The Revenant

A DnD 5e Homebrew class (v. 1.0)

by Elena Stidham
 Creating a Revenant
The Revenant Nobody knows how the first revenant came to be. However,
Dying, sleeping—that’s all dying is — a sleep that ends all the over time, it became abundantly clear that revenants are born
heartache and shocks that life on earth gives us — that’s an from deaths that were never supposed to happen in the first
achievement to wish for. To die, to sleep — to sleep, maybe to place, married with some divine intervention. The god had
dream. seen their child, dying too soon, and decided it wasn't time —
Revenants have mastered the art of dancing with Death whether the revenant knows of their patron god or not.
itself. After experiencing death much too prematurely, the Regardless, one thing is certain about each and every
revenant very simply does not stay dead. It in fact rejects the revenant waking from slumber: they can't ever, and will never,
mere concept, developing powers within themselves that go back to the life that they once had ever again.
protect their immortal bodies. Their structural uniqueness
makes them an easy target for government-appointed Quick Build
hunters, who wish to harness the power of the revenant for You can make a revenant quickly by following these
their own accords. With each death, the revenant must suggestions. First, put your highest abilty score in
remain on the run, learn what they are — and most Constitution, followed by Wisdom or Strength. Second,
terrifyingly of all: what they can do. choose the Haunted One background.

The Revenant
Proficiency Cantrips Spells
Level Bonus Features Known Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +2 Death of the Undying, Deathless Nature, 3 1 2 — — — — — — — —
Spellcasting
2nd +2 ─ 3 1 3 — — — — — — — —
3rd +2 Divine Arrangement 3 1 4 2 — — — — — — —
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 3 1 4 3 — — — — — — —
5th +3 Extra Attack 4 2 4 3 2 — — — — — —
6th +3 Ability Score Improvement 4 3 4 3 3 — — — — — —
7th +3 Divine Arrangement Feature 4 4 4 3 3 1 — — — — —
8th +3 Ghost Story 4 4 4 3 3 2 — — — — —
9th +4 ─ 4 5 4 3 3 3 1 — — — —
10th +4 Divine Arrangement Feature 4 6 4 3 3 3 2 — — — —
11th +4 Body Jump 5 6 4 3 3 3 2 1 — — —
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 5 7 4 3 3 3 2 1 — — —
13th +5 — 5 8 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 — —
14th +5 ─ 5 9 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 — —
15th +5 Paroxysm of the Fleeting 5 9 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 —
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 5 10 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 —
17th +6 Divine Arrangement Feature 5 11 4 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1
18th +6 ─ 5 11 4 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 5 12 4 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1
20th +6 Paroxysm of the Fleeting Improvement 5 13 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1
 Spellcasting Ability
Class Features Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your revenant
As a revenant, you gain the following features: spells, since the power of your magic draws from your first
death, harnassing a raw and natural source to project your
Hit Points intentions with your surroundings. You use your Constitution
Hit Dice: 1d8 per revenant level whenever a spell refers to yoru spellcasting ability. In
Hit Points at First Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the
Hit Points at Higher Levels 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution saving throw DC for a revenant spell you cast and when
modifier per revenant level after 1st making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your
Proficiencies Constitution modifier
Armour: None Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your
Weapons: Choose any 3 simple weapons and any 1 simple Constitution modifier
ranged weapon
Tools: None Divine Arrangement
Saving Throws: Constitution, Wisdom When you reach 3rd level, you discover the diety that had
Skills: Choose any two from Deception, Perception, brought you back from death and gifted your powers to you.
Persuasion, Religion, Stealth or Survival These beings reign over various elements, and the one
discovered will seal the type of magic a revenant is able to
Equpiment cast. The diety can be Amaterasu, Raijin, Susanoo, Inari,
You start with the following equipment, in addition to Izanami or Tsukuyomi, all detailed at the end of the class
equipment gained by your background: description.
(a) a disguise kit or (b) a forgery kit Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at
(a) rope (50 feet) or (b) a chain (10 feet) 6th, 12th, and 17th level.
(a) a dagger or (b) a light hammer
Ghost Story
Death of the Undying When you reach 8th level, you have become skilled at hiding
in plain sight. When you leave the sight of a creature you
At 1st level, you have experienced your first and second don't want to remember you, the creature will have
death. A diety had kept their eye on you for some time now, disadvantage on history rolls and will have a difficult time
and decided it wasn't your time. In ensuring your time, you remembering you and your face. Instead, their memory has
were blessed with a gift of immortality, allowing you the become hazy and the creature will struggle to visualize you
safety net of dying, but not staying dead. If failing on all death until they see you again.
saving throws, the revenant will then enter a coma-like state,
unable to wake up until their days have passed. The player Body Jump
will roll a d12 to determine how many days they are to stay
dead until waking (minimum of 3 days; if the player rolls a 1 At 11th level, your spirit can become untethered from your
or 2, it will equal 3 days). In that time, they will be completely physical form. As an action, you can project your spirit from
incapacitated, unable to communicate even from another your body. The body you leave behind is unconscious.
plane. When the revenant wakes, they will do so with one Your spirit respembles your mortal form in almost every
exhaustion point, remembering nothing from their coma. way, replicating your game statistics but not your
After a revenant's very first death, they will remember possessions. Any damage or other effects that apply to your
nothing from their life at all, until they undergo their second spirit or physical body affects the other. Your spirit can
death, when all memory comes flooding back to them when remain outside your body for up to 1 hour or until your
they wake. concentration is broken. When your projection ends, your
spirit returns to your body or your body magically teleports to
Deathless Nature your spirit's space (your choice).
While projecting your spirit, you gain the following
Your body has evolved after dying more than once and benefits:
waking up as if nothing happened. You are immune to disease
and aging, and gain a resistance to poison. Your spirit and body gain resistance to bludgeoning,
You will still need to eat, drink, breathe and sleep, but you piercing, and slashing damage.
can go without these necessities for longer periods of time. When you cast a spell of the conjuration or necromancy
The exact length of time can be unspoken, decided between school, the spell doesn't require verbal or somatic
you and your DM, or be based on your constitution modifier. components or material components that lack a gold cost.
You have a flying speed equal to your walking speed and
Spellcasting can hover. You can move through creatures and objects as
if they were difficult terrain, but you take 1d10 force
By 1st level, you have learned on how to use your gift from damage if you end your turn inside a creature or an object.
your patron god from inside you to cast spells. You will pull
from the Sorcerer Spellcasting List. Once you use this, you can't do so again until you finish a
long rest.
Paroxysm of the Fleeting You can use this feature a number of times equal to your
Constitution modifier. You regain all expended uses after a
There is no stronger response than the adrenaline- long rest.
intoxicating fight or flight. At level 15, you develop the ability
to, in a way, do both. By using an action, you can expend all or Imperial Champion
all of your remaining spell slots (the remaining spell slot Rule and conquest go hand in hand with the sun and all of
levels must add to a total of at least 9), you will bring about an her creations. In ancient mythology, the first emperor of
explosion of power in a desperate attempt at preservation. Nippon was a descendant of Amaterasu, making all emperors
Each creature in a 30 foot radius must make a Dexterity and empressess that come afterwards under her name.
saving throw. A creature takes 30d6 force damage and 30d6 Starting at 12th level, your royal blood shines through you,
of your Divine Arrangement damage type on a failed save, or granting advantage on all Charisma based checks and saves.
half as much damage on a successful one. The spell will take This ability also allows you to find money in your pockets
everything out of you as well as cause damage to you, killing when you are in a dire need.
you at the instant the spell is complete. You will wake up in
three days as normal. Smoke and Mirrors
At 17th level, you can effectively cause mass chaos and
confusion by a simple trick of footwork. If you are near a
Divine Arrangment reflective surface, you can use a bonus action to consume
every creature in a 60 foot radius in a heavy smoke that only
When you are born again as a revenant, you are brought back you and your allies can know your way around. You will have
to life by a god that decided it wasn't your time to die. As your advantage on all attack rolls, as your enemies will start to see
powers develop, so does your knowledge of your patron diety. more than one apparition of you through various reflections.
Your damage type will change depending on who had
provided you life and power, and by 3rd level you have Raijin's Arrangement
completely learned who you are and who your spirit is An arrangement with Raijin means tethers you to the clouds,
tethered to. Note: the arrangement titles may go by different as he is the god of lightning, thunder, and all storms. Often
names depending on the campaign and its deities, but the confused to be a demon, your powers will stem from your
damage type should match. rage, electrifying anyone that crosses you, even if they try to
Amaterasu's Arrangement flee in terror. Your damage type is lightning and thunder.
Being arranged with Amaterasu means that you are tied to Raijin's Arrangement Spells
the goddess of the sun. Often associated with leadership and Revenant Level Spells
royalty, your powers will pull from the sun itself, flicker and
flame searing across your skin. Your damage type is fire. 3rd shatter, thunderous smite
5th call lightning, lightning bolt
Amaterasu's Arrangement Spells 9th destructive wave, storm sphere
Revenant Level Spells
13th chain lightning, prismatic spray
3rd continual flame, scorching ray
17th control weather, storm of vengeance
5th fireball, flaming sphere
9th fire shield, wall of fire Raijin's Blessing
13th flame strike, investiture of flame When you receive this blessing at 3rd level, you gain a
resistance to lightning and thunder damage, and you are
17th delayed blast fireball, meteor swarm unable to be deafened by any means. You also learn the
shocking grasp and thunderclap cantrips.
Amaterasu's Blessing
When you receive this blessing at 3rd level, you gain a Drummer in the Clouds
resistance to fire damage, and you are unable to be blinded Thunderstorms are music compositions without rhythm, and
by any light or nonmagical means. You also learn the produce at 6th level, you are able to utilize this composition and use it
flame and light cantrips. to carry your body. As a bonus action, a cloud of your
choosing burrows itself beneath your feet, lifting you off the
Cave Dweller ground. Your movement speed is doubled, and you are
Light is what gives life to so many things on the planet. granted advantage on Dexterity based checks and saves.
Plants, animals, even people all rely on the sun in order to You may use your cloud to attack as an action, striking
survive and protect their own livelihood. So what would lightning bolts up to 60 feet around you and dealing 3d6
happen if the sun would hide, plunging the world into lightning damage.
darkness?
Starting at 6th level, you are able to remove light from any Aura of Delicate Balance
source in a 30 foot radius, granting disadvantage on attack Destruction creates protection. That is the way of Raijin. One
rolls from all enemies that don't possess darkvision. The must be viewed as a monster before they are viewed as a
effects will end as soon as light returns to the area. hero.
Starting at 12th level, you have learned to perfect the art of Eye of the Storm
balancing destruction and protection. By using a spell slot, As you mature with your powers, you've come to a more
you can cast a sphere of 30 feet in diameter wherever you complete understanding of the water and how it brings life
can see. This sphere can either grant resistace to damage just as easily as it can destroy it. Starting at 17th level, you
from spells, or it can create vulnerability to damage from can bring about a flood that will wash away anyone within
spells. 120 feet. The creatures must make a Dexterity saving throw,
At 16th level, the range of this aura increases to 60 feet. and initial impact will deal 10d6 bludgeoning damage on a
failed save, with half as much damage on a successful one.
The Champion of the Tempest The terrain will become difficult and your swim speed will be
At 17th level, your anger proceeds you to a hair-rising degree. equal to your walking speed.
Enemies will automatically become frightened at your
presence, and will be unable to break their condition by non- Inari's Arrangement
magical means. Allies fighting alongside you will be granted
advantage on any frightened creature. An arrangement with Inari means that you hold one of the
greatest responsibilities to humanity: to protect it. Extending
Susanoo's Arrangement your hand to heal those in need and cleansing the world of
evil, your powers come from your goodness and love, pulling
If one were to find themselves arranged with Susanoo, they'd from the heavens themselves. Your damage type is radiant.
find that there are plenty of tricks up his sleeve, with you
being no expection, fitting his role as the god of the sea and Inari's Arrangement Spells
storms. Through trickery and comraderie, your powers pull
from the water, going with the flow of life just as it carves its Revenant Level Spells
path through rock. Your damage type is cold and 3rd prayer of healing, scorching ray
bludgeoning. 5th revivify, sickening radiance
9th heal, wall of light
Susanoo's Arrangement Spells
Revenant Level Spells 13th regenerate, sunburst
3rd ice knife, snilloc's snowball swarm 17th mass heal, wish
5th control water, tidal wave
Inari's Blessing
9th freezing sphere, wall of ice When you receive this blessing at 3rd level, you gain a
13th investiture of ice, whirlwind resistance to radiant damage, and you are unable to be
possessed or charmed by any means. You also learn the
17th earthquake, tsunami sacred flame and spare the dying cantrips.
Susanoo's Blessing Beacon of Light
When you receive this blessing at 3rd level, you gain a Starting at 6th level, you can use an action to pull life from
resistance to cold and bludgeoning damage, and you are able your prayers and channel it towards any hostile creatures
to breathe underwater. You also learn the ray of frost and that threaten the vitality of those around you. Each creature
frostbite cantrips. within 30 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a
failed save, the creature takes 4d6 radiant damage, with half
The Problem Child as much damage on a successful one.
Trickery and mischief courses through your veins to an You may wish to concentrate the beacon, by removing 15
almost chaotic degree. Pranks and competition are pratically feet, you can add an extra 1d6 radiant damage to your attack.
second nature, and starting at 6th level, you can use an action If you condense the beacon to where it only hits one creature,
to turn invisible until you attack or cast another spell. It will you can add an extra 2d6 radiant damage to your attack.
not dispel if you pass successful Dexterity (stealth or slight of
hand) checks. Guardian Angel
At 16th level, you will remain invisible for an hour, despite Through your good heart, you have been blessed not only
attacks or spellcasting. when you protect others, but when you save them. At 12th
level, when you heal a creature other than you using a spell of
Wind Waker 1st level or higher, you heal back half of the total spell's hit
At 12th level, you can quickly escape unwanted confrontation. points. For example, if you heal 20 hit points on your ally, you
Outside combat, you have a flying speed equal to your heal 10 hit points as well.
walking speed plus an additional 15 feet (minimum 45 feet).
You may also use this ability underground or indoors. Purge Until Purity
During combat, you can use your bonus action to cause Beginning at 17th level, you can assume the form of the angel
creatures within 15 feet of you to make a Dexterity saving of which others view you. Once per long rest, you can sprout
throw. On a failure, the creature will be blown back 30 feet wings from your back that grant you a flying speed of 60 feet
and be knocked prone. for an hour. At the same time, your radiant presence glows
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your throughout you in beams of gold, making you impossible to
Constitution modifier. You regain all expended uses when you touch. If someone touches you, including if you attack them,
finish a long rest. they will take 2d6 radiant damage.
Izanami's Arrangement Tsukuyomi's Arrangement
Being arranged with Izanami means that you are tethered to Nothing is more mysterious and inticing than the moon,
the underworld, ruled by the goddess of death herself. While which makes your arrangement with Tsukuyomi, the god of
assisting with the creation of life, she had become ruler of the the moon, that much more intriguing. Causing an unsettling
end of life after eating fruits of the underworld -- your deal sense of fear and unease, your powers will pull from the
with her meant you had eaten this same fruit. Shrouded by moon itself, drowning the earth in an uncanny twilight while
death and decay, your power stems from your own being as a a pale glow courses through your veins. Your damage type is
revenant, returning the death that was brought to you. Your psychic.
damage type is necrotic.
Tsukuyomi's Arrangement Spells
Izanami's Arrangement Spells Revenant Level Spells
Revenant Level Spells 3rd dissonant whispers, phantasmal force
3rd arms of hadar, inflict wounds 5th mind spike, tasha's mind whip
5th life transference , vampiric touch 9th mental prison, synaptic static
9th circle of death, harm 13th feeblemind, maddening darkness
13th finger of death, symbol 17th psychic scream, weird
17th Abi-Dalzim’s horrid wilting, time ravage
Tsukuyomi's Blessing
Izanami's Blessing When you receive this blessing at 3rd level, you gain a
When you receive this blessing at 3rd level, you gain a resistance to psychic damage, and you are unable to be
resistance to necrotic damage, and you are unable to be incapacitated in any form by any means. You also learn the
frightened, poisoned, or diseased by any means. You also mind sliver and vicious mockery cantrips.
learn the chill touch and toll the dead cantrips.
Shroud of Mystery
Path to the Grave At 6th level, you gain the ability to adopt a humanoid's
You understand the pain that death brings. In order to persona. When a humanoid dies within 30 feet of you, you
encourage a peaceful passing, beginning at 6 level, you or one can magically capture its shadow using your reaction. You
ally of your choosing within 30 feet of you has advantage on retain this shadow until you use it or you finish a long rest.
death saving throws. You can only use this feature on one You can use the shadow as an action. When you do so, it
person at a time. vanishes, magically transforming into a disguise that appears
on you. You now look like the dead person, but healthy and
Keeper of Souls alive. This disguise lasts for 1 hour or until you end it as a
Starting at 12th level, you can seize a trace of vitality from a bonus action.
parting soul and use it to heal the living. When an enemy you While you're in the disguise, you gain access to all
see dies within 60 feet of you, you or one creature of your information that the humanoid would freely share with a
choice that is within 60 feet of you regain hit points equal to casual acquaintance. Such information includes general
the hit points the enemy had lost in death. You can use this details on its background and personal life, but doesn't
feature only if you aren't incapacitated. Once you use it, you include secrets. The information is enough that you can pass
can't do so again until the start of your next turn. yourself off as the person by drawing on its memories.
Once you capture a shadow with this feature, you can't
Harbringer of the Underworld capture another one until you finish a short or long rest.
Things that are not created cannot be killed. At 17th level, you
have learned to harness the power of creation alongside Breach of Etiquette
removal, oftentimes combining the two in macabre creations. At 12th level, immediately after a creature casts a spell that
Mastering the art of necromancy, you can create an undead targets you, you can use your reaction to force the creature to
using at least three parts of a being that was once living and make a saving throw with its spellcasting ability modifier. On
from pulling a random soul from the underworld, combining a failed save, you negate the spell, and you steal the
these creations into a horrifying figure that will fight at your knowledge of the spell. For the next 8 hours, you know the
aid. These amalgamations can equal a CR of 10 or lower, and spell and can cast it while the creature can't cast that spell
they can return to the underworld either by being killed or by until 8 hours have passed. Once you use this feature, you
being dispelled, if neither of these apply, the creature can stay can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
with you until you take a long rest.
By pulling a random soul, your undead creation will have Pale Readings
one class feature specific to the soul you had pulled, as well Starting at 17th level, you develop a limited ability to see into
as one racial feature specific to the body parts you had used the immediate future. For an hour, you can’t be surprised and
during the being's creation. Any creature fighting your have advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving
creation must make a Wisom saving throw or be frightened throws for an hour. Additionally, other creatures have
until it can succeed a saving throw. disadvantage on attack rolls against the you for the duration.
At 20th level, the creature's CR can equal 15 or lower. You can use this a number of times equal to your Constitution
modifier, and can regain this feature after a long rest.