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Mourne
2017-03-11, 10:12 PM
Yet another roguish archetypes…

FILCH
The filtch is the descendant of the members of a long dead thieves’ guild that were cursed by a powerful fey being for stealing some minor trinket. Filches, while appearing mostly human, are cursed to take the form of rats, even appearing somewhat rat-like in their natural humanoid guise. Many filches have little or no control of their curse and are little more than beasts, turning into rats when injured or frightened, whereas others master the intricacies of their condition and turn it into a powerful asset.


FILCH CURSE
Transforming those under the curse to live as vermin, both in form and spirit, the filch curse has become so powerful over the generations that not even the greatest magics can unwind the strands of the weave binding the descendants of the original thieves. Over the course of many lifetimes, filch clan wealth has been squandered on wishes, divine interventions, and fruitless quests for powerful relics. All for naught as, to this day, the curse is more powerful than ever.
NOTE: A DM could easily substitute any CR 0 animal for the rat (for my own campaign, I have a version that uses the spider as a base creature). Cats, ravens, and snakes would work well, though likely requiring some modification to the hybrid form and sewer rat feature. Note that a filch is not a true lycanthrope and cannot transmit lycanthropy (the curse can only passed on to the child of one who is cursed).

RAT FORM
At 3rd level you gain the ability to shapeshift into a rat as a 10 minute ritual. While in rat form you replace your stat block with that of the rat, with the following exceptions:

- You retain your hit points. Damage suffered while in rat form carries over to your humanoid form
- You cannot speak in this form
- You can communicate with rats as per the *speak with animals* spell
- You cannot carry or use equipment. Any equipment you were wearing or carrying is left behind when you shapeshift
- You retain all your rogue features with the exception of sneak attack
- You retain the same Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores you have in your humanoid form
- You retain your personality and alignment

You are able to shapeshift twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

You can stay in your shapeshifted form for a number of hours equal to half your rogue level (rounded down) before reverting to your humanoid form. You can spend another use of this feaure to maintain your rat form. You can revert to your humanoid form at any time by using a bonus action on your turn.

If you are rendered unconscious or killed in your shapeshifted form, you immediately return to your humanoid form. If there is not enough room in the area to return to humanoid form, you instead remain in your rat form.

Additionally, you add one of the following flaws to your personality (1d6):

1. “Food is precious and I will take every opportunity to make sure I have more than enough, including stealing from my comrades.”
2. “I cannot resist stealing and hiding small valuables, especially if they are shiny or otherwise interesting.”
3. “There is safety in numbers. I do not like to fight or forage alone.”
4. “Cleanliness is not a desirable quality. I relish being in the muck and the mire.”
5. “Those who are not part of the family (cursed) cannot ever be truly trusted.”
6. “I prefer to be hidden and will always try to remain in the shadows or behind cover when at all possible.”

SEWER DWELLER
Condemned to live in the meanest of places, at 3rd level you gain resistance to disease and darksight to 30 feet. If you already have darksight, the range increases by 30 feet.

As a bonus action, you can attempt to transmit a disease to any foe that you successfully hit with a sneak attack. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity bonus) or suffer from the effects of sewer plague (DMG, Pg. 257). A creature inflicted with sewer plague does not necessarily know that they are diseased.

KEEN SENSES
At 9th level, regardless of what form you take, your senses are heightened. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell and your passive perception increases by +2.

In addition, as you further master the filch curse, you are nearly immune to other curses. If targeted with a curse, you have advantage on saving throws to resist. If you succeed on the saving throw, the target cannot attempt another curse effect on you for 24 hours.

This resistance covers the spells bestow curse and hex as well as any creature’s natural ability with the word curse in it.

HYBRID FORM
At 13th level you are able to thwart and twist the curse to maintain a bit more of your humanoid abilities while in rat form. As an action, you can shapeshift into your rat form or a hybrid form resembling a mixture of rat and humanoid. You replace your stat block with that of the giant rat, with the following exceptions:

- You retain your hit points. Damage suffered while in hybrid form carries over to your other forms
- You can use a bonus action to make a single bite attack. Your bite is a natural weapon, which deals 1d4 piercing damage + your Dexterity modifier.
- You can communicate with rats as per the *speak with animals* spell
- You can cast *beast sense* at will, though only with rats
- You have the ability to speak, though your voice is clearly of unnatural origin
- You can wear, carry or use equipment in this form.
- You retain all your rogue features.
- You retain the same Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores you have in your humanoid form.
- You retain your personality and alignment.

You can now stay in your shapeshifted form for a number of hours equal to your rogue level (rounded down) before reverting to your humanoid form. You can spend another use of this feaure to maintain your hybrid form. You can revert to your humanoid form at any time by using a bonus action on your turn.

If you are rendered unconscious or killed in your shapeshifted form, you immediately return to your humanoid form or your rat form, rolling a d6 to determine which (1-3 humanoid, 4-6 rat). If there is not enough room in the area to return to humanoid form, you instead remain in rat form.

MASTERED FORM
At 19th level, you have mastered the Filch Curse and have nearly complete control over your transformation. You can use your Cunning Action to shift into your rat form or your hybrid form. Your hybrid form is modified as follows:

- Your size becomes medium
- You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons
- Your bite attack now does 1d6 piercing damage
- You gain a Dexterity of 15 if your score isn't already higher
- You have advantage on stealth checks

While in your mastered form, you can shift between your rat form and humanoid form as often as you would like as a bonus action.

In addition, once per long rest, you may summon 1d3 swarms of rats provided you are in a location where rats might live (as determined by the DM). You can direct these swarms as a bonus action and the swarms remain for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one) before scattering.

GorinichSerpant
2017-03-11, 11:25 PM
I feel that the fluff of "cursed to shapeshift into a rat" doesn't fit with the mechanics of "10 minute ritual required to shapeshift", especially the part where some flinches go rat when frightened.