This has probably turned into one of, if not THE most complicated homebrews that I've made, so I really need an outside opinion on how this homebrew is going. In short, this is a companion based artificer subclass where the companion is basically a flesh golem and you can customize it with different "alterations" while you gain more necromanic abilities as you level. This is my first companion based subclass, so I'm not really sure if I've gone too far or if I need to add a "berserk" like feature if the abomination gets below half health. Well, I hope you like what you see and let me know what you guys think.
As a Necrologist, you an artificer who specializes in a field that focuses on life, death, and even undeath. This has lead many down this path to conduct experiments involving the use of living subjects, the creation of undead, and even in some instances, the creation of constructs made from flesh. Due to these methods of research, many view Necrologist in a similar manner as necromancers and mad scientist.
Tool Proficiency
3rd-level Necrologist feature
You gain proficiency with Leatherworker's Tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan’s tools of your choice.
Necrologist Spells
3rd-level Necrologist feature
You also always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Necrologist Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
Your experiments have resulted in the creation of a monstrous being. It is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See this creature’s game statistics in the Flesh Abomination stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You determine the creature's appearance and the method of it's creation; your choice has no effects on its game statistics.
In combat, the abomination acts during your turn. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. You can also sacrifice one of your attacks when you take the Attack action to command the abomination to take the Attack action. If you are incapacitated, the abomination can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.
If the mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your Leatherworker's Tools as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The flesh abomination returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.
At the end of a long rest, you can create a new flesh abomination if you have both a humanoid corpse and Leatherworker's Tools with you. If you already have a flesh abomination from this feature, the first one immediately perishes. The abomination also perishes if you die.
FLESH ABOMINATION
Medium Construct
Armor Class 9 (natural armor)
Hit Points 7 + seven times your artificer level (the abomination has a number of Hit Dice [d8s] equal to your artificer level)
Languages Understands the languages you speak but can't speak
Challenge — Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus
Aversion of Fire. If the abomination takes fire damage, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.
Immutable Form. The abomination is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form from creatures other than you.
Lightning Absorption. Whenever the abomination is subjected to lightning damage, it takes no damage and instead regains a number of hit points equal to the lightning damage dealt.
Actions
Slam.Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d8 + PB Bludgeoning damage.
Reaction
Retaliation. When the abomination takes damage it can use it's reaction to make one slam attack.
Altered Flesh
3rd-level Necrologist feature
You can enhance aspects of your abomination with various alterations. Choose two of the following alterations from the list below to apply to your flesh abomination. During a long rest, you can choose to change any number of alterations by using your Leatherworker's tools and spending 1 hour for each alteration that you wish to change. At higher levels, you can apply additional alterations at once; increasing to 3 at 5th level, 4 at 9th level, and 5 at 15th level.
Starting Options
Hardened Flesh. The abomination's AC increases to 10 + your proficiency bonus.
Mental Reconditioning. The abomination is no longer effected by the Aversion of Fire feature, and has advantage on saving against being charmed or frightened.
Acidic Spit. The abomination gains a new action. It can make a ranged weapon attack against a creature that it can see within 60 feet using your spell attack modifier. On a hit, the creature takes 1d6 + PB acid damage.
Rampage. When the abomination reduces a creature's hit points to 0, it can use its reaction to move up to half its movement.
Empowered Slam. Increase the damage of the slam action to 2d6 + PB bludgeoning damage.
Versatile Being. You can add your proficiency bonus to any ability check or saving throw that the abomination makes. If the abomination already adds your proficiency bonus to a skill, you add twice your proficiency bonus instead of what's on its stat block.
Residual Bile. Whenever a creature hits the abomination with a melee attack while within 5 feet of the abomination, the attacking creature takes 1d4 acid damage. If the abomination is reduced to 0 hit points the abomination explodes, each creature within 15 feet of it must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, a creature takes acid damage equal to half your artificer level + your Intelligence modifier.
Massive Build. The Abomination becomes large size and the Slam attack gains an additional 5 ft. reach.
5th level options
Reinforced Flesh. (Prerequisite: 5th level) The abomination gains resistance against Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren't Adamantine.
Enhanced Endurance. (Prerequisite: 5th level) When the abomination takes damage, the it can use its reaction to half the damage.
Endure. (Prerequisite: 5th level) When the abomination is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Constitution saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if the abomination fails.
Energy Warding. (Prerequisite: 5th level) The abomination gains resistance against against one of the following damage types; Acid, Cold, Fire, or Thunder. You can select this alteration multiple times. Each time you do so, you must choose a different damage type.
