Shut-In

Giving his favourite holographic pet one last cuddle, a Wukong launches a digital bear into the fray, aiding and inspiring his allies to continue the fight.

Shut-Ins are masterful wielders of the Neurosynaptic Endospinal Etherealnet Transmitter, or NEET, a portable spine-mounted Sense-Tank device that allows users to subconsciously manipulate the vibrant green SLUDGE that encases travellers of the digital planes. For civilian users, this strange technology is used to subconsciously perform rudimentary tasks like eating and bathing without logging off from virtual space, but Shut-Ins download and utilise the malicious digital creatures created between realms, moulding the SLUDGE into vicious and effective combat forms.

The Complex

While most Sense-Tank users are happy to take occasional breaks to eat, sleep, or bathe, a Shut-In's desire to be online for whatever reason creates a Complex, a personality quirk that dictates their style of adventuring, combat, and what they're able to do with their NEET. Some Shut-Ins take an aggressive combat stance, using malicious code to create fearsome alien creatures to defeat their enemies. Others use their constant connection to the virtual realms to download healing tech, or reawaken robotic corpses. Shut-Ins are as versatile as they are damp and slimy.

Taming The Digital Wasteland

It's well known that - with such untold zettabytes of data passing through the digital planes - random fragments of loose code often coalesce into the malicious entities known as Malware and Viruses, roaming the digital wasteland between realms or uploading themselves into hardlight projectors to cause havoc in real space. Shut-Ins use these digital fiends by downloading them into their NEETs, taming them through code restructuring, and using their combat capabilities through temporary access to the SLUDGE that surrounds and protects them. This process lets the Shut-In battle their enemies encased in non-newtonian fluid, buffing their offensive and defensive capabilities, but limiting their techcasting.

Always Online
While a Shut-In can choose to remain conscious in the real world, many prefer the comfort of life inside the Etherealnet, and often create their own private sub-realms for themselves and friends to enjoy. However, with their body in real space, they can still be forcefully digitised by enemies, and end up in the digital wasteland like other classes.

The Shut-In Table

Proficiency Source Tricks Techs - Tech Slots per Tech Level -

Level Bonus Features Known Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

1 +2 Shut-In Slang, Techcasting 4 2 2 - - - - - - - -

2 +2 Goo Shape, Shut-In Complex, Hardlight Companion (Optional) 4 3 3 - - - - - - - -

3 +2 - 4 4 4 2 - - - - - - -

4 +2 Goo Shape improvement, Ability Score Improvement, Trick Versatility (Optional) 5 5 4 3 - - - - - - -

5 +3 - 5 6 4 3 2 - - - - - -

6 +3 Shut-In Complex feature 5 7 4 3 3 - - - - - -

7 +3 - 5 8 4 3 3 1 - - - - -

8 +3 Goo Shape improvement, Ability Score Improvement, Trick Versatility (Optional) 5 9 4 3 3 2 - - - - -

9 +4 - 5 10 4 3 3 3 1 - - - -

10 +4 Shut-In Complex feature 6 11 4 3 3 3 2 - - - -

11 +4 - 6 12 4 3 3 3 2 1 - - -

12 +4 Ability Score Improvement, Trick Versatility (Optional) 6 12 4 3 3 3 2 1 - - -

13 +5 - 6 13 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 - -

14 +5 Shut-In Complex feature 6 13 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 - -

15 +5 - 6 14 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 -

16 +5 Ability Score Improvement, Trick Versatility (Optional) 6 14 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 -

17 +6 - 6 15 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1

18 +6 Timeless Body, Goo Techs 6 15 4 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1

19 +6 Ability Score Improvement, Trick Versatility (Optional) 6 15 4 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1

20 +6 Uber Shut In 6 15 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1

Class Features

As a Shut-In, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Shut-In level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Shut-In level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields

Weapons: batons, knives, quarterstaffs, machetes, slingshots, spears

Tools: Hacker's Kit

Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom

Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Culture, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Survival, and Technology

Equipment

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

• (a) a small shield or (b) any civilian weapon

• (a) a machete or (b) any civilian melee weapon

• Nanofilm armor, a Hobo's pack, and a Neurosynaptic Endospinal Etherealnet Transmitter

Shut-In Slang

You know Shut-In Slang, the secret language of Shut-Ins. You can speak the language and use it to leave hidden messages. You and others who know this language automatically spot such a message. Others spot the message's presence with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check but can't decipher it without tech.

