diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/ebullient/convert/tools/ParseState.java b/src/main/java/dev/ebullient/convert/tools/ParseState.java
index b196fae20..259a70593 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/ebullient/convert/tools/ParseState.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/ebullient/convert/tools/ParseState.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ public static class ParseStateInfo {
         boolean inHtmlTable;
         boolean inMarkdownTable;
         boolean inList;
+        int inFeatureType;
         final String listIndent;
         final String src;
         final int page;
@@ -68,6 +69,20 @@ private ParseStateInfo setInMarkdownTable(boolean inTable) {
             return this;
         }
 
+        private ParseStateInfo setInFeatureType(int inFeatureType) {
+            this.inFeatureType = inFeatureType;
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        private ParseStateInfo setTheRest(ParseStateInfo prev) {
+            this.setInFootnotes(prev.inFootnotes)
+                    .setInHtmlTable(prev.inHtmlTable)
+                    .setInMarkdownTable(prev.inMarkdownTable)
+                    .setInList(prev.inList)
+                    .setInFeatureType(prev.inFeatureType);
+            return this;
+        }
+
         private static ParseStateInfo srcAndPage(ParseStateInfo prev, String src, int page) {
             if (prev == null) {
                 return new ParseState.ParseStateInfo(src, page);
@@ -76,21 +91,16 @@ private static ParseStateInfo srcAndPage(ParseStateInfo prev, String src, int pa
                     src == null ? prev.src : src,
                     page,
                     prev.listIndent)
-                    .setInFootnotes(prev.inFootnotes)
-                    .setInHtmlTable(prev.inHtmlTable)
-                    .setInMarkdownTable(prev.inMarkdownTable)
-                    .setInList(prev.inList);
+                    .setTheRest(prev);
         }
 
         private static ParseStateInfo changePage(ParseStateInfo prev, int page) {
             if (prev == null) {
-                throw new IllegalStateException("Page without source first?");
+                Tui.instance().errorf("Change Page called without someone setting the source first? %s");
+                return null;
             }
             return new ParseStateInfo(prev.src, page, prev.listIndent)
-                    .setInFootnotes(prev.inFootnotes)
-                    .setInHtmlTable(prev.inHtmlTable)
-                    .setInMarkdownTable(prev.inMarkdownTable)
-                    .setInList(prev.inList);
+                    .setTheRest(prev);
         }
 
         private static ParseStateInfo inFootnotes(ParseStateInfo prev, boolean inFootnotes) {
@@ -98,10 +108,8 @@ private static ParseStateInfo inFootnotes(ParseStateInfo prev, boolean inFootnot
                 return new ParseStateInfo().setInFootnotes(inFootnotes);
             }
             return new ParseState.ParseStateInfo(prev.src, prev.page, prev.listIndent)
-                    .setInFootnotes(inFootnotes)
-                    .setInHtmlTable(prev.inHtmlTable)
-                    .setInMarkdownTable(prev.inMarkdownTable)
-                    .setInList(prev.inList);
+                    .setTheRest(prev)
+                    .setInFootnotes(inFootnotes);
         }
 
         private static ParseStateInfo inHtmlTable(ParseStateInfo prev, boolean inHtmlTable) {
@@ -110,10 +118,8 @@ private static ParseStateInfo inHtmlTable(ParseStateInfo prev, boolean inHtmlTab
 
             }
             return new ParseState.ParseStateInfo(prev.src, prev.page, prev.listIndent)
-                    .setInFootnotes(prev.inFootnotes)
-                    .setInHtmlTable(inHtmlTable)
-                    .setInMarkdownTable(prev.inMarkdownTable)
-                    .setInList(prev.inList);
+                    .setTheRest(prev)
+                    .setInHtmlTable(inHtmlTable);
         }
 
         private static ParseStateInfo inMarkdownTable(ParseStateInfo prev, boolean inMarkdownTable) {
@@ -122,10 +128,8 @@ private static ParseStateInfo inMarkdownTable(ParseStateInfo prev, boolean inMar
 
             }
             return new ParseState.ParseStateInfo(prev.src, prev.page, prev.listIndent)
-                    .setInFootnotes(prev.inFootnotes)
-                    .setInHtmlTable(prev.inHtmlTable)
-                    .setInMarkdownTable(inMarkdownTable)
-                    .setInList(prev.inList);
+                    .setTheRest(prev)
+                    .setInMarkdownTable(inMarkdownTable);
         }
 
         private static ParseStateInfo indentList(ParseStateInfo prev) {
@@ -133,9 +137,7 @@ private static ParseStateInfo indentList(ParseStateInfo prev) {
                 return new ParseStateInfo().setInList(true);
             }
             return new ParseState.ParseStateInfo(prev.src, prev.page, prev.listIndent + "    ")
-                    .setInFootnotes(prev.inFootnotes)
-                    .setInHtmlTable(prev.inHtmlTable)
-                    .setInMarkdownTable(prev.inMarkdownTable)
+                    .setTheRest(prev)
                     .setInList(true);
         }
 
