Crownsguard

Crownsguards are warriors who devote their lives to those around them in whatever way they can, be it on the battlefield or through simple acts of kindness. Often these guardians have served as the protectors of kings or noblemen and now they devote themselves to the allies they call friends. Be it evil hiding behind this noble exterior or simply a kind soul, you are never without your allies and never without your vigilance.

As a crownsguard you will harness your innate magical prowess to empower your allies or through your own strength andwork as one. What role will you grow to fill?

Equipment

You start with the following equipment in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) one martial weapon or (b) 3 daggers
(a) a crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) a shield
(a) an explorer's pack or (b) a scholar's pack
(a) leather armor or (b) chain mail

Shield for Death

Crownsguards are first and foremost there to support their allies and keep them from falling to their knees. If an ally is knocked unconscious within 10ft of you, they automatically have one success on their death saving throws.

At 9th level the range increases to 30ft

Heightened Stakes

When your allies need you most you pull though giving them the drive they need to get to their feet. When an ally within 30ft of you is restrained, grappled, or paralyzed you gain a +1 bonus to your Atk bonus and damage rolls made with weapon attacks. If these conditions are met at the start of your turn you may choose to forfeit this bonus until the start of your next turn to grant that ally +1 to their check to escape being grappled or restrained or saving throw to escape being paralyzed.

At 9th level the bonus becomes a +2.

Willing Sacrifice

Starting at 2nd level your allies know that when they need it, you will be there to help them. On an ally's turn, if they are within 5ft of you they may use their action to ask you for help. If you say yes then that ally is healed by one of your hit die (expend the hit die as if you had used it). If you say no the ally does not use their action.

At 9th level you may sacrifice up to two hit die in this way, at 13th level you may sacrifice up to three.

Trusted Support

At 2nd level you have become someone that your allies can rely upon to pick up their slack. When an ally within 30ft makes an ability check using intelligence, wisdom, or charisma that they are not proficient in and that you are proficient in, they may add half your proficiency bonus to their roll.

Crownsguard Role

When you reach 3rd level you choose a role to specialize in. You may choose between Guardian, Tactician and Kingsglaive, detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, 14th and 18th levels.

Ability Score Improvement

When your 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 score 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.

Role Reverse

When your reach 7th level you have learned to fill in when one of your party members cannot. You have also been watching them and have gained a slight insight into their abilities. When an ally within 5ft is unconscious you gain the ability to use their powers at their basest form. After you do this you must make a Constitution saving throw or suffer one level of exhaustion. The DC equals 14 + the number of times you have used this since your last long rest.

• If your ally is a barbarian you may activate rage (no primal path bonuses apply).
• If they are a bard you may use their bardic inspiration (d6).
• If they are a cleric you may use their channel divinity (Turn Undead).
• If your ally is a druid you gain any senses from their most recent wild shape.
• If your ally is a fighter you may use their second wind.
• If your ally is a monk your melee weapon attacks count as magical for the sake of overcoming resistances and immunities to non-magical damage.
• If your ally is a paladin you may use their divine smite (2d8).
• If your ally is a ranger you gain access to the benefits they receive for their favored enemy.
• If your ally is a rogue you gain sneak attack (2d6).
• If your ally is a sorcerer or a wizard you gain advantage on saves made against spell effects.
• If your ally is a warlock you gain the benefits from their 1st level otherworldly patron feature.
• If your ally is a Crownsguard you may summon their bonded weapon(s).
  (If your ally is a homebrew class, work with your DM to decide on a feature that would suit this effect).

Invigorating Shout

At 9th level you are someone who not only supports but someone who inspires. On your turn you may use your bonus action to let out a shout that grants all allies within 30ft advantage on any strength and wisdom saving throws and gain 10ft of movement until the start of your next turn. You may use this feature once before you must rest before using it again.

Gift of Life

When you reach 11th level you can trade a piece of your life for the life of others. You may use your action to touch a creature that has been dead for no more than 1 hour. You may then expend 10 of your hit die to bring that ally back to life. Roll one of your hit die (do not expend it) and the ally is healed by that amount immediately. You cannot do this if you cannot expend 10 hit die.

