A Sorcerous Origin

Contents

Foreword...... 1 Sorcerer ...... 2 Sorcerous Origin ...... 2 Nymph Bloodline ...... 2

Sidebars Supernatural Marks ...... 3 Nymph Bloodlines on Other Worlds ...... 4 Nymph Bloodline Sorcerers and Devotion 5......

Nymph Bloodline A Sorcerous Origin

By Christopher M. Cevasco Foreword The Player's Handbook, Xanathar's Guide to Art Credits Everything, and the Sword Coast Adventurer's ON THE COVER: Altered version of An Egyptian at His Guide offer several distinct subclass options Doorway in Memphis by Dutch artist Lawrence Alma- for sorcerers—mystic origins that transform an Tadema (1836 - 1912). individual so as to unlock arcane methods of accessing the magical Weave and allow for Border pattern around sidebar boxes adapted from a design by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay. sorcerous spellcasting. This supplement offers a new sorcerous Apart from those images obtained through DMs Guild origin with strong ties to the world presented in Creator Resource artpacks, all other illustrations herein Mythic Odysseys of Theros. Nymph Bloodline are in the public domain or alterations thereof. sorcerers have been transformed by a nymph page backgrounds are from Cole Twogood's old paper heritage that's been mingled with their own or resource available at DMs Guild. with that of an ancestor. Such sorcerers gain mythic powers from this link—powers that are DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, distinctive based on the particular type of Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica, Theros, and all other Wizards of nymph (dryad, naiad, etc.) to which they bear the Coast product names, and their respective logos are a blood connection. The features presented trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and below are highly modular so as to accommo- other countries. date for these variant types, resulting in a

This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or uniquely versatile subclass. other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Although inspired by Theros, suggestions ContentSample Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. are provided herein forfile easily adapting the All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by Christopher Nymph Bloodline subclass to the Forgotten M. Cevasco and published under the Community Content Agreement for Realms, Eberron, Ravnica, or other campaign Dungeon Masters Guild. settings that may or may not include the full range of Theran nymphs. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Origin, your DM might wish to let you consider the following new origin—Nymph Bloodline— among those options offered in the Player's Handbook, in Xanathar's Guide to Everything, and in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide.

Nymph Bloodline Dryads and other varieties of nymphs are reclusive, fey guardians of nature tied to places of natural power, sometimes in the service of deities. As immortal beings, they are largely uninterested in the affairs of mortals unless those affairs threaten the natural world, but Sorcerer some nymphs are more benevolent and offer WHEN THE RAW, SORCEROUS POWER OF THE aid, while others can be unpredictably howling gale overtakes me, I feel something of dangerous or even violent. On the world of what it must have been like for my grand- Theros, they infuse those places in which they mother's grandmother, wreathed in lightning, to dwell with the magic of the starry plane of Nyx. drive the krakens from our ancestral home with Your innate powers come from the magic of the power of Keranos's divine blessing filling her. nymph blood that was mingled with your own — Galaukus, triton storm sorcerer or with that of one of your ancestors. Although most types of nymphs are described in Mythic Unlike other mages who must learn and pursue Odysseys of Theros as native to that world, a their arcane skills, a sorcerer's magic is innate. Nymph Bloodline sorcerer might appear on any For some it is a wild, uncontrolled magic world on which nymphs are present. Most erupting from chaos; for others it arises from a often, sorcerers with this origin trace their draconic bloodline, from connection to a divine descent back to an ancestor with a nymph source, from the elemental power of storms, or parent, but other means of introducing the from some touch of the Shadowfell. strain are possible. An ancestor might have All sorcerers must learn to control their entered into a bargain with a powerful nymph magic, which overflows from their being and or a nature deity. Alternately, a nymph ances- requires release. Although rare in general, sor- tor might have been transformed into a mortal cerers are often found among adventurers, as by some curse, a god's capricious or otherwise such a life provides numerous such outlets. inscrutable purpose, or some other metamor- phic magic. Any given sorcerer could even be Samplethe very first of an entirelyfile new bloodline owing Sorcerous Origin to an arcane pact, to having been born in a At 1st level, a sorcerer gains the Sorcerous location imbued with strong nature-magic, or Origin feature. When choosing a Sorcerous through some other unusual circumstance.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Nymph Bloodline: A Sorcerous Origin 2 Your ties to nymph-kind not only grant you Naiad. Nymphs of water that often become distinctive sylvan powers, however, but the bound through their own fixation as guardians mingling of your mortal blood with that of of a particular river, lake, shoreline, reef, or nymphs permits you sorcerous access to deep-sea trench, effectively manifesting as the magic's weave, making you greater than the spot's personality. sum of your parts. Most such sorcerers also Oread. Among the most aggressive nymphs, typically undergo some physiological transfor- oreads embody the world's volcanism, seismic mation. Both your inner powers and their activity, and fire, typically dwelling in Dryad outward manifestations reflect a specific type of mountain crags or near volcanoes. nymph—alseid, dryad, lampad, naiad, or For more details on dryads, see oread—as well as certain serendipitous fey the Monster Manual, and for traits, such that it is exceedingly rare for any details of all other varieties, see two Nymph Bloodline sorcerers to be exactly Mythic Odysseys of Theros. the same. You can speak and understand the Sylvan language, and if you NYMPH BLOODLINE FEATURES know Elvish from some other trait Sorcerer or feature, you can also read and Level Feature write Sylvan script. Moreover, 1st Nymph Embodiment, Nature Magic whenever you make a Charisma- 6th Sylvan Resistance based skill check when interacting with nymphs, you 14th Nymph Inheritance can add your proficiency bonus 18th Timeless Being to the check even if you don't Nymph Embodiment normally have proficiency with At 1st level, you choose the type of nymph that skill; if you do already whose heritage you manifest and which is used have such proficiency, then by features you gain as you advance your proficiency bonus is in levels. Choose one type from doubled for that check. among the following: Alseid. Sun-touched nymphs of meadows, plains, and cultivated fields, Oread often aiding farmers by warding flocks and enriching crops. Dryad. Reclusive SUPERNATURAL MARKS but dangerously charming nymphs Many sorcerers of a Nymph Bloodline manifest soul-bound to a subtle but telling physical traits that set them apart particular tree, often from other folk. These marks typically reflect the working with uni- sorcerer's particular nymph heritage as follows: corns, satyrs, and Alseid. Your eyes sometimes seem luminous, and other sylvan crea- non-sentient plants tend to lean toward you. tures to ward natural Dryad. Up to three stray leaves of a particular type woodlands. of tree (your choice) regularly grow from your scalp. Lampad. Rarely seen Lampad. nymph guardians of Your skin always feels cold to the touch. paths traveled by souls Naiad. Your pores expel freshwater or seawater en route to the afterlife, (your choice) when you become agitated, as if you typicallySample dwelling in were sweating. file graveyards or crypts, or Oread. Your skin always feels hot to the touch; you (on Theros) in tunnels leading sometimes emit an odor of smoke or brimstone. to the Underworld. Naiad

