Death

Death is the final fate of all mortal life, though some would believe it is merely a transition to that which is next. The Death theme focuses on necrotic damage, diseases, debuffs, and utility.

Spells from the Death theme allow you to directly harm creatures, weaken and paralyze your foes, share wounds, write harmful glyphs, and instantly kill the weak.

Power sources

Divine

Table of contents

Death feats

You can take each feat only once, unless the feat’s description says otherwise. You must meet any prerequisite specified in a feat to take that feat. If you ever lose a feat’s prerequisite, you can’t use that feat until you regain the prerequisite.

Prerequisites: You must have a magical or physical means of gaining this resistance. Speak to your GM.

You have resistance to poison damage and advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.

Prerequisites: The ability to cast a spell that deals necrotic damage

When you roll a 1 on a damage die for a spell you cast that deals necrotic damage, you can reroll the die.

Prerequisites: Death Adept feat

Spells you cast ignore resistance to necrotic damage.

Death maneuvers

As an action, make a melee weapon attack with a light or finesse weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage to cause the creature to bleed.

On a hit, add the stamina die to the attack’s damage and the creature is bleeding 1.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

Enhance

You can increase the damage and bleeding level by 1 for each additional stamina die expended.

As an action, make a melee weapon attack to cripple the creature.

On a hit, add the stamina die to the attack’s damage and the creature must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw or it is slowed 1 until the end of its next turn.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

Enhance
You can augment this maneuver with the following options, expending stamina dice for each option.
  • You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended and the slowed level by 1 for every two additional stamina die expended.

  • You can expend 1 additional stamina die so the creature is slowed for 1 minute/stamina die. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

As an action, make a weapon attack to leave a twisted wound that can’t be healed so easily.

On a hit, add the stamina die to the attack’s damage and the creature must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw or its maximum health is reduced by the stamina die result for 1 hour. Any effect that removes a condition allows a creature’s maximum health to return to normal before that time passes.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

Enhance

You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended.

As an action, make a weapon attack with an unarmed strike to cause lethal vibrations in the creature’s body.

On a hit, add the stamina die to the attack’s damage and the creature must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw or it takes necrotic damage equal to the stamina die.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

Enhance

You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended.

1 minute/stamina die

As an action, make a melee weapon attack with a light or finesse weapon to slice the creature’s tendon.

On a hit, add one stamina die to the attack’s damage and the creature must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw or it is slowed 1 for the duration and while affected it loses health equal to one of the stamina dice for every meter it travels. This has no effect on any creature that cannot bleed or lose a vital liquid substance.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Enhance

You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended and the slowed level by 1 for every two additional stamina die expended.

Death spells

5 minutes

As an action, a black beam of necrotic energy forms as a blade in your free hand, and lasts for the duration. You create the blade as a magical dagger, katar, sai, sickle, greatsword, kama, kukri, longsword, scimitar, or shortsword.

The spell ends if you dismiss it on your turn (no action required), if you cast it again, or if you end your turn without the blade in your hand as the blade dissipates.

At higher levels

When you reach 9th level, you can make an attack with the blade as part of the same action to create it.

As an action, you cause a cloud of mites, fleas, and other parasites to infest a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 1d6 poison damage, has disadvantage on the next attack it makes before the end of its next turn, and moves 1 meter in a random direction. Roll a d8 for the direction: 1: north, 2: north-east, 3: east, 4: south-east, 5: south, 6: south-west, 7: west, 8: north-west. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, and if the direction rolled is blocked, the target doesn’t move.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

At higher levels

This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 9th level (2d6) and 17th level (3d6).

5 minutes

As an action, a spectral blade forms on the end of a quarterstaff you are holding and lasts for the duration. The weapon’s damage type changes to slashing and it becomes magical, if it isn’t already.

The spell ends if you dismiss it on your turn (no action required), if you cast it again, or if you end your turn without the scythe in your hand.

At higher levels

When you reach 9th level, you can make an attack with the blade as part of the same action to create it.

As an action, the sound of a dolorous bell fills the air around a creature that you can touch or see within 5 meters, calling it to its final resting place. The creature must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 1d6 psychic damage and takes 1 extra damage if it is missing health.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

At higher levels

This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 + 1 when you reach 9th level (2d6 + 2) and 17th level (3d6 + 3).

As an action, you drain moisture and vitality from a creature or plant that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw, which it does with disadvantage if it is a plant creature, a magical plant, or a creature made of water such as a water elemental. If the creature is a construct or an undead, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 3d12 necrotic damage.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

If you target a plant creature or a magical plant, the spell deals maximum damage to it.

