Flourishing a gilded skull snatched from within the folds of a cloak, a dwarf summons a fierce-eyed angel in a flare of blinding radiance, emphatically encouraging it to fantastical feats of fury.

Beaming from ear to ear, a chemical-stained gnome admires her handiwork amongst the clutter of her laboratory: a ‘snektopus’; eight venom-fanged maws perfectly spliced with the intelligence of a cephalopod.

Coughing in the smoking ruins of the cultists’ former hideout, a tiefling gives their fire-infused owlbear a playful rub behind the ears, contemplating a job well done and the rewards to be claimed.

Whether imbuing their companions with the primordial elements, enhancing them through the ‘very tiny stitches’ of biomancy, or inciting them with words of encouragement, tamers work through their captured friends. Alone, a tamer possesses little in the way of destructive ability. With carefully selected companions, a tamer can become an unstoppable menagerie of mayhem.

What prompted you to begin taming creatures? Loneliness? A need to transport your favourite dragonling through customs? A pathological desire to catch ‘em all?

The bond tamers experience with their companions are incredibly intimate; both are privy to the other’s innermost thoughts. However, such bondsdiffer between tamers: where one tamer might view a companion as friend and equal, another might view the creature as a tool with which to fulfill their own goals. Have you lost a companion before? How did you react? Perhaps it was emotionally traumatising, or perhaps it was simply a mere inconvenience.

You can make a tamer by following this suggestion: Choose Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma to be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution

Hit Dice: 1d8 per tamer level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per tamer level after 1st

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, nets
Tools: One type of artisan’s tools or one musical instrument of your choice
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Persuasion

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

If using the optional rule on multiclassing, use the following prerequisites, proficiencies, and spell slots if you choose the tamer as one of your classes.

Ability Score Minimum: As a multiclass character, you must have at least an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score of 13 to take a level in this class, or to take a level in another class if you’re already a tamer. The ability you use to qualify to multiclass into tamer must be your tamer spellcasting ability.

Proficiencies Gained. If tamer isn’t your initial class, you gain the following proficiencies when you take your first level as a tamer: light armour, shields, simple weapons, and nets.

Spell Slots. Add half your levels (rounded down) in the tamer class to the appropriate levels from other classes to determine your available spell slots.

You become bonded to a companion that accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to fight alongside you. Choose a Small or smaller creature with a challenge rating of 1/2 or lower that isn’t a humanoid, giant, or swarm to become your companion. When a creature becomes your companion, it has a maximum number of hit points equal to the average of its Hit Dice, as indicated in its statistics, and it can’t cast spells. Work with your GM to find a companion that suits your campaign world. This companion obeys your commands and is friendly to you and your allies.

Vessel. When not summoned, your companion exists inside a magical vessel of your own design, such as a painted animal skull, bejewelled egg, or crystal sphere. While in this vessel, the companion has full cover from all attacks and other effects, is unaffected by area of effects that originate from outside the vessel, and exists in stasis; it doesn’t need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, and it is immune to poison and disease, although a poison or disease already in its system is suspended, not neutralised. A companion at 0 hit points is instantly stabilised when it enters its vessel.

If a vessel is broken, or a companion is released from its vessel for any other reason, the creature within it ceases to be a tamer’s companion. It acts according to its own wishes and retains any improvements it gained while a companion.

Summoning. As an action, you can summon your companion from a vessel, causing it to appear in an unoccupied space that you can see within 30 feet of you, or any unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. You can dismiss a companion within 30 feet of you as a bonus action or action, drawing it back into its vessel. To summon or dismiss a companion, you must be holding its vessel in hand. You can only have one companion summoned at a time.

Combat. In combat, your companion shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action or action on your turn to command it to take different actions. Those actions can be in its statistics or some other action, bonus action, or object interaction. If you are incapacitated, the companion can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge. Your companion can’t take the Multiattack action until you reach 5th level in this class, even if it would otherwise be able to.

Rest. A companion gains the benefits of a long rest when its tamer finishes a long rest; if it has at least 1 hit point, it regains all its hit points when you finish a long rest. Unlike other creatures, a companion can’t spend its own Hit Dice to recover hit points at the end of a short rest. See the Soul Bond feature for details on recovering hit points.

