The Cipher

With intent gaze lowering over the lineup before her, a queen peers into her guards' minds, ensuring their faithfulness.

In a moment of tension, having just stabbed the ruling lord, a dissident smiles and silently unites a mass of rioting commoners with sudden goal and direction.

Reaching complete clarity with her last piercing strike, an archer finds purchase on her target's mind, and watches as they turn on their companions.

Ciphers are uncommon and often misunderstood individuals with extraordinary mental abilities. Ciphers have the unique ability to peer through the spiritual energy of the world to manipulate other souls. While wizards use complex formulae in large tomes and priests tap into the passion of their faith, ciphers are able to operate directly through the power of their minds.

Creating a Cipher

As you make your cipher character, spend some time thinking about how you developed the ability to reach out to souls, and why you chose to strengthen this skill. Did you train under an order of ciphers to manipulate soldiers in a recent war? Did you strike out on your own in a desire to learn to bring peace to others' minds against their will?

How do your spells affect your relationship with your own soul? Do you view souls as a mystical entity, or as something that can be scientifically manipulated? How do they affect your relationship with others? Do you generally respect others' force of will and only use your spells in self-defense, or are you comfortable bending others' sense of reality to achieve your goals?

Work with your GM to determine how big a part your ability to interact and detect souls will play in your character's adventuring career. If your DM plans an undead- or construct-heavy campaign, discuss with them the implications of having a character who cannot target most undead and constructs with their spells, and consider your choice of spells carefully; while ciphers can be effective in these settings, they may wish to prioritize spells which allow them to create a mental link with their allies.

If you are a GM and a player wishes to play a cipher in your campaign, pay close attention to the targeting rules listed in Focused Spellcasting: their spellcasting is limited by creature type, and they build spellcasting resources through weapon attacks. While rules as written technically allow for exploits which include random violence to build up spellcasting potency, consider how the characters surrounding the cipher will react if the cipher chooses to randomly murder animals or commoners in order to cast a powerful spell.

Class Features

As a cipher, you gain the following class features.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any martial weapon
• (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
• Any simple weapon, and two daggers

Alternatively, you may start with 5d4 x 10 gp and then buy the equipment you start with.

Cipher Multiclassing

Ciphers follow all the normal rules for multiclassing. The following tables function as additions to those listed on page 163 and 164 of the Player’s Handbook.

If your group uses the optional rule on multiclassing in the Player’s Handbook, here’s what you need to know if you choose warlock as one of your classes.

Ability Score Minimum. As a multiclass character, you must have at least an Intelligence score of 13 to take a level in this class, or to take a level in another class if you are already a cipher.

Proficiencies Gained. If cipher isn’t your initial class, here are the proficiencies you gain when you take your first level as a cipher: light and medium armor, martial weapons

Focus Pool

Focus is a resource that ciphers need to cast their spells. Ciphers begin combat with a modest amount of Focus, and can build additional focus by dealing damage with their weapons. Cipher abilities expend an amount of Focus relative to their level, with more advanced techniques demanding large expenditures of Focus. Additionally, repeated uses of even minor powers will drain a cipher's Focus, requiring them to dive back into physical combat and deal melee or ranged damage to generate more.

At 1st level, you gain a Focus Pool which consists of Focus Dice. At 1st Level, your Focus Die is a d4, but this increases with your level in the Cipher class according to the Cipher Table. You expend Focus die to cast spells, as described in Focused Spellcasting, as well as to use other cipher skills. At the end of a short or long rest, your Focus Pool refills with Focus Dice to the number determined by your Enduring Focus, according to the Cipher Table.

Mental Communication

When you reach first level in this class, you learn the Message cantrip, and can cast it without any verbal components as an action or a bonus action. In addition, you may choose to project an image into the target's mind instead of words.

Soul Whip

You have learned how to use your weapon to inflict wounds which run deeper than the flesh, drawing soul energy from them to power your spellcasting. At 1st level, you gain the Soul Whip ability. As a bonus action, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you may choose to use your Soul Whip to add one focus die to your focus pool. As a part of this bonus action, you may consume one focus die to convert all damage from your attack to (magical) psychic damage.

At 3rd level in this class, when you convert the attack to psychic damage you may add the expended focus die to the damage of the attack.

When you reach 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level in this class, you may select from one of the following two Soul Whip improvements. You may choose the same improvement multiple times:

Draining Whip Enhancement When you use your Soul Whip, you add one additional Focus Die into your Focus Pool.

Biting Whip Enhancement When you use your Soul Whip, you may add one Focus Die in additional psychic damage to your attack without consuming any Focus Dice from your Focus Pool.

