Mutant

Mutant rangers are often frowned upon by their “unsullied” brethren, who believe their practices to be grotesque and immoral: blurring the lines between hunter and monster. Mutants believe that in respecting their adversaries, they can learn to use their own techniques against them. Seeking out creatures and monsters that are a threat to civilisation, these outcasts carefully study the strengths and weaknesses of their fallen quarry, becoming more dangerous and adaptable with every kill.

Mutant Magic

Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Mutant Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.

Mutant Spells

Adaptive Mutation

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to investigate a creature‘s remains and magically alter your body to adopt similar traits. As an action, touch the remains of a dead creature that you have killed or been in combat with no longer than 1 minute prior, and choose one of the mutations from the list detailed at the end of this archetype’s description, provided the creature meets the requirements. You retain the effects and side effects of the mutation until you use this feature again.

You can use this feature only once per long rest.

Genetic Tracker

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to magically sense the presence of creatures you have recently adapted to. As an action, you detect the distance and direction to the closest creature matching the category of your last mutation within 1 mile of you. This sense will attempt to match a creature most similar to that which was studied. For example, if your mutation originated from a Wolf, an overhead eagle may be ignored in favour of a Dire Wolf a little further away; otherwise, the sense will simply locate the nearest creature in the Beast category.

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

Mutation Recall

At 7th level, you gain the ability to access past mutations without needing to study remains. You can now use Adaptive Mutation during a short rest to access any mutation you have used previously. You can only use Adaptive Mutation in this way once per long rest.

Strange Metabolism

Beginning at 11th level, you can use a bonus action to instill a burst of adrenaline to temporarily resist the negative effects of a mutation. You can choose to ignore the side effect of a mutation affecting you for 1 minute, or suppress the superficial alteration for 1 hour.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Enduring Mutation

At 15th level, you are so familiar with the mutations in your body, that you are able to maintain one mutation indefinitely. When you choose a mutation with Mutation Recall, you retain all of its effects until you use this feature again. These effects persists independently of Adaptive Mutation, meaning you can have up to two mutations active at once, as long as they are both different mutations.

Mutations

Gills

Creature: Any creature with the Amphibious or Water Breathing features

Trait: You gain the ability to breathe air and water, and gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed.

Side effect: Constitution checks and saving throws are made at disadvantage while not underwater

Superficial alteration: You grow gills and your hands and feet become webbed.

 

Wings

Creature: Any creature with fly speed, (prerequisite: 11th level)

Trait: You gain a flying speed of 20 feet

Side effect: You have disadvantage on dexterity ability checks and saving throws

Superficial alteration: As appropriate for the slain creature’s source of flight (such as feathered wings for a giant eagle)

 

Keen Eyes

Creature: Any creature with the keen sight feature

Trait: You gain advantage on Perception checks that rely on sight

Side effect: You gain a -1 penalty to initiative rolls

Superficial alteration: Your eyes take on the appearance of the creature’s eyes

 

Claws

Creature: Any creature with a claw or talon attack

Trait: You gain claws that allow you to deal slashing damage with an unarmed strike equal to 1d4 + your strength modifier

Side effect: You have disadvantage on checks made using any tools

Superficial alteration: Your fingernails / fingertips become claws resembling the claws or talons of the creature

 

Magic Resistance

Creature: Any creature with magic resistance or magic immunity

Trait: You have advantage on saving throws against magical effects

Side effect: You gain vulnerability to all damage from silvered weapons

Superficial alteration: Your skin takes on a faint magical shimmer

 

Tongue of the Abomination

Creature: Abberation

Trait: You learn one language of your choice spoken by the slain abberation, and gain advantage on all intimidation checks

Side effect: You have disadvantage on deception, performance, and persuasion checks

Superficial alteration: Your voice becomes distorted or deep in an unsettling manner

 

Beast’s Agility

Creature: Beast

Trait: You gain the creature’s running and climbing speeds (if any) up to a maximum of 40. If the creature’s land speed exceeds 60, you can also take the dash action as a bonus action on each of your turns.

Side effect: You have disadvantage on all strength checks and strength saving throws

Superficial alteration: Your skin develops patches of the creature’s fur, scales, or skin (as appropriate), and your bossy becomes more lean.

 

Beast’s Might

Creature: Beast with a strength or constitution score of 12 or higher

Trait: Gain advantage on all strength or constitution checks and saving throws depending on whether on which of the beast’s scores (Strength or Constitution) was higher. If the scores were equal, you can choose which skill gains advantage for the duration.

Side effect: You gain disadvantage on all dexterity checks and dexterity saving throws

Superficial alteration: Your body swells in size slightly, and your skin develops patches of the creature’s fur, scales, or skin (as appropriate)

 

Beast’s Grace

Creature: Beast with a dexterity score of 12 or higher

Trait: You have advantage on all dexterity checks and saving throws. Additionally, if the beast had proficiency in stealth or acrobatics, you also gain proficiency in either of these of your choice.

Side effect: You have disadvantage on all strength checks and strength saving throws

Superficial alteration: Your skin develops patches of the creature’s fur, scales, or skin (as appropriate), and your body becomes more slender.

 

Beast Senses

Creature: Beast with the Keen Hearing or Keen Smell features

Trait: You gain the beast’s Keen Hearing and / or Keen Smell features

Side effect: You gain disadvantage on Perception checks that rely on sight

Superficial alteration: Your skin develops patches of the creature’s fur, scales, or skin, and your nose / ears (as appropriate) begin to resemble that of the creature’s

 

Dragon’s Breath

Creature: Dragon with a breath attack feature

Trait: You gain a breath weapon appropriate to the slain dragon, as described in the Dragonborn race description (PHB. p34). The DC equals your Ranger spellcasting DC.

Side effect: You have disadvantage on all constitution checks and saving throws until you have used your breath weapon for the day.

Superficial alteration: Your skin develops patches of dragon scales

 

Dragon Skin

Creature: Dragon

Trait: You gain resistance to one elemental damage type the dragon was immune to

Side effect: You have disadvantage on all constitution checks and saving throws, unless this mutation gives you resistance to the triggering damage type

Superficial alteration: Your skin develops patches of dragon scales

 

Fire Skin

Creature: Elemental, fire

Trait: You gain resistance to fire and poison damage, and cannot be poisoned

Side effect: You gain Water Susceptibility. For every 5 feet you move in water, or for every gallon of water splashed on you, you take 1 cold damage.

Superficial alteration: Your skin becomes hot to the touch

 

Fluid Constitution

Creature: Elemental, water

Trait: You gain immunity to the following conditions: Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Restrained

Side effect: If you take cold damage, your body partially freezes, and your speed is reduced by 20 feet until the end of your next turn

Superficial alteration: Your skin translucent in places

 

Earth Skin

Creature: Elemental, earth

Trait: You gain resistance to poison, piercing and slashing damage from non magical attacks, and are immune to being poisoned

Side effect: You gain vulnerability to thunder damage, and have disadvantage on stealth checks

Superficial alteration: Your skin becomes hardened and stonelike in places

 

Air Conduit

Creature: Elemental, air

Trait: You know the gust cantrip, which does not count against your spells known, and can cast it as a bonus action. Additionally, at 10th level, tempestuous magic surrounds you. Once per round when you jump or take the dash action, you can immediately fly up to 10 feet

Side effect: You have disadvantage on all dexterity checks and saving throws

Superficial alteration: Your voice becomes raspy, and a light breeze surrounds you at all times.

 

Fey Charm

Creature: Fey

Trait: You are immune to being charmed, and gain advantage on all Charisma checks.

Side effect: You gain vulnerability to iron weapon attacks and take 1 damage every round that your skin is in contact with iron.

Superficial alteration: You take on a beguiling, yet unnerving appearance

 

 

Faerie Eyes

Creature: Fey

Trait: Within 30 feet, you can see invisible creatures and objects, automatically detect visual illusions and succeed on saving throws against them, and perceive the original form of a shapechanger. Furthermore, you can see into the Ethereal Plane within the same range.

Side effect: You have disadvantage on any ranged attacks beyond 30 feet.

Superficial alteration: Your eyes take on an otherworldly fey appearance.

 

Devil’s Tongue

Creature: Fiend

Trait: Gain advantage on all charisma checks and saving throws

Side effect: Gain vulnerability to silvered weapon attacks and radiant damage

Superficial alteration: Your teeth appear sharpened, and your tongue becomes forked

 

Devil’s Eyes

Creature: Fiend with devil’s sight

Trait: You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.

Side effect: You gain sunlight sensitivity.

Superficial alteration: Your eyes take on a demonic appearance, similar to that of the slain fiend.

 

Giant’s Might

Creature: Giant

Trait: Your strength score and strength score maximum increase by 3 for the duration.

Side effect: Your dexterity score decreases by 2 for the duration.

Superficial alteration: Your body swells and increases slightly in size.

 

Monster’s Tongue

Creature: Monstrosity

Trait: You learn one language of your choice spoken by the slain monstrosity, if any, and gain advantage on all intimidation checks

Side effect: You have disadvantage on deception, performance, and persuasion checks

Superficial alteration: Your voice becomes distorted, deeper, or warbled in an unsettling manner

 

Ooze Membrane

Creature: Ooze

Trait: You can spend 5 feet of movement to automatically escape from nonmagical restraints, such as manacles or a creature that has you grappled. Additionally, being underwater imposes no penalties on your movement or attacks.

Side effect: You have disadvantage on dexterity saving throws, as well as attempts to physically grapple a target, due to the viscous layer on your skin.

Superficial alteration: Your skin emits a thin layer of slime

 

Poison Sprig

Creature: Plant

Traits: You can add 1d4 poison damage to one unarmed or weapon attack per round. Additionally, at level 10, you can camouflage yourself using the Hide in Plain Sight feature within sufficient foliage. After breaking camouflage by moving or taking an action or a reaction, you can re-camouflage within the foliage using a bonus action.

Side effect: You gain vulnerability to fire

Superficial alteration: Your hair and skin take on aspects of the creature’s material, such as a treant’s bark, or a green hue

 

Undeath

Creature: Undead

Trait: You are resistant to necrotic damage and have advantage on death saving throws. Additionally, if you succeed on three death saving throws, you regain one hit point.

Side effect: All healing effects on you are halved

Cosmetic alteration: Your skin takes on a sickly appearance, and you emanate a deathly scent