Necrotheurgy

Necrotheurgy is a craft that involves using the memories of the dead and those who wish to be dead when you get to them. The memories can be used to do anything; from weaponizing trauma to stringing together memories to ward you from damage, it's an art that many are fearful of and for all the right reasons.

 

This Subclass is based off of Godclads, a story on Royal Road and Amazon.

Claim Ghosts

Ghosts are the fragmented memories of those with cognitive thought. These Ghosts fuel your Phantasmics and the rest of your Necrotheurgy abilities.

As a Reaction to when you see a creature (with cognitive thought) die to any other damage besides Psychic, you can steal their residual thoughtstuff and form it into a Ghost. You can also collect Ghosts from already dead creatures if they haven't been killed from a psychic attack or haven't been dead for longer than a day.

You can carry an infinite number of Ghosts and any Ghosts used are lost forever, lest until you get a Metamind.

You can also give a Creature a Ghost with a Phantasmic or plant a Ghost with a Phantasmic on them. When giving a Creature a Ghost they must be willing and you must spend the amount Ghosts needed for the Creature to use a Phantasmic. Planting a Ghost follows the same spending rules but the Creature must make an INT save against your Spell Save DC, a creature having disadvantage on this Save if they are Unconscious, Asleep, or otherwise not mentally aware.

A creature given a Ghost must follow the same rules with using a Phantasmic and you can activate a planted Ghost by following the same rules. Either way, the Ghosts are spent and lost.

Phantasmics

Phantasmics are Ghosts stringed together into a sequence that have many different functions. You only know a few basic sequences: Farcaster, Auto-Seance, Emotion Injector.

Farcaster:  As an Action, you can project your consciousness around you to always see your surroundings or at a point far away to hear and see things while remaining hidden.

You can project a 15ft sphere around you. This sphere makes you able to perfectly see and hear anything within its radius, you can add your INT modifier to Perception checks to things within the Sphere.

You can project your consciousness 30ft away. You can see and hear anything at the point but you're unable to see or hear anything around your body.

Creatures with Ethereal Sight or True Sight can see the sphere and point, both looking like wisps of ethereal energy that either surround you or as a mote. The wisps always leave a trail leading towards your head.

Auto-Seance: As a Bonus Action, you can project your mind into another Creature that is capable of cognitive thought. You can telepathically communicate with them, as per the normal ruling with Telepathy. Other creatures don't have Ghosts of their own so they are unable to communicate back with you.

The range for how far you can be from the Creature is a number of miles equal to half your INT mod (rounded up). This lasts for a number of hours equal to half your proficiency bonus and half your INT mod.

[Enchanced: Can Target one more creature]

Emotion Injector: As a Reaction, you inject yourself with simulated emotions to regain some semblance of control against negative emotional effects. You add half your INT modifier (rounded up) to saves against spells and effects that will affect your emotional state, like the Frightened Condition.

[Enchanced: Add Half INT mod again]

Metamind

A Metamind is a copy of your own mind and memories into a form that houses your Ghosts and Phantasmics. Only true dabblers in the art of Necrotheurgy have a Metamind as it provides many benefits.

The benefits are as listed:

• Your Metamind counts as a Spellcasting Focus, as well as providing the Somatic and Vocal component for your spells, and using your Metamind as a Spellcasting Focus costs 1 Ghost per spell level. When used in this way, your Metamind flashes as a halo of swirling energy above your head.

• You can see the Thoughtstuff of those around you. Thoughtstuff appears as a mist of ethereal energy that hovers above the heads of those who are capable of cognitive thought. This range is 15ft or your Farcaster range, whichever is farther. If a creature cannot think or has an effect placed on it that prevents scrying or thought then you cannot see their Thoughtstuff.

• Spells that deal Psychic Damage deal extra damage equal to your INT mod and Spells that have a INT, WIS, or CHR Save have a higher DC equal to half your INT Modifier (rounded down). You can spend 2 Ghosts to increase the DC by 1 and additional damage by 2, doing this a number of times equal to half your INT Modifier (rounded down)

Enchanced Phantasmics

You learned how to use Phantasmics more effectively, especially since you now have a Metamind. Ghosts used for Phantasmics are still used but they are no longer gone after the first use, still keeping your maximum. You regain 25% of your Ghosts on a Short Rest and 75% on a Long Rest.

You also can increase the power of Phantasmics by using more Ghosts. To do this, you must spend the cost of Ghosts needed to use a Phantasmic again. You can increase the power of a Phantasmic a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up).