Items. Armour, barding, and weapons can be equipped to enhance your companion. A companion can wear or carry any equipment that their size and body shape permits. However, your companion must be proficient with the armour or weapon to make full use of it. If your companion wears armour that it lacks proficiency with, it has disadvantage on any ability check, saving throw, or attack roll that involves Strength or Dexterity. A companion that is not proficient with a weapon type does not add its proficiency bonus to attack rolls made with that weapon type

Item Bonding. Over the course of an hour, you can bond a companion to one object that it can wear or carry that is not any sort of container or storage. When a companion is recalled, all items it is wearing or carrying that it is not bonded to are dropped in the space from which it was recalled. A companion can be bonded to up to 3 items at any one time. Companions can’t attune to magic items, unless they have a specific ability that allows them to do so (e.g. Proto-Attunement, page 238).

Companion Barding. You can purchase armour for your companion. Any type of armour can be purchased as barding. The cost and weight is doubled for each size category above Medium, and halved for each size category below Small. In addition, the cost is further doubled if the companion is not humanoid in shape.

1st-level Tamer feature
Companions make death saving throws, die, and can be revived like any player character. A companion that has been stabilised remains unconscious until it regains hit points, or until you finish a long rest. Companions that are stable and have 0 hit points when you finish a long rest regain half their maximum hit points.

You have a pool of healing power equal to five times your tamer level that replenishes when you finish a long rest. Whenever you finish a short rest, you can choose to draw power from that pool, restoring a total number of hit points amongst your companions up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool.

1st-level Tamer feature
As you gain levels in this class, your companions become more powerful. Your companions use your proficiency bonus instead of their own, potentially increasing their attack, saving throw, and skill modifiers, and their saving throw DCs.

Training. Whenever you gain an Ability Score Improvement from gaining a level in the tamer class, you pass on your hardened resolve to all your companions, causing them to gain 1 additional Hit Die. Increase your companion’s hit point maximum by rolling this Hit Die and adding your companion’s Constitution modifier (minimum of 0).

Whenever you gain a level beyond 1st in this class, each companion to which you are bonded gains one of the following improvements. The familiars in Chapter 8 have unique improvements that can be taken instead of these.

Any newly gained companions receive these additional Hit Dice and improvements as if you had them since your 1st level in tamer.

* E.g., a base speed of 30 feet can be increased to 45 feet maximum, a base speed of 25 feet can be increased to 40 feet, and a base speed of 20 feet to 30 feet.
** Your companions can each benefit from this feature once. When you reach 5th level in this class, your companions can each benefit from this feature twice. When you reach 9th level in this class, your companions can each benefit from this feature three times. This improvement does not affect attacks made with weapons.
*** Your companion can’t gain proficiency in medium and heavy armour until it has gained proficiency in the prerequisite lighter armour types. For example, to gain proficiency in heavy armour, you must take this improvement 3 times: light, then medium, then heavy. Work with your GM to figure out if and how a creature can wield shields and weapons.

*The CR columns in the table: Improvements/Hit Dice Gained on Training**

*For example, if a 10th level tamer trained a CR 1 creature, that creature would immediately gain 6 improvements (see previous page) and 1 Hit Die. This is indicated by the value ‘6/1’ in the ‘CR 1’ column and the level ‘10’ row.

1st-level Tamer feature
One way to defeat deadly foes: have deadlier friends. As you explore, you will encounter new creatures which you may wish to make your companions. You can tame a Small or smaller creature of CR ½ or lower, as described below. As you gain levels in this class, the size and challenge rating of creatures you can tame increases, as shown in the Tamer Companion Summary table.

Vessel. To tame a companion, you must first prepare a vessel using special inks, gems, or other materials. Preparing the vessel takes 8 hours of work and components with a value in gold pieces equal to at least one hundred times the target creature’s CR.

Taming a Creature. As an action, you can throw an empty vessel at a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The creature must succeed on a Charisma saving throw against your tamer spell save DC or be trapped within the vessel. A creature automatically succeeds on this saving throw if:

If a creature doesn’t automatically succeed on this saving throw for one of the above reasons, and has either fewer than ten hit points or one-quarter of its hit points, it automatically fails this saving throw. A creature that fails the saving throw is trapped in your vessel and becomes your companion when you next finish a long rest.

Lost Traits. When a creature becomes your companion, it loses the following from its stat block:

2nd-level Tamer feature
By 2nd level, you have learned to harness your mental fortitude to augment the potential of others. You can cast tamer spells. See page 495 for the tamer spell list.

At 2nd level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the tamer spell list. You learn additional tamer cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Tamer table.

