Overview

Prolonged exposure to the Gray weakens a caster’s connection to the living world, draining their vitality and warping them into something unnatural. Each spell leaves its mark: fingers grow cold, laughter becomes hollow, and memories of joy fade away. Some graycasters maintain a precarious balance, walking the threshold between worlds, while others surrender to the transformation, letting the Gray seep into their bones until they become something ancient and terrible. While common only within the Dead Lands, graycasters can be found anywhere; the Gray calls to those who seek power at any price and those desperate souls who find themselves where no other magic can be used. For those who draw their power from the Gray, every incantation brings them closer to being dead than alive, and every spell is a step closer to undeath.

The technique of graycasting was born from desperation and brilliance in equal measure. Gretch, once a student of Rajaat himself and now a renegade scholar cast out from the Pristine Tower, sought magic that could transcend life’s limitations. Before the Obsidian Tide transformed Ulyan into the lifeless waste known as the Dead Lands, Gretch had already found his answer in death itself. Seeking to prolong his life, Gretch unlocked the secrets of the Gray and ensured his survival by becoming a morg, a powerful undead entity. When the Obsidian Tide struck, leaving no living energy to draw upon in the Dead Lands, Gretch refined his theories into practice and tapped directly into the Gray for magical power. This made him the first true graycaster known, pioneering a new arcane tradition that allowed spellcasters to continue practicing magic even in regions devoid of life. His techniques spread like a whispered curse throughout the Dead Lands, where undead sorcerers now commonly practice his arts.

The Mechanics of Graycasting

Basic Graycasting for 5e (2014)

A Graycaster loses access to the Arcane Defilement class ability, and cannot access this again. If they have already been subject to effects of Defiler’s Taint, then these effects are not removed, but will not worsen. They instead gain the class ability below, Graycasting.

Graycasting

The Graycaster fuels all of their arcane spellcasting by drawing lightly upon the energy of the Gray, which does not cause defiling. When casting a spell using a spell slot of 1st level or higher, the Graycaster can choose to sink deeply into the Gray’s energy to empower the spell. This leeches some of the caster’s life energy and weakens them temporarily.

When you choose to sink deeply into the Gray, you gain the following benefits:

• You spend 1 Hit Die. Hit dice spent in this way are considered used as if you had spent them to restore hit points during a short rest. If you do not have sufficient hit dice remaining, you instead take 1 level of exhaustion per hit die you could not spend.
• You gain a number of energy points equal to 1 + the number of hit dice spent.

These energy points are similar to defiler points gained from arcane defilement and can be used to empower spells with the usual metamagic options.

In addition, each time you choose to sink deeply into the Gray, you must make a Charisma saving throw. The DC for this check starts at 10 and increases by 5 each time you have drawn deeply of the Gray’s energy.

If you succeed on the check, you retain your willpower and the Gray does not seep into you. On a failed saving throw, the saving throw DC resets to 10, and you take one of the below effects, which are permanent:

• On your first failed saving throw, your skin or exoskeleton transforms, taking on a chalky-white pallor. You become vulnerable to radiant damage, and you have advantage on saving throws made to resist exhaustion caused by extreme heat.
• On your second failed saving throw, your body begins to resist positive energies, as it has been immersed for so long in the Gray. Your wounds stay ragged and open for longer. Whenever you would regain hit points or gain temporary hit points, you only gain half as many.
• On your third failed saving throw, you find it difficult to cling to life and return to your body when threatened. You have disadvantage on death saving throws.
• On a fourth failed saving throw, your spirit is swept away in the Gray’s energy, and your body immediately dies. Your spirit transforms into an Athasian Wraith, which might be encountered later.

Advanced Graycasting for 5e:

School of Graycasting (Wizard subclass)

An arcanist of the school of Graycasting is more than a mere dabbler in the Gray’s necromantic arts, but one who chooses to walk its misty paths and emerge with knowledge of the mysteries beyond death. They are generally perceived as eerie, disturbing figures with pale and distressing countenances, and those few who choose to do good with their talents are not regarded any less poorly for it. Many choose to hide their features and even their eyes, as they often find the brightness of Athas’ sun painful.

Graycasting
From 2nd level, a wizard of the school of graycasting loses access to arcane defilement and instead gains the graycasting class ability, as above.

Apprentice Mystery
From 2nd level, a graycaster learns some of the secrets of the Gray, learning either the spell spare the dying or toll the dead (XgtE) as a cantrip.

In addition, you learn one spell from the following list: detect magic, dissonant whispers, inflict wounds, protection from evil and good.

The spell is considered a wizard spell for you, and is always considered to be prepared. In addition, you can cast the spell once without spending a spell slot, as if using a 1st-level spell slot. Once you have cast the spell once without using a spell slot, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again, unless you spend 1 energy point to refresh it.

Initiate Graycasting
From 6th level, when you sink deeply into the Gray to draw energy, you can choose to spend up to 2 hit dice, and the number of energy points you gain is equal to 2 + the number of hit dice spent.

Initiate Mystery
At 6th level, your understanding of the mysteries of the Gray deepens. You learn one spell from the following list: blink, revivify, spirit shroud (TCoE), summon undead (TCoE).

The spell is considered a wizard spell for you, and is always considered to be prepared. In addition, you can cast the spell once without spending a spell slot, as if using a 3rd-level spell slot. Once you have cast the spell once without using a spell slot, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again, unless you spend 3 energy points to refresh it.

