BlacklightVirus
2022-08-30, 01:46 PM
Howdy! For the last 6 months or so, I've been working on an aberration/mutant themed custom class for 5E inspired by Prototype's Alex Mercer, albeit reigned in a bit... okay, more like "a lot." (The guy's a little OP to be PC material undiluted.)
I'm still pretty new so I can't post links (which means you don't get to see my fancy images or formatting on Homebrewery =( ) so I've reproduced the text below, divided up and spoilered for your convenience.
Evolved
In the dark of night, an elven woman finds herself cornered by a gang of ruffians. Rather than run, she instead turns on them with a savage grin. Foot-long claws, sharp as razors, erupt from her hands as she leaps at her prey.
A half-orc makes a mad dash through an enraged mob, a tiefling child clutched to his chest. He barrels onward at an inhuman pace, heedless of the blows he incurs, his wounds restitching themselves without even a trace of blood.
On the field of a grand battle, a weary dragonborn commander retires to his tent. A stifled shout, a brief struggle, and moments later a human woman emerges from the tent. Black tendrils momentarily roil over her body before they settle into the scaled visage of the late commander.
Evolved are creatures derived from humanoids that have survived and bonded with an aberrant virus. Whatever they were before their transformation, they now find themselves honed through conflict and strife into ever deadlier predators.
Viral Mutants
Evolved are connected not by a faith, lifestyle, or training, but instead find their commonality in their creation. Most beings die outright from being infected with the virus, and many more emerge from their sickness forever weakened. But a rare few survive, and find themselves reborn, recreated from the ground up in the virus' image. These are the evolved.
By having their bodies metabolized and reconstructed by the virus, evolved are granted a number of abilities either rare or unheard of in other humanoids, chief among them their capacity for adaptation. Their bodies are formed from an interwoven mesh of malleable tendrils known as biomass, capable of denaturing and reshaping itself into any number of forms, ranging from simply mimicking clothing to fashioning various parts of their bodies into vicious weaponry.
Innate Bloodlust
The virus that created the evolved is borderline intelligent, in its own way. It's driven to spread and infect, and to that end gradually molds evolved into efficient hunters by way of both an instinctive desire to consume and absorb other humanoids and abilities that adapt over time to be increasingly effective in aiding that process.
However, evolved aren't just the virus given humanoid form. They still retain their sapience and free will, and many strive to use their circumstances to do good. Some instead exploit their abilities for more self-serving purposes. Others merely choose to keep a low profile and continue their lives as if nothing had happened to them. In the end, though, the number of evolved that fully give in to the will of the virus remains low, a mercy given the havoc a rabid member of their kind can cause.
Creating an Evolved
When creating your evolved, consider both how they were initially infected and how they view their condition. Talk with your DM about an appropriate origin for them. Is the virus a common sight in this world, taking countless lives? Or is it something foreign to this land, leaving your character a unique case? How were you infected? Was it during a widespread outbreak, a scourge that tore through your home, leaving little more than corpses behind? Or were you exposed under more controlled conditions, as part of a test or experiment? Perhaps your state is a "gift" from an aberrant being, maybe even another evolved. Or perhaps it's a mystery to even you, something lost to a forgotten past.
What is your relationship with your pre-infection self? Are you still the same person you once were, or do you perceive yourself as someone new? Do you relish in your newfound strength, believing yourself to be superior to other humanoids? Or do you view yourself as being somehow fundamentally corrupted? Do you feel your ability to absorb the life essence of other humanoids is something abhorrent, never to be used; a necessary dark side to a condition that is otherwise a boon; or a potent tool in keeping yourself alive and your enemies dead? Are you something less than human, or something more?
Quick Build
You can make an evolved quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the soldier background.
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Adaptations Known
Biomass Dice
1st
+2
Viral Nature, Biomass, Unarmored Defense
—
1d8
2nd
+2
Adaptation, Shapechange
1
2d8
3rd
+2
Viral Strain
1
3d8
4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
1
4d8
5th
+3
Extra Attack
2
5d8
6th
+3
Empowered Strikes, Consume
2
6d8
7th
+3
Strain Feature
2
7d8
8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
3
8d8
9th
+4
Shapechange Improvement
3
9d8
10th
+4
Adaptation Improvement
3
10d8
11th
+4
Strain Feature
4
11d8
12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
4
12d8
13th
+5
Expulsion, Consume Improvement
4
13d8
14th
+5
Biomass Regeneration
5
14d8
15th
+5
Strain Feature
5
15d8
16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
5
16d8
17th
+6
Adaptation improvement
6
17d8
18th
+6
Strain Feature
6
18d8
19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
6
19d8
20th
+6
Apex Predator
7
20d8
Class Features
As an evolved, you gain the following class features:
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d10 per evolved level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per evolved level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: shields
- Weapons: simple weapons
- Tools: none
- Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
- Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a simple weapon and a shield or (b) any two simple weapons
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
Alternately, you may start with 4d4 x 10 gp to buy your own equipment
Viral Nature
Your transformation into an evolved has altered your very biology. Though your outward appearance matches that of your pre-infection self, internally the story is much different. Rather than flesh, blood, and bone, your body is now composed of biomass, an interwoven mesh of black, chitinous tendrils capable of spectacular feats of mimicry, mutation, and resilience.
Due to your unnatural composition, you gain a number of benefits:
- You do not need to eat or drink.
- You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 6 hours if you spend those hours in an inactive, motionless state, during which you retain consciousness.
- You have advantage on saving throws against disease and being poisoned. You also have resistance to poison damage.
However, the fact that you aren't quite alive or dead comes with drawbacks:
- You can be detected by abilities and spells that sense the presence of aberrations or undead, but do not otherwise qualify as this creature type.
- When you are targeted by a spell or imbue a potion that restores hit points, you regain only half the number of hit points, rounded down, minimum 1.
Biomass
Your body contains an auxiliary reserve of biomass outside of what is needed to maintain your humanoid form, represented by a pool of d8s equal to your evolved level.
