Apocalypto

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Overview & Creation

Hooves stampeded in the muddied earth, pulling up the terrain in clods and blowing them away in a fell swoop. Hell-bound souls filled the thundering skies as a hooded figure swept by, freeing the heads of goblins from their bodies as his allies feel necrotic forces rejuvenate them. He has but a pale visage under the dark hood and he relishes none of it, yet bows to his duty to enact death.   With a mighty holler to the heavens, an orc on his steed cries out as his mount rears its head. Blood boils with the cry and the violence and urge to kill fills their eyes. His companions charge from behind with bloodlusted fury to rush at the wave of enemies, gnashing their teeth, ignorant of glory, fame and death.   As the frail bodies of the kobolds reach out for food, it withers away before their eyes. The black horse and its rider walk with an almost arrogant air through the streets. A mother begs piteously, holding her limp child's body. The horseman merely scoffs at her weakness as she collapses from the same hunger that had overtaken her young one.   The elves shuddered in their beds, many nearing death as the pestilence glazed their eyes and halted their breath in painful slowness. The horseman steps through their town, demanding surrender in exchange for their lives.    

Apocalyptic Harbingers

  As empires spread across the world, old civilizations crumbled to dust as the pages of history were turned. Such is the tide of time. At the forefront of these disintegrating foundations are the apocalypto, harbingers of destruction and desolation. A single glimpse of their defining steeds is but a sure sign your kingdom and land shall soon be in ruins. Weep as pestilence renders the homes empty and deathbeds full. Wail as famine overtakes the fields with poor harvest and bodies wither in strength. Scream and cower in fear from the raging war which tears nation by nation, husband from wife and father from son, spilling blood and gore indiscriminately on the battlefields. Stare in awe as death sweeps the remainder, taking those weary and weakened from the devastation and laying them to their final rest.   However, once the desolation has been had, the apocalypto may ride across the lands, defending villages and townships... or laying waste to them as well. This way, they build their reputations as just bringers of destruction. To be unknown as an apocalypto is to have failed one's duty due to the particular nature of the job.

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Class Features

Steed of the Apocalypse

Apocalyptos are accompanied by a steed as fiery and passionate as they are and just as capable a warhorse as any. Starting at 1st level, you have a warhorse as your companion. You can decide how this horse looks. This horse is your faithful companion and steed. It will fight for you with all of its might as you both ride off gallantly in the battlefield together. If your horse is ever slain, you can use the bond you share as an apocalypto to restore it to life. With an 8 hour ritual and an offering of 25gp, you call forth your companion's spirit and bring it back to life, even if you don't have a single part of its original body. Should your steed ever die, the strain on your bond hinders your body and focus, and you have a -2 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks and saving throws until you return it to life.   The companion obeys your commands as best it can. It moves on your turn and you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. This warhorse can attack in addition to dashing, disengaging or dodging for its action when mounted as per mounted combat rules. It uses your proficiency modifier, and gains proficiency in one skill of your choice. If you are incapacitated, your horse will try its best to protect you from danger whether it be a retreat or warding off attackers. If you are absent, the horse will spend all its efforts trying to find you. As you gain levels, so does your trusty companion. Your companion gains hit points and hit dice together with your character level. Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your companion’s abilities also improve. Your companion can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your companion can’t increase an ability score above 20.   As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your warhorse. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons, keeping the stats it had before it was dismissed. Whenever your warhorse is dismissed you may cast find familiar a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining use after you finish a short or long rest. Mechanically speaking, the spirit of your warhorse is being summoned as your familiar. While the warhorse is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you.  

Path of Apocalypse

At 3rd level, you choose a path from the Paths of Apocalypse. Choose between War, Pestilence, Famine, and Death, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 14th, 17th and 20th level.  

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.  

Rider Rage

You and your steed are very closely connected. In battle, you are incredibly vicious and versatile as a team. Starting at 7th level, while you are mounted you have advantage on weapon attack rolls against any creature smaller than your mount.   Starting at 11th level, you gain advantage on attack rolls against creatures equal to or smaller than your mount.  

Ascendency of Material

You cease to be of the normal living, taking a form more rightly associated with that of the end which you bring. The movement of fate drawing to eschaton foretold is all you need. Starting at 10th level, you no longer need to sleep, eat or drink to sustain yourself. You also cannot die of age and are immune to diseases, exhaustion and being poisoned. Your Steed of the Apocalypse becomes an ethereal fey companion that can be summoned and dismissed. As an action, you can cast the find steed spell a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus to summon your warhorse. You regain all uses after you finish a long rest. Dismissing your warhorse as part of Steed of the Apocalypse or find steed now takes a bonus action. Also, your steed no longer needs sustenance and gains the same immunities as you.  

