The Exemplar

by HerziQuerzi

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The Exemplar




























Exemplar

A laughing human in battered armour takes a brief respite as the goblin horde gathers itself for another charge. As she lifts her greatsword in challenge, it begins to drip with liquid flames.

Waiting for the bandits to finish making their demands, an elf impatiently lounges against an old oak. Growing bored, he snaps his fingers as a wolf steps out of a fold in reality to stand at his side, teeth bared.

Cultists scramble over one another as they attempt to flee from the tiefling striding through their abandoned ritual. Their leader turns to face this imposter, only to fall to his knees, hands clutching at his head.

Combining arcane magic with physical might, exemplars serve as champions and paragons for powerful beings from whom they draw their strength.

Bound to Power

In the densely populated cities at the heart of civilization, people give their worship to distant gods. Immutable and aloof beings. In the fringes of the world however, the people turn to more tangible objects of worship. Fiends, and archfey, and other such beings not quite so detached from the world.

And acting as the voice and might of these beings are exemplars, their strength and force of will spreading the influence and ideals of the patrons who have granted them their supernatural capabilities.






























Hunger and Ambition

In a world of monsters and strange beings, the exemplar who is tired of being found lacking. They seek the strength they need to carve their own path through the world, and turn to otherworldly beings to grant them that strength. And in return, they showcase the might of their patron.

The life of an adventurer is an easy fit for an exemplar, providing them both with an independent and meaningful life, while also giving them ample opportunity to demonstrate the strength granted by the patron, and to spread that patron's ideals.

Creating an Exemplar

While making your exemplar, think about what drove them down this path. What reason has pushed them to seek their strength? Left them feeling like they were too weak without it? Did your character seek out their patron, or did the patron approach you? What did you offer in return for their strength?

When dealing with your patron, how do you communicate? Do they speak to you in your dreams? Face to face? Or do they use intermediaries, a hierarchy of others in their service with only a select few in direct contact? Is your relationship with your patron strained? Respectful? Friendly? Talk to your DM about what your patron expects of you, and how that's shaped you.

The Exemplar
Level Proficiency Bonus Features Cantrips Known Spells Known Spell Slots Spell Slot Level
1st +2 Chosen Hand, Pact Magic 3 - - -
2nd +2 Fighting Style, Arcane Practice 3 2 1 1
3rd +2 Chosen Hand Feature 3 3 1 1
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 4 4 1 1
5th +3 Extra Attack 4 5 1 2
6th +3 Profane Eyes 4 5 1 2
7th +3 Chosen Hand Feature 4 6 1 2
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 4 6 1 2
9th +4 4 7 1 3
10th +4 Improved Arcane Practice 5 7 1 3
11th +4 Cantrip Mastery 5 7 2 3
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 5 7 2 3
13th +5 5 8 2 4
14th +5 Eldritch Communion 5 8 2 4
15th +5 Chosen Hand Feature 5 8 2 4
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 5 8 2 4
17th +6 5 9 2 5
18th +6 Mental Regime 5 9 2 5
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 5 9 2 5
20th +6 Patron's Warding 5 10 2 5

Quick Build

You can quickly make an exemplar by following these instructions. First, make Strength or Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the acolyte background.

Class Features

Hit Points


  • Hit Dice: 1d10 per exemplar level
  • Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
  • Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per exemplar level after 1st.

Proficiencies


  • Armor: All armour, shields
  • Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
  • Tools: None

  • Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
  • Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Arcana, Insight, Nature, Persuasion, Religion, and Survival

Equipment

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

  • (a) a martial weapon and shield or (b) two martial weapons.
  • (a) chain mail or (b) studded leather armour, longbow, and 20 arrows.
  • (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack.

Chosen Hand

At 1st level, you have chosen to act as a champion for an otherworldly being of your choice: the Fiend, the Archfey, the Great Old One, or the Ancient Crow, each of which is detailed below. Your choice grants you extra features as you gain levels. You act as their hand in this world, upholding their ideals and demonstrating their strength.

Each choice includes a list of associated spells. You learn these spells at the specified levels. These spells don't count against the number of cantrips or spells you know. If a spell known this way isn't on the exemplar spell list, it is nonetheless an exemplar spell for you.