Tricks

At 1st level, you know two Tricks of your choice from the Shut-In Tech list. You learn additional Shut-In Tricks of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Tricks Known column of the Shut-In table.

Preparing and Casting Techs

The Shut-In table shows how many Tech slots you have to cast your Techs of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these Shut-In Techs, you must expend a slot of the Tech's level or higher. You regain all expended Tech slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of Shut-In Techs that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Shut-In Tech list. When you do so, choose a number of Shut-In Techs equal to your Wisdom modifier + your Shut-In level (minimum of one Tech). The Techs must be of a level for which you have Tech slots.

For example, if you are a 3rd-level Shut-In, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level Tech slots. With a Wisdom of 16, your list of prepared Techs can include six Techs of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level Tech Cure Wounds, you can cast it techusing a 1st-level or 2nd-level slot. Casting the Tech doesn't remove it from your list of prepared Techs.

You can also change your list of prepared Techs when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of Shut-In Techs requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per Tech level for each Tech on your list.

Techcasting Ability

Wisdom is your Techcasting ability for your Shut-In Techs, since your tech draws upon your devotion and attunement to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a Tech refers to your Techcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Shut-In Tech you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Tech save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Tech attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Script Casting

You can cast a Shut-In Tech as a script if that Tech has thescript tag and you have the Tech prepared.

Techcasting Focus

You can use your Neurosynaptic Endospinal Etherealnet Transmitter as a Techcasting focus for your Shut-In Techs.

Goo Shape

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your action to mould your SLUDGE around you into a Combat Unit. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Your Shut-In level determines the Combat Unit you can use, as shown in the Goo Shapes table. At 2nd level, for example, you can transform into any Unit that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower that doesn't have a flying or swimming speed.

Goo Shapes

Level	Max. CR	Limitations	Example
2nd.	1/4	No Flying or Swimming Speed	Attack Unit
4th.	1/2	No Flying Speed	Soldier Unit
8th.	1	Battle Unit

You can stay in a Unit for a number of hours equal to half your Shut-In level (rounded down). You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the Combat Unit, but you retain your personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them.
When you transform, you assume the Unit's hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form, For example, if you take 10 damage in Goo form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.
You can't cast techs, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your Goo form. Transforming doesn't break your concentration on a tech you've already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a tech, such as Call Lightning, that you've already cast.
You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.
You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature's shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Goo Shapes List

Shut-In Complex

At 2nd level, your Complex begins to define your actions as a Shut-In. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Goo Companion (Optional)

At 2nd level, you gain the ability to create a SLUDGE construct that assumes an animal form: as an action, you can expend a use of your Goo Shape feature to cast the Find Familiar tech, without material components.

When you cast the tech in this way, the familiar is a Spam instead of a beast, and the familiar disappears after a number of hours equal to half your Shut-In level.

Ability Score Improvement

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.

Trick Versatility (Optional)

Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace one Trick you learned from this class's techcasting feature with another Trick from the Shut-In tech list.

Timeless Body

Starting at 18th level, the time spent controlling your avatar causes you to age more slowly. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year.

Goo techs

Beginning at 18th level, you can cast many of your Shut-In techs in any shape you assume using Goo Shape. You can perform the somatic and verbal components of a Shut-In tech while in a Goo shape, but you aren't able to provide material components.

Uber Shut-In

At 20th level, you can use your Goo Shape an unlimited number of times.

Additionally, you can ignore the verbal and somatic components of your Shut-In techs, as well as any material components that lack a cost and aren't consumed by a tech. You gain this benefit in both your normal shape and your OC shape from Hardlight Shape.

Shut-In Homes

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