False Shepherd

The False Shepherd is a master of deception, blending the art of trickery with divine magic to pose as a holy figure, manipulating faith, trust, and illusion to achieve their goals. These Rogues weave a web of lies so convincing that they fool even the most devout followers into believing they are agents of the gods. They pose as wandering priests, healers, or cult leaders, using their divine magic to heal the sick, protect the innocent, and inspire awe—all while concealing their true motives beneath a veil of sanctity.

While their magic can be real, their piety is not. Every prayer, every act of healing, and every divine decree is a calculated maneuver to manipulate others. A False Shepherd could infiltrate temples and palaces, spread false miracles to gain followers, or use their guise to deceive powerful figures. Though their faith is a fabrication, their power is genuine, and they are just as capable of performing acts of kindness as they are of betraying those who trust them.

Level 3: Spellcasting

 

Cantrips:  You learn two cleric cantrips of your choice.

Whenever you gain a Rogue level, you can replace one of your cantrips with another Cleric cantrip of your choice.

When you reach Rogue level 13, you learn another Cleric cantrip of your choice.

Spell Slots: The False Shepherd Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your level 1+ spells. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a Long Rest.

Prepared Spells of 1st+ Level. You prepare the list of level 1+ spells that are available for you to cast with this feature. To start, choose three level 1 Cleric spells.

The number of spells on your list increases as you gain Rogue levels, as shown in the Prepared Spells column of the False Shepard Spellcasting table. Whenever that number increases, choose additional Cleric spells until the number of spells on your list matches the number in the False Shepherd Spellcasting table. The chosen spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you're a level 7 Rogue, your list of prepared spells can include five Cleric spells of level 1 or 2 in any combination.

After every long rest, choose a divine domain. You gain one spell from that domain's 1st-level domain spells. As you gain levels in this subclass, you can choose additional spells based on the domain (see the Additional Spell Progression table).

False Shepherd Spellcasting Table

Level	Cantrips Known	Spell Slots (1st)	Spell Slots (2nd)	Spell Slots (3rd)	Spell Slots (4th)	Spell Slots (5th)	Spellcasting Level
3	2	2	-	-	-	-	1st
4	2	2	-	-	-	-	1st
5	2	3	2	-	-	-	2nd
6	2	3	2	-	-	-	2nd
7	2	3	2	-	-	-	2nd
8	2	3	2	-	-	-	2nd
9	2	3	3	2	-	-	3rd
10	2	3	3	2	-	-	3rd
11	2	3	3	2	-	-	3rd
12	2	3	3	2	-	-	3rd
13	3	4	3	2	1	-	4th
14	3	4	3	2	1	-	4th
15	3	4	3	3	1	-	4th
16	3	4	3	3	1	-	4th
17	3	4	3	3	2	1	5th
18	3	4	3	3	2	1	5th
19	3	4	3	3	2	1	5th
20	3	4	3	3	2	1	5th

 

Changing Your Prepared Spells. Whenever you gain a Rogue level, you can replace one spell on your list with another Cleric spell for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Cleric spells. You can cast these spells using your spell save DC (8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) and spell attack modifier. 

Spellcasting Focus. You can use a Holy Symbol of a false or fictitious deity as a Spellcasting Focus for your Cleric spells.

Additionally, when you adopt a divine domain, you gain proficiency in the corresponding skill (e.g., Insight for Life, Persuasion for Trickery). If you already have proficiency, you gain expertise instead.

Additional Spell Progression table

Rogue Level	Life domain	Trickery domain	War domain	light domain
3	Cure Wounds	Charm Person	Divine Favor	Faerie Fire
5	Lesser Restoration	Mirror Image	Spiritual Weapon	Scorching Ray
9	Mass Healing Word	Major Image	Crusader's Mantle	Beacon of Hope
13	Aura of Life	Greater Invisibility	Freedom of Movement	Wall of Fire
17	Raise Dead	Mislead	Holy Weapon	Dawn

Level 9: Divine Masquerade

At 9th level, your skill at impersonating a holy figure improves. You gain the ability to cast Disguise Self at will without expending a spell slot, but the illusion always incorporates an element of divinity (a holy symbol, cleric robes, radiant aura, etc.).

Additionally, when you make a Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (Persuasion) check while pretending to be a cleric, you can add your Sneak Attack dice to the roll.

Level 9: Deceptive Healing

At 9th level, your divine magic becomes a tool of manipulation and control. When you cast a healing spell on a creature, you can choose one of the following effects:

• Feign Recovery: You can disguise the true nature of the healing, tricking the target into thinking they were healed from a more grievous injury than they actually sustained. Make a Charisma (Deception) check against the target's Wisdom (Insight) to convince them of this.

• Divine Influence: When you heal a creature, you can subtly influence their behavior. You can impose disadvantage on their Wisdom (Insight) or Charisma (Persuasion) checks made against you or your allies for the next hour.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once) per long rest.

Level 13: Miraculous Evasion

Starting at 13th level, when you succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against an effect that deals damage, you can use your reaction to magically redirect the effect. You can choose a creature within 30 feet to take the damage instead (they take damage as if they failed their saving throw).

If you are emulating the Trickery Domain, the redirected damage is halved for the target.

Level 17: Divine Charlatan

At 17th level, your mastery of divine trickery reaches its peak. You can change your chosen domain as an action, instead of only after a long rest.

Additionally, once per long rest, you can use an action to create a dramatic divine miracle:

• Life: Heal all allies within 30 feet for 20 hit points.
• Trickery: Turn invisible and create illusory duplicates of yourself (as if under the Mirror Image spell) for 1 minute.
• War: Grant yourself and allies within 30 feet advantage on attack rolls for 1 minute.
• Light: Emit a blinding flash; all creatures within 30 feet must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute.

The specifics of the effect depend on your currently chosen domain.