Because of this, true cooks typically tire of stuffy kitchens
The Cook
A half-orc pulls out a chop of venison as she and her favorite
dwarf stare down a charging mob of kobolds. The dwarf
takes a big bite, and as she chews, her arms swell. She moves
to meet the coming wave and bashes one kobold after the
other with ease. The half-orc wipes her greasy hands on her
apron and grins as her friend dispatches with the pesky
nuisance.
A warforged swings a massive cleaver through the white
dragon before him, making a deep cut in Icewing's side and
forcing a roar of pain. Icewing slashes at the warforged, but
her claws glance off as his formidable gut repels her, sending
Icewing off balance, crashing into the snow. As the warforged
raises his cleaver, the oven in his belly comes to life, ready to
prepare dragon meat.
A human walks into the study of the local lord's manor,
carrying with him the pleasant scents of baked bread and
sugary sweets. He lays out his wishes with a warm smile, and
the noble just doesn't know how to say no.
These cooks, whether they be rough and tumble hunters or
more culturally refined chefs, are all masters of their culinary
craft, able to take mundane ingredients and form them into
magical meals.
The Magic of Food
Ever since life has existed in this world, it has required
nourishment. Nourishment comes in many forms: sunlight
and minerals for plants, plants for herbivores, herbivores for
carnivores, and prepared meals for humanoids. Within these
various foods lies nourishing energy that empowers those
who consume it, mixing with the natural nourishing energy
that flows through all living bodies. Monks would call this
energy "ki," and they harness it in their own way, through
discipline and meditation. Cooks harness it in a different way.
Cooks, through their craft, learn to fill food with more
magic than is normally available. They take the unrefined
strands of nourishing energy in their ingredients and cut
them, mix them, fry them, shape them together into a meal
more powerful than the sum of its parts. Creatures who
consume these meals gain extraordinary abilities as their
bodies are enhanced beyond their natural limits.
It is a spectacle to see a cook at work. Some wield their
utensils with supernatural speed and grace as they cook.
Others glow with a powerful aura as they pour the nourishing
energy within their body into their food. Still others can
conjure whole meals seemingly from nothing, as they mold
the errant nourishing energy around them.
A Life of Servitude
Just because a person cooks does not mean that they are of
the cook class. A kitchen can be filled with many who cook,
but it is something different that makes a cook. Anyone can
throw meat atop a fire, but only a cook does so with purpose,
with a goal, whether that be to protect, to empower, or to
invigorate.
where their talents will be wasted on the bland tastes of big
wigs and commoners. Cooks seek out adventurers worthy of
their meals, who can use those meals to their greatest effect.
If a cook finds none that meet their high standards, then they
themselves will put the food to use.
Creating a Cook
As you create your cook, keep in mind how your character got
into the gourmet arts. Were they a hired hand that learned
too quickly in the kitchen and developed an insatiable ego?
Were they taught by a family member or a close friend and
thus have a sentimental approach to their craft? Were they
thrust into cooking out of necessity, living on their own in
harsh conditions trying to squeeze vitality out of their barren
surroundings?
A cook may begin their culinary studies in family kitchens
or tiny inns, but they will soon realize that to progress means
to move on from these dead ends. Cooks will take up the
adventuring life for a variety of reasons: to push the limits of
their craft, to find ingredients only accessible in the most
dangerous parts of the world, or perhaps to find other
adventurers, the only people who can truly appreciate the
cook's talents.
Quick Build
You can make a cook quickly by following these suggestions.
First, make Constitution your highest ability score, followed
by Strength or Dexterity. Second, choose the Guild Artisan
background.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per cook level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution
modifier per cook level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords,
rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Cook’s utensils
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics,
Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Performance,
Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the
equipment granted by your background:
(a) a longsword or (b) a light crossbow and 20 bolts
(a) leather armor or (b) scale mail
(a) two daggers or (b) two light hammers
(a) an explorer’s pack or (b) a scholar’s pack
Cook’s Utensils
If you forgo this starting equipment, as well as the items
offered by your background, you start with 4d4 x 10 gp to buy
your equipment.