Focused Spellcasting

At second level in this class, your mental discipline has given you the ability to cast spells. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the cipher spell list. You may cast one of your known cipher spells by expending a number of focus die from your focus pool equal to twice the spell's level. You may cast the spell at a level higher than its base level by expending one additional focus die per additional casting level. You may cast a spell you know at any level up to your Max Level.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

At 2nd level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the cipher spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Cipher table shows when you learn more cipher spells of your choice of 1st level and higher from the cipher spell list. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table’s Max Level column for your level. When you reach 5th level, for example, you learn a new cipher spell, which can be 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the cipher spells you know and replace it with another spell from the cipher spell list, which also must be of a level for which you may cast.

Ascendant Focus

Once per turn, when you roll damage which resulted from one of your Cipher spells, you may choose to expend an additional Focus die from your Focus pool, and add the result of its roll in psychic damage to one of the creatures damaged by the spell. Beginning at 5th level in this class, you may expend up to two Focus dice, at 11th you may expend three, and at 17th you may expend four.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your cipher spells, so you use this modifier whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use this modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a cipher spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Mental Manipulation

When you reach 10th level in this class, you have gained the ability to control others by reaching into their minds and implanting thoughts which they believe originate from themselves. You may cast the suggestion spell without expending any Focus Dice, and without any verbal components (you make the suggestion directly to their mind). When you cast the suggestion spell using this feature, it does not require concentration for you, but the duration is only one hour. Once you use this feature, you may not use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

You are always aware when another creature has used magic to detect your surface thoughts, as well as which creature has done so, unless they are a Cipher of level greater than or equal to your own.

Shielded Mind

When you reach 14th level in this class, you have steeled yourself against all incursions into your mind. You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws, and resistance to psychic damage. At 20th level, this effect increases: you additionally become immune to psychic damage and the charmed condition, as well as any effect that would sense your emotions or read your thoughts. You may choose whether you succeed or fail on saving throws against Divination spells, and you may choose to be immune to the effects of a Divination spell.

Mass Manipulation

At 20th level, you expand your ability to manipulate groups of others. You may cast the Mass Suggestion spell without expending any Focus Dice, and without any verbal components (you make the suggestions directly to their mind). When you cast the Mass Suggestion spell using this feature, it does not require concentration for you, but the duration is only one hour. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

As an action, you may attempt to detect the surface thoughts of up to 12 creatures around you simultaneously. For one minute, you obtain an summary of the surface thoughts of the creatures which fail a Wisdom save against your Spell Save DC. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

Discipline of Steel

Ciphers who follow the Discipline of Steel are comfortable wading into the thick of melee, warding themselves with their minds and armor.

Martial Caster

3rd-level Discipline of Steel feature

When you take this subclass in 3rd level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor and shields.

Mind Over Matter. As a bonus action, you may expend a Focus die and gain temporary hit points equal to the result of its roll plus half your cipher level, rounded up. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Steeled Defenses

7th-level Discipline of Steel feature

When you make a saving throw, you may use your reaction to expend one focus die and add it to the result of your roll. You may do this after you know the result of the roll.

Lockdown

11th-level Discipline of Steel feature

If someone is in your melee reach when you cast a spell which causes them to make a saving throw, you may expend an additional Focus die from your Focus Pool when casting the spell and subtract the result of the roll from their saving throw. You may target up to two creatures with this feature by expending an additional Focus die.

Defiance

15th-level Discipline of Steel feature

If an effect would leave you with 0 hit points, as long as you at least one Focus Die in your Focus Pool, you may expend one Focus die from your Focus pool, and drop to 1 hit point instead. This does not use your reaction.

Iron Will

18th-level Discipline of Steel feature

As an action, activate Iron Will. For 1 minute, your Armor Class is increased by your Intelligence modifier and you may add your Intelligence modifier to all saving throws (thereby doubling it for Intelligence saving throws). Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Discipline of Ivory

Those who follow the Discipline of Ivory are extremely skilled at mental manipulation, as if they are playing a game of chess in people's minds.

Charming

3rd-level Subclass feature

You do not require verbal or somatic components to cast Enchantment spells from your Cipher spell list.

For enchantment spells you cast, creatures do not gain advantage on saving throws due to being in battle with you or hostile to you. (They can gain advantage on their saving throws through other means, however).

If an action by you or an ally towards a creature currently affected by one of your Enchantment spells would typically cause the creature to make a saving throw against your spell, it has disadvantage on the saving throw.

Enchanting

7th-level Subclass feature

Once per long rest, you may cast one Enchantment Cipher spell at a level equal to 1/4 of your Cipher level, rounded down, without expending any Focus dice.

Psychic Backlash. Whenever you succeed on an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw against a magical effect, you may choose to use your reaction to expend any number of Focus dice from your pool to inflict psychic damage on the source of the effect equal to the result of their roll.

Enthralling

11th-level Subclass feature

If an action by you or an ally towards a creature already affected by your Enchantment spells would cause the spell to immediately end, the creature instead makes a saving throw against your Spell Save DC of the same type as was used when you cast the spell. (This saving throw is not made with disadvantage unless a different effect would). On a failure, the spell continues to have effect.

