A gust of wind flows through chimes as spirits dance to the tune of a drum making the rain fall and lightning strike. The bat's wing and frog's leg boil in the pot creating a protective shield of magi around the village so they can sleep safely. Words of mysterious power read from the back of a wooden slate glow an erie yellow as the tribe becomes possessed by a mindless frenzy. The origin of magic is the force that transcends physics and allows for the impossible to become possible is called RI and those that leaned to manipulate and form it to their will are the Primordials.
This is a progenitor class meaning it is more effective in the wild and in fledgling civilizations rather than confined in the modern D&D world.
The Primordial is the smart, wise, and charismatic progenitor that is always the first to have new ideas and inventions. You will be the heart and soul of your tribe that will push it into the future. You will need to be willing to try new things and experiment with unknown powers to grow your powerful RI connection. Eventually, you will develop a trade that is scholarly in nature along with a way of using RI that refines it closer to controllable magic good luck making the world a better place
hit dice:
1d6
hit points at 1st level:
6+Constitution modifier
hit points at higher levels:
1d6+Consitition modifier
armor proficiencies:
light primitive
weapon proficiencies:
primitive daggers, primitive clubs
tools:
primitive
saving throws:
Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma
skills:
Choose two from Animal Handling, Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Religion, and Survival.
starting equipment:
Clothes made from local material
stone knife
RI Focus
spellcasting:
RI is the precursor to the arcane power known as mana, spell slots, or magic. RI is what the world uses to breathe and create new arcane power once it is used up. To have access to it is a privilege that not many are afforded, and not many survive. You will have the ability to draw your RI from three places, each one has its advantages and disadvantages. When calculating bonus for spell attacks you may add the modifiers from your lowest two from Int, Wis, and Cha. When creatures must make a save against you the number is 8+ the lowest two modifiers from Int, Wis, and Cha.
- You may draw RI from Yourself. You may do this by using a RI focus and expending one RI point from your RI pool. This has the advantage of being quick and versatile. You may pay this RI cost to cast any spell you know. However if you have a total of 0 RI in your pool you will gain one level of exhaustion until you take a long rest, at which point you will recover all of your RI.
- You may draw RI from items. You may do this by presenting items that contain a RI value and combining them together to make the exact value of the spell you are trying to cast. This can be done by making them into a stew and using the steam, blending them into an explosive powerder and combusting it, or burning them together into a smoke. This has the advantage of being versatile and cheap once you have the setup. If the exact amount of RI is not paid or there is no spell used as the RI is being paid then the RI is waisted and the spell fails. The moment when the items are fully consumed and combined there is a 30 second window to cast your spell.
- You may draw RI from the world. You may do this by presenting a written, carved, or sewn representation of the spell you are trying to cast using the language that roses speak. This has the advantage of being cheap once you have the setup and quick. However, you must first learn the language that the roses speak, and no rose speaks the whole thing. This is the most complicated way of casting spells with RI because instead of casting a spell it will be using the words from the language of the roses to give instructions to the world. The instructions can be used once a day unless the instructions say otherwise. For instance, if you found and used the words "Create Water" the instructions will create water near the object with the instructions, however, if you used the words "Shoot Water" a stream of damaging water would shoot out from the object. Each word you find will have properties that are defined, you are able to use items with a word count equal to or less than your level in primordial.
You will be able to find these words by speaking to roses, how you accomplish that is up to you. each species of rose has 4 words they know and each plant will only know one of those four. Each species will always know a noun, a verb, an additive, and either a particle or an adverb. Without access to RI thought these words are useless. Your word items each have default settings of taking an action to use, targeting itself, and being non-harmful, these are all able to be modified by using words effectivly.
You can know any number of spells however to learn them you must speak to and convince things in nature to teach you. Monsters have the most powerful RI spells, and some creatures might now know any.
class features:
Primordial Doctrine
Starting at 1st level, you can make the most out of simple materials and objects. Whenever you kill a creature you can harvest it for body parts and craft new tools with it including RI worded items and RI ritual items. These can replicate any adventuring gear but often break though and must be regularly replaced
Gathering material
You can gather material from the following creature types: Beasts, Giants, Dragons, Monstrosities, and Plants. When you reduce a creature of these types to 0 hit points you can gather an amount of material equal to its hit die. You must spend 1 hour harvesting per hit die and gain a number of resources equal to what you roll on the hit die plus your proficiency bonus.
You may also gather materials from nature by making a survival check with a DC of 10 while in the wilderness. You spend 2 hours doing this regardless of success. On success you gather 1 resource plus 1 for every 5 points of success you have above 10.
These resources are equal in crafting value to 5gp per material point and only last 3 days unless you have a way to preserve or store them.
Crafting primitive technology.
