Evolutionist

Class Features

As an evolutionist, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d10 per evolutionist level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per evolutionist level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
• Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
• Tools: None

• Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
• Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation, Medicine, Stealth, and Survival

Equipment

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

• (a) scale mail, (b) studded leather, or (c) any simple weapon
• (a) a maul, (b) two scimitars, or (c) any martial weapon
• (a) two spears, (b) two daggers, or (c) a set of artisan’s tools
• An explorer’s pack and a shield

Alternatively, you can ignore the equipment listed above and in your background, and buy 4d4 x 10 gp worth of equipment from Chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook.

Evolutionary Method

You have an distinct method to upgrading your body, which determines the nature of your enhancements. Choose one of the following methods: Fleshstiching, Infusion, Innovation, Mutation, Symbiosis, or Worship, each of which is detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st level, a method spell list at 2nd level, and additional benefits at 6th, 15th, and 18th levels.

Method Spell Lists

Each method has a list of spells associated with it, detailed in its description. At 2nd level, the spells presented on that list are added to the evolutionist spell list for you.

Augmentation

Each evolutionist begins with an augmentation, which is a foundation for their enhancements, defining the types of upgrades they will be able to attain later down the line.

Starting at 1st level, you modify your body with an augmentation, choosing one of the options below. You can choose another augmentation to implement when you reach 3rd and 10th level, which cannot be one you already have.

The power of your augmentations is determined by your augmentation stage, which begins at one. As you gain more levels in this class, this number will increase, as seen on the Augmentation Stage column of the Evolutionist table.

Some augmentations and other features from this class grant you access to natural weapons. These natural weapons have the following properties:

• You are proficient with them, and you can use Strength or Dexterity for their attack and damage rolls.
• They deal 1d8 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, as appropriate for the natural weapon.
• Starting at 3rd level, they are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunities.

Arm Augmentation

You gain a bonus to damage rolls you make with non-natural weapons equal to half your augmentation stage (rounded up). Additionally, you can use either of your arms as natural weapons, which also gain the benefit of this feature.

Core Augmentation

Your hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to five times your augmentation stage.

Exterior Augmentation

While you are not wearing armor, your AC equals 15 + your augmentation stage. You can wield a shield and still gain this benefit.

Growth Augmentation

You gain up to three new bodily features which can be used as natural weapons, but can't wield weapons or shields. When you attack with one of them, you gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to half your augmentation stage (rounded up).

Head Augmentation

You gain proficiency in Perception and one other skill of your choice. Also, you gain a bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws equal to your augmentation stage.

Leg Augmentation

Your walking speed increases by 5 feet plus an additional amount of feet equal to five times your augmentation stage. Also, you can use either of your legs as natural weapons.

Metabolic Ignition

As an evolutionist progresses further, their modifications become more gruesome. They begin to use their own body as a fuel source; consuming their own vitality to crush their foes.

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your bonus action to enter a state of metabolic ignition. When you do, you choose one of your augmentations to ignite, gaining benefits based on your choice while you remain ignited. You can only have one augmentation ignited at a given time.

Your Augmentations

    Arm Augmentation. You can implement the Arm Augmentation into one or both of your arms, possibly by altering the muscle fibers within them or by encasing them to enhance their power. You could also mutilate them instead, replacing them entirely to gain the power you seek.

Core Augmentation. The Core Augmentation is a modification to the torso of the body, most often by augmenting the area in an around the heart to increase survivability. You might even replace your heart or other organs entirely to do so.

Exterior Augmentation. Your defense is bolstered when you gain the Exterior Augmentation, which could be gained by implementing a protective layer under your skin, covering your entire body in a durable overcoat, or by gaining a full exoskeleton.

Growth Augmentation. There are many ways to implement the Growth Augmentation, but it always involves gaining new parts to use as weapons. These new bodily features can take any form of your choice, such as sharpened teeth, hooves, a tail, claws, fangs, spines, horns, or tentacles.

Head Augmentation. Improving your senses and mind is your main goal when implementing the Head Augmentation. You can do so by replacing parts of your head, by morphing it's entire structure, or enhancing individual facial features.

Leg Augmentation. Speed is the key for the Leg Augmentation, which affects one or both of your legs. You could cover your legs with a strong frame, or change their structure entirely. You can also mutilate them, replacing them with stronger legs, or some entirely new type of appendage.

     When you first ignite and at the start of each of your turns thereafter while you are ignited, your current hit points are reduced by an amount equal to 2 + your proficiency bonus. This does not count as damage or affect your concentration. At the start of your turn, before this hit point reduction takes effect, you can choose to end your metabolic ignition as a bonus action. It also ends if you are incapacitated.

Ignitions

• Arm Augmentation: The first time on each of your turns that you hit an attack which receives the augmentation's damage bonus, it deals extra damage equal to an additional roll of the weapon's damage dice + your augmentation stage.
• Core Augmentation: You gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + three times your augmentation stage at the end of each of your turns.
• Exterior Augmentation: While you are not wearing armor, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• Growth Augmentation: Once on each of your turns when you make a weapon attack with one of the natural weapons gained from the augmentation, you can repeat the attack as a part of the same action.
• Head Augmentation: You have advantage on attack rolls, unless disadvantage would normally apply to the roll.
• Leg Augmentation: The speed increase gained from the augmentation is doubled, and your movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

Upgrades

The next stage in an evolutionist's path of enhancement is upgrades, which are a vast set of unique modifications, each of which giving the user specific benefits. Most upgrades requite a specific augmentation to be implemented.

Starting at 2nd level, you gain one upgrade of your choice from the upgrade list at the end of the class description. At certain levels thereafter you gain additional upgrades, as seen on the Upgrades column of the Evolutionist table.

Upgrade Spells Lists

Each upgrade has a list of spells associated with it, detailed in its description. Whenever you gain an upgrade, the spells on its list are added to the evolutionist spell list for you.

Visceral Surge

By 2nd level, you have developed the ability to create spell-like effects. Delving into the reaches of your being, you siphon power from your body, funneling it into your enhancements to unleash a surge of your inner power. See Chapter 10 of the Players Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting.

Casting Evolutionist Spells

You cast your developed evolutionist spells without using spell slots, at a level equal to your augmentation stage. You can cast one spell using this feature. You must then finish a short or long rest in order to use your Visceral Surge again.

For example, at 5th level your augmentation stage is two, so you would cast evolutionist spells as 2nd-level spells.

Beginning at 5th level, you can use your Visceral Surge twice between rests, and when you reach 13th level, you can use it three times between rests. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.

The Appearance of Your Alterations

    Upgrades. Each upgrade is fairly broad when it comes to their general appearance - you decide the appearance of your upgrades. When considering what each of your upgrades look like, consider your evolutionary method, how your character would upgrade their body, the augmentation prerequisites of the upgrade, and the effects that the upgrade produces. Be creative with each individual upgrade.

Visceral Surge. Evolutionists do not cast spells like wizards or sorcerers - the spell-like effects they generate are purely driven by the modifications they make to their body. As such, developing an evolutionist spell requires altering the body; and similar to upgrades, you decide how that modification manifests. When considering how you unleash each of your individual spells, you should consider the source of the spell, whether that be from an upgrade or from your Evolutionary Method, as well as the effects that the spell creates. Consider each of your spells and invent unique, creative ways for them to be cast.

Spells Developed of 1st Level and Higher

At 2nd level, you develop two 1st-level spells of your choice from the evolutionist spell list, which is initially empty. You will have already begun building your own spell list through your Evolutionary Method and upgrades, and will continue to do so as you progress further as an evolutionist.

The Spells Developed column of the Evolutionist table shows when you develop more evolutionist spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than your augmentation stage. For example, when you reach 5th level, you develop a new evolutionist spell, which can be 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the evolutionist spells you know and replace it with another spell from the evolutionist spell list, which also must be of a level no higher than your augmentation stage.

If you develop a spell which has (self only) after its name, you can only target yourself when you cast it.

Spellcasting Ability

Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your evolutionist spells, since the power of your spells is drawn from your own body. You use Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use Constitution when setting the saving throw DC for an evolutionist spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +

Augmented Casting

You can use any modified part of your body as a spellcasting focus for your evolutionist spells, and whenever you cast one, you can perform the somatic components even if you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands.