The Dedicant As the party stares down the towering dragon, fear begins to settle in their chest. However, as the smell of brimstone becomes overwhelming, and the dim light becomes visible through the beast's throat, one half elf steps forward eagerly, with a look of child-like excitement on his face. After the raging barbarian tugged his axe loose from the skull of yet another kobold, he looked over his shoulder at his slim companion wielding a rapier. With a nod, he watches as she bellows and perfectly recreates the swing he just finished, cleaving through a gnoll twice her size. The party collectively groaned. Another magical quarter staff? No one in the party even used them! They all turned and, one-by-one, nodded to the wizened old man they travelled with. He nodded gratefully before speaking a few ancient words, and watching as bright light consumed the weapon, and the runes which decorated its sides were transfered to his skin. Explorers who find expand their power in every encounter; a dedicant is a scholar who throws their entire being into their study, to the point where it changes their very essence. Power through Exploration Dedicants are near-fanatical scholars who dedicate their lives to the topics of their fascination. So intensive is their dedication to their fascination, that they put their bodies on the line, transforming themselves into living weapons. Much like a wizard expanding their spellbook with a scroll found hidden in the corner of a dungeon, or a druid taking on the form of a beast they discovered in the furthest reaches of their travels, the dedicant creates their own list of abilities by taking features they like from the world around them. Creating a Dedicant When creating a dedicant, it's important to determine what instilled this all-consuming fascination in your character. Was this a childhood passion they've had for as long as they can remember, or are they seeking the knowledge to fix a great mistake they made? Quick Build You can make a dedicant by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest stat for enactments and AC, followed by either Strength or Dexterity, depending on if you are interested in using melee or ranged weaponry. Second, take the Sage background. Class Features As a dedicant, you gain the following class features. Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d8 per dedicant level Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per dedicant level after 1st. Proficiencies You gain the following proficiencies in addition to those offered by your background. Armor: None Weapons Simple and martial weapons Tools: One artisan’s tool of your choice Saving Throws: Intelligence and Constitution Skills: Choose one from Arcana, Acrobatics, Investigation, and Religion Starting Equipment You gain the following equipment in addition to the equipment offered by your background. Equipment • (a) longsword or (b) any melee weapon • (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack • Longbow, and 20 arrows Alternatively, you can ignore the equipment provided by your class and background and start with 4d4 x 10 gp. A Note about the Dedicant and Pacing As you may notice while reading through this class, many of the features are closely tied to the environment your campaign takes place in. For this reason, it may be useful to have a discussion with your dungeon master before deciding to play a dedicant. For example, if you are playing a low magic, historical campaign that is largely lacking in monsters, magic items, or other spells, you may find that several of the features offered by this class don't come up very often. We have tried to account for this by offering additional features which are more campaign-independent, but we still suggest having a discussion before the campaign to ensure you will be getting the full dedicant experience.

The Dedicant Level Proficiency Bonus Features Enactment Slots Enactments Known Slot Level 1st +2 Unarmored Defense, Field Focus - - - 2nd +2 Fighting Style - - - 3rd +2 Fascination, Worldly Magic 2 4 2 4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 2 4 2 5th +3 Extra Attack (1) 3 6 3 6th +3 Fascination Feature 3 6 3 7th +3 Researcher's Intuition 3 6 4 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 3 6 4 9th +4 Indignant Interjection 4 8 5 10th +4 Fascination Feature 4 8 5 11th +4 Pantomime 4 8 5 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 4 8 5 13th +5 Dual Minded 5 10 5 14th +5 Fascination Feature 5 10 5 15th +5 Unflinching Attention 5 10 5 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 5 10 5 17th +6 Ever Vigilant 6 12 5 18th +6 Fascination Feature 6 12 5 19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 6 12 5 20th +6 Absolute Understanding 6 12 5 Unarmored Defense At 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and are not wielding a shield, your AC equals 13 + your Constitution modifier. Field Focus Starting at 1st level, your time in the field has taught you how to protect yourself. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat to grant yourself one of the following: • Resistance to one type of damage • Your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. You may use this feature a number of times equal to twice your Intelligence modifer. Uses refresh on a short rest. By maintaining concentration (as though concentrating on a spell) you can benefit from this feature over multiple turns without expending additional uses. Fighting Style At second level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again. • Archery: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons. • Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. • Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit. • Two-Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. Fascination At third level, you decide the topic of your fascination, either Beast, Man, or Treasure. All three are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level, as well as determining the specific effects of features at 7th and 20th level.

