Chapter 5: Tievmer 99 Quair Mountain Quarry Two miles northeast of Frosthold lies an abandoned mineral mine. Quair Mountain Quarry has been cold since before the Dragonrage. Now only brave adventurers, or foolish treasure hunters, dare enter its dark nightmare filled tunnels. History In the time before the dragon apocalypse, Quair Mountain Quarry was a bustling mine. Fine marble was excavated near the surface while below ground veins of iron and silver were mined to produce exquisite tools and works of art by the greatest artisans in Tievmer. It was overseen by some of Saihan’s most trusted dragaur servants. When the Dragonrage struck, Saihan had no use for more works of art. The miners were scattered to search for a cure for the Saihan’s Shardscale affliction. Current Events Now the mines and quarry lay abandoned by humanoids and dracokin alike. The tunnels below the quarry have become home to various creatures, including Moshivon, an adult true green dragon. There are many new wonders than can be unearthed here, however brave adventurers must also contend with Moshivon and his cruel conniving ways. Cultures In Tievmer, weapons, tools, and protective gear are primarily made from wood, bone, or stone as very little usable metal remains. Tievmer’s mines have not been operational for centuries and few people are alive with the knowledge of smelting ore. Occasionally, quality metal items are discovered in the wild, amongst the remains of the deceased. Moshivon keeps the quarry under an illusionary spell, creating a nightmare fueled labyrinth by which he plays with unsuspecting trespassers in search of precious metals and treasure, before violently devouring them. Notable NPC The following NPC can be found in Quair Mountain Quarry. Moshivon. The adult green dragon is one of Saihan’s early offspring, hatching before the Dragonrage. Although he was always evil in nature, he has escaped the Shardscale due to his reclusive nature. He is a cruel and sadistic dragon who enjoys playing with his prey physiologically and physically before devouring them viciously. Adventure Ideas The following adventure is linked to Quair Mountain Quarry. A Glint of Hope. Metal tools, weapons, and armor would drastically improve the survival rates in Tievmer. Bremm of Oakstill has an instructional tome on metalworking. Characters have been requested to lead an expedition to Quair Mountain Quarry. They must escort a Bremm and a troupe to Quair mountain and clear the location of monsters, lost beasts, poisonous vapors, and the dragon Moshivon, allowing Bremm and several villagers to resumed metal production. Saihan’s Lair Cascades of water flow down cliff ledges surrounding a small lake in the deepest mirk of the Sorrow Woods. The churning disturbance of this flowing water produces thick billows of poisonous fog which covers Tievmer like a shroud. Near the center of the lake lies a small island, topped with an enormous strangler fig tree. The grasping, choking vines of the strangler fig cover the entrance to Saihan’s lair. The lair is a cenote, a naturally occurring freshwater well, with a bottom 120 feet below the opening, which is an oculus located in the center of the ceiling. Spreading vines of the strangler fig hang down into the cavern and partially cover areas of the cavern wall. Thin, poisonous waterfalls cascade into the lair, collecting into a massive, central pool. Scattered here and there are dim shafts of greenish light, which pass through tiny holes in the cavern’s ceiling. Saihan and their dragaur guards are always found here, surrounded by the dragon’s immense treasure hoard. The land surrounding the cenote is nearly impassable to all creatures unwelcome by Saihan. Thick walls of brambles with thorns the size of small daggers block passage and form a dense labyrinth, choked with poisonous vapors. History This cenote is a foundational element of Tievmer and was the lair of the region’s original ruler, Senogar. With Senogar dead, Saihan took up immediate residence in the lair. Some legends claim Saihan buried the remains of their deceased mother, Senogar, in the hoarded treasure, the bones lying still beneath piles of gold and precious jewels. Current Events Saihan is beginning to lose grip on reality due to the effects of Shardscale. Their closest advisers and thralls are becoming increasingly fearful for their own lives. The Dragon’s hoard has become immense, with Saihan having spent the past five hundred years jealously taking almost all valuables from the citizens of Tievmer. The effects of Shardscale have begun to deteriorate Saihan’s mind. The great dragon, who formerly could see and hear through numerous animals all over Tievmer, struggles to concentrate long enough to perceive through one at a time. Saihan vacillates between preoccupation and madness, focusing on meniscal clues or absent mindedly overlooking evidence in their search for a cure. Shardscale’s effect on Saihan has intensified the warping of the land, with stronger effects present the closer an area is to Saihan’s cenote lair. The dragon’s depressed demeanor oozes around its lair. Growth is so thick, natural light no longer penetrates the canopy. Sickly green bioluminescent lichen dots the tree trunks and meanders through the thick, deadly brambles. Some animals are being corrupted by the land, changed by the corrupted plants and animals around the cenote. Tiny roots can be seen sprouting between birds’ feathers or growing amongst the hair of small game. Very little large game is found as that is hunted and fed to Saihan, though the dragon eats less frequently now that the Shardscale is taking a firm hold. Predatory animals who
100 Arora: Age of Desolation consume the flesh of smaller, corrupted animals have begun to change, as well. Teeth have been replaced by jagged roots and claws resemble oversized thorns. Patches of fur fall out in large clumps, only to regrow as a weave of briars and leaves. Over time, this corruption becomes complete, transforming the animals into a variant of the Lost Beasts. Notable NPCs The following NPCs can be found at Saihan’s Lair. Grundarm. The cunning and fiercely loyal dragaur spellcaster was captured and bent to Saihan’s will nearly a century ago. Grundarm is often tasked with special missions. Relying on his natural strength along with his spellcasting ability to turn invisible, the dragaur ambushes targets with brutal efficiency. Denizens of Tievmer have learned that no secrets are safe from Saihan and attempting to hide an article that may be integral to slowing or curing Shardscale invites a visit from Grundarm. Some communities have erected small altars to Grundarm where valuables and offerings are left, in the hopes of avoiding his wrath. Grundarm is completely corrupted by Saihan and is jealous of other members of Saihan’s inner circle. On constant vigil for insurrection, Grundarm allows Saihan to maintain the dragon’s grip on Tievmer, even as Saihan is ravaged by Shardscale. Layeth. The medusa is a master of potions and elixirs. They know many secrets and are actively working to discover a cure for the Shardscale infection before it can take over Saihan, completely transforming the dragon into a Shardscale monster and joining it to the Shardscale hivemind. They brew potions that soothe the great dragon’s pain, though Saihan often has bouts of raging madness due to the affliction. The medusa is constantly needing rare plants in their search for a cure. However, they may need large quantities of blood, too. The medusa may honestly care for Saihan, or it may be biding its time until Saihan is too weak at which point the medusa can make its move and claim Saihan’s treasure. Negdras. The dragaur offspring of Saihan reside in the dragon’s cenote lair, where they serve as the personal guard of the ancient green dragon. Negdras, the captain of the guard, climbed the ranks by demonstrating physical aptitude and a penchant for cunning and wicked betrayal, qualities appreciated by Saihan. Negdras fears Saihan, but notices the dragon is losing its grip on reality as well as Tievmer. Having found no cure for the Shardscale affliction, Negdras is preparing to assume control of Tievmer. The dragaur believes if Shardscale consumes the body and mind of Saihan, the dragon’s grace will pass on to Negdras, allowing the dragaur to be reborn as a true dragon, free of Shardscale. Negdras claims to have heard this knowledge from Saihan themself, though other devotees of Saihan have their doubts. Adventure Ideas The following adventures are linked to Saihan’s Lair. Unlikely Allies. Saihan’s closest advisor, the medusa Layeth, has begun to fear for their own life. Saihan has become prone to increasingly violent bouts of rage. It is only a matter of time before the dragon can no longer recognize friend from foe, devouring all creatures dwelling in the cenote lair. The medusa smuggles useful items out of the dragon’s treasure hoard and agrees to turn them over to the characters in exchange for the character’s cooperation in appeasing Saihan. Newly outfitted, the characters are required to travel into the ruins below Deminar, dangerously close to the dragon’s lair. Deminar, leveled in the early days of the Dragonrage, and lying close to Saihan’s lair has been unexplored for centuries. Layeth claims to have detected the presence of an unstudied artifact in the depths below the ruined city. The characters must retrieve this artifact and present it to the dragon, in person. Refusal to cooperate will result in the characters being reported for theft of the dragon’s treasures, marking them for certain death. Assault on Saihan’s Lair. To some, it is evident that the corruption of Tievmer will continue until the land becomes completely uninhabitable by sentient creatures. Saihan and their followers have searched in vain for a cure over the past five hundred years. A consensus has been reached. In a race for survival, the characters have been tasked with confronting Saihan in the dragon’s lair. A druid circle has managed to uncover the location of a scale of Saihan, yet unaffected by Shardscale. Once recovered, characters can use this scale to traverse the impassable terrain of blighted brambles and poisonous fog surrounding Saihan’s cenote. Sequoia Grove Located in the northwestern Frost Fang Mountains, this stand of trees has shown some resistance to Saihan’s corrupting influence. Though not spared, as the area is choked with thorny undergrowth and green fog, the giant redwoods remain straight and proud. It is unknown why Sequoia Grove has fared comparatively well. Cultures Most of Saihan’s subjects worship the dragon either out of fear or in sincere hope that the dragon can be cured, thus restoring Tievmer to its former glory. In honor of Saihan, many communities are steeped in teachings which outlaw the felling of trees. Some because they wrongfully believe that cutting sacred trees is what began the blight on the land, others because they fear that harming the trees will cause retribution from Saihan and their minions and some protect the trees in the hopes of recultivating vibrant, straight, healthy growth, once more. This sacrifice has further limited the usable resources available to the humanoids and dracokin of Tievmer. "I shall be reborn and rule this Realm with guile and might." - Negdras, Saihan’s Captain of the Guard
Chapter 5: Tievmer 101 Current Events Due to the grove’s remote, mountainous location, it has avoided thorough exploration, only recently attracting attention from Saihan, who has instructed their followers to research grove and decreed to all that the redwoods are not to be felled or harmed, under penalty of death. Sporefog Hollow This particularly dark region of the Sorrow Woods is home to Tievmer’s widest array of fungi, as well as one of its more reclusive denizens, Zelandra Rotleaf. Few dare to venture to Sporefog Hollow and fewer still have returned to tell of their strange experiences there. Spores of hallucinogenic mushrooms float through the air, disorienting and confusing wayward travelers. Sentient creatures can become trapped as elaborate fantasies play out in their minds, or stumble into nearby dreamspace pockets. Great secrets may be uncovered somewhere in this hollow but at what cost? Current Events A group of hill giants have unwittingly fallen into the clutches of Zelandra Rotleaf. These giants have been infected with hallucinogenic spores, allowing the hag to control their minds. Zelandra uses these giants to guard her inner sanctum in Sporefog Hollow. Delighted at how effective this form of control has been, Zelandra ponders ways to secretly spread the spores amongst other so-called intelligent folk of Tievmer. With enough patience, Zelandra believes they may amass a following large enough to challenge the weakened Saihan for control of all Tievmer. Notable NPC The following NPC can be found at Sporefog Hollow. Zelandra Rotleaf. Several hundred years ago, the Shardscale’s corrupting influence attracted the attention of an evil arch fey from the dreamspace who gave their blessing to a mother-to-be. The resulting birth was a child who grew into a cunning green hag. Zelandra delights at the sickly, twisted growth of Tievmer, though the hag would prefer much of the growth to be overtaken by rot and decay. They see the Shardscale as a means to an end and believe once Saihan has completely lost control, the land will wither. Their goal is to expand the borders of Sporefog Hollow, eventually taking control over the Entirety of the Sorrow Woods, and carpet the entire decomposing forest with hallucinogenic mushrooms. Their knowledge of hallucinogens occasionally causes others to seek out the hag, hoping to gain information from the beyond. Zelandra has been tithing medicine, both mundane and magical. to Saihan, secretly devising a method to speed the Shardscale infection and weaken the dragon’s mind. They have been unsuccessful thus far. Adventure Ideas The following adventure is linked to Sporefog Hollow. Mind Rot. Dracokin followers of Saihan pay a visit to a small community the characters are in. This settlement has been selected to track down new medicinal herbs to counteract the Shardscale. This requires volunteers to travel into dangerous parts of the forest, but refusal or failure will result in the deaths of the entire settlement. The characters venture to Sporefog Hollow and battle their way to an encounter Zelandra Rotleaf who offers to help them, for a price. Should the characters survive, Zelandra provides medicinal mushrooms to give to Saihan’s emissaries. The hag’s true intention is to use these hallucinogenic mushrooms to weaken the dragon’s mental defenses and possibly hasten the Shardscale takeover.
102 Arora: Age of Desolation Stranglevine Valley This locale in the jungles of the Verdant Furnace marks the ruins of another settlement destroyed by Saihan, nearly five hundred years ago. Strangling vines and carnivorous plants have reclaimed these ruins, but stone temples, peeking from the creeping vines and foliage, can still be uncovered. The dark passages below, long forgotten, may hold secrets and treasures, though few dare to venture in and explore. History No written records or oral tradition remains to tell the whole story of these ancient, stone temples. The size and scope of these obscured monuments suggest a site of importance, now long forgotten in the wake of the Dragonrage. Current Events Enormous kobold clans that have not yet aligned with Saihan have taken up residence in the depths, circulate with the mention of Stranglevine Valley. They guard the place vigilantly and have armed the entire area with traps and ambush points making it a dangerous place to travel through. Still, the area must soon be thoroughly explored. Saihan is running out of time and patience. Disappointing the dragon has but one outcome. Adventure Ideas The following adventures are linked to Stranglevine Valley. A Poisonous Draught. An encampment near a source of potable water has noticed residents are falling ill. The characters are tasked with investigating the cause and discover the problem to lie within the drinking water. They are then charged with tracing back the source of the community’s water. Near the source they discover a strangler fig tree, corrupted by Saihan’s draconic magic, has stretched a root into the spring. They must decide how to deal with this situation and what steps to take to prevent it from recurring. Down in the Valley. A scout has returned after having located the lost ruins of Stranglevine Valley. There is hope that the region can be reclaimed from the awakened carnivorous plants and the kobold tribes that now populate it. The halls of the ancient stone structures will provide a more secure, permanent location for a village. The characters are asked to lead an expedition to further scout and clear the area, so that a safe zone can be established. The ruins are expansive and hidden resources, as well as dangers might be found in the tunnels below the overgrown jungle vines. Tolgen Hearty dracokin maintain the small village of Tolgen, in the Frost Fangs, near the Sequoia Grove. This hunting community is made up of several buildings, constructed from milled wood, including a two-story great hall, which serves as a community meeting place and the home of the current leader, Telquith. History Prior to the dragon apocalypse, Tievmer’s boreal forests were regularly logged. Semi-permanent camps were established and relocated to new areas, allowing the forests to regrow. Tolgen is the final resting site of one of these logging camps, frozen in place after the collapse of society. Cultures Most communities are made up of small buildings assembled from twisted, rotting wood, animal hides and bones or carapaces of deceased creatures. An exception to these types of dwellings lies in the Frost Fang region. Occasionally, natural forces will topple small numbers of the towering sequoias. This supply of strong, straight wood has allowed for the construction of sturdy buildings. Still, harvesting this wood is extremely difficult as it must be done shortly after the trees fall. In the warm months, this means extracting the wood from thick, omnipresent mud, before the wood becomes waterlogged and succumbs to rot. During the cold months, fallen trees are quickly buried in deep snows and are seldom found in suitable condition come thaw. Through heroic effort, quality wood has been produced in this region for several hundred years. Unfortunately, this supply of redwood is largely unavailable to other regions as traversing Tievmer’s twisted forests with bulky boards is seldom worth the extreme effort and considerable risk. The village survives by hunting and trapping game for meat and furs. Animal hides and reclaimed fallen redwood afford Tolgen warm dwellings, secure from the elements. Unfortunately, these comforts offer little protection against frost giants competing for the same resources. Current Events The community of Tolgen has been under increased assault by the frost giants. Stockpiles of redwood along with capable carpenters have been taken in recent raids. To what purpose is anyone’s guess. Telquith has instructed his followers to seek shelter in the Sequoia Grove during these raids, as there has been no evidence of the frost giants breaking Saihan’s laws and logging the grove. Tolgen has thus far been able to avoid a major Shardscale infection, but the residents remain watchful for signs of it among the dracokin residents. It is for this reason that the village is heavily guarded and only allows humanoids in and out freely. Dracokin outsiders are placed under heavy assessment before being allowed to enter. "Wonders lie forgotten beneath the vines waiting for us to discover anew." - Tymal The Younger, village scout
Chapter 5: Tievmer 103 Notable NPC The following NPC can be found at Tolgen. Telquith. Telquith was born and raised in Telgen. A green scaled dragonborn having survived brutal cold winters, near starvation when no game could be found, and vicious giant attacks, Telquith has remained unbroken by Tievmer’s frozen north. An accomplished hunter and tracker, Telquith has led their followers on successful hunts and steered them clear of frost giant ambushes. Ever respectful of Saihan’s rules, Telquith ensures his dracokin village pays tithes to the dragon. Telquith does not dare to invoke the wrath of Saihan and commands that all healthy redwoods must remain unharmed in the nearby Sequoia Grove. Adventure Ideas The following adventures are linked to Tolgen. Secrets of the Grove. The village of Tolgen has reported missing residents. The village leader, Telquith, tells the characters that the community has been instructed to seek refuge in the Sequoia Grove, during frost giant raids. After the last attack, five kobold villagers, who were seen fleeing into the redwoods, never returned home. During their search, the characters discover the redwood grove is inhabited and protected by a group of dryads who may know the whereabouts of the missing kobold villagers. An Icy Prison. Telquith of the village of Tolgen pleads for aid. The frost giant leader Draeg Iceburn has instructed their followers to capture the village’s carpenters. Unwilling to abandon these captives to their fate, Telquith begs the characters for aid. Telquith has tracked the frost giant raiding parties to their keep, Frosthold. The characters must devise a plan of action to rescue the captives before their usefulness to the giants is exhausted. Interplanar Rifts There is only one stable interplanar rift in Tievmer and that leads to the desert-stricken realm of Gallaht. Aside from the portal to Gallaht. The Wildwood Threshold Hidden in the southern portion of Tievmer, a sizeable clearing surrounded and concealed by the twisted and sickly wood trees of this realm sits, a twisting maelstrom in the middle of a large pit of yellow sand. The pit is infused with swirling white energy in its center that serves at the gateway to Gallaht. Small motes of pale blue whirling light flit through the glade, flashes of majestic magic that serve only as an homage to a beauty long lost to Tievmer. Hidden in the trees just outside the clearing spy numerous secretive guards comprised of both humanoid and dracokin archers. They stand ready for any unexpected incursions into the glade from both Gallaht and from within Tievmer itself. What was once a temporary station in times before the Dragonrage has over time morphed into a more permanent standing for this reclusive order of realm protectors during the Age of Desolation as the Lost Beasts became more aggressive and violent and the Shardscale began to take hold of many of the realm’s dracokin. The Dragons’ Ingress As the Dragonrage spread and grew more powerful at the turning of the Age of Desolation, small tears or portals into the other realms began to manifest due to the instability of the powers protecting and separating the realms. One of the unintentional portals that have been discovered is known as The Dragons’ Ingress and resides just outside the Saihan’s Lair. Set into a large, slime covered and mossy hillside this portal radiates with a sickly green glow shaped like a dragon in flight. Surrounded and covered by a thicket of wicked looking brambles, the thorns the size of short swords and a sharpness that gleams with promise. This unique portal is quite unpredictable, disappearing and reappearing at random intervals. When someone can make it past the nasty thorns of the thicket and the portal appears stable, there is no guarantee where this gateway leads. The destination point is as malleable as the energy that comprises the Dragons’ Ingress, the realm it connects to constantly changing and in many cases, those that walk through are lost never seen again or disintegrated on the spot. In an effort to protect their lair from off-realm threats, Saihan has posted a large contingent of dracokin guards around this portal and any attempted infiltration often draws the ire of Saihan themself. See the Between Worlds section in Chapter 9 – Running the Game for more information.
