Vessels of the Divine – Oracles in 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons

THE PATHFINDER ORACLE CLASS IN 5E DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

I had planned to have my 5^th Edition Dungeons & Dragons conversion of the Oracle class up last week, but this project proved to be a lot more work than I expected, partly due to the fact that I decided to convert over all of the mysteries found in the Pathfinder game.

It turns out that it will be an extraordinary amount of work to get that done, as there are 15 mysteries to be converted, each with 10 revelations, making for 150 abilities that need to be converted to 5^th Edition D&D equivalents. However, since I already have the key features of the basic Oracle class together, and three mysteries to choose from, I figured I would share what I have completed thus far.

ORACLE CLASS FEATURES
As an oracle, you gain the following class features.

HIT POINTS
Hit Dice: 1d8 per oracle level.
Hit Points at 1^st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per oracle level after 1^st.

PROFICIENCIES
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: All simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two skills from History, Insight, Medicine, Persuasion, and Religion

EQUIPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a mace or (b) a warhammer (if proficient)
• (a) scale mail, (b) leather armor, or (c) chain mail (if proficient)
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a priest’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
• A shield and a holy symbol

THE ORACLE
Level	Proficiency	Features	Revelations	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1	+2	Spellcasting, Curse, Mystery	–	4	2	2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2	+2	Revelation	1	4	3	3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
3	+2	Revelation	2	4	4	4	2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
4	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2	5	5	4	3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	+3	Curse feature	2	5	6	4	3	2	–	–	–	–	–	–
6	+3	Revelation	3	5	7	4	3	3	–	–	–	–	–	–
7	+3	–	3	5	8	4	3	3	1	–	–	–	–	–
8	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	5	9	4	3	3	2	–	–	–	–	–
9	+4	–	3	5	10	4	3	3	3	1	–	–	–	–
10	+4	Revelation	4	6	11	4	3	3	3	2	–	–	–	–
11	+4	Curse feature	4	6	12	4	3	3	3	2	1	–	–	–
12	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	6	12	4	3	3	3	2	1	–	–	–
13	+5	–	4	6	13	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	–	–
14	+5	Revelation	5	6	13	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	–	–
15	+5	Curse feature	5	6	14	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	–
16	+5	Ability Score Improvement	5	6	14	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	–
17	+6	–	5	6	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18	+6	Revelation	6	6	15	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19	+6	Ability Score Improvement	6	6	15	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20	+6	Final Revelation	6	6	15	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

SPELLCASTING
You are a divine vessel, granted power without your choice, selected by providence to wield powers that even you do not fully understand. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and below for the divine spell list.

CANTRIPS
At 1^st level, you know four cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list. You learn additional cleric cantrips of your choice at higher levels as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Oracle table.

SPELL SLOTS
The Oracle table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1^st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

SPELLS KNOWN OF 1^ST LEVEL AND HIGHER
You know two 1^st level spells of your choice from the cleric spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Oracle table shows when you learn more cleric spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3^rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1^st or 2^nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose to replace one of the cleric spells you know and replace it with another spell from the cleric spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

POWER TO HEAL OR HARM
In addition to the other spells you know at 1^st level, you learn either the cure wounds spell or inflict wounds spell. You can use one of your choices of Spells Known to learn whichever spell you don’t pick, if you want to learn both spells.

SPELLCASTING ABILITY
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your oracle spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an oracle spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

SPELLCASTING FOCUS
You can use a divine focus (found in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook) as a spellcasting focus for your cleric and mystery spells.

CURSE
At 1^st level, you suffer a curse that come with a benefit, as well as a hindrance. Your curse cannot be removed or dispelled without the aid of a God. Choose one of the following options.

Clouded Vision
Your eyes are obscured, making it difficult for you to see. Starting at 1^st level, you cannot see anything beyond 30 feet, but you gain darkvision to that range. At 5^th level, the range of your darkvision extends to 60 feet. At 11^th level, you gain blindsight out to a range of 30 feet. Starting at 15^th level, you gain the ability to cast true seeing without expending a spell slot, though you must complete a short rest before using this ability again.

Deaf
Starting at 1^st level, you cannot hear and suffer all the usual penalties for being deafened, though your spells no longer require a verbal component. At 5^th level, you gain advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) ability checks that don’t involve hearing. Beginning at 11^th level, you gain tremorsense to a range of 30 feet. Starting at 15^th level, you gain the ability to cast detect thoughts at will, without casting a spell slot.

