Occultist
An Occultist is an artificer with a fascination for the undead and the afterlife. They may hold long stakeouts in graveyards and haunted sightings, or explore the ruins of an ancient tomb or burial site in order to learn more about the spirits of the afterlife. An adept Occultist is able to capture these spirits for use in their own inventions, and even commune with them.
You gain proficiency with glassblower’s tools. If you already have this tool proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.
You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Occultist Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
Your study into the supernatural has culminated in a unique magic item that allows you to contain their essence. You can spend 1 hour using glassblower’s tools to create a spirit catcher, which you become immediately attuned to. You can use the spirit catcher as a spellcasting focus for your artificer spells. Once you create a spirit catcher, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. You can have only one spirit catcher at a time. As a reaction, when a creature you can see dies within 30 feet of you, you can use your spirit catcher and capture its lingering spirit, which is then stored inside the catcher. You can hold a maximum number of spirits equal to twice your proficiency bonus, and you can’t capture one while at your maximum. You can use the captured spirits in the following ways:
You can use your captured spirits to increase your spell’s potency. When you cast a cantrip that deals damage, you can expend a spirit and choose to change the damage type to necrotic. You can also deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage with the cantrip. When you reach 11th level in this class, the extra damage becomes 2d8.
You have spent so much time around the supernatural that you have an instinctive bond with them. As an action, you can expend one of your captured spirits to cast the summon undead spell without using any material components. When you do, you can only choose the Ghostly form, the spell doesn’t require concentration, and it lasts for up to 1 minute, or until you use this feature to cast the spell again. In addition, you can expend one captured spirit and cast the speak with dead spell, targeting the spirit. As your captured spirits have travelled with you on your adventures, it will have learned new information and would be able to speculate about future events should it be inclined to do so.
You have perfected the functionality of your spirit catcher. When you see an Undead creature within 30 feet of you that is a CR of 3 or lower, you can use an action to force the target to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target is reduced to 0 hit points and its spirit is instantly captured. At 17th level, you can use this feature on undead with a CR of 4 or lower. In addition, you have resistance to necrotic damage and advantage on saving throws against being frightened. You can also cast the soul cage spell without expending a spell slot and without material components, provided you use glassblower’s tools as the spellcasting focus. Once you cast in this way, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Tools of the Trade
3rd-level Occultist featureYou gain proficiency with glassblower’s tools. If you already have this tool proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.
Occultist Spells
3rd-level Occultist featureYou always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Occultist Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
| Occultist Spells | |
|---|---|
| Artificer Level | Spell |
| 3rd | cause fear, silent image |
| 5th | darkness, silence |
| 9th | fear, speak with dead |
| 13th | phantasmal killer, shadow of moil |
| 17th | contact other plane, danse macabre |
Spirit Catcher
3rd-level Occultist featureYour study into the supernatural has culminated in a unique magic item that allows you to contain their essence. You can spend 1 hour using glassblower’s tools to create a spirit catcher, which you become immediately attuned to. You can use the spirit catcher as a spellcasting focus for your artificer spells. Once you create a spirit catcher, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. You can have only one spirit catcher at a time. As a reaction, when a creature you can see dies within 30 feet of you, you can use your spirit catcher and capture its lingering spirit, which is then stored inside the catcher. You can hold a maximum number of spirits equal to twice your proficiency bonus, and you can’t capture one while at your maximum. You can use the captured spirits in the following ways:
- Once per day when you finish a short rest, you can expend a spirit and draw out its necrotic energy to recover expended spell slots. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your proficiency bonus (rounded up).
- As a bonus action, you can expend a spirit and absorb its remaining life force. You gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your artificer level.
- As an action, you can expend a spirit by directing its baleful aura onto a hostile creature you can see within 30 feet of you. That creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you until the end of its next turn. When frightened in this way, the creature must take the Dash action and move away from you by the safest available route on each of its turns, unless there is nowhere to move.
Necrotic Power
5th-level Occultist featureYou can use your captured spirits to increase your spell’s potency. When you cast a cantrip that deals damage, you can expend a spirit and choose to change the damage type to necrotic. You can also deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage with the cantrip. When you reach 11th level in this class, the extra damage becomes 2d8.
Undead Commune
9th-level Occultist featureYou have spent so much time around the supernatural that you have an instinctive bond with them. As an action, you can expend one of your captured spirits to cast the summon undead spell without using any material components. When you do, you can only choose the Ghostly form, the spell doesn’t require concentration, and it lasts for up to 1 minute, or until you use this feature to cast the spell again. In addition, you can expend one captured spirit and cast the speak with dead spell, targeting the spirit. As your captured spirits have travelled with you on your adventures, it will have learned new information and would be able to speculate about future events should it be inclined to do so.
Ghost Buster
15th-level Occultist featureYou have perfected the functionality of your spirit catcher. When you see an Undead creature within 30 feet of you that is a CR of 3 or lower, you can use an action to force the target to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target is reduced to 0 hit points and its spirit is instantly captured. At 17th level, you can use this feature on undead with a CR of 4 or lower. In addition, you have resistance to necrotic damage and advantage on saving throws against being frightened. You can also cast the soul cage spell without expending a spell slot and without material components, provided you use glassblower’s tools as the spellcasting focus. Once you cast in this way, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
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