Born of Monsters (5e Sorcerer Archetype)

## **Born of Monsters**

Not truly fully humanoid, your magic comes from monstrous blood mixed in with your genetics. This terrifying mixture in your bloodline may have started with you, or it may be a long-lasting gene that has come from your ancestors. Your origin may have come from actual genetic mixing, or it could have just as easily come from a pact with a powerful being.

### **Shapeshift**

Starting at 1st level, you can use a bonus action on your turn to magically assume the shape of a monstrosity that you have seen before. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Your sorcerer level determines the CR of monstrosities you can shapeshift into. You can transform into any monstrosity with a CR equal to or less than your sorcerer level divided by 3 (round down), to a minimum of 1/2 CR.

You can stay in a monster form for a number of hours equal to half your sorcerer level (rounded down). You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.
While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

* Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the monstrosity, but you retain your alignment, personality, 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 in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them.
* When you transform, you assume the monstrosity's hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.
* You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your monster form. Transforming doesn't break your concentration on a spell you've already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as *call lightning*, that you've already cast.
* You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.
* You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the GM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature's shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

### **Monster's Might**

At 6th level, your attacks in monster form count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

### **Monstrous Spells**

Beginning at 14th level, you are able to cast some spells in your monster form. You can perform the somatic and verbal components of a sorcerer spell while in a monster form, but you aren't able to provide material components.

### **Master Shifting**

By 18th level, you are able to shift more often. As a bonus action, when you have no uses of Shapeshift left, you can expend 5 sorcerer points to restore one use of Shapeshift.