
Acolyte of the Skin – Bringing Fiendish Power to 5th Edition Wizards
Hello fellow gamers. I’ve been playing Dungeons & Dragons for over 30 years throughout many editions of this wonderful game. The Third Edition of Dungeons & Dragons offered the Open Gaming

Empusia, Curator of Souls is a legendary fiend whose Museum of the Macabre awaits curious adventurers. [Art by Nelson Vieira]
Recently, I was reminiscing about one of my favorite characters from college. Now, with over three decades of playing, I have a lot of favorites, but this particular memory led me to pull out one of those old splat books. The character in question was a not-so-nice wizard who had taken a prestige class from Tome and Blood: A Guidebook to Wizards and Sorcerers. The class was called Acolyte of the Skin, and I remember loving the dark transformation it brought to the game.
What Made the Acolyte of the Skin Special?
The Acolyte of the Skin was all about making a bargain with the lower planes—transforming your body and soul for the sake of arcane power. The class required a character to be an arcane spellcaster with knowledge of the planes. Once they met these criteria, they essentially gave their body over to the fiends and allowed a physical transformation to take place, gaining power at the cost of their humanity. It wasn’t just an aesthetic change—this transformation had tangible, mechanical benefits like resistances and fiendish abilities.
You might be thinking, “Well, we already have the Fiendish Warlock in 5th edition,” and sure, you can go in that direction, but mechanically it’s very different from what the Acolyte of the Skin offered. This was a transformation-focused class, and since my original character was a wizard, I thought I’d see how possible it would be to adapt it for 5th edition as a wizard subclass.
Adapting the Acolyte of the Skin for 5th Edition
When converting Acolyte of the Skin into a wizard subclass, I wanted to preserve the fiendish transformation while bringing it in line with 5th edition mechanics. The original class granted resistances, fiendish powers, and physical changes. To reflect this in the subclass, I’ve introduced resistances to elemental damage types like fire, cold, and poison, as well as the ability to inflict fiery damage with a glare attack.
Here’s the subclass in its entirety:
Wizard Subclass: Acolyte of the Skin
Fiendish Bond
2nd-level Acolyte of the Skin feature
Your studies have led you to bind yourself to a fiendish essence, which begins altering your form. Choose one of the following damage types: fire, cold, or poison. You gain resistance to the chosen type of damage. Additionally, your skin takes on a leathery, otherworldly appearance, granting you a +1 bonus to Armor Class while you are not wearing armor.
Design Note: This feature mirrors the initial transformation into something not entirely human anymore. The resistances evoke the idea of fiendish durability, and the armor bonus represents the physical toughness the Acolyte gains from their pact.
Infernal Knowledge
2nd-level Acolyte of the Skin feature
The fiendish influence heightens your mind and allows you to draw upon arcane and forbidden lore. When you finish a long rest, you can choose one skill proficiency. You gain proficiency in that skill until you finish your next long rest. The available skills reflect dark knowledge imparted by your fiendish connection and must be one of the following: Arcana, History, Deception, Intimidation, or Religion.
Design Note: In the original prestige class, the Acolyte’s growing connection with fiends expanded their knowledge. In this version, the wizard can temporarily gain new skills, reflecting the idea that the fiendish presence grants access to knowledge from dark realms.
Fiendish Glare
6th-level Acolyte of the Skin feature
The malevolent essence within you can manifest as a destructive gaze. As a bonus action, you can focus your fiendish power through your eyes and unleash a glare that scorches your enemies. Choose a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see. That creature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking fire damage equal to 3d6 on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. The damage increases to 4d6 at 10th level and 5d6 at 14th level.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses after finishing a long rest.
Design Note: This feature brings a tangible, offensive aspect to the transformation, inspired by the Acolyte’s eventual physical changes in 3rd edition. It gives the subclass a unique and flavorful way to deal damage that isn’t just spellcasting, bringing more of the fiendish influence to life in combat.
Skin of the Fiend
10th-level Acolyte of the Skin feature
Your body has further melded with fiendish essence. Choose one additional damage type from the list you didn’t choose at 2nd level (fire, cold, or poison). You gain resistance to that damage type. You also have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
Design Note: The growing resistance reflects the Acolyte’s increasing durability, making them more resilient as they delve deeper into fiendish power. Gaining protection against charm and fear solidifies the mental fortitude they would gain from such a pact.
Hellish Form
14th-level Acolyte of the Skin feature
Your transformation into a fiendish being is nearly complete. As a bonus action, you can assume your Hellish Form for 1 minute. While in this form, you gain the following benefits:
- You sprout fiendish wings, granting you a flying speed of 30 feet.
- The damage of your Fiendish Glare increases by 1d6.
- You gain advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
Design Note: This final ability fully brings the fiendish transformation to its peak. Wings, enhanced glare damage, and a boost to intimidation checks all embody the Acolyte’s hellish transformation. The visual of a wizard with fiendish wings is sure to make a lasting impression!
Why Play an Acolyte of the Skin Wizard?
If you like the idea of fiendish transformation and the gradual evolution of a character into something otherworldly, this subclass gives you the tools to do just that. It offers a mix of resistances, offensive abilities, and thematic features that make it stand out from other wizard subclasses. Whether you’re channeling the power of the lower planes in battle or intimidating enemies with your hellish form, this subclass brings a dark and flavorful twist to the wizard class.
That’s the Acolyte of the Skin for 5th edition! It captures the essence of its 3rd edition roots while giving it new life within the current ruleset. What do you think? Would you embrace fiendish power for arcane mastery? Let me know how you’d use this subclass in your own games! Would you like to see any other prestige classes from 3.5 converted to 5th, let us know.
Thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!
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October 21, 2024 at 9:10 pm