Animancer class icon: a soul flame fading from green to violet in a gold ring

Animancer

A Sorcerer origin for Baldur's Gate 3. Drain the life force of the living and the dead, and spend it on spell slots or a surge of power.

In development. Not yet released.

How it plays

Animancers feel the anima of every living creature and the corrupted anima of the undead. Each kill heals you and stores Anima Essence; corpses left on the field can be drained later. Constructs have no anima: they are the one foe your powers can't touch.

Absorb Anima

Passive · level 1

When a creature dies from your damage, you heal Charisma modifier + Sorcerer level, once per round. Already at full health? You gain that much temporary HP instead.

Channel Anima

Free action · 1 Essence per turn · level 6

A sustained surge: +1 spell save DC, +2 to attack rolls, Charisma added to cantrip damage, and your damaging spells rend the anima of everything they hit. You glow violet while it lasts.

Harvest Anima

Bonus action · 9 m · level 6

Drain every unharvested corpse within 4 m of a point: 1 Essence each, up to your maximum. Corpses past the cap keep their anima for later.

Anima Restoration

Bonus action · once per short rest · level 4

Turn stored Essence back into magic: restore one spell slot for 1 Essence per slot level.

Channel Anima

Costs 1 Essence to start and 1 more at the start of each of your turns. It ends when you run out of Essence, leave combat, are incapacitated, or press End Channel (free).

While channelling

Lasts through enemy turns too
  • +1 spell save DC
  • +2 to attack rolls, weapon and spell
  • Charisma added to cantrip damage, weapon cantrips included

Anima Rend

No saving throw · friendly fire
  • Bleeding for 2 rounds on every creature your damaging spells hit: damage each turn and Disadvantage on Constitution saves.
  • Enfeebled instead if the target can't bleed: halved Strength and Dexterity weapon damage.
  • Allies too. Place area spells with care. You are never affected.

Features by level

1Sorcerer
  • Absorb Anima: a kill from your damage heals you (or grants temp HP at full health), once per round
  • Disrupt Anima: always prepared 1st-level spell, 18 m. Constitution save or knocked prone until the end of its turn. One extra target per slot level above 1st. No concentration.
4Sorcerer
  • Store Anima: a kill from your damage stores 1 Anima Essence. Essence starts each day empty.
  • Anima Restoration: restore a spell slot for 1 Essence per slot level, once per short rest
6Sorcerer
  • Channel Anima: +1 spell DC, +2 to hit, Charisma to cantrip damage, and Anima Rend on your spells
  • Harvest Anima: drain the corpses around a point for Essence
11Sorcerer
  • Anima Mastery: +1 maximum Essence, and your spells ignore damage resistance (not immunity)

Maximum Anima Essence

Half your Sorcerer level, rounded up (+1 from Anima Mastery). Never refills on its own; a long rest empties it. A kill at maximum Essence leaves the corpse to harvest later.

2Level 4
3Level 5
4Level 7
5Level 9
7Level 11

Rulings

Your kills only

Absorb and Store Anima trigger on creatures that die from your damage. Allies' kills give nothing, but you can harvest their victims' corpses.

No double dipping

A corpse that already gave you Essence is marked Harvested and can't be drained again. Party members' corpses are never harvested.

Constructs have no anima

Constructs are excluded from every anima effect. Everything else, elementals and undead included, is fair game.

Class actions, not spells

Channel Anima, Harvest Anima and Anima Restoration can't be counterspelled or silenced. Disrupt Anima is a real 1st-level spell.