@@ -144,11 +146,18 @@ private static ParseStateInfo indentList(ParseStateInfo prev, String value) {
                 return new ParseStateInfo().setInList(true);
             }
             return new ParseState.ParseStateInfo(prev.src, prev.page, value)
-                    .setInFootnotes(prev.inFootnotes)
-                    .setInHtmlTable(prev.inHtmlTable)
-                    .setInMarkdownTable(prev.inMarkdownTable)
+                    .setTheRest(prev)
                     .setInList(true);
         }
+
+        private static ParseStateInfo pushFeatureType(ParseStateInfo prev) {
+            if (prev == null) {
+                return new ParseStateInfo().setInFeatureType(0);
+            }
+            return new ParseState.ParseStateInfo(prev.src, prev.page, prev.listIndent)
+                    .setTheRest(prev)
+                    .setInFeatureType(prev.inFeatureType + 1);
+        }
     }
 
     private final Deque<ParseState.ParseStateInfo> stack = new ArrayDeque<>();
@@ -221,6 +230,11 @@ public boolean indentList(String value) {
         return true;
     }
 
+    public boolean pushFeatureType() {
+        stack.addFirst(ParseStateInfo.pushFeatureType(stack.peek()));
+        return true;
+    }
+
     public void pop(boolean pushed) {
         if (pushed) {
             String source = sourcePageString();
@@ -262,6 +276,11 @@ public boolean inTable() {
         return current != null && (current.inHtmlTable || current.inMarkdownTable);
     }
 
+    public int featureTypeDepth() {
+        ParseState.ParseStateInfo current = stack.peek();
+        return current == null ? 0 : current.inFeatureType;
+    }
+
     public String sourcePageString() {
         ParseState.ParseStateInfo current = stack.peek();
         if (current == null || current.page == 0) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/ebullient/convert/tools/dnd5e/Json2QuteClass.java b/src/main/java/dev/ebullient/convert/tools/dnd5e/Json2QuteClass.java
index 6759a0927..1c97d87a5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/ebullient/convert/tools/dnd5e/Json2QuteClass.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/ebullient/convert/tools/dnd5e/Json2QuteClass.java
@@ -649,24 +649,40 @@ public String getName() {
             return cfSources.getName();
         }
 
-        void appendText(JsonSource converter, List<String> text, String pageSource) {
+        void appendLink(JsonSource converter, List<String> text, String pageSource) {
             converter.maybeAddBlankLine(text);
-            text.add("### " + converter.decoratedFeatureTypeName(cfSources, cfNode) + " (Level " + level + ")");
-            if (!cfSources.primarySource().equalsIgnoreCase(pageSource)) {
-                text.add(converter.getLabeledSource(cfSources));
+            String x = converter.decoratedFeatureTypeName(cfSources, cfNode);
+            text.add(String.format("[%s](#%s)", x, converter.toAnchorTag(x + " (Level " + level + ")")));
+        }
+
+        void appendText(JsonSource converter, List<String> text, String pageSource) {
+            boolean pushed = converter.parseState().pushFeatureType();
+            try {
+                converter.maybeAddBlankLine(text);
+                text.add("### " + converter.decoratedFeatureTypeName(cfSources, cfNode) + " (Level " + level + ")");
+                if (!cfSources.primarySource().equalsIgnoreCase(pageSource)) {
+                    text.add(converter.getLabeledSource(cfSources));
+                }
+                text.add("");
+                converter.appendToText(text, cfNode.get("entries"), "####");
+            } finally {
+                converter.parseState().pop(pushed);
             }
-            text.add("");
-            converter.appendToText(text, cfNode.get("entries"), "####");
         }
 
         public void appendListItemText(JsonSource converter, List<String> text, String pageSource) {
-            text.add("**" + converter.decoratedFeatureTypeName(cfSources, cfNode) + "**");
-            if (!cfSources.primarySource().equalsIgnoreCase(pageSource)) {
-                text.add(converter.getLabeledSource(cfSources));
+            boolean pushed = converter.parseState().pushFeatureType();
+            try {
+                text.add("**" + converter.decoratedFeatureTypeName(cfSources, cfNode) + "**");
+                if (!cfSources.primarySource().equalsIgnoreCase(pageSource)) {
+                    text.add(converter.getLabeledSource(cfSources));
+                }
+                text.add("");
+                converter.appendToText(text, cfNode.get("entries"), null);
+                text.add("");
+            } finally {
+                converter.parseState().pop(pushed);
             }
-            text.add("");
-            converter.appendToText(text, cfNode.get("entries"), null);
-            text.add("");
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/ebullient/convert/tools/dnd5e/JsonSource.java b/src/main/java/dev/ebullient/convert/tools/dnd5e/JsonSource.java
index d7dc20f61..c39d3da93 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/ebullient/convert/tools/dnd5e/JsonSource.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/ebullient/convert/tools/dnd5e/JsonSource.java
@@ -64,8 +64,9 @@ default int intOrDefault(JsonNode source, String key, int value) {
     default int intOrThrow(JsonNode source, String key) {
         JsonNode result = source.get(key);
         if (result == null || !result.canConvertToInt()) {
-            throw new IllegalStateException(
-                    "Missing required field, or field is not a number. Key: " + key + "; value: " + result);
+            tui().errorf("Missing required field, or field is not a number. Key: %s; value: %s; from %s: %s",
+                    key, result, getSources(), source);
+            return -999;
         }
         return result.asInt();
     }
@@ -273,7 +274,11 @@ default void appendClassFeatureRef(List<String> text, JsonNode entry, Tools5eInd
         if (cf == null) {
             return; // skipped or not found
         }
-        if (parseState().inList()) {
+        if (parseState().featureTypeDepth() > 2) {
+            tui().errorf("Cycle in class or subclass features found in %s", cf.cfSources);
+            // this is within an existing feature description. Emit as a link
+            cf.appendLink(this, text, parseState().getSource(featureType));
+        } else if (parseState().inList()) {
             // emit within an existing list item
             cf.appendListItemText(this, text, parseState().getSource(featureType));
         } else {