Worldly Magic At 3rd level, your arcane research and years of exploration have given you the potential to learn new and exotic spell-like abilities, called enactments. See chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting. Enactments Known of First Level and Higher Unlike other spellcasting classes, the dedicant does not gain any spells directly upon leveling up. Instead, they gain the ability to draw magical abilities and enactments from other sources in their travels. See the fascinations at the end of this chapter for more information. Preparing and Casting Enactments The dedicant table shows how many enactment slots & enactments known you can have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your enactment slots are the same level. To cast one of your dedicant enactments of 1st level or higher, you must expend a enactment slot. You regain all expended enactment slots when you finish a long rest. You prepare the list of enactments that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of enactments from your enactments known equal to the value on the enactment slots column for your level. You can change your list of prepared enactments when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of dedicant enactments requires time spent in meditation and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the enactment: at least 1 minute per enactment level for each enactment on your list. Saving Throws Some of your enactments require your target to make a saving throw to resist the enactment’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: Enactment save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier Enactment attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier 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. Extra Attack Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Researcher's Intuition By 6th level, your research and connection to the focus of your fascination is so strong that you innately know if there are any samples of it hidden nearby. By spending 1 uninterrupted minute in concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell or your field focus ability), you can sense whether any samples of your fascination (non-humanoid creatures for Beast, up to 5 allies for Man, and magic items for Treasure) are present within 5 miles of you. This feature reveals if any samples are present, their numbers, and their general direction and distance (in miles) from you. If there are multiple groups of the focus of your fascination within range, you learn this information for each group. Indignant Interjection Starting at 9th level, your attention to detail on the battlefield is so great, that enemy spellcasters have difficulty surprising you with a spell. You gain the ability to disrupt enemy spellcasters, per the spell Counter Spell. The spell level for this counterspell is equal to your current Slot Level. You can expend additional uses of this feature to cast Counter Spell at higher levels, at a rate of one level per use expended. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier. Uses of this feature refresh upon a long rest. Pantomime When you reach 11th level, your ability to gain information from those around you is unparalleled. When talking to a sentient creature with which you do not share a language, you can spend one minute constructing a pantomime with them, which allows you to adequately share ideas. After this minute, you are able to communicate with this creature, per the spell Tongues or Speak with Animals (whichever is appropriate). Dual Minded At 13th level, you have mastered your awareness of the battlefield to the point where you can seamlessly focus on two things at once. You can now hold concentration on two Field Focus abilities at once. Any events which would cause you to lose concentration make you lose both effects.

Unflinching Attention Starting at 15th level, you've grown accustomed to ignoring distractions. You can now gain advantage to concentration checks. Ever Vigilant At 17th level, your focus both on and off the battlefield allows you to see the world as it is, even when forces attempt to hide the truth. You can now select the following benefit with your Field Focus ability: • Truesight at a range of 30 feet. Absolute Understanding When you reach level 20, your understanding of the topic of your fascination is legendary and beyond contestation. This mastery means you have learned everything there is to know about the topic of your fascination, including how to avoid getting hit by them. Depending on the source of your fascination, you can spend a reaction to take no damage from natural weapon attacks and spell-like abilities (Beast), basic and martial weapon attacks (Man), or spells (Treasure). You still receive any additional effects of such attacks or abilities as usual, this effect applies only to damage. You can use this feature a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier. You receive expended uses of this feature after a long rest. Fascinations Dedicants view the topics of their fascination, less as a scholarly pursuit, and more as a magnum opus. They feel a deep internal drive to fully immerse themselves in any bit of lore they can, in hopes to bring themselves closer to these burning, all-consuming passions. Through the continued exploration of these fascinations, the dedicants will eventually find themselves becoming one with the topic of their studies, changing the very world around them with the heat of their enduring studies. Fascination of Beasts Dedicants who have a fascination of beasts feel a powerful connection with mythical monsters. Be they sole survivors of devastating attacks seeking to return one day with a vengeance, or adults who remember the beasts in fairy tales told to them as children, dedicants with this fascination will traverse the furthest reaches of the world to uncover new abilities and monsters. Fascination of Beasts Subclass Features Level Class Feature 3rd Bonus Proficiency, Monster Magic, Fierce Focus 6th Learned Spellcasting 10th Passive Monster Magic 14th Ability Nullification 18th Epic Resistance Bonus Proficiency When you select this fascination at level 3, you also become proficient in one of the following: Animal Handling, Medicine, or Survival. Monster Magic At 3rd level, your fascination of beasts begins to manifest. Through rigorous study, you begin to be able to recreate some of their abilities. You now have an additional benefit, Monster Magic, which functions as follows: When concentrating on Monster Magic, and a non-humanoid creature you can see uses a spell-like ability or makes a natural weapon attack, you can use your reaction to make a Study Roll to begin studying the ability. Roll a d20 with no modifiers. Your roll must overcome a DC of 14 ± 2 for every level of difference between the monster’s CR and your dedicant level (subtracting if the monster is of lower CR than your dedicant level, and adding if the monster’s CR is higher.) CR 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 count as CR 1 for the purposes of this roll. On a successful study roll, you begin studying the attack or ability. If you maintain concentration on the ability for 3 consecutive rounds, you may add the ability or attack to your list of enactments known. Each use of an ability expends a enactment slot. The ability is recreated exactly as the monster performed it (with the exception of spell attack modifiers and spell save DCs), and function as though cast at your highest Slot Level. On an unsuccessful study roll, or a loss of concentration, you must begin the process again. You may use your bonus action to reattempt the Study Roll on every round the creature is alive and in sight of you. Enactments can be forgotten at any times to create room for new ones. For any ongoing effects, such as the Deva's Change Shape ability, you maintain the effect until you lose concentration, one minute passes, or the normal ending conditions of the effect are met, whichever comes first. Recharge: For abilities that call for a recharge roll every round, you may also make a recharge roll after using it. On a successful recharge roll, the enactment slot is not expended and you may use the ability again in future rounds. On an unsuccessful recharge roll, the enactment slot is expended and you lose the ability until you regain that enactment slot on your next long rest. Notes: Legendary actions, lair actions and spell casting (innate or otherwise) cannot be gained in this way. Each attack in a multi-attack must be learned individually and take up their own enactment slot. For any attacks or abilities that require you to make a spell attack or the enemy to make a saving throw, use your own enactment attack modifier or enactment save DC. Only one copy of each ability can be learned at once.