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Chapter 6: Character Creation 105 Playing a character in Arora means playing a completely unique person. You are not limited by your species. Each sentient being is born with a special kind of dragon ancestry that draws from a pool of traits exhibited by all the creatures that gave their lives to save Arora during the Great Abjuration. Furthermore, the return of powerful magic to the Realms after the onset of the Dragonrage means your character gains new and different traits as time passes. To create a character, you start by choosing combat, exploration, and roleplaying traits. Next, choose a background and a class. Now you have a character ready to face the challenges of surviving the harsh realms that face them in the world of Arora. Characters in the Five Realms The world of the Arora is a world born of dragons—in more ways than one. Since the Great Abjuration drove away the Shardscale, the first generation of humanoids to be reborn into the world followed their own distinct course of reproduction. Every humanoid in the world belongs to a single folk with countless physical expressions. The first generation of any folk, who lived over 500 years ago, were spawned by dragons. When the Five Realms were initially formed, the first tasks of the five ruler dragons were to populate the realms with the folk of lost Arora. The power of the goddess Jhadhol and the ritual that unmade the world had infused the Five Realms with the essence of every humanoid line of old Arora, and it was this essence that the ruler dragons channeled when they laid their first eggs in unprecedented numbers. New dragons they spawned, to serve and support them, and many other eggs hatched kobolds, dragaurs, and dragonborn—the dracokin that the dragons had brought to Arora with them from doomed Terradraca. However, most of the eggs those dragons laid hatched unique creatures, bearing diverse traits from among the dozens of humanoid ancestries that had been scoured from the world.
106 Arora: Age of Desolation So it was, with the ruler dragons of each realm laying eggs that hatched the first peoples of the Five Realms. Some hatched to new true dragons, celebrated and integrated into the ruling structure of each realm; into dragon-kin, serving the dragons loyally in the most important roles of managing and protecting the Five Realms during these early times; and into the first generation of humanoid folk whose forms sometimes mirrored the lost peoples of Arora, but who were always possessed of unique features inspired by other legacies of Arora. While the first entities born back into Arora in its newfound state were hatched from great dragon eggs, the generations that followed were born in the traditional sense. These following generations, however, inherited their first-born ancestors’ myriad of unique multi-ancestry features and traits, regardless of their parentage. A world of individuals, each unique in their very own ways. An Ancestry All Your Own As a player in an Age of Desolation campaign, you can create a character whose ancestry reflects any of the folk of lost Arora. Those peoples include the standard fantasy folk of many games and settings—elves and dwarves, orcs and halflings, gnomes and goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears. They also include the dracokin—the kobolds, dragonborn, and dragaur—who were intended to be the great dragons’ most trusted servants and followers prior to the Dragonrage. But the folk of the Five Realms are equally representative of any other ancestries that you and the GM want to make a part of your Age of Desolation campaign. When you choose an ancestry, you build that ancestry from the ground up. A player creating a new character selects the character traits that define their ancestry in a freeform fashion, allowing them to customize their character in their own way. The sections below break down ninety character traits that can be used for Age of Desolation characters, with those traits divided into three categories to focus on combat, exploration and the environment, and roleplaying. (Many traits have crossover between categories, as you’ll see in their descriptions.) From this wide range of possibilities, you choose eight traits to create your starting character, with those traits granting unique benefits that shape your character’s baseline capabilities and their place in the world. For a most games, those eight traits should include 3 combat traits, 2 exploration traits, and 2 roleplaying traits, with 1 trait leftover to place where you’d like. This creates a well-rounded character able to meet many of Arora’s challenges. If you want to play a character who looks and feels like a member of any of the game’s classic ancestries, you can do so by consulting the recommended traits in the “Legacy of Arora” section. If you want to play a dracokin character, look to the recommended traits in the “Dracokin” section. Physical Features Alongside selecting your ancestry traits, you get to decide the look and form of your character’s body. Within a few limits set out below, your physical features are entirely up to you, and you can engage in any amount of cosmetic tinkering with your character you’d like. Even if your
Chapter 6: Character Creation 107 starting point is one of the Arora ancestries or a dracokin, you can shape and alter the standard physical form of any of those ancestries. However, your body’s physical features can’t reproduce the effect of any trait without taking that trait, and can’t create benefits if there’s no trait to cover those benefits. For example, you might describe your character as having thick hide, armored skin, or copious mats of body hair. But those cosmetic effects have no bearing on your AC unless you take the Well Protected trait . Your character can have extra arms or a tail that you use the same way you use your arms and hands. But extra appendages don’t make it any easier to climb or carry more gear unless you take the Climber or Powerful Build traits and describe their effects as coming from your extra arms or tail . Likewise, no number of extra appendages will let you make additional attacks, because there’s no trait providing that benefit. However, you’re free to describe multiple attacks as making use of your extra arms or tail in any way you like. Taking Character Traits Taking a character trait once establishes a baseline benefit for your character. For example, you would take the Darkvision trait if you want to see in shadow or darkness, the Eager Deceiver trait if you want to have innate proficiency in the Deception skill, and so forth. But you can also take each trait a second time to grant an additional benefit, and many traits can be taken three or more times if they are built around specific choices or options that change each time you take the trait. Taking a trait more than once grants an additional benefit over and above the trait’s baseline benefit, improving the baseline benefit in some way. For example, taking the Darkvision trait a second time allows you to see more clearly in darkness. All rules and limitations that come with a trait the first time you take it apply to the benefit granted by taking the trait again, unless the trait specifies otherwise. For example, the Impromptu Artisan trait allows you to craft simple equipment as long as you have an appropriate proficiency, raw materials, and additional equipment. If you take that trait twice, you can craft more complex equipment, but the requirements for materials and equipment don’t go away. Traits as Reward The character traits you select for your character help define who that character is and what they can do. They are an intrinsic part of the character. However, the magic of the Five Realms that initially channeled your characters’ traits through their draconic ancestry can make itself known throughout the campaign at the GM’s discretion. The GM bestow temporary traits on characters as rewards during the game, taking the form of a temporary surge of magical power. When you gain a new trait this way, it follows the same rules as when you take traits at character creation. Specifically, if you’ve taken a trait once and gain it again as a reward, you gain its benefit for taking it twice. Likewise, if a trait can only be taken twice and you’ve already done so, you can’t take it again. Evolving Characters The magic of the Five Realms that was channeled to grant your character their starting traits continues to suffuse all the creatures of the world. As such, each time you gain a level in a class, you can swap one of your chosen ancestry traits for a different ancestry trait, reflecting the way your form, will, and talents continue to reshape themselves. This can be useful if you gain a class feature that duplicates the benefit granted by an ancestry trait, but you can swap out any traits for any reason. (Remember, though, that if a class feature grants you proficiency with a skill or tool for which you already have proficiency through a particular trait, the rules of the game allow you to select a different skill proficiency or tool proficiency, with no need to swap the trait out.) If you’ve taken an ancestry trait twice, you swap out only the second instance of the trait and its benefits. Because you can swap out only one trait at a time, swapping out the trait entirely means waiting until you gain another level. If you swap out a trait that gives you a choice of features, you decide which choice to keep and which choice to drop. For example, if you’ve taken the Natural Movement trait twice, once for desert environments and once for underground environments, swapping out that trait means you drop one environment of your choice and you lose the Shared Movement feature you gained by taking the trait a second time. Natural or Magical The text for most character traits doesn’t specify whether any given trait is natural or magical in nature, giving you the freedom to decide how the trait has shaped your character. One character with the Flying trait might be possessed of mighty wings that fuel their flight, while another simply soars aloft using innate magical ability. A character with thick, leathery skin has a perfect physical explanation for their Well Protected trait. But a character with a seemingly normal physique might select the same trait to represent some kind of supernatural resilience. Even a trait that specifically focuses on defending against magical effects (such as Awakened Mind or Magical Fortification) might be mundane in origin, representing a natural resilience or aptitude powerful enough to interact with magic. That said, even if you decide that some or all of your character’s traits are magical, those traits remain an intrinsic and natural part of you, fueled by your physical, mental, and spiritual strength. As such, traits to which you give a magical origin can’t be dispelled with dispel magic and similar effects, and are unaffected by magical dead zones or wild magic zones, the antimagic field spell, and so on. The one exception is the cantrips and spells granted when you select the Marked for Magic trait, which are subject to the same rules as all spells and magical effects.