The rush of adrenaline in combat allows you to utilize these dice to stimulate your innate regenerative abilities. While you are within 120 feet of a hostile creature, as a bonus action, you may expend a number of dice up to your proficiency bonus. Roll the spent dice and add them together. You regain a number of hit points equal to the total, up to your maximum hit point total. You regenerate all expended biomass die at the end of a long rest.
Starting at 2nd level, you can concentrate biomass into your Adaptation attacks, granting them additional power. Once per round, when making an attack with one of your Adaptations, you may expend a number of biomass die up to your proficiency bonus. Roll the spent dice and add them together, adding this damage to the damage roll of the attack.
Unarmored Defense
Your body's composition is tougher than ordinary flesh and blood. While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Adaptation
Starting at 2nd Level, your body begins to express combat mutations known as Adaptations, listed at the end of this class description. As a bonus action, you can manifest, switch between, or dispel any of your known Adaptations. You are proficient with any attacks made with your Adaptations.
The number of Adaptations you know is shown on the Evolved table. When you gain a level in this class, you can choose to replace one of the Adaptations you know for another from the Adaptations list.
If an Adaptation has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. You can learn the Adaptation at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.
Some of your Adaptations require the target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Adaptation save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier
Starting at 10th level, you may express two Adaptations simultaneously, one offensive and one defensive. Only one Adaptation can be manifested, switched, or dispelled per bonus action.
Beginning at 17th level, your Adaptations have refined themselves to near perfection. The number of non-biomass damage die you roll for any Adaptation attack is doubled.
Shapechange
Beginning at 2nd level, you learn how to exploit your biomass's mimetic capabilities. You are able to alter your form to produce a facsimile of clothing, which you can modify as an action. Such clothing is unable to be separated from your body.
Starting at 9th level, you gain greater control of your biomass. As an action, you can expend 1 biomass die to change your appearance and your voice. You determine the specifics of the changes, including your coloration, hair length, and sex. You can also adjust your height and weight, but not so much that your size changes. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change. If you are wearing clothing generated from your biomass, you may alter it as part of the same action, otherwise clothing and equipment aren't changed by this feature.
You can attempt to duplicate another humanoid you have seen, but the disguise won't be flawless; a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your Adaptation save DC to discern that you are disguised.
You stay in the new form for 1 hour, until you use an action to revert to your true form, or until you die.
Viral Strain
The virus within you is an intelligent thing, always mutating, searching for the peak of efficiency. At 3rd level, the traits of your strain speciate into one of four variants: Brawler, Juggernaut, Hunter, or Hydra, all outlined at the end of this class description. Your strain grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Empowered Strikes
Starting at 6th level, the aberrant nature of the virus within you makes itself known, lending your Adaptations a supernatural edge. Your Adaptation attacks and expulsions now count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.
Consume
Starting 6th level, the virus within you grows restless, hungering for more flesh to sustain itself. As an action, you may infect a Large, Medium, or Small creature (that is not a construct, elemental, or undead) that has fallen to 0 hit points within the last 10 minutes, exposing it to the virus you are composed of and draining what remains of its vital essence. You regain a number of spent biomass die equal to your Constitution modifier, up to your pool maximum. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, minimum 1. All spent uses are recharged at the end of a long rest.
Starting at 13th level, you can temporarily exceed your normal density to enter a state of critical mass. When you consume a creature, you additionally gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your evolved level. These temporary hit points last for 1 hour.
Expulsion
Starting at 13th level, you have mutated to be able to push your body to its very limit. While you have any temporary hit points from your Consume feature, as an action, you may choose to expend your temporary hit points to unleash a massive attack known as an expulsion. The attack's damage type is piercing, and is calculated by rolling a number of biomass dice equal to the number of temporary hit points expended, up to a maximum equal to half your evolved level. The dice are then expended. All creatures within the area of effect must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking the rolled total damage on a failure, or half as much on a success. Once you use this feature, it can not be used again until you finish a long rest.
Two types of expulsion attacks are available to you:
- Biomass Shot A massive tentacle explodes from your outstretched palms like a cannon blast, dealing severe damage to anything in its path. Range: Self (5-foot wide, 60-foot line).
- Tendril Swarm: Tendrils burst from your body in all directions, piercing anything within reach. Range: Self (30-foot-radius sphere).
Biomass Regeneration
Beginning at 14th level, when you roll initiative and have no biomass dice remaining, you regain 2 biomass dice.
Apex Predator
At 20th level, you embody the ultimate lifeform. You gain 8 ability points to distribute across any ability scores, up to a maximum of 24 in any score. You may change the distribution of these 8 points when you finish a long rest.
Viral Strains
While each evolved is as different as the humanoid they were created from, the virus nonetheless tends to mutate along certain patterns of traits, known as strains. The four primary strains in existence are as follows:
Brawler
Brawler-strain evolved’s extensive usage of their combat adaptations has refined both the adaptations and themselves into highly effective weapons.
Fast Movement
Beginning when you choose this strain at 3rd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing heavy armor. This bonus increases by an additional 5 feet at 11th level (15 feet) and 18th level (20 feet).
Combat Mutations
Starting at 7th level, your Adaptations mutate to better realize your offensive potential. Your Adaptations gain an optional additional effect as outlined in the following section.
Rampage
Beginning at 11th level, your bloodlust reaches a fever pitch in combat, allowing you to push yourself past your normal capabilities. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with an Adaptation attack on your turn, you can use your bonus action to move up to half your speed and make an additional Adaptation attack.
Savage Reflexes
Beginning at 15th level, when a creature hits or misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make an Adaptation attack against the creature immediately after its attack, provided you can see the creature and it is within range of your Adaptation.
Extra Attack
Starting at 18th level, you can attack three times, rather than twice, whenever you take the Attack action to make an Adaptation attack.
Juggernaut
Juggernaut-strain evolved have a more defensive style of combat, relying on their natural regeneration to outlast their opponents.
