Professor Thistledown
Biases
Positive Bias
She favors strong characters. This bias triggers for any character with a Strength greater than 12.
Negative Bias
She dislikes Runners. This bias triggers for any character with the Runner Ladder.
She dislikes those without experience. This bias triggers for any character that is level 3 or less.
Personality Traits
Professor Thistledown is fiercely intelligent, meticulously organized beneath her chaotic exterior, deeply curious about forgotten knowledge, and quietly compassionate toward all creatures—especially her beloved rats.
Ideals
She believes that knowledge must be preserved and shared, even in a broken world, for it is the last true light against encroaching darkness.
Bonds
Professor Thistledown shares an unbreakable bond with her two loyal rats—Inkwell and Crumb—who she considers both companions and collaborators in her lifelong pursuit of forgotten truths.
Flaws
Her relentless pursuit of knowledge often blinds her to present dangers and emotional needs, causing her to isolate herself and overlook the value of rest and connection.
To chart a map is not merely to mark a path through space, but to leave a trail through time—a whisper to those who follow, saying, I was here, and this is what I learned. Without such traces, every generation begins in darkness.
Professor Thistledown
Medium Animyst: Goat, Circle of Tongues, Neutral Good
STR
8
( -1 )
DEX
12
( +1 )
CON
12
( +1 )
INT
16
( +3 )
WIS
15
( +2 )
CHA
14
( +2 )
History +6, Insight +5, Intimidation +5, Investigation +6, Perception +5, Stealth +4, Survival +5
passive Perception 21
Description
With intelligent, contemplative eyes peering through round spectacles, and a composed, almost solemn expression, this goat exudes the air of a seasoned scholar. Her tailored suit, complete with a tie and waistcoat, adds to the impression of intellectual refinement. She seems perfectly at home in a dusty, arcane library—perhaps a learned professor or an eccentric researcher, delving into forgotten knowledge and obscure lore.
Ideals
She believes that knowledge must be preserved and shared, even in a broken world, for it is the last true light against encroaching darkness.
Bonds
Professor Thistledown shares an unbreakable bond with her two loyal rats—Inkwell and Crumb—who she considers both companions and collaborators in her lifelong pursuit of forgotten truths.
Flaws
Her relentless pursuit of knowledge often blinds her to present dangers and emotional needs, causing her to isolate herself and overlook the value of rest and connection.
Suggested Environments
The Enclave
Dark Sequence
Touch of Life
Casting Cost 3
Time 1 bonus action
Range Touch
Duration Instant
Components S
A creature you touch with 1 or more hit points regains 2 hit points. For every additional 1 dark spent before casting, the target recovers 1 additional hit point (max +5 hp).
Alleviate
Casting Cost 3
Time 1 Action
Range touch
Duration Instant
Components -
A creature you touch recovers a number of hit points equal to 1d6 + Vigor modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs. For every additional 2 dark spent before casting, increase hit dice by 1 (max +5 hp).
Boost (DC 20): Increase dice to d8.
Minor Exorcism
Casting Cost -
Time 1 Action (River)
Range Touch
Duration Instant
Components V, S, M
At your touch, all curses affecting one creature or object end. If the object is a cursed magic item, its curse remains, but the spell breaks its owner’s attunement to the object so it can be removed or discarded.
Sacrifice: Spend 3 damage.
Revivify
Casting Cost 20
Time 1 Action (River)
Range Touch
Duration Instant
Components V, S, M
You touch a creature that has died within the last minute. That creature returns to life with 1 hit point. This spell can’t return to life a creature that has died of old age, nor can it restore any missing body parts.3.
Boost (DC 20): Cast this spell for 15 dark instead of 20.
Boost (DC 25): Cast this spell for 10 dark instead of 20.
Healing Wave
Casting Cost 6
Time 1 Action
Range 60 feet
Duration Instant
Components V, S
Up to 4 creatures in range that you can see within range recover hit points equal to 1d4 + Vigor modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs. For every additional 2 dark spent before casting, increase hit dice by 1 (max +5 hp).
Boost (DC 20): Increase dice to d6.
Death Ward
Casting Cost -
Time 1 Minute
Range Touch
Duration 8 Hours
Components V, S, M
You touch a creature, and the first time the target would drop to 0 hit points as a result of taking damage, the target instead drops to 1 hit point, and the spell ends. If the effect the target is subjected would kill it instantaneously without dealing damage, that effect is instead negated against the target, and the spell ends.
Sacrifice: Spend 1 hit die per target. For every additional 1 hit die spent before casting, target one additional creature (max +3 creatures).
