (+3) 20 (+5)
- Saving Throws Con +8, Int +9, Wis +8, Cha +10
- Skills Arcana + 8, Deception +9, Insight +7, Religion +7
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17
- Languages Common, Undercommon
- Challenge 13 (5,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +5
Crevice Crawler. The ratfolk can move through and stop in a space large enough to fit a creature one size smaller than it without squeezing.
Keen Smell. The ratfolk has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Favor of the Rat God (3/Day). If the ratfolk fails a saving throw or an attack roll is made against it and hits, it can roll 3d8 and add or subtract the number from the total roll, possibly changing the outcome.
Overwhelming Mass (5). The first time each turn that the ratfolk hits a creature with an attack, it deals an extra 5 damage per ally it has within 5 feet of its target that isn't incapacitated. The ratfolk can benefit from up to 3 allies this way.
Actions
Warp Staff. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 27 (6d8) lightning damage, and the target can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn.
Lightning Strike. Ranged Spell Attack: +10 to hit, range 120 feet, one target. Hit: 45 (10d8) lightning damage.
Spellcasting. The ratfolk casts one of the following spells, requiring no components and using Charisma as its spellcasting ability spell (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks):
At will: guidance, mage hand, message, thaumaturgy
2/day each: control winds, death frenzy (6th-level version), fireball
1/day each: chain lightning, commune, fissure, scrying
Vermintide (1/Day). Three rat tides* appear in unoccupied spaces within 60 feet of the ratfolk and remain for 10 minutes or until destroyed or the ratfolk dies. The rat tides have their own turns but use the ratfolk's initiative and take their turns immediately after the ratfolk.
Reactions
Scurry Away. When an enemy the ratfolk can see ends its turn, the ratfolk can move up to half its speed away from the creature and become frightened of it until the end of the creature's next turn. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks. While frightened this way, the ratfolk can only take the Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Hide action. This feature ignores immunity to the frightened condition.
Rat Tide
Large swarm of tiny beasts, unaligned
- Armor Class 10
- Hit Points 72 (16d10-16)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 10 (0) 9 (-1) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 4 (-3)
- Skills Perception +3
- Damage Resistance bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
- Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
- Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 13
- Languages ━
- Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Keen Smell. The swarm has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Overwhelming Mass (2). The first time each turn that the swarm hits a creature with a weapon attack, it deals an extra 2 damage per each ally within 5 feet of the target that isn't incapacitated, up to a maximum of 6 extra damage.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a tiny rat. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
Actions
Multiattack. The swarm makes two attacks or one attack if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm's space. Hit: 10 (3d6) piercing damage.
Reactions
Scurry Away. When an enemy the swarm can see ends its turn, the swarm can move up to half its speed away from the creature and become frightened of it until the end of the creature's next turn. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks. While frightened this way, the swarm can only take the Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Hide action. This feature ignores immunity to the frightened condition.
Death Frenzy
2nd-level transmutation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a sharp tooth)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
- Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock
You send a creature into a frenzy that pushes its body beyond its limits. Choose a willing creature you can see within range. Until the spell ends, it takes 1d10 necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns and has advantage on weapon and unarmed strike attack rolls until that turn ends. This damage can’t be reduced or prevented in any way.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 2nd. All the creatures must be within 30 feet of each other when you target them.
Fissure
6th-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self (60-foot line)
- Components: V, S,
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Druid
You strike a non-magical surface, causing a fissure to erupt out from you and split it down a line up to 60 feet long. The fissure opens up to 20 feet wide and 40 feet deep. If the ground is not deep enough to accommodate the fissure, the ground opens up to whatever lies beneath.
A creature standing in the area of the fissure must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone and into the fissure. Creatures that succeed on the save move to the edge of the fissure and may choose which side it moves to.
The fissure deals 50 bludgeoning damage to any structure it comes in contact with it when it appears. The fissure lasts indefinitely, and the ground within it is difficult terrain.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, you can increase the length by 20 feet and its depth by 10 feet for each slot level above 6th.
Art Credit
- Skaven Grey Seer - Phil Moss
- Pack Rat - Kev Walker, Wizards of the Coast
1.0.0
- Public release
- Change alignment to chaotic evil
1.0.1
- Capitalize actions in Scurry Away
- Update referenced Rat Tide
1.1.0
- Clean up major typos in Vermintide ability
Referenced Content
- Death Frenzy 1.0.0
- Fissure 1.0.0
- Rat Tide 1.1.1