The Tamer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your tamer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these tamer 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.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell animal friendship and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast animal friendship using either slot.

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the tamer spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Tamer table shows when you learn more tamer spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

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

When you gain your first level in this class, choose whether you use your knowledge (Intelligence), willpower (Wisdom), or force of personality (Charisma) as your spellcasting ability for your tamer spells. You use this spellcasting ability whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your spellcasting ability modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a tamer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

You can use a creature’s vessel as a spellcasting focus for your tamer spells.

Some monster features are very powerful, and aren’t designed for use by players. The two most common are recharge actions and gazes. You can help make a companion more balanced by changing these features slightly. It’s advised to approach this on a case-by-case basis, as each feature is different, and some might not require changing.

Recharge Abilities.
Some creatures’ actions have the addendum “Recharge (5-6)”. This means that after a creature uses that action, it can’t use it again until it has recharged. At the start of the creature’s turn, you roll a d6, and if the result is a 5 or higher, the action recharges. No class has recharge abilities, in part because they add a lot of randomness to the game. Instead of using this recharge mechanic, you can simply change any ability with a recharge to one of the following:

Perpetually Active Abilities.
Some traits, like a medusa’s Petrifying Gaze, which is perpetually active and has the power of a 6th level spell, have the potential to become overpowered and repetitive. To balance this, you can add the caveat that “after a creature makes a saving throw against this effect, it is immune to the effect for the next 24 hours”. Work with your GM to find a balanced solution for your game.

2nd-level Tamer feature
While your companion is within 100 feet of you and you are holding its vessel, or if you are holding its vessel with it inside, you can use an action to expend one spell slot to restore hit points to your companion equal to your spellcasting ability modifier (minimum 1) plus an additional 2d4 per level of the spell slot expended.

2nd-level Tamer feature
While your companion is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your companion’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the companion has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses.

Spell Swap. While your companion is summoned, is within 100 feet of you, and you hold its vessel, any spells your companion knows are added to your known spells. In addition, when you cast a spell with a range of self or touch, your companion can be the target of that spell.

3rd-level Tamer feature
As you gain levels in this class, the number of companions and maximum size of companion to which you can become bonded increases. You can be bonded to two, three, four, five, or six creatures at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level, respectively. Your companions can be sized Medium at 5th level, Large at 11th level, and Huge at 17th level. If you are already bonded to your maximum number of companions and become bonded to a new companion, you must choose one existing companion to release from its vessel.

When you bond with a new companion, the companion gains improvements and Hit Dice based on its CR and your tamer level. See the Tamer Companion Summary table (page 198) for details.

3rd-level Tamer feature
You choose the type of Training Paradigm you follow from the list of available paradigms, which are detailed after the class’s description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, and 14th level. At 18th level, the 7th-level feature is improved.

4th-level Tamer feature
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

5th-level Tamer feature
Through rigorous training, you can access the innate fury of your companions. When you take a bonus action or action to command your companion, you can command it to use its Multiattack action, if it has one.

5th-level Tamer feature
While your companion is within 100 feet of you, you can order it to change its behaviour towards one creature you can see as part of the bonus action or action you use to command it. Choose either the aggressive or cautious behaviours. At the start of each of the target creature’s turns for the next minute, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw versus your tamer spell save DC if it is within 30 feet of your companion and can see your companion. On a failure, it suffers the effects of the associated behaviour until the start of its next turn. On a success, it is unaffected.

After you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

6th-level Tamer feature
While summoning a companion, your psychic connection is at its closest, allowing you to quickly relay your intent. As part of the action to summon a companion, you can command it to take an action in its stat block or some other action, which it does so on its turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your tamer spellcasting ability modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses of this feature when you finish a long rest.

6th-level Tamer feature
Your magical potency is channeled through your companions’ strikes. Your companions’ attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

13th-level Tamer feature
You learn how to switch places with your companion in the nick of time. While you and your companion are within 100 feet of each other, you can use a bonus action, or a reaction when you or your companion is the target of an attack by an attacker you can see, to magically switch places with your companion. If performed as a reaction, the creature that appears in the targeted creature’s space becomes the new target of the attack. You have a number of uses of this feature equal to your tamer spellcasting ability modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

17th-level Tamer feature
While your companion is within 100 feet of you, you can order it to change its behaviour as part of the bonus action or action you use to command it. Choose either the provoking poise or shrinking violet behaviours.

