Rogue Scientist

Some scholars go rogue when weary of vapid scholastic tradition. They begin to favor the miraculous anecdotes offered by heroes in historical texts and myths. These men and women may try to toil with the other scholars but they suffer from an insatiable lust for knowledge and aversion to tradition. This will inevitably drive them into the wastelands and wilderness away from academia towards adventure. They explore the ruins of toppled cities and the habitats of new organisms to explore and discover. The rogue scientist’s colleagues laughed at their insights, mocked their theories, or hounded them from the halls of academia. When trivialized by the establishment, they chose exploration of the remote, exotic, or ancient over toiling away in orthodox academia.

Prodigal Genius

Your impressive intellect is likely what led you to be bored in academia, luckily it has also led to a smattering of other hobbies that cured said boredom. Starting at 3rd level you gain proficiency in your area of study and your hobbies: one Intelligence skill and two tools of your choice.

 

Discovery

Starting at the 3rd level, you can physically harvest components from dead monsters and preserve them for future use. You can spend 10 minutes examining the remains of a suitable creature, which can't have been dead longer than 5 days.  During examination make two rolls: an Intelligence (Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, or Religion) and an Intelligence or Dexterity (Tool) check with an appropriate set of tools (subject to GM discretion). The DC of both are equal to the creature's CR (minimum 1) + 10 or is to be determined by the GM. On a success you harvest the component of the creature that produces one of the following; so long as the creature had that ability. You may only attempt this once per dead creature, on a creature with a maximum CR equal to your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.

Any damage, save DCs, and modifiers are identical what they were when the creature was alive. You can possess a maximum number of these "Discoveries" equal to 1 + INT modifier (minimum 1). The Discovery can be used once to replicate the ability of the creature it came from, then it is destroyed. For effects that effected the creature passively or permanently, you can benefit from for a number of minutes equal to your INT modifier. Your GM may allow for other monster abilities to be discovered, consult your GM for abilities not listed here.

Poison. You extract the venom the creature uses. If the creature has attacks that have poison or deal poison damage, you can harvest a vial of that poison. You may use a bonus action to apply the poison to one of your weapons. The next time that weapon hits a creature in the next minute, they suffer the effects of that poison.

Ex: Poison (Giant Poisonous Snake) - DC 11 CON, 3d6 poison damage, 1/2 damage Save.

Energy Weapons. You extract the supernatural element that charges the creature's attacks. If the creature has weapon attacks that also deals energy damage, as a bonus action you can apply this energy to your weapons. The next time that weapon hits a creature in the next minute, they suffer that energy damage.

Ex: Angelic Weapons (Young White Dragon) - Your weapon attack deals an extra 4d8 radiant damage.

Breath Weapon. You harvest the component responsible for the creature breath weapon. As an action you can activate it and unleash it's payload.

Ex: Acid Breath (Black Dragon Wyrmling) - 15 x 5 foot line, DC 11 DEX, 5d8 acid damage, 1/2 damage Save.

Gaze Effect. You harvest the eyes or other elements the creature uses for it gaze ability. As an action you can activate it and use the creature's gaze ability on a target in range.

Ex: Petrifying Gaze (Basilisk) - DC 12 CON, 30 feet, On a failed save the creature magically begins to turn to stone and is restrained, It must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On a failure, the creature is petrified until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.

Innate Spellcasting. You harvest what the creature uses to produce it's innate magic. When you harvest this component, choose a spell from the creature's innate spellcasting list. As an action activate it to cast that spell.

Ex: Hold Person (Deathlock) - DC 13 WIS, Paralyzed for 1 minute.

Presence. You harvest what produces a creature's supernatural presence. As an action activate it to gain the creature's awesome radiance.

Ex: Enchanting Presence (Autumn Eladrin) - DC 16 WIS, On a failed save, the creature becomes charmed for 1 minute. On a successful save, the creature becomes immune to Enchanting Presence for 24 hours.

Magic Weapons. You extract the supernatural element of the creature's attacks. If the creature has weapon attacks that are magical, as a bonus action you can apply this magic to your weapons.

Ex: Magic Weapons (Couatl) - Your weapon attacks are magical.

Resistance. You harvest what the creature uses as a defense mechanism. When you harvest this component, choose one type of resistance the creature has. As an action activate it to gain said resistance.

Ex: Damage Resistance (Earth Elemental) - Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks.

 

Observation or Obsession?

Starting at 9th level, when you deal sneak attack damage to a creature you have harvested from before it must make CON saving throw. Upon failure, your attack disables the special ability you replicated using your Discovery class feature for a number of rounds equal to Intelligence modifier. The creature may attempt  CON saving throw to end this effect.

Gratification

At 13th level, you've gained a practiced hand when encountering a creature that you've harvested before. As a bonus action on your turn, you can designate a creature within 30 feet of you that you have experience harvesting from. Doing so gives you advantage on attack rolls against that creature, saving throws against their abilities/spells, and they have disadvantage on attacks against you until the end of the turn.

Apotheosis

At 17th level, your understanding of the supernatural abilities of monsters grants the ability to magically absorb the magic of a creature's special ability when it is directed at you. While the magic intermingles with your being you can use the ability once directed at you.

Immediately after a creature uses a special ability that requires an attack roll/casts a innate spell that targets you or includes you in its area of effect, you can use your reaction to force the creature to make a saving throw with its spellcasting ability modifier (DC 10 + your INT mod). On failure, you negate the spell’s effect against you, and you gain the ability (or can cast it) for 8 hours. The creature can’t cast that spell until the 8 hours have passed.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.