Enhanced Healing
Beginning when you choose this strain at 3rd level, when you expend biomass die to regain hit points, you additionally gain a number of temporary hit points equal to double the number of die spent.
Viral Resilience
At 7th level, your hit point total increases by an amount equal to your evolved level. Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your hit point total increases by an additional hit point.
Rapid Regeneration
Beginning at 11th level, your regenerative abilities have evolved to a point that debilitating injuries are no longer a concern for you. You have advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the conditions of blindness, deafness, paralysis, or stunned on yourself.
Adaptive Healing
Starting at 15th level, your regeneration markedly increases in its efficiency. When you roll a 1 or a 2 when rolling biomass dice to regain hit points, you can reroll the die and use the new roll.
Adrenaline Surge
Starting at 18th level, the virus within you grants you the ability to keep fighting despite grievous wounds. If you drop to 0 hit points and don't die outright, you can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead.
Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When you finish a short or long rest, the DC resets to 10.
Hunter
Hunter-strain evolved, while still retaining the combat adaptations of their brethren, instead turn their abilities towards stealth, infiltration, and subterfuge.
Thermal Vision
Beginning when you choose this strain at 3rd level, your senses adjust to better track your prey. As an action, you are able to alter your sight to detect heat out to a range of 60 feet, allowing you to visually perceive the temperature of your surroundings. Sources of warmth (such as fires or humanoids) appear to glow while you are using this sense. This sense ignores magical and non-magical darkness, thick smoke or fog, and visual illusions. It does not reveal magically invisible creatures or objects. You are unable to use this sense if you are blinded.
Assume Form
Starting at 7th level, you can expend 1 biomass die to use an action to shapeshift into an exact replica of the most recent humanoid you have consumed, optionally including any equipment or clothing it was wearing at the time you consumed it. The replicated equipment is non-magical, non-functional, and unable to be separated from your person. Any equipment or clothing not created from your biomass that you are currently wearing is unaffected. The change is merely visual; you retain your game statistics. You can remain in the new form for 1 hour, until you use your action to revert to your true form, or until you die.
Starting at 18th level, your ability recall the forms of those you've consumed has expanded greatly, allowing you to take the form of any humanoid you've consumed since you gained this feature.
Memory Reader
Beginning at 11th level, when you consume a humanoid, you gain access to the memories of the last 24 hours of its life.
Stolen Proficiency
At 15th level, you've learned to draw upon the knowledge of those you've consumed. You become proficient in any two skills or one skill and one tool of your choice. Optionally, you also become fluent in an additional language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.
Hunter's Mask
Beginning at 18th level, you gain deeper access to your prey's memories, including any secrets known by them. When you assume the form of a humanoid you've consumed, you gain advantage on any ability checks to convince others of your identity as the consumed humanoid, using their memories to inform your actions.
Hydra
Hydra-strain evolved have discovered ways to wound their prey outside of basic physical attacks, altering their biology to allow for other, more exotic forms of damage.
Toxic Strikes
Beginning when you select this strain at 3rd level, your biomass mutates to produce toxic substances that coat your Adaptations. When expending biomass die to enhance an Adaptation attack, the extra dice deal either acid or poison damage (your choice) instead of the original damage type of the attack. You can change the damage type when you finish a long rest.
Starting at 7th level, your Adaptations can now incorporate either electric-eel-like muscle blocks or traces of the virus that infected you. Your options for damage types expand to include lightning and necrotic.
Additional Affliction
Beginning at 7th level, the effectiveness of your additional damage increases. Upon successfully dealing elemental damage from an Adaptation to a creature, the target is affected by the following condition until the end of your next turn:
- Acid: -1 AC
- Lightning: Can't take reactions
- Necrotic: Can't regain hit points
- Poison: Poisoned
Elemental Resistance
Beginning at 11th level, your affinity for your chosen element infuses your biomass. You gain resistance to your chosen damage type.
Agonizing Toxin
Starting at 15th level, your additional damage leaves a lingering pain that makes it difficult for foes to retain focus. When an attack from your Adaptation inflicts elemental damage, the target makes any resulting concentration saving throw at disadvantage.
Systemic Shock
Starting at 18th level, your additional damage is strong enough to weaken foes and make them more susceptible to future attacks. When you successfully deal elemental damage from an Adaptation attack, you can spend 1 biomass die to force the target to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target becomes vulnerable to that damage type until the end of your next turn. If the target has a resistance to the damage type, it makes this saving throw at advantage, and on a failure becomes normally affected by the damage type instead.
Adaptations
All Adaptation attacks have a range of 5 feet and utilize your Strength modifier unless otherwise specified. Unless otherwise specified, you can not make weapon attacks that require two hands while you have an Adaptation expressed.
Armor (Defensive, Prerequisite Level 11)
Plates of hardened, insulated biomass cover your body, providing outstanding protection at the cost of mobility. While this Adaptation is active, you gain a resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire, and lightning damage. However, you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws. You are able to make weapon attacks that require two hands while this Adaptation is expressed.
Brawler Mutation: Immovable Object
You have advantage on any saving throws or ability checks to avoid being pushed, pulled, or knocked prone.
Biomass Bomb (Offensive)
You create a palm-sized ball of volatile biomass that can be thrown to provide you with a long-distance option for attack. On impact, the bomb explodes into a flurry of razor-sharp tendrils. All creatures within 5 feet of a point you choose within 60 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 slashing damage.
Brawler Mutation: Luminous Bomb
By expending 1 biomass die, you can alter the composition of a biomass bomb to instead produce a bioluminescent fluid. When altered this way, the bomb deals no damage, but instead coats objects in the area with the glowing chemical. Any creature in the affected area when the bomb explodes must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is covered in the chemical.
For 1 minute, objects and affected creatures shed dim light in a 10-foot radius. In addition, any attack roll against an affected creature or object has advantage if the attacker can see it, and an affected creature or object can't benefit from being invisible. The effect can be ended early by a creature using an action to wipe away the chemical on an affected object or creature.
