weaseldust
2015-12-31, 08:23 PM
The world is filled with dark places harbouring darker threats. As a torchbearer, you have taken upon yourself to go out to the places from which civilisation has retreated, or to which it has not yet spread, bringing light to illuminate and drive back those threats. You are both a scholar and a warrior, since it is your passion for the fruits of civilisation that drive you to protect it from its antithesis in the monsters of the wilderness. Indeed, you must have poetry, or history, or geometry to fall back on in the dark of night in order to maintain the will to pursue your defence against that darkness.
You might have been driven to adventure by news of a necromancer who needs to be destroyed, or in search of a lost volume of the speeches of a great cultural icon which you wish to reclaim for civilisation, or to protect a particular individual as they venture out into chaos and wilderness. In any case, as an adventurer, you bring your knowledge and focus to bear in detecting and holding back creatures you identify as threats. In particular, you wield a flaming torch at almost all times, using its light to drive those threats away.
Basic Information
Hit Dice: d8
Weapon and armour proficiencies: simple and martial weapons, light and medium armour
Save proficiencies: wisdom and strength
Skills: two from History, Medicine, Nature, Religion, Survival
Starting equipment: 20 torches; a scimitar or shortsword; 6 darts or a sling and a bag of sling bullets; leather armour or a chain shirt; a scholar's or dungeoneer's pack
Level
Features
Torch Damage Die
1
Torch Ever Ready, Eyes in the Darkness, Light of Civilisation
d4
2
Threat Perception, Threat Repulsion, Threat Analysis
d4
3
Favoured Haunt
d4
4
ASI
d4
5
Extra Attack
d4
6
Penetrating Light
d4
7
Vigilance
d6
8
ASI
d6
9
Haunt Feature
d6
10
Blinding Light
d6
11
Searing Brand
d8
12
ASI
d8
13
Haunt Feature
d8
14
Guiding Light
d8
15
Danger Anticipated
d10
16
ASI
d10
17
Threat Obstruction
d10
18
Haunt Feature
d10
19
ASI
d10
20
Threat Preemption
d12
Features
Torch Ever Ready (1)
Your torch is a symbol of the light you seek to protect, as well as your primary weapon. You can create a torch from suitable materials as an action, or create twenty per minute. Any torch you wield cannot be destroyed or extinguished against your will.
Your torch damage die starts as a d4 and increases as shown in the Torchbearer table.
While you wield a lit torch, when you hit with a melee weapon attack using a weapon you wield in your other hand, you may roll your torch damage die and deal additional fire damage equal to the result. You may not use this ability if you attack with the torch in the same turn.
Eyes in the Darkness (1)
You are constantly on the alert for danger and discovery. You are proficient in Investigation and Perception. While you wield a lit torch, you have advantage on Investigation and Perception checks that require sight and relate only to things within 20 feet of you.
You may use a bonus action to Search, to light a torch, lantern, or similar piece of equipment, or to extinguish it.
Light of Civilisation (1)
You embody the light of civilisation as much as you serve it. You gain proficiency with a musical instrument and learn two additional languages. You have advantage on checks to recall information about the art, scholarship, and outstanding individuals of cultures whose language you speak (except for Common).
Threat Perception (2)
You excel in detecting and illuminating threats, keeping track of them so that they cannot gain the upper hand on you or your companions. At any time, you may have a number of creatures no greater than your wisdom modifier marked as threats. As a bonus action, you may mark any number of creatures you can see as threats and have others cease to count as threats. While within 40 feet of you, a creature that is marked as a threat has disadvantage on checks made to hide or move silently and it cannot have advantage on attacks you or against allies who can see or hear you.
Threat Repulsion (2)
You can use your torch to drive threats back. While you wield a lit torch, you may use an action to make one weapon attack with your torch against each creature within 5 feet of you that is marked as a threat. You may not move between these attacks. If you hit, a target takes fire damage equal to your torch damage die and is pushed 10 feet directly away from you, unless that would move it into an occupied space.
Note that, when you gain the Extra Attack feature from this class at level 5, it also applies to your Threat Repulsion.
Threat Analysis (2)
Your pursuit of truth and illumination extends to your insight into the behaviour of others. Choose one of the following abilities:
Face Reading: While you have a creature marked as a threat, so long as you can see its face and it is within 300 feet of you, you can read its lips and determine its emotional state without error
Body Reading: While you have a creature marked as a threat, you can always recognise it under a disguise and it cannot hide from you while invisible unless it is also heavily obscured from you
Speech Reading: While you have a creature marked as a threat, you can always tell when it is lying
Favoured Haunt (3)
Each torchbearer seeks out a dark and dangerous place to make their stand for the light, and their abilities reflect the place where they first began their long vigil against the dark. Choose one of the haunts detailed at the bottom of this document: the Necropolis or the Sewer. You gain further features related to your choice of haunt when you reach levels 9, 13, and 18 in this class.
Extra Attack (5)
When you take the Attack action, or when you use your Threat Repulsion ability, you may make one additional attack against any valid target.
Penetrating Light (6)
In your hands, a torch can do much more work than would be expected of a simple flame. While you wield a lit torch, you can see in magical darkness as if by the light of your torch (i.e. in bright light to 20 feet, and in dim light for another 20). Whenever you deal fire damage with your torch damage die, you may choose for the damage to be radiant in type instead.
Vigilance (7)
You senses are always working to the fullest of their abilities. Whenever you make an Investigation or Perception check using sight, if the result is lower than your passive perception score, you may use your passive perception instead.
Your continued practice in observing the world around you has also made you capable of great feats of vigilance. Choose one of the following abilities:
Vigilant Rest: When you spend a long rest keeping watch, so long as you do not engage in any other activity, you may benefit from the rest as if you had spent the time sleeping or trancing, and you do not suffer any other penalties from failure to sleep or trance.
Vigilant Friendship: You are always aware when a creature is charmed or possessed, so long as you have known them while they were not charmed or possessed.
Vigilant Travel: You suffer no disadvantage to perception for travelling at a fast pace, you can always retrace your steps without error, and you can sense natural changes in the weather 6 hours before they occur.
Blinding Light (10)
When you deal fire or radiant damage with a weapon attack while wielding a lit torch, you may use a bonus action to attempt to blind the target. They must succeed on a constitution save against a DC equal to 10 plus your proficiency bonus plus your wisdom modifier or else be blinded until the end of their next turn.
Searing Brand (11)
Your enemies feel your torch burn hotter than any mundane flame has a right to. You double the result on your torch damage die when you add it to the damage from a weapon attack or your Threat Repulsion ability.
Guiding Light (14)
You are committed to lighting the way for your allies. Choose one of the following abilities:
Light amid Chaos: When you use your turn to cease being surprised, you may also move. Further, whenever you move within 5 feet of another creature while wielding a lit torch, you may cause it to cease being surprised.
Light in Shadow: While you wield a lit torch, you have blindsight out to 20 feet. Further, so long as you are not in magical darkness, your allies within 20 feet can also see the region within 20 feet of you as if they had blindsight.
Light before Feet: While you wield a lit torch, creatures within 20 feet of you are not affected by difficult terrain.
Danger Anticipated (15)
Your watchfulness allows you to see danger coming and avoid taking its full brunt. When you are forced to make a dexterity save to avoid some or all damage from a source you can see (such as a trap or spellcaster) while wielding a lit torch, you may roll your torch damage die and reduce the damage you take by the amount rolled, to a minimum of 0.
Threat Obstruction (17)
You are constantly at the ready to drive away threats to yourself and your allies. Whenever a creature within 5 feet that is marked as a threat makes an attack, you may use your reaction to make an attack against it with a lit torch. If you hit, you deal it fire or radiant damage equal to your torch damage die plus your wisdom modifier. It must succeed on a constitution save against the damage dealt or have disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of its turn, including the one that triggered this ability.
Threat Preemption (20)
You are so adept at spotting threats you seem to react almost before they appear. You cannot be surprised. Additionally, when you are asked to roll for initiative, but before anyone has rolled, you may mark creatures you can see as threats as if you had used a bonus action. After initiative is rolled, you may set your initiative equal to that of any of the threats you marked and take your turns immediately before theirs.
Favoured Haunt: Necropolis
From the village graveyard, to remote cairns, to sprawling cities of the dead, places of interment must be carefully watched, prone as they are to spawning shades and shambling corpses. You seek out burial sites both from interest in the history they embody and from a hatred of undead, who shun the light and who have always posed a danger to civilisation.
Necropolitan Adaptation (3)
You have adapted to the dangers of the necropolis. You are resistant to necrotic damage. You are immune to being frightened or possessed.
