Vindicator

Death is not the end

The joining of a Revenant soul to a vessel to create an Vindicator is a symbiotic relationship, and one that manifests in different ways based on the power of each participant. Vindicators build Unity with their Revenant souls and harness the insight, power, and skill during battle. To be selected, a Revenant soul must first be known: the would-be Vindicator must gather information and discern that the soul still has unfinished work, and invite them for a ritualistic possession. This can be done for local or legendary heroes, ancestors known to have perished in strange lands, or possibly an old friend who died too young.

Creating a Vindicator

One of the most critical aspects to making a Vindicator is to consider the history and demise of their Revenant soul. Who were they in life, what was their name, how did they come to die and how did the Vindicator learn about them? Most of these undead avengers can find rest when they complete their dread task, but a Vindicator stands in living partnership with them. When a Revenant's task or mission is finished, they will deepen their bond with the Vindicator rather than pass on to the next realm.

Quick Build

You can make a Vindicator quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength your highest ability score. Your next-highest score should be Intelligence (or Constitution if you will choose the Profaned subclass), and you should wield a two-handed melee weapon. Second, choose the outlander background.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per vindicator level

Hit Points at 1st level: 8 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at higher levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per vindicator level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: All armor, but no shields

Weapons: All two-handed and versatile weapons

Tools: Your choice of Artisan Tool

Saving Throws: Intelligence, Constitution

Skills: Choose two skills from Athletics, Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, and Medicine

Equipment

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

• (a) chainmail or (b) scalemail
• (a) a two-handed melee weapon or (b) longsword and light crossbow and quiver of 20 bolts
• (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a scholar’s pack
• a memento or trinket that once belonged to your Revenant

Unity

You begin to synchronize with your Revenant soul, each learning about the other's capabilities. You gain up to 1 Unity point after using an Action or Reaction to deal damage against creatures hostile to you. You can gain Unity points up to the number shown in the Maximum Unity column of the Vindicator table.

Unity points reset to 0 when you use an ability that says so, when you drop to 0 hitpoints, or when you complete a Short or Long rest.

Animus

Your Revenant can surge through you for a moment and deliver an ethereal blast. Consume at least 3 Unity points as a Bonus action and target a creature you can see within 20 feet. Deal 1d4 Force damage to the target for every Unity points consumed. The Shield spell can negate Animus damage as if it were a dart from Magic Missile.

Soul Leap

Starting at 2nd level, you may consume 3 Unity points to project your ghostly Revenant to a nearby location: your body quickly follows. Cast Misty Step as a Bonus action without expending a spell slot, but with a maximum distance traveled of 15 feet.

Grave Memory

Also starting at 2nd level, your Revenant brings forth glimpses from its time spent dead for you to learn from. Select only one of the following as the Memory, which can be changed after meditating during a Long rest: this ends the previous memory's effect.

• Regret: Gain use of the Spare the Dying cantrip.
• Anxiety: You remain aware as you sleep and cannot be surprised during a Short or Long rest.
• Curiosity: Your Revenant may examine something as if by the Identify spell, once per Long rest.
• Impatience: Gain advantage on your first Initiative roll made after any Short or Long rest.
• Eulogy: Recite a simple phrase that mimics the effect of Calm Emotions on one creature, once per Long rest.
• Fluency: Temporarily understand the written and spoken forms of any one language that you choose.
• Reflection: Gain the Create Bonfire cantrip, which soothes your Revenant as you stare into it.

Revenant

Your Revenant soul has finally awakened enough by 3rd level to remember its past life and teach you what it knew: select either Tactician, Catalyst, or Profaned. Each is detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you passive traits and other features when you choose it at 3rd level, and additional benefits at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 17th level.

Ability Score Improvement

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. Alternatively, you may select a Feat to augment your class with.

