The Ardent
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Empathic Range |
Spells Known |
Psi Points |
Psi Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Empathic Range, Invoke Mysticism | 30 ft. | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Expertise, Fighting Style, Psionic Casting | 30 ft. | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 3rd | +2 | Intuitive Mind, Mantle | 40 ft. | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 40 ft. | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 50 ft. | 6 | 8 | 2 |
| 6th | +3 | Invoke Mysticism Improvement, Mantle feature | 50 ft. | 7 | 8 | 2 |
| 7th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 60 ft. | 7 | 10 | 2 |
| 8th | +3 | Expertise | 60 ft. | 8 | 10 | 2 |
| 9th | +4 | — | 70 ft. | 9 | 16 | 3 |
| 10th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 70 ft. | 10 | 16 | 3 |
| 11th | +4 | Mantle feature | 80 ft. | 10 | 19 | 3 |
| 12th | +4 | Invoke Mysticism Improvement, Aura of Lucidity | 80 ft. | 11 | 19 | 3 |
| 13th | +5 | — | 90 ft. | 12 | 23 | 4 |
| 14th | +5 | Mantle feature | 90 ft. | 13 | 23 | 4 |
| 15th | +5 | Heightened Empath, Invoke Mysticism Improvement | 100 ft. | 13 | 27 | 4 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 100 ft. | 14 | 27 | 4 |
| 17th | +6 | — | 110 ft. | 15 | 36 | 5 |
| 18th | +6 | Mantle feature, Invoke Mysticism Improvement | 110 ft. | 16 | 36 | 5 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 120 ft. | 16 | 41 | 5 |
| 20th | +6 | Mindflower | 1 mi. | 17 | 41 | 5 |
Class Features
As an ardent, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per ardent level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your
Constitution modifier per ardent level after 1st.
Proficiencies
Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling,
Athletics, Arcana, Deception, Intimidation,
Perception, Performance, Persuasion
Multiclassing
The prerequisites for multiclassing into an ardent is a Wisdom and a Charisma score of 13. When you multiclass into ardent, you gain proficiency in light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, and martial weapons.
Empathic Range
As an ardent, you can sense the feelings of others. You have proficiency in the Insight skill. For all creatures within 30 feet of you, you know their surface feelings—what they are feeling most forefront in their mind at the moment. This 30 feet is your empathic range, and increases as you level up in this class, as shown on the Ardent class table. Unless their emotions are particularly strong, you can't sense them behind walls or other notable obstructions. If an invisible creature is near you, you would be able to sense its basic emotional state, but not its precise location.
Similarly, your emotions spread and catch on to those around you. Creatures within 30 feet of you know your basic emotional state, unless you wish to hide it. If you are attempting to hide your emotions, your passive Charisma (Deception) is used, which must be contested by a successful Wisdom (Insight) check to discover. This will influence them in varying ways — a creature with lower Wisdom would likely share your emotional state, while a creature with higher Wisdom (than your Charisma) would retain theirs. This can also depend on the strength of your current emotions and how emotional any given character is. Talk with your DM about your character's normal emotional state (if they have one) and how it may change, thus changing the state of those surrounding your character.
Bastion of Resolution
Because of this abundant affective sense and substance within you, you resist the strikes of foes not only with your physical body, but with your mind in the majority. Your hit points increase by your Wisdom modifier and increases by the same amount again whenever you gain a level in this class. When you spend Ardent hit dice to recover hit points at the end of a short rest, you can roll the die and add either your Constitution or Wisdom modifier to it. You regains hit points equal to the total.
Invoke Mysticism
The ability of this empathy grants you certain powers. You start with two powers, Inspiring Grasp and Spacial Affect, and gain an effect determined by your Mantle at level 3. When you use your Invoke Mysticism, you choose which effect to create. You have a number of uses of Invoke Mysticisms equal to your Charisma modifier, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Some Invoke Mysticisms require saving throws or attack rolls. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier, and the attack your Proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier, the same as your Psionic Save DC and your Psionic attack modifier, which are detailed later in the class description.
Invoke Mysticism: Inspiring Grasp
You call a creature's basic instincts of survival and recovery to their mind. As a bonus action, you can heal a creature within your empathic range 1d6 hit points.
This healing increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 12th level, 4d6 at 15th level, and 5d6 at 18th level.
Spacial Affect
You meld and switch the minds and bodies of yourself and a friend. As a bonus action, you can exchange places with one willing ally within your empathic range, and they are teleported to where you previously were.
Expertise
At 2nd level, you gain expertise with Insight and one of the following skills of your choice : Animal Handling, Deception, Intimidation, Performance, or Persuasion. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of these skills.
At 8th level, you can choose another two skills from the list above to gain this benefit.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose a fighting style from the list of the following options. You can't take the same Fighting Style option more than once, even if you get to choose again.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Protection
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Psionic Casting
Also at 2nd level, you learn spells that allow you to apply your mental powers onto the world. All spells require that you spend psi points to use them, which is the same as the spell's level. For example, to cast bane, a 1st-level spell, you would need to spend 1 psi point.
You learn four spells of your choice, detailed in the Ardent spell list section at the end of this document. You learn more spells at higher levels, as shown on the Ardent class table. Additionally, when you level up in this class, you can choose one of the spells you know and replace it with another psionic spells, which is also must be of a level you can cast.
Casting Psionic Spells. See chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don’t need to provide any components for it. You can provide components if you wish.
Creating Psionic Effects. Other disciplines create their own effects. They will tell you if they require concentration, like some spells do, what action they use, their duration, range, and who or what they can target.
Psi Points and Psi Limit
You have a pool of psionic power that you use to manifest your abilities represented as the Psi Points column of the Ardent table. You can use these points to fuel the psionic spells you know. The maximum number of psi points (its base psi point cost plus any additional points) that you can spend on a discipline's spell is 1. This maximum increases to 2 at 5th level, 3 at 9th level, 4 at 13th level, and 5 at 17th level.
When you spend a psi point, it is unavailable to you until you finish a long rest, at the end of which you regain all your expended psi points.
Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional psi points to increase the level of a spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as bane does. The spell’s level increases by 1 for each additional psi point you spend. For example, if you are 5th level and cast bane, you can spend 2 psi points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell (the spell's base cost of 1 psi point plus 1).
Psionic Casting Ability
Charisma is your psionic casting ability for your spells, so you use your Charisma modifer whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an ardent spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Psionic Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +
Psionic attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +
Resolute Concentration
If any of your spells require concentration, you follow all the normal rules of concentration (in Chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook) except that you can choose to make Wisdom saving throws to maintain your concentration, instead of Constitution saving throws.
Intuitive Mind
Starting at 3rd level, you can add your Wisdom modifier when you deal damage with a weapon once per turn. When you reach Zth level, you can add half of your Wisdom score instead.
Mantle
At 3rd level, you create for yourself a mantle, which is a state of mind you keep consistent as a way of practice for your psionic abilities. Some characters mimic behaviors, thoughts, and feelings of mantles for a while, and choosing that mantle at 3rd level is only a finalization of your process. You choose from the Mantle of Clarity or the Mantle of Elation, detailed at the end of the class description.
Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, Yth, and Zth level. Those features include the Invoke Mysticism feature.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 7th, 10th, 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.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Aura of Lucidity
Starting at 10th level, you and friendly creatures within your empathic range can't be charmed or be driven to madness while you are conscious unless you allow it. Any friendly creature that enters your empathic range who is charmed, insane, or both loses it while in your range if you wish.
Heightened Empath
Starting at 15th level, you gain a number of improvements to your empath range:
- You can sense the exact location of creatures, invisible or otherwise, within your empathic range.
- You know if a creature succeeds against your passive Charisma (Deception) to determine your basic emotional state.
- Whenever you make an Insight check or another skill you gained expertise with from this class against a creature within your empathic range, the result is raised to 20 if it would be lower.