108 Arora: Age of Desolation Building Your Character Use the following guidelines to create a character for an Age of Desolation campaign, consulting with the GM as appropriate. Ability Scores You can generate your character’s ability scores in any way available in the game’s rules and approved by the GM. You gain an ability score increase as one of your universal traits (see below). Select Your Traits Your character has a number of universal traits noted below. You also select eight character traits from the “Combat Traits,” “Exploration and Environment Traits,” and “Roleplaying Traits” sections below. The traits you select give your character innate benefits related to combat, exploration, survival. You can freely choose your character traits from any category, and there’s no requirement to select a specific number of traits focused on any particular part of the game. You can also use the recommendations in the “Legacy of Arora” and “Dracokin” sections to consider or select a standard starting point for character traits if you want your character to strongly reflect one of the humanoid lines of old Arora, or one of the dracokin. But even if you use one of those ancestries as a starting point, you’re free to customize your trait selection any way you wish. Universal Traits In addition to the traits that personalize your character’s talents, knowledge, and outlook, all characters in an Age of Desolation campaign share the following universal traits. Humanoid Type Your character is a humanoid. Your character's appearance could resemble a typical humanoid or one of Arora's dracokin, a fey creature, or some monstrosity. Ability Score Increase You can adjust your starting ability scores by increasing one ability by 2 and another ability by 1. Alternatively, you can increase three ability scores by 1. Look to the rules for your character’s intended class for suggestions about which ability scores are important for that class. Adventurers’ Edge Characters in an Age of Desolation campaign stand at the center of a maelstrom of duty and strife, chaos and survival. As the characters respond to the challenges that face them, the magic of Jha-dhol that suffuses the Five Realms responds to their acts of heroism to grant them an adventurer’s edge. At the start of each game session, each character gains a d6. At any point during the game, you can roll that d6 and add it to a d20 roll your character makes, either before or after determining the outcome of the roll. Your adventurers’ edge can be used at any time. At the GM’s determination, characters who engage in thrilling heroics or survive a brutal series of encounters without using their adventurers’ edge can increase their edge, with any unused d6s bumped up d8s. A tough or dramatic session might see the d8 increased again to a d10, or an already improved d10 increased to a maximum d12. Age And Longevity From the time they’re born, all characters in the Five Realms age at the same rate, coming of adventuring age in their late teens and enjoying a robust 20 to 30 years of active living before showing the first signs of middle age around the age of 45. Absent natural and unnatural threats, a character might continue living to the age of 100. Few people in the Five Realms survive the desolation long enough to see such longevity. Size Your character can be Medium or Small, and can be lithe, stocky, or any build in between. Small characters average between 2-1/2 and 4 feet in height, and might weigh anywhere from 30 to 100 pounds. Medium characters average between 4 and 7 feet in height, and can weigh anywhere from 100 to 300 pounds. Speed Your character’s walking speed is 30 feet. If you reduce your speed to 25 feet, you can take one extra character trait. Languages Every character is born knowing the Draconic tongue—the language of dragons. Your character also knows one other language of your choice, chosen from any of the following: Dwarvish, Elvish, Gnomish, Goblin, Halfling, or Orc. The ancestral languages of the peoples of old Arora were learned due to the gestation dreams of the first reborn and hatched folk. They taught them down through the younger generations. They can be useful for translating old lore and inscriptions found through the Five Realms. Common. The citizens of Arora from the time before the dragons arrived spoke an interspecies trade language that was called Common. It was a less eloquent language, but it allowed for the different species to interact effectively. Shardscale, Abyssal, Infernal, and others. The languages of evil and supernatural creatures in your campaign might come down to part of the lore of lost Arora. If you want your character to know additional languages, take the Linguist trait. "Blessing or curse, Jha-dhol has challenged me to show all my children that who you seem to be is never who you really are." - Jhakith Madra Adailar
Chapter 6: Character Creation 109 Legacy of Arora Before the coming of the dragons, Arora was shaped by countless cultures and numerous humanoid ancestries. The history, strengths, and heroism of those ancestries were drawn into the fabric of the Five Realms when Arora was unmade, and many first-generation folk who were born from the eggs of the ruler dragons retained the appearance and traits of those ancestries. If you want to play a character whose form and nature reflect the lost past, you can use the suggested traits in this section as a starting point. Playing a character of a distinct ancestry doesn’t lock you to these traits, though, and in addition to choosing two additional traits beyond the six traits suggested for each ancestry, you’re free to swap out suggested traits for different traits, drop a suggested trait to take another suggested trait twice, and so forth. You might even create a character whose ancestry is a custom blend of standard ancestries, mixing physical features and traits from two or more ancestries in a unique way. Bugbear Cousins to the goblins and hobgoblins, and the oldest of those three related lines, bugbears originated as a folk among the monster-infested hill lands in old Arora. Living by stealth and valor in those ancient days reflects the natural instinct for bravery and keeping a low profile that is common among many who channel this ancestry. In addition to physical appearance, your character’s bugbear heritage can be demonstrated by taking any of the following among your eight starting traits: •Darkvision •Fade Away •Focused Mind •Powerful Build •Reach Attack •Supple Squeeze Dwarf The dwarves originated in the cold mountains of old Arora, expanding out into the world from great underground halls. Even dwarves living in the wider world often felt strong ties to stone and the subterranean realms of their distant ancestors, as do many of the folk of the Five Realms who channel dwarf ancestry. In addition to physical appearance, your character can mark a connection to the dwarves of old by taking any of the following among your eight starting traits: •Armor Aptitude •Damage Resistance •Darkvision •Natural Awareness •Poison Resilience •Toughness Elf The coastal rainforests of old Arora were the first homes of the elves, and those lands long remained the center of elven culture as it spread across the world. Many elves maintained a lifelong dedication to the natural world and the magical histories of their people, both of which carry through into the new folk of the Five Realms. In addition to physical appearance, your character can show a connection to elven blood by taking any of the following among your eight starting traits: •Awakened Mind •Darkvision •Focused Mind •Meditative Rest •Shroud of the Wild •Weapon Aptitude • Gnome Cousins to the dwarves in old Arora, the gnomes were a forest folk thought by many to have subsumed a touch of fey power in their deep past. Possessed of an inquisitive nature that inspired them to strike out from their homelands, many gnomes maintained a strong spiritual connection to nature, which manifests in some folk across the Five Realms. In addition to physical appearance, your character can channel some of the essence of gnome ancestry by taking any of the following among your eight starting traits: •Darkvision •Impromptu Artisan •Magical Fortification •Marked for Magic •Masterful Aptitude •Nature’s Voice Goblin The goblins trace their oldest histories to mountainous desert climes, where they carved out great underground halls whose beauty was legendary across Arora. Masters of art and crafting in their day, the goblins have passed on their aesthetic and talents to many in the Five Realms. In addition to physical appearance, your character can show their connection to a distant goblin ancestry by taking any of the following among your eight starting traits: •Darkvision •Focused Mind •Larger Target •Nimble •Quick Slip •Tool Expertise Halfling The halflings of old Arora were a nomadic folk dedicated to seeking out and spreading folklore, learning, and a love of good living. From their oldest settlements in remote hill country at the edges of other folks’ empires, they were spread far and wide through every realm by the time of the Great Abjuration, and their love of wandering and lore often manifests in today’s folk of the Five Realms. In addition to physical appearance, your character’s connection to the halfling ancestry can be demonstrated by taking any of the following among your eight starting traits: •Brave •Creature Cover •Damage Resistance •Lucky •Pass Through •Poison Resilience
110 Arora: Age of Desolation Hobgoblin Hobgoblins are cousins to the goblins and bugbears, first arising along the frontier hill lands that separated their kin. Later the hobgoblins were defined by nomadic wanderings that carried them far from their homeland. Making contact with the orcs first brought the hobgoblins the understanding that goblinoids weren’t the only peoples of old Arora and ushered in a new age. In addition to physical appearance, your character’s connection to the hobgoblins of Arora can be shown by taking any of the following among your eight starting traits: •Allies’ Influence •Darkvision •Fleet of Foot •Focused Mind •Helping Hand •Natural Movement Lizardfolk The lizardfolk of old Arora were the masters of marsh, river, and lake, known for their deep insights into nature and their dedication to protecting it. Taking on a role as wardens and guardians, many lizardfolk aligned people maintain that role in the Five Realms, though their dedication to protecting others can take on many forms. In addition to physical appearance, your character’s ties to the lizardfolk ancestry can be shown by taking any of the following among your eight starting traits: •Hold Breath •Natural Attack •Natural Camouflage •Stalwart Reserves •Swimmer •Well Protected Orc Originally a people of old Arora’s great plains, the orcs were the first to explore and tame the monster-haunted wastelands that originally separated the great humanoid cultures . Their first contact with the hobgoblins, then with the elves and gnomes, helped to shape those folks’ understanding of the wider world, and ushered in a long age of interaction and camaraderie between humanoid peoples. In addition to physical appearance, your character’s orc ancestry can be demonstrated by taking any of the following among your eight starting traits: •Darkvision •Masterful Aptitude •Natural Movement •Powerful Build •Relentless Endurance •Surge of Speed Dracokin When the dragons fled the destruction of Terradraca and arrived on old Arora, they brought with them the last survivors of that world’s humanoid ancestries, all related to the great dragons who ruled over them. Though they were a small minority on Arora in the years before the Shardscale assaulted that world, the so-called dracokin are now equally common in numbers with the core Aroran ancestries. The dracokin have long served as the dragons’ direct lieutenants and most trusted humanoid servants. Playing a dracokin character related to the great dragons offers no mechanical benefits over playing a character of another core ancestry, or whose form and traits are wholly unique. But it offers up potentially interesting roleplaying possibilities as you think about your character’s relationship to the current-day mad dragons and their desolation of the Five Realms, and how that relationship might shape how other characters perceive and react to you. Draconic Minions and Societal Allies Prior to the Dragonrage, the relationship between the dracokin and the other folk of the Five Realms had always been defined as part of the draconic hierarchy, with the ruling dragons at its apex, the dracokin beneath them, and all other humanoids below that. When the maddening of the dragons occurred, most dracokin remained loyal to their ruling dragon, albeit through a life of treachery and tyranny. Some, however, broke away from that ancestral mold and joined with the other humanoids, living as equals in an age of survival within the dragons’ desolation. Exceptions to the Rule Historically, the dragonborn and kobolds of the Five Realms have been a mostly unified folk, first spawned by the dragons like all other humanoids during the first generation. They were given clear intent to bolster the numbers of these special servants of the dragons. For the GM’s purposes, the Five Realms feature large numbers of stock dracokin NPCs with fairly consistent traits. But for your purposes, feel free to embrace the wide-open nature of character traits in Arora to build out a dragonborn, dragaur, or kobold character who’s one of a kind. Even while building a character around the classic archetypes of kobolds, dragaur, and dragonborn, you can customize your character by exchanging any of the standard traits for your ancestry in favor of unique choices. A dragonborn scholar might have taken up that vocation because they have no breath weapon, for example. You might also choose to play a character who is wholly unique in their selection of traits and only looks like a dracokin. "People all across the Five Realms think those blasted Jhakith are so wise, peaceful, and kind. I don’t trust a one of them. Anyone who can wake one day as a completely different person makes my skin crawl. And they don’t need grobb to ride the portals!" - Nyben, Grobb Smuggler
Chapter 6: Character Creation 111 Dragonborn The dragonborn are the youngest of the dracokin, lacking the deep history of their kobold kin, but more fully resembling the dragons who gave rise to their people. Though long known as warriors in the service of the dragons, many dragonborn apply their dedication to magic and invention with equal skill. In addition to physical appearance, your character’s dragonborn nature can be shown by taking any of the following among your eight starting traits: •Breath Weapon •Damage Resistance •Natural Movement •Powerful Build •Primal Warding •Weapon Aptitude Dragaur The dragaur are the largest of the dracokin, combining the top half of a humanoid with the bottom half of a dragon. These fearsome creatures are Large sized, and they often have the increased strength to match. The dragaur consider themselves to be greatly superior to the other dracokin, and they have features more in line with their sires. In addition to physical appearance, your character’s dragaur nature can be shown by taking any of the following among your eight starting traits: •Charging Attack •Firm Influence •Natural Attack (Claw or Tail) •Steady •Supple Squeeze Kobolds The kobolds embrace their draconic nature with pride and purpose. Curious and imaginative, kobolds long served the dragons as inventors, engineers, and mages, with many continuing to fulfil those roles in the Five Realms. In addition to physical appearance, your character can demonstrate their connection to the kobolds by taking any of the following among your eight starting traits: •Brave •Burrower •Darkvision •Impromptu Artisan •Marked for Magic •Master of Distraction Folk of Legend When the Great Abjuration happened, it claimed not just the lives of those still fighting for Arora, but the spirit energy of countless other creatures who had fallen to the Shardscale advance. Just as with the humanoid ancestries native to Arora and the dracokin who arrived with the dragons, the history, legacy, and essence of countless fey, magical creatures, lesser-known humanoids, and more fed Jha-dhol’s ritual. Thereafter they were suffused into the life essence of the ruler dragons and the reproductive process that has populated the Five Realms. Your character can take on the form and traits of any type of intelligent creature, including rare or unusual humanoids, monstrosities, fey, and anything else within the limits of your imagination and the GM’s approval. When you play a truly custom character against a social backdrop primarily made up of the common humanoid folk of Arora and the dracokin, your form and innate talents mark you as an unusual person—perhaps even a unique individual. For example, you might play a minotaur or centaur using this approach. But even though such a unique character might attract attention from those you meet, the folk of the Five Realms remain a single unified society, focused on their shared goals and purpose. With their thoughts informed by no natural prejudices, characters in the Five Realms are used to living and working among people possessed of myriad forms and features. Where people do draw divisions between themselves and other folk, they do so most often on the basis of belief and ambition—never on appearance. Character Type Humanoids in the Arora setting channel the power of the Great Abjuration that sundered Arora, and can draw on traits from any of the humanoids whose sacrifice allowed that ritual to remake the world. This means that, unless the GM determines otherwise, characters shouldn’t be considered part of a specific humanoid line. Magic, monster attacks, and other effects that interact with specific types of humanoids in certain ways normally effect with all characters the same way. At the GM’s determination, a character with a significant number of traits from a specific humanoid ancestry might be allowed to take advantage of benefits normally tied to that ancestry—or be subject to effects that normally only target humanoids of that ancestry. For example, a character who has most or all of the suggested elf traits from the “Legacy of Arora” section might have the elf’s immunity to the paralyzing effect of a ghoul’s claws, just as an ancient magical trap meant to hinder dwarf tomb robbers could trigger in response to a character who possesses most of the dwarf’s iconic traits.
112 Arora: Age of Desolation Character Traits The following traits help define your starting character, establishing the broad strokes of their strengths, assets, and aptitudes. Traits are divided into combat traits, exploration and environmental interaction traits, and roleplaying traits. But in the complicated struggle for survival in the Five Realms, every aspect of the game dovetails into other aspects. These broad definitions aren’t meant to be absolute, or to suggest that focusing on traits in a specific category is the best way to succeed in that aspect of the game. Your character’s combat abilities are largely defined by your choice of class even if you avoid taking combat traits. Likewise, your sense of how best to roleplay your character should be entirely a product of your interest and imagination, and even if some of the mechanics or benefits of roleplaying-focused traits can serve as inspiration for that, your roleplaying shouldn’t be dictated by them. Combat Traits For the folk of the Five Realms, the struggle for survival has always been paramount—and since the onset of the Dragonrage, that struggle has only intensified. Whether your character is a dedicated warrior protecting folk, settlements, or important sites from the countless threats of the Five Realms, or simply someone who’s learned that a lack of combat prowess can too quickly prove lethal, the following combat-focused character traits can prove useful. Armor Aptitude A natural expertise lets you easily wear your preferred form of protection. You have proficiency with one of the following of your choice: light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, or shields. Armor Specialist. If you take this trait multiple times, you gain proficiency with one new type of armor, or with shields. Additionally, while you are wearing armor you are proficient with, you have a +1 bonus to AC. Awesome Critical Your most potent attacks strike with incredible lethality. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit. Maximum Critical. If you take this trait twice, when you use Awesome Critical, you can add the maximum of one of the weapon’s damage dice to the extra damage of the critical hit, rather than rolling. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Breath Weapon A hint of draconic power in you lets you exhale destructive energy. When you select this trait, choose a damage type: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder. Then choose an area of effect: a line that is 5 feet wide and 30 feet long, or a 15-foot cone. When you use an action to expel your breath weapon, each creature in the area of effect must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). A target creature takes 2d6 damage of the chosen type on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Potent Breath.If you take this trait multiple times, you gain an additional choice in type of breath weapon with its own number of uses, damage type, and area of effect. Additionally, when you use your breath weapon, one target of your choice has disadvantage on the saving throw. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Burst Of Speed As circumstances demand, you can move like the wind. When you move on your turn, you can double your speed until the end of your turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Furious Speed. If you take this trait twice, you don’t provoke opportunity attacks when using Burst of Speed. By the Book If a particular playable ancestry in another game book appeals to you, you can talk to the GM about playing a character of that ancestry without changes in an Age of Desolation campaign. After all, the most unique character in a game meant to allow unique characters might be one whose traits aren’t actually found in this chapter! If you decide to play a character of a standard ancestry, just make the following changes: •Your character’s type is Humanoid if it isn’t already. •Ignore the ancestry’s ability score bonuses and penalties if it has them, in favor of applying the Ability Score Increase universal trait. •Take the Adventurers’ Edge universal trait. •Apply the effects of the Age and Longevity universal trait and the Languages universal trait. Just as you’re free to choose any trait when building a character, you can also customize a character with a stock ancestry. With the GM’s approval, you might drop one of the ancestry’s standard traits in order to select a replacement trait. And in the event that you want to use a stock ancestry that feels a bit underpowered in its traits (as happens with many ancestries that originally featured high ability score adjustments in lieu of traits), you can talk to the GM about choosing an additional trait from this chapter. "Whether spawned, whelped, or hatched, all Jha-dhol’s children get the blessings they need most." - Jhakith Madra Adailar
Chapter 6: Character Creation 113 Charging Attack Channeling your momentum on the battlefield empowers your blows. If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hit it with a melee weapon attack on the same turn, you can make another attack against the same target as a bonus action with the same weapon. Furious Charge. If you take this trait twice, when you use Charging Attack, you gain advantage on the first attack roll. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. First Strike You’re able to take the initiative to deadly effect. When you hit a creature that hasn’t taken a turn in the combat yet, your attack deals an extra 2d6 damage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Strong Strike. If you take this trait twice, you can maximize extra damage dice from First Strike, rather than rolling. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Focused Reserves You find the will to keep fighting when you most need it. As a reaction when you would take damage, you roll a d6 for each point of your proficiency bonus. You gain temporary hit points equal to the total. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Focused Edge. If you take this trait twice, you can take the maximum number of temporary hit points rather than rolling. Larger Target Bigger creatures quickly learn to fear you despite your stature. When you hit a creature that is one size larger than you, you may choose to deal extra damage equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Even Larger. If you take this trait twice, Larger Target applies to creatures that are up to two sizes larger than you. Master of Distraction Your ability to get foes to focus on you in combat gives your allies an edge. As an action, you put on a tactical display (bravado, cowardice, confusion, or what have you) that gets your enemies’ attention. Until the end of your next turn, any attack on an enemy within 10 feet of you that can see you, has advantage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Hindering Distraction. If you take this trait twice, when you use Master of Distraction, one affected enemy of your choice also has disadvantage on attacks it makes against your allies until the end of your next turn.