Pact Magic

In order to enact your patron's will, you have been granted arcane powers and the ability to cast spells.

Cantrips

You know three cantrips of your choice from the exemplar spell list. You learn additional exemplar Cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Exemplar table.

Spell Slots

The Exemplar table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your exemplar spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest. For example, when you are 5th level, you have one 2nd-level spell slot. To cast the 1st-level spell Hail of Thorns, you must spend that slot, and you cast it as a 2nd-level spell.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

At 2nd level, you learn two 1st-level spell of your choice from the exemplar spell list. The Spells Known column of the Exemplar table shows when you learn more exemplar spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 9th level, for example, you learn a new exemplar spell, which can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the exemplar spells you know and replace it with another spell from the exemplar spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your exemplar spells, so you use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an exemplar spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

  • Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
  • Spell Attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a martial weapon as a spellcasting focus for your exemplar spells.

Fighting Style

Starting at 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options.


  • Archery. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
  • Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
  • 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.
  • Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Arcane Practice

At 2nd level, choose one of the following as you hone your spellcasting talents.

At 10th level, choose an additional Arcane Practice.


  • Impactful. Whenever you hit a creature with a spell attack, you get a +2 bonus to damage rolls for that attack.
  • Precise. Spells you cast with a range of 5ft or more have doubled range. If you're making a spell attack, ignore three quarters cover and half cover against targets within the spell's standard range.
  • Disruptive. The first creature you hit with a spell attack each turn has disadvantage on its next attack roll against you until your next turn.
  • Destructive. Whenever you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for a spell that requires a saving throw, you may reroll that die. You must use the new roll if you do, even if it’s a 1 or 2.
  • Versatile. Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged spell attack rolls.
  • Inevitable. You gain a +1 bonus to your spell save DC.

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.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Profane Eyes

Starting a 6th level, you always know which direction North is, as well as the direction of your patron if it's on the same plane of existence. Additionally, you gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks while in moonlight.

Cantrip Mastery

Starting at 11th level, your mastery of the simplest aspects of spellcasting allows you to interweave them with your fighting. You may use your bonus action to cast a cantrip with a casting time of an action if you've made a weapon attack this turn. If a cantrip cast this way has extra effects or damage based on your level, ignore them.

Eldritch Communion

Beginning at 14th level, you may cast Contact Other         Plane at will without expending a spell slot to contact         your patron. You may make a Charisma saving throw     instead of an Intelligence saving throw for it, and a failed     save won't render you insane, but will still deal psychic damage. On a successful save, you can't use this feature     again until you complete a long rest.

Mental Regime

At 18th level, the base aspects of magic have become so mundane and familiar to you that they exert little strain upon your mind. You may concentrate on two spells at a time as long as they are different spells and at least one of them is a cantrip. Concentration checks are made separately for each spell.

Patron's Warding

Once you reach 20th level, you regain 2d10 hit points whenever you expend an exemplar spell slot.

Chosen Hand

To become an exemplar, one must choose and be chosen by a patron; an otherworldy being for whom the exemplar acts as their champion. Each patron has ideals that they wish exemplified, and those patrons who find their champions consistently disappointing or shirking their duties may revoke their patronage at the DM's discretion. Either causing the exemplar to lose access to their Chosen Hand features until they regain their patron's trust, or taking the Forsaken Hand option described below.

Hand of the Fiend

Idealism is a fool's hope, strength the true law. You have given yourself into the service of a fiend, a cruel creature from the hells who has granted you raw strength in return for your obedience.

With you, you carry the ideals of the Fiends:


  • Action. You do not sit back and passively wait for events to unfold. When there is a goal to be accomplished, you set out to complete it without hesitation.
  • Selfish. To rely on others is a weakness. To have others rely on you, a burden. Allies are a temporary measure to further your aims, not a goal in and of itself.
Expanded Fiend Spells
Level Spells
1st Control FlamesXGE, Toll the DeadXGE
2nd Hellish Rebuke
5th Flaming Sphere
9th Speak with Dead
13th Fire Shield
17th Infernal CallingXGE





















Call to the Grave

The fires of hell are always hungry, and pull                       at those close to death. Once each turn, when you hit                    a creature with a melee attack, you may deal 2             additional fire damage to that target. If it was already damaged, you deal 1d4 + your proficiency bonus additional fire damage instead.

Hellish Tenacity

Touched by the fires of hell, pain is a quaint foe to you. Beginning at 3rd level, after completing a short or long rest, you gain temporary hit points equal to your class level + your Charisma modifier.

Fire's Greed

One soul is never quite enough. Once you reach 7th level, you may deal Call to the Grave's bonus damage to any number of creatures within 10 feet of the target. Additionally, the souls of creatures killed with this empowered attack are devoured by fiendish fires. Spells that bring those creatures back to life (but not undeath) fail unless the caster succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw.

Shattered Brimstone

Starting at 15th level, you can use your action to unleash the infernal energy within yourself, causing thick flames to envelope you, drip from you like burning oil, and threaten to char you.

Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, you have resistance to fire and cold damage, and at the end of each of your turns, you and each creature within 10 feet of you take fire damage equal to your charisma modifier + half your class level. In addition, creatures take 1d10 fire damage whenever they hit you with a melee attack.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Hand of the Archfey

The fey are elegant, cunning beings, dwelling in the beautiful and secret places of the world. The complexities of their courtly politics are rivaled only by the often deadly tricks they play upon mortals.

With you, you carry the ideals of the Archfey:


  • Beauty. You are not concerned with the crass or mundane. Your very appearance inspires adoration among others.
  • Devious. All of life is a game, the world the board, the people the puppets. You achieve your goals through cunning and extravagance, rather than dull brute force.
Expanded Archfey Spells
Level Spells
1st Primal SavageryXGE, Vicious Mockery
2nd Speak with Animals
5th Invisibility
9th Hypnotic Pattern
13th Conjure Woodland Beings
17th Seeming

Fey Guide

You may cast the Find Familiar spell once per long rest without using a spell slot or material components. A familiar summoned this way is always a fey.

Contorting Bonds

At 3rd level, as an action, or as a reaction upon taking damage, you may teleport to your familiar's side as long as it's within 100 feet of you. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Hidden Eyes

A creature only partly of this world, your familiar can fade from sight temporarily. Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to will your familiar to become invisible. The invisibility breaks if the familiar attacks or loses concentration (as if concentrating on a spell). Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Wild Might

Beginning at 15th level, when you cast Find Familiar, you may choose one of the normal forms for your familiar, or any beast with a challenge rating of 1/4 or less. Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own with its reaction.

Hand of the Great Old One

Dwelling beyond the reaches of the Prime plane, or lurking deep beneath the ocean, the great old ones are beings beyond comprehension in both thought and form.

With you, you carry the ideals of the Great Old One:


  • Truth. No matter how painful, or cruel, you do not try to shield others by withholding the truth. The occasional act of deception happens, but for your gain, not their protection.
  • Curiosity. There is no such thing as blissful ignorance, only willful cowardice. For you, there are no secrets best left alone, no questions left unanswered. Only through holistic knowledge can you hope to reach true understanding.
Expanded Great Old One Spells
Level Spells
1st Chill Touch, Friends
2nd Cause FearXGE
5th Detect Thoughts
9th Enemies AboundXGE
13th Confusion
17th Modify Memory

Gibbering Descent

After choosing this patron at 1st level, you gain the ability to imprint yourself upon the minds of those around you. As a bonus action, you may try to form a telepathic link with another creature within 60 feet. That creature makes a Charisma saving throw against your spellcasting DC. On a successful save, the link fails, and you can't attempt another link with that creature for 24 hours. A creature may choose to fail the roll.

Once a link is formed, it remains as long for as both you and the linked creature remain within 60 feet of each other. The link is broken when you fall unconscious, when you form a new link, or when you use a bonus action to break it.

As long as the link is formed, you may communicate telepathically with the linked creature if it understands at least one language. You can choose to ignore it's attempts to communicate, but it cannot do the same to you. Additionally, you may use a bonus action to fill the linked creatures mind with whispers beyond understanding, dealing psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

Portentous Visage

At 3rd level, you can use your telepathic link from Gibbering Descent to fill the mind of a linked enemy with horrifying visages of their own violent end. Because of this, the linked creature has disadvantage on attack rolls made against you. This feature has no effect on creatures immune to being frightened.