Blade (Offensive, Prerequisite Level 11)
Your arm transforms into a sword-like, sharp-edged limb, providing you with an Adaptation balanced in power and speed. This Adaptation deals slashing damage equal to 2d8 + your Strength modifier.
Brawler Mutation: Wounding Edge
When you hit a creature with an attack from this Adaptation, you can expend 1 biomass die to have the target to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 1d4 slashing damage at the start of each of its turns. At the end of each of its turns, an affected target can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Claws (Offensive, Finesse, Prerequisite Level 5)
Both your hands transform into long claws, providing you with an Adaptation best suited for slashing at multiple targets in close range. This Adaptation deals slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier. Further, you may use your bonus action to make an additional attack with this Adaptation. You are unable to make any weapon attacks or wield a non-Adaptation shield while this Adaptation is expressed.
Brawler Mutation: Broad Slash
When you make an attack with this Adaptation, you can make another attack against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your Adaptation.
Enhance Strength (Offensive, Prerequisite Level 8)
The muscle density in your arms and legs increases, providing you with a versatile Adaptation that amplifies your abilities. While this Adaptation is active, you have advantage on Strength-based checks and saving throws. This Adaptation's unarmed attacks deal bludgeoning damage equal to 2d4 + your Strength modifier. You are able to make weapon attacks that require two hands while this adaptation is expressed. If you make a weapon attack that uses your Strength, you can deal an additional 1d4 damage.
Brawler Mutation: Knockback
When you hit a Large or smaller creature with an attack from this Adaptation, you can expend 1 biomass die to push the target up to 15 feet away from you.
Groundspikes (Offensive, Prerequisite Level 8)
One of your hands grows large spines. By stabbing the ground, several tentacles of your biomass burrow into the ground, erupting as a 10-foot radius cluster of 10-foot high spikes at a point you choose within 60 feet. Creatures in the target area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 6d8 piercing damage, taking half as much on a successful save. Due to the time taken to extend and retract your biomass, you are unable to make opportunity attacks with this Adaptation, and you can only attack once per Attack action, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally take. Upon making an attack, you are considered restrained until the start of your next turn.
Brawler Mutation: Residual Spikes
When you make an attack with this Adaptation, you may expend 1 biomass die to additionally leave behind a field of smaller spikes. The area affected by your groundspike attack becomes difficult terrain for 1 minute, after which the remaining biomass crumbles away.
Hammer (Offensive, Prerequisite Level 8)
Your hands transform into reinforced bludgeons of dense biomass, providing you with an Adaptation designed to deal massive damage to a single target. The target of this attack must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take bludgeoning damage equal to 4d8 + your Strength modifier. Due to their cumbersome nature, you are unable to make opportunity attacks with this Adaptation, and can only attack once per Attack action, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally take. You are unable to make any weapon attacks or wield a non-Adaptation shield while this Adaptation is expressed.
Brawler Mutation: Seismic Slam
If the target of your hammer attack fails its Dexterity save, you may expend 1 biomass die to additionally knock it prone.
Quill Launcher (Offensive, Finesse, Prerequisite Level 5)
One of your arms produces a series of long, sharp spines, as well as a launching mechanism composed of elastic tendons, providing you with a precise long-range attack. This adaptation deals piercing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier and has a range of 80/320 feet. Due to the awkwardness of the launching mechanism in close quarters, you are unable to make opportunity attacks with this Adaptation.
Brawler Mutation: Splinter
You may expend 1 biomass die to modify the composition of one of your quills. When you successfully hit a target with an attack from this Adaptation, all creatures within 5 feet of the target take 1d4 piercing damage as the quill shatters on impact.
Shield (Defensive)
A broad shield of hardened biomass forms from one of your arms, providing you with a bulwark against damage. While this Adaptation is active, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC. The shield has a number of hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + double your evolved level. If the shield's hit points are reduced to 0, it shatters and can not be reformed until you finish a short or long rest. You take any remaining damage.
Brawler Mutation: Deflect Attack
As a reaction, you can use your shield to parry one weapon attack from a target you can see, reducing the damage taken by 1d10 + your Constitution modifier (to a minimum of 0 damage.)
Tendrils (Offensive, Finesse)
Thick, ropelike tentacles of biomass emerge and wrap around your arms, providing you with an Adaptation capable of lashing out at short range. This Adaptation deals slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier and has a reach of 10 feet. You are unable to make any weapon attacks or wield a non-Adaptation shield while this Adaptation is expressed.
Brawler Mutation: Ensnaring Tendrils
When you hit a Large or smaller creature with this Adaptation, you can expend 1 biomass die to attempt to grapple the target as a bonus action. If the creature is successfully grappled, it is also restrained. You can only have one creature grappled in this manner at a time and can not take the Attack action while the creature is grappled.
Whip (Offensive, Finesse, Prerequisite Level 5)
Your arm transforms into a barbed whip of elastic biomass, providing you with an Adaptation capable of attacking at range or over broad areas. All creatures in a 5-foot wide, 30-foot line must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier. Opportunity attacks made with this Adaptation have a reach of 10 feet.
Brawler Mutation: Sweeping Lash
When you take the Attack action, you can choose to expend 1 biomass die to replace one of your attacks with a wide sweep of your whip. All creatures in a 30-foot radius semicircle in front of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take slashing damage equal to 2d8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier.
The design goal was to have a versatile martial class with a good amount of customization options and allowing for tactical play in combat (though perhaps not to the same extent as a Battlemaster Fighter) with some fun abilities and unique flavor thrown in on the side to keep it from being too one-note (and differentiate it from the Beast Barbarian.)
I feel it stands up on its own at this point in development; playtesting has certainly proved promising. But I would of course appreciate any opinions or feedback! Particularly, I'm concerned about high-level balance issues. It's only been table-tested up to level 7 or so.
(Am I a decade too late on this? Perhaps.)