114 Arora: Age of Desolation Menacing Roar The sheer strength of your voice can leave your foes reeling. As a bonus action, you emit a roar, shout, or other loud vocal outburst. Each creature of your choice within 10 feet of you that can hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Incomparable Roar. If you take this trait twice, when you use Menacing Roar, one target of your choice has disadvantage on the saving throw. Mighty Shove Foes who feel your wrath are driven back by the force of your blow. When you hit a creature no more than one size larger than you with a melee attack, you can use a bonus action to attempt to shove that creature. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC equals 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus) or be pushed up to 10 feet away from you. Overwhelming Shove. When you use Mighty Shove, the target creature has disadvantage on the saving throw. Natural Attack Your intimidating physique makes you even more dangerous in combat. You have one natural attack based upon a noteworthy physical feature—strong teeth, sharp claws, jutting horns or spines, hardened hooves, and so forth. This attack is a natural weapon that you can use to make unarmed strikes, dealing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier. Your natural attack deals one type of damage consistent with the form of the attack (slashing damage for claws, piercing for teeth and spines, bludgeoning for hooves, and so forth). Natural Fury. If you take this trait multiple times, you gain a new natural attack each time. Additionally, if you hit the same target with two or more natural attacks on the same turn, you deal an extra 1d6 damage of the same type as one of the attacks (your choice). Nimble Locking you down in combat is more difficult than your enemies realize. You can take the Disengage action as a bonus action on each of your turns. Nimble Opportunity. If you take this trait twice, you have advantage on the first attack roll you make on the same turn after using Nimble. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Pack Tactics By fighting in concert with your allies, nothing can stop you. If you start your turn with at least one ally who isn’t incapacitated within 5 feet of another creature you can see, you can use your reaction to gain advantage on attack rolls against that creature until the end of your turn. Pack Instinct. If you take this trait twice, you no longer need to use your reaction to gain advantage from Pack Tactics. Pass Through When needing to move through larger creatures, you know how to avoid them. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours. Nimble Passage. If you take this trait twice, another creature’s space is not difficult terrain for you. Primal Defense Your innate defenses keep you safe against a specific type of harm. You have resistance to one of the following damage types of your choice: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder. Auspicious Defense. When you take this trait twice, you gain resistance to another damage type of your choice. Additionally, when you make a saving throw against a damage type chosen for this trait, you can choose to have advantage on the save. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Primal Warding Protective power lives in you, letting you shrug off even the most destructive effects. Choose a damage type: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder. As a reaction when you would take damage of the chosen type, you gain immunity to that damage type until the end of your next turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Vengeful Warding. If you take this trait twice, you gain Primal Warding’s immunity for a different damage type each time. Additionally, when you use Primal Warding to negate damage dealt to you by a creature, that creature takes half the damage dealt, applying its own resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities as normal. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Chapter 6: Character Creation 115 Quick Initiative When a fight starts, you love being the first into the fray. You add your proficiency bonus to your initiative rolls. Focused Initiative. If you take this trait twice, when you roll initiative, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10. Quick Slip Even in the thick of combat, you are always ready to get out of danger. You can take the Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns. You must have appropriate cover and succeed on a Dexterity (Stealth) check to successfully hide, as normal. Astute Slip. If you take this trait twice, you have advantage on the Dexterity (Stealth) check when you use Quick Slip. Reach Attack Foes trying to stay away from you must be always on their guard. Your reach increases by 5 feet. This extra reach doesn’t apply to opportunity attacks. Opportune Reach. If you take this trait twice, your extra reach from Reach Attack applies to opportunity attacks. Relentless Endurance Your determination to stay in the fight drives you on. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Unparalleled Endurance. If you take this trait twice, when you use Relentless Endurance, you drop to 1d6 hit points + your proficiency bonus. Ruthless Response Being hit in combat only makes you more dangerous. When you take damage from a creature within your reach, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Focused Ruthlessness. If you take this trait twice, you have advantage on attacks made using Ruthless Response. Slippery Things that grab onto you don’t grab for long. You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) and Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to escape a grapple. Supreme Slip. If you take this trait twice, when you fail a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to escape a grapple, you can use your reaction to succeed instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Stalwart Reserves The harder you hit your enemies, the stronger you get. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to roll a d4 for each point of your proficiency bonus and gain temporary hit points equal to the total. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Stalwart Edge. If you take this trait twice, you can take the maximum number of temporary hit points rather than rolling. Toughness You enjoy an especially robust level of physical resilience. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level. Extra Tough. If you take this trait twice, instead your hit point maximum increases by 2, and it increases by 2 every time you gain a level. Additionally, when you make a saving throw against an effect that would decrease your hit point maximum, you can make the save with advantage. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Weapon Aptitude A warrior’s instinct grants you an affinity for certain weapons. You have proficiency with three weapons of your choice. Weapon Specialist. If you take this trait multiple times, you gain proficiency with three new weapons each time. Additionally, choose one weapon with which you have proficiency. You gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. Well Protected Your tough skin, sturdy frame, or supernatural toughness helps keep you safe. When you wear no armor, you have a +2 bonus to AC. Hardy Protection. If you take this trait twice, instead you have a +4 bonus to AC when you wear no armor. Additionally, when a creature misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that creature’s next attack against you before the end of the creature’s next turn.
116 Arora: Age of Desolation Exploration And Environment Traits The harsh landscapes and unforgiving hinterlands of the Five Realms are a constant challenge for explorers, traders, and those entrusted with maintaining the flow of essential resources in the Five Realms. The brave few who challenge the realms themselves, and especially those dedicated to dealing with the aftermath of the Dragonrage, can make good use of the traits in this section. Many of these exploration and environmental traits offer defensive capabilities useful in combat. But those who explore the Five Realms know how dangerous the fragmented remnants of Arora can be even in the absence of foes. Amphibious Surviving underwater is second nature to you. You can breathe air and water. Water Born. If you take this trait twice, you can gain advantage on an ability check or saving throw made while you are submerged in water. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Awakened Mind An innate mental focus lets you shrug off eldritch effects that would cloud your mind. You automatically succeed on saving throws against magic that would leave you unconscious. Reawakened. If you take this trait twice, you have advantage on saving throws against nonmagical effects that would leave you unconscious or stunned. This does not include effects that leave you unconscious because you are reduced to 0 hit points. Brave You can stand your ground against even the most terrifying threats. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened. Fierce Bravery. If you take this trait twice, when you fail a saving throw against being frightened, you can use your reaction to succeed on the save instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Burrower Your connection to earth and soil lets you move through the ground at will. You have a burrowing speed equal to your walking speed that lets you burrow through earth and sand, but not ground that is mostly or entirely rock. The tunnel you make collapses behind you, making it impossible for other creatures to follow you, and you must hold your breath while you burrow. Quickened Burrow. If you take this trait twice, you can use the Dash action as a bonus action while burrowing. "The early bird gets killed sooner. Be the second bird." - An Old Tievmerian Adage
Chapter 6: Character Creation 117 Climber Your instinctive sense of balance and ability to hang on to even the thinnest ledge let you scale any obstacle. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. Quickened Climb. If you take this trait twice, you can use the Dash action as a bonus action while climbing. Creature Cover Even when an enemy or an ally is the only cover you’ve got, it’s enough. You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature, as long as that creature is at least one size larger than you. Subtle Cover. If you take this trait twice, you can attempt to hide while obscured by a creature the same size as you, or by two or more creatures one size smaller than you. Darkvision Even in dark and dim conditions, your sight remains sharp. You can see in dim light out to a range of 60 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. True Darkvision. If you take this trait twice, you can see in darkness out to a range of 60 feet as if it were bright light, though still only in shades of gray. Fade Away You momentarily obscure yourself to hide from sight. As a bonus action, you successfully hide from any creatures who can see you, becoming invisible until the start of your next turn. You become visible again early if you attack or cast a spell. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Long Fade. If you take this trait twice, you become invisible for 2d4 rounds when you use Fade Away. Fleet of Foot Whatever your destination, you know how to move with speed and grace. Your walking speed increases by 5 feet. Shared Fleetness. If you take this trait twice, your walking speed increases by another 5 feet, for a total increase of 10 feet. Additionally, you can grant creatures of your choice the ability to move at your walking speed for 1 minute, as long as those creatures remain within 30 feet of you and can see you. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Flyer For you the sky is as open a road as any . You have a flying speed equal to your walking speed. Quickened Flight. If you take this trait twice, you can use the Dash action as a bonus action while flying. Focused Mind It takes exceptional effort to hinder your ability to tell friend from foe. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed. Immutable Mind. If you take this trait twice, when you fail a saving throw against being charmed, you can use your reaction to succeed on the save instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Leaper When you get moving, no obstacles can slow you down. As a bonus action, you can jump a number of feet equal to half your walking speed. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, and you can move through or over the spaces of other creatures without spending extra movement. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Great Leap. If you take this trait twice, the distance you can jump with Great Leap is equal to your walking speed. Hold Breath You effortlessly hold oxygen in reserve for when you need it. You can hold your breath for up to 1 hour. Endless Breath. If you take this trait twice, you can hold your breath for up to 8 hours. Irrepressible Sight You can shake off most any effect that seeks to hinder your vision. You have advantage on saving throws against being blinded. Resolute Sight. If you take this trait twice, when you fail a saving throw against being blinded, you can use your reaction to succeed on the save instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Intrinsic Orientation Your instinctive sense of where you are helps you avoid going astray. You always know which way is north, and you have advantage on ability checks made to avoid becoming lost, to navigate, or to track. Expert Orientation. When you fail an ability check made to avoid becoming lost, to navigate, or to track, you can choose to succeed instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Resilient Ears Your auditory connection to the world around you stays ever strong. You have advantage on saving throws against being deafened. Determined Hearing. If you take this trait twice, when you fail a saving throw against being deafened, you can use your reaction to succeed on the save instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
118 Arora: Age of Desolation Magical Fortification Your body and mind can easily shrug off the effects of magic. Choose an ability score: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. You have advantage on saving throws using that ability score against spells and other magical effects. Extended Fortification. If you take this trait multiple times, you have advantage on saving throws using a new ability score each time. Additionally, if you fail a saving throw against a spell or other magical effect and you do not have proficiency with that saving throw, you can use your reaction to reroll the save. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Meditative Rest Your mind and body restore themselves without the need for true sleep. When you rest, you meditate deeply for 4 hours, dreaming but remaining conscious. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that other humanoids do from 8 hours of sleep. Restorative Rest. If you take this trait twice, you need to spend only 2 hours in your meditative state to gain the benefit of 8 hours of sleep, and you gain a d6 at the end of each long rest. Before the end of your next long rest, you can roll the d6 and add it to any d20 roll you make. You can wait until after you roll the d20 before deciding to do so. Natural Camouflage Your connection to your environment lets you easily fade into the background. Choose an environment: desert, forest, grassland, hills and mountains, snow and ice, swamps and marsh, underground, underwater, or volcanic. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to hide while in that environment. Shared Camouflage. If you take this trait multiple times, you gain its benefit for a new environment each time. Additionally, while in any environment chosen for Natural Camouflage, you can grant advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to hide to creatures of your choice that are within 15 feet of you and can see you. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Natural Movement You have an innate sense of how to move in a specific environment. Choose an environment: desert, forest, grassland, hills and mountains, snow and ice, swamp and marsh, underground, underwater, or volcanic. While in that environment, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement, and ability checks made to track you have disadvantage. Shared Movement. If you take this trait multiple times, you gain its benefit for a new environment each time. Additionally, while in any environment chosen for Natural Movement, you can grant creatures of your choice the benefit of Natural Movement for 1 hour, as long as those creatures remain within 30 feet of you and can see you. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Nature’s Voice You have an innate connection to animals and plants that transcends traditional language. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas with Beasts and Plant creatures, understanding if a creature is hungry for example. This gives you no specific ability to control such creatures, and you can’t understand or learn detailed information from them. Primal Voice. When you use Nature’s Voice, you have advantage on Charisma checks you make to interact with or influence Beasts and Plant creatures. Powerful Build Your body type or innate strength let you easily bear more weight than other creatures. When you determine your carrying capacity and the weight you can drag, lift, or push, you are treated as one size larger than you are. Maximum Power. If you take this trait twice, you can increase your carrying capacity with Built for Burden as though you were two sizes larger than you are, with that increase lasting for 10 minutes. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Personal Bastion By deploying protective armor plates, momentarily hardening your skin, or strengthening your physical form with magic, you focus on defense to the exclusion of all else. As an action, you become motionless and gain the following benefits and drawbacks: •You gain a +4 bonus to AC. •You have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws. •You have advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws. •Your speed is 0 and you can’t benefit from any bonus to your speed. •You lose concentration. •You can’t take actions, but you can take reactions and you can use a bonus action to end the effect of this trait. Mobile Bastion. If you take this trait twice, when you use Personal Bastion, your speed is reduced only to half, you do not have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, and you can make use bonus actions that don’t involve movement. "I wish the people of these cursed realms weren’t so different from each other. I try to poison a guard, and they don’t fall over dead. A sailor I steal from suddenly sprouts wings and follows me. It’s just not fair!" - Nyben, Grobb Smuggler
Chapter 6: Character Creation 119 Poison Resilience Your exceptional fortitude lets you shrug off the effects of various toxins. You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned. Poison Indemnity. If you take this trait twice, when you fail a saving throw against being poisoned, you can use your reaction to succeed on the save instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Resilient Instinct With a moment’s focus, you are able to stand fast against any hazard. As a reaction when you would take damage, you gain resistance to the damage type until the end of your next turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Invulnerable Instinct. When you use Resilient Instinct, you have immunity to the damage type until the end of your next turn. Shroud of the Wild You have a natural instinct for blending in. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena. Faultless Shroud. If you take this trait twice, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to hide while using Shroud of the Wild. Steady No matter the odds, you have a knack for staying on your feet. You have advantage on saving throws against being knocked prone. Stand Fast. If you take this trait twice, when you fail a saving throw against being knocked prone, you can use your reaction to succeed on the save instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Supple Squeeze You have a knack for getting into tight spaces. You can squeeze through a space that is large enough for a creature two sizes smaller than you, rather than one size smaller. Full-Speed Squeeze. If you take this trait twice, squeezing does not cost you additional movement, and you do not have disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws while squeezed. Surge of Speed When you most need it, you can call on a burst of speed. You can take the Dash action as a bonus action. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Surge of Vitality. If you take this trait twice, when you use Surge of Speed, roll a d4 for each point of your proficiency bonus and gain temporary hit points equal to the total. Swimmer Moving freely in the water comes naturally to you. You have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed. Quickened Swim. If you take this trait twice, you can use the Dash action as a bonus action while swimming. Timely Boon You have a knack for avoiding trouble at the last moment. When you fail a saving throw, you can use your reaction to roll a d4 and add it to the save, potentially turning it into a success. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Better Boon. If you take this trait twice, you roll a d8 instead of a d4 when you use Timely Boon. Tireless Effects that wear others down are less of a burden for you. You have advantage on saving throws against exhaustion. Vigorous. If you take this trait twice, when you fail a saving throw against exhaustion, you can use your reaction to succeed on the save instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Unchecked When something threatens to restrict your movement, you know how to push back. You have advantage on saving throws against being restrained. Slip Free. If you take this trait twice, when you fail a saving throw against being restrained, you can use your reaction to succeed on the save instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
120 Arora: Age of Desolation Roleplaying Traits Against all the inherent challenges of life in the Five Realms— and the specific perils unleashed by the Dragonrage—the heroes of Arora stand ready. As you bring to life the unique qualities of your character that define their place in the world and the way others see them, you can look to the roleplaying-focused traits in this section for inspiration and edge. Allies’ Influence You are at your best when surrounded by those you are dedicated to. When you fail an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see or hear within 30 feet of you (maximum +5), potentially turning failure into success. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Allies’ Edge. If you take this trait twice, you can reroll Allies’ Influence’s attack roll, ability check, or saving throw in addition to gaining the bonus. Animal Friend You have always shared a special kinship with beasts. You have proficiency in the Animal Handling skill. Animal Ally. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Animal Handling skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Athlete’s Spirit You are known for your natural physical prowess. You have proficiency in the Athletics skill. Athlete’s Resolve. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Athletics skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Chapter 6: Character Creation 121 Born Healer Knowledge of the healing arts has always been a part of your life. You have proficiency in the Medicine skill. Dedicated Healer. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Medicine skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Commanding Insight Seeing the truth that hides inside others comes easy to you. You have proficiency in the Insight skill. Imposing Insight. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Insight skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Connection to Nature Your connection to the natural world is a powerful thing. You have proficiency in the Nature skill. Bond with Nature. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Nature skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Eager Deceiver You have an easy time convincing others of what you need them to believe. You have proficiency in the Deception skill. Ardent Deceiver. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Deception skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Gifted Performer The world is your stage, and you are keen to let others know what you can do. You have proficiency in the Performance skill. Matchless Performer. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Performance skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Helping Hand Lending assistance to others is second nature to you. You can use the Help action as a bonus action. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Restorative Hand. If you take this trait twice, when you use Helping Hand, roll a d4 for each point of your proficiency bonus. Either you or the creature you aid with the Help action (your choice) gains temporary hit points equal to the total. Impromptu Artisan When the need is great, you can quickly cobble together the gear you need. If you possess artisan’s tools with which you have proficiency, and if you have access to appropriate raw materials and any additional necessary equipment (as the GM determines), you can use part of a short rest to craft any one nonmagical item worth 10 gp or less, including: •Adventuring gear •A weapon or shield •A unique item that performs a simple function approved by the GM The gear you create is workable but not high quality, and can’t be sold except as the GM determines. Master Artisan. If you take this trait twice, you can use Impromptu Artisan as part of a long rest, during which you craft one nonmagical item worth 50 gp or less. Improviser When expertise fails you, you trust in your ability to make it up as you go along. As a bonus action, choose one skill or tool that you don’t have proficiency with. You gain proficiency in that skill or with that tool for 1 hour. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Expert Improviser. If you take this trait twice, you have advantage on ability checks you make using the skill or tool you select with Improviser. Inborn Perception Nothing gets past your instinctive attention. You have proficiency in the Perception skill. Focused Perception. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Perception skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Instinctive Stealth You know how to slip out of others’ awareness when it suits you. You have proficiency in the Stealth skill. Superior Stealth. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Stealth skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. "We survive here by refusing to let our kin and kith die alone." - Anonymous Villager