Rider Bond

You and your steed are one. Starting at 11th level, when your steed is targeted by an attack, you may use your reaction and force the attack to target you instead.  

Sturdy Mount

Your well-worn steed is a veteran of battles and can stand its ground well. Starting at 15th level, your steed gains advantage against saving throws that would move it against its will or knock it prone.   Starting at 18th level, you and your steed become proficient in three saving throws of your choice.  

Equus

Starting at 18th level, your ridership is like that of a godly knight. Your stances are impenetrable as you are one with your steed. While mounted, if a spell or weapon attack should hit you, you may use your reaction and force it to miss. You can use this feature a number of times equal your Constitution modifier. You regain all uses after you finish a long rest.
 

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Starting Equipment

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

• Choose one martial melee weapon.
• (a) longbow and 20 arrows or (b) light crossbow and 20 crossbow bolts
• (a) ring mail or (b) chain shirt

  If you are using starting wealth, you have 3d4*10gp in funds.

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Spellcasting

Spellcasting

  The apocalypse is an event warping and melting time and space, wreaking havoc and destruction across all creation. You embody that power, and it channels into magic you learn to harness and use. With the wisdom of sages past who read of portents beyond wildest beliefs, you can devastate armies with your magical might. Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to cast spells.

Spellcasting ability

 

• Spell save DC = 8 + Proficiency bonus + Wisdom Modifier
• Spell attack modifier = Proficiency bonus + Wisdom Modifier

Spellcasting slots

  The apocalypto table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.   Each time you gain access to a new level of spell, you learn a single spell chosen from the Bard spell list of the appropriate level.
 

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Subclass Options

Paths of Apocalypse     The horsemen of the apocalypse were divided upon four dominions of power that dictated their paths as they razed the worlds upon which they descended. They are pestilence, war, famine and death. Included is a brief description of the typical warhorse ridden by the corresponding apocalypto.  

Pestilence

Your very presence brings disease and poison upon households. Nations are brought to their knees before your plagues. The fear sowed by your disease is one of the running forefronts of the sure and inevitable end to come. Your warhorse is pure white.   Ray of Sickness You shoot down enemies with a poisoning bolt. Starting at 3rd level, you gain ray of sickness as a bonus spell which you can cast without using a spellslot at its lowest level.   Conquest Run as they may, people will never escape your plague, which reaches far, like hails of poison arrows. Starting at 6th level, you gain advantage in all ranged spell attack rolls.   Plague You are very good at crippling others with your powers, making them easy prey for conquering. Starting at 14th level, if you would subject a creature to a spell saving throw, you may force them to roll with disadvantage. You must finish a short or long rest before using this feature again.   Debilitate People are rendered weak and helpless before your spread of illness, which renders them unable to run. They will lag to flee and so face your judgment. Starting at 17th level, creatures have disadvantage on saving throws against poison that you subject them to. Additionally, if a creature is poisoned by you, they take additional damage at the beginning of each of their turns equal to double your Wisdom modifier until they are cured of the condition.   Vorago Starting at 20th level you bring with you the stinging pain of poisonous plagues manifested as swarms of deadly diseased flies formed of your rays of sickness. As an action, you may send a flurry of bugs from your location into a 30 foot cone in a direction of your choice. These flies are the same color as ray of sickness. Each creature in the area of infestation must make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, a creature takes 3d8 poison and 2d8 necrotic damage and is poisoned until they are cured by lesser restoration or a similar effect. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and is not poisoned. After you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you complete a long rest.  

War

You sow the violence that destroys enemies from within. People are inclined to fight under your influence and murder and rampage. Your warhorse is a ruddy red, spirited creature, galloping through the complementing flow of blood.   Retribution Starting at 3rd level, attacks fuel your drive to violence, which you can then channel onto others. When you are successfully hit by a melee attack, you may expend your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against your attacker. You may also expend a bonus action on your turn to give this reaction to a creature of your choice within 60 feet of you until the end of their next turn, regaining use of this feature at the end of their next turn.   Goad You can influence enemies to attack. Starting at 6th level, as an action, you can unleash a verbal barrage of sarcasm, insults, and crude comments against a creature. Make a Charisma (Persuasion) check contested by the target’s Wisdom (Insight) check. You fail the contest if the target can’t understand you.   If you win the contest, the target must use its next action to attack only you. If you are out of range, it must charge at you or, failing that, hustle toward you. The target attacks you with disadvantage during this action.   If the target wins the contest, it is immune to your goading for 24 hours.   Rage Shield Your manic energies of war manifest and make you more impervious. Starting at 14th level, you get a +2 bonus to your AC.   Reflex How dare anyone even strike your armor! At 17th level when a creature makes a melee or ranged weapon attack targeting you and fails their attack roll, you may expend your reaction and deal them damage equal to your AC. You may also expend a bonus action on your turn to give this reaction to a creature of your choice within 60 feet of you until the end of their next turn, regaining use of this feature at the end of their next turn.   Brutal Retaliation It doesn't really matter whether you get hit. Just the temerity to attack makes you see red. Starting at 20th level, when you or another creature, which you gave the feature effect to, uses Retribution, you have advantage in the attack roll. On success, the target takes additional force damage equal to your apocalypto level.      