Ethereal Weapon

Your attacks are made with a surety and skill beyond your own. Starting at 5th level, when wielding a weapon that you are proficient with, you use an additional set of damage dice. For example, a greatsword strike will deal 4d6, and a critical hit from it will use 8d6 - a light crossbow will now deal 2d8, or 4d8 for a critical. You still only apply your damage bonus once per attack.

Invictus

Your Revenant has seen the pale beyond death, and returns unafraid. Starting at 7th level, you automatically succeed on saving throws against the frightened condition. Additionally, you gain 1 Unity point whenever you succeed on a saving throw (but not death saving throw).

At 13th level, this Unity gain also occurs whenever an enemy misses an attack roll against you.

Not Today

Beginning at 9th level, you are provided a measure of safety against demise. At the end of a Long rest where you spent at least half of the time in counsel with your Revenant, you gain the effect of a Death Ward spell that lasts until the start of your next Long rest (the spell can end early as normal).

Soul Healing

Your Revenant can ease your pains and stitch your flesh. Beginning at 11th level, whenever you spend any number of Unity points, you heal by double the amount.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 15th level, you can Attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Each attack benefits from Ethereal Weapon if it is done using a weapon you are proficient with.

Phase Warrior

Beginning at 18th level, your Soul Leap can bring you through walls or obscurement, even if you cannot see the destination. If you reappear within a solid wall or object, you are ejected to the nearest open space and take 6d6 bludgeoning damage.

You gain resistance to damage until the start of your next turn after you use Soul Leap.

Absolution

Upon reaching 20th level, the division between you and your Revenant is all but gone. When you roll Initiative, your Unity points are raised to 5 if you do not currently have that many. Additionally, you gain one Unity point at the start of any turn where you have less than 5.

Marshal Banner

A Tactician pays close heed to their allies on the battlefield. Starting when your Revenant fully awakens at 3rd level, you fashion a magical Banner over the course of a Short or Long rest that you use to organize the battlefield. At 14th level you can craft a duplicate. The flag is similar to a quarterstaff in dimensions, and bears colors and sigils associated with a faction or deity who was important to the Revenant. Use a Bonus action to plant this Marshal Banner in a space within 5 feet of you: medium or smaller creatures may occupy the same space. Any conscious friendly creature within 10 feet of the planted Banner and on the same plane of existence is considered to be "Marshalled" when other abilities reference the term. The Vindicator is always considered to be Marshalled.

Any creature can uproot the Banner with one hand as a Bonus Action to then relocate it - this suppresses the Marshalled effect while it is uprooted. While it is being held, the Banner can be used as a magical quarterstaff to make attacks.

If the Banner is somehow destroyed, the Vindicator must replace or mend it over the course of a Short rest using common materials.

Tactics

Also starting at 3rd level, declare and activate any 1 of the following Tactics when you finish a Rest or when you roll Initiative. You learn how to activate up to 2 Tactics simultaneously at 10th level. Tactics only benefit Marshalled creatures, and the following traits are true of all Tactics.

Stratagems. Your Tactics each provide a Stratagem ability for you to use as a Bonus Action if you expend 4 Unity points.

Art of War. You may use a number of Stratagems per Short rest equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Complexity. The passive effects of your Tactics will persist while their Stratagem is active.

Special Orders

Starting at 6th level, you may touch one friendly creature to grant them your Marshalled effect, no matter how far they move from your Banner. You can reassign this benefit to a different creature during a Short or Long rest, ending the effect on the previous creature.

Quick Thinking

Starting at 10th level, you gain the ability to use the Help and Ready actions as a Bonus action during your turn. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, and it regains all uses on a Short rest.

Evolving Battlefield

Starting at 14th level, once per Initiative, you gain the ability to exchange one Tactic for another by using an Action. Additionally, you gain the ability to craft a second Marshal Banner.

Coordination

Starting at 17th level, you gain 1 Unity point after another Marshalled creature's turn where they dealt damage to at least one creature that was hostile to them. Additionally, each time a Marshalled creature reduces a hostile creature to 0 hitpoints, you are refunded 1 use of your Stratagems.

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