The Cook
Level Proficiency Bonus Morsel Vigor Features
1st +2 1d4 Morsels, Smelling Salts
2nd +2 1d4 Discerning Senses, Expertise
3rd +2 1d4 Cook Specialty
4th +2 1d4 Ability Score Improvement
5th +3 1d6 Rotund Reflection
6th +3 1d6 Cook Specialty Feature, Original Seasonings
7th +3 1d6 Resilient Body, Smelling Salts Improvement
8th +3 1d6 Ability Score Improvement
9th +4 1d8 Expertise, Iron Stomach
10th +4 1d8 Cook Specialty Feature
11th +4 1d8 Expert Chef, Primal Seasonings
12th +4 1d8 Ability Score Improvement
13th +5 1d10 Smelling Salts Improvement, Snack Break
14th +5 1d10 Ability Score Improvement, Soul of Food
15th +5 1d10 Cook Specialty Feature
16th +5 1d10 Ability Score Improvement
17th +6 1d12 Divine Seasonings, Smelling Salts Improvement
18th +6 1d12 Culinary Fusion
19th +6 1d12 Ability Score Improvement
20th +6 1d12 Magnificent Meal

Class Features
As a Cook, you gain the following class features, which are
summarized in the Cook table.
Morsels
1st-level cook feature
You can instill the food you prepare with magical
properties, creating morsels infused with special powers.
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can prepare a number of
morsels equal to your Constitution modifier + half your Cook
level, rounded down (minimum of one). Your morsels have an Energizing Spices
appearance and taste of your choice, and they expire, losing Choose Strength or Dexterity. Whenever the target makes an
their magical properties, when you finish a long rest. ability check or a damage roll using the chosen ability, it gains
As an action, you can feed one of these morsels to a a bonus to the roll equal to a roll of your Morsel Vigor die for
friendly creature you can touch. You must have a free hand to 1 minute.
do so. When you feed a morsel to a creature, the target gains
1d4 temporary hit points. The temporary hit points gained Restorative Herbs
increase as you gain levels in this class as shown in the The target regains a number of hit points equal to two rolls of
Morsel Vigor column of the Cook table. your Morsel Vigor die.
When you feed a morsel to a creature, you can also choose
to sprinkle the morsel with a seasoning of your choice, giving
the morsel additional magical effects. You start knowing two
seasonings: Energizing Spices and Restorative Herbs. You
learn more seasonings as you gain levels in this class.
Smelling Salts Rotund Reflection
1st-level cook feature 5th-level cook feature
You discover a mix of spices that creates such a visceral Your stomach is of utmost importance, and so you have
assault on the senses as to break a creature from its stupor. toned your belly to be tough, building a well of nourishing
You can use a bonus action on your turn to choose one energy in your gut. You gain the ability to repel enemies that
creature that you can touch. You wave the spices under the attack you.
target's nose, and the target can immediately repeat a saving When a Large or smaller creature within 5 feet of you hits
throw it has made against an effect that is causing it to be you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to cause
charmed or frightened, ending the effect on a success. You the creature to make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8
must have a free hand to use this feature. + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier). On a
Once a creature has succeeded on a saving throw with this failed save, its speed becomes 0 until the end of the turn, and
feature, it can't do so again until it finishes a long rest. it is either pushed 10 feet away from you or knocked prone
At 7th level, the target can instead repeat a saving throw (your choice).
against an effect that is causing it to be stunned.
At 13th level, the target can instead repeat a saving throw
against an effect that is causing it to be paralyzed.
At 17th level, the target has advantage on its repeated
saving throw.
Expertise
2nd-level cook feature
Choose two of your skill proficiencies, or one of your skill
proficiencies and your proficiency in Cook's Utensils. Your
proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make
that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
At 9th level, you can choose two more of your proficiencies
(in skills or with Cook's Utensils) to gain this benefit.
Discerning Senses
2nd-level cook feature
Your taste and smell become so acute as to be able to pick
up on minute details including contaminants, blights, and
pollutants. You gain the ability to cast the detect poison and
disease spell, but only as a ritual.
Additionally, if you taste food or drink, you immediately
become aware of all nonmagical ingredients in that food or
drink, including poisons.
