Sage With a frail arm, an elderly human touches a blind man's forehead. She hasn't eaten in days, and it is with blurred vision that she watches him open his eyes, blink, and stare in wonder at the world for the first time. She allows the crowd a moment to gasp before beckoning the next pilgrim to come forward. At the base of a secluded waterfall, a halfling sits cross-legged, waiting patiently for a vision. He will lead his tribe in battle the next day, and he plans to entreat the spirits to ensure his arrows fly true. When they finally appear, he smiles, as if greeting a long-lost friend. Wearing nothing but tatterred rags that expose a myriad of scars, a dwarf wades into battle, whipping himself and his enemies in equal measure. With each wound he suffers, his enemies cry in pain, and in the end, he stands alone - bleeding, but unbroken. All cultures have sages - men and women who seek wisdom normally beyond the grasp of any mind. They teach that we can come by such wisdom only by looking past the material world and overcoming the frailties of our own bodies. Their road is a difficult one, and many who attempt it lack the discipline to follow it through. Still others push themselves over the brink and starve to death, waiting for a vision in a cave. Those that survive, however, can be said to have mastered themselves, and are rewarded with insight that could not be acquired in any other way. Self-Denial In their quest to see beyond physical existence, sages practice rigorous austerity. Through fasting, self-flaggelation, and isolation, they push themselves into higher states of mind, from which they can grasp the truths hidden from the material world. While in such a state, they are able to speak with spirits directly, ignore the damage suffered by their material body, and channel divine power into small miracles. These moments of insight are only temporary, however, and after the ecstacy of exultation comes the inevitable plunge back to earth, where the mystic finds themselves invigorated, but closed off to the knowledge that was just recently at their fingertips. Only by fasting anew can they return once again to the spiritural realm. Divine Knowledge During their forays into the spirit realm, sages have experiences that defy explanation, and which impart in them knowledge ordinarily beyond mortal understanding. Even experienced sages embark on regular vision quests, searching for spirits that will guide them through their journey. It is during these quests that sages often uncover a sign or omen which they believe signifies great danger. Spurred on by the urging of their teachers and peers, such sages frequently set out as adventurers, testing both their self-restraint outside of a sheltered community and the strength of their spiritual powers to protect them from the trials of the outside world.

The Sage Level Proficiency Bonus Features 1st +2 Strength of Spirit (1d8/2d8), Aura of Torpor 2nd +2 Vision Quest, Meditation 3rd +2 Mystic Order 4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 5th +3 Strength of Spirit (2d8/4d8) 6th +3 Discipline 7th +3 Mystic Order Feature 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 9th +4 Pierce the Veil 10th +4 Light of Revelation 11th +4 Strength of Spirit (3d8/6d8) 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 13th +5 Mystic Order Feature 14th +5 Serene Mentor 15th +5 Unwavering Resolve 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 17th +6 Strength of Spirit (4d8/8d8) 18th +6 Mystic Order Feature 19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 20th +6 Axis of the World Creating a Sage As you build your sage, consider what led you to live a life of seclusion and austerity. Were you raised by a mystic order? Did you have a religious experience that inspired you to leave your old life behind? Did your tribe's shaman single you out for your talent in dealing with spirits? Or, perhaps you were driven by a thirst for knowledge that could only be obtained through mysticism? Also think about what caused you to leave your isolation and venture forth into the outside world. Did tragedy befall your community, or did they cast you out? Were you visited by a spirit bearing ill tidings and urging you to avert a coming disaster? Do you hope to return to a quiet life when your adventure has ended? As the path of the sage requires incredible self-discipline, it is rare to find a sage who is not lawful in alignment. Quick Build You can make a sage quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Wisdom your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity or Constitution. Second, choose the hermit background. Class Features As a sage, you have the following class features. Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d6 per sage level

1d6 per sage level Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier

6 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per sage level after 1st Proficiencies Armor: None

None Weapons: Simple Weapons

Simple Weapons Tools: None Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma

Wisdom, Charisma Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Persuasion, Religion, or Survival Equipment You start with the following equipment in addition to the equipment granted by your background: (a) a dagger or (b) a quarterstaff

