Acolyte of the Skin

To a wizard, the lower planes are a potential source of power, but hardly worth the risk. Those who dissent from this common opinion are seldom considered savoury sorts. The Acolytes of the Skin, arcanists who explore the cutting (indeed, the flaying) edge of demonology, embody the stereotype.

Dedicated Demonologist

Once you enter this arcane tradition at 2nd level, your fascination with demonology is plain for all to see. You learn to speak your choice of either Abyssal or Infernal.

You also gain proficiency with Religion, and double your proficiency bonus in that skill when dealing with fiends.

Rite of Bonding

Also at 2nd level, you complete the rite of bonding, a hideous procedure that involves flaying your skin and replacing it with a living, fiendish symbiote grown in cauldrons of ichor. Ordinarily, this has only cosmetic effects.

You can awaken the skin by feeding it arcane power during a long or short rest, reducing the total levels worth of spell slots you regain using Arcane Recovery and activating an equal number of the Bond features described opposite.

You lose these features at the end of your next long rest, unless you spend the necessary Arcane Recovery slots again.

Hide of Hell

Starting at 6th level, if your skin is awakened you can use your reaction to force it to defend you, lashing out with burning protuberances or calcifying into black armour.

All attacks against you suffer disadvantage, and you have advantage on all Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throws. This lasts until the start of your next turn, at which point you lose one feature (or one "extra slot" effect) currently being offered by your Rite of Bonding.

Siblings in Skin

Starting at 10th level, you can bud off hellish creatures from your living flesh. You add the conjure hell spawn and conjure fiend spells (below) to your spellbook at no cost. You can cast these spells without preparing them, and your concentration on them is not broken by taking damage.

You can use your action to touch a fiend you conjured with one of these spells, reabsorbing it. It instantly dies, and you regain hit points equal to the lower of its remaining hit points or its challenge rating x 10 (rounded down).

Diabolical Symbiosis

Starting at 14th level, your creature type becomes fiend. In addition, choose a single Bond feature. You gain this feature permanently, including any extra slot effects it offers.

After completing a short rest, you can swap one active feature on your Rite of Bonding for another of your choice.

Bond Features

Abyssal Eyes . You gain darkvision out to 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, you increase its range by 60 feet. An extra slot lets your darkvision pierce magical darkness.

. You gain darkvision out to 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, you increase its range by 60 feet. An extra slot lets your darkvision pierce magical darkness. Deathly Glare . You learn the eldritch blast cantrip, which is a wizard cantrip for you.

. You learn the eldritch blast cantrip, which is a wizard cantrip for you. Grip of the Pit . You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. An extra slot puts you under the effects of the spider climb spell.

. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. An extra slot puts you under the effects of the spider climb spell. Hell Claws . You gain a natural weapon which you are proficient with, and which deals 1d6 slashing damage. It is magic, and you have a +1 bonus to the attack and damage rolls you make using it. Starting at 10th level, an extra slot makes it a 1d8 weapon with a +2 bonus.

. You gain a natural weapon which you are proficient with, and which deals 1d6 slashing damage. It is magic, and you have a +1 bonus to the attack and damage rolls you make using it. Starting at 10th level, an extra slot makes it a 1d8 weapon with a +2 bonus. Infernal Ichor . You increase your maximum and current hit points by an amount equal to your wizard level. An extra slot doubles this increase.

. You increase your maximum and current hit points by an amount equal to your wizard level. An extra slot doubles this increase. Fiendish Pheromones . You have advantage on Charisma checks against fiends. An extra slot extends this advantage to all Charisma checks.

. You have advantage on Charisma checks against fiends. An extra slot extends this advantage to all Charisma checks. Leather Wings . You have a flying speed of 20 feet, but only on your turn. An extra slot removes this restriction.

. You have a flying speed of 20 feet, but only on your turn. An extra slot removes this restriction. Mystic Skin . You have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by fiends. Starting at 10th level, an extra slot extends this advantage to saving throws against all spells.

. You have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by fiends. Starting at 10th level, an extra slot extends this advantage to saving throws against all spells. Pandemonium's Aura . You can cast the thaumaturgy cantrip as a bonus action.

. You can cast the thaumaturgy cantrip as a bonus action. Resilient Flesh . You gain resistance to one of cold, fire, poison, or lightning damage (your choice). Starting at 10th level, an extra slot gives you resistance to two choices.

. You gain resistance to one of cold, fire, poison, or lightning damage (your choice). Starting at 10th level, an extra slot gives you resistance to two choices. Shifting Skin . You can use your action to change your physical appearance. Your basic shape and size category must remain the same, and none of your statistics change.

. You can use your action to change your physical appearance. Your basic shape and size category must remain the same, and none of your statistics change. Toxic Hide . You are immune to the poisoned condition. An extra slot also renders you immune to poison damage.

. You are immune to the poisoned condition. An extra slot also renders you immune to poison damage. Unnatural Armor. Your AC cannot be lower than 14. An extra slot increases this minimum to 16.

While you have at least one of these features active, spells and features that detect creature type register you as a fiend.