Link Strike

At 13th level you can complement your allies in battle, protect them, and can stand with them as equals, now that is taken even further as you become even more in sync with them. When an ally lands a vritical hit or causes a foe to become stunned or paralyzed within sight of you, you may use your reaction to make an weapon attack (or use a cantrip if you have those) with advantage against that foe if they are within range.

Your allies can also do this when you land a critical hit or cause a foe to become stunned or paralyzed within line of sight of them. Your ally does not get advantage on their attack roll however.

No matter who makes the attack as a reaction this can only be done once regaining your spent use when you finish a short rest.

No Brightest Star

At 15th level you might have some pretty cool abilities, but so do your allies and you can surely push their powers even farther if you can inspire them to try. You may use your reaction to do one of the following when one of these events occur. These reactions can be used collectively a total number of times equal to your charisma modifier regaining all spent uses when you finish a long rest.

When you use one of these features you cannot do so again until the end of your next turn.

• When an ally makes an attack roll against a creature that can see or hear you within 30ft, you may grant advantage on the attack roll by distracting the target.
• When an ally dies or is knocked unconscious within 30ft of you, you cause them to remain at 1hp. (3 uses)
• When an ally within 30ft casts a spell you may increase its range by 30ft (spell range not area of effect). This has no effect on touch range spells.
• When a foe that can see or hear you makes an attack roll against an ally within 30ft of you, you may impose disadvantage on the attack roll by distracting them.
• When an ally within 30ft receives healing (from a spell or a potion or another means of healing) you may increase the healing by 1d8.
• When an ally that can hear you and that you can see kills a foe you may allow them to take an additional movement action.

Special Techniques

When you reach 17th level you have become a near perfect ally to have fighting by someone's side. You gain access to the following special techniques:

Impulse: While wielding a greatsword or another heavy, 2-handed weapon, you may inflict a Dexterity saving throw on a creature within 5ft of you and all creatures within 5ft of your target as an action. On a failed save they are knocked prone.

Cyclone: While wielding a shield you may inflict a Strength saving throw on a creature within 5ft of yourself as an action. On a failed save the target is pushed 15ft backwards and on a success is pushed only 5ft. This does not work on creature two size categories or more larger than you. Either way the creature takes 1d10 + your strength modifier as bludgeoning damage.

Royal Guard: As a reaction you may increase your AC by your Strength modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Malestorm: While wielding a melee weapon you unleash a barrage of fierce attacks as an action. Make 2 weapon attacks against a target within range, then make a third weapon attack and if either of the first two hit, make it with advantage.

Dual Master: After using this as a bonus action, you gain a surge of superhuman strength. For the next round (starting on this turn) you may dual wield weapons with the heavy property or weapons with the 2-handed property with no penalties. While this is active you may also make an attack as a bonus action when you take the attack action on the same turn as if you were dual wielding light weapons.

Mark: While wielding a ranged weapon or at least 5 daggers you may make 5 attacks on a single for within range as an action.

Regroup: As an action you call to all allies that can hear you within 60ft, and they can choose to run to your location if they can logically do so, provoking no attacks of opportunity as a reaction.

Overwhelm: As an action you call to two allies within 30ft of you that can hear you and specify a target. If the target is within range, both allies may use their reaction to attack that target.

Total Clarity: As an action you mentally calm yourself, your next attack roll has advantage to hit and you remove the charmed, frightened or confused conditions from yourself.

Overclock: Through your bones surges a wave of adrenaline allowing you to take an additional Reaction before the start of your next turn. This is activated as a Bonus Action.

Crackshot: While wielding a ranged weapon you may activate this when you hit a creature that is prone, restrained, grappled or incapacitated. When you do, you may roll 2 additional damage die for your weapon and may reroll any die of your choice but must take the new roll.

Limit Break: As a bonus action you concentrate. Your next weapon attack within the next round (assuming you don't lose concentration) deals an additional 4d6 force damage.