(a) a sling or (b) 10 darts

a priest's pack Strength of Spirit In lieu of rigorous training and martial expertise, you have come to rely on sheer determination and force of will to defend yourself. When you hit a creature with a simple weapon, you may choose to treat the damage die as a 1d8. Alternatively, you may choose incur a level of exhaustion to empower the ability and treat the damage dice as 2d8 instead. If you have at least 3 levels of exhaustion, you gain advantage on attacks with simple weapons, cancelling out the disadvantage exhaustion would normally incur. The damage granted by this ability increases at 5th, 11th and 17th levels, as indicated on the sage table. Aura of Torpor In your presence, flesh weakens, and spirits pull to escape their mortal prisons. A creature that ends its turn adjacent to you gains one level of exhaustion. You may voluntarily suppress this ability as a bonus action, and it cannot raise a creature's level of exhaustion higher than your own. Vision Quest Beginning at 2nd level, you can embark on a short journey to an isolated place, and there beseech the spirits for guidance. Earning their favor takes an hour, during which you must be completely alone, unable to see or hear anyone else. At the end of the hour, you gain inspiration, as detailed in Chapter 4 of the Player's Handbook. This inspiration can be passed to other players as normal. This ability cannot be used again until you complete a long rest.

Meditation Also at 2nd level, when you short or long rest, you may spend an hour or more or the time chanting, praying, or otherwise focusing your mind. If you do, you lose one level of exhaustion in addition to the normal benefits of resting. Mystic Order At 3rd level, you choose a mystic order to guide you on your path to enlightenment. Chose the Order of the Penitent or the Order of the Ascetic, both detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 13th and 18th levels. Ability Score Improvement When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase on 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. Discipline Pangs of hunger, stabs of cold, and the dull ache of old wounds all serve to remind you of your duty and steel your determination. Starting at 6th level, when you roll a saving throw, you may reduce your level of exhaustion by one. If you do, add your Wisdom modifier to the roll. You may use this ability after the result of the roll is known, but before the DM determines if it succeeds. Pierce the Veil Beginning at 9th level, you see more clearly than any mortal eyes could. You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks made to divine a living creature's true intentions. Furthermore, you are aware of the presence and location of any living creature within 30 ft. of you. Light of Revelation Enlightenment does not come easily. By the time you reach 10th level, you have become skilled in opening other's eyes to spiritual realm, altho they are not always prepared for what they see. As an action, you may radiate a 30 foot cone of light. Each creature caught within the cone must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the beginning of your next turn. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long or short rest. Serene Mentor As you near the end of your spiritual journey, it falls to you to aid others along their own. Beginning at 14th level, while you are exhausted, you may use your reaction to add your Wisdom modifier to a d20 roll made by another creature within 60 ft. You may use this ability after the result of the roll is known, but before the DM decides if it succeeds. Unwavering Resolve Starting at 15th level, your destination is within your sight, and nothing could tempt you away from its pursuit. While you are exhausted, you are immune to the Charmed and Frightened conditions. Axis of the World Your suffering has been long, and your lessons hard. But, after years of meditation and self-denial, you have achieved the greatest height - axis of the world, granted direct access to the wellspring of divine knowledge, and charged with serving as a conduit between the physical and the divine. When you reach 20th level, you gain proficiency in Arcana, History, Nature, Religion, and Insight. If you are already proficient, you may instead add twice your proficiency bonus to checks made with that skill. Furthermore, you may choose to use Wisdom in place of Intelligence when making Arcana, History, Nature or Religion checks. Additionally, once per long rest, when you would make an Arcana, History, Nature, Religion or Insight check, you may choose to treat the d20 roll as a 20. Mystic Order All sages seek wisdom that transcends the material world. Their methods, however, differ from sect to sect. While some find enlightenment in forsaking the material world entirely, others search for wisdom that can only be revealed when one is fully aware of the body's weakness. Order of the Penitent The most immediate and unavoidable physical sensations are also the clearest reminders of flesh's frailty and vulnerability. The Order of the Penitent celebrates pain, humiliation and sorrow, using them to prompt the further refinement of our souls. Serenity Beginning at 3rd level when you join the Order, you learn that by accepting hardships, we master them. While wearing nothing more than rags, your AC is equal to 10 + your Wisdom modifier + your Dexterity modifier. Additionally, your hit point maximum increases by 3, and increases by 1 whenever you gain a level in this class. Mortification of the Flesh Also at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the whip, and you may treat the whip as a simple weapon for the purposes of Strength of Spirit. Additionally, when you attack yourself, you gain temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt. Furthermore - whenever you take damage, you may choose to acquire one level of exhaustion. If you do, each creature adjacent to you must make a Constituion saving throw, DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier, or take an equal amount of damage. If you resist the damage, the other creatures take damage as if you didn't.