You have advantage on perception checks made to detect undead and they always count as marked as threats. You may still have a number of additional creatures up to your wisdom modifier marked as threats.
Ghost Hunter (9)
You have learned to detect ethereal creatures and to make them quail under the light of your torch.
You can see into the ethereal plane to a distance of 20 feet.
So long as you are wielding a lit torch, you may add your torch damage die to Athletics checks made to shove. You can push or knock prone ethereal creatures and creatures that are usually immune to being knocked prone.
Reassuring Air (13)
The light of your torch represents hope in the face of death and darkness. While you wield a lit torch, allies within 20 feet of you are immune to being frightened or possessed.
Dismaying Light (18)
You have learned to exploit the light sensitivity common among creatures of the darkness. So long as you wield a lit torch, all undead and creatures with sunlight sensitivity have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks that depend on sight while within 20 feet of you.
Favoured Haunt: Sewer
Many large settlements exist atop a labyrinth of sewers. They tend to harbour foul vermin attracted to the damp and darkness, which must be sought out and exterminated lest they swarm out into the unprepared city above. A life in the sewers requires a strong connection to the light, both internal and external, in order to avoid death and madness, and so you are uniquely suited to this task of guarding civilisation from the dangers below.
Sewer Adaptation (3)
You have adapted to the dangers of the sewers. You are resistant to poison damage and are immune to disease and the poisoned condition.
You have advantage on perception checks made to detect rats, insects, and aberrations, and they always count as threats to you. You may still have a number of additional creatures up to your wisdom modifier marked as threats.
Sewer Fighter (9)
You have learned to adapt to and exploit tight spaces. You suffer no disadvantage from being squeezed into a confined space. You have advantage on attacks against targets that are adjacent to a wall or similar vertical surface.
Cleansing Air (13)
The light and hearty smoke of your torch banishes all feelings of sickness or weakness in your comrades. While you wield a lit torch, an ally that starts their turn within 20 feet of you can choose to ignore the effects of poisons or diseases affecting them until the start of their next turn.
Dispersal (18)
You have grown adept at holding back tides of vermin and other light-fearing enemies. So long as you wield a lit torch, you may use your action to concentrate on driving off threats. Until the start of your next turn, whenever a creature marked as a threat starts its turn within 20 feet of you, it must succeed on a wisdom save against a DC of 8 plus your proficiency bonus plus your wisdom modifier or else become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. A swarm that fails the save is instead incapacitated until the end of your next turn.
You might have been driven to adventure by news of a necromancer who needs to be destroyed, or in search of a lost volume of the speeches of a great cultural icon which you wish to reclaim for civilisation, or to protect a particular individual as they venture out into chaos and wilderness. In any case, as an adventurer, you bring your knowledge and focus to bear in detecting and holding back creatures you identify as threats. In particular, you wield a flaming torch at almost all times, using its light to drive those threats away.
Basic Information
Hit Dice: d8
Weapon and armour proficiencies: simple and martial weapons, light and medium armour
Save proficiencies: wisdom and strength
Skills: two from History, Medicine, Nature, Religion, Survival
Starting equipment: 20 torches; a scimitar or shortsword; 6 darts or a sling and a bag of sling bullets; leather armour or a chain shirt; a scholar's or dungeoneer's pack
Level
Features
Torch Damage Die
1
Torch Ever Ready, Eyes in the Darkness, Light of Civilisation
d4
2
Threat Perception, Threat Repulsion, Threat Analysis
d4
3
Favoured Haunt
d4
4
ASI
d4
5
Extra Attack
d4
6
Penetrating Light
d4
7
Vigilance
d6
8
ASI
d6
9
Haunt Feature
d6
10
Blinding Light
d6
11
Searing Brand
d8
12
ASI
d8
13
Haunt Feature
d8
14
Guiding Light
d8
15
Danger Anticipated
d10
16
ASI
d10
17
Threat Obstruction
d10
18
Haunt Feature
d10
19
ASI
d10
20
Threat Preemption
d12
Features
Torch Ever Ready (1)
Your torch is a symbol of the light you seek to protect, as well as your primary weapon. You can create a torch from suitable materials as an action, or create twenty per minute. Any torch you wield cannot be destroyed or extinguished against your will.
Your torch damage die starts as a d4 and increases as shown in the Torchbearer table.