- As an action, you can attempt to probe deeper into the emotions of a creature's mind within your empathic range. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw, and on a success, you can't use this feature on that creature again until you finish a long rest. On a failure, you learn its complex emotional state—such as what emotions consistently drive it—and you learn the source of it, if any (such as abuse or undeserved success leading to narcissism). Either way, the target knows that you are probing into its mind, and unless you shift your attention to another creature’s emotions, the creature can use its action on its turn to make a Charisma check contested by your Charisma check; if it succeeds, the effect ends.
Mindflower
At 20th level, your soul expands to fill those around you. Your Wisdom and Charisma scores increase by 4. Your maximum for those scores is now 24. Additionally, any creatures within your empathic range of a CR or level half or less of yours always shares your basic emotional state.
Mantles
At 3rd level, you choose for yourself a mantle, a set of mental pathways and schematas with which you operate.
Mantle of Clarity
Yours is a mantle of pragmatism, holding your emotions and that of others as a tool to be put in check and used as appropriate. You are not necessarily unemotional, but you recognize the uncontrollability of your emotions, and keep them in check.
Clarity's Affect
At 3rd level when you choose this mantle, you and allies within your empathic range add half of your Charisma modifier to initiative rolls and can't be surprised.
Invoke Mysticism: Clutter Psyche
As an action, you can attempt to clutter the mind of a creature within your empathic range. You can use your Invoke Mysticism to require that creature make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it is poisoned until the beginning of your next turn.
Invoke Mysticism: Clear Psyche
At 6th level, as an action, you can remove any spells or effects from one ally in your empathic range that they obtained from failing an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw, and remove any incapacitated, charmed, or frightened conditions they may have, using your Invoke Mysticism.
Flow of Weapon and Mind
Starting at 11th level, if you cast a spell or begin your turn concentrating on a spell, you can immediately make one weapon attack. You can't use this ability again until the beginning of your next turn.
Psychometric
At 14th level, your mind doesn't allow for physical ailments on you. You can't be blinded, deafened, or frightened, and you have advantage on saving throws against enchantment spells.
Facet of Clarity
Beginning at 18th level, you and allies within your empathic range are immune to enchantment spells and other mind controlling effects.
Mantle of Elation
Yours is a mantle of peace, joy, and happiness, letting failure and sorrows pass through you for the joy of life itself - its mundanity as well as its supernatural beauty. Your joy inspires others, often unable to stop a smile breaking or at least a momentary piece of happiness. This creates energy in you and those around you, it overflowing and uncontainable.
Elation's Affect
At 3rd level when you choose this mantle, you and your allies within your empathic range don't provoke attacks of opportunity.
Invoke Mysticism: Remove Purpose
As an action, you attempt to void a creature's motivations and rewards for continuing its current behavior, coaxing it to you for the only way to obtain happiness. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it is incapacitated and its speed becomes 0 until the end of its turn.
Invoke Mysticism: Addended Purpose
At 6th level, as a bonus action, you can provide a waterfall of purpose and energy to one ally you touch. On their turn, they can take one additional action on top of their regular action and possible bonus action.
Martial Mania
Starting at 11th level, whenever a creature within your empathic range regains hit points, you can make one weapon attack as a reaction.
Happiness Unfaltered
At 14th level, your joy minimizes the failures and maximizes the successes of you and your friends. When a creature within your empathic range rolls a 1 on a d20 roll, you can choose to let them roll again once for that attempt. Additionally, when a creature within your empathic range rolls a 20 on a d20 roll, they can choose to either gain 1d10 temporary hit points, regain 1d10 hit points, or add 1d10 to their next immediate damage roll within 1 minute.
Facet of Elation
Beginning at 18th level, you and allies within your empathic range gain a flying speed of 90 feet. If they exit your range, they float gently to the ground, taking no fall damage.