Fierce Focus Beginning at 3rd level, your mimicry of beasts makes you particularly ferocious on the battle field. You can now select the following benefit with your Field Focus ability: • Your weapon attacks deal an additional d8 damage. Learned Spellcasting At 6th Level, your Monster Magic class feature can be used to learn spells monsters can cast through the Innate Spellcasting feature. Each spell learned in this manner must be learned individually, and each takes up its own enactment slot. You cannot learn any spells that are a higher level than your current Slot Level. Passive Monster Magic At 10th level, your fascination of beasts has advanced to the point that you can even replicate their passive abilities. When using the Monster Magic ability, you can now attempt to gain the creature’s passive abilities, in addition to their active ones. Each passive ability you maintain in this way expends an enactment slot. You may change your passive abilities every long rest when you prepare your enactments. Note: Legendary resistance and ability scores cannot be gained in this way. Each resistance or immunity must be learned individually and take up their own enactment slot. Ability Nullification Starting at 14th level, you gain the ability to quite literally steal abilities from beasts. While you have succeeded a Study Roll and are studying an ability with the Monster Magic feature, you can choose to remove the creature's ability to use it as well. If you are successful in learning the ability, the creature loses it for 24 hours. If you are unsuccessful in learning the ability or lose concentration, the creature regains use of the ability. When using this feature, you may choose to immediately forget the ability if you are only interested in nullifying the creature's use of it. Creatures can immediately tell that they have lost an ability, and that you are the reason why. Epic Resistance By 18th level, your near-complete knowledge of beasts now allows you shake-off even the most brutal of attacks, just as they do. You have gained the ability to learn one Legendary Resistance from a creature that has them. The Legendary Resistance functions as any other active ability. Fascination of Man Those dedicants with a fascination of man believe that all humanoids are the height of creation. Perhaps they see a small spark of divinity in their fellow man, or are simply impressed with how these weak and soft creatures managed to thrive in this dangerous world. Whatever their motivation, these dedicants often busy themselves traveling the world and learning about every possible culture, and forming deep bonds with the companions they've met along the way. Level Class Feature 3rd Bonus Proficiency, Studied Empathy, Boundless Knowledge 6th Reshuffle 10th Stand Together 14th Reactive 18th Friendly Focus Bonus Proficiency When you select this fascination at level 3, you also become proficient in one of the following: Deception, Insight, or Persuasion. Studied Empathy At 3rd level, your fascination of man has begun to manifest. Through careful study of your allies’ movements and actions, you begin to be able to recreate them. You now have an additional ability, Studied Empathy, which functions as follows: While maintaining concentration on Studied Empathy, you can select one ally you can see. When that target performs an attack, spell, or another class or racial ability, you may use your action on your next turn to perform the same action.

You perform the action exactly as they did it. Roll the same number of dice that your ally did and add their modifiers to each roll. Each use of this feature expends one enactment slot. You cannot recreate the spell or class abilitiy of any ally that is of a higher level than your dedicant level. For any ongoing effects, such as the Way of the Shadow Monk’s Cloak of Shadows feature, you maintain the effect until you lose concentration, or the normal ending conditions of the effect are met, whichever comes first. If concentration is lost, you may use your bonus action on your turn to begin concentrating on your ally again. Boundless Knowledge After traveling with your party for a while, you begin to get the hang of recreating their spells. When you recreate an ally’s spell using the Studied Empathy class feature, you may choose to add it to your list of enactments known. You cannot use this feature to learn spells of a higher level than your Slot Level. Only one copy of each spell can be learned and prepared at once. Gaining enactments from other dedicants Due to the nature of the dedicant's Worldly Magic feature, they are unable to successfully study and replicate enactments and abilities used by other dedicants. They claim that this removes them too far from the source of their power. They are essentially making a copy of a copy, which leads to instability. Reshuffle At 6th level, you're close enough to your allies to know when they are at their best. When initiative is rolled, you may swap the position of two of your allies. Stand Together When you reach the 10th level, your empathy has grown so deep that you literally feel your ally's pain, and vice versa. As an action, you may transfer a number of hit points equal to twice your dedicant level in either direction between you and the target of your Studied Empathy. Reactive Beginning at 14th level, you may make a number of reactions per round equal to your Intelligence modifier. Friendly Focus When you reach 18th level, you can prove that you know your allies, nearly as well as they know themselves. You can now select the following benefit with your Field Focus ability once a long rest: • You may create a perfect replica of one ally you can see, per the Simulacrum spell. Fascination of Treasure Those with a fascination of treasure view themselves as the most honest dedicants. Many were raised in utter poverty, seeking to escape the lives that claimed many of their loved ones. Others were born to a life of wealth and luxury, and spend their lives now jealously guarding their hoards. One thing connects all dedicants with a fascination of treasure is their overwhelming need to scour the deepest dungeons, looking for what's theirs. Level Class Feature Rarity 3rd Bonus Proficiency, Magical Consumption, Fiscal Focus Common, Uncommon 6th Deeper Lore, Use Magic Item - 10th Potion Connoisseur Rare 14th Interference Very Rare 18th Curse Breaker Legendary Bonus Proficiency When you select this fascination at level 3, you also become proficient in one of the following: History, Perception, or Sleight of Hand.

