Dungeons & Dragons 2024 (D&D) Subclass: Splicer Paradigm

Level 3: Augment

You can fiddle with the very essence of your companions, crafting minor improvements and modifications. When you choose this paradigm, you gain 3 Splicer Points. Each time you gain a level in the Tamer class, you gain 1 additional Splicer Point. You can spend these points to modify your companions with the following augments—features and traits that take effect when you next finish a Long Rest. Splicer Points are shared across all your companions. If a companion is ever released, it loses any augments it had and the Splicer Points are refunded. Augments can be gained only once unless otherwise stated. See the Splicer Augments table on the next page for more details.

Surgeon’s Tools. You also gain proficiency with Surgeon’s Tools. You can spend 1 hour removing all augments from one companion with your surgeon’s tools, causing it to lose all the associated effects. You regain all splicer points spent on that companion and can re-allocate those points as you see fit.

Splicer Augments

Level 3: Splicer Spells

When you reach a Tamer level specified in the Splicer Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Splicer Spells

Level 7: Modular Upgrades

You can upgrade each of your companions with exotic organs and appendages. At the start of a Long Rest, you can choose one of the following upgrades for each of your companions. At the end of the Long Rest, the biomantic meld completes, and your companion gains the associated action option. The DC for the saving throw equals your tamer spell save DC.

Compelling Plumage. Each creature in a 25- foot cone that can see your companion must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by your companion’s dazzling display of colour for the next minute. While charmed in this way, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0 feet. The effect ends for an affected creature if it takes any damage, if someone else uses an action to shake the creature out of its stupor, if it no longer has line of sight to the companion, or is ever more than 25 feet away from the companion.

Phosphoburst. Each other creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on your companion must make a Constitution saving throw against the dizzying burst of light your companion emits. On a failure, a creature takes 2d10 Radiant damage and is Blinded until the end of its next turn. On a success, a creature takes half as much damage and isn’t Blinded.

Poison Web. Your companion launches an unfurling web of sticky silk in a 20-foot cube originating from it. All surfaces in the area become lined with webbing for the next minute. Each creature that touches one of these surfaces for the first time on its turn or starts its turn doing so must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or become Restrained for the duration, or until it breaks free. A creature restrained by the webs takes 2d4 Poison damage when it becomes restrained and at the start of each of its turns. A creature can use its action to make a Strength check against your Tamer spell save DC, freeing itself or another creature restrained by this web on a success.

Sirenshriek. Each other creature in a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on your companion must make an Intelligence saving throw as your companion lets forth a brain-curdling mental shriek. On a failure, a creature takes 3d8 Psychic damage and, if it is concentrating on a spell, loses its concentration. On a success, a creature takes half as much damage and makes saving throws to maintain its concentration as normal.

Once a companion uses one of these actions, it can’t do so again until it finishes a Short or Long Rest. Starting at 18th level, a companion can use this action twice before a rest.

Level 10: Battlefield Harvester

You augment your companions with a highly adaptive mutagen, allowing them to gain the strengths of foes they defeat and confer it to your other companions through a synchronous quantum biomantic link.

As a Magic action, you can command your companion to consume the corpse of a non-swarm creature that has been dead for less than 1 minute. Choose one of the consumed creature’s damage esistances, damage immunities, or condition immunities (except immunity to exhaustion). All of your companions gain Resistance to one damage type to which the slain creature was Resistant or Immune, or gain Immunity to one condition to which the creature was Immune.

After you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest. When you use this feature again, your companions lose any benefit they had previously gained from this feature.

Level 14: Adrenal Overload

As a Magic action, you trigger a hidden, internal switch within your companion, triggering a cascade of rapid mutations that lasts for the next minute, with the following results:

Growth. It immediately grows to Huge size (if it isn’t already) and its weight increases by a factor of 8 per size category increased.

Temporary Hit Points. It gains Temporary Hit Points equal to ten times your Tamer level.

Muscle Boost. Its Strength score increases to 22 (if it isn’t already higher) and it gains proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Natural Weapon. It sprouts an appendage with which it can make melee weapon attacks with a reach of 5 feet that deal Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing damage (your choice when you take the action) equal to 3d6 plus its Strength modifier (+6) on a hit. It also gains the Multiattack action option: The companion makes three attacks with its appendage.