122 Arora: Age of Desolation Intuitive Acrobat Your quick instincts are backed up by even quicker movement. You have proficiency in the Acrobatics skill. Remarkable Acrobat. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Acrobatics skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Inured to the Elements An innate fortitude allows you to overcome the effects of challenging environments. You have advantage on Constitution saving throws made to resist the effects of extreme cold or extreme heat. Immune to the Elements. You automatically succeed on Constitution saving throws to resist the effects of extreme cold or extreme heat. Keen Survivor You have always understood the challenges and hazards of the natural world. You have proficiency in the Survival skill. Hardened Survivor. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Survival skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Linguist You are a well-practiced communicator. You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice. Master Linguist. If you take this trait two or more times, you choose another language each time. Additionally, you can attempt a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Insight) check to understand speech or writing in a language you don’t know. With a successful check, you learn basic information or recognize a few words, as the GM determines. Lucky When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. Surge of Luck. If you take this trait twice, when you roll a 10 or less on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and use the new roll. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Magical Insight Your natural aptitude for the eldritch arts has always shaped you. You have proficiency in the Arcana skill. Magical Mastery. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Arcana skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Marked for Magic Eldritch energy flows through you, granting you access to spell power with only a thought. At any level, you can use this feature to choose a cantrip from any spell list. You know that cantrip and can cast it at will at its minimum level. If you are 3rd level or higher, you can instead use this trait to choose a 1st- or 2nd-level spell from any spell list. You can cast that spell once at either 1st or 2nd level (if the spell offers additional benefits when cast at 2nd level), and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Each time you take this trait, you choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for the chosen cantrip or spell. You can’t cast cantrips or spells taken with this trait at a higher level, even if you have spellcasting levels from a class. These cantrips and spells can be cast without components, except for expensive material components. Magic Mastery. If you take this trait multiple times, you gain a new cantrip or spell each time. Additionally, choose one cantrip or spell you’ve taken with Marked for Magic that has an attack roll or requires a saving throw, and choose one of the following options that applies when you cast that spell using Marked for Magic: •You have advantage on the attack roll for the spell. •One target of your choice has disadvantage on the saving throw against the spell. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Masterful Aptitude You are second to none in a specific line of work. Choose one of your skill or tool proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability checks you make that use the chosen proficiency. Focused Mastery. If you take this trait multiple times, you gain its benefit for a new skill proficiency or tool proficiency each time. Additionally, when you make a check using a skill or tool for which you’ve taken Masterful Aptitude, you can choose to have advantage on the check. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Mindful Investigator You see challenges everywhere and are always seeking answers. You have proficiency in the Investigation skill. Master Investigator. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Investigation skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Chapter 6: Character Creation 123 Moved by Faith An understanding of faith and devotion has always been central to your life. You have proficiency in the Religion skill. Force of Faith. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Religion skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Natural Awareness Your connection to the environment allows you to read its past. Choose an environment: desert, forest, grassland, hills and mountains, snow and ice, swamp and marsh, underground, underwater, or volcanic. While in that environment, whenever you make an ability check to assess structures, monuments, or natural features; to find food or drinkable water; or to track creatures, you have proficiency in the appropriate skill and you add double your proficiency bonus to the check. Improved Insight. If you take this trait multiple times, you gain its benefit for a new environment each time. Additionally, when you make an ability check using Natural Insight, you can choose to have advantage on the check. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Nimble Moves You are known for your quick fingers and steady nerves. You have proficiency in the Sleight of Hand skill. Perfect Moves. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Sleight of Hand skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Persuasive Knack You have a certain panache for helping others see the truth of your vision. You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill. Persuasive Edge. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Persuasion skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Shapechanger Your body reforms itself at will to take on the guise of someone else. As an action, you can transform into another creature that you have seen. The creature must be of the same general size and body type as you. You choose all your other features as you wish (including number of limbs, presence or absence of a tail, and so forth), but your statistics are the same in your new form. If you have traits that tie to physical features the new form doesn’t have (for example, wings you use for the Flying trait), the GM determines if and how those traits can be used with the new form. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. You can revert to your true form as an action, and you revert automatically if you die. Adroit Shapechanger. If you take this trait twice, you can use Shapechanger to transform into a specific creature that you have only seen a likeness of or that you have a detailed description of. Additionally, you can transform into a creature one size smaller or larger than you. Firm Influence When others need to be convinced of something quickly, you know how to get it done. You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill. Forceful Influence. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the Intimidation skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Tool Expertise You are adept at working with your chosen tools. Choose one set of artisan’s tools, or thieves’ tools. You have proficiency with those tools. Tool Mastery. If you take this trait multiple times, you gain proficiency with a new tool each time. Additionally, choose one set of tools for which you have taken Tool Expertise. You can choose to have advantage on an ability check made with those tools. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Touch of the Past The lore of lost years has long helped define your worldview. You have proficiency in the History skill. Embrace the Past. If you take this trait twice, you can choose to have advantage on an ability check you make using the History skill. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
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Chapter 7: Subclasses 125 When the Great Abjuration split the world of Arora asunder, each of the Five Realms become its own unique microcosm, taking on the aspects of the dragons dedicated to ruling and protecting these new fiefdoms. With such extreme conditions and geographies embodied in these realms, new skills and powers became important for survival in each area. The arid sands and electricity-filled skies of Gallaht birthed new types of druids to deal with those elements of the land. Khoor's acidic swamplands and deathly pall gave rise to warlocks who work to help the passing of creatures from the lands of the living into the worlds beyond. The volcanic wastelands of Mogsturma required heroes able to cope with the terrible heat and lava of that land. Adventurers inured to the biting cold of arctic Prazzolar were necessary to make sure survival in that place was possible. Tievmer's twisted jungles and forests are teeming with beasts running amok, making the importance of dealing with copious flora and fauna paramount for survival there. The subclasses presented here reflect the specific challenges lurking and rampaging through the Five Reams. When combined with the character-creation rules from chapter 7 and the new backgrounds from chapter 9, players can tailor their characters to have a completely unique character, both in terms of their powers and abilities, as well as in their backstories and how they fit into the realm of their birth. Game masters are encouraged to introduce these subclasses as options for their players at character creation, then reinforce the importance of their abilities and flavor through play. As characters struggle to survive their harsh environs and harsher foes, provide examples of how these subclasses fit into the world that made them necessary pieces in the mosaic that is the Five Realms of Arora.
126 Arora: Age of Desolation BARBARIAN: Path of the Scavenger Barbarians on the Path of the Scavenger embrace the circular relationship between the entropic aspect of nature and scavenger beasts. These barbarians feel it is their purpose to bring a swift death to those nearing the end of life or whose life needs to be ended. By emulating the scavenger beasts your path takes its name after, you can consume fallen foes to gain a portion of their power. Path of the Scavenger Features BARBARIAN LEVEL FEATURE 3rd Scavenger’s Appetite 6th Carrion Feat 10th Hungry Eyes 17th Apex Scavenger Scavenger’s Appetite Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, your rage fills you with an insatiable hunger for life. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a weapon attack while you are raging, you can consume a portion of its vitality. When you do, the creature cannot regain hit points until the start of your next turn and you gain temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt. You lose any remaining temporary hit points gained from this feature when the rage ends. Carrion Feast Starting at 6th level, you have gained the ability to take on the strengths of the carrion you feast upon. When you spend 1 minute or more eating a creature that died in the last hour, the creature cannot be raised as undead with any magic short of a wish spell and you can choose to gain one of the following benefits: •You have proficiency in one skill the creature had proficiency in. •You gain resistance to one damage type the creature had resistance or immunity to. •You have advantage on saving throws against a condition the creature was immune to. You keep this benefit until the next time you use this feature. Hungry Eyes Starting at 10th level, you can use a bonus action to mark a creature you can see within 30 feet as your next meal. While you can see the marked creature, you know if its current hit points are equal to or less than half of its maximum hit points. If you deal damage to a marked creature with a weapon attack and its current hit points are equal to or less than half of its maximum hit points, you deal an additional 1d6 necrotic damage. The mark ends after 10 minutes or when you mark a different creature. Apex Scavenger Starting at 17th level, you take advantage of every weakness in your living foes and the strength of your defeated enemies. You gain the following benefits: •When you gain temporary hit points from your Scavenger’s Appetite feature, you gain temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt instead of half the damage dealt. •You can keep up to three benefits gained by eating carrion with your Carrion Feast feature. When you would gain a fourth benefit, choose one of your benefits to lose then gain the new benefit. •The additional necrotic damage from your Hungry Eye feature increases from 1d6 to 1d10.
Chapter 7: Subclasses 127 CLERIC: Hearth Domain The frozen tundra of Prazzolar, despite its harsh climates, carries some life still. Those who live there have learned to draw comfort and sustenance from the land where visitors would fail. In so doing, they have developed a method to draw energy from all living things and weave that same energy into magical auras of warmth and healing. A hearth is more than a physical location inside a home or inn—it’s the foundation of companionship at all levels. Hearth Domain Features CLERIC LEVEL FEATURE 1st Domain Spells, Flame of Life, Hearth Tales 2nd Hearthmate 6th Burst of Flame 8th Stone Resolve 17th Hearthspace Hearth Domain Spells CLERIC LEVEL SPELLS 1st comprehend languages, identify 3rd detect thoughts, enthrall 5th nondetection, tiny hut 7th locate creature, private sanctum 9th dream, scrying Flame of Life When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain the ability to create a warming flame out of whatever is at hand. If you spend one minute gathering flammable objects and focusing your will, you can create a nonmagical fire that is suitable for cooking and warming you and your allies. A fire that you create in this manner burns for up to 8 hours and is the size of a standard campfire. Hearth Tales Also starting at 1st level, you benefit from the lessons of your friends, families, and allies. Choose one tool, one gaming set, and one of the following skills: Arcana, History, Insight, or Religion. Whenever you make an ability check that includes one of these tools or skills, you may treat a d20 roll of 4 or lower as a 5. Channel Divinity: Hearthmate Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to summon a hearthmate. This creature desires only to ensure that your hearthfire is tended and that meals prepared during this time are perfectly made. Any creature that consumes a meal prepared by your hearthmate removes 1 level of exhaustion, to a maximum of once per day. Hearthmates exist for one hour and cannot attack. If reduced to 0 hit points or forced to use aggressive actions, they simply wink out of existence. They are capable of basic speech and possess a small amount of knowledge, nearly all of which is centered upon recipes that use the local flora and fauna. (See stat block at the end of this subclass). Channel Divinity: Burst of Flame At 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to make yourself radiate the warmth of a comforting hearth. Doing so makes you resistant to cold and fire damage until the end of your next turn. At 12th level, this effect instead targets yourself and up to three allies of your choosing, and the effect lasts for one minute. At 18th level, this effect instead targets yourself and up to ten allies of your choosing and the effect lasts for ten minutes.
128 Arora: Age of Desolation Stone Resolve Starting at 8th level, you have advantage on Constitution saving throws, and you have advantage on saving throws made against effects that would have you gain levels of exhaustion. If a spell or effect instructs you to gain a level of exhaustion without making a saving throw, you may roll a d20. On a roll of 15 or higher, you instead gain no levels of exhaustion. Hearthspace Starting at 17th level, you can perform a ritual to create a hearthspace. This ritual cleanses an area of its negative energies so that you and your allies can claim it as home. This ritual takes one hour to perform, during which time you can perform no other strenuous actions nor can you be interrupted. Upon its conclusion, the area gains the following effects: Keep It Calm. Similar to the calm emotions spell, every creature other than yourself that enters your hearthspace finds that their strong emotions are suppressed. When a creature enters the area, they must make a Charisma saving throw; a creature can choose to fail this saving throw if it wishes. If a creature fails its saving throw, choose one of the following two effects. You can dispel an effect causing a target to be charmed or frightened. If the charm or frightened effect came from an extremely powerful source, such as a 9th-level spell, an artifact, or a creature with a CR of 24 or higher, the effect is suppressed instead of dispelled while the creature remains inside of your hearthspace. You can make a creature feel indifferent about a subject of your choice. This indifference ends if the creature is attacked or harmed by a spell or if it witnesses any of its friends being harmed, or if they leave your hearthspace. Potent Magics. You double the duration of any abjuration, divination, or enchantment spell you cast in your hearthspace. If the hearthspace is terminated for any reason, any spell benefiting from this effect is immediately dispelled. Additionally, allies within your hearthspace are under the effect of a nondetection spell. Sturdy. A hearthspace that you create lasts for one week or until it is dismissed, whichever is sooner. Magical effects that would attempt to dispel your hearthspace are made with disadvantage. A Place of Refuge. A hearthspace uses the description and effects of the magnificent mansion spell, save for where certain elements (such as duration) are replaced by the above text. The hearthspace has one hearthmate present inside. No Fighting— That’s The One Rule. Any aggressive action taken within the hearthspace immediately dispels its effects. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. Hearthmate Medium construct, unaligned AC 10 Hit Points 4 (1d8) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 8 (-1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 8 (-1) Skills Perception +2 Senses passive Perception 12 Languages any that the caster understands Challenge 0 (10 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Hearthtender. A hearthmate exists to ensure that hearths are used to their fullest potential. If a hearthmate tends a fire over a long rest, any creature within 20 feet of the fire that expends hit dice to regain hit points regains an additional hit point per hit die expended. Furthermore, any meal created on a hearthmate’s fire is exceptionally delicious and filling. These meals require half of the normal ingredients, and a single meal can fill a Medium creature for an entire day. Limited Time Only. A hearthmate exists for one hour; not even spells and effects such as time stop can prevent a hearthmate from departing to where ever hearthmates come from when their time has elapsed. ACTIONS A hearthmate cannot take combat actions.
Chapter 7: Subclasses 129 CLERIC: Scale of Jha-dhol The Scales of Jha-dhol perform a critical role. Without their constant rituals offering up sacrifices to the dragon goddess, Jha-dhol would not have the power to protect Arora. Only through their devotion can she shield the remnants of the world from the larger masses of the Shardscale. Some failings of The Scale of Jha-dhol in the distant past contributed to some of the Shardscale entering Arora and triggering the Dragonrage over 500 years ago. The domain Jha-dhol grants her clerics is unlike any other. The power needed to protect the world prevents Jha-dhol from giving her clerics domain spells, but rather she imparts a small part of the energy from the sacrifices they make to her so they might augment the other abilities she grants. Scale of Jha-dhol Features CLERIC LEVEL FEATURE 1st Domain Spell Slots, Scales of Jha-dhol 2nd Breath of Jha-dhol 6th Sacrifice of Jha-dhol 8th Potent Spellcasting 17th Avatar of the Dragon Goddess Domain Spell Slots Unlike other domains, Scales of Jha-dhol receive no domain spells. Instead, when you would normally gain a domain spell (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th-level), you instead gain an additional spell slot for your highest spell level (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th respectively). You may use these domain spell slots to cast spells as normal or expend them to augment your other domain abilities. To regain expended domain spell slots, when you prepare spells, you must sacrifice items or treasure worth 1 gp per domain spell slot you wish to regain. Scales of Jha-dhol At 1st level, you gain the ability to extend Jha-dhol’s protection to others. As an action, a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you is covered in radiant scales and gains a +1 bonus to AC for 1 minute. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Domain Spell Slot Augmentation. When activating this ability, you can expend a domain spell slot to increase the bonus to AC by the level of the slot expended. Channel Divinity: Breath of Jha-dhol Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to exhale magical energy in a 15-foot cone originating from you. You may choose which breath you exhale each time you channel divinity. Breath of Wrath. You exhale a cone that deals either acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature takes 1d6 damage of the type chosen. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage. This damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6). Breath of Succor. You exhale a cone of sparkling gas that heals the wounded. Creatures within the cone that you choose regain 1d6 hit points. This healing increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6). Domain Spell Slot Augmentation. When activating this ability, you can expend a domain spell slot to increase the number of dice rolled by the level of the slot expended. Sacrifice of Jha-dhol At 6th level you may sacrifice a part of your own lifeforce to Jha-dhol to empower protection for another. As an action you give your own lifeforce to the Dragon Goddess, suffering 3d6 force damage that cannot be reduced in anyway. A creature that you can see is healed for half of the amount rolled, and both gains 1 temporary hit point and teleports up to 5 feet, per die rolled. The target must arrive in an unoccupied space that you can see. The number of dice rolled increases by 1d6 when you reach 11th level (4d6) and 17th level (5d6). You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Domain Spell Slot Augmentation. When activating this ability, you can expend a domain spell slot to increase the number of dice rolled by the level of the slot expended. Potent Spellcasting Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip. Avatar of the Dragon Goddess At 17th level, you may entreat Jha-dhol to fill you with her power for 1 minute. Wings of radiant green energy sprout from your back giving you the ability to hover as well as a fly speed equal to your walking speed. You are sheathed in her radiant scales, giving you resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and poison damage. While in this form, your Breath of Jha-dhol has a range of 60 feet. You must finish a long rest before using this ability again. Domain Spell Slot Augmentation. When activating this ability, you can expend a domain spell slot to increase the duration by 1 minute per level of the slot expended.
130 Arora: Age of Desolation DRUID: Circle of Conducting Druids of the Circle of Conducting have embraced the raw elemental power of nature and magic. These druids have learned not only to summon this power themselves, but to absorb, conduct, and re-channel it in ways that suit their needs. Nowhere is the need for such power greater than in the realm of Gallaht, where raging lightning storms threaten the very existence of life within the realm. Elementalists of all kinds are summoned to tame these storms, but none do it more reliably than the conductor druids who attempt to harness the power of these storms to preserve the small colonies of folk who survive in this sand blasted wasteland. Circle of Conducting Features DRUID LEVEL FEATURE 2nd Living Conductor, Conduit Shape 6th Elemental Strikes 10th Greater Conduit 14th Harness Energy Living Conductor Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to absorb and conduct elemental energy. You have a pool of d6s that you spend as part of this feature. The number of dice in your Living Conductor pool equals 1 + your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended dice when you finish a short or long rest. At 2nd level, as a reaction when you or an ally you can see within 30 feet take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, roll all of the dice currently in your Living Conductor pool. These dice are not expended from your pool. You summon a momentary magical conductor that absorbs energy. and negates an amount of damage equal to the roll. Additionally, if your conductor absorbs at least 15 points of damage in this manner, you can choose to immediately transform into your Conduit Shape without expending a use of Wild Shape. Conduit Shape As a bonus action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to take on the form an energy conduit, rather than transforming into a beast. The form lasts for 10 minutes. It ends early if you dismiss it (no action required), are incapacitated, die, or use this feature again. While in your conduit form, you retain your game statistics, and your body glows with elemental energy. You gain the following benefits while in this form: •You have resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage. •Any creature that hits you with a melee attack takes lightning damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). •When you make a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell as a result of taking acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, you can treat a roll of 9 or lower on the d20 as a 10. Elemental Strikes Starting at 6th level, you gain two additional ways to use your Living Conductor pool: •As a bonus action, you can expend 1 die from your Living Conductor pool to make your weapon attacks deal your choice of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage for 1 hour. Alternatively, you can touch one melee weapon and bestow the same benefit on all attacks made with it for 1 hour. •As a reaction when you or an ally that you can see within 30 feet deal acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage to a creature, you can expend any number of dice from your Living Conductor pool and add them to that damage. These dice do not double on a critical hit. Greater Conduit Starting at 10th level, when you take 10 or more points of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage from a single source while in your Conduit Shape, you regain 1 spent die from your Living Conductor pool.
Chapter 7: Subclasses 131 Harness Energy Starting at 14th level, you can absorb a massive amount of energy and channel it into a devastating attack. You must have at least 5 dice remaining in your Living Conductor pool to use this feature. As a reaction when you are targeted by an effect that would deal at least 40 points of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage to you before saving throws or resistances, you expend all dice in your Living Conductor pool and absorb the entirety of the effect’s elemental damage within a 100-foot radius of yourself. After absorbing the effect, you can either let it harmlessly dissipate, or you can attempt to immediately harness it (no action required). If the damage dealt to you (before saving throws or resistance) was over 100, you must choose to harness the effect. When you attempt to harness the energy, roll a d100 and consult the following table and apply the effect: D100 EFFECT 01–19 Wave of Destruction. All creatures within 100 feet of you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take 10d6 thunder damage and be knocked prone. A creature that succeeds takes half as much damage and isn’t knocked prone. 20–29 Wave of Chaos. Gravity reverses (as per the reverse gravity spell) in a 100-foot radius of you. The effect does not require concentration and lasts until the end of your next turn. 30–39 Wave of Elemental Enhancement. For the next minute, acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage dealt within a 100-foot-radius sphere centered on you ignores all resistances. 40–49 Wave of Elemental Infusion. For the next minute, the air in a 100-foot-radius sphere becomes infused with elemental energy of your choice—acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. All attacks made in this area deal an additional 2d6 damage of the chosen type. 50–59 Wave of Energy. You recover expended spell slots that have a combined level less than or equal to the number of Living Conductor dice you expended when activating Harness Energy. 60–69 Wave of Rejuvenation. You regain all expended Living Conductor pool dice. 70–79 Wave of Power. You become infused with power. The next spell you cast using a spell slot is cast at 9th level regardless of the spell slot used. 80–89 Wave of Vengeance. You cast the storm of vengeance spell in a location of your choice, and under your control. The spell requires concentration to maintain. 90–99 Wave of Vitality. All creatures of your choice that you can see within 100 feet of you recover 6d8 hit points. 100 Power Surge. Roll twice; both effects occur in the order rolled. If the second effect is the same as the first, reroll until you get a different result. DRUID: Circle of Nightmares Most druids draw their magic from the environment they inhabit, gaining the fiery heat of the desert or freezing callousness of the frozen tundra. Tievmer, however, is a realm of nightmarish twisted forests, an overgrown woodland populated by dark, twisted, thornridden, and dangerous copses of vegetation. Deep within the pressing gloom beneath the canopies of Tievmer are pockets of complex chaos and nightmares; vortexes of half-formed dreams and bizarre koppies where anything imaginable is possible. Druids who try to draw their magic from these unnatural Dreamspace Pockets find themselves overcome with nightmarish hauntings that corrupt their usual druidic powers. They are eventually permanently changed by their connection to the nightmare. "Conducting druids are known for their stormy personalities." - Jhakith Madra Adailar
132 Arora: Age of Desolation Few mortals can withstand living in the Dreamspace Pockets. Those that try go mad or eventually succumb to the needs of the physical realm and desert their koppies. Druids of the Circle of Nightmares are some of the few who can survive the warping chaos. The circle congregates in these mind-bending pockets of the forest’s gloom to conduct sacred rituals. Circle of Nightmares Features DRUID LEVEL FEATURE 2nd Circle Spells, Nightmarish Form 6th Psychic Strikes 10th Shifting Terror 14th Dreamspace Mutation Circle Spells Your link to the Dreamspace and your ability to control the ephemeral matter that makes it up grants you access to certain spells. At 2nd level, you learn the minor illusion cantrip. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of Nightmares Spells table. Once you gain access to one of these spells, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn’t appear on the druid spell list, the spell is nonetheless a druid spell for you. Circle of Nightmares Spells DRUID LEVEL SPELLS 2nd color spray 3rd darkness, see invisibility 5th fear, major image 7th black tentacles, phantasmal killer 9th dream, mislead Nightmarish Form At 2nd level, as a bonus action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to take on a nightmarish form, rather than transforming into a beast. While in your nightmarish form, you retain all of your statistics, but your body becomes shrouded in smoky miasma, your face takes on a dreadful aspect, and you appear ephemeral. This form emanates an aura of shadow in a 10-foot radius, which is lightly obscured. The form lasts for 10 minutes. It ends early if you dismiss it (no action required), are incapacitated, die, or use this feature again. Whenever you assume your nightmarish form, choose which of the following dreadful aspects appears upon you: Baleful Hound. Your face becomes contorted into a twisted canine visage. When you activate this form, and as a bonus action on your subsequent turns for the duration, you can emit an awful howl. Each creature within 30 feet of you that can hear the howl must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become frightened of you until the end of their next turn. Fleeting Phantom. Your body seems to melt into the miasma that surrounds it. Whenever you cast a druid spell using a spell slot, you can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see. Probing Augur. Your eyes gleam with inquisitive light. You can cast detect thoughts without using a spell slot and without providing the material components, and you have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks while the form lasts. Psychic Strikes Starting at 6th level, your weapon attacks while in Nightmarish Form deal psychic damage instead of the usual damage type, and count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. Shifting Terror At 10th level, your Nightmarish Form improves. While in your Nightmarish form you cannot be frightened or charmed, and you gain a flying speed of 20 feet and can hover. Additionally, at the start of each of your turns while in your Nightmarish Form, you can change which dreadful aspect you manifest. Dreamspace Mutation When you reach 14th level, your connection with the Dreamworld corrupts your physical form and changes it forever. Choose one of the following mutations. Your choice gives you certain benefits: Extra Limbs. You gain extra arms, flailing tendrils, enormous claws, or some other appendages to your form. You can attack twice with melee and ranged weapon attacks, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Halo of Horrors. A crown of horns, whirling maelstrom of hair, or tumorous growth surrounds your head like a halo. You have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks, and creatures that can see you have disadvantage on saving throws made to avoid becoming frightened, or to end the frightened condition. Hideous Syllables. Your voice or mouth is corrupted in some way, perhaps another demonic voice speaks alongside your own, or your tongue triples in length and turns black. Whenever you cast a druid spell using a spell slot that targets only one creature and deals damage, you can use a bonus action to deal additional psychic damage to that creature equal to your druid level. "Nightmare druids are the nicest part of Tievmer. That should tell you everything you need to know about that realm." - Nyben, Grobb Smuggler
Chapter 7: Subclasses 133 DRUID: Circle of Sand The Circle of Sand is made up of nomadic desert hermits of Gallaht who safeguard the knowledge and mystic rites of that realm. The druids tap the magic of the sands to survive, travel vast distances, and wield the scouring power of sandstorms. These druids meet within sacred circles of rocks or stones to whisper primal secrets in Druidic. The circle’s wisest members preside as the chief priests of communities that dwell in the stone holds of Gallaht, and serve as advisors to the rulers of those folk. As a member of this circle, your magic is influenced by the primal power steeped deep into the desert winds and sands where you were initiated into the circle’s mysterious rites, calling forth electrically charged sandstorms. Circle of Sand Features DRUID LEVEL FEATURE 2nd Sand-Scoured Fortitude, Desert Forager, Circle of Sand Spells 6th Primal Shock 10th Sand Walker 14th Desert Storm Sand- Scoured Fortitude At 2nd level, a blue image of an electrically charged sandstorm appears on you. When you make an Intelligence or a Wisdom check or a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell, you can treat a roll of 9 or lower on the d20 as a 10. Desert Forager At 2nd level, you know how to find water and food in the inhospitable desert sands. You know where the oases are and where to take shelter from the bitterly cold dark. After spending an hour in the desert wilds, you can make a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check. On a success, you can find a day’s worth of water and food for yourself and up to 5 others once each day. Circle Spells Your mystical connection to the magic permeating the desert infuses you with the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to Circle of Sand spells that draw power from the wind and scorching sand. Once you gain access to a circle spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn’t appear on the druid spell list, it counts as a druid spell for you. Circle of Desert Spells DRUID LEVEL SPELLS 2nd shocking grasp 3rd gust of wind, pass without trace 5th call lightning, wind wall 7th stone shape, stone skin 9th mirage arcane, whirlwind Primal Shock At 6th level, attacks you make while in Wild Shape are wreathed in blowing sand and crackling lightning. Attacks you make in beast form count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. All successful attacks while in Wild Shape deal an extra 1d6 lightning damage. Sand Walker Starting at 10th level, you can cast dimension door once per long rest to make your way safely through the dangers of the desert terrains. Additionally, you can’t be charmed or frightened by elementals or dragons, and you have resistance to lightning damage. Desert Storm At 14th level, the magic of Gallaht grants you the ability to call upon a great sandstorm. You strike the ground, creating a wave of energy that ripples outward from you, picking up wind and sand and whipping it into a roiling desert storm cloud of electrically charged sand. You can make the storm up to 300 feet in radius and 300 feet high. The sandstorm lasts for 6 rounds before fading. You are not affected by the sandstorm’s effects. Each creature starting their turn within the storm must make a Strength saving throw at the start of their turn. On a failed save, a creature takes 5d6 thunder damage, as well as 5d6 lightning or bludgeoning damage (your choice) and becomes blinded. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw takes half as much damage and isn’t blinded but can only see out to 30 feet. Flying creatures must make a Strength check with disadvantage every turn they are in the storm or risk losing control. On a failure, they immediately fall to the ground, landing prone. In order to fly again, they must pass a Strength check equal to your spellcasting DC. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
134 Arora: Age of Desolation DRUID: Circle of Volcanoes The volcanic mountains of Mogsturma are home to a destructive circle of druids: the Circle of Volcanoes. These druids accept the volcano’s fiery power and chaotic ferocity into their bodies. In turn, this bond enhances their spells, adapts their wild shapes, and empowers their soul. Druids of this circle also welcome the potential consequences this bond brings. Their credo is “Destruction Brings Life.” Experienced Circle of Volcanoes druids who have become hardened to the volcano’s heat hold a summit high in the central mountain range of Mogsturma, the Sturma Peaks. Here, the druids have a large dais centered between several active volcanoes. The location of their sanctuary provides them protection, allowing them to converse, deliberate, and meditate while the volcanoes spew magma and cinders. Less experienced druids are welcome to attend the gathering, though rarely due any complete the journey due to the deadliness of the environment. Circle of Volcanoes Features DRUID LEVEL FEATURE 2nd Blood of the Volcano, Bonus Cantrip, Fiery Beacon 6th Volcanic Shield 10th Form of the Volcano 14th Destruction Brings Life Blood of the Volcano At 2nd level, the power of the volcano flows through your veins. Creatures within 5 feet of you notice a faint warmth radiating from your body. You have resistance to fire damage. Bonus Cantrip When you choose the circle at 2nd level, you learn the magma blast cantrip. This cantrip doesn’t count against the number of druid cantrips you know. Fiery Beacon At 2nd level, as a bonus action, you may conjure the deep flame of the volcano. Your body transforms, retaining its shape but appearing as roiling lava. While transformed in this way, you have advantage on Charisma checks. In addition, you emit bright light in a 15-foot radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet. The feature lasts for one hour, or until you use a bonus action to end it. You must complete a short or long rest before using this feature again. Circle Spells Your connection to the volcanoes of the realms empowers your body with destructive and life-giving spells. Once you gain access to one of these spells, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn’t appear on the druid spell list, the spell is considered a druid spell for you. Circle of Volcanoes Spells DRUID LEVEL SPELLS 3rd aid, lava whip 5th revivify, volcanic eruption 7th stone to magma, stoneskin 9th cloudkill, mass cure wounds Volcanic Shield At 6th level, you conjure a cylinder of swirling cinders, lava rock, and magma that lasts for 1 minute. This cylinder provides you with half cover and 20 temporary hit points. In addition, a creature within 5 feet of you that hits you with a melee attack takes 1d6 × your proficiency bonus fire damage. The cylinder ends when you use a bonus action to end it or when the temporary hit points are exhausted. The temporary hit points end after a short or long rest. You must complete a short or long rest before using this feature again. Form of the Volcano At 10th level, the volcano has entered your soul, making you immune to fire damage. In addition, your strengthened bond with this elemental force allows you to assume the form of a fiery, destructive creature. Choose either the magma mephit or magmin to add to your list of Wild Shapes. At 14th level, you gain the Wild Shape form that you did not choose at 10th level. Destruction Brings Life At 14th level, when you are reduced to 0 hit points, you may immediately use your reaction to explode with destructive ferocity, creating a 60-foot sphere of fire and magma centered on you. Each creature within this radius must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw equal to your spellcasting save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes 5d8 fire damage, or half as much damage on a successful one. You regain hit points equal to the number of creatures damaged by this feature. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. "Lava burns the flesh, but it burns the soul of those who wield it." - Mogsturman Proverb
Chapter 7: Subclasses 135 New Circle Spells LAVA WHIP Level 2nd Casting Time 1 Action Range/Area 15 ft Components V, S, M (a 6-inch-long piece of leather) Duration Concentration 1 minute School Transmutation Attack/Save Melee Damage Fire You create a flexible stream of lava that extends from your hand. For the duration, you can make a melee spell attack against a creature within 15 feet of you. On a hit, the target takes fire damage equal to 2d6 + your spellcasting ability modifier. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC equal to your spell save DC). Until the grapple ends, and on each of your subsequent turns for the duration, you can use your action to deal 2d6 fire damage to the target automatically. In addition, while grappled, the target’s movement is limited to the range of the spell. The spell ends if a grappled target breaks free, or if you use your action to do anything else. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the initial damage increases by 1d6 for each slot above 2nd level. MAGMA BLAST Level Cantrip Casting Time 1 Action Range/Area 60 ft. (5 ft. radius) Components V, S Duration Instantaneous School Conjuration Attack/Save Dex Save Damage Fire You hurl an exploding ball of magma at a creature or object within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 fire damage and each creature within 5 feet of the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take half damage (minimum 1). In addition, the initial target is pushed 5 feet away from you. A flammable object hit by this spell ignites if isn’t being worn. At Higher Levels. This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6). VOLCANIC ERUPTION Level 3rd Casting Time 1 Action Range/Area Self (20 ft sphere) Components V, S Duration Instantaneous School Evocation Attack/Save Dex Save Damage Fire The power of the volcano erupts from your body, creating a 20-foot-radius sphere consisting of magma and lava rock. Each creature, including you, within this radius must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 4d6 fire damage and 4d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the fire damage increases by 1d6 for each slot above 3rd level. STONE TO MAGMA Level 4th Casting Time 1 Action Range/Area 30 feet (15-foot cube, varies) Components V, S M (a small chunk of ruby quartz) Duration Concentration 1 minute School Transmutation Attack/Save Dex Save Damage Fire You liquify stone, creating a 4-inch-deep square of magma centered on a point within range that you can see. You determine the size of the square when you cast the spell, which can range from 6 inches to 15 feet. Each creature in this area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 8d6 fire damage. A creature must also make the saving throw when it moves into the spell’s space for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there. The magma reverts to stone when the spell ends. Anything in the spell’s radius at that time is restrained. A creature can use its action to make a DC 18 Strength check, freeing itself or another restrained target within reach on a success. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the fire damage increase by 1d6 for each slot above 5th level.
136 Arora: Age of Desolation FIGHTER: Legionnaire Legionnaires have spent time training as members of elite military and survivalist forces. This training has honed their combat skills, allowing them to excel at fighting as a unit. Well-seasoned legionnaires win the admiration of their companions and become fearsome battlefield commanders. Legionnaire Features FIGHTER LEVEL FEATURE 3rd Strength in Numbers 7th Steel Nerves 10th Commander’s Grace 15th As One 18th Vengeful Rally Strength in Numbers Upon selecting this archetype at 3rd level, you gain heightened fighting prowess when you’re near your allies. You gain a bonus to AC and weapon damage based on how many allies are adjacent to you. Each ally adjacent to you who is utilizing a shield grants you a +1 bonus to AC (to a maximum of your proficiency bonus). Each adjacent ally wielding a melee weapon grants you a +1 bonus to melee weapon damage. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus to Charisma (Intimidation) checks for each adjacent ally. Steel Nerves Aspects of your training have been truly terrifying, pushing you to your limits. That was the past. At 7th level, you are immune to the frightened condition. As a reaction, you can grant allies within 30 feet advantage on saving throws to avoid being frightened. Commander’s Grace Upon reaching 10th level, you have become a renowned leader, issuing swift battle commands with brutal efficiency. As a bonus action, you may command your adjacent allies to use their reaction to make a melee weapon attack with advantage. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of this ability after finishing a long rest. As One In a battle-hardened phalanx, all members move in lockstep. At 15th level, allies adjacent to you at the start of combat may substitute your initiative roll for their own. Each ally uses their own initiative modifiers. Vengeful Rally At 18th level, your battle exploits have become legendary. You are as loved by your troops and companions as you are feared by your enemies. When you drop to 0 hit points, all allies within 60 feet of you may use a reaction to take an Attack action. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Chapter 7: Subclasses 137 FIGHTER: Stone Warden The Stone Warden is blessed (or cursed) with a deep connection with the Elemental Plane of Earth. These warriors use magical abilities to make themselves hard as stone, unleash fury from the earth itself, or even summon creatures from the Elemental Plane of Earth. They focus their abilities to draw on this power and weave it into their combat style. These fighters are blessed with a hardy resilient manner and often hold the line when others would fall under a punishing assault from their foes. Stone Warden Features FIGHTER LEVEL FEATURE 3rd Earthen Bond, Tremor Shock 7th Hard as Stone 10th Earthen Phalanx 15th Storm of Earth Spell 18th Volcanic Blast Earthen Bond When you reach 3rd level, you can speak Primordial. You can augment your martial prowess with the ability to call on the power from the elemental plane of earth to fuel magical abilities. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your spells, since you learn your spells through physical integration and communion with the earth. You use your Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier Additionally, you have resistance to piercing and slashing damage. Tremor Shock At 3rd level, you can cast a spell called tremor shock as a bonus action, creating a wave of force sweeping out from you rippling through the earth. Each creature in a 15-foot cube centered on you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 1d8 bludgeoning damage, is pushed 10 feet away from you and is knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t pushed or knocked prone. In addition, objects which are completely within the area of effect and unsecured are automatically pushed 10 feet away from you by the spell’s effect, and the spell creates deep rumbling audible out to 300 feet. Creatures in flight are unaffected by this ability. At Higher Levels. This spell’s damage increases when you reach certain levels. At 5th level, the attack deals an extra 1d8 bludgeoning damage to the target on a hit (2d8), Damage increases by 1d8 at 11th level (3d8) and again at 17th level (4d8). You can cast this spell once per short rest. Hard as Stone Beginning at 7th level, you can cast the spell stoneskin once per short rest. You are also immune to the petrified condition. Earthen Phalanx At 10th level, you learn how to summon earth elementals. You can cast conjure elemental but you can only summon earth elementals. You can use this feature once per long rest. You now have resistance to damage from any creature from the Elemental Plane of Earth. Storm of Earth At 15th level you can call upon the earthen plane to create a storm of falling stones and earth. As an action you can cast a spell to call forth a punishing storm made up of falling and flying heavy stones. The storm of earth appears in a location you choose within 90 feet. The area of the storm consists of up to ten 10-foot-wide cylinders, which you can arrange as you wish. Each cylinder must be adjacent to another cylinder. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. It takes 7d10 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The stone damages objects in the area and creates difficult terrain in those areas. If you choose, plant life in the area is unaffected by this spell. Flying creatures within this area that fail their Dexterity save immediately fall to the ground. You can cast this spell once per long rest. Volcanic Blast Starting at 18th level, you can call upon the deepest hottest parts of the earth to bring its fury forth into battle. You can cast meteor swarm to summon explosive boulders of magma onto your enemies, wrecking battlelines and equipment where they land. You can cast this spell once per long rest.
138 Arora: Age of Desolation MONK: Way of the Silent Scribe Monks of the Order of Silent Scribes have dedicated their lives to deciphering the movement of the stars in the firmament above. They believe these hold a hidden message essential to the dragons in their hour of need. To fully comprehend the passage of the stars, monks of this order ritually blind themselves so that they cannot be distracted by the stars themselves, instead focusing on the movements they see in their mind’s eye. Sometimes, members of the order must leave the monastery to conduct missions that benefit the order. Some of these monks go on to become adventurers. Way of the Silent Scribe adventurers are often stoic and introspective, spending time meditating on the passage of the stars above, ensuring that their actions benefit their monastery in some way. Way of the Silent Scribe Features MONK LEVEL FEATURE 3rd Ritual Blinding 6th Star Strike 11th Blinding Aspect 17th Passage of the Stars Ritual Blinding Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you undergo a secret ceremony in the Silent Scribes’ monastery that blinds you, turning your eyes into starry voids in which constellations swim through a sea of midnight black. Although your eyes have been taken, you gain blindsight out to a range of 120 feet. Star Strike At 6th level, you gain the ability to infuse your unarmed strikes with searing starlight. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can use ki points to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the damage from your unarmed strike. The extra damage is equal to 2d6 radiant damage for 1 ki point, and an additional 1d6 radiant damage for each additional ki point spent. The maximum number of ki points that you can spend on a single unarmed strike equals half your monk level. Blinding Aspect By 11th level, you have unlocked the ability to channel starlight into your bodily form, causing you to radiate stellar light around yourself at an almost unbearable intensity. You can use an action and a ki point to emit a blinding aura of white light in a 30-foot radius around yourself. Each creature of your choice that can see you within the area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your ki save DC or become blinded until the end of their next turn. Passage of the Stars At 17th level, you have unlocked hidden knowledge of the stars and their passage across the night sky, giving you an insight into the future of the realms. You can use this insight to cast the augury spell once per day as a ritual without material components. Additionally, you can use the prophetic visions you see in the stars’ passage to alter the fates and change reality. For the next 24 hours you can spend 1 ki point to reroll any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check you make. You can only affect a roll once in this way. You must use the new result, even if it is worse. Alternatively, for the next 24 hours you can expend 3 ki points to cause a creature you can perceive to reroll an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. The target must use the new result.
Chapter 7: Subclasses 139 PALADIN: Oath of Incarceration The Oath of Incarceration represents safety and justice. A paladin who takes this oath sees all sentient humanoids as requiring protection. Not only do you maintain safety in the world, but you also protect those sentenced to incarceration. Though they may be a danger to others, criminals and those otherwise incarcerated have the same right to safety as anyone else. When a paladin of this order deals with a sentient humanoid, aggression is their last choice. Many Oath of Incarceration paladins are pacifists, relying on their abilities to peacefully subdue an enemy when in combat. Paladins of this oath accept the decisions of their companions, as each has their own freewill, but they preach the word of their oath, attempting to persuade others to speak and subdue before acting with aggression. Tenets of Incarceration The tenets of the Oath of Incarceration are based on the principle of subjugation over aggression. Physical damage should be a last resort. Preventing harm to others is vital. Subjugation Over Death. Subduing enemies is your goal. Killing is a last resort. Law. You are the embodiment of the law. You are not judge and jury. Warden of Souls. You are warden of all sentient humanoids. Beacon of Hope. Your actions inspire hope in others. Show them aggression and pain are not the only options during a conflict. Oath of Incarceration Features PALADIN LEVEL FEATURE 3rd Improved Divine Smite, Channel Divinity 7th Aura of Subjugation 15th Sentinel of the Lessor 18th Aura of Subjugation Radius Increase 20th Balance the Scales Oath Spells You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath of Incarceration Spells table. Oath of Incarceration Spells PALADIN LEVEL SPELLS 3rd bane 5th hold person, mirror image 9th bestow curse, slow 13th banishment, death ward 17th dominate person, planar binding Custodial Divine Smite When you take this oath at 3rd level, your Divine Smite gains the following additional benefit: Whenever you expend a spell slot to deal Divine Smite damage, you instead force that creature to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the magic of your Divine Smite cocoons the creature, causing it to become restrained for 1 minute or until you use an action to release the creature. While restrained in this way, if an attack hits the creature, the cocoon immediately releases a bolt of energy, dealing the attacker 1d4 × your proficiency bonus radiant damage.
140 Arora: Age of Desolation Channel Divinity When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options. Defensive Reflexes. As a bonus action on your turn, you can use your Channel Divinity to enhance your reflexes with divine speed for 1 minute. For the duration, you may use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your Armor Class against an attack that hits you, possibly causing the attack to miss. Calm the Unruly. As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer to calm the intentions of hostile creatures, using your Channel Divinity. Each hostile creature that can see or hear you within 15 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is stunned until the end of its next turn or until it takes damage. At 15th level, the range increases to 30 feet. Aura of Subjugation Starting at 7th level, you emanate an aura that imbues you and your companions with the ability to choose whether an enemy lives or dies. Whenever an enemy within this aura’s range is reduced to 0 hit points, you and any ally within 10 feet of you may use your reaction to utter a divine phrase of your choosing, causing that enemy creature to fall unconscious instead. While unconscious, the creature has 1 hit point. The creature remains unconscious for 1 hour, or until it receives magical healing. When you reach 18th level in this class, the range of the aura increases to 20 feet. Sentinel of the Lessor Starting at 15th level, whenever you or a creature within 5 feet of you takes damage, you may use your reaction to reduce that damage by 1d8 + your paladin level. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Tip the Scales At 20th level, you gain the ability to tip the scales of engagement to and your allies’ favor. As an action, you utter divine words that aid and protect your allies. All allies within 30 feet of you who can hear gain the following for 1 minute: •25 temporary hit points •A bonus to their AC equal to half your Charisma modifier rounded down (minimum 1) •Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Chapter 7: Subclasses 141 ROGUE: Equilibrist The ability to maintain perfect balance while performing acrobatic high-speed maneuvers is part natural talent and part finely-honed skill. Rogues who come to possess this skill at an elite level usually come from a background of using in their daily life. Career acrobats, extreme athletes, and sailors often make the dramatic leap to using their balancing skills for more dangerous pursuits. Equilibrist Features ROGUE LEVEL FEATURE 3rd Balancing Act, Dramatic Repositioning 9th Parkour 13th Sway Away 17th Behind You! Balancing Act At 3rd level, your walking speed increases by 5 feet. If you have a climbing or swimming speed, this increase applies to that speed as well. Additionally, you have advantage on all ability checks and saving throws related to keeping your balance and sure footing. This includes checks to avoid falling, being knocked prone, or balancing on a narrow surface. Dramatic Repositioning Starting at 3rd level, you can use your quick and surefooted movement to confuse enemies, granting you an additional way to use your Sneak Attack. Once per turn, if you move at least 15 feet before making an attack and finish this movement in a different spot than when you started your turn, the attack deals your Sneak Attack dice as extra damage. Parkour At 9th level, your speed increases by an additional 5 feet, and you can now move up to 30 feet a turn up a solid vertical surface without falling. Additionally, you can leap over enemies to gain tactical superiority. You can move through the area of any corporeal creature, provided the space directly above the creature is unoccupied. If a creature you’re attempting to move above of is Large or larger, you can move up vertically across it, using your movement to do so. You can’t end your movement in a space alongside or above the creature that you can’t normally occupy; if you do, you fall down to an unoccupied space of the creature’s choice adjacent to the creature. Sway Away Starting at 13th level, you can use the momentum of an enemy attack to sway away from further attacks. When you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to force all attacks against you, until the start of your next turn, to be made with disadvantage. Behind You! Starting at 17th level, when you use your Parkour feature to move through a creature’s space and end your movement in space on the opposite side of that creature from where you began, you have advantage on the first attack you make against that creature on the same turn.