9th level options
Tether Vitality. (Prerequisite: 9th level) When you take damage while you're within 30 feet of the abomination, you can use your reaction to half the damage, but then the abomination takes necrotic damage equal to the remaining damage. Damage dealt by this feature cannot be reduced in any way.
Mental Resilience. (Prerequisite: 9th level) The abomination has advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Physical Resilience. (Prerequisite: 9th level) The abomination has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, Constitution saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Concussive Impact. (Prerequisite: 9th level) When the abomination hit's a creature with the slam attack, once on each of your turns you can choose to empower the attack. If you choose to do so, attack deals bonus force damage equal to 1d10 + your half artificer level, then the creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or become Stunned until the end of its next turn.
15th level options
Self Repairing Flesh. (Prerequisite: 15th level) While the abomination is below half it's max hit points and is not unconscious, at the start of each of its turns the abomination regains 10 hit points.
Undead Infusion. (Prerequisite: 15th level)If damage reduces the abomination to 0 hit points, it makes a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or a critical hit. On a success, the familiar drops to 1 hit point instead.
Creator's Will. (Prerequisite: 15th level) When the abomination fails a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Corpse Animator
5th-level Necrologist feature
You gain the ability to animate the corpses of the recently deceased. As an action, you can use your Leatherworker's Tools on a humanoid that is medium or smaller, that has been dead for no longer than 1 year and that you can touch in order to reanimate. The creature uses the zombie stat block in the Monster Manual. It remains animate for 1 hour, after which time it collapses and dies. In combat, the zombie’s turn comes immediately after yours. It obeys your mental commands, and the only action it can take is the Attack action, making one melee attack.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest. In addition, the abomination's attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Preserve Life
9th-level Necrologist feature
You can the ability to save others from the brink of death. When a creature within 30 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points but not out right kill, you can use your reaction to have the target instead drop to 1 hit point. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
In addition, when the abomination takes the Slam action it can make two attacks instead of one with that action.
Prodigy of Flesh and Soul
15th-level Necrologist feature
You've master the art of manipulating the flesh of others and even the ability to grant life. You gain the following benefits;
It now takes half the time to change alterations and you may do so over the course of a short or long rest.
You can cast Harm or Create Undead without expending a spell slot, without preparing the spell, and without material components, provided you use Leatherworker's Tools as the spellcasting focus. Once you cast either spell with this feature, you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
This has probably turned into one of, if not THE most complicated homebrews that I've made, so I really need an outside opinion on how this homebrew is going. In short, this is a companion based artificer subclass where the companion is basically a flesh golem and you can customize it with different "alterations" while you gain more necromanic abilities as you level. This is my first companion based subclass, so I'm not really sure if I've gone too far or if I need to add a "berserk" like feature if the abomination gets below half health. Well, I hope you like what you see and let me know what you guys think.
As a Necrologist, you an artificer who specializes in a field that focuses on life, death, and even undeath. This has lead many down this path to conduct experiments involving the use of living subjects, the creation of undead, and even in some instances, the creation of constructs made from flesh. Due to these methods of research, many view Necrologist in a similar manner as necromancers and mad scientist.
Tool Proficiency
3rd-level Necrologist feature
You gain proficiency with Leatherworker's Tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan’s tools of your choice.
Necrologist Spells
3rd-level Necrologist feature
You also always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Necrologist Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
Necrologist Spells
3rd
Bane, Inflict Wounds
5th
Blindness/Deafness, Hold Person
9th
Animate Dead, Revivify
13th
Aura of Life, Death Ward
17th
Hold Monster, Raise Dead
Flesh Abomination
3rd-level Necrologist feature
Your experiments have resulted in the creation of a monstrous being. It is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See this creature’s game statistics in the Flesh Abomination stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You determine the creature's appearance and the method of it's creation; your choice has no effects on its game statistics.
In combat, the abomination acts during your turn. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. You can also sacrifice one of your attacks when you take the Attack action to command the abomination to take the Attack action. If you are incapacitated, the abomination can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.
If the mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your Leatherworker's Tools as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The flesh abomination returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.
At the end of a long rest, you can create a new flesh abomination if you have both a humanoid corpse and Leatherworker's Tools with you. If you already have a flesh abomination from this feature, the first one immediately perishes. The abomination also perishes if you die.
FLESH ABOMINATION
Medium Construct
Armor Class 9 (natural armor)
Hit Points 7 + seven times your artificer level (the abomination has a number of Hit Dice [d8s] equal to your artificer level)
Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Str +4 plus PB, Con +4 plus PB
Skills Athletics +4 plus PB, Intimidation -3 plus PB
Damage Immunities Lightning, Poison
Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10
Languages Understands the languages you speak but can't speak
Challenge — Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus
Aversion of Fire. If the abomination takes fire damage, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.