- You can craft any non-magical piece of equipment by using the materials harvested. You must spend a number of material points equal to the cost of the item and 1 hour per material point to make the item. The item has the same properties but only lasts 24 hours. you can spend more materials than the object is worth to make it last longer.
- You can harvest RI infused items from your materials by using 1 material point and rolling 1d8 for it. The number rolled is how much RI that material contained in eighths. So if a 1 was rolled then it is 1/8th of a RI point, if a 4 was rolled then 1/2 of a RI point is in that item. Once you use a material point in this way it cannot be recycled and each item can only be used once, however it no longer expires as long as its on your person.
- You can craft RI word items using material points at a cost of 3 hours and material points per word. These items tend to break on use though. Each time one is used roll 1d20. The first time an item is used if a 1 is rolled it will break, the second time if a 1 or a 2 is rolled it will break, this goes up to 15.
- You can items and word items using 3 material and 3 hours to repair an item back to full use or a word item by 3 uses.
Wild language
Starting at eh 1st level you are able to speak with non-hostile creatures as if they were speaking your language. This ablity works by forcing a charisma contest with the target creature, if you win they will speak to you for one minute, if you loose then you must expend 1/4 RI.
Foundations
Starting at the 2nd level you must choose how you want to survive. This comes in the form of strengthening your mind and senses in exchange for increasing your reliance on RI. Choose one of the following options, you will have another opportunity to choose one more at the 8th level.
- Your sense of smell is pushed to the maximum allowing you to differentiate between poisonous, medicinal, and edible plants by smelling them. In return you must consume 1/4 or more worth of RI items every day or loose your sense of smell and have -1 to perception until you consume a RI item.
- Your sense of taste is pushed to the extreme allowing you to tell who and what has touched an item in the last 6 days by tasting it. In return you must smoke 1/4 or more worth of RI items every day or loose your sense of taste and have a -1 to investigation until you smoke a RI item.
- Your sense of touch is pushed to the extreme giving you 15ft of tremor sense when in contact with the ground. In return you must drink 1/4 or more worth of RI items every day or loose your sense of touch and have a -1 to perception until you consume a RI item.
- You gain the ability to sleep three hours less and recover as if from a long rest. In return you must consume 1/4 or more worth of RI items or loose your ability to sleep at all until you consume a RI item.
- You constantly see the worst possible future where everything is brought to ruin, these visions steel your mind and prevents you from sucuming your mind altering spells. In return you must smoke 1/4 or more worth of RI items a day or you will become hostile to all creatures until you smoke a RI item.
- You are able to roll at advantage for the quality of a RI item when harvesting RI materials. In return you must drink 1/4 worth of RI items a day or you will roll at disadvantage when harvesting RI materials unitly you drink a RI item.
Inner Wisdom
Starting at the 3rd level you will be able to harness RI into a part of yourself and create a spell or enchantment with it that you are able to use as an action once a day for free. You may choose an additional one at the 9th level. At the 17th level you may use them as bonus actions.
- head (you can tell if you are lied to for 10 minutes)
- shoulders (you can tell if you are going the wrong way for 5 minutes)
- arms (cause a creature make an Int save, on fail they are magically restrained for 30 seconds)
- hands (make a ranged attack against a creature within 15 ft, on hit they take 2d4 crushing dmg)
- chest (gain 10 ft of extra movement for 30 seconds)
- stomach (recover from any poison effect and become resistant to poison for 30 seconds)
- pelvis (recover from any mind altering spells or effects and become resistant to them for 30 seconds)
- thighs (gain 10 ft of extra jump distance for 30 seconds)
- calfs (cause all creatures within 10 ft to make a dex save, on fail they fall prone)
- feet (gain an extra action next turn)
- heart (gain 10% of your max health as temp HP)
Curses
Starting at the 5th level you may choose one type of elemental and pyiscal damage. When you deal damage of this type to a creature they become vunrible to it if they are not resitant to it, if they are resitant to it then they take normal damage from it.
Primordial Intuition
Starting at the 6th level you gain proficiency in investigation, and use double your proficiency bonus for investigation checks outside of artificial structures. If you already have the investigation skill you may choose one skill offered as a starting skill in this class.
Primordial Trade
Starting at the 6th level you will be able to start a unique trade apart from your primordial doctrine. You gain proficiency with one set of tools that requires an intelligence, wisdom, or charisma check to use. Items, weapons, and armor made using these tools will not degrade or break according to primordial doctrine rules and you have the ability to teach other members of your tribe to use these tools effectively. You also gain proficiency to use any items you make in this way, refer to crafting rules for instructions on how to make items in your world/campaign. At the 14th level, you may choose an additional trade to aquire.
Primordial Magic
Starting at the 7th level you will choose a way to channel RI into mana. Each way gains additional features at 11th and 15th levels. These are the ancestors of modern magical classes and they reflect their core traits.