Famine

Populations are brought to ruin before your might in removing their life's sustenance from them. Struggle as they might, but one cannot fight running on empty. Your warhorse is a pitch black beast with a skeletal outlook.   Take Advantage The people will starve and weaken to illness as money loses worth to food. You take advantage of that. Starting at 3rd level, you no longer need to eat or drink. You may expend a bonus action to have any consumable items that are food rot and wither that are within 5 feet of you.   Starting at 10th level, your advantages pile up even when you are in combat, allowing you to land easier hits on enemies weak spots. You land critical hits on a 19-20 roll against creatures with any exhaustion stacks.   Resourceful Being an embodiment of famine, you know how to be crafty with materials and stretch their use to the best capacity. You can craft special barding for your steed starting at 6th level. Rather than use just mundane materials in abundance, you simply require 5 gp. You then undertake an 8-hour crafting session when you create plate barding for your steed, weaving some of your apocalypto magic into it. Unlike regular barding, your steed does not get disadvantage in Dexterity (Stealth) checks when wearing it. The barding you make using this feature can only be worn by your steed and you cannot make more barding unless you dispel the previous one with a bonus action.   Additionally, you can create plate armor instead, which only you can wear. You do not get disadvantage in Dexterity (Stealth) checks when wearing it. You cannot have both the barding and armor at the same time. If you already have existing barding or armor made from this feature, you must dispel it with a bonus action before making a new one.   Draining Mount Enemies near you at their peril, for their vitality will be consumed. Starting at 14th level, when a creature attacks your mount, while it is wearing your Resourceful barding, or you, while you wear the Resourceful armor, you may expend a reaction and force the attacking creature to make a Constitution saving throw with DC equal to the barding AC, or take a stack of exhaustion.   Gnawing At 17th level, just the sight of you now can make people weak. Creatures subjected to the Draining Mount saving throw now roll with disadvantage. If they fail the saving throw, they take an extra stack of exhaustion. Creatures with 5 or more stacks of exhaustion are unaffected by this feature.   Merciless The weak do not deserve even the slightest shred of your pity. Starting at 20th level have advantage in melee attack rolls against creatures that have any stacks of exhaustion.      

Death

  The last but perhaps the most well known of the horsemen upon a pale horse, you bring silence upon the masses with your step and presence. They will sleep forever as casualties of the impending end that comes over all in the ravages of armageddon.   Death's Visage The aura of death is horrifying. As the embodying apocalypto, it manifests on you, giving people quite the fright whether they see or just feel your presence. You yourself lost your fear, instead injecting it into others. Starting at 3rd level, you become immune to being frightened.   Fear and Trembling Before death, all are equal. They are returned to the state which knows naught but fear of death when struck by you. The weak-kneed bow as their stature crumbles in sight of your own, feeling sudden weakness. Starting at 6th level, when you successfully attack a creature, while mounted on your steed, they must succeed a Charisma saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier) or become frightened. You may also expend an action to look directly at a creature that can see you and subject them to the same saving throw while you are mounted on your steed, making them frightened upon failure. They may attempt the saving throw at the beginning of each of their turns after failing, shaking off their fright on success and becoming immune for the next 24 hours. You may use this feature equal times your Constitution modifier, regaining all use after finishing a long rest.   Cut Down These pitiful masses, raptured with fear, are already forsaken. They have given up their claim to life. All that is left is to clean up. Starting at 14th level, you gain advantage in all attacks against frightened creatures and deal double the damage dice on a successful hit.   Master of Death The masses are helpless before you as you easily move twice as fast in their daze and awe. Harm, nay, death, cannot touch you. Starting at 17th level, you gain advantage on death saving throws.   Pale Rider You ride truly as death. Those who show weakness before you are swiftly brought down. Starting at 20th level, when you successfully attack a creature with an advantage in the attack roll while mounted, you may double the damage die. If you roll a critical hit, the damage quadruples. You may use this feature equal times your Wisdom modifier, regaining use upon finishing a long rest.