Mind Beyond Limits

Beginning at 7th level, distance becomes irrelevant to the scope of your mind. Your range to maintain Gibbering Descent encompasses everywhere on your current Plane of existence, and you may be linked to up to two creatures at a time. You must still be within 60 feet to deal the psychic damage, and if linked to multiple creatures can choose any combination of those creatures to deal the damage to.

Eternal Thoughts

Starting at 15th level, you become able to consume the memories of others to further your search for understanding. As an action you may touch an unconscious creature or a creature that has been dead for no longer than 24 hours, and store a copy of its memories within your mind. Once you do, you may spend a minute searching their memories for any information at least one of the stored creatures' memories contains.

Hand of the Ancient Crow

Destiny is fallible and mortals ambitious. You willingy serve as a champion of the crow rocs, ancient and intelligent birds of massive size, their pitch black feathers coating the forest floor of their home like a cloak of night.

With you, you carry the ideals of the Ancient Crows:


  • Freedom. You will never serve those who seek to force their authority over you. When you follow, you do so of your own choice, and you do so as an equal.
  • Restraint. People need to be given the opportunity to form their own fate. If someone declines or refuses your aid, step back and let events run their course.
Expanded Ancient Crow Spells
Level Spells
1st Druidcraft, Shillelagh
2nd Wild CunningUA
5th Animal Messenger
9th Nondetection
13th Shadow of MoilXGE
17th Awaken

Invert Fate

Beginning at 1st level, when you make a saving throw, attack roll, or ability check, you may twist your fate. Make this choice after seeing the roll, but before knowing the result. Replace the die roll with 21 - the original die roll. (ex. a roll of 4 would become a 17, and a roll of 10 would become an 11, before adding any relevant modifiers.)

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Reversal of Fortune

Starting at 3rd level, whenever you're damaged by an attack, you begin to weave fate and luck around you as a shield against further harm. Roll 1d4 and add the result to your AC until the start of your next turn.

Cunning Luck

Once you reach 7th level, whenever you use Invert Fate, record the original roll. You can replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made by you or a creature that you can see with that stored roll. You must choose to do so before the roll, and the stored roll can only be used once. When you finish a short or long rest, you lose any unused stored rolls.

Destiny Defied

Starting at 15th level, when you make a saving throw, roll an additional d20. You choose which of the d20s is used for the saving throw.

Forsaken Hand

Having abandoned or been abandoned by your patron, you are now a champion of nothing save yourself. No ideals to uphold save your own, no tasks or desires save those you choose. Perhaps the loss of your patron has left you adrift, or perhaps they were a burden dropped, leaving you free to pursue your true purpose. Either way, there is only one route forward: independence.

Expanded Forsaken Spells
Level Spells
1st Thorn Whip, True Strike
2nd Command
5th Blur
9th Haste
13th Death Ward
17th Geas

Cracks in Reality

When you score a critical hit on a weapon attack, it deals extra force damage equal to your class level, and you regain one of your expended exemplar spell splots.

Improved Critical

Starting at 3rd level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Indomitable Will

Beginning at 7th level, you may fight through even the most vicious of wounds. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can gain a level of exhaustion to drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Superior Critical

Starting at 15th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.

Exemplar Spell List

Cantrips (0 Level)
  • Acid Splash
  • Assume GuiseNEW
  • Blade Ward
  • Booming BladeSCAG
  • Create BonfireXGE
  • Crackling ShotNEW
  • Crippling ShotNEW
  • Eldritch Blast
  • Eye of the WatcherNEW
  • Fire Bolt
  • FrostbiteXGE
  • Green-Flame BladeSCAG
  • InfestationXGE
  • Mage Hand
  • Minor Illusion
  • Oaken BlessingNEW
  • Prestidigitation
  • Stolen VoiceNEW
  • Tongue TiedNEW
  • Warping StepNEW
1st Level
  • Armor of Agathys
  • Charm Person
  • Comprehend Languages
  • Disguise Self
  • Dissonant Whispers
  • Guiding Bolt
  • Hail of Thorns
  • Hex
  • Illusory Script
  • Shield
  • Wrathful Smite

Art Credit

Art in order of use:

The Bloodwoken God by Benjamin Ee

The One Above by Robson Michel

HYBRISPANIA by Marko Djurdjevic

Acid Rain by Andrew Mar

2nd Level
  • Blindness/Deafness
  • Crown of Madness
  • Enthrall
  • Flame Blade
  • Hold Person
  • Magic Weapon
  • Melf's Acid Arrow
  • Mind Spike
  • Scorching Ray
  • Shadow BladeXGE
  • Shatter
  • Suggestion
3rd Level
  • Bestow Curse
  • Clairvoyence
  • Conjure Barrage
  • Elemental Weapon
  • Fear
  • Feign Death
  • Hunger of Hadar
  • Lightning Arrow
  • Thunder StepXGE
  • Tongues
4th Level
  • Compulsion
  • Dimension Door
  • Phantasmal Killer
  • Staggering Smite
5th Level
  • Banishing Smite
  • Dominate Person
  • Hold Monster

Multiclassing

The following are the rules for multiclassing with an exemplar.

Prerequisites. Charisma 13, and either Strength 13 or Dexterity 13

Proficiencies Gained. Light armour, medium armour, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons

Spellcasting. If you have both the spellcasting class feature and the Pact Magic class feature from the exemplar class, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Pact Magic feature to cast spells you know or have prepared from classes with the spellcasting class feature, and you can use the spell slots you gain from the spellcasting class feature to cast exemplar spells you know.

If you have the Pact Magic feature from both the exemplar and the warlock class, you get the spell slots from both, and may use slots from one class to cast spells from the other.

New Exemplar Cantrips

Assume Guise

Transmutation cantrip


  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: Self
  • Components: V, S, M (a lock of your own hair)
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You make minor changes to your appearance, making you difficult to recognize by those with only a passing familiarity of you. For the duration, you may change the colour of your eyes, the length and colour and style of your hair, and add or remove facial hair.

Crackling Shot

Evocation Cantrip


  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 60 feet
  • Components: V, M (a weapon)
  • Duration: Instantaneous

As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a ranged weapon attack against one creature within the spell's range, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal effects, and jolts of electricity lash out from the target at up to two other enemies of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of it. Those creatures each take 1d4 lightning damage.

This spell's damage increases when you reach higher levels. At 5th level, the ranged attack deals an extra 1d4 lightning damage to the target, and the damage the other creatures take increases to 2d4. Both damage rolls increase by 1d4 at 11th level and 17th level.

Crippling Shot

Necromancy cantrip


  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 60 feet
  • Components: V, M (a weapon)
  • Duration: 1 round

As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a ranged weapon attack against one creature within the spell's range, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal effects, and it's flesh fills with dark shadows until the start of your next turn. If the target exerts itself by attacking or by taking the Dash action before then, it immediately takes 1d6 necrotic damage, and the spell ends.

This spell's damage increases when you reach higher levels. At 5th level, the ranged attack deals an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the target, and the damage the target takes when it exerts itself increases to 2d6. Both damage rolls increase by 1d6 at 11th level and 17th level.

Eye of the Watcher

Divination cantrip


  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: Self
  • Components: S, M (ink and an owl feather)
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You trace a sigil over one of your eyes, causing it to glow with violet light. For the duration, you can see normally in darkness, both magical and non-magical, to a distance of 60 feet.

Oaken Blessing

Abjuration Cantrip


  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: V, S, M (a scrap of bark from an oak tree)
  • Duration: 1 round

You touch a willing creature. Until the start of your next turn, that creature gets a +2 bonus to its AC as pieces of oaken armour begin to swirl around its body.

Stolen Voice

Illusion Cantrip


  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: Self
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: 1 hour

Until the spell ends, you magically alter your voice and accent to whatever you choose, including perfectly imitating another. You may end this spell as an action.

Tongue Tied

Enchantment Cantrip


  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 30 feet
  • Components: S, M (a bell without a clapper)
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

A creature you can see within range must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, that creature becomes incapable of speaking or otherwise making noise with its voice until the spell ends.

Warping Step

Conjuration cantrip


  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You touch a willing creature. For the spell's duration, that creature's walking speed is increased by 10 feet as reality bends around each of its steps.

 

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