Cook Specialty
3rd-level cook feature
Choose a specialty that you emulate in the exercise of your
cook abilities: Baker or Butcher, each of which is detailed
after the class description. Your choice grants you features at
3rd level and again at 6th , 10th, and 15th level.
Ability Score Improvement
4th-level cook feature
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.
Original Seasonings
6th-level cook feature
You learn the following seasonings:
Black Salts
The target gains darkvision out to a range of 120 feet for 1
minute.
Cosmic Dusting
Whenever the target casts a spell that restores hit points or
deals damage, it can choose one target affected by the spell
and add a bonus to the hit points regained or the damage
dealt to that target equal to a roll of your Morsel Vigor die for
1 minute.
Elemental Salts
The target gains resistance to cold, fire, or lightning damage
(your choice) for 1 minute.
Resilient Body
7th-level cook feature
The powerful flow of nourishing energies through your
body bolsters your vitality. When you are subjected to an
effect that allows you to make a Constitution saving throw to
take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you
succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Iron Stomach
9th-level cook feature
Regular consumption of nutritious food has built up a
resilience in your stomach and in your blood. You become
immune to poison and disease.
Expert Chef
11th-level cook feature
Your ties to the nourishing energies of the world grow
stronger, allowing you to improve both your morsels and your
strikes. Once per turn, when you make a damage roll for a
weapon attack or roll for temporary hit points for a morsel,
you can give yourself a bonus to the roll. The bonus equals
your Constitution modifier.
Primal Seasonings
11th-level cook feature
You learn the following seasonings:
Bestial Rub
The target's speed is doubled for 1 minute.
Earthen Leaves
The target becomes immune to the blinded, deafened, or
poisoned condition (your choice) for 1 minute. If the target is
affected by the chosen condition when you feed the morsel,
the condition is suspended for 1 minute.
Sea Salts
The target can breathe underwater and gains a swim speed
equal to twice its walking speed for 1 minute.
Snack Break
13th-level cook feature
You learn how to focus the nourishing energies within and
around you to create a revitalizing snack. You spend one
minute conjuring this snack, using your action each turn
conjuring the snack. At the end of the minute, you must feed
the snack to one creature of your choice that you can touch,
or else it dissipates back into raw nourishing energy. The
chosen creature immediately gains the benefits of a short
rest.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you
finish a long rest.
Soul of Food
14th-level cook feature
You can draw the nourishing energies of the world into you
like a watershed. You can cast the create food and water spell
at will. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
When you cast create food and water in this way the food you
create is not bland, but flavorful and enjoyable, and you can
choose to create beer or wine instead of water.
Any food or drink you created with this feature that has not
been eaten or drunk disappears when you cast create food
and water again with this feature.
Divine Seasonings
17th-level cook feature
You learn the following seasonings:
Angelic Sugars
The first time the target would drop to 0 hit points in the next
minute, it instead drops to 1 hit point.
Ghost Pepper
The target becomes invisible for 1 minute.
Infernal Roots
The target has advantage on all saving throws it makes
against magic for 1 minute.
Culinary Fusion
18th-level cook feature
You learn how to harmoniously mix your seasonings. When
you feed a morsel to a creature, you can add two seasonings,
instead of one, to the morsel.
Magnificent Meal
20th-level cook feature
You can manifest a feast for the ages. You can cast the
heroes' feast spell once without expending a spell slot or
material components, and you regain the ability to do so
when you finish a long rest.
When you cast heroes' feast in this way, creatures who
partake in the feast gain the following additional benefits:
They add your Constitution modifier to saving throws and
ability checks they make.
Their hit point maximum increases by 5d10 instead of
2d10.
Cook Specialties
Once a cook has set out on their journey, they must decide
what direction they should take with their cooking, what
specialty they should choose, how it is they view nourishing
energy. Is nourishing energy a way to strengthen your allies
or a way to hinder your enemies? Are you best suited taking
charge of a situation, or is it better to support your partners?
These and other questions will help guide you in choosing
the specialty to which you should dedicate yourself.
Baker
A Baker is a master of all that is sugary and sweet. Bakers
use their ties to the nourishing energies of the world to
protect their allies from harm. In this practice of the most
wholesome culinary art, Bakers experience a positive change
in their hearts and souls.
