Veneficus (Alchemist Rogue)

Some trust in brute strength, other in the fickle mysteries of magic or faith. You know better, you trust in science and the subtle power of poison. This rogue subclass specializes in alchemical elixirs, using them to silently assassinate foes or administer miraculous cures. Whether a cunning poisoner or a shadowy healer, the Veneficus walks the fine line between life and death, brewing their fate one vial at a time.

The power to Kill or to Cure is at your finger tips.

Poisoner's Knowledge

When you choose this archetype at 3 level, you hone your knowledge of poisons in nature. You gain proficiency in the Nature skill, Alchemist's supplies and use of the Blowgun. Additionally, you double your proficiency Bonus for checks relating to poison, venom, toxins or acids.

Level 3: To Kill, or to Cure

At 3 level you gain the ability to create a certain number of special elixirs that can beguile, confuse and debilitate your foes.

As part of a Short or Long Rest you can prepare the ingredients to create a number of elixirs equal to 3 + your proficiency bonus, up to a Cost value of you INT modifier + your proficiency Bonus.For example, at 3rd Level you can prepare elixirs with a total cost value of 5.

You can use your elixirs a number of times equal to twice your proficiency bonus and get each use back on a Short or Long Rest. When used, these elixirs apply the base effect as detailed in the table below. The affected creature should make the associated Saving throw, or be subjected to the Basic Effect, failing the save by 5 or more results in the Enhanced Effect.

Creating an elixir is a free action and an elixir lasts 1 minute, or until used. To create an elixir, you pay the cost in ingredients. Contact elixirs are applied to a weapon, as per the normal rules for poisoning a weapon. Other elixirs could be applied through ingestion or inhalation. Inhaled elixirs can be thrown to a range of 20ft.

At 9 Level when you gain Exotic Elixirs your skill in crafting results in a stronger Elixir causing the enhanced effect to be the standard on a failed save.

Any creature that is Immune to poison damage is unaffected by the elixirs. Creatures benefitting from poison resistance will make any saving throw roll with advantage. The DC for any elixir or poison is 8 + Int Modifier + Proficiency Bonus.

Blinding

Attempt to Blind the Target
Cost: 1
Save: CON
Type: Contact

Attempt to blind the target. Target must make a CON saving throw.

If the Target fails by LESS than 5 then they have Disadvantage on their next attack.

If the Target fails by MORE than 5 then they are blinded until that start of your next turn.

Charm

The target has the Charmed condition until the start of your next turn or until it takes any damage. The Charmed creature is Friendly to you. After the effects end, the creature may, at the GM’s discretion work out the cause of it’s charm.

Debilitating

Add Intelligence Modifier to Damage
Cost: 1
Save: Con

Attempt to debilitate your target, allowing extra damage to attacks. Target must make a Con save.

If the target fails by LESS than 5, they suffer additional damage equal to your Intelligence Modifier.

If the target fails by MORE than 5, they suffer additional damage equal to your Intelligence whenever the target takes damage, until the start of your next turn.

Disorientation

Target should roll a D6 to determine the effect of it’s disorientation

1-2  - At the start of it’s turn, the target moves it’s full speed in a random direction.

3-4 Target makes a melee strike against a random other creature, using it’s movement to reach it if required.

5-6 The creature doesn’t move or take any actions or bonus actions this turn.

Domination

Target becomes suggestible to your commands. So long as the target can understand you, it acts as though under a Dominate spell.

On your turn, you can issue commands to the target (no action required), such as “Attack that creature,” “Move over there,” or “Fetch that object.” The target does its best to obey on its turn. If it completes an order and doesn’t receive further direction from you, it acts and moves as it likes, focusing on protecting itself.

Elixir of Health

Powerful healing elixir that restores 50 HP to the Target
Cost: 3
Save: N/A
Type: Injected/Injested

Empower

Choose a willing creature that you can see within range. Elixir's potency ends, the target’s Speed is doubled, it gains a +2 bonus to Armor Class, it has +2 on Dexterity saving throws, and it gains an additional action on each of its turns. That action can be used to take only the Attack (one attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Utilize action.