After you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

20th-level Tamer feature
In times of great need, a tamer can summon many of its companions simultaneously. As an action, you can summon additional companions which remain summoned for 1 minute. You can have a maximum of three companions summoned simultaneously as a result of using this feature.

As an action on subsequent turns, you can issue mental commands to all your companions at once, allowing them to take an action in their stat block or some other action. You choose the order in which your companions act each round. After the minute elapses, all your companions bar one (which you choose) return to their vessels and a wave of lethargy sweeps over you; you can’t move or take actions until the end of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Whether it be through a non-stop litany of encouraging aphorisms, exaggerated movements, and hands signals, or through a calm, telepathic reinforcement, a leader exhorts their companions to ever greater feats of brilliance. Leaders believe that with the right support and teamwork, no task is impossible for their menagerie of companions. Whether you swear by positive reinforcement, craft meticulous pre-fight gameplans, or ruthlessly punish mistakes, communication and motivation are your watchwords.

3rd-level Leader feature
As an action, you can inspire your companion through shouts, gestures, and mental encouragement. Until the beginning of your next turn, whenever your companion makes a saving throw or attack roll, it can add a d6 to its result.

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

The die you grant when you use this feature changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 6th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 14th level.

3rd-level Leader feature
You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Leader Spells table. Each spell counts as a tamer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of tamer spells you know.

7th-level Leader feature
You can push your companion beyond its normal limits for a moment. When you use an action or bonus action to command your companion, you can extol it to exert greater effort. On your companion’s turn, it can take one additional action of your choice.

Once your companion has benefited from your use of this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before that same companion can benefit from it again. Starting at 18th level, your companions can benefit from Action Burst twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn.

10th-level Leader feature
When an attacker that you can see hits your companion with an attack, you can use both your and your companion’s reactions to bolster its resilience. Your companion fortifies itself, halving the attack’s damage against it.

14th-level Leader feature
As an action, you can summon a second companion from a vessel you are holding to an unoccupied space you can see within 30 feet of you. When you use an action or bonus action to command your companion, you can command both of them simultaneously, giving a different command to each.

The two companions take their turns in an order of your choice, directly after your turn. At the start of their turns, you can mentally choose one creature you can see (no action required). If your first companion makes an attack against the chosen target, the second companion gains advantage on its attack rolls against this creature until the end of its turn.

After being summoned for 1 minute, or if your second companion is ever more than 100 feet away from you, the second companion is dismissed. Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Infusers meld the power of the elements with their companions through the act of summoning. How you came across this power is anyone’s guess. Perhaps you took a tumble across the Elemental Flux during an inter-planar voyage, were born with some primordial heritage, or were tutored by an elementalist wizard. However it happened, you have the ability to empower those with which you are most closely bonded: your companions.

3rd-level Infuser feature
You have a deep connection with the elements and can infuse your companions with primordial energy. When you finish a long rest, you can choose one of the following elements with which to individually infuse each of your companions: acid, cold, fire, or lightning. When you do so, any previous infusion on those companions end. The first time your companion hits a target with an attack on its turn, it deals 1d4 additional damage of the infused type.

This damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class: 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d10 at 14th level.

3rd-level Infuser feature
You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Infuser Spells table. Each spell counts as a tamer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of tamer spells you know.

7th-level Infuser feature
Your companions gain the ability to unleash a torrent of elemental energy in a devastating blow. When you infuse a companion at the end of a long rest, it gains an action option corresponding to the chosen element. The DC for the saving throw equals your tamer spell save DC.

Once a companion uses one of these actions, it can’t use any action granted by this feature again until you finish a short or long rest. Starting at 18th level, a companion can use this action twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn.

10th-level Infuser feature
Your companion gains resistance to the element with which it is infused. When your companion takes damage of that type, you can use your reaction to bolster its defences, granting it immunity to that damage type, including against the triggering damage, until the start of your next turn. Once you use this reaction, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

14th-level Infuser feature
Sometimes, more is better. As an action, you can infuse your companion with a second element for 1 minute, choosing from the options in the Infuse feature. Your companion gains the benefits of the Infuse, Elemental Discharge, and Primordial Shield features for both of the elements with which it is infused. If you activate your Primordial Shield feature while Unstable Fusion is active, your companion gains immunity to both damage types. Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Whether through the tutelage of a lich, a career as a gravedigger, or an innate affinity for the world beyond, you have learnt to manipulate the very essence of life. You can strip it from those that would do you harm, and imbue it in those that serve your aims. Weaving threads of necromantic magic around bone, flesh, and sinew, you create gruesome facsimiles of life—undead puppets that move to the rhythm of the threads you pull.

