Death Apprentice

 

The Death Apprentice subclass specializes in mastering the macabre arts, drawing power directly from the realm of death. As they progress, they gain the ability to absorb life force with a mere touch, leaving victims weakened or drained. The aura surrounding a Death Apprentice exudes an unsettling darkness, causing fear and unease among those who dare to face them. At higher levels, the Death Apprentice learns to cast rays of pure darkness, unleashing destructive forces upon their enemies. These dark rays can penetrate defenses and sap the life force of those they touch. The pinnacle of their mastery is the ability to turn the tides of life and death, reaching a point where they can wield spells of the highest magnitude, bringing forth the essence of death itself. The Death Apprentice walks a perilous path, embracing the shadows to manipulate the forces of life and death. Whether driven by a thirst for forbidden knowledge or a dark devotion to a deity of death, they become formidable agents of the inevitable, wielding the very essence of mortality against their adversaries.

 

 

Class Features

As a Death Apprentice, you gain the following class features

Proficiencies

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• Armor: Light Armor
• Weapons: Simple Weapons, Daggers
• Tools: None

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• Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Religion, Medicine, History, and Insight.

Equipment:

• (a) A component pouch or (b) An arcane focus
• (a) A dagger or (b) A simple weapon
• (a) A scholar's pack or (b) An explorer's pack
• A spellbook or a grimoire containing dark rituals and secrets

Spells:

| Death Apprentice Level | Spells Known | Max Spell Level |
|------------------------|--------------|-----------------|
| 1st                    | 2            | 1st             |
| 2nd                    | 3            | 1st             |
| 3rd                    | 4            | 2nd             |
| 4th                    | 5            | 2nd             |
| 5th                    | 6            | 3rd             |
| 6th                    | 7            | 3rd             |
| 7th                    | 8            | 4th             |
| 8th                    | 9            | 4th             |
| 9th                    | 10           | 5th             |
| 10th                   | 11           | 5th             |
| 11th                   | 12           | 5th             |
| 12th                   | 12           | 5th             |
| 13th                   | 13           | 5th             |
| 14th                   | 13           | 5th             |
| 15th                   | 14           | 5th             |
| 16th                   | 14           | 5th             |
| 17th                   | 15           | 5th             |
| 18th                   | 15           | 5th             |
| 19th                   | 15           | 5th             |
| 20th                   | 15           | 5th             |

Cantrips:

• Chill Touch
• Spare the Dying
• Toll the Dead

1st Level:

• False Life
• Ray of Sickness

2nd Level:

• Blindness/Deafness
• Ray of Enfeeblement

3rd Level:

• Life Transference
• Speak with Dead

4th Level:

• Blight
• Death Ward

5th Level:

• Contagion
• Raise Dead

 

Death's Embrace

As a Death Apprentice, you gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. Additionally, you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Charisma for Intimidation checks.

Touch of the Grave

You gain the ability to channel death's energy through your touch. When you hit a creature with a melee spell attack, you can spend a spell slot to deal extra necrotic damage equal to 2d6 plus an additional 1d6 for each level of the spell slot expended.

Aura of Shadows

Your connection to death manifests in a palpable aura. Creatures within 10 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws against being frightened, and you gain advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Darkened Rays

You learn to cast darkened rays that pierce through magical defenses. Your spells ignore resistance to necrotic damage, and creatures with immunity to necrotic damage instead have resistance against it when targeted by your spells.

Essence of Death

At this level, you can cast spells with a maximum spell level of 5th. Additionally, when you deal necrotic damage with a spell, you gain temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt.