Essentialist

The Essentialist

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Essentialist Spellcasting, Bounded Object, Soul Vials
2nd	+2	Essence Sight, Arcane Initiate
3rd	+2	Fixation, Essence Monstrosity
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Fascination Paths, Mutator (+2)
5th	+3	Monstrous Resilience
6th	+3	Polyglot, Mutator (+1)
7th	+3	Arcane Prodigy
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Mutator (+1)
9th	+4	Obsession
10th	+4	Expertise
11th	+4	Mind of Steel
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement, Mutator (+1)
13th	+5	Essence Sacrifice
14th	+5	Arcane Prodigy, Mutator (+1)
15th	+5	Expertise
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement, Mutator (+1)
17th	+6	Devouring
18th	+6	Essence Bomb
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement, Mutator (+1)
20th	+6	Essence Vortex

Class Features

As an Essentialist, you gain the following class features.

Hit Dice: 1d4 per Essentialist level
Primary Ability: Charisma
Saves: Wisdom, Charisma
Multiclassing: Intelligence 12, Wisdom 12, Charisma 12

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: One set of artisan's tools (your choice), glassblower's tools
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, and Religion

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
(a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
(a) a scholar's pack or (b) a diplomat's pack
Leather armor, any simple weapon, and two daggers
Two Tier 0 (Glass) soul vials

Essentialist Spellcasting

You have a limited number of spell slots, and all of your spell slots use the highest available level. To cast one of your Essentialist spells, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest. You cannot replace known spells or cantrips when you gain levels unless a feature explicitly allows it.

Your spell save DC for Essentialist spells is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your spellcasting ability modifier.

Your spellcasting is called sigil magic. Whenever you cast an Essentialist spell, you must inscribe a visible sigil in the air with one hand (You must have a free hand to draw the sigil), tracing a specific pattern that shapes the spell. This sigil serves as a special somatic component for the spell. You do not need to provide the spell's verbal component, if it has one, when you cast it as an Essentialist spell.

Essentialist Level	Spell Slot Level	Slots	Cantrips	Spells Known
1-2	1st	2	3	2
3-4	2nd	2	3	4
5-6	3rd	3	4	6
7-8	4th	3	4	8
9-10	5th	4	5	10
11-12	6th	4	5	12
13-16	6th	5	6	14
17-20	6th	5	6	16

Spellcasting Focus

Your bounded object acts as a spellcasting focus for your Essentialist spells.

Essentialist Spell List

You can choose your spells from the Essentialist spell list.

Loading spells...

Spell Name	School	Ritual

Fascination

You wield magic through a bond fueled by your fascination, using sigil magic rather than regular magic. Your spellcasting is described in the Essentialist Spellcasting feature. That bond is bound to your mind, and it can be anchored through certain objects, entities or situations that resonate with your subconsciousness.

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Essentialist spells.

Bounded Object (1st Level)

At 1st level, you gain the ability to bind one item you can carry or wear (such as a ring) as your bounded object, which you use to focus your fascination. You can spend 30 minutes performing a ritual to bind a different item as your bounded object. You can perform this ritual once per day, and you can have only one bounded object at a time. While the object is in your possession, you can use one of the following options. After you use one option, you can't use a different one until you finish a long rest.

When you make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can roll 1d4 and add it to the total. You can use this option a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.
When a creature you can see makes an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, you can roll 1d4 and subtract it from the roll. You can use this option a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.
As an action, you regain a number of expended spell slots equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down), to a minimum of 1 slot. Once you use this option, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses of your bounded object.

Soul Vials

You can capture and store a creature's essence in a soul vial. Soul vials have tiers. A vial's tier must be high enough for the creature's challenge rating, and your Essentialist level must meet the required level for that tier. Each soul vial can hold only one creature's essence at a time. Undead and constructs can't be captured in a soul vial. You can capture a creature only if it has been dead for no more than 24 hours.

From 2nd level, your work with soul vials also lets you Transmute Essence using a 10-minute ritual.

CR Range	Vial Tier	Essentialist Level
0	Tier 0 (Glass Vial)	-
1-3	Tier 1 (Normal Vial)	-
4-7	Tier 2 (Silver Vial)	4th
8-11	Tier 3 (Golden Vial)	8th
12-15	Tier 4 (Forgotten Vial)	12th
16-19	Tier 5 (Legendary Vial)	16th
20	Tier 6 (Mythic Vial)	20th

Soul Vial Costs

Approximate costs by tier are shown below.

Tier	Approximate Cost
Tier 0	About 25 gp
Tier 1	About 50 gp
Tier 2	About 250 gp
Tier 3	About 1,250 gp
Tier 4	About 2,500 gp
Tier 5	About 5,000 gp
Tier 6	About 10,000 gp

Essence Sight (2nd Level)

Starting at 2nd level, your study of souls lets you sense living essence. You gain blindsight called Essence Sight that starts at 15 feet and increases by 5 feet at 4th level and every two Essentialist levels thereafter. Essence Sight is in addition to your normal senses; it does not replace them. You and your Essence Monstrosity are immune to the blinded condition. Within the Essence Sight range, you perceive creatures as outlines of essence even in darkness, though you can't see through full cover. Essence Sight does not detect undead or constructs. While your Essence Monstrosity exists, it also has Essence Sight at the same range.

Essentialist Level	Essence Sight (blindsight)
2	15 ft.
4	20 ft.
6	25 ft.
8	30 ft.
10	35 ft.
12	40 ft.
14	45 ft.
16	50 ft.
18	55 ft.
20	60 ft.

As a bonus action, you can read a creature's essence. Choose one creature you can sense with Essence Sight and roll a d100. Results are additive; higher brackets include all lower information.

d100 Roll	You Learn
10-30	What it is and its creature type
40-60	Its ability scores and challenge rating
70-90	Either one of its resistances or one of its vulnerabilities (if any),(your choice)
100	All of its resistances and all of its vulnerabilities (if any)

Transmute Essence

You recombine three captured essences into a new one.

At 2nd level, you learn to Transmute Essence, a 10-minute ritual that lets you recombine essence into something greater. You sacrifice three essences stored in your soul vials; the three soul vials and their essences are destroyed. You must also provide an empty soul vial of a tier that can hold the ritual's base CR (see below). You gain one new soul vial filled with a random living creature's essence (no undead or constructs). You can perform this ritual once per day, and it consumes a nonmagical gemstone worth at least 100 gp. The minimum Challenge Rating (CR) of any creature whose essence you attempt to transmute is 2; creatures of CR 1 or lower are never valid targets.
At 4th level, you can instead sacrifice the three essences used by your Essence Monstrosity, rather than using three vials. When you do so, you still need to provide an empty soul vial. In this case, the Monstrosity and those essences are destroyed, and your empty vial is filled with a random living creature's essence (this doesn't require a gemstone).

Base CR: Use the average of the three sacrificed essences' CRs (round down, minimum 2).

d100 Roll	CR Result	Notes
10-30	Base CR - 1 (min 1)	Lower than average
40-60	Base CR	Average
70-90	Base CR + 1	Higher than average
100	Base CR + 1	Choose one of two valid creatures

Arcane Initiate

At 2nd level, your foundational sigil studies sharpen your spell execution. Your spell save DC increases by 1.

Fixation (3rd Level)

Fixations are powerful enhancements amplifying your fascination. Each one reshapes your bond and subtly steers your thoughts and behavior.

You choose one fixation when you reach 3rd level. This choice reflects a singular, defining focus within your fascination, and you can't choose a second fixation later. Starting at 9th level, your fixation deepens into an obsession. Your obsession grants you an additional benefit, as described in the fixation's entry.

Loading fixations...

Fixation	Obsession

Fascination Paths (4th Level)

When you reach 4th level, choose one path for your fascination.

Loading fascinations...

Path	Bonus

Monstrous Resilience (5th Level)

At 5th level, your Essence Monstrosity grows more durable. It has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.

Polyglot (6th Level)

Starting at 6th level, you learn two languages of your choice. In addition, you can cast Comprehend Languages without expending a spell slot a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. You can also cast Comprehend Languages using spell slots you have of the appropriate level.

Arcane Prodigy (7th Level)

At 7th level, your grasp of magical concepts and sigil structures deepens. You read spellflows as they form, react faster to shifting arcane patterns, and apply your magic more effectively. Your spell save DC increases by 1, and you gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.

At 14th level, your understanding of arcane theory broadens. You anticipate disruptions, adapt mid-incantation, and refine your casting in the moment. Your spell save DC increases by an additional 1, and you gain proficiency in one additional skill of your choice.

Expertise (10th Level)

At 10th level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

At 15th level, you can choose two more of your skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.

Mind of Steel (11th Level)

Starting at 11th level, you and your Essence Monstrosity are immune to psychic damage.

Essence Sacrifice (13th Level)

Starting at 13th level, you can convert stored souls into raw vitality. As an action, you destroy a number of filled soul vials of your choice, up to a maximum equal to your Essentialist level. You and your Essence Monstrosity each regain hit points equal to twice the combined challenge rating of the creatures whose souls were contained in the destroyed vials (minimum of 1 hit point per creature). The chosen soul vials and the essences within them are lost forever.

Devouring (17th Level)

Starting at 17th level, your Essence Monstrosity can consume a creature's body and lingering essence. When a creature dies within 10 feet of the Monstrosity, you can have it devour the creature over the next minute, leaving behind only the creature's equipment and faint soul scars.

If your Essence Monstrosity has consumed a creature in this way within the last 24 hours, you can't be put to sleep by magic and you are immune to disease. You don't age; your body remains youthful and healthy, and effects that would age you have no effect on you. If 24 hours pass without your Essence Monstrosity consuming a creature in this way, you immediately lose these benefits until it feeds again.

Essence Bomb (18th Level)

Beginning at 18th level, you can force your Essence Monstrosity to violently rupture, releasing the bound essences inside it in a devastating burst. As an action, you cause your Essence Monstrosity to explode and be destroyed. Each creature within 20 feet of it must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC.

On a failed save, a creature takes force damage equal to half of your Essence Monstrosity's maximum hit points (rounded up), is pushed 15 feet away in a random direction and stunned until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and is not stunned. As part of this detonation, all essences in your soul slots are sacrificed and are lost forever.

Essence Vortex (20th Level)

At 20th level, you can tear open the vortex of essences within you and let it flood the battlefield. As a bonus action, you unleash the Essence Vortex, which lasts for 1 minute. For the duration, you emit a 30-foot-radius aura of swirling essence fragments. Every hostile creature within 30 feet of you has its Armor Class reduced by an amount equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum reduction of 1) and has a penalty to its saving throws equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum penalty of 1) while it remains in the radius.

Essence Monstrosity (3rd Level)

Starting at 3rd level, you can fuse captured essences into a single creature: your Essence Monstrosity. It has its own hit point pool and acts as a separate creature. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to mentally command the Essence Monstrosity; when you do so, you choose its movement and the actions it takes on its turn. Until you gain the Splitted Mind mutator, the Essence Monstrosity only moves and acts when you command it in this way.

The Essence Monstrosity shares your initiative and takes its turn immediately after yours. It is proficient in the same saving throws as you.

Base Form

Essence Monstrosity (Base Form)

Medium, unaligned

Armor Class equal to your spell save DC (natural armor)

Hit Points determined by Size and Hit Dice (die size determined by Size; dice count equals the Monstrosity's level, which equals your Essentialist level)

Speed 30 ft.

Senses blindsight (10 ft. base + Essence Sight; see Essence Sight table)

Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

Proficiencies Inherits your saving throw proficiencies; otherwise none.

Soul Slots 3

Armor The Essence Monstrosity can't wear armor.

Traits

Shapeless Form.

As an action, the Essence Monstrosity liquefies into a reddish, transparent fluid and hides within your clothing or gear (it takes the Hide action). While attached, you have disadvantage on Strength (Athletics) and Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks, and the Monstrosity can't move or take actions, bonus actions, or reactions. A creature notices it only on a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check (not if it's plainly visible). As a bonus action, you can have it re-form in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you.

Absorption.

The Essence Monstrosity can absorb nonmagical weapons you offer it. As an action while the Monstrosity is within 5 feet of you, you can present one or more nonmagical weapons; the Monstrosity draws them into its body and they are destroyed, becoming part of its stored essence. A weapon absorbed this way can't be retrieved. When the Essence Monstrosity manifests in a form that uses one of its absorbed weapons, that weapon appears as part of its body or gear, and it can use it without being handed a physical weapon. The Essence Monstrosity can't absorb magic weapons or other magic items with this trait.

Immutable Form.

The Essence Monstrosity is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Actions

Essence Touch.

Melee Spell Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: (1d8 + your proficiency bonus) psychic damage.

Soul Slots

You can have up to 3 captured creatures prepared at once. Each captured creature occupies one soul slot. Prepared creatures must be distinct; you can't slot the same creature more than once. If all soul slots are filled, you can replace any slotted essence with a new one; the replaced essence is lost forever. To change a prepared slot on your active Essence Monstrosity, you must dismiss and resummon it.

Metamorphosis

When you metamorph, you choose which slotted essences are used to form the Essence Monstrosity. The Monstrosity inherits some features, and its ability scores are rebuilt using the rule below.

Start with the Monstrosity's base ability scores (9 in each ability).
For each selected creature, take each positive ability modifier it has and add that number to the Monstrosity's matching base score.
Example: if a grung has a Dexterity modifier of +2, the Monstrosity's Dexterity becomes 10 + 2 = 12 (modifier +1).

Essence Monstrosity Summoning

You can have only one Essence Monstrosity summoned at a time.

You can summon your Essence Monstrosity by performing a 1-hour ritual.
You can dismiss your Essence Monstrosity at will; when dismissed, it vanishes to a separate dimension until you summon it again.
Your Essence Monstrosity can't be more than 90 feet from you; if it remains beyond 90 feet for 1 minute, it is dismissed.
If you drop to 0 hit points, your Essence Monstrosity is automatically dismissed.

While your Essence Monstrosity exists, it takes harm meant for you.

Whenever you take damage, you take an amount equal to half your level (rounded up), and the Essence Monstrosity takes the remaining damage instead.
If the Essence Monstrosity is reduced to 0 hit points, any remaining damage carries over to you.

Mutators

Starting at 4th level, you learn mutators: mutations you choose for your fascination.

Most mutators modify your Essence Monstrosity, but some also affect you. Each mutator in the list below notes whether it affects only the Monstrosity, only you, or both.

At 4th level, you learn two mutators of your choice.
At later levels, you learn additional mutators as shown in the Mutators Known table.
You can choose a mutator only if you meet its prerequisites and level requirement.
When you gain a level in this class, you can replace one mutator you know with another mutator you meet the requirements for.

Essentialist Level	Mutators Known
1-3	0
4-5	2
6-7	3
8-11	4
12-13	5
14-15	6
16-18	7
19-20	8

Loading mutators...

Mutator	Type	Min Level	Target

Essence Absorption Limits

The Essence Monstrosity can absorb techniques from enemies you consume.

Essentialist Level	Max Actions	Max Special Abilities	Max Resistances Immunities	Max Condition Resistances Immunities
1-10	3	2	1	1
11-15	3	3	1	1
16-20	4	4	2	2

The Essence Monstrosity cannot absorb Multiattack, Legendary Actions, Lair Actions, or Regional Effects.
The Essence Monstrosity cannot absorb Spellcasting or Innate Spellcasting features unless you know the Arcane Blood mutator.
The Essence Monstrosity's attack rolls for absorbed actions use its spell attack bonus (your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier).
Melee weapon attacks add the Monstrosity's Strength modifier to damage; ranged weapon attacks add its Dexterity modifier. If an attack is neither a melee nor ranged weapon attack, its bonus damage equals to your proficiency bonus.
The Essence Monstrosity's Armor Class equals your spell save DC (natural armor). Natural armor from absorbed creatures is ignored; class features and mutators can modify this value.
The Essence Monstrosity uses your proficiency for its saving throws; absorbed features do not change this.
If an absorbed action or ability lists damage dice larger than the Monstrosity's Hit Die, reduce the die size to match its Hit Die; the number of dice does not change.
Prepared creatures must be distinct; the Monstrosity cannot slot the same creature more than once, eg. two giant spiders.
Ignore the absorbed creature's attack bonuses and ability modifiers. The Monstrosity always uses its own ability scores and proficiency for calculations.

Size

The Essence Monstrosity's size is derived from the creatures used in its current metamorphosis. Its hit point pool is determined by this size.

Size	Value	Hit Die	Avg HP per Die
Tiny	0	d4	2
Small	1	d6	3
Medium	2	d8	4
Large	3	d10	5
Huge	4	d12	6
Gargantuan	5	d20	10

To determine the Essence Monstrosity's size, consult the combinations table below.

When determining the Essence Monstrosity's hit points from its Hit Dice, add its Constitution modifier to each Hit Die (as normal).

The number of Hit Dice equals the Essence Monstrosity's level. The Monstrosity's level equals your Essentialist class level. Unless otherwise stated, all references to "your level" in this section mean your Essentialist level.

Creature A	Creature B	Creature C	Resulting Size