Spellvessel

What is a Spellvessel

I'm proposing an alternative to being a spell-caster: a spell-vessel, and instead of casting, you are merely redirecting spells. To redirect a spell, the vessel needs to offer a suitable sacrifice to its patron. A sacrifice always needs to have a sufficient amount of life-force, as per the law of equivalent exchange. The means of providing a sacrifice differ slightly depending on the character's class.

Traditional spellcasters remain unchanged. Although rare, in this world filled with magic it is possible for people to be born without any mana, making them unable to cast spells using their own power. For these unlucky few, it is possible to form the spellvessel pact with a patron. 

Creature essence

Creature essence can be harvested from slain enemies. Monsters with a higher CR also drop higher tier essence. You may use the harvesting rules from Heliana's Guide to Monster Hunting (HGtMH), with the following modifications:

• The amount of essence that can be harvested per creature becomes 3 (instead of 1)
• The amount of essence required for cooking and crafting becomes 3 (instead of 1)
  
• Use the harvest table below

Harvest table

(If you don't want to use Heliana's rules, allow players to harvest essence using a WIS survival check against the component DC. Monsters harvested this way can only drop 1 essence)

Whenever essence is harvested, it immediately attunes to the harvester. When harvesting as a group, you can choose whether the essence goes to the *assessor* or the *carver* (HGtMH). Essence can be used to:

• Redirect a spell on your class' spell list
• Help pay for a Spellvessel Warlock's debt
• Imbue a recipe during cooking (HGtMH)
• Imbue a magic item during crafting (HGtMH)

Doing any of these things immediately consumes the essence. It is not possible to trade essence with others.