You also gain access to enchanced Phantasmics: Mem-Gaurd, Thought Disrupter, Trauma Sync

Mem-Gaurd: As an Action, you can set up a bulwark in your mind that guards against mental attacks. When an affect or spell makes you roll an INT, WIS, or CHR Save, you add half your INT mod to the Save. This only works for the initial Save, so failing and having to make a Save later doesn't grant you the bonus, unless it's a one-and-done thing.

The Mem-Guard lasts a number of hours equal to your half your INT mod and half your proficiency bonus.

[Enchanced: Add Half INT mod]

Thought Disrupter: As a Bonus Action, you can disrupt your thoughts and effectively clear your mind. To outside observers, your INT score is now 5. You cannot be tracked or targeted by spells or features that require an INT Save or Check.

If your Mem-Guard fails to protect you against a spell or effect while Thought Disrupter is still active, you can roll to save again and add half your INT mod. Spells or effects that let a caster know if you saved or failed cannot detect this.

Thought Disrupter lasts for a number of minutes equal to your INT mod and Proficiency score.

[Enchanced: Lower the INT by 1 and add half your INT mod again.]

Trauma Sync: As a Reaction, you spread the trauma done by your psyche across your Ghosts to lessen the damage. When you take Psychic Damage, you lessen the damage by a number equal to your INT mod times 2.

[Enchanced: Times 2 more]

Nether Walker

You have learned to access the Nether, a realm where thoughtstuff and Ghosts exist in, and can now make a Locus and initiate in a Dive.

A Locus is a hotspot for Ghosts and a way for those who study Necrotheurgy to connect with one another...or for other purposes. Making a Locus requires a Trinket, preferably a gem, and any number of Ghosts. This process takes an 1 hour. The Locus looks like the Trinket you used but now has ethereal energy around it. You can make an unlimited number of Loci but can only access one when you are within a number of miles, equal to the amount of Ghosts you spent creating it, from it. You must also have a Locus on your person to access one.

When you enter a Locus, you can see any other Loci within the Locus' range as if you are right there looking right at it. You can enter another Locus instantly. When you do, you can see and hear everything where the Locus is at. You can also enter a thoughtform, held together by your Ghosts and Metamind, 5ft away from the Locus. In this thoughtform you can only cast Spells that deal Psychic Damage or that have a INT, WIS, or CHR Save. You also have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. Your thoughtform can look however you want but it must be the same size as you and the same arrangement of limbs. You can leave the thoughtform as an Action.

Your thoughtform shares the same stats as you. If you reach 0hp while in Thoughtform, the form dissipates and you are projected back in your body, now Unconscious and dying. You lose Ghosts when you take damage as well, losing an amount equal to half the damage you take. If your amount of Ghosts drop to 0, the thoughtform fades away and you're projected back into your body. These Ghosts are unrecoverable.

A Dive is the ability to enter one's head and gain information about them. This is stronger than Detect Thoughts and Alter Memory as you can learn much more about the creature. You can Dive into an Unconscious or Asleep Creature and the Creature must be capable of cognitive thought, you can also Dive into a creature after dealing Psychic Damage to it. Diving requires the creature to make an INT Saving Throw against your Spell Save DC, having advantage on this Save if they aren't Unconscious or Asleep. On a success, you Dive into their mind and the Creature is Stunned if they are conscious. On a failure, you take Psychic damage equal to half their INT score and become stunned until the end of the Creature's next turn.

Once inside the mind, you can learn a maximum knowledge about them equal to your INT mod. You search for this knowledge with an active Investigation check, this is followed by the Creature's INT Save at the end of the investigation. You can learn names, places, secrets, and even the specific stats of the creature. Your DM decides the knowledge you gain based on your roll. You can leave the Creature's mind as an Action even before you reach your knowledge maximum.

If the creature succeeds on its Save, you are forced out of its mind and take Psychic damage equal to the creature's INT score. You can also forcefully pry knowledge out a creature's mind, having advantage on your Investigation checks but the Creature also has advantage on its INT Saves, and every fail the creature gets they take 4d4 Psychic Damage. If the creatures dies from the damage, they are nulled and you are projected out of their mind.

Advanced Phantasmics

After much training and using Phantasmics, you learned how to use them even more effectively. Now it only costs half of the Ghosts needed to use Basic and Enchanced Phantasmics.

You also gain access to advanced Phantasmics: Incog, Mem-Lock, Phys-Sim.

Incog: As an Action, you cloak yourself with Ghosts to block yourself from someone's mind, effectively making you nonexistent to them. You add your INT mod to any Stealth rolls while Incog is active, being undetected by Sight or sound, but if a creature rolls higher than your Stealth roll then they can hear your footsteps and see a glimmer of light in your shape.

Creatures with Ethereal Sight or True Sight can see you.

Incog lasts a number of minutes equal to your INT mod and Proficiency score (both rounded up).

