Exorcist

Exorcist

The elven woman smiles kindly before muttering a few words and making a few hand gestures. With a benevolent wave of her sword, she releases the foul being back into the afterlife.

A half-orc with shining rules along his body brutally crushes the head of a fiend before looking at the demonic entity’s friends. A smile full of teeth creases his face before he gestures for them to come forth.

Pensively looking at the stack of papers, an old dwarf mutters under his breath with a book in his hand. Lights spring to life around him as his frown deepens, sensing that there is evil about.

All of these are exorcists, and each one makes use of their heavenly guardhannel their abilities into the world. More than simply a guardian angel, this entity is the source of their divine power, and none share that being’s power apart from the chosen exorcist.

Some may have a figure from history as their heavenly guardian, while others inherit a being of great strength such as a long-dead dragon, celestial, or fiend. Regardless, all of these are used to remove impurities from the world at the guidance of the exorcist.

Power from Without, Strength from Within

Exorcists can be found throughout the land, often working to cleanse townsfolk of evil and to remove coming calamities by cutting them off at the source. However, not all exorcists are good; some use the power from the heavenly guardian for less moral ends, whether it be to gain wealth, power, or to indulge in their own excesses. Regardless, each exorcist works to make their way in the world and to ensure that none get in their way.

Evil, Begone!

Regardless of where they might come from or what their purpose might be, all exorcists in the end seek to remove something from the world. For some it might be the impurities that sometimes creep into the world in the form of possessing fiends or strange maladies, while others simply seek to excise the obstacles in their way, even allowing a portion of the impurities into their bodies in order to obtain their goal.

Creating an Exorcist

When creating an exorcist character, think about how your character came into contact with their heavenly guardian. Many exorcists are unaware of the source of their power, while some have seen them in dreams, or even manifested right before their eyes.

Next, think upon why your character chose to use the powers, and what made them start adventuring. Was it the need to remove evil from the world after having seen their village burn down around them? Was it the call from a nobleman and the promise of money if only the exorcist would exorcise some demonic influence upon their family? Or did your strange powers cause you to simply be evicted from where you grew up?

Quick Build

You can quickly make an exorcist by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Strength or Dexterity, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the acolyte background.

Class Features

Class Features {{5e Class Features |classname=Exorcist |hitdie=8
|armorprofs=Light armor, medium armor |weaponprofs=Simple weapons,
martial weapons |toolprofs=Calligrapher’s supplies |saveprofs=Wisdom,
Charisma |skillnum=two |skillprofs=Acrobatics, Athletics, Arcana,
History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Religion
|equipment=”(a)” leather armor or ”(b)” scale mail ”(a)” a
longsword or ”(b)” a rapier or ”(c)” a simple weapon”(a)” a
light crossbow and 20 bolts or ”(b)” five javelins ”(a)” a
priest’s pack or ”(b)” an explorer’s pack }}

{{5e Class Simple |classname=Exorcist |feature1=Incantations, Ritual
Magic |feature2=Excise Possessor, Sense Possession |feature3=Exorcist
Aspect |feature4=Ability Score Improvement |feature5=Runic Flurry
|feature6=Excise Possessor improvement |feature7=Create Ofuda
|feature8=Ability Score Improvement |feature9=Exorcist Aspect feature
|feature10=Excise Impurity (one use) |feature11=Dual Incantation
|feature12=Ability Score Improvement |feature13=Excise Possessor
improvement |feature14=Counter Possessor |feature15=Exorcist Aspect
feature |feature16=Ability Score Improvement |feature17=Maintain
Incantation |feature18=Excise Impurity (two uses) |feature19=Ability
Score Improvement |feature20=Excise Self

|extraa=Incantations<br>Known |extra1a=2 |extra2a=2 |extra3a=2
|extra4a=2 |extra5a=3 |extra6a=3 |extra7a=3 |extra8a=3 |extra9a=4
|extra10a=4 |extra11a=4 |extra12a=4 |extra13a=5 |extra14a=5 |extra15a=5
|extra16a=5 |extra17a=6 |extra18a=6 |extra19a=6 |extra20a=6 }}

Incantations

You know two incantations which can be used to reinforce your own body as well as affect the world around you, and learn new incantations as shown in the Incantations Known column of the Exorcist table. To activate an incantation, you must be able to speak and have a hand free (though you are fast enough to release your grip on a weapon, activate an incantation, and re-grip your weapon), use an action or bonus action, and spend one rune point (see below) at the end of your turn for each incantation you have active. Incantations are detailed at thection. You cannot activate an incantation if you have 0 rune points remaining.