Spell List
1st Level
Alacrity
Bane
Cause Fear
Charm Person
Command
Compelled Duel
Crown of Sorrow
Cure Wounds
Dissonant Whispers
Eruption
Heroism
Hex
Mindless Courage
Outrage
Reinstate Will
Tasha's Hideous Laughter
Sleep
2nd Level
Animal Messenger
Blindness/Deafness
Crown of Madness
Detect Thoughts
Enhance Ability
Hold Person
Karmic Bond
Lesser Restoration
Mind Spike
Suggestion
Unnerving Shove
Wormhole Plunge
Zone of Truth
3rd Level
Beacon of Hope
Catnap
Coordinated Attacks
Enemies Abound
Fear
Magic Circle
Mindfeast
Psionic Guard
Remove Curse
Revivify
Slow
World of Terror
4th Level
Aura of Life
Banishment
Catalyst of Horror
Chains of Affinity
Charm Monster
Confusion
Tower of Iron Will
Saving Grace
Vitality Drain
5th Level
Awaken
Commune with Civilization
Corona of Battle
Dominate Person
Dream
Geas
Greater Restoration
Image of Doom
Synaptic Static
1st-Level Spells
Alacrity
1st-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you are hit by
an attack
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
A strike causes you to release a burst of speed your allies can use. Your allies within range can immediately move 5 feet.
Crown of Sorrow
1st-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You mentally bludgeon sorrow and depression into another creature. Choose a creature that you can see within range. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they take 1d8 psychic damage and can't take reactions until the start of its next turn. It takes half damage on a success.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.
Mindless Courage
1st-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You heighten a creature's bravery into foolishness. You require a creature within range to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they must end their next turn closer to a creature hostile to them than they were when they began their turn, as long as they have movement and the physical ability to do so.
Outrage
1st-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you are hit by
an attack
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You unbalance an attacker's energies against their will. You can give the first attack roll against the attacker a 1d4 bonus, lasting until the start of your next turn.
Eruption
1st-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you are hit by
an attack
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You react aggressively against a blow, sharing that fury with your allies. You grant any allies within range an additional 1d4 psychic damage for their next damage roll, lasting until the start of your next turn.
Reinstate Will
1st-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You reassure a creature against a foe's powers. As an action, you choose an ally within range. For up to 1 minute, they are immune to being charmed and their speed is increased by 10 feet.
2nd-Level Spells
Karmic Bond
2nd-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 bonus action, which you can take after you
land a weapon attack
Range: 5 feet
Components: V, S (a melee weapon)
Duration: Up to 1 round
You imbue a strike against a foe with a psychic link, harming them if they attempt to attack. You require a creature to make a Wisdom saving throw as a bonus action after you land a weapon attack. On a failure, they take your Wisdom modifier + your spellcasting casting ability modifier in psychic damage each time they deal damage with an attack. This effect ends at the start of your next turn.
Wormhole Plunge
2nd-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 bonus action, which you can take after you
land a weapon attack
Range: 5 feet
Components: V, S (a melee weapon)
Duration: Instantaneous
You attempt to thrust a foe into and out of space for a moment with a strike. You require a creature to make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, they are teleported to an unoccupied space within 30 feet of you of your choosing. Your nearest ally to the target can immediately make a weapon attack against them as a reaction, if the target is within their weapon's range.
Unnerving Shove
2nd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 bonus action, which you can take after you
land a weapon attack
Range: 5 feet
Components: V, S (a melee weapon)
Duration: Instantaneous
You momentarily offset a foe's control of their body, attempting to send them reeling back. You require a creature to make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, they are pushed back 30 feet and knocked prone.
3rd-Level Spells
Mindfeast
3rd-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: S
Duration: Up to 1 minute
You loosen the mind of a creature, feeding its essence to you and your allies. A creature within range must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, you and each ally within 30 feet of the creature regain 1d6 hit points. The creature must remake the saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns, repeating the healing on a failure or ending the effect on a success.
