Jackal

All jackals are born in unforgiving landscapes. Whether it is frozen tundras where the very air in blackened skies threatens to freeze around you, or arrid deserts with dominating heat and miles of eternally shifting sands that try to swallow you whole. They learnt long ago that those who are not prepared to take valuable resources from others will not survive long. One must take or be taken into the long dark.

Despite an ability to use arcane magic with some proficiency, jackals are cursed with the inability to retain any spells that they try to master. Instead however, they have mastered the ability to reach inside the minds of other arcane casters and pull out any spells that they deem beneficial to them. The memory of the spells they steal is short lived however, so the jackal must choose wisely and use their stolen knowledge to its full potential before it is forgotten once again.

Jackals however are blessed with a natural affinity to shift through our material planes and use this to their advantage wherever possible. To make up for their terrible arcane memories they train heavily from a young age in swordsmanship and plane shifting, and are often considered a formidable enemy to anyone who should cross them, not just to those who are masters of the arcane. With uncanny ability to phase through spaces in the blink of an eye, jackals will use their intellect and incredible speed to pinpoint and take advantage of a creature's most vulnerable spots, attempting to subdue their foe quickly and efficiently.

Because of their ability to steal from the minds of others, normal casters are quick to attack or dispatch a jackal if they ever discover their true nature. Because of this, jackals often disguise themselves as full Wizards or Sorcerers, or sometimes simply swordsmen/women so as not to face the wrath and disgust of other casters.

Spell Theft

Unlike other casters, Jackals possess neither learned nor innate spellcasting abilities. Instead, starting at third level, Jackals steal spells from other spellcasters. As an action, you may reach into the mind of a spellcaster and attempt to steal a spell of your choice, up to the highest spell level you can cast. The target must make an Intelligence saving throw against your spell save DC. If she fails, the DM presents you with a list of spells the target knows that are of a level you can cast. You pick one spell from that list and gain the ability to cast it until the end of your next long rest. If the target succeeds, the theft fails, and the target becomes aware of the attempt.

You may do this an unlimited number of times, but you may only retain as many spells as your maximum listed in the Jackal Spellcasting table below. If you steal a spell beyond that number, the new spell replaces the first spell you had stolen.

This spell may be from any school of magic, as well as arcane, divine, or natural.

 

Spell Slinging

Spell Slots

The Jackal Spellcasting table shows how many spells you can steal and how many spell slots you have to cast stolen spells. Jackals always cast at the highest level known. To cast one of these spells, you must expend one of your available spell slots. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

For example, if you've stolen the 1st-level spell charm person and have a highest spell level of 2, you cast charm person at second level.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your spells, since you learn your spells through deception and theft. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Jackal Spellcasting

Rogue Level	Maximum Spells Known	Highest Spell Level	Spell Slots
3rd	2	1	2
4th	3	1	2
5th	3	1	3
6th	3	1	3
7th	4	2	3
8th	4	2	3
9th	4	2	3
10th	5	2	3
11th	6	2	3
12th	6	2	3
13th	7	3	4
14th	7	3	4
15th	7	3	4
16th	8	3	4
17th	8	3	4
18th	8	3	4
19th	9	4	4
20th	10	4	5

Shifting Sands

Starting at 3rd level your innate magical prowess manifests as minor teleportation. As a bonus action, you teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see. You may do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. These uses reset on a long rest.

Wile of the Dhole

Starting at 9th level, your magical cleverness beguiles all but the sharpest victims. Your targets have disadvantage on Intelligence saving throws made against your spell stealing ability.

Perfected Sandwalk

At 13th level, you hone your teleportation and gain the ability to teleport yourself from your current location to any unoccupied spot within 500 ft. You arrive at exactly the spot desired. It can be a place you can see, one you can visualize, or one you can describe by stating distance and direction, such as "200 feet straight downward" or "upward to the northwest at a 45- degree angle, 300 feet."

Spell Deflection

At 17th level, you gain the ability to magically redirect a spell in flight.

You may expend a spell slot to attempt to interrupt a creature in the process of casting a spell. If the creature is casting a spell of your highest spell level known or lower, you may redirect a spell to a new target or target area.

If it is casting a spell of higher than your highest spell level known, make an ability check using your spellcasting ability. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a success, you may redirect a spell to a new target or target area. On a failure, you (or an area centered on you) become the target of the spell.