Beguiling

15th-level Subclass feature

If you are casting an Enchantment spell which targets a fixed number of individual creatures, you may increase the number of creatures you target with the spell by expending a number of focus dice equal to the number of additional creatures you wish to target, provided they are all in range.

Bedeviling

18th-level Subclass feature

If you succeed on a saving throw agianst an Enchantment, Illusion, or Divination spell and the spell was targeted at you (and not, for example, at a point within range), the spellcaster must succeed on a saving throw of their spellcasting ability against your spell save DC or suffer the effects of the spell they cast against you, as if you had cast it on them. If you are currently concentrating on a spell and the new spell requires concentration, you must select which spell you will continue to concentrate on.

Discipline of Thread

Ciphers who follow the Discipline of Thread have learned to weave a mindweb linking themselves and their allies, giving defensive bonuses and allowing for linked spellcasting.

Mindweb

3rd-level Discipline of Ivory feature

You form a mindweb linking yourself and any willing allies within 15 feet of you, or within 15 feet of an ally in the mindweb. An ally automatically leaves the mindweb when they are more than 15 feet away from any other creature in the mindweb. An ally may choose to leave or rejoin the mindweb on each of their turns without any cost. Allies in this mindweb can use their action to cast the Message cantrip to other allies within the mindweb (Unlike you, they do need to use the verbal component). You hear everything that is transmitted via this form of Message.

Pull on Thread. As an action, you may allow one of your allies in the mindweb to move up to half their movement and take one action or bonus action, but not both. As a part of this action, any other allies within the mindweb may move up to half of their movement. You may use this action a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus per long rest.

At 18th level, the range of your mindweb increases to 30 feet between adjacent allies.

Mental Tap

7th-level Discipline of Thread feature

Any Cipher spell you know with a range of Self or Touch may be targeted or originate at any ally in your mindweb, tethering them. A visible but immaterial thread appears between you and the tether of the spell. If it is a Concentration spell, you

must hold concentration and the thread remains visible while you are concentrating on the spell. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus per long rest.

Through-Seeing

11th-level Discipline of Thread feature

If an ally is in your mindweb, you may choose to see through their eyes and hear through their ears at any time. You can only be Blinded or Deafened if all other creatures in your mindweb are. A creature cannot gain benefits of cover from your spells unless it is under that level of cover from all of the allies in your mindweb.

Pain Tether

15th-level Discipline of Thread feature

As an action, select two creatures within 60 feet of you. They must make a Constitution saving throw. They make this save with disadvantage if they are adjacent to an ally in your Mindweb. Either creature can willingly fail the save. If both saves fail, the creatures are magically linked for one minute. When damage is dealt to one of them, half of the resulting damage is dealt to the other one. If either of the tethered creatures is reduced to 0 hit points, the tether ends on both. If the mental tether ends on one creature, it ends on both. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Defensive Mindweb

18th-level Discipline of Thread feature

As an action, select up to 6 creatures in your mindweb, including yourself. For 1 minute or until you lose concentration, these creatures belong to the defensive mindweb. A visible but immaterial thread connects all creatures in the defensive mindweb. All creatures in the defensive mindweb share the AC of the creature with the highest AC in the defensive mindweb. When a creature in the defensive mindweb makes a saving throw, it makes it with the highest modifer of anyone in the defensive mindweb. When a creature takes damage, it stops gaining benefits and contributing its benefits to the defensive mindweb until the start of its next turn. A creature which leaves the range of your mindweb is disconnected from the defensive mindweb for the remainder of its duration. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you have finished a short or long rest.

Homebrew Cipher Spells

Like all Cipher spells, these spells must target a Soul-bearing creature if they target a single creature. However, many of these spells have an additional effect which originates at a tether creature.

Mental Binding

1st level enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Tether 30 feet (10 foot sphere)

Components: V, S

Duration: 1 round

You disrupt the connections between mind and body. A tether creature and all creatures of your choice within 10 feet of the tether must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the tether creature is stunned until the start of your next turn. On a success, their speed is reduced to 0 and they cannot take any reactions until the start of your next turn. For all other creatures that you selected, on a failed save their speed is reduced to 0 and they cannot take reactions until the start of your next turn, and they experience no effect on a success.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the radius of the sphere centered at the tether creature increases to 20 feet.

Psychovampiric Shield

1st level necromancy

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self, 15 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.

You steal a portion of a creature's essence to protect yourself. Select a creature within range to make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, for the duration of the spell or until the target is more than 15 feet away from you or is behind total cover from you, the target creature's AC is decreased by 2, and yours is increased by 2.

At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell with a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the range of this spell increases by 5 feet for each level of spell slot used above 1st.