Cleanse
Casting Cost -
Time 1 minute
Range Touch
Duration Instant
Components V, S, M
Touch a creature; you neutralize any poison and cure nonmagical diseases that affect the creature.
Sacrifice: Spend 3 hit dice. For every additional 3 hit dice spent before casting, target one additional creature (max +3 creatures).
VIG 14 and SAN 13
Observant
Quick to notice details of your environment, you gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- If you can see a creature’s mouth while it is speaking a language you understand, you can interpret what it’s saying by reading its lips.
- You have a +5 bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) and passive Intelligence (Investigation) scores.
Inspiring Leader
You can spend 10 minutes inspiring your companions, shoring up their resolve to fight. When you do so, choose up to six friendly creatures (which can include yourself) within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you and who can understand you. Each creature can gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Charisma modifier. A creature can’t gain temporary hit points from this feat again until it has finished a short or long rest.
Whispers of the Drain
You know the hidden paths and signs used by the Enclave. While in or beneath a settlement, you can always find a hidden route to avoid notice, smuggle items or creatures, or deliver messages to other Enclave agents. You also gain advantage on Deception checks when interacting with surface dwellers unfamiliar with the Awakened.
Volume and Presence
Your opponent’s argument is invalid and ridiculous, and your tolerance for their ignorance is over.
Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, as an action, you can select one target your size within 25 feet that can understand you. The target makes a Wisdom save against your psychological attack. The save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom/Charisma modifier.
If the target fails, either you have advantage on all contested Wisdom or Charisma ability checks and skill checks until the end of your next turn, or the target is frightened of you until the beginning of your next turn. If you target the same creature on your next turn, the DC increases by +2 (consecutively to +6). This ability does not work on a target that has suffered damage from you or an ally in the past minute.
Double Your Efforts
You are not a fighter. You’re a... well... everything that’s not a fighter. Starting at 1st level, once per turn on your turn, you can make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check as a free action; if you pass, you can take an additional action on top of your regular action. You cannot use the Attack action or cast spells with this extra action.
Life Insurance
You’re not expecting to be in a fight, so best to use your resources more constructively. Starting at 1st level, instead of using your Hit Dice to recover hit points during rests, you can expend them to gain an edge when required. Spend a Hit Die on your turn, regain no hit points, and you gain all the following benefits (this requires no action).
You automatically pass the Double Your Efforts skill check to gain the additional action.
You have advantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and skill checks until the beginning of your next turn.
Any Charisma saving throws you force a target to make before the end of your next turn gains a +3 bonus to the DC.
At 5th level, your speed increases by 5 feet and you gain a +2 bonus to AC until the beginning of your next turn.
Cognitive Empathy
The truth is written in their faces. Through interpreting micro-expressions, body language, and other aspects of applied psychology, you can read the thoughts of certain individuals. As an action, you can focus your mind on any one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you and that has an Intelligence of 4 or higher. It makes a Charisma saving throw. If it fails, you learn the surface thoughts of the creature—what it is most likely to do in the immediate future and what could possibly be on its mind. You also gain insight into its reasoning (if any) and/or its emotional state. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn or until you break line of sight.
Hustle Pool
You are a born talker and love to debate, regardless if its versus friends, enemies, or entities. Starting at 2nd level, you can alter the natural result of any non-attack d20 roll you make. You gain a pool equal to double your Charisma modifier and can pull from said pool to modify the result of a d20 roll you just made. Your hustle pool refills after you finish a long rest.
- Hustle Pool 2
Enclave
Hidden deep beneath the bustling chaos of Camp Hope, the Enclave thrives in the twisting, shadowed arteries of the city's ancient sewer system. Formed by Awakened—beasts blessed (or cursed) with sentience and speech—the Enclave is a sanctuary and resistance network for those who walked on four legs but now think like those on two. Outcasts, escapees of experiments, and survivors, these creatures band together in secret to protect their own, explore the mysteries of their awakening, and influence the world above through espionage, sabotage, and wisdom passed through tooth and claw. To the surface dwellers, they are myths or pestilence. But in the dark, the Enclave watches—and waits.
Balance.
You have advantage with all saving throws to avoid being knocked prone. You never suffer disadvantage due to microgravity or poor climbing conditions when moving.
Charge.
If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hit with your natural melee attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 1d6 bludgeoning damage. If a creature, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone (DC = 8 + Strength modifier + Proficiency bonus).
Inertia.
Increase your speed by 5 feet when performing a Dash action.
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