Magical Consumption At 3rd level, your fascination of treasure has begun to manifest. You now have an additional ability, Magical Consumption, which functions as follows: You may spend one long rest to determine the essence of a magical item, and take that essence into yourself. This process completely removes all magic from the item, rendering it a common version of the same item. Through this process, you gain the ability to innately replicate the effects of any magical item of a rarity determined by the Fascination of Treasure subclass table. The effects can then be transferred to a weapon of your choosing (if taken from a weapon), or your very skin (if taken from armor or an accessory). Each item you replicate in this way expends one enactment slot. The effects of multiple magical items can be combined in this way. For example, it is possible to use this feature to infuse a non-magical longsword with the effects of both a Holy Avenger, and Flame Tongue Dagger, provided you are a high enough level to consume them and both effects were prepared for the day. Notes: Any flat modifiers (such as the Holy Avenger’s +3 to hit and damage) gained through this feature do not stack. Any magical weapons created through this feature return to their original state as soon as you stop touching them. You may consume any number of attunable magic items. You are limited only by your available enactment slots and enactments known. Items that have a number of uses that recharge every day (at dawn or dusk) can be absorbed with this feature. Each use of the recharging feature expends an enactment slot, and all are regained upon taking a long rest. Consumable items and items that have a number of uses that do not recharge cannot be absorbed with this feature. Only one copy of each ability can be learned at once. Fiscal Focus Beginning at 3rd level, your connection to magical items has taught you to recreate their most basic effects. You can now select the following benefit with your Field Focus ability: • You may add an additional +1 to your weapon or AC to a maximum of +4. This increases to +2 at level 14, and +3 at level 18. Deeper Lore By 6th level, there's not a whole lot that can surprise you in regards to magic items. By focusing on a magic item for one minute, you can learn its nature, per the spell Identify. Use Magic Device You know enough about magic items to be able to use them the majority of the time. Even when they weren't made for you. Starting at 6th level, you ignore any class, race, level or alignment restrictions to magic items. Potion Connoisseur At 10th level, you gain the ability to use the Magical Consumption class feature on consumable magic items, such as potions and scrolls. Each use of the potion or scroll consumes one enactment slot. You cannot use this feature to learn spells of a higher level than your Slot Level. Interference Beginning at 14th level, you know exactly how to make magic items work. And how to make them stop working. A number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier you can spend an action to cancel the magic items of a target per the spell Antimagic Field. From Antimagic Field Magic Items: The properties and powers of Magic Items are suppressed in the Sphere. For example, a +1 long sword in the Sphere functions as a nonmagical long sword. A magic weapon's properties and powers are suppressed if it is used against a target in the Sphere or wielded by an attacker in the Sphere. If a Magic Weapon or piece of magic Ammunition fully leaves the Sphere (For example, if you fire a Magic Arrow or throw a magic spear at a target outside the sphere), the magic of the item ceases to be suppressed as soon as it exits. Curse Breaker At 18th level, you are so attuned to your treasure that you can ignore pitfalls that would destroy other adventurers. When you use the Magical Consumption class feature on a magic item, you can chose not to absorb the curse attached to item. Dedicant Multiclassing Should you wish to multiclass into a dedicant, the prerequisites and proficiencies gained are listed below. Dedicant Multiclass Perquisites Ability Score Minimum: Intelligence 13 Dedicant Multiclass Proficiencies Proficiencies Gained: Martial Weapons, One Skill of your Choice from the dedicant skills list.