[Enchanced: Add INT mod again]

Mem-Lock: As a Bonus Action, you can lock a specific memory of a person and be able to track them down. Before you cast a spell that deals Psychic Damage or a Spell that has a INT, WIS, or CHR Save, you can lace the Spell with Ghosts and lock a memory in a Creature's mind. You know of its exact location unless the creature is in another plane of existence or farther than a number of miles equal to your INT mod and Proficiency score.

This awareness fails if the creature is affected by a Spell or effect that prevents scrying or thought. This also fails if the creature is incapable of cognitive thought.

Mem-Lock lasts for a number of hours equal to your INT mod and Proficiency score.

[Enchanced: Increase number of miles by your INT mod again]

Phys-Sim: As a Reaction, you can quickly calculate the trajectory of an attack. Before you are hit by an attack, you can add your INT mod to your AC score. If the attack hits multiple creatures or requires a physical Save, you add half your INT mod (rounded up) to the Save.

[Enchanced: Add INT mod again for AC and half INT mod for Save]

Ghostjack

Jacking into a mind is the same as a Dive, expect you rend a mind and a leave a plethora of ailments for the flesh to deal with. After casting a Spell that deals Psychic Damage to a creature, you can jack their mind as a Reaction. The creature must make a INT save against your Spell Save DC. On a success, the creature doesn't get Jacked and takes 2d4 Psychic Damage. On failure, the creature gets Jacked and takes 4d4 Psychic Damage.

The Ailments you can unleash upon the creature's mind are as follows (as well as the Ghost cost):The Ailments you can unleash upon the creature's mind are as follows (as well as the Ghost cost):

• Deafened: 5 Ghosts
• Blinded: 7 Ghosts
• Frightened: 9 Ghosts
• Stunned: 13 Ghosts
• Incapacitated: 17 Ghosts
• Unconscious: 21 Ghosts
• Short-Term Madness: 27 Ghosts
• Long-Term Madness: 33 Ghosts
• Indefinite Madness: 39 Ghosts

You can apply only one Ailment on a creature and can't do so again until its Ailment has worn off (this does not count for Madness). An Ailment below Madness can last a number of minutes equal to your INT mod or until the creature succeeds on its Save at thSaving Traumas is memorizing the pain inflicted on a creature, whether it be mental, emotional, or physical. Whenever a creature is inflicted with mental, emotional, or physical trauma, you can save them as a Reaction. You can have a maximum number of Traumas saved equal to your INT mod. You can also save Traumas while in a Dive, saving a painful moment in a Creature's life, and this does add to the maximum amount of knowledge you can learn from them.

Utilizing a Trauma requires a Long Rest and an Intelligence check, having advantage in this check if you claimed the Ghost of the creature you're saving the Tramua of. The DC is based on the severity of the Tramua and failing this check results in the loss of the memory, and a Ghost if you claimed one.

• Mild: DC 10
• Severe: DC 15
• Madness-Inducing: DC 20
• Mind-Rending: DC 25

Your DM decides how bad the Trauma you are trying to save is. (Good example of a Mind-Rending Trauma would be someone taking the full damage of a 9th-level Fireball.)

You can utilize a Tramua in either two ways: Planting it on someone as you would a Ghost/Phantasmic or adding it to a Spell that deals Psychic Damage or has a INT, WIS, or CHR Save. Either way, you use an amount of Ghosts equal to the Severity DC of the Tramua ( Mind-Rending would be 25 Ghosts) when using a Trauma.

Here are the examples of the three different Traumas you can save and their mechanics:

• A Physical Trauma is when someone is hurt physically. Saving this Tramua is saving the amount of damage they took in that one instance and converting it into Psychic damage. A creature must make an INT Save against the Severity DC of the Tramua. On a success, they take half damage. On a failure, they take the full damage.

• A Mental Trauma is when someone is hurt mentally. Saving this Tramua is saving the amount of Psychic Damage they took in one instance or any mental ailments affecting them, like Madness or Feeblemind. A creature must make a WIS Save against the Severity DC of the Tramua. On a success, they take half damage or aren't affected by the ailment. On a failure, they take full damage or are affected by the ailment.

• A Emotional Tramua is when someone has intense emotions, like profuse sadness or anger. Saving this Tramua is saving the emotional state of the person at the time. A creature must make a CHR Save against the Severity DC of the Tramua. On a success, they are unaffected. On a failure, they are affected and experience those emotions.

Mastered Phantasmics

You have achieved Mastery of Phantasmics and Ghosts. Choose 3 Phantasmics of your choice: One Basic, One Enchanced, and One Advanced. The Basic and Enchanced costs no Ghosts to use them and only 1 Ghost to enchance them. Advanced costs only half for both normal cast and Enhancement.