The Hungering
Aolis plunged the shadowy blade into the man’s heart, feeling the hunger inside him surge as he absorbed his very essence. His face looking less gaunt, he smiled, and set off in search of another meal.
Aolis, Hungering Sorcerer
Sorcerers of the Hungering gain their powers from a deep, primal source of craving. Perhaps their line was cursed for its greed by a god of plenty or generosity. Or maybe one of their forebears was marked by the hungering undead. Sorcerers with this origin have an unyielding appetite for arcane energy and go to nearly any length to satiate their desire to increase their magical power.
The hunger that fuels these sorcerers allow them to sense when nearby enemies are weak, and their spells can hunt down wounded prey like bloodhounds. They feast off the very essence of those they defeat, healing their wounds or restoring their magical capabilities. The most powerful among their kind can even absorb the magical energy of spells used against them, converting the damage into fuel for their own sorcerous powers.
Roleplaying Tips
When playing a sorcerer with the Hungering sorcerous origin, you should consider how the hunger would manifest in your personality. You could play someone overcome by it, with a gaunt appearance, bloodshot eyes, ready to snap at the smallest of slights. Or perhaps you’ve found a way to hold the hunger at bay, choosing to release it at only the most opportune times. When it comes to alignment, the Hungering does not necessarily require one to be evil. You could be a sorcerer who has made a vow to only use their powers against truly evil foes. Regardless of which path you choose, you should always consider the hunger and how it might affect the decisions made by your character. It might drive them to riskier behavior, when the reward is greater. Or, rather than taking on the strongest foes on the battlefield, they might seek out the weak and wounded, finishing them off to siphon away their life force. No matter what, remember that when playing in a party of other adventurers to find a way to keep the Hungering from putting you at odds with their goals, or you might soon find yourself searching for scraps on your own.
The Hungering was created by our partners at Kobold Press, and it is one of the many subclasses available to subscribers, along with others like the Soulspy or the College of Entropy, as well as races such as the Shade or Spindrift Dwarf. Build your own Hungering sorcerer and tell us about it in the comments below or on any of our social channels. Join us on on Discord, Reddit or Facebook to meet other members of the community and take your game to the next level, or follow us on Twitter @shardtabletop for regular updates.