Coordinated Attacks
3rd-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You bring about violent energy to surge against your enemies. Choose up to 3 allies within range. They can immediately use their reaction to take the Attack action. You choose the targets of the attacks.
Psionic Guard
3rd-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (10 feet)
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round
You create an area of softened powers and resilient hearts, centered on you. You and each ally within the radius has resistance to all damage and add a 1d6 to their saving throws while they are within the radius.
World of Terror
3rd-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Choose up to six creatures within range. Each target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, their senses are engulfed in cosmic horror, taking 8d6 psychic damage and rendering them frightened. While frightened in this way, their speed is reduced to 0. At the end of each of their turns, they can make an additional Wisdom saving throw, ending the effect on a success.
4th-Level Spells
Catalyst of Horror
4th-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round
You utterly break the mind of another being for a moment, shattering their defenses. One creature of your choice within range must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they are frightened, and take a -5 penalty to their AC and all saving throws for the duration.
Chains of Affinity
4th-level divination
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You bind your enemies together in their minds and their fates. Choose up to 6 hostile creatures within range, who must all make Charisma saving throws. The creatures who failed are bound to each other. While bound, whenever any of them takes damage that isn't from this spell, the others take 1d10 psychic damage. The creatures can remake the saving throw at the beginning of their turns, unbinding themselves on a success. The spell ends when only one creature remains bound.
Saving Grace
4th-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute
You conjure a Small symbol of protection—a shield, fist, or parrying weapon would do—that protects up to 6 creatures of your choice within range, flying and flitting between them. For the duration, all protected creatures have resistance to bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage. If a chosen creature leaves the spell's range, they cease to be benefitted by this spell until they re-enter.
The symbol has an AC of 15 and 30 hit points. If you have any damage resistances or immunities, it shares them. If it is destroyed, the spell ends.
Tower of Iron Will
4th-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round
You create a cylinder of resolve for your allies. Choose one point within range. A psionic circle extending upwards with a radius of 10 feet appears for the duration. The area is difficult terrain for enemies. You and allies within the cylinder have immunity to psychic damage, are immune to diseases, and have advantage on saving throws against magic while the spell lasts.
Vitality Drain
4th-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90 feet
Components: S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You turn a foes' innate drive of survival against them to work for you. Choose a creature within range, who must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, each time you or an ally does damage to them, the damage dealer can immediately roll one of their hit dice and adding your spellcasting modifier to the result, regaining the total in hit points. The target of the spell can remake the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the spell on a success.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can target one additional creature for every 2 slot levels above 3rd. The creatures must be within 20 feet of each other when you target them.
5th-Level Spells
Corona of Battle
5th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (30-foot radius)
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
You awaken and spread power and might within your allies. You and any creatures of your choice who are within the spell's radius can reroll any d20 rolls they make on their turns.
Commune with Civilization
5th-level divination (ritual)
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You briefly become one with civilization and gain
knowledge of the surrounding territory. In a civilized
area, the spell gives you knowledge of the area within
3 miles of you. The spell doesn't function where there
is no construction, such as in the wilderness.
You instantly gain knowledge of up to three facts of
your choice about any of the following subjects as they
relate to the area:
- road layout and landmarks
- prevalent goods, services, factions, or cultures
- powerful celestials, fey, fiends, elementals, or undead
- influence from other planes of existence
- building types of your choice
For example, you could determine the fastest route to the city center, the popular local foods, and the location of any blacksmiths in the area.
Image of Doom
5th-level illusion
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: S
Duration: Up to 1 hour
You become the doom of an enemy you grasp. A creature you touch that you can sense must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it gains a number of penalties:
- it is frightened of you
- any attack rolls that hit the target become critical hits
- it can't receive healing
- it's speed is reduced to 5 feet
- each time it takes damage, you can move it up to 5 feet in a direction of your choice.
At the end of each of its turns, the target can remake the saving throw. On a success, the spell doesn't end. It chooses one of the penalties to end on itself, and can do so again each time it succeeds on the saving throw against this spell. Once it has removed all penalties, the spell ends.