Incantations remain active (unless noted otherwise) until you choose to end them at the beginning of your turn, and their cost must be paid at the end of your turn as normal. You start encounters with no incantations active.

All exorcists draw power from their guardian spirit to power their abilities. This is represented by a number of rune points that you possess. Your maximum number of rune points is equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). Immediately after you pay the cost of your incantations, regain two rune point, up to your maximum. If total number of rune points you possess after regaining them would put you below 0 rune points, you must immediately cancel a number of incantations (or lower their current level) so that their total cost would put you at 0 rune points. You regain an additional rune points at the end of your turn when you reach level 5, 11, and 17 in this class.

Ritual Magic

As an exorcist, your knowledge of spells and rituals is vast in order to allow you to drive forth evil from a place, allowing you to fill a book with rituals both spiritual and arcane. While this book is in your hand, you may cast any ritual spells you have detailed within it. Choose one of the following classes: cleric, or wizard. Choose two 1st-level spells which have the ritual tag from the chosen class’s spell list. These two spells are detailed in your ritual book, and you can cast them as ritual spells using your Wisdom where applicable.

If you come across a spell in written form, such as a magical spell scroll or a wizard’s spellbook, you might be able to add it to your ritual book. The spell must be on the spell list for the class you chose, the spell’s level can be no higher than half your level (rounded up), and it must have the ritual tag. The process of copying the spell into your ritual book takes 2 hours per level of the spell, and costs 50 gp per level. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it.

Excise Possessor

At 2nd level, you understand how to banish enemies that would inhabit your allies. As an action, you may allow a creature who is being possessed (such as the possession ability of a ghost) to make the same saving throw they originally made to resist being possessed with advantage, at the original DC. Should the saving throw succeed, the being is expelled to an unoccupied adjacent square of your choice and the possession ends. You may use this ability up to a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. You regain the uses of this ability when you finish a short rest.

Upon reaching 6th level, this ability improves, allowing you to affect creatures under the effects of the charmed condition, and improves again at 13th level, allowing you to affect creatures under the effect of the frightened condition. Only a single effect can be allowed an additional save by each use of this ability.

Sense Possession

By 2nd level, your senses become much more attuned to the presence of possessing creatures. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any creature that is affected by a condition or ability which you could affect with the Excise Possessor class feature within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Exorcist Aspect

As you reach 3rd level, you choose an aspect that decides the way you fight the abberations that possess those around you. Choose one of the following aspects: Aspect of Armament, Aspect of Impurity, or Aspect of Lore, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your aspect grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 9th, 15th level.

Runic Flurry

At 5th level, the runes on your body enhance your swiftness, allowing you to attack faster. For every 2 rune points you spent at the end of your last turn, you may make an additional attack when you take the Attack action on your turn, up to a maximum of one at level 5, two at level 11, and three at level 17.

Create Ofuda

When you reach 7th level, you learn how to create ofuda, thin strips of parchment that hold power that reacts negatively to your enemies. Upon completing a long rest, you may spend 15 minutes creating a number of ofuda equal to your Wisdom modifier, and empowering them with your energy through the use of calligrapher’s supplies. These ofuda remain viable until you use them or finish a long rest at the end of which they become harmless pieces of parchment.

As an action, you may throw one of these ofuda as a thrown weapon attack with a 60′ maximum range with no range increment. On a hit, that enemy takes 1d6 points of radiant damage for every level you possess in this class. Regardless of whether the attack hits or not, after being thrown, an ofuda becomes a nonmagical, harmless piece of parchment.

Excise Impurity

At 10th level, you react with lightning speed when an enemy attempts to disturb the purity of you or your allies. As a reaction when an ally would fail a saving throw against an effect, you may allow that ally to reroll that saving throw. You regain the use of this ability when you finish a short rest. You gain an additional use of this ability per short rest upon reaching 18th level.