142 Arora: Age of Desolation SORCERER: Forge Sorcerer Deep beneath the crumbling ruins of the realm of Gallaht lies the Sorcery Forge, an ancient arcane construct whose power passively amplifies the magic of those surviving in ignorance above it. The forge is more than a mere construct, however, having been enchanted as a living, thinking factory in a bygone era. Forced into a magical stasis, the magical disruptions experienced during the Dragonrage over 500 years ago weakened the spell containing the Sorcery Forge’s power. Over time, the ancient construct began to shake free of its magical restraints and reach out through alien dreams to the tiny sparks of consciousness it could sense up above, and every so often a connection was formed. Those linked to the forge in such a way find themselves in control of powers far beyond their peers’ and many remain ignorant of the true source of their newfound strength. But in dreams, when their minds lay open to outside influence, the Sorcery Forge can do more than offer power. It can learn, it can teach, and it can whisper to their sleeping souls. Those few who wield this power find they possess instinctive control over inanimate objects, reshaping and animating them as they please, but they also report odd dreams and a strange calling that seems to come from deep within the earth. Since the Dragonrage, the number of these forge sorcerers has increased slowly over time. With similar impulses tugging them to explore beneath the ruined cities of Gallaht, these sorcerers often congregate around ruins and entrances to deep running tunnels. When not exploring these places, they often flex their newfound magical might in contests against their peers, making Gallaht’s hidden cities extremely dangerous. Forge Sorcerer Features SORCERER LEVEL FEATURE 1st Forge Magic, Sorcerous Smith 6th Touch of Awakening 14th Forge Fires 18th Forgeborn Forge Magic You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Forge Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of spells you know. Forge Spells SORCERER LEVEL SPELLS 1st grease, identify 3rd locate object, magic weapon 5th haste, slow 7th fabricate, stone shape 9th animate objects, passwall Sorcerous Smith Starting at 1st level, the Sorcery Forge grants you visions and power through your dreams. You gain proficiency in smithing tools and can use magic to shape raw materials when smithing, ignoring any penalty for crafting without the proper tools. Additionally, you may use this ability to make crude alterations to small, nonmagical metal items such as coins, keys, or jewelry by spending 1 minute in uninterrupted concentration per item. Touch of Awakening At 6th level, the forge begins to imbue you with a portion of its power over inanimate objects. As an action, you may spend 2 sorcery points and touch a Tiny object, animating it for 1 minute. Treat this object as if it were animated using the animate objects spell, except that you can only have one such object active at a time. The size of the object you can animate increases to Small at level 14 and Medium at level 18. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier and regain all uses upon finishing a long rest. Forge Fires Starting at 14th level, your spells become infused with the power of the Sorcery Forge, making them more effective against constructs and inanimate objects. Your spells ignore the damage resistances of constructs and deal double damage to objects. In addition, if the spell requires a save, objects (whether magical or nonmagical) and constructs have disadvantage on their saving throw. Forgeborn Starting at 18th level, you gain the ability to draw on the power of the Sorcery Forge, temporarily altering your own body to resemble an animated construct. As an action, you can transform into a construct. For the next 10 minutes your Armor Class becomes 16 + your Dexterity modifier when you aren’t wearing armor, and you have advantage on Constitution saving throws. During this time your speed is reduced to 20 feet per round or your normal speed (whichever is slower), your weight doubles, you do not need to breathe, and you are immune to effects that would put you to sleep. Once you use this ability you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest. "Something dangerous lurks beneath the sand. I can feel it, even though I don’t know what it is." - Jhakith Madra Adailar
Chapter 7: Subclasses 143 SORCERER: Four Serpents Your innate powers come from four mighty couatl who each guard areas of Khoor: Tlape (north), Uked (west), Mormi (east), and Inoshi (south). A cosmic link between you and the Four Serpents has manifested in your very soul. Khoorians are divided regarding your lineage: some see you and the couatl power you wield as an extension of the Dragonrage—maybe you too will turn on the realm! Others see your powers as a sign of hope: the couatl may yet help bring the realm back from desolation, and they see you as a sign of that power at work in the world. In general, the couatl seek to preserve harmony and promote peace. Though the couatl seldom intervene directly, Four Serpents sorcerers receive what they refer to as ‘feather-touches.’ These nudges push the sorcerers toward actions the couatls value. For some, it may just be a sense or feeling that a given action, place, or person is important. In extreme cases, these feather-touches manifest as outright visions. Feather-touches always oppose demonic and undead aggression and strive to push sorcerers toward restoring order to the realm. Four Serpents Features SORCERER LEVEL FEATURE 1st Couatl Magic, Serpentine Mask 6th Prismatic Wings 14th Prophetic Awareness 18th Couatl Conversion Couatl Magic Your connection to the Four Serpents allows you learn spells normally associated with the druid class. When your spellcasting feature lets you learn a sorcerer cantrip or a sorcerer spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose the new spell from the druid spell list or the sorcerer spell list. The new cantrip or spell must be of a level you can cast, and the spell counts as a sorcerer spell for you. Serpentine Mask Starting at 1st level, you gain a version of the Four Serpents’ ability to travel the realms unnoticed. You learn the disguise self spell, but it does not count against your spells known. Additionally, you can cast it once per long rest without expending a spell slot. Prismatic Wings Starting at 6th level, as a bonus action, you can sprout multicolored, prismatic wings. These wings grant you a flying speed of 30 feet that lasts for 10 minutes. You can hover while flying in this way. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. In addition, while this feature is active, you have advantage on Charisma checks made to interact with dragons and dracokin across the Five Realms. Prophetic Awareness Beginning at 14th level, the call of the Four Serpents allows you to act as an agent of fate in the realm, upholding the multiplanar truth and order the Four Serpents participate in. You can no longer be surprised in combat. When a creature starts its turn in combat, if it is higher in the initiative order than you, you may use your reaction to switch places with it in the initiative order. When you use this ability, you take your turn at the new position and the creature you switched with takes your former spot. Until your next turn, you have resistance to all damage that the target causes. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again. Couatl Conversion Starting at 18th level, you take on even more features of the Four Serpents. Your eyes become solid orbs of deep color and you gain the effect of a couatl’s shielded mind: you become immune to scrying and to any effect that would sense your emotions, read your thoughts, or detect your location. You may temporarily unshield your mind at will to engage in telepathic communication or to allow yourself to be found but dropping the shield does not grant you telepathic powers or automatically reveal your location to others. Your Prophetic Awareness feature gains a new function: instead of swapping with a creature higher in the initiative order, when it is your turn and you’ve taken no other actions this turn, you may use your reaction to swap places in the order with a creature lower in the order than you. This prophetic moment invigorates the chosen creature, healing them for 1d8 + your sorcerer level. This creature takes its turn immediately, and you take your turn at the new place in the initiative order. When you switch places with a character lower on the initiative order, that character gains double the benefit from any magical healing other than from your Prophetic Awareness feature until its next turn.
144 Arora: Age of Desolation WARLOCK: Lost Beast Most warlocks enter into pacts willingly, but not all. The power of the unique Lost Beasts of Tievmer is tied to their mutated bodies. A warlock can forge a pact with one of these great creatures by consuming a piece of one the Lost Beasts: whether hunting one, eating from a rotting corpse, or ingesting a piece freely given by an intelligent Lost Beast. Once the piece is digested, the would-be warlock is imparted a fragment of the creature’s strength; a strength that grows as the warlock becomes more experienced. Lost Beast Patron Features WARLOCK LEVEL FEATURE 3rd Expanded Spell List, Weapon of the Beast 6th Adaptable Form 10th Dragon Hunter 14th Twisted Rage Expanded Spell List The Lost Beast lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you. Lost Beast Expanded Spells SPELL LEVEL SPELLS 1st jump, speak with animals 2nd barkskin, enhance ability 3rd elemental weapon, haste 4th polymorph, stoneskin 5th commune with nature, tree stride Weapon of the Beast Starting at 1st level, as an action you can invoke your patron to twist your body to create a natural weapon reminiscent of your patron that lasts for 1 minute. You might gain sharp claws, a wicked bite, smashing tail, or any natural weapon that your patron had. While you are transformed, you can use a bonus action to make one unarmed strike with your natural weapon, doing 1d8 + your Strength modifier. The attack deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing as appropriate to the form you take. You can use this action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Adaptable Form At 6th level, you can mutate your body to grow new appendages, adapting to difficult environments. For 1 hour, you gain one of the following benefits: Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Chameleon. You gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made while no creature is within 30 feet of you. Fast Runner. Your walking speed increases by 10 feet. Gills and Webbed Feet. You can breathe air and water and gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed. Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. Spider Limbs. You gain the ability to move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free. You also gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. You must finish a long rest to use this ability again. Dragon Hunter At 10th level you embody the predatory Lost Beast. As the Dragonrage twisted the Lost Beast to hunt draconic creatures, so have you begun to succumb, becoming a better predator of all things draconic. When targeting a dragon-type enemy, your unarmed attacks and spells you cast ignore all resistances to damage. Twisted Rage When you reach 14th level, you can call upon your connection to your patron to infuse your physical form with the Lost Beast’s unearthly rage for 1 minute. You transform into a Large amalgam of your own body and that of your patron; gaining the benefits of both Weapon of the Beast and Adaptable Form, without expending uses of either. Your statistics remain the same except for the following benefits: •Your Armor Class becomes 15 + your Dexterity modifier. •You gain 50 temporary hit points. •When you take the Attack action, you may attack three times with your natural weapon. •Attacks made with your natural weapon do an additional 1d8 damage and ignores all bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage resistance, and immunity. You may end this ability prematurely and return to your normal form by using an action. You must finish a long rest before using this ability again. "If you think you’re hunting a Lost Beast, you’re already dead." - Anonymous Villager
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146 Arora: Age of Desolation WARLOCK: The Psychopomp Your patron is a being who mediates the boundary between life and death, responsible for ushering every living creature into death at its appointed time. Such beings are obliged to appear before every dying creature to assist in its transition into the afterlife. Psychopomps forge pacts with mortals to ease their burden, allowing the warlocks they create to provide this assistance in their stead. Although your primary responsibility to your patron is to ensure that each creature’s soul is properly shepherded from the land of the living to the realm of the dead, it may also have compelled you to root out the undead, which it takes as a personal affront to the natural order of existence. Psychopomp Features WARLOCK LEVEL FEATURE 1st Expanded Spell List, Bonus Cantrip, Wayward Souls 6th Nyssa’s Gift 10th Shadow Shepherd 14th On Death’s Wings Expanded Spell List The Psychopomp lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you. Psychopomp Expanded Spells SPELL LEVEL SPELLS 1st healing word, sleep 2nd calm emotions, gentle repose 3rd mass healing word, slow 4th death ward, phantasmal killer 5th cloudkill, reincarnate Bonus Cantrip At 1st level, you learn the spare the dying cantrip. Its range increases to 30 feet and it counts as a warlock cantrip for you. Wayward Souls At 1st level, when a creature within 30 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to claim its fleeing spirit. When you do, the creature dies and you gain a wayward soul. While you have at least one wayward soul, you can see in dim light and darkness as if it were bright light out to a distance of 5 feet × the number of wayward souls you have. You can also see invisible creatures and objects and into the Ethereal Plane within this range. In addition, when you cast a warlock spell that deals damage to a creature or causes a creature to regain hit points, you can expend up to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) wayward souls to increase the damage dealt or hit points restored to the creature by 1d6 for each wayward soul expended. You can have a maximum number of wayward souls at one time up to your proficiency bonus. Death’s Gift Starting at 6th level, the time you’ve spent in the liminal space between life and death has changed you. You have resistance to necrotic damage. In addition, you can cast the speak with dead spell without expending a spell slot or providing material components. When you cast this spell, you can communicate with the corpse even if the two of you do not share a language and the corpse must answer your questions truthfully if it responds at all, though it can lie by omission. Shadow Shepherd Starting at 10th level, when you gain a wayward soul, you gain temporary hit points equal to your warlock level. In addition, the maximum number of wayward souls you can have at one time increases to twice your proficiency bonus. On Death’s Wings At 14th level, you gain a flying speed of 30 feet. While flying using this feature, spectral skeletal wings manifest from your back. While you have a number of wayward souls equal to or greater than your proficiency bonus, this flying speed increases to 60 feet and you can move through creatures and objects provided you do not end your movement in them.
Chapter 7: Subclasses 147 WIZARD: Hedge Mage Though Hedge Mages have been a part of the natural order in Tievmer for centuries, when the magic unleashed during the Dragonrage, their capabilities have became stronger than ever before. While you are dedicated to the natural world, you are not a druid nor a ranger; to you, the world is an enormous garden in need of tending—and you are the gardener. You might start your career helping to ensure a good harvest or helping to rear livestock, but you know your potential goes far beyond simple chores and into the realms once reserved only for the mightiest dragons. Hedge Mage Features WIZARD LEVEL FEATURE 2nd Nature Savant, Blessings of the Golden Breath 6th Gardener’s Tools 10th Tending the Garden 14th Master Gardener Nature Savant Beginning when you select this tradition at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a spell that appears on both the wizard spell list and either the druid or ranger spell lists into your spellbook is halved. Blessings of the Golden Breath Starting at 2nd level when you select this tradition, whenever you successfully cast a spell that enchants or transmutes a single creature, you grant the target 1d4 temporary hit points per level of the spell slot used to cast the spell. These temporary hit points last for eight hours (even if the spell itself is instantaneous or requires concentration, and even if you lose concentration on the original spell). At 2nd level, two different targets can benefit from this feature at the same time. The number of creatures you can affect with this feature increases as you gain levels in this tradition, affecting three creatures at 6th level, four at 10th level, and an unlimited number of creatures at 14th level. Additionally, starting at 10th level, the effect may be applied by spells that enchant or transmute more than one creature. Gardener’s Tools Starting at 6th level, the following spells are added to the wizard spell list for you. Starting at 6th level, when you add new spells to your spellbook you may choose to add spells from this list if they are from a spell level you can cast as a wizard. They are wizard spells for you and count as Nature Savant spells. WIZARD LEVEL SPELLS 1st animal friendship, create or destroy water, purify food and drink 2nd animal messenger, barkskin 3rd plant growth, speak with plants 4th dominate beast, giant insect 5th awaken 6th wind walk 7th regenerate In addition, you gain the cantrip shillelagh. It counts as a wizard spell, uses your wizard spellcasting ability, and does not count against your number of cantrips known as a wizard. Tending the Garden At 10th level, when you cast an enchantment or transmutation spell that affects a single willing creature, you may have the spell affect a second willing creature as well.
148 Arora: Age of Desolation Master Gardener Starting at 14th level, your studies and nurturing of the world have caused you to become attuned to the natural order. You learn a ritual that allows you to create a Gardener’s Crosier. Creating a Gardener’s Crosier requires a wizard’s spellbook, a nonmagical staff of wood, bamboo, or other suitable organic material, and 24 hours of uninterrupted time to complete the ritual. You can only have one Gardener’s Crosier at a time. You can perform the ritual again to create a new one, at which time the prior Gardener’s Crosier loses all magic and becomes a mundane staff that disintegrates over the next 24 hours. A Gardener’s Crosier is a unique magic item that is automatically attuned to the hedge mage who created it. This attunement does not count against the hedge mage’s attunement limit. As long as the Gardener’s Crosier exists on the same plane and in the same realm as the hedge mage, the hedge mage can use a bonus action to summon the Gardener’s Crosier to her grasp. The Gardener’s Crosier acts as an arcane focus and is a magical weapon. Additionally, all the spells present in the hedge mage’s spellbook during the creation ritual are carved into the staff, allowing the hedge mage to use the Gardener’s Crosier as a spellbook. New spells cannot be scribed into the Gardener’s Crosier, and should the Gardener’s Crosier be destroyed, creating a new one requires a wizard’s spellbook. Finally, upon creation of the Gardener’s Crosier, a hedge mage chooses one of the following magical staff templates to imprint upon the Gardener’s Crosier. •Staff of Fire •Staff of Frost •Staff of Healing •Staff of Swarming Insects •Staff of the Woodlands (without wall of thorns) A hedge mage can use their Gardener’s Crosier as the imprinted staff even if a wizard would normally be unable to. Choosing a template causes the Gardener’s Crosier to function as the magical staff chosen with the following changes: a Gardener’s Crosier does not gain any of the magic quarterstaff attack or damage bonuses of the imprinted staff, only has 5 charges, is unusable by anyone except the hedge mage who created it, and regains 1d3+2 charges each day at dawn (though it recharges no more than once every 24 hours). In lands or planes where dawn never arrives, a hedge mage may expend a spell slot once every 24 hours to charge the staff, gaining a number of charges equal to the level of the spell slot expended, up to the maximum of 5 charges. A staff that loses all charges must be charged by expending a spell slot before it can be charged by the dawn. WIZARD: Rimefrost Sage Within the heart of cold, there is fire. Within the seed of fire, there is a frozen bead. One cannot exist without the other. Magic is a study of extremes and the secrets of the rimefrost are no exception. To experience a cold so fierce that it burns the flesh, and a fire so extreme that only the cold, dead ends of once-living nerves fuse together at once is the driving goal for the destructive rimefrost sages. A rimefrost sage is often seen as reckless at best, and a force of purely chaotic will at worst. These arcanists command powerful magic and use the land itself to fuel their research, knowing full well the effects that their efforts will have. While many wizards seek to promote and further the art of magic in general, a rimefrost sage is singularly focused on improving their magical power alone. "The magic of the hedge mage is the magic of Jha-dhol’s heart and soul." - Jhakith Madra Adailar