Baker Seasoning: Sweet Glaze
3rd-level Baker feature
You learn the Sweet Glaze seasoning which has the
following effect:
Choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. Whenever the
target makes a saving throw using the chosen ability, it gains
a bonus to the roll equal to a roll of your Morsel Vigor die for
1 minute.
Saccharine Charm
3rd-level Baker feature
You find it easy to endear yourself to others, as your sweet
crafts infect your personality. Whenever you make a
Charisma (Persuasion) check, you gain a bonus to the check
equal to a roll of your Morsel Vigor die.
Sugar Rush
3rd-level Baker feature
When you feed a morsel to a creature other than yourself, it
can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed
without provoking opportunity attacks. You can use this
feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus,
and you regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Wholesome Morsels
6th-level Baker feature
Your morsels are empowered with hearty sustenance.
When you roll a Morsel Vigor die to give a creature
temporary hit points, you can treat a roll that is lower than
your Consitution modifier as equal to your Consitution
modifier.
Flour Bomb
10th-level Baker feature
As an action, you can create an explosion of magical flour
at a point you choose within 60 feet of you. Each creature
within 20 feet of the point must make a Dexterity saving
throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your
Constitution modifier). On a failed save, a creature is covered
in heavy flour for 1 minute. A covered creature has
disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks, and its speed
is reduced by 10 feet. A covered creature also can't benefit
from being invisible.
A covered creature can use its action to repeat the saving
throw, ending the effect on a success.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your
proficiency bonus, and you regain expended uses when you
finish a long rest.
Heavenly Aroma
15th-level Baker feature
As an action, you can summon the sweet scents of a bakery
to invigorate your allies. Each creature of your choice that
you can see within 30 feet of you regains a number of hit
points equal to your Cook level + your Constitution modifier,
and each chosen creature has advantage on ability checks
and saving throws until the start of your next turn. Once you
use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can
use it again.
Butcher
Meat feeds the muscles, building strength. Butchers favor
this strength. They use nourishing energy aggressively,
pushing their allies to always be on the attack. If a Butcher's
allies are too meek to move the fight forward, then the
Butcher is happy to wade into the fray themselves.
Butcher Seasoning: Thick Gravy
3rd-level Baker feature
You learn the Thick Gravy seasoning which has the
following effect:
If the target is smaller than Large, it becomes Large, and it
has advantage on Strength checks it makes for 1 minute.
Multiclassing and the Cook
If your group uses the optional rule on
multiclassing in the Player's Handbook, here's what
you need to know if you choose cook as one of
your classes.
Ability Score Minimum. As a multiclass character,
you must have at least a Constitution score of 13
to take a level in this class, or to take a level in
another class if you are already a cook.
Proficiencies Gained. If cook isn't your initial
class, here are the proficiencies you gain when you
take your first level as a cook: light armor, medium
armor, one skill from the class's skill list, cook's
utensils.

Bonus Proficiency
3rd-level Butcher feature
You gain proficiency with martial weapons.
Join the Slaughter
3rd-level Butcher feature Art Credits
When you feed a morsel to a creature other than yourself, it Page 1: "Chef Grolo's Secret Ingredient" by
can immediately use its reaction to make a single weapon Maringouin
attack or shove attack (its choice). You can use this feature a
number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you Page 4: "Ambrose Kroop" by Liarath
regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Page 7: "Sosh" by Kiikiibee
Extra Attack
6th-level Butcher feature Page 2, 3, 5, 6, 7: "Kitchen Utensils and Appliances
Isolated Sketches" by VectorTradition
You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take
the Attack action on your turn.
Tenderize
10th-level Butcher feature
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack or
successfully make a shove attack against a creature, you can
choose to tenderize it, preparing it for more punishment. The
first time the tenderized creature takes damage from another
creature before the start of your next turn, it takes extra
damage equal to a roll of your Morsel Vigor die.
High Protein Diet
15th-level Butcher feature
You learn to manipulate the flow of nourishing energy in
your body so that it pours heavily into your muscles, pushing
your body beyond its natural limits. Choose Strength or
Constitution. Increase the ability score of the chosen ability
by 2, and the limit for that ability score becomes 22.