Spell Eater
Alchemists with insane theories about the connectivity of all things, wild men living in the enchanted wilds who have become one with their surroundings, and wizards with an unfortunate habit of putting things they shouldn’t in their mouths – all of these describe the Spell Eater. Spell Eaters are people who, whether by design or by accident, have ingested incredible concoctions of various magical reagents and developed a connection to the magical world within their own bodies.
Compulsion and Desire
A Spell Eater is driven by desire. Whether to consume more magic, attain power for its own sake, or achieve a sort of aetherial enlightenment, they are always moving on to the next step, like a predator in hunt of its next meal. Like all hunts, they are often fruitless, but every now and then a new scrap of knowledge or esoteric power rewards their endeavor and they are blessed with the means to take more into themselves.
For each rise in power there is a flash of some distant understanding. A primal spark which just feels right, though the Spell Eater cannot explain it in words. Few can put down the chase, but only the supremely lucky manage to swallow every morsel of magic they find without dire consequences.
Creating a Spell Eater
When creating a Spell Eater, imagine the kind of person who would be liable to eat magical ingredients and reagents for the prospect of gain. This can start simply enough – one ancient approach to chemistry involved tasting chemicals to see if they were acidic or basic, and a wizard in such a habit may have stumbled upon an unlikely combination which resulted in the sort of “aetherial spark” which sent him chasing this path.
The pursuit of magic artifacts, magical items, and even magical creatures would all be attractive to this kind of character. Not to wield them or protect a town from them, but to strip them of what makes them magic and absorb them into the character itself.
Quick Build
You can make a Spell Eater quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Intelligence your highest ability score, followed by Strength. Choose the sage background.
Class Features
As a Spell Eater, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d12 per Spell Eater level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per Spell Eater level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
- Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Intelligence, Constitution
- Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a shortsword or (b) any martial melee weapon
- a shield
- an explorer’s pack and one vial of acid
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Fugue States | Spell Defense |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Aetherial Fugue, Aetherial Field, Magical Immunity | 2 | 2 |
| 2nd | +2 | Aetherial Predator | 2 | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | Consume Magic | 3 | 2 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 2 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 3 | 2 |
| 6th | +3 | Huntsman | 4 | 2 |
| 7th | +3 | Innervated | 4 | 2 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 2 |
| 9th | +4 | Consume Magic Improvement | 4 | 4 |
| 10th | +4 | Smother Power | 4 | 4 |
| 11th | +4 | Tolerance | 4 | 4 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 |
| 13th | +5 | - | 5 | 6 |
| 14th | +5 | Innervated Improvement, Smother Power Improvement | 5 | 6 |
| 15th | +5 | Tolerance Improvement | 5 | 8 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 8 |
| 17th | +6 | Mage Eater | 6 | 8 |
| 18th | +6 | Consume Magic Improvement | 6 | 8 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 8 |
| 20th | +6 | Overdose | Unlimited | 10 |
Aetherial Fugue
A Spell Eater always carries a concoction of edible reagents, which may be consumed at any time. On your turn, you can enter an Aetherial Fugue as a bonus action.
While in an Aetherial Fugue, you gain the following benefits:
- You may use Intelligence instead of Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls of your melee weapons.
- Your senses become naturally attuned to magic, and for the duration of the Fugue you may see magic as far as your natural eyesight will allow. This sight cannot normally penetrate barriers, magical darkness, or any other effect or obstacle which would block your character’s normal eyesight. If the character is under an effect which grants them enhanced vision, their magical detection is likewise enhanced (e.g., if a character can see through magical darkness using Devil’s Sight, then they can also see magic through magical darkness via Devil’s Sight). Each school of magic has its own unique aura, and a character in a Fugue may therefore identify what school of magic is being seen, if any.
Your fugue state lasts for 5 minutes. Once you have entered a Fugue the number of times shown for your Spell Eater level in the Fugue States column of the Spell Eater table, you must finish a long rest before you can enter another Fugue State.
Aetherial Field
While you are not wearing any armor, your body projects a natural field of magic which repels attacks – your armor class equals 10 + your Strength modifier + your Intelligence modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Magical Immunity
Due to the constant ingestion of magic and magical reagents, your body has developed an unusual tolerance towards destructive magical effects. You may reduce any damage caused by a magical effect, whether it be a spell, a magical weapon, or a creature whose attacks are considered magical. The amount of the damage reduction increases as you gain levels, as shown in the Spell Defense column of the Spell Eater table.
Aetherial Predator
When you reach 2nd level, any time a spell is cast and you are in a Fugue State, you may use your reaction to move 30 ft towards the spell caster.
Consume Magic
Starting at 3rd level, after you are damaged by or affected by a hostile spell while you are in a Fugue, you gain 5 temporary hitpoints. This feature does not stack and may not exceed a total bonus of 5 temporary hitpoints at once from this feature alone. The temporary hitpoints remain after the Fugue state ends.
At 9th level, this feature increases in power, providing 10 temporary hitpoints after you are damaged or affected by a hostile spell, up to a maximum of 10 temporary hitpoints at once from this feature.
At 18th level, this feature increases in power again, providing 15 temporary hitpoints after you are damaged or affected by a hostile spell, up to a maximum of 15 temporary hitpoints at once from this feature.
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 cant increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Huntsman
Starting at 6th level, while you are in a Fugue state, you now have advantage whenever attacking a spell caster in melee. A spell caster, for this feature, is any creature which has cast at least one spell during combat.
Innervated
Starting at 8th level, after you enter a Fugue state, the first time a spell of any kind is cast on you or is attempted to be cast on you, you gain +1 damage to your melee attacks until your Fugue state ends.
At 14th level, this feature increases in power, instead granting you +2 damage to your melee attacks until your Fugue state ends.
Smother Power
Starting at 10th level, when you are in a Fugue state, any time you deal damage in melee to a creature, object, or magical effect, any spell of 3rd level or lower on the target ends. Magical effects cast on an area, such as the ground, may be ended by attacking the area they were cast on.
At 14th level, this feature increases in power, ending any spell of 5th level or lower.
Tolerance
Starting at 11th level, when you are in a Fugue state, you gain +2 to all saving throws to resist or avoid harmful magic spells or magic effects.
At 15th level, this feature increases in power, instead providing a +4 to all saving throws to resist or avoid harmful magic spells or magic effects.
Mage Eater
Starting at 17th level, when you are in a Fugue state, you now do an additional 1d6 damage with melee attacks to all spell casters. A spell caster, for this feature, is any creature which has cast at least one spell during combat.
Overdose
Starting at 20th level, you may ingest an overwhelming quantity of magical reagents at the start of your Fugue state. If you do so, you immediately suffer 3d6 damage to your character’s hitpoints directly, ignoring any temporary hitpoints. Afterward, for the remainder of your Fugue state, you gain an additional 5 damage reduction against all magical damage, whether it be a spell, a magical weapon, or a creature whose attacks are considered magical.