While you wield a lit torch, when you hit with a melee weapon attack using a weapon you wield in your other hand, you may roll your torch damage die and deal additional fire damage equal to the result. You may not use this ability if you attack with the torch in the same turn.
Eyes in the Darkness (1)
You are constantly on the alert for danger and discovery. You are proficient in Investigation and Perception. While you wield a lit torch, you have advantage on Investigation and Perception checks that require sight and relate only to things within 20 feet of you.
You may use a bonus action to Search, to light a torch, lantern, or similar piece of equipment, or to extinguish it.
Light of Civilisation (1)
You embody the light of civilisation as much as you serve it. You gain proficiency with a musical instrument and learn two additional languages. You have advantage on checks to recall information about the art, scholarship, and outstanding individuals of cultures whose language you speak (except for Common).
Threat Perception (2)
You excel in detecting and illuminating threats, keeping track of them so that they cannot gain the upper hand on you or your companions. At any time, you may have a number of creatures no greater than your wisdom modifier marked as threats. As a bonus action, you may mark any number of creatures you can see as threats and have others cease to count as threats. While within 40 feet of you, a creature that is marked as a threat has disadvantage on checks made to hide or move silently and it cannot have advantage on attacks you or against allies who can see or hear you.
Threat Repulsion (2)
You can use your torch to drive threats back. While you wield a lit torch, you may use an action to make one weapon attack with your torch against each creature within 5 feet of you that is marked as a threat. You may not move between these attacks. If you hit, a target takes fire damage equal to your torch damage die and is pushed 10 feet directly away from you, unless that would move it into an occupied space.
Note that, when you gain the Extra Attack feature from this class at level 5, it also applies to your Threat Repulsion.
Threat Analysis (2)
Your pursuit of truth and illumination extends to your insight into the behaviour of others. Choose one of the following abilities:
Face Reading: While you have a creature marked as a threat, so long as you can see its face and it is within 300 feet of you, you can read its lips and determine its emotional state without error
Body Reading: While you have a creature marked as a threat, you can always recognise it under a disguise and it cannot hide from you while invisible unless it is also heavily obscured from you
Speech Reading: While you have a creature marked as a threat, you can always tell when it is lying
Favoured Haunt (3)
Each torchbearer seeks out a dark and dangerous place to make their stand for the light, and their abilities reflect the place where they first began their long vigil against the dark. Choose one of the haunts detailed at the bottom of this document: the Necropolis or the Sewer. You gain further features related to your choice of haunt when you reach levels 9, 13, and 18 in this class.
Extra Attack (5)
When you take the Attack action, or when you use your Threat Repulsion ability, you may make one additional attack against any valid target.
Penetrating Light (6)
In your hands, a torch can do much more work than would be expected of a simple flame. While you wield a lit torch, you can see in magical darkness as if by the light of your torch (i.e. in bright light to 20 feet, and in dim light for another 20). Whenever you deal fire damage with your torch damage die, you may choose for the damage to be radiant in type instead.
Vigilance (7)
You senses are always working to the fullest of their abilities. Whenever you make an Investigation or Perception check using sight, if the result is lower than your passive perception score, you may use your passive perception instead.
Your continued practice in observing the world around you has also made you capable of great feats of vigilance. Choose one of the following abilities:
Vigilant Rest: When you spend a long rest keeping watch, so long as you do not engage in any other activity, you may benefit from the rest as if you had spent the time sleeping or trancing, and you do not suffer any other penalties from failure to sleep or trance.
Vigilant Friendship: You are always aware when a creature is charmed or possessed, so long as you have known them while they were not charmed or possessed.
Vigilant Travel: You suffer no disadvantage to perception for travelling at a fast pace, you can always retrace your steps without error, and you can sense natural changes in the weather 6 hours before they occur.
Blinding Light (10)
When you deal fire or radiant damage with a weapon attack while wielding a lit torch, you may use a bonus action to attempt to blind the target. They must succeed on a constitution save against a DC equal to 10 plus your proficiency bonus plus your wisdom modifier or else be blinded until the end of their next turn.
Searing Brand (11)
Your enemies feel your torch burn hotter than any mundane flame has a right to. You double the result on your torch damage die when you add it to the damage from a weapon attack or your Threat Repulsion ability.
Guiding Light (14)
You are committed to lighting the way for your allies. Choose one of the following abilities:
Light amid Chaos: When you use your turn to cease being surprised, you may also move. Further, whenever you move within 5 feet of another creature while wielding a lit torch, you may cause it to cease being surprised.