3rd-level Necromancer feature
Your command of necromantic magic and affinity for the no-longer-living allows you to drain your companions’ life force, converting it into a temporary boon. Once per turn, when your companion hits a creature with an attack, you can mentally command the companion to shed some of its life force (no action required). Your companion takes 1d4 necrotic damage that can’t be reduced in any way, gains an equal number of temporary hit points, and deals an equal amount of necrotic damage to its target.

This damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class: 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d10 at 14th level.

3rd-level Necromancer feature
Death is no barrier to your taming magic. You can attempt to tame one creature within 1 minute of it dying, adhering to the normal rules for taming a new companion, with the following changes:

3rd-level Necromancer feature
You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Necromancer Spells table. Each spell counts as a tamer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of tamer spells you know.

7th-level Necromancer feature
You learn how to use your taming magic to temporarily raise new allies and bind them to your will. You learn the animate dead spell, you always have it prepared, it doesn’t count against the number of spells you know, and you can cast it once without using a spell slot. After you do so, you can’t cast it in this way again until you finish a long rest.

Once you reach 18th level, when you cast this spell using this feature, the creature you animate has the statistics of a ghast (if Medium or smaller corpse) or a minotaur skeleton (if Large or larger corpse). When you reassert your control over these creatures, you can maintain control of only 1 creature per casting of the spell, instead of 4.

When you issue a command to your companion using either a bonus action or action, you can issue the same command to any creatures you have created with animate dead so long as the creatures are within 100 feet of you.

10th-level Necromancer feature
You learn to channel life force between you and your companions. As an action while your summoned companion is within 100 feet of you, you can deal necrotic damage to your companion up to a value equal to twice your tamer level. This damage can’t be reduced in any way. You then regain hit points equal to the damage dealt. Alternatively, you can deal the necrotic damage to yourself and restore hit points to your summoned companion equal to the damage you took.

14th-level Necromancer feature
As an action, you tap into deep pools of necromantic energy, imbuing your companion with a 15-foot aura of undeath for the next minute. While imbued with this aura, your companion can, as a bonus action on its turn, force one creature it can see within the aura to make a Constitution saving throw against your tamer spell save DC. On a failure, the creature takes 4d8 necrotic damage and your companion gains a number of temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt.

In addition, for the duration, when your companion would be reduced to 0 hit points, it doesn’t fall unconscious. Instead, it is reduced to 1 hit point and gains one failed death saving throw. If your companion gains three failed death saving throws during the minute, or five failed death saving throws if it has the undead type, it immediately dies. At the end of the minute, your companion drops to 0 hit points, falls unconscious, and is stable.

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

Through really tiny stitches, you alter the physiology of your subjec– er… companions, in an unending quest for perfection. Many Splicers delve into the world of adventuring in the hopes of discovering exciting new improvements with which to augment their companions. Your foray into the world of biomancy, whether through wizarding school, working with biosmith artificers, or as the surgical assistant to a mad scientist, has resulted in a singular observation: subjects are much more malleable when they’re psychically bonded to you.

3rd-level Splicer feature
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 (see page 121). 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

3rd-level Splicer feature
You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Splicer Spells table. Each spell counts as a tamer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of tamer spells you know.

7th-level Splicer feature
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.

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.

10th-level Splicer feature
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 an 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 resistances, 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.

14th-level Splicer feature
As an 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:

The creature can breathe only underwater.

The creature can breathe air and water.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

The creature gains a burrowing 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.

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

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.

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.

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 9th level, increasing the bonus to 2d4 poison damage. While a creature has this augment, it can’t take the Corrosive Touch or Decaying Touch augments.

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

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

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 13th level, increasing the bonus to 2d6 acid damage. While a creature has this augment, it can’t take the Poisonous Touch or Decaying Touch augments.

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.

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

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.

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 17th level, increasing the bonus to 2d8 necrotic damage. While a creature has this augment, it can’t take the Poisonous Touch or Corrosive Touch augments.

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

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 (see Tamer Companion Summary table, page 198).