Immutable Form. The abomination is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form from creatures other than you.
Lightning Absorption. Whenever the abomination is subjected to lightning damage, it takes no damage and instead regains a number of hit points equal to the lightning damage dealt.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d8 + PB Bludgeoning damage.
Reaction
Retaliation. When the abomination takes damage it can use it's reaction to make one slam attack.
Altered Flesh
3rd-level Necrologist feature
You can enhance aspects of your abomination with various alterations. Choose two of the following alterations from the list below to apply to your flesh abomination. During a long rest, you can choose to change any number of alterations by using your Leatherworker's tools and spending 1 hour for each alteration that you wish to change. At higher levels, you can apply additional alterations at once; increasing to 3 at 5th level, 4 at 9th level, and 5 at 15th level.
Starting Options
Hardened Flesh. The abomination's AC increases to 10 + your proficiency bonus.
Mental Reconditioning. The abomination is no longer effected by the Aversion of Fire feature, and has advantage on saving against being charmed or frightened.
Acidic Spit. The abomination gains a new action. It can make a ranged weapon attack against a creature that it can see within 60 feet using your spell attack modifier. On a hit, the creature takes 1d6 + PB acid damage.
Rampage. When the abomination reduces a creature's hit points to 0, it can use its reaction to move up to half its movement.
Empowered Slam. Increase the damage of the slam action to 2d6 + PB bludgeoning damage.
Versatile Being. You can add your proficiency bonus to any ability check or saving throw that the abomination makes. If the abomination already adds your proficiency bonus to a skill, you add twice your proficiency bonus instead of what's on its stat block.
Residual Bile. Whenever a creature hits the abomination with a melee attack while within 5 feet of the abomination, the attacking creature takes 1d4 acid damage. If the abomination is reduced to 0 hit points the abomination explodes, each creature within 15 feet of it must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, a creature takes acid damage equal to half your artificer level + your Intelligence modifier.
Massive Build. The Abomination becomes large size and the Slam attack gains an additional 5 ft. reach.
5th level options
Reinforced Flesh. (Prerequisite: 5th level) The abomination gains resistance against Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren't Adamantine.
Enhanced Endurance. (Prerequisite: 5th level) When the abomination takes damage, the it can use its reaction to half the damage.
Endure. (Prerequisite: 5th level) When the abomination is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Constitution saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if the abomination fails.
Energy Warding. (Prerequisite: 5th level) The abomination gains resistance against against one of the following damage types; Acid, Cold, Fire, or Thunder. You can select this alteration multiple times. Each time you do so, you must choose a different damage type.
9th level options
Tether Vitality. (Prerequisite: 9th level) When you take damage while you're within 30 feet of the abomination, you can use your reaction to half the damage, but then the abomination takes necrotic damage equal to the remaining damage. Damage dealt by this feature cannot be reduced in any way.
Mental Resilience. (Prerequisite: 9th level) The abomination has advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Physical Resilience. (Prerequisite: 9th level) The abomination has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, Constitution saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Concussive Impact. (Prerequisite: 9th level) When the abomination hit's a creature with the slam attack, once on each of your turns you can choose to empower the attack. If you choose to do so, attack deals bonus force damage equal to 1d10 + your half artificer level, then the creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or become Stunned until the end of its next turn.
15th level options
Self Repairing Flesh. (Prerequisite: 15th level) While the abomination is below half it's max hit points and is not unconscious, at the start of each of its turns the abomination regains 10 hit points.
Undead Infusion. (Prerequisite: 15th level) If damage reduces the abomination to 0 hit points, it makes a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or a critical hit. On a success, the familiar drops to 1 hit point instead.
Creator's Will. (Prerequisite: 15th level) When the abomination fails a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Corpse Animator
5th-level Necrologist feature
You gain the ability to animate the corpses of the recently deceased. As an action, you can use your Leatherworker's Tools on a humanoid that is medium or smaller, that has been dead for no longer than 1 year and that you can touch in order to reanimate. The creature uses the zombie stat block in the Monster Manual. It remains animate for 1 hour, after which time it collapses and dies. In combat, the zombie’s turn comes immediately after yours. It obeys your mental commands, and the only action it can take is the Attack action, making one melee attack.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest. In addition, the abomination's attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Preserve Life
9th-level Necrologist feature
You can the ability to save others from the brink of death. When a creature within 30 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points but not out right kill, you can use your reaction to have the target instead drop to 1 hit point. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
In addition, when the abomination takes the Slam action it can make two attacks instead of one with that action.
Prodigy of Flesh and Soul
15th-level Necrologist feature
You've master the art of manipulating the flesh of others and even the ability to grant life. You gain the following benefits;
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