If you target a nonmagical plant that isn’t a creature, such as a tree or shrub, it automatically fails the saving throw and withers and dies.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 3d12 for each additional mana expended.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As an action, you inflict crippling agony upon up to two creatures that you can touch or see within 10 meters and within 5 meters of each other. Each target must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw or be slowed 1 for the duration.

A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can target two additional creatures for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

  • You can increase the slowed level by 1 for each additional mana expended.

As a reaction, which you use when you take damage, you can dampen the pain. Roll 2d6 + your spellcasting ability and reduce the damage by the result.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can reduce the damage by an additional 3d6 for each additional mana expended.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana to trigger the spell when a creature that you can see within 10 meters is damaged.

(ritual); concentration, 5 minutes/mana

As an action, you can sense the presence and location of corpses and undead within 20 meters of you. The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 30 centimeters of stone, 2 centimeters of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 1 meter of wood or dirt.

(ritual); concentration, 5 minutes/mana

As an action, you can sense the presence and location of diseases and diseased creatures within 5 meters of you. You also identify the kind of disease in each case. The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 30 centimeters of stone, 2 centimeters of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 1 meter of wood or dirt.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As an action, a black beam of enervating energy springs from your finger toward a creature within 10 meters. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 3d10 necrotic damage and deals only half damage with weapon attacks for the duration.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 4d10 for each additional mana expended.

As two actions, you unleash a virulent disease on a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 3d10 necrotic damage.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

The damage can’t reduce the target’s health below 1. If the target fails the saving throw, its maximum health is reduced for 1 hour by an amount equal to the necrotic damage it took. Any effect that removes a disease allows a creature’s maximum health to return to normal before that time passes.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 3d10 for each additional mana expended.

As an action, you lacerate a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, it loses 4d6 health and is bleeding 3.

On a critical failure, it loses twice as much health and is bleeding 6.

On a success, it loses half as much health and is bleeding 1.

On a critical success, it loses no health.

Augment

You can increase the health lost by 4d6 and the bleeding level by 3 for each additional mana expended.

As an action, make a weapon attack.

On a hit, add 3d6 + your spellcasting ability necrotic damage to the attack’s damage roll.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 4d6 for each additional mana expended.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As two actions, flies buzz around in an aura shaped as a sphere. Until the spell ends, the aura moves with you, centered on you. An enemy creature that enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 2d8 poison damage and is poisoned until the end of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

Additionally, you have advantage on Intimidation checks but disadvantage on other Charisma skill checks using a social skill for 1 minute.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 1d8 for every two additional mana expended.

3 hours/mana

As two actions, you touch a creature and grant it a measure of protection from death.

The first time the target would drop to 0 health as a result of taking damage, the target instead drops to 1 health, and the spell ends.

If the spell is still in effect when the target is subjected to an effect that would kill it instantaneously without dealing damage, that effect is instead negated against the target, and the spell ends.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can expend 1 additional mana so the target gains 3d10 temporary health when it drops to 1 health.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana so you can cast this spell as a reaction, which you use when a creature within 2 meters of you takes damage.

As two actions, you draw the moisture from every creature at a point within 20 meters. Each creature in a sphere centered on that point must make a Fortitude saving throw, which it does with disadvantage if it is a plant creature, a magical plant, or a creature made of water such as a water elemental. If the creature has no moisture in its body, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 7d6 necrotic damage and is exhausted 1 until it rehydrates. This exhaustion does not accumulate with other forms of exhaustion due to dehydration.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage and is exhausted 2 until it rehydrates. This exhaustion does not accumulate with other forms of exhaustion due to dehydration.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

The spell deals maximum damage to plant creatures, magical plants, or creatures made of water such as a water elemental.

Nonmagical plants that aren’t a creature, such as a tree or shrub, automatically fail the saving throw and withers and die.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 2d6 for each additional mana expended.

concentration, 5 minutes/mana

As two actions, swarming, biting locusts fill a sphere centered on a point within 20 meters. The locusts spread around corners and remain for the duration. The sphere’s area is lightly obscured and difficult terrain.

A creature that enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 2d6 piercing damage.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

At the start of each of your turns if the locusts are within 20 meters of you, you can cause them to move up to 2 meters in a direction that you choose. If you spend an action, you can move them up to 10 meters.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 1d6 for every other additional mana expended.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As two actions, you speak a word of power that causes waves of intense pain to assail a creature that isn’t a construct or an undead that you can touch or see within 10 meters which must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, the creature is subject to crippling pain for the duration. While the target is affected by crippling pain, any speed it has can be no more than 2 meters and the target also has disadvantage on skill checks and saving throws, other than Fortitude saving throws. Finally, if the target tries to cast a spell, it must first succeed on a Will saving throw, or the casting fails and the spell is wasted.

A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Augment

You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

1 hour/mana

As two actions, you connect your life to that of a willing creature within 10 meters. While the target is within 10 meters of you, you have resistance to all damage. Also, each time you take damage, it takes the same amount of damage.

The spell ends if you drop to 0 health or if you and the target become separated by more than 10 meters. It also ends if the spell is cast again on either of the connected creatures. You can dismiss the spell on your turn (no action required).

Augment

You can expend 1 additional mana to target any creature within 10 meters which must succeed on a Will saving throw or be affected by this spell. Each time the target takes damage from this spell, it makes a new Will saving throw against the spell. If the saving throw succeeds, the spell ends.

7 days

As two actions, you inflict a contagion upon a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, it is becomes diseased for the duration.

When you cast this spell, choose one of the following diseases.

Since this spell induces a natural disease, any effect that removes a disease or otherwise ameliorates a disease’s effects apply to it.

At the start of each of its turns while diseased in this way, the creature must make a Fortitude saving throw. If the creature succeeds on three of these saves, it is no longer diseased, and the spell ends. If the creature fails three of these saves, the disease manifests. While diseased, the creature is subjected to the following effects.

Blinding Sickness. Pain grips the creature’s mind, and its eyes turn milky white. The creature is blinded and has disadvantage on Will saving throws.

Filth Fever. A raging fever sweeps through the creature’s body. The creature is exhausted 2.

Flesh Rot. The creature’s flesh decays. The creature has vulnerability to all damage.

Mindfire. The creature’s mind becomes feverish. The creature is confused for the duration and has disadvantage on Will saving throws.

Seizure. The creature is overcome with shaking. The creature has disadvantage on attacks and Reflex saving throws.

Slimy Doom. The creature begins to bleed uncontrollably. The creature has disadvantage on Fortitude saving throws. In addition, whenever the creature takes damage, it is stunned until the end of its next turn.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As two actions, a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters starts experiencing a heart attack. At the start of each of its turns for the duration, the creature must make a Fortitude saving throw. If the creature is a construct or an undead, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 4d6 necrotic damage and is stunned until the start of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage and and the effect ends.

On a critical success, it takes no damage and the effect ends.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can increase the damage by 4d6 for each additional mana expended. If this spell is augmented to target additional creatures, this damage is halved.

  • You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

M (mercury, phosphorus, and powdered diamond and opal worth 1,000 sp, consumed)

As you spend 1 minute to cast this spell, you inscribe a harmful glyph either on a surface (such as a section of floor, a wall, or a table) or within an object that can be closed to conceal the glyph (such as a book, a scroll, or a treasure chest). If you choose a surface, the glyph can cover an area of the surface no larger than 2 meters in diameter. If you choose an object, that object must remain in its place; if the object is moved more than 2 meters from where you cast this spell, the glyph is broken, and the spell ends without being triggered.

The glyph is nearly invisible, requiring a Perception check against your spell save Difficulty to find it.

You decide what triggers the glyph when you cast the spell. For glyphs inscribed on a surface, the most typical triggers include touching or stepping on the glyph, removing another object covering it, approaching within a certain distance of it, or manipulating the object that holds it. For glyphs inscribed within an object, the most common triggers are opening the object, approaching within a certain distance of it, or seeing or reading the glyph.

You can further refine the trigger so the spell is activated only under certain circumstances or according to a creature’s physical characteristics (such as height or weight), or physical kind (for example, the ward could be set to affect hags or shapechangers). You can also specify creatures that don’t trigger the glyph, such as those who say a certain password.

Once triggered, the glyph glows, filling a sphere twice as big as normal with dim light for 10 minutes, after which time the spell ends. Each creature in the area when the glyph activates must make a Fortitude saving throw.

A creature must also make this saving throw when it enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there.

Death. On a failure, a creature takes 8d10 necrotic damage.

On a success, a creature takes half damage.

Pain. On a failure, a creature becomes incapacitated with excruciating pain for 1 minute.

Augment sizes

1 stamina die/mana2 stamina dice/mana3 stamina dice/mana4 stamina dice/mana5 stamina dice/mana
Cone3 meters long5 meters long10 meters long10 meters long20 meters long
Cylinder1-meter-radius, 3 meters high2-meter-radius, 6 meters high3-meter-radius, 9 meters high4-meter-radius, 12 meters high5-meter-radius, 15 meters high
Line5 meters long, 1-meter wide5 meters long, 2-meter wide10 meters long, 2-meter wide10 meters long, 2-meter wide20 meters long, 2-meter wide
Sphere1-meter-radius2-meter-radius3-meter-radius4-meter-radius5-meter-radius
Wall5 meters long, 2 meters high, 1 meter thick5 meters long, 4 meters high, 1 meter thick10 meters long, 6 meters high, 1 meter thick10 meters long, 8 meters high, 1 meter thick20 meters long, 10 meters high, 1 meter thick