Wizened Worder
For this use of mana you require a book or scroll to record any spells you plan to use. Doing this costs materials that cost 10gp per 1/8th of RI that the spell costs. You may prepare 1 spell a day that will act as a cantrip, it cannot use more than 1/4th RI but you can change which spell it is each day. Starting at the 11th level you may prepare an additional cantrip per day, you may also prepare a first level spell that you may use once a day for no cost, it cannot cost more than 1/2 RI. Starting at the 15th level you may prepare an additional first level spell and may cast two first level spells a day for no cost. In addition you may prepare a second level spell that cannot cost more than 1 1/2 RI, you may cast this once a day for no cost.
Resourceful Speller
For this use of mana you will require an arcane focus. You may shorten the casting time of any spell to a bonus action, or double its range three times a day. Starting at the 11th level you may choose to not hit allies that are in the hit zone of a spell, or roll max damage on any spell twice a day. Starting at the 15ht level you may cast two spells at once, or cancel an enemy's spell one time a day.
Music Barder
For this use of mana you will require an instermunt. You may grant advantage to one of your ally's actions next turn, if they are within line of sight as a bonus action. Starting at the 11th level you may either play for 10 minutes and restore 25% of your parties HP, or play for 1 action and give them 10% of their max HP as temp HP. Starting at the 15th level you may "Inspire" one of your allies by spending 1 minute playing for them. When inspired they gain 50% of their HP as temp HP and get advantage on one roll a turn for 1 hour.
Deal Locker
For this use of mana you will require a a partner, they can be a creature, person, or group of people. Once a day you may cast any spell they know and alow you to cast in return for 10% of your current HP being transferred to them. Starting at the 11th level you may gain 10% of their max HP as temporary hit points once per day. Starting at the 15th level you may cause one of your spells to be empowered by them and deal extra damage equal to 10% of their max HP.
Friend Drawer
For this use of mana you will require the consent of nature. Once a day you may take on the form of any plant you have the permission to impersonate, you will have their physical stats but your own mental stats. You may transform and transform back as an action. Starting at the 11th level once a day you may take on the form of any beast you have the permission to impersonate, this permission can be taken back if the beast dies or is no longer is favorable to you. Starting at the 15th level once a day you may take on the form of anything that you have the permission to impersonate, this permission can be taken back if the thing ceases to exist or is no longer favorable to you.
Heritic Clearer
For this use of mana you will be required to establish a set of beliefs that you will uphold and attempt to get others to do the same. Once a day you may cause anyone who oposses your beliefs to make a wisdoms save, if they fail they must make every attempt to get as far away from you as possible and cannot attack or cast spells for 1 minute or unit it takes damage. Starting at the 11th level your previous ablitly also dose 2d10 damage to anyone effected by it and no longer ends if creatures take damage, however they may roll again to end the effect if they take damage. Starting at 15th level your previous ablity dose it's damage every round they are effected by it but they may roll to end its effect every turn.
Superior Intellect
Starting at the 10th level you gain resistance to fear, confusion, and other mental status effects. Your mind is inhospitable to depresion, anxiety, self doubt, and other mental blocks and you age more slowly.
Unusual Mentality
Starting at the 13th level any time you are reduced to 0 RI you may consume exactly 1 RI of RI materials to gain one RI back. This feature cannot be used again until after a long rest. Starting at the 18th level you may choose to not gain any RI back from this and instead gain 1/8 Max RI up to 2 extra RI.
Primordial Hero
Starting at the 20th level you are looked up to as one of the founders of modern magic, you founded the basis for literal library fo spell theory and magic research. In recognition of this feat you may work with your DM to craft a custom spell. This must reflect your life up to this point and will become a new spell in the world that will carry your name with it.
subclass options:
| Level | Proficiency | Feature | RI points |
|---|
| 1 | +2 | Primordial Doctrine, Wild language | 2 |
| 2 | +2 | Foundations | 3 |
| 3 | +2 | Inner Strength | 4 |
| 4 | +2 | ability score improvment | 6 |
| 5 | +3 | Curses | 8 |
| 6 | +3 | Primodial Intuition, Primordial Trade | 10 |
| 7 | +3 | Primordial Magic | 15 |
| 8 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Foundations | 20 |
| 9 | +4 | Inner Strength | 25 |
| 10 | +4 | Superior Intellect | 30 |
| 11 | +4 | Primodial Magic | 35 |
| 12 | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 35 |
| 13 | +5 | Unusual Mentality | 35 |
| 14 | +5 | Primitive Trade | 35 |
| 15 | +5 | Primordial Magic | 40 |
| 16 | +5 | Ability Score Upgrade | 40 |
| 17 | +6 | Inner Strength | 40 |
| 18 | +6 | Unusual Mentality | 50 |
| 19 | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 50 |
| 20 | +6 | Primordial Hero | 60 |
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