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Nymph Bloodline: A Sorcerous Origin 3 Lampad Nature Magic Also beginning at 1st level, your link to nature allows you to learn spells from the druid class. When your Spellcasting feature lets you learn or replace a sorcerer cantrip or sorcerer spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose the new spell from the druid spell list or the sorcerer spell list. You must otherwise obey all NYMPH BLOODLINES ON OTHER WORLDS restrictions for selecting the spell, and it Although strongly associated with the world of becomes a sorcerer spell for you. Theros, nymphs—and thus sorcerers of a Nymph In addition, you learn a signature spell Bloodline—may be present on any world. At your based on the particular nymph heritage you've DM's discretion, it might be that only certain types chosen. Even if this spell is not otherwise on of nymphs exist in your campaign setting. If, for the sorcerer spell list, it counts as a sorcerer example, lampads are not found in your setting, spell for you, but in either case it doesn't count then that choice of ancestry may not be available to against your number of sorcerer spells known. you at 1st level. You might even be limited to a Unlike with other spells you know, however, single choice if, for example, dryads exist in your this spell cannot ever be replaced by another campaign world but none of the other varieties spell when you gain levels. As shown below, introduced in Mythic Odysseys of Theros are found depending on your nymph heritage, your ability there. to cast this spell manifests at different sorcerer levels. NYMPH HERITAGE SPELLS Nymph Inheritance At 14th level, your bloodline manifests more Sorcerer Level profoundly in the form of one of the following Heritage Spell at which spell is learned five features that is linked to the heritage you Alseid plant growth 5th chose at 1st level. Dryad barkskin 3rd NYMPH INHERITANCE Lampad gentle repose 3rd Naiad phantasmal force 3rd Heritage Inheritance Feature Oread hellish rebuke 1st Alseid You gain resistance to radiant damage, and once per turn, when you hit with a melee weapon attack or unarmed strike, you deal Sylvan Resistance an additional 1d10 radiant damage. Beginning at 6th level, your nymph heritage Dryad You can speak to either beasts or plants renders you unusually resistant to certain (your permanent choice) as if you shared a forms of magic. First, choose one of the common language. Also, you can use 10 feet following conditions, to which you gain of your movement on a turn to step magi- immunity: charmed, frightened, or poisoned. cally into a living tree within 5 feet of you This choice is permanent. and emerge from a second one within 60 Additionally, if you fail a saving throw feet of the first, appearing in an unoccupied against a spell or other magical effect, you can expend 1 sorcery point to add a +1 bonus to the space within 5 feet of the second; both trees roll. If that allows you to succeed, then you do must be Large or bigger, and you can do this so. If not, then the DM informs you of the a number of times equal to your Charisma additional bonus amount you would need in modifier, regaining expended uses upon order to succeed. If you possess an equivalent finishing a Long Rest. number of unexpended sorcery points and wish Lampad You gain resistance to necrotic damage, and to expendSample them, you may do so and thus once per turn,file when you hit with a melee succeed on the save. Whether you choose to do weapon attack or unarmed strike, you deal so or not, you do not regain the initial expended an additional 1d10 necrotic damage. sorcery point. (continued)

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Nymph Bloodline: A Sorcerous Origin 4