Adept Graycasting
From 10th level, when you sink deeply into the Gray to draw energy, you can choose to spend up to 3 hit dice, and the number of energy points you gain is equal to 3 + the number of hit dice spent.

Gray Transformation
At 10th level you gain resistance to necrotic damage. In addition, when your creature type is used (usually when you are the target of a spell or effect), you can choose to count as your normal creature type or as an undead, at your choice.

Adept Mystery
From 10th level, your understanding of the Gray’s mysteries is almost unrivalled. You learn one spell from the following list: danse macabre (XgtE), dispel evil and good, enervation (XgtE), raise dead.

The spell is considered a wizard spell for you. In addition, you can cast the spell once without spending a spell slot, as if using a 5th-level spell slot. Once you have cast the spell once without using a spell slot, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again unless you spend 5 energy points to refresh it.

Master Graycasting
From 14th level, when you sink deeply into the Gray to draw energy, the number of energy points you gain is equal to 4 + the number of hit dice spent. In addition, when the target of one of your necromancy spells makes a successful saving throw, you can choose to infuse them with Gray energy, making them poisoned until the start of your next round.

Gray Mastery
At 14th level, you have gained the deepest understanding of the Gray’s depths and flows. With your secrets of the Gray’s energy, you can push a being partway into the Gray or wrench it further out of the Gray. As an action, choose a creature you can see within 60 feet. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spellcasting saving throw DC. If it succeeds, there is no effect. On a failure, you can choose one of the following effects:

• The creature gains vulnerability to radiant damage, and to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage dealt by magical weapons, for 1 minute.
• The creature loses resistance to necrotic damage, and to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage dealt by magical weapons, for 1 minute.

Once you have used this ability, you cannot use it again until you have completed a long rest, or you spend 7 energy points to refresh it.

The Consequences of Graycasting

Wraith, Athasian

An Athasian wraith is an incorporeal undead capable of moving freely between the Gray and Athas. Outside its host object, an Athasian wraith is usually only barely visible, often appearing as a gray shade or a mass of churning darkness. Its form resembles its living body, but it can also assume a mist-like appearance. No matter what form a wraith takes, its glowing eyes are always visible, ranging from a bright purple to blood red.

A wraith can possess creatures and objects of all sorts, ranging from weapons and corpses, to unintelligent creatures such as scorpions or crodlu. Wraiths who take human corpses as hosts fill out the dead flesh with their own incorporeal bodies, with missing or damaged sections of the host exposing the wraith’s own misty form. Wraiths can also possess living humanoids, forcing their living puppet to perform actions that incorporeal wraith cannot.

Athasian wraiths are capable of communicating verbally with the living and speak the same languages they spoke in life or have learned in undeath. They are free to communicate as they please outside of a host, but are limited to the linguistic capabilities of their host when possessing an object or creature.

(stats also included as an attached .pdf, below)

Graywraith, Athasian

Medium Undead, usually Neutral Evil
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**Armor Class: 13
Hit Points: 65 (10d8 + 20)
Speed: 0 ft., Fly 60 ft. (hover)
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**STR 6 (-2), DEX 16 (+3), CON 15 (+2), INT 12 (+1), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 16 (+3)
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**Skills: Insight +5
Damage Resistances: acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder
Damage Immunities: necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses: darkvision 30 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages: the languages it knew in life
Challenge: 6 (2,300 XP)
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**Incorporeal Movement. The Athasian graywraith can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object, unless it uses the possess object action below.

Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the Athasian graywraith has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Actions:
Incorporeal Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) necrotic damage. The Athasian graywraith can choose to deal no damage if it chooses, and instead grapple the target (escape DC 15).

If the attack hits, the Athasian graywraith can grip the target’s heart, and gains the benefit of a detect thoughts spell on the target, with no saving throw. This attack cannot harm or affect construct or undead targets.

Possess Humanoid. The Athasian graywraith targets one humanoid within 5 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw against this magic, or become possessed by the Athasian graywraith.

Once a target has become possessed, the Athasian graywraith can use dominate person on the possessed target at will, forcing them into violent acts or betrayal of those they held dear. If forced to do something against their will, the target can attempt a further Charisma saving throw to instead take 10 necrotic damage and become stunned for 1 round. A possessed target who succeeds on three such saving throws in succession forces the Athasian graywraith out, and cannot be targeted by possess humanoid for 24 hours.

Possess Object. An Athasian graywraith can possess an unattended object (including the corpse of a formerly-living creature) of up to Medium size within 5 feet. The object appears as if the wraith is wearing or otherwise within it, exhibiting a glow of harmful energy (about equivalent to the light of a candle). If the Athasian graywraith uses the incorporeal movement ability, it immediately ends possession of any object it is possessing, dropping the object unattended within its space. While possessing an object, the Athasian graywraith has the following changes to its abilities:

Speed 30ft., (no fly speed); Armour Class 16; STR 18 (+4); Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks (instead of damage immunity).
While possessing an object, the Athasian graywraith is no longer affected by the sunlight sensitivity trait, as well as the incorporeal touch, possess humanoid and wring heart actions. It gains access to the below actions instead:
Multiattack. The Athasian graywraith makes two slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.

Wring Heart. The Athasian graywraith grips the heart of a target it has already grappled and consumes life energy from them. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or their current and maximum hit points are reduced by 35 (6d10 + 3). On a successful saving throw, the target takes necrotic damage equal to half this amount, and their maximum hit points are not affected.

This reduction lasts until a target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this reduces their current or maximum hit points to 0, and then transforms into a thinking zombie in around 24 hours.