When the Elixir's potency ends, the target has a Speed of 0, a -2 to it's Armor Class, it has -2 on all Physical Checks and Saving Throws (Dexterity, Strength and Constitution) and cannot take any actions, bonus actions or reactions until the end of its next turn, as a wave of lethargy washes over it.

Addictive (Con)

Fortification

Bolster and reinvigorates the user, replenishing Hit Die by an amount up to 4.

Roll a D4. The number of Hit Die restored equals the result rolled.

Addictive (Wisdom)

Hallucinations

The target's greatest fears materialise in clear view, from their dreams, to the waking world.
Cost: 1
Save: Int
Type: Inhaled/Injested

Target hallucinates their worst fears becoming realised. Perhaps this causes a handy distraction? Who’s to say how they might react? (GM’s discretion)

Healing

Provide a medicinal affect to a target, healing their wounds.
Cost: 2
Save: N/A
Type: Injested/Injected

Target must either injest the elixir, or be injected with it. If the Target is injected at range by a blowdart or similar, the elixir can only coat one piece of ammunition and is considered spent, whether it hits or misses it's target.

On application, the target heals Hit Points equal to 2D4 + Int Modifier.

This has no effect on Constructs, or creatures with no corporeal form.

Hypercognition

Choose a willing creature. Until the Elixir's potency wears off, the target's mental attributes are enhanced. The target gains +2 to all Mental attribute Checks and Saving Throws (Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma). Additionally the target' Spell attack and Spell save DC gain a +1 bonus.

Once the Elixir's potency wears off, until the end of the user's next turn, they are unable to speak, lose concentration on any active spells and receive a -2 penalty to all Mental atttibute Checks and Saving Throws (Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma).

Addictive (Wisdom

Influence

Attempt to make the target susceptible to your commands.
Cost: 1
Save: Wis
Type: Inhaled/Injested

Target must make a Wisdom saving throw, else follow your 1 word command on it’s turn

Magical Reinvigoration

Bolster and reinvigorates the user, replenishing Spell levels by an amount up to 4.

Roll a D4. The number of spell levels restored is equal to the result on the D4. For example, rolling a 3 on the D4, would be equal to 3 Level 1 spell slots, a Level 1 and Level 2 spell slot or a single level 3 spell slot.

Addictive (Wisdom)

Mind Manipulation

The target becomes suggestible to your interpretation of events and begins to believe what you want them to believe. You can affect the target’s memory of an event that it experienced within the last 12 hours and that lasted no more than 10 minutes. You can permanently eliminate all memory of the event, allow the target to recall the event with perfect clarity, change its memory of the event’s details, or create a memory of some other event.

You must speak to the target to describe how its memories are affected, and it must be able to understand your language for the modified memories to take root. Its mind fills in any gaps in the details of your description.

A modified memory doesn’t necessarily affect how a creature behaves, particularly if the memory contradicts the creature’s natural inclinations, alignment, or beliefs. An illogical modified memory, such as a false memory of how much the creature enjoyed swimming in acid, is dismissed as a bad dream. The DM might deem a modified memory too nonsensical to affect a creature.

Misdirection

Attempt to misdirect the Target
Cost: 2
Save: Wis
Type: Contact

Attempt to misdirect the target and reduce their combat effectiveness.

If the target fails by LESS than 5, the target suffers a 1D4 penalty to thier next attack, check or saving throw.

If the target fails by MORE than 5, the target suffers a 1D4 penalty to all attacks, ability checks or saving throws until the start of your next turn.

Physical Focus

Bolster the target's physical attirbutes greatly.
Cost: 1
Save: N/A
Type: Injected/Injested

At the start of each round, the target gains 10 temporary HP.

Additionally, the target gains a +2 to attack and damage rolls and advantage on Physical (Strength, Dexterity and Constitution) checks.

Addictive (Wisdom)

Potent

Apply a potent poison to the target
Cost: 1
Save: Con
Type: Contact

Target must make a Con saving throw to avoid your potent poison.

If the target fails by LESS than 5, the target takes 1D8 poison Damage.