(For those who care about fidelity to the games, consuming has been nerfed and reflavored, no parkour (I felt including it was stepping on the Monk's toes too much,) and the super strength aspect is absent (though could be added back to a limited degree; I just didn't want the class to be too front-heavy.))
I'm still pretty new so I can't post links (which means you don't get to see my fancy images or formatting on Homebrewery =( ) so I've reproduced the text below, divided up and spoilered for your convenience.
Evolved
In the dark of night, an elven woman finds herself cornered by a gang of ruffians. Rather than run, she instead turns on them with a savage grin. Foot-long claws, sharp as razors, erupt from her hands as she leaps at her prey.
A half-orc makes a mad dash through an enraged mob, a tiefling child clutched to his chest. He barrels onward at an inhuman pace, heedless of the blows he incurs, his wounds restitching themselves without even a trace of blood.
On the field of a grand battle, a weary dragonborn commander retires to his tent. A stifled shout, a brief struggle, and moments later a human woman emerges from the tent. Black tendrils momentarily roil over her body before they settle into the scaled visage of the late commander.
Evolved are creatures derived from humanoids that have survived and bonded with an aberrant virus. Whatever they were before their transformation, they now find themselves honed through conflict and strife into ever deadlier predators.
Viral Mutants
Evolved are connected not by a faith, lifestyle, or training, but instead find their commonality in their creation. Most beings die outright from being infected with the virus, and many more emerge from their sickness forever weakened. But a rare few survive, and find themselves reborn, recreated from the ground up in the virus' image. These are the evolved.
By having their bodies metabolized and reconstructed by the virus, evolved are granted a number of abilities either rare or unheard of in other humanoids, chief among them their capacity for adaptation. Their bodies are formed from an interwoven mesh of malleable tendrils known as biomass, capable of denaturing and reshaping itself into any number of forms, ranging from simply mimicking clothing to fashioning various parts of their bodies into vicious weaponry.
Innate Bloodlust
The virus that created the evolved is borderline intelligent, in its own way. It's driven to spread and infect, and to that end gradually molds evolved into efficient hunters by way of both an instinctive desire to consume and absorb other humanoids and abilities that adapt over time to be increasingly effective in aiding that process.
However, evolved aren't just the virus given humanoid form. They still retain their sapience and free will, and many strive to use their circumstances to do good. Some instead exploit their abilities for more self-serving purposes. Others merely choose to keep a low profile and continue their lives as if nothing had happened to them. In the end, though, the number of evolved that fully give in to the will of the virus remains low, a mercy given the havoc a rabid member of their kind can cause.
Creating an Evolved
When creating your evolved, consider both how they were initially infected and how they view their condition. Talk with your DM about an appropriate origin for them. Is the virus a common sight in this world, taking countless lives? Or is it something foreign to this land, leaving your character a unique case? How were you infected? Was it during a widespread outbreak, a scourge that tore through your home, leaving little more than corpses behind? Or were you exposed under more controlled conditions, as part of a test or experiment? Perhaps your state is a "gift" from an aberrant being, maybe even another evolved. Or perhaps it's a mystery to even you, something lost to a forgotten past.
What is your relationship with your pre-infection self? Are you still the same person you once were, or do you perceive yourself as someone new? Do you relish in your newfound strength, believing yourself to be superior to other humanoids? Or do you view yourself as being somehow fundamentally corrupted? Do you feel your ability to absorb the life essence of other humanoids is something abhorrent, never to be used; a necessary dark side to a condition that is otherwise a boon; or a potent tool in keeping yourself alive and your enemies dead? Are you something less than human, or something more?
Quick Build
You can make an evolved quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the soldier background.
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Adaptations Known
Biomass Dice
1st
+2
Viral Nature, Biomass, Unarmored Defense
—
1d8
2nd
+2
Adaptation, Shapechange
1
2d8
3rd
+2
Viral Strain
1
3d8
4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
1
4d8
5th
+3
Extra Attack
2
5d8
6th
+3
Empowered Strikes, Consume
2
6d8
7th
+3
Strain Feature
2
7d8
8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
3
8d8
9th
+4
Shapechange Improvement
3
9d8
10th
+4
Adaptation Improvement
3
10d8
11th
+4
Strain Feature
4
11d8
12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
4
12d8
13th
+5
Expulsion, Consume Improvement
4
13d8
14th
+5
Biomass Regeneration
5
14d8
15th
+5
Strain Feature
5
15d8
16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
5
16d8
17th
+6
Adaptation improvement
6
17d8
18th
+6
Strain Feature
6
18d8
19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
6
19d8
20th
+6
Apex Predator
7
20d8
Class Features
As an evolved, you gain the following class features:
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d10 per evolved level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per evolved level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: shields
- Weapons: simple weapons
- Tools: none
- Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
- Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a simple weapon and a shield or (b) any two simple weapons
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
Alternately, you may start with 4d4 x 10 gp to buy your own equipment
Viral Nature
Your transformation into an evolved has altered your very biology. Though your outward appearance matches that of your pre-infection self, internally the story is much different. Rather than flesh, blood, and bone, your body is now composed of biomass, an interwoven mesh of black, chitinous tendrils capable of spectacular feats of mimicry, mutation, and resilience.
Due to your unnatural composition, you gain a number of benefits:
- You do not need to eat or drink.
- You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 6 hours if you spend those hours in an inactive, motionless state, during which you retain consciousness.
- You have advantage on saving throws against disease and being poisoned. You also have resistance to poison damage.
However, the fact that you aren't quite alive or dead comes with drawbacks:
- You can be detected by abilities and spells that sense the presence of aberrations or undead, but do not otherwise qualify as this creature type.
- When you are targeted by a spell or imbue a potion that restores hit points, you regain only half the number of hit points, rounded down, minimum 1.
Biomass
Your body contains an auxiliary reserve of biomass outside of what is needed to maintain your humanoid form, represented by a pool of d8s equal to your evolved level.