Dual Incantation

At 11th level, your chanting speed increases even further, allowing you to activate two incantations whenever you would normally activate a single incantation.

Counter Possessor

At 14th level your swiftness in removing possession increases, allowing you to activate your Excise Possessor feature as a reaction, instead of an action.

Maintain Incantation

By 17th level your mastery over incantations has grown to the point where you learn how to maintain one without requiring you to spend any of your own power. Choose one incantation you know. It always affects you at any level you choose it to be active at (even at the start of an encounter), and it costs you one less rune point to maintain per turn (to a minimum of 0).

For example, if you choose Soaring Legs of the Phoenix, you could choose to have it active at its first level at the start of an encounter at no cost in rune points, or even at its fourth level with a cost of 3 instead of 4 rune points per turn.

Excise Self

Beginning at 20th level, your mastery over exorcisms has grown to the point where you can remove even yourself from the flow of time. You can cast time stop once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to cast this spell when you complete a long rest.

Incantations

Incantations are at the core of an exorcist’s power. The following are a list of incantations that you can activate, though none can be activated more than once per action (regardless of whether it is an action or bonus action). An upgrade to an incantation can only be activated if the previous version of it is active, and requires an additional rune point spent at the end of your turn.

For example, you could choose to activate the first level of the Soaring Legs of the Phoenix incantation on your first turn, spending one rune point, then the second level on your second turn, spending an additional rune point, and then the third level on your third turn, for a total of three rune points spent at the end of your third turn and for each turn afterwards as long as you maintain the third level of Soaring Legs of the Phoenix.

Incantations that replicate the effect of spells use your Wisdom modifier for the purpose of that spells’ effects. Some incantations require you to possess a certain level in this class in order to activate, as detailed below.

Black Tortoise Body

First level:

You are under the effect of the heroism spell.

Second level (requires level 5):

You have resistance to damage on the first time you would be damaged after the end of each of your turns.

Third level (requires level 15):

You have resistance to all damage.

Cherry Blossom Purification

First level:

You gain +2 to your saving throws.

Second level (requires level 7):

You have advantage on the first saving throw you make after the end of each of your turns.

Third level (requires level 13):

You have advantage on saving throws.

Crushing Dragon’s Grip

First level:

Enemies you hit cannot use their reaction to make opportunity attacks until the start of your next turn.

Second level (requires level 5):

You gain proficiency with acrobatics and althletics checks. If you already had proficiency in these, you instead double your proficiency bonus.

Third level (requires level 11):

You have advantage on all acrobatics and athletics checks.

Dance of the Hazy Lotus Flower

First level:

Increase your AC by 2.

Second level (requires level 5):

The first time you would be attacked after the end of your turn, that attack is made at disadvantage.

Third level (requires level 13):

Enemies have disadvantage when attacking you.

Eyes of the Oracle

First level:

You gain a +1 bonus on weapon attack rolls.

Second level (requires level 9):

Your first weapon attack each turn is made with advantage.

Third level (requires level 13):

You have advantage on weapon attacks.

Soaring Legs of the Phoenix

First level:

Increase your speed by 10′.

Second level:

Increase your speed by an additional 10′.

Third level:

Increase your speed by an additional 10′.

Fourth level (requires level 15):

You are able to fly at your speed. When this incantation ends, you are affected by the feather fall spell.

White Tiger’s Strength

First level:

You deal an additional point of damage on melee weapon attacks.

Second level (requires level 5):

You deal an additional 1d4 points of damage on melee weapon attacks. This effect replaces the first level effect.

Third level (requires level 9):

You deal an additional 1d8 points of damage on melee weapon attacks. This effect replaces the second level effect.

Fourth level (requires level 13):

You deal an additional 2d6 points of damage on melee weapon attacks. This effect replaces the third level effect.

Exorcist Aspect

As an exorcist, you are immutably tied to the spiritual. However, not all exorcists fight the same way; while some are steeped within the knowledge of the ages, familiarizing themselves with countless chants with which to repel their foes, others equip enchanted weapons to aid them in their fight. Finally, and perhaps the darkest path, are those who are tainted with the impurity which they fight, and attempt to use it to heighten their strength.