Arcane Tradition
Comments from the Finger: Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn. Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn. Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.
School of the Pseudonatural
In the Far Realm, outside time, Herculean minds drift, absorbed in contemplations of madness. Unspeakable beings whisper terrifying secrets to those who dare communication. These secrets were not meant for mortals, but the alienist plunges into abysses of chaos and entropy that would blast a weaker mind. You toy with these cosmic secrets to achieve true power: triumph of the mind over the rude boundaries of dimension, distance, and ultimately, sanity.
Mad Certainty
Beginning when you select this tradition at 2nd level, you have a madness die, which is a d6. You may expend this madness die and add its result to an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. Alternatively, you can expend madness dice to use an Elder Rune, if you know one. You regain all of your expended madness dice when you finish a long rest.
If you begin your turn with no madness dice, roll a d100 on the Long-Term Madness table found on page 260 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. You are immediately afflicted with the result which ends when you take a short rest, and regain one madness die.
Pseudonatural Familiar
At 2nd level, you add the find familiar spell to your spellbook, if it was not there already. When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite. The familiar summoned with this spell is of horribly twisted aspect, and gradually loses all semblance to a creature of this earth. It is an aberration, instead of its normal type. At 6th level, your familiar’s size becomes Small.
Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own. When your familiar makes an attack, it uses your spell attack bonus instead of its own attack bonus on attack rolls, and you can add your proficiency bonus to its damage rolls.
Your familiar’s maximum hit points is increased by your level.
Finally, your familiar gains two pseudonatural traits of your choice. At 6th, 10th, and 14th levels you can select an additional trait. When you gain a level in this class, you can replace a trait that your familiar has with a trait for which you meet the prerequisites.
Timeless Body
By 6th level, you have discovered many secrets in your research. Among them, the secret of eternal youth. You no longer age, do not suffer the effects of old age, and cannot be magically aged. You still die at the time of old age, however. When the time comes, you are stolen away by horrible entities, never to be seen again.
Alien Blessing
At 10th level, you become proficient in two saving throws of your choice, and you lose proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.
Summon Alien
Beginning at 14th level, your familiar no longer seems remotely related to earthly creatures. Your familiar’s size is Medium, it regains 1 hit point each minute, and it is immune to extra damage from critical hits.
Pseudonatural Traits
If a pseudonatural trait has prerequisites, you must meet them to choose it. You can choose the trait at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. If one of your traits calls for a saving throw, it uses your wizard Spell Save DC.
Pincers
Action
Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (5) 1d8 slashing damage. The target is grappled (escape DC is equal to your spell save DC) if it is a Medium or smaller creature and the familiar doesn’t have another creature grappled.
Stinger
Action
Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (5) 1d8 piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 hour. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target falls unconscious for the same duration, or until it takes damage or another creature uses an action to shake it awake.
Tentacles
Action
Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (4) 1d6 bludgeoning damage and (4) 1d4 piercing damage.
Keen Hearing and Smell
You familiar has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Mimicry
Your familiar can mimic animal sounds and humanoid voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check.
Nimble Escape
Your familiar can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns.
Unearthly Sight
You familiar can see normally in in fog, darkness, and magical darkness.
Durable Hide
Prerequisite: 6th level
Your familiar gains a +2 bonus to Armor Class.
Scare (1/Day)
Prerequisite: 6th level
One creature of your choice within 20 feet of your familiar must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if your familiar is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Spider Climb
Prerequisite: 6th level
Your familiar can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Stench (1/Day)
Prerequisite: 6th level
For 1 minute, any creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of your familiar must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the familiar’s Stench for 24 hours.
Death Burst
Prerequisite: 10th level
When your familiar dies, it explodes in a burst of fire. Each creature within 5 feet of it must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Echolocation
Prerequisite: 10th level
Your familiar gains blindsight with a range of 60 feet, but can’t use it while deafened.
Multiattack
Prerequisite: 10th level
Your familiar makes two attacks when it takes the Attack action. Each attack must use a different attack option.
Tough
Prerequisite: 10th level
You familiar’s maximum hit points is increased by twice your wizard level.
Brute
Prerequisite: 14th level
An attack deals one extra die of its damage when your familiar hits with an attack.
Incorporeal Movement
Prerequisite: 14th level
Your familiar can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 1d10 force damage if it ends its turn in side an object.
Magic Resistance
Prerequisite: 14th level
Your familiar has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects and gains resistance to damage from spells.
Changelog: 12/20/15: Mad Certainty: Wording clarified.
Pseudonatural Familiar: Familiar becomes Small at 6th level.
Pseudonatural Traits: DC is now based on wizard Spell Save DC.