The rush of adrenaline in combat allows you to utilize these dice to stimulate your innate regenerative abilities. While you are within 120 feet of a hostile creature, as a bonus action, you may expend a number of dice up to your proficiency bonus. Roll the spent dice and add them together. You regain a number of hit points equal to the total, up to your maximum hit point total. You regenerate all expended biomass die at the end of a long rest.
Starting at 2nd level, you can concentrate biomass into your Adaptation attacks, granting them additional power. Once per round, when making an attack with one of your Adaptations, you may expend a number of biomass die up to your proficiency bonus. Roll the spent dice and add them together, adding this damage to the damage roll of the attack.
Unarmored Defense
Your body's composition is tougher than ordinary flesh and blood. While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Adaptation
Starting at 2nd Level, your body begins to express combat mutations known as Adaptations, listed at the end of this class description. As a bonus action, you can manifest, switch between, or dispel any of your known Adaptations. You are proficient with any attacks made with your Adaptations.
The number of Adaptations you know is shown on the Evolved table. When you gain a level in this class, you can choose to replace one of the Adaptations you know for another from the Adaptations list.
If an Adaptation has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. You can learn the Adaptation at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.
Some of your Adaptations require the target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Adaptation save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier
Starting at 10th level, you may express two Adaptations simultaneously, one offensive and one defensive. Only one Adaptation can be manifested, switched, or dispelled per bonus action.
Beginning at 17th level, your Adaptations have refined themselves to near perfection. The number of non-biomass damage die you roll for any Adaptation attack is doubled.
Shapechange
Beginning at 2nd level, you learn how to exploit your biomass's mimetic capabilities. You are able to alter your form to produce a facsimile of clothing, which you can modify as an action. Such clothing is unable to be separated from your body.
Starting at 9th level, you gain greater control of your biomass. As an action, you can expend 1 biomass die to change your appearance and your voice. You determine the specifics of the changes, including your coloration, hair length, and sex. You can also adjust your height and weight, but not so much that your size changes. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change. If you are wearing clothing generated from your biomass, you may alter it as part of the same action, otherwise clothing and equipment aren't changed by this feature.
You can attempt to duplicate another humanoid you have seen, but the disguise won't be flawless; a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your Adaptation save DC to discern that you are disguised.
You stay in the new form for 1 hour, until you use an action to revert to your true form, or until you die.
Viral Strain
The virus within you is an intelligent thing, always mutating, searching for the peak of efficiency. At 3rd level, the traits of your strain speciate into one of four variants: Brawler, Juggernaut, Hunter, or Hydra, all outlined at the end of this class description. Your strain grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Empowered Strikes
Starting at 6th level, the aberrant nature of the virus within you makes itself known, lending your Adaptations a supernatural edge. Your Adaptation attacks and expulsions now count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.
Consume
Starting 6th level, the virus within you grows restless, hungering for more flesh to sustain itself. As an action, you may infect a Large, Medium, or Small creature (that is not a construct, elemental, or undead) that has fallen to 0 hit points within the last 10 minutes, exposing it to the virus you are composed of and draining what remains of its vital essence. You regain a number of spent biomass die equal to your Constitution modifier, up to your pool maximum. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, minimum 1. All spent uses are recharged at the end of a long rest.
Starting at 13th level, you can temporarily exceed your normal density to enter a state of critical mass. When you consume a creature, you additionally gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your evolved level. These temporary hit points last for 1 hour.
Expulsion
Starting at 13th level, you have mutated to be able to push your body to its very limit. While you have any temporary hit points from your Consume feature, as an action, you may choose to expend your temporary hit points to unleash a massive attack known as an expulsion. The attack's damage type is piercing, and is calculated by rolling a number of biomass dice equal to the number of temporary hit points expended, up to a maximum equal to half your evolved level. The dice are then expended. All creatures within the area of effect must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking the rolled total damage on a failure, or half as much on a success. Once you use this feature, it can not be used again until you finish a long rest.
Two types of expulsion attacks are available to you:
- Biomass Shot A massive tentacle explodes from your outstretched palms like a cannon blast, dealing severe damage to anything in its path. Range: Self (5-foot wide, 60-foot line).
- Tendril Swarm: Tendrils burst from your body in all directions, piercing anything within reach. Range: Self (30-foot-radius sphere).
Biomass Regeneration
Beginning at 14th level, when you roll initiative and have no biomass dice remaining, you regain 2 biomass dice.
Apex Predator
At 20th level, you embody the ultimate lifeform. You gain 8 ability points to distribute across any ability scores, up to a maximum of 24 in any score. You may change the distribution of these 8 points when you finish a long rest.
Viral Strains
While each evolved is as different as the humanoid they were created from, the virus nonetheless tends to mutate along certain patterns of traits, known as strains. The four primary strains in existence are as follows:
Brawler
Brawler-strain evolved’s extensive usage of their combat adaptations has refined both the adaptations and themselves into highly effective weapons.
Fast Movement
Beginning when you choose this strain at 3rd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing heavy armor. This bonus increases by an additional 5 feet at 11th level (15 feet) and 18th level (20 feet).
Combat Mutations
Starting at 7th level, your Adaptations mutate to better realize your offensive potential. Your Adaptations gain an optional additional effect as outlined in the following section.
Rampage
Beginning at 11th level, your bloodlust reaches a fever pitch in combat, allowing you to push yourself past your normal capabilities. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with an Adaptation attack on your turn, you can use your bonus action to move up to half your speed and make an additional Adaptation attack.
Savage Reflexes
Beginning at 15th level, when a creature hits or misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make an Adaptation attack against the creature immediately after its attack, provided you can see the creature and it is within range of your Adaptation.
Extra Attack
Starting at 18th level, you can attack three times, rather than twice, whenever you take the Attack action to make an Adaptation attack.
Juggernaut
Juggernaut-strain evolved have a more defensive style of combat, relying on their natural regeneration to outlast their opponents.
Enhanced Healing
Beginning when you choose this strain at 3rd level, when you expend biomass die to regain hit points, you additionally gain a number of temporary hit points equal to double the number of die spent.
Viral Resilience
At 7th level, your hit point total increases by an amount equal to your evolved level. Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your hit point total increases by an additional hit point.
Rapid Regeneration
Beginning at 11th level, your regenerative abilities have evolved to a point that debilitating injuries are no longer a concern for you. You have advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the conditions of blindness, deafness, paralysis, or stunned on yourself.
Adaptive Healing
Starting at 15th level, your regeneration markedly increases in its efficiency. When you roll a 1 or a 2 when rolling biomass dice to regain hit points, you can reroll the die and use the new roll.
Adrenaline Surge
Starting at 18th level, the virus within you grants you the ability to keep fighting despite grievous wounds. If you drop to 0 hit points and don't die outright, you can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead.
Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When you finish a short or long rest, the DC resets to 10.
Hunter
Hunter-strain evolved, while still retaining the combat adaptations of their brethren, instead turn their abilities towards stealth, infiltration, and subterfuge.
Thermal Vision
Beginning when you choose this strain at 3rd level, your senses adjust to better track your prey. As an action, you are able to alter your sight to detect heat out to a range of 60 feet, allowing you to visually perceive the temperature of your surroundings. Sources of warmth (such as fires or humanoids) appear to glow while you are using this sense. This sense ignores magical and non-magical darkness, thick smoke or fog, and visual illusions. It does not reveal magically invisible creatures or objects. You are unable to use this sense if you are blinded.
Assume Form
Starting at 7th level, you can expend 1 biomass die to use an action to shapeshift into an exact replica of the most recent humanoid you have consumed, optionally including any equipment or clothing it was wearing at the time you consumed it. The replicated equipment is non-magical, non-functional, and unable to be separated from your person. Any equipment or clothing not created from your biomass that you are currently wearing is unaffected. The change is merely visual; you retain your game statistics. You can remain in the new form for 1 hour, until you use your action to revert to your true form, or until you die.
Starting at 18th level, your ability recall the forms of those you've consumed has expanded greatly, allowing you to take the form of any humanoid you've consumed since you gained this feature.
Memory Reader
Beginning at 11th level, when you consume a humanoid, you gain access to the memories of the last 24 hours of its life.
Stolen Proficiency
At 15th level, you've learned to draw upon the knowledge of those you've consumed. You become proficient in any two skills or one skill and one tool of your choice. Optionally, you also become fluent in an additional language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.
Hunter's Mask
Beginning at 18th level, you gain deeper access to your prey's memories, including any secrets known by them. When you assume the form of a humanoid you've consumed, you gain advantage on any ability checks to convince others of your identity as the consumed humanoid, using their memories to inform your actions.
Hydra
Hydra-strain evolved have discovered ways to wound their prey outside of basic physical attacks, altering their biology to allow for other, more exotic forms of damage.
Toxic Strikes
Beginning when you select this strain at 3rd level, your biomass mutates to produce toxic substances that coat your Adaptations. When expending biomass die to enhance an Adaptation attack, the extra dice deal either acid or poison damage (your choice) instead of the original damage type of the attack. You can change the damage type when you finish a long rest.
Starting at 7th level, your Adaptations can now incorporate either electric-eel-like muscle blocks or traces of the virus that infected you. Your options for damage types expand to include lightning and necrotic.
Additional Affliction
Beginning at 7th level, the effectiveness of your additional damage increases. Upon successfully dealing elemental damage from an Adaptation to a creature, the target is affected by the following condition until the end of your next turn:
- Acid: -1 AC
- Lightning: Can't take reactions
- Necrotic: Can't regain hit points
- Poison: Poisoned
Elemental Resistance
Beginning at 11th level, your affinity for your chosen element infuses your biomass. You gain resistance to your chosen damage type.
Agonizing Toxin
Starting at 15th level, your additional damage leaves a lingering pain that makes it difficult for foes to retain focus. When an attack from your Adaptation inflicts elemental damage, the target makes any resulting concentration saving throw at disadvantage.
Systemic Shock
Starting at 18th level, your additional damage is strong enough to weaken foes and make them more susceptible to future attacks. When you successfully deal elemental damage from an Adaptation attack, you can spend 1 biomass die to force the target to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target becomes vulnerable to that damage type until the end of your next turn. If the target has a resistance to the damage type, it makes this saving throw at advantage, and on a failure becomes normally affected by the damage type instead.
Adaptations
All Adaptation attacks have a range of 5 feet and utilize your Strength modifier unless otherwise specified. Unless otherwise specified, you can not make weapon attacks that require two hands while you have an Adaptation expressed.
Armor (Defensive, Prerequisite Level 11)
Plates of hardened, insulated biomass cover your body, providing outstanding protection at the cost of mobility. While this Adaptation is active, you gain a resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire, and lightning damage. However, you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws. You are able to make weapon attacks that require two hands while this Adaptation is expressed.
Brawler Mutation: Immovable Object
You have advantage on any saving throws or ability checks to avoid being pushed, pulled, or knocked prone.
Biomass Bomb (Offensive)
You create a palm-sized ball of volatile biomass that can be thrown to provide you with a long-distance option for attack. On impact, the bomb explodes into a flurry of razor-sharp tendrils. All creatures within 5 feet of a point you choose within 60 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 slashing damage.
Brawler Mutation: Luminous Bomb
By expending 1 biomass die, you can alter the composition of a biomass bomb to instead produce a bioluminescent fluid. When altered this way, the bomb deals no damage, but instead coats objects in the area with the glowing chemical. Any creature in the affected area when the bomb explodes must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is covered in the chemical.
For 1 minute, objects and affected creatures shed dim light in a 10-foot radius. In addition, any attack roll against an affected creature or object has advantage if the attacker can see it, and an affected creature or object can't benefit from being invisible. The effect can be ended early by a creature using an action to wipe away the chemical on an affected object or creature.
Blade (Offensive, Prerequisite Level 11)
Your arm transforms into a sword-like, sharp-edged limb, providing you with an Adaptation balanced in power and speed. This Adaptation deals slashing damage equal to 2d8 + your Strength modifier.