Recall Agony

2nd level illusion

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round.

You cause a creature to experience the trauma of an injury a second time, experiencing a portion of the original damage again. Choose a creature you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the spell takes effect. On your next turn, if the spell is still in effect, you may use your bonus action to inflict psychic damage on that creature equal to half of all damage received by that creature since you cast the spell, and the spell ends.

At Higher Levels: If you cast this spell with a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you may attempt to hold your concentration on this spell for one additional round for each level of spell above 2nd.

Pain Link

2nd level abjuration

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Tether 30 feet (5 feet)

Components: V,S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.

Mentally links nearby enemies to the tether, forcing them to experience a portion of all damage the tether suffers. Select a willing creature within range as a tether. While the spell is in effect, the first time on each turn the tether takes damage, all creatures of your choice within 5 feet of the tether take 2d4 of the same damage type as the triggering damage. This spell ends if you lose concentration or tether creature leaves your range.

Soul Ignition

2nd level evocation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V,S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.

You cause a portion of the target's soul to leak into the air and ignite. They must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they take 2d8 fire damage. While the spell is in effect, the target cannot take any reactions, and you may use a bonus action on each of your turns to inflict another 2d8 fire damage. The target makes an additional Constitution save at the end of its turns. On a success, the spell ends.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage of this spell increases by another 1d8 per level of spell slot used above 2nd.

Body Attunement

2nd level necromancy

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self, tether 30 feet

Components: V,S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.

You steal a portion of the target's defenses for yourself. Tether a creature within range. It must make a Constitution saving throw. For the duration of the spell, you gain one resistance of your choice to a type of damage which the tether is resistant or immune to. If the target is typically resistant to this damage type, it is no longer resistant until the spell ends. If the target is typically immune to this damage type, it remains immune. The spell ends if the target is more than 30 feet from you or behind total cover.

Pain Block

2nd level abjuration

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch (Tether 15 feet)

Components: V,S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.

Setting your hand on an ally's shoulder, you steel their mind to pain. That creature is resistant to all non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage while the spell is in effect. This spell ends if the creature is more than 15 feet from you.

At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell with a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the range of this spell increases to 30 feet.

Silent Scream

2nd level necromancy

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Tether 60 feet (10 foot sphere)

Components: V

Duration: 1 round

Select one creature within range as your tether. They must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, they emit a silent psychic howl of pain, taking 4d8 psychic damage and falling prone. On a successful save, they still scream, but take half as much damage and do not fall prone. All creatures within 10 feet of the tether must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they are Deafened and cannot take any reactions until the start of your next turn.

At Higher Levels When you cast this spell with a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage of this spell increases by an additional 2d8 per level of spell slot used above 2nd.

Borrowed Instinct

3rd level necromancy

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self, tether 30 feet

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.

Select a creature within range. Select one attribute: Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. The target creature makes a saving throw with that attribute. For the duration of the spell, the corresponding attribute is decreased by up to 1d4+1 (to a minimum of 8) for the target creature, and increased by the same amount for you. This may increase your ability score temporarily above 20. The spell ends if the tether creature is more than 30 feet away from you or is is behind total cover.

Mind Plague

3rd level enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V,S

Duration: Instantaneous.

You grasp a creature's forehead, infecting it with a rapidly-spreading psychosis. Make a melee spell attack against a creature of your choice. On a hit, it takes 1d6 psychic damage and is affected by the spell.

All creatures affected by this spell take 1d6 psychic damage at the start of each of their turns, and they must use their turn to try to spread the disease to their allies. On their turn, they use their movement and action to attempt to grasp their nearest uninfected ally's face by making an unarmed strike against their ally at advantage. On a hit, the ally takes 1d6 psychic damage and is affected by the spell.

Each affected creature makes an Intelligence saving throw against this spell's effects at the end of each of their turns, with the spell ending on that creature on a success.

If an affected creature has no uninfected allies within 120 feet of them at the start of their turn, they are incapacitated until the end of their turn. The spell then ends on that creature.

Once a creature has recovered from this spell, it is immune to its effects for 24 hours.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 per level of spell slot above 3rd.

Detonate

4th level evocation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Tether 60 feet (20 foot sphere)

Components: V,S

Duration: Instantaneous

You splinter a tether creature's soul, shredding them with pure force. The tether creature makes a Constitution saving throw. They take 3d10+10 Force damage on a failed save, and half as much on a successful one. If this damage reduces the tether to 0 hit points, a burst of energy pulses from them. They immediately die, their body parts scatter up to 10 feet away (but do not go missing), and all creatures within 20 feet of them must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the nearby creatures take 2d10 Thunder damage, with half damage on a successful save.

Note: This spell is not intended to make it impossible to Revivify its target, though it may require a successful Investigation check to collect all missing parts in enough time.

At Higher Levels When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 2d10 per spell level above 3rd.