Light in Shadow: While you wield a lit torch, you have blindsight out to 20 feet. Further, so long as you are not in magical darkness, your allies within 20 feet can also see the region within 20 feet of you as if they had blindsight.
Light before Feet: While you wield a lit torch, creatures within 20 feet of you are not affected by difficult terrain.
Danger Anticipated (15)
Your watchfulness allows you to see danger coming and avoid taking its full brunt. When you are forced to make a dexterity save to avoid some or all damage from a source you can see (such as a trap or spellcaster) while wielding a lit torch, you may roll your torch damage die and reduce the damage you take by the amount rolled, to a minimum of 0.
Threat Obstruction (17)
You are constantly at the ready to drive away threats to yourself and your allies. Whenever a creature within 5 feet that is marked as a threat makes an attack, you may use your reaction to make an attack against it with a lit torch. If you hit, you deal it fire or radiant damage equal to your torch damage die plus your wisdom modifier. It must succeed on a constitution save against the damage dealt or have disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of its turn, including the one that triggered this ability.
Threat Preemption (20)
You are so adept at spotting threats you seem to react almost before they appear. You cannot be surprised. Additionally, when you are asked to roll for initiative, but before anyone has rolled, you may mark creatures you can see as threats as if you had used a bonus action. After initiative is rolled, you may set your initiative equal to that of any of the threats you marked and take your turns immediately before theirs.
Favoured Haunt: Necropolis
From the village graveyard, to remote cairns, to sprawling cities of the dead, places of interment must be carefully watched, prone as they are to spawning shades and shambling corpses. You seek out burial sites both from interest in the history they embody and from a hatred of undead, who shun the light and who have always posed a danger to civilisation.
Necropolitan Adaptation (3)
You have adapted to the dangers of the necropolis. You are resistant to necrotic damage. You are immune to being frightened or possessed.
You have advantage on perception checks made to detect undead and they always count as marked as threats. You may still have a number of additional creatures up to your wisdom modifier marked as threats.
Ghost Hunter (9)
You have learned to detect ethereal creatures and to make them quail under the light of your torch.
You can see into the ethereal plane to a distance of 20 feet.
So long as you are wielding a lit torch, you may add your torch damage die to Athletics checks made to shove. You can push or knock prone ethereal creatures and creatures that are usually immune to being knocked prone.
Reassuring Air (13)
The light of your torch represents hope in the face of death and darkness. While you wield a lit torch, allies within 20 feet of you are immune to being frightened or possessed.
Dismaying Light (18)
You have learned to exploit the light sensitivity common among creatures of the darkness. So long as you wield a lit torch, all undead and creatures with sunlight sensitivity have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks that depend on sight while within 20 feet of you.
Favoured Haunt: Sewer
Many large settlements exist atop a labyrinth of sewers. They tend to harbour foul vermin attracted to the damp and darkness, which must be sought out and exterminated lest they swarm out into the unprepared city above. A life in the sewers requires a strong connection to the light, both internal and external, in order to avoid death and madness, and so you are uniquely suited to this task of guarding civilisation from the dangers below.
Sewer Adaptation (3)
You have adapted to the dangers of the sewers. You are resistant to poison damage and are immune to disease and the poisoned condition.
You have advantage on perception checks made to detect rats, insects, and aberrations, and they always count as threats to you. You may still have a number of additional creatures up to your wisdom modifier marked as threats.
Sewer Fighter (9)
You have learned to adapt to and exploit tight spaces. You suffer no disadvantage from being squeezed into a confined space. You have advantage on attacks against targets that are adjacent to a wall or similar vertical surface.
Cleansing Air (13)
The light and hearty smoke of your torch banishes all feelings of sickness or weakness in your comrades. While you wield a lit torch, an ally that starts their turn within 20 feet of you can choose to ignore the effects of poisons or diseases affecting them until the start of their next turn.
Dispersal (18)
You have grown adept at holding back tides of vermin and other light-fearing enemies. So long as you wield a lit torch, you may use your action to concentrate on driving off threats. Until the start of your next turn, whenever a creature marked as a threat starts its turn within 20 feet of you, it must succeed on a wisdom save against a DC of 8 plus your proficiency bonus plus your wisdom modifier or else become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. A swarm that fails the save is instead incapacitated until the end of your next turn.