#RyokosGuideToTheYokaiRealms

Sensei see how a body moves with supernatural acuity, identifying minor changes in form that can turn paltry scuffs into bone-breaking blows. Through meticulous coaching, they unveil the pugilists within their companions, teaching them to dance between enemies’ strikes, upset their foes’ balance, and finish them with lightning fast combinations. Perhaps you yourself were a master of martial arts, but are now too old to fight. Maybe you grew up watching boxers, but always saw the flaws in their technique. Whatever the case, you are a teacher, and your companions are your eager students.

3rd-Level Tamer Feature
You teach your companion how to use its body as a deadly weapon. Your companion gains a new attack option: a Martial Strike. Your companion is proficient with this melee attack, which it makes using its body. Your companion can use its choice of Strength or Dexterity when calculating its attack and damage modifiers for this attack, which deals damage of a type (usually bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing) that makes sense for your companion (work with your GM to determine this for each companion). These attacks deal 1d6 damage starting at 3rd level, 1d8 at 7th level, 1d10 at 10th level, and 1d12 at 18th level.

When you reach 5th level in this class, your companion can make two Martial Strike attacks when it takes the Attack action on its turn. When you reach 14th level in this class, your companion can make three Martial Strike attacks when it takes the Attack action on its turn.

3rd-Level Tamer Feature
You learn specific martial techniques, which you teach to each of your companions. Choose three techniques from the Martial Techniques section at the end of this subclass. When you command a companion on your turn, you can instruct it to use one or more of these techniques.

When you reach 7th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level in this class, you learn one additional technique that your companions can use.

3rd-Level Tamer Feature
You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Sensei Spells table. Each spell counts as a tamer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of tamer spells you know.

Sensei Spells
| Tamer Level | Spells |
| :---------- | :----- |
| 3rd | flash*, repulsing palm* |
| 5th | earthskin*, wind strike* |
| 9th | create food and water, haste |
| 13th | freedom of movement, steelskin* |
| 17th | endure*, greater restoration |
*See Chapter 13 - Spells

7th-Level Tamer Feature
With a flourish, your companion can perform a series of complicated martial combinations, flitting between targets with lightning speed. As an action, your companion moves up to its speed (this movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks), and can make up to six Martial Strike attacks, each of which must be against a different target. Until the end of its turn, the companion’s movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Once a companion uses this action, it can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest. Starting at 18th level, a companion can use this action twice between each of your short or long rests.

10th-Level Tamer Feature
You have learnt to use your mental connection to shield your companion from pain and fatigue. Whenever your companion takes bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, you can reduce the damage it takes by an amount equal to your tamer spellcasting ability modifier (minimum reduction of 1). You can’t use this feature while you are incapacitated.

14th-Level Tamer Feature
As an action, you can infuse one summoned companion with your own spirit. For 1 minute, it can make four Martial Strike attacks when it takes the Attack action on its turn instead of three, it can take two bonus actions on each of its turns, and it gains temporary hit points equal to your spellcasting ability modifier at the start of each of its turns.

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

Martial techniques are presented in alphabetical order.

As a bonus action, your companion can take the Dodge action.

As a reaction when your companion is attacked by a creature it can see and that attack deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, your companion can add your proficiency bonus to its AC against that attack, potentially turning a hit into a miss. If the attack still hits, the damage dealt is reduced by an amount equal to 1d6 plus your proficiency bonus.

As an action, your companion gains additional movement equal to its speed, and it can make one Martial Strike attack. If your companion moves up to 20 feet straight towards a creature and then hits it with a Martial Strike, the attack deals an extra 1d10 damage, and the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC equals 8 + your companion’s Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus) or be knocked prone. A creature more than one size larger than your companion automatically succeeds on this saving throw.

As a bonus action, your companion can take the Disengage action.

As a bonus action, your companion can attempt to grapple one creature within its reach by making a grapple check.

As a bonus action, your companion can attempt to sweep a creature’s legs (or other anatomy) to knock it prone using the Shoving a Creature rules. The companion can choose to make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Athletics) check for the contest. A creature more than one size larger than your companion automatically succeeds on this check.

Once per turn, when your companion has a creature grappled and takes the Attack action, it can replace one of its attacks with a special melee attack. Instead of an attack roll, it makes a Strength or Dexterity (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (target’s choice). If your companion succeeds, it can move the creature to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of it and can knock it prone, dealing bludgeoning damage to it equal to two rolls of your companion’s Martial Strikes damage dice.