Haunted
Starting at 1^st level, you begin to be followed by malevolent spirits wherever you go, causing minor mishaps and strange occurrences (such as unexpected breezes, small objects moving on their own, and faint noises). You cannot interact with one object or feature of the environment for free (see page 190 of the Player’s Handbook) and must always spend your Action to Use an Object and any object you drop ends up 10 feet away from you. You also learn the mage hand and minor illusion cantrips. At 5^th level, you add levitate and silent image to your list of known spells. When you reach 11^th level, you add the telekinesis spell to your list of known spells. It does not count against the number of spells you know. At 15^th level, you add the reverse gravity spell to your list of known spells. None of these spells count against the number of spells you know.

Lame
At 1^st level, one of your legs is permanently wounded, reducing your speed to 20 feet, though it is never reduced further by heavy armor or encumbrance. At 5^th level, you gain advantage on all Constitution saving throws. When you reach 11^th level, you can choose one damage type when you finish a short or long rest. You gain resistance to that damage type until you choose a different one with this feature. Damage from magical weapons or silver weapons ignores this resistance. At 15^th level, you become immune to exhaustion and do not gain exhaustion levels.

Tongues
Starting at 1^st level, in times of stress or unease, you speak in tongues. Pick one of the following languages: Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, or Primordial. Whenever you are in combat, you can only speak and understand the selected language. This does not interfere with spellcasting, but it does apply to spells that are language dependent. You learn the chosen language. At 5^th level, you learn another language of your choice. When you reach 11^th level, you gain the ability to understand all languages. At 15^th level, you gain the ability to speak and understand all languages.

Wasting
At 1^st level, your body begins slowly rotting away. You suffer disadvantage on all Charisma ability checks, apart from Charisma (Intimidation) checks. However, you also gain advantage on all Constitution saving throws against disease. At 5^th level, you become immune to all diseases. When you reach 11^th level, you gain immunity to poisons and the poisoned condition. Starting at 15^th level, you gain the ability to cast regenerate without expending a spell slot, though you must complete a long rest before using this ability again.

MYSTERY
At 1^st level, you choose a mystery related to your deity: Ancestors, Battle, Bones, Dark Tapestry, Flame, Heavens, Life, Lore, Lunar, Metal, Nature, Solar, Stone, Time, Waves, Wind, and Wood. Each mystery is detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you mystery abilities, mystery spells, and additional abilities called revelations, at level. The tradition you choose grants you features at 1^st level and again at 2^nd, 3^rd, 6^th, 10^th, 14^th, and 18^th level.

DIVINE REVELATIONS
At 2^nd level, you gain one revelation of your choice, selected from the revelations available in your chose mystery. The revelations are detailed at the end of the class description. When you gain certain oracle levels, you gain additional revelations of your choice, as shown in the Revelations Known column of the Oracle table.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the revelations you know and replace it with another revelation that you could learn at that level.

FINAL REVELATION
At 20^th level, you become an avatar for your deity, gaining a new ability determined by the mystery you chose.

ORACULAR MYSTERIES
Each mystery’s description includes the spells you learn at each level and the revelations you can choose.

BATTLE

When you choose this mystery at 1^st level, you gain proficiency in your choice of heavy armor or martial weapons.

BATTLE MYSTERY SPELLS
Oracle Level	Spells
2	fog cloud
4	enlarge/reduce
6	crusader’s mantle
8	wall of fire
10	destructive wave
12	hero’s feast
14	fire storm
16	earthquake
18	storm of vengeance

BATTLE REVELATIONS
As an oracle with the Battle Mystery, you can choose from the following revelations.

Battlecry
You gain the ability to rally others with an inspiring battlecry. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Battle Inspiration die, a d6.

Once, within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Battle Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Battle Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Inspiration die, or any kind, at a time.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Your Battle Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 6^th level, a d10 at 14^th level, and a d12 at 18^th level.

Battlefield Clarity
You gain the ability to reroll a failed saving throw as a reaction. You may wait until after you roll the saving throw, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once you use this ability, you must finish a long rest before using it again. You can use this ability twice per long rest at 10^th level, and once per short rest at 18^th level.

Combat Healer
Prerequisite: cure wounds spell
You gain the ability to cast the cure wounds spell as a bonus action by using a spell slot one higher than the effect level. For example, you could cast cure wounds as a bonus action using a 3^rd level spell slot to heal the target for 2d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier.

Iron Skin
Prerequisite: 10^th level
You gain the ability to cast the stoneskin spell without using a spell slot. Once you use this ability, you must complete a long rest before using it again. You can use this ability twice per long rest at 14^th level.

Maneuver Master
You learn two maneuvers of your choice from among those available to the Battle Master archetype in the fighter class (at page 73 of the Player’s Handbook). If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects, the saving throws DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifiers (your choice).