Brawler Mutation: Wounding Edge
When you hit a creature with an attack from this Adaptation, you can expend 1 biomass die to have the target to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 1d4 slashing damage at the start of each of its turns. At the end of each of its turns, an affected target can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Claws (Offensive, Finesse, Prerequisite Level 5)
Both your hands transform into long claws, providing you with an Adaptation best suited for slashing at multiple targets in close range. This Adaptation deals slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier. Further, you may use your bonus action to make an additional attack with this Adaptation. You are unable to make any weapon attacks or wield a non-Adaptation shield while this Adaptation is expressed.
Brawler Mutation: Broad Slash
When you make an attack with this Adaptation, you can make another attack against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your Adaptation.
Enhance Strength (Offensive, Prerequisite Level 8)
The muscle density in your arms and legs increases, providing you with a versatile Adaptation that amplifies your abilities. While this Adaptation is active, you have advantage on Strength-based checks and saving throws. This Adaptation's unarmed attacks deal bludgeoning damage equal to 2d4 + your Strength modifier. You are able to make weapon attacks that require two hands while this adaptation is expressed. If you make a weapon attack that uses your Strength, you can deal an additional 1d4 damage.
Brawler Mutation: Knockback
When you hit a Large or smaller creature with an attack from this Adaptation, you can expend 1 biomass die to push the target up to 15 feet away from you.
Groundspikes (Offensive, Prerequisite Level 8)
One of your hands grows large spines. By stabbing the ground, several tentacles of your biomass burrow into the ground, erupting as a 10-foot radius cluster of 10-foot high spikes at a point you choose within 60 feet. Creatures in the target area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 6d8 piercing damage, taking half as much on a successful save. Due to the time taken to extend and retract your biomass, you are unable to make opportunity attacks with this Adaptation, and you can only attack once per Attack action, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally take. Upon making an attack, you are considered restrained until the start of your next turn.
Brawler Mutation: Residual Spikes
When you make an attack with this Adaptation, you may expend 1 biomass die to additionally leave behind a field of smaller spikes. The area affected by your groundspike attack becomes difficult terrain for 1 minute, after which the remaining biomass crumbles away.
Hammer (Offensive, Prerequisite Level 8)
Your hands transform into reinforced bludgeons of dense biomass, providing you with an Adaptation designed to deal massive damage to a single target. The target of this attack must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take bludgeoning damage equal to 4d8 + your Strength modifier. Due to their cumbersome nature, you are unable to make opportunity attacks with this Adaptation, and can only attack once per Attack action, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally take. You are unable to make any weapon attacks or wield a non-Adaptation shield while this Adaptation is expressed.
Brawler Mutation: Seismic Slam
If the target of your hammer attack fails its Dexterity save, you may expend 1 biomass die to additionally knock it prone.
Quill Launcher (Offensive, Finesse, Prerequisite Level 5)
One of your arms produces a series of long, sharp spines, as well as a launching mechanism composed of elastic tendons, providing you with a precise long-range attack. This adaptation deals piercing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier and has a range of 80/320 feet. Due to the awkwardness of the launching mechanism in close quarters, you are unable to make opportunity attacks with this Adaptation.
Brawler Mutation: Splinter
You may expend 1 biomass die to modify the composition of one of your quills. When you successfully hit a target with an attack from this Adaptation, all creatures within 5 feet of the target take 1d4 piercing damage as the quill shatters on impact.
Shield (Defensive)
A broad shield of hardened biomass forms from one of your arms, providing you with a bulwark against damage. While this Adaptation is active, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC. The shield has a number of hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + double your evolved level. If the shield's hit points are reduced to 0, it shatters and can not be reformed until you finish a short or long rest. You take any remaining damage.
Brawler Mutation: Deflect Attack
As a reaction, you can use your shield to parry one weapon attack from a target you can see, reducing the damage taken by 1d10 + your Constitution modifier (to a minimum of 0 damage.)
Tendrils (Offensive, Finesse)
Thick, ropelike tentacles of biomass emerge and wrap around your arms, providing you with an Adaptation capable of lashing out at short range. This Adaptation deals slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier and has a reach of 10 feet. You are unable to make any weapon attacks or wield a non-Adaptation shield while this Adaptation is expressed.
Brawler Mutation: Ensnaring Tendrils
When you hit a Large or smaller creature with this Adaptation, you can expend 1 biomass die to attempt to grapple the target as a bonus action. If the creature is successfully grappled, it is also restrained. You can only have one creature grappled in this manner at a time and can not take the Attack action while the creature is grappled.
Whip (Offensive, Finesse, Prerequisite Level 5)
Your arm transforms into a barbed whip of elastic biomass, providing you with an Adaptation capable of attacking at range or over broad areas. All creatures in a 5-foot wide, 30-foot line must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier. Opportunity attacks made with this Adaptation have a reach of 10 feet.
Brawler Mutation: Sweeping Lash
When you take the Attack action, you can choose to expend 1 biomass die to replace one of your attacks with a wide sweep of your whip. All creatures in a 30-foot radius semicircle in front of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take slashing damage equal to 2d8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier.
The design goal was to have a versatile martial class with a good amount of customization options and allowing for tactical play in combat (though perhaps not to the same extent as a Battlemaster Fighter) with some fun abilities and unique flavor thrown in on the side to keep it from being too one-note (and differentiate it from the Beast Barbarian.)
I feel it stands up on its own at this point in development; playtesting has certainly proved promising. But I would of course appreciate any opinions or feedback! Particularly, I'm concerned about high-level balance issues. It's only been table-tested up to level 7 or so.
(Am I a decade too late on this? Perhaps.)
(For those who care about fidelity to the games, consuming has been nerfed and reflavored, no parkour (I felt including it was stepping on the Monk's toes too much,) and the super strength aspect is absent (though could be added back to a limited degree; I just didn't want the class to be too front-heavy.))