Once per turn, when your companion takes the Attack action, it can replace one of its attacks with a special melee attack, which must be against a prone target. Your companion leaps into the air and places its full bodyweight behind a particularly hard or sharp part of its anatomy. It makes a melee attack roll against the target. The critical hit threshold for this attack is reduced by 1 for each size category that your companion is larger than the target. On a hit, the target takes damage equal to two rolls of your companion’s Martial Strikes damage dice, of the same type as your companion’s Martial Strike attacks. Hit or miss, your companion falls prone.

Once per turn, when your companion takes the Attack action, it can replace one of its attacks with a special melee attack, which must be against a target that isn’t prone. It makes a melee attack roll against the target. The critical hit threshold (see page 83) for this attack is reduced by 1 for each size category that your companion is smaller than the target. On a hit, the target takes damage equal to two rolls of your companion’s Martial Strikes damage dice, of the same type as your companion’s Martial Strike attacks.

#LArsenesLedger
It takes a malleable and open mind to bond with a swarm of creatures; one needs to tune out the hubbub of bite-sized information and learn to listen to the group as a whole. How did you discover you could control masses of creatures? Perhaps you were a perfumier whose arrangement of scents guided the actions of bees. Maybe you were training as a bard when you found that those who liked your music most were a literal pack of rats. Or maybe you made your clothing a home for a family of creatures who now look to you for leadership. Whatever it is, your command of hordes of creatures gives you the ability to overrun any foe.

3rd-Level Swarmslinger Feature
You understand the hivemind behaviour of a swarm and can tame swarms of creatures as if they were a single creature using your Tame Creature feature. A creature doesn’t automatically succeed on its Charisma saving throw to avoid becoming your companion as a result of having the swarm type, but all other restrictions still apply. In addition, you can attempt to tame Medium swarms starting at 3rd level.
Unlike normal swarms, swarms that are your companions can regain hit points and gain temporary hit points. Swarms typically can’t wield weapons, and providing armour for each individual member of a swarm would likely be prohibitively expensive; your GM has the final decision on these matters.

3rd-Level Swarmslinger Feature
When it comes to swarms, quantity is better than quality. When your swarm companion makes an attack roll against a creature whose space it is sharing, hit or miss, the attack deals a minimum amount of damage equal to the ability modifier your swarm companion used to make the attack roll plus your proficiency bonus. If the swarm has half its hit points or fewer, this damage is halved. The minimum damage can’t be increased in any way, other than by increasing the ability modifier or your proficiency bonus.

3rd-Level Swarmslinger Feature
You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Swarmslinger Spells table. Each spell counts as a tamer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of tamer spells you know.

Swarmslinger Spells
| Tamer Level | Spell |
| -- | -- |
| 3rd | command, shield**|
| 5th | enlarge/reduce, protection*|
| 9th | hypnotic pattern**, spirit guardians** |
| 13th | freedom of movement**, polymorph*** |
| 17th | insect plague, mislead** |

*See Appendix A.
**These spells are themed around swarms; shield might summon a swarm of bees to deflect the attack, while spirit guardians could manifest as a swarm of flying piranhas.
***This must be a swarm and isn't limited to beasts.

7th-Level Swarmslinger Feature
As an action, you magically conjure duplicates of your swarm companion’s individual members. Until the start of your next turn, its size increases by two categories (up to Gargantuan, ignoring the maximum companion size restriction), and it gains temporary hit points equal to its hit point maximum. As an action on its turn, your swarm companion can make three melee weapon attacks divided as it wishes among targets in its space.
Once you use this action, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Starting at 18th level, you can use this action twice before a rest.

10th-Level Swarmslinger Feature
Your swarms can interfere with those whose spaces they share. When a creature whose space your swarm companion shares makes an attack roll, your companion can use its reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.

14th-Level Swarmslinger Feature
As an action, you conjure a swarm of Tiny creatures that flit about you in an opaque, protective cloud. For the next minute, you have a flying speed of 30 feet; you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage; you have advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws; and you are heavily obscured. The swarm is translucent to you, allowing you to see through it.
As a bonus action on each of your turns for the feature’s duration, you can launch a portion of the swarm with lethal intent, forcing a creature you can see within 120 feet of you to make a Dexterity saving throw against your tamer spell save DC. The creature takes 13 (3d8) bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage (your choice when you take the action) on a failure, or half as much damage on a success. Once you use this action, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.