Hengeyokai (5A)
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| Starfox's 5th Edition Fan Page |
This is an original Sorcerous Origin for 5A.
Hengeyokai is a group of supernatural creatures in Japanese mythology, shape-changing animals capable of taking human form. Here, it has been rendered as a type of shape-changing sorcerer that can be a human or anthropomorphic animal that learns to shape-shift and other magical powers.
Hengeyokai are shape-shifters, capable of taking animal, human, and hybrid humanoid animal forms. A hengeyokai can be a human that can assume an animal and hybrid form, an anthropomorphic animal that can assume human and animal form, or conceptually an animal that can take human or anthropomorphic forms, tough in game therms this would be either a human or an anthropomorphic animal.
Greyhawk Anthropomorphic animals have a strong presence in Nippon and Wrang. Hengeyokai are most common in these areas, but they also exist in other places, particularly the Celestial Empire.
Racial Limits
Depending on the setting, hengeyokai have racial limits. The most suitable races to be hengeyokai are antropomorphic animals, such as Aarakocra, Aven, Centaur, Giff, Hadozee, Harengon, Hybsil, Kenku, Khenra, Kitsune , Leonin, Locathah, Owlin, Sagittarian, Satyr, Tabaxi, and Tortle. Humans can also be hengeyokai, but to do so they must associate themselves very strongly with a particular animal. Potentially other kinds of creatures could become hengeyokai, replacing the human form in the Animal Forms ability with whatever is the creature's natural form.
Subclass Features
Hengeyokai Spells
Starting at 1st level, you learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Hengeyokai Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.
Whenever you gain a sorcerer level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level. The new spell must be from the bard or sorcerer spell list or a wizard spell of the illusion or transmutation schools.
| Sorcerer Level | Spells |
| 1 | Animal Friendship, Speak with Animals |
| 3 | Alter Self, Summon Beast |
| 5 | Aura of Vitality, Nondetection |
| 7 | Charm Monster, Polymorph |
| 9 | Commune with Nature, Dream |
Animal Forms
Starting at level 1 you can use a bonus action to change form into three different shapes, a human shape, and an anthropomorphic animal form. Each is detailed below.
Animal Form. When you first gain this ability, select a beast with a challenge of 1/2 or less. Typical hengeyokai animals are foxes, crows, badgers, sparrows, and tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog), but any animal from tiny to large in size can be the animal form.
You can change into the form of this beast. Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the chosen beast. You retain your alignment and personality, mental ability scores and related skills, and hit points. You are limited in the actions you can perform by the nature of this new form, and you can’t speak, cast spells, or take any other action that requires hands or speech. Your gear melds into the new form. You can’t activate, use, wield, or otherwise benefit from any of your equipment.
Anthropomorphic Form. You can assume the form of a humanoid with traits that are a mix of human and animal. If your normal form is a human, this is mostly a cosmetic effect, an additional option where you assume an alternate shape, but still retain your human abilities.
If your natural form is that of an anthropomorphic animal, this is your natural form and you have access to all your normal abilities.
Human. You can assume a human form. If you are human (or other humanoid that is not an anthropomorphic animal), this is your natural form and you have access to all your normal abilities. If you are an anthropomorphic animal, you lose any abilities related to senses, such as darkvision or advantage on rolls for certain senses.
Focused Transmutation
Beginning at 6th level, while you are concentrating on a transmutation spell, your concentration can't be broken as a result of taking damage.
Shape Mastery
Beginning at 14th level, when you cast the Polymorph on yourself, you can use a higher level spell slot to change into alternate types of creatures
- 5th Elemental, Giant, Monstrosity
- 6th Dragon, Fey, Plant
- 7th Aberration, Celestial, Fiend
Shape Mastery
Beginning at 18th level, you gain advantages when you are under the effect of Animal Shapes, Mass Polymorph, Polymorph, Shapechange, True Polymorph, and similar spells that replace your attributes with that of another creature. You retain your alignment and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature, If the creature has the same proficiency as you, and the bonus listed in its statistics is higher than yours, use the creature’s bonus in place of yours. You can’t use any legendary actions or lair actions of the new form. You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them, provided that your new form is physically capable of doing so. You can’t use any special senses you have (for example, darkvision) unless your new form also has that sense. You can only speak if the creature can normally speak.
Designer's Notes
This is a tricky subclass in that it goes deep into the rules for polymorph and transmutation spells. I tried to be practical about it, to make this into concrete rules that can apply to specific game situations, but I am afraid I have not done this far enough. I think the level 6 ability comes too early. It is a version of the conjuration wizard's lvl 10 ability, but sorcerers only have abilities at level 6 and 14, nowhere near 10. I may also wish to link this more to sorcerer class mechanics like sorcery points.