You have two superiority dice which are used to fuel that maneuver. This superiority dice is a d8. You may use superiority dice you gained from other classes to fuel these maneuvers. As a bonus action, you may convert spell slots into maneuver points, as in the table below, but you may not use the superiority dice generated from your spell points to fuel any other maneuvers. These maneuver points last until you complete a long rest.

Spell Slot Level	Maneuver Points
1st	2
2nd	3
3rd	5
4th	6
5th	7

Resiliency
You gain advantage on all death saving throws.

Skill at Arms
You gain proficiency in heavy armor or martial weapons.

Surprising Charge
You gain the ability to move up to your speed as part of an Attack action. Once you use this ability, you must complete a short rest or long rest before using it again. You can use this ability twice per short rest at 10^th level, and three times per short rest at 18^th level.

War Sight
You gain advantage on initiative rolls. Starting at 18^th level, you can roll three d20s when rolling for initiative and keep the highest.

Weapon Mastery
Choose one weapon with which you are proficient. You gain the ability to score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 with that weapon. Starting at 18^th level, you score a critical hit with your chosen weapon on a roll of 18-20.

FINAL REVELATION OF BATTLE
As an action you can become an avatar of battle. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

• Whenever you make an Attack action, you can attack three times, instead of once.
• You gain resistance to bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing weapons.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

DARK TAPESTRY

When you choose this mystery at 1^st level, you gain the vicious mockery cantrip, if you don’t know it yet.

DARK TAPESTRY MYSTERY SPELLS
Oracle Level	Spells
2	dissonant whispers
4	crown of madness
6	tongues
8	Evard’s black tentacles
10	contact other plane
12	planar ally
14	reverse gravity
16	Feeblemind
18	gate

DARK TAPESTRY REVELATIONS
As an oracle with the Dark Tapestry Mystery, you can choose from the following revelations.

Brain Drain
You gain the ability to violently probe the mind of a single intelligent enemy within 120 feet. The target makes a Wisdom saving throw and, on a failure, the target takes 1d4 psychic damage and you learn its surface thoughts. You can also make one Intelligence skill check with proficiency in a Skill the target has. Whether the target succeeds the saving throw or not, the target knows that you are probing its mind. This ability’s damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 6^th level (2d4), 14^th level (3d4), and 18^th level (4d4).

Cloak of Darkness
You gain the ability to conjure a cloak of shadowy armor that grants you an AC bonus equal to your proficiency bonus if you are not wearing armor and advantage on all Stealth checks. This ability has a duration of Concentration.

Dweller in Darkness
Prerequisites: 10^th level
You gain the ability to cast the phantasmal killer spell without expending a spell slot. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest. At 18^th level, you can use this ability to cast the weird spell instead of phantasmal killer.

Gift of Madness
You gain the ability to use your action to cause a single creature within 60 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw or be affected by a confusion spell until the start of your next turn on a failed save. Starting at 14^th level, a target that fails the Wisdom saving throw is affected by the confusion spell for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the creature can make another Wisdom saving throw. On a successful saving throw, the effect ends.

Interstellar Void
You gain the ray of frost cantrip.

Many Forms
Prerequisites: 6^th level
You gain the ability to cast the alter self spell without expending a spell slot. Once you use this ability you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest. At 10^th level, you can use this ability to cast the polymorph spell instead of alter self. At 18^th level, you can use this ability to cast the shapechange spell instead of polymorph or alter self.

Piercing the Veil
You gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet. At 10^th level, this ability allows you to see through any kind of darkness, including the effect of a darkness spell.

Read the Tapestry
Prerequisites: 10^th level
You gain the ability to cast the contact other plane spell without expending a spell slot. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you complete a long rest.

Touch of the Void
You gain the chill touch cantrip.

Wings of Darkness
Prerequisites: 10^th level
You gain the ability to cast the fly spell without expending a spell slot. For the duration of the spell, you manifest a shadowy aura that makes the light in a 20-foot radius of you one degree darker (bright light become dim, dim light becomes darkness). Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

FINAL REVELATION OF DARK TAPESTRY
You gain damage reduction to all nonmagical weapon attacks, you are immune to acid and poison damage, and you are immune to the poisoned condition. In addition, you can gain the ability to cast the shapechange spell without expending a spell slot or material components. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

FLAME

When you choose this mystery at 1^st level, you gain the control flame cantrip, if you don’t know it yet.

FLAME MYSTERY SPELLS
Oracle Level	Spells
2	burning hands
4	Agonazar’s scorcher
6	fireball
8	wall of fire
10	conjure elemental (only fire)
12	investiture of flame
14	fire storm
16	incendiary cloud
18	meteor swarm

FLAME REVELATIONS
As an oracle with the Flame Mystery, you can choose from the following revelations.