After the minute elapses, your companion falls Unconscious for 1d4 hours and gains 2 levels of Exhaustion. Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

Splicer Augments

Splicer Point Cost: 0

Water Breathing

The creature can breathe only underwater.

Splicer Point Cost: 1

Amphibious

The creature can breathe air and water.

Darkvision

The creature gains Darkvision out to 60 feet. If it already has Darkvision, the range is increased by 60 feet up to a maximum of 120 feet.

Extra Limb

The creature gains an additional limb, allowing it to have one additional target grappled. A creature can gain a total of four extra limbs from this augment.

Fins & Webbing

The creature gains a Swim Speed of 30 feet. If it already has a slower swimming speed, this speed is increased to 30 feet.

Illumination

The creature sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet.

Keen Hearing

The creature has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing.

Keen Sight

The creature has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Keen Smell

The creature has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Powerful Build

The creature counts as one size larger when determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, drag, or lift.

Prehensile Tail

The creature gains a Climb Speed of 30 feet. If it already has a slower climbing speed, this speed is increased to 30 feet

Slippery

The creature has Advantage on ability checks and saving throws made to escape a grapple.

Sure-Footed

The creature has Advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws made against effects that would knock it Prone.

Web Sense + Web Walk

While in contact with a web, the creature knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web. The creature ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.

Splicer Point Cost: 2

Burrowing Claws

The creature gains a Burrow Speed of 15 feet. If it already has a slower burrowing speed, this speed is increased to 15 feet. It does not leave an opening behind it while burrowing.

Long Limbed

When the creature makes a melee attack on its turn, its reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.

Mimicry

The creature can mimic simple sounds it has heard, such as a person whispering, a baby crying, or an animal chittering. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check. The DC equals 8 plus your proficiency bonus.

Natural Armor

The creature gains a +1 bonus to its AC. It can take this augment a maximum of 3 times, gaining an additional +1 bonus each time.

Poisonous Touch

The first time the creature hits with a weapon attack on its turn, it deals an additional 1d4 Poison damage. A creature can take this augment again at level 9, increasing the bonus to 2d4 Poison damage. While a creature has this augment, it can’t take the Corrosive Touch or Decaying Touch augments.

Spider Climb

The creature can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Splicer Point Cost: 3

Camouflage

The creature has Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made while not moving.

Corrosive Touch

The first time the creature hits with a weapon attack on its turn, it deals an additional 1d6 Acid damage. A creature can take this augment again at level 13, increasing the bonus to 2d6 Acid damage. While a creature has this augment, it can’t take the Poisonous Touch or Decaying Touch augments.

Tremorsense

The creature gains Tremorsense out to 15 feet. If it already has Tremorsense, the range is increased by 15 feet up to a maximum of 30 feet. A creature with Tremorsense can detect and pinpoint the origin of vibrations within a specific radius, provided that the monster and the source of the vibrations are in contact with the same ground or substance. Tremorsense can’t be used to detect flying or incorporeal creatures.

Wings

The creature gains a Fly Speed of 30 feet. If it already has a slower flying speed, this speed is increased to 30 feet.

Splicer Point Cost: 4

Blindsight + Echolocation

The creature gains Blindsight out to 15 feet. If it already has Blindsight, the range is increased by 15 feet up to a maximum of 30 feet. A creature with Blindsight can perceive its surroundings without relying on sight, within a specific radius. The creature can’t use its Blindsight while Deafened.

Decaying Touch

The first time the creature hits with a weapon attack on its turn, it deals an additional 1d8 Necrotic damage. A creature can take this augment again at level 17, increasing the bonus to 2d8 Necrotic damage. While a creature has this augment, it can’t take the Poisonous Touch or Corrosive Touch augments.

Flyby

The creature doesn’t provoke Opportunity Attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.

Growth Hormone

The creature’s size is increased by one category. In addition, the size of its Hit Die is increased by 1; add 1 to the creature’s maximum Hit Points for each Hit Die it has when it gains this augment. Note, this augment can be taken multiple times but can’t increase a companion’s size beyond that permitted by your Tamer level.