If the target fails by MORE than 5, that target takes 2D8 poison Damage, and is poisoned until the start of your next turn.

Restoration

Applies a Restorative effect to the target.
Cost: 1
Save: N/A
Type: Injested/Injected

Target must either injest the elixir, or be injected with it. If the Target is injected at range by a blowdart or similar, the elixir can only coat one piece of ammunition and is considered spent, whether it hits or misses it's target.

Target is affectedby the Lesser Restoration Spell.

This has no effect on Constructs, or creatures with no corporeal form.

Restraining

Attempt to restrain a target, by applying the Restrained Condition.
Cost: 1
Save: Con
Type Contact

Attempt to restrain a target, by applying the Restrained Condition. Target must make a CON save.

If the target fails by LESS than 5, their speed is halved until the start of your next turn.

If the target fails by MORE than 5, the target gains the Restrained condition until the start of your next turn.

Silence

Stop your target's ability to speak.
Cost: 2
Save: Int
Type: Inhaled/Injested

Target must make an Intelligence Saving Throw, or find themselves unable to speak until the start of your next turn.

Sleep

Attempt to put a single target to sleep
Cost: 2
Save: Con
Type: Inhaled

Target must make a CON Saving Throw.

On a failed save, the target is subject to Drowsiness on a failed save it takes a -2 to AC and speed is halved. On a subsequant failed save the target falls asleep, until it takes damage or when 1 minute ends.

Slow

Attempt to apply a slowed effect on the target.
Cost: 2
Save: Con
Type: Contact

Attempt to applying a slowed effect on the target. Target must make a CON saving throw.

If the target fails by LESS than 5, the target cannot take reactions until the start of your next turn.

If the target fails by MORE than 5, Targets speed is halved, it takes a -2 penalty to AC and Dex saves, and it can't take Reactions until the start of your next turn.
If it casts a spell with a Somatic component, there is a 25 percent chance the spell fails as a result of the target making the spell’s gestures too slowly.

Swiftness

Bolster your allies speed and agility to aid them.
Cost: 1
Save: N/A
Type: Injested/Injected

Target must either injest the elixir, or be injected with it. If the Target is injected at range by a blowdart or similar, the elixir can only coat one piece of ammunition and is considered spent, whether it hits or misses it's target.

Target’s walking speed increases by 10 feet and has +1 AC for 1 minute.

This has no effect on Constructs, or creatures with no corporeal form.

Exotic Elixirs

At 9th level, you gain the ability to create more exotic elixirs using rarer ingredients. Preparing these elixirs counts towards your prepared elixirs, however, these require more exotic ingredients to create, and so have a greater demand for materials.

Addiction
Some Exotic Elixirs appear to have addictive qualities. A creature taking an addictive substance needs to make the required saving throw listed on the substance. The DC for the substance, unless specified, is 10 + Ingredient Cost + Number of doses used in last week. On a failed save, the creature takes 1 level of Exhaustion, unless they take another does of the elixir.

Unless the user takes another does of the elixir, they must repeat the saving throw at the start of each day, until they have reached a number of successes equal to the Ingrediant Cost of the Elixir.

On a failure, the creature takes a -1 penalty to either Physical (Str, Dex, Con) or Mental (Int, Wis, Cha) check and saving throws, up to a maximum of 5. If any attribute reaches 0, the user falls to 0 hit points.

Enhanced Elixirs

At 13 level, your elixirs are now more potent. Enhanced Elixir effects now last for 1 minute. While under the effects of an enhanced elixir, the target may another saving throw at the end of each of it’s turns to end the effect.

Additionally, your elixir DC should be used for any poisons that you create. This applies to all elixirs, and any non-elixir poisons that you craft.

Perfected Elixirs

At 17 Level, after much experimentation, you have learned how to apply more than 1 effect in a single special toxin dose. You must pay the cost of both elixirs on creation.

Additionally, all biological enemies are now susceptible to your toxins. Any biological creature that has immunity to poison, now only benefits as though it has resistance to your poisons. Constructs and non-corporeal entities remain immune.