Burning Magic
Whenever a creature fails a saving throw and takes fire damage from one of your spells, it catches on fire. The target takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a Dexterity check to extinguish the flames. The DC for this check is equal to your spellcasting save DC.

Cinder Dance
Your speed is increased by 10 feet while you aren’t wearing heavy armor.

Fire Breath
You can use your action to exhale a 15 foot cone of flames. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw against a DC equal to your spellcasting save DC. A creature takes 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage is increased to 3d6 at 6^th level, 4d6 at 10^thlevel, and 5d6 at 14^th level. Once you use this ability, you must complete a short or long rest.

Fire Bolt
You learn the fire bolt cantrip.

Form of Flame
Prerequisite: 10^th level
You use your action to magically assume the shape of a fire elemental. You can stay in this form for 1 hour, but otherwise functions like the druid class’ Wild Shape ability, as described on pages 66-67 of the Player’s Handbook. Once you use this ability, you must complete a long rest before using it again. You can use this ability twice per long rest at 14^th level, and three times per long rest at 18^th level.

Gaze of Flame
You gain the ability to see through fire, fog, and smoke without penalty. At 6^th level, you gain the ability to cast the clairvoyance spell without expending a spell slot, though to do so, you must have a source of flame at least as large as a campfire. You can use this ability once per long rest. Starting at 14^th level, you gain the ability to use this ability twice per long rest. Starting at 18^th level, you gain the ability to use this ability three times per long rest.

Heat Aura
You gain the ability to use a bonus action to cause waves of heat to radiate from your body. All creatures in a 15-foot cube originating from you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d8 fire damage. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage. Further, until the start of your next turn, enemies suffer disadvantage on all attacks against you. Once you use this ability, you must complete a short rest before using it again. Starting at 10^th level, all creatures who fail their saving throw are blinded until the start of your next turn. Starting at 18^th level, all creatures who fail their saving throw gain 1 level of exhaustion.

Molten Skin

You gain resistance to fire. Starting at 14^th level, you gain immunity to fire.

Touch of Flame
You gain the ability to make a melee spell attack against a single target. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 fire damage. This ability’s damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 6^th level (2d8), 14^th level (3d8), and 18^th level (4d8). Starting at 10^th level, this ability can be used with a melee weapon attack, adding the damage of the weapon to the damage of this ability. This ability counts as a spell for the purpose of the burning magic revelation.

Wings of Fire
Prerequisites: 10^th level
You gain the ability to cast the fly spell without expending a spell slot. For the duration of the spell, you manifest flaming wings that shed bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

FINAL REVELATION OF FLAME
As an action you can become an avatar of flame. For 1 minute bright light shines from you in a 30-foot radius, and dim light shines 30 feet beyond that, you gain the following benefits:

• Whenever an enemy starts its turn within 30 feet of you, it takes 10 fire damage.
• Targets have disadvantage on saving throws against your fire spells.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

MULTICLASS ORACLE

For characters who wish to multiclass as an oracle, the minimum ability scores to multiclass as an oracle is Charisma 13.

Further, when you multiclass into the oracle class you gain proficiency in light armor, medium armor, and shields.

Finally, when calculating the spell slots available to a multiclass character with levels in the oracle class, you include all levels in magus, when calculating your Multiclass Spellcaster spell slots.  See pages 163 and 164 of the Player’s Handbook for more information on multiclassing in 5E.

DUNGEON MUSER’S NOTES
The Pathfinder version of the Oracle is not so much a single class with some customizable options as it is a handful of unique classes that share some basic elements.

Most classes in 5^th Edition D&D achieve this same feeling of a collection of related classes under a single category. As such, it was consistent with 5E design principles to structure the 5E version of the Oracle that way (though I think the 5E Oracle actually has more customizable options than any other 5E class, including my previous conversions of the Alchemist, Gunslinger, and Magus to 5E).

The Oracle shares many characteristics with the 5E Sorcerer, though the Curses, Revelations, and Mystery abilities should ensure that it will feel distinctly unique at the table.

Oh, and I decided to take advantage of the expanded spell list found in Wizards of the Coast’s Elemental Evil Player’s Companion, found here, to fill out some of the mystery spell lists.

RESOURCEFUL RESKINNING
For a class with more of an Arcane flavor, you could substitute the Warlock spell list, rather than the Cleric spell list. You might try using the Sorcerer or Wizard spell lists instead, though I think the more limited selection of spells provided by the Warlock list provides better balance.

THE ORACLE IS READY TO ANSWER THE CALL OF THE DIVINE
In the coming weeks, I will continue to add more oracular mysteries for use with these rules, but, for now, these options should give you enough to make some divinely-touched characters for your own campaigns.

Until next time, I remain;

• THE DUNGEON MUSER