You may only use one of these techniques, regaining your spent use when you finish a long rest.

Weight of the World

When you reach 20th level you are the perfect ally for your team. Your masterful movements and tactics complement your party in every way and your spirit boosts the morale of your team tenfold. Your Charisma score increase by 4 up to a maximum of 24 and all allies within 30ft of you are immune to the frightened and charmed conditions. Allies already under these conditions when they enter the area automatically succeed on any saving throw they make in the area against being charmed or frightened.

If an ally affected by the charmed or frightened condition enters this area it is not dispelled. The condition is postponed until they leave the area.

Crownsguard Roles

Your role as a crownsguard defines you past just the grit of combat and the hardships of adventuring. Be it through your keen mind or your brute strength you will grow in ways that complement your strengths and make up for your weaknesses.

Guardian

Spending most of your time in front of your allies in a fight means you must be able to take a hit. As a guardian your physical prowess will grow and so will your reflexes and determination.

Enhanced Durability

At 3rd level when you take this role you must never be caught vulnerable lest you fall prey to those who would harm your party. When you roll initiative you gain 10 temporary hit points.

This increases to 15 temporary hit points at 6th level, 20 temporary hit points at 10th level, 30 temporary hit points at 14th level and 40 temporary hit points at 18th level.

At 14th level you may use an action on your turn once per short or long rest to gain temporary hit points equal to half the amount (rounded down) shown above appropriate to your level. After doing this you mist finish a long rest before doing it again.

You also gain proficiency in Strength saving throws.

Spirit Shield

Starting at 3rd level when you choose this role you will gain the ability to bond with a shield. While bonded with the shield you may use a bonus action to materialize or dematerialize this shield in your hand. If the shield is destroyed then it simply disappears and you may materialize it again as normal on your next turn.

If you wish to switch the shield you are bound to you may perform a 1 hour ritual where you sit with the both shields. You must remain concentrated the entire time or else the bond fails to form, you may also use this method to break an existing bond. This time does not count as a short rest.

You can only have one bond at a time until 10th level when you may have up to two bonds, the second of which can be a melee weapon if you so choose. If you do bond with a weapon the damage it deals counts a magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunities.

Split Second

When you reach 6th level you have come to act as the shield for your party. When a foe makes an attack roll against an ally within 15ft you may use your reaction to shove that ally back 5ft and leap in front of the attack, the attacker now targets you instead of your ally. You must finish a short or long rest before using this feature again.

At 10th level you gain another use of this per short or long rest.

No Burden Too Heavy

Starting at 14th level you cannot fathom life without your dearest friends. To see them in pain is to suffer yourself. As an action you may touch an ally that is afflicted with the poisoned, blinded, deafened, paralyzed, petrified, or stunned conditions and relieve them of that condition but in turn you are subjected to it immediately.

You cannot take one of these conditions if it is not caused by an outside source. For example if an ally has no eyes you cannot cure their blindness in this fashion.

Immovable Wall

When you reach 18th level you do not hesitate to leap into the fray if it means saving a life and when you do so you know you will succeed. Allies within 30ft of you gain resistance to spell damage. Additionally, when an ally within 30ft of you fails a saving throw you may use your reaction to cause them to succeed, you may do this three times, regaining all spent uses on a long rest.

Tactician

Preferring to observe rather than to jump into danger your role as a tactician is that of a trickster and a niche supporter. Others might take you as the quiet type but giving time to speak your mind you say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done.

Kingsglaive Spellcasting

Arcane Scars

At 6th level you have called upon the arcane powers around you to grant you magical abilities a multitude of times and they have left you marked by their power. Perhaps your eyes now spark with arcane energy or your voice takes on a vocal range that has you sound as if many beings are speaking in unison. You also gain advantage on saving throws made against spell effects.

Magic Infusion

When you reach 10th level the power that you call upon has left residue in your body and soul. You gain one of the following magical features. Spells added through this feature do not count towards your maximum spells known.

• When you take the dash action on your turn you may run on air as if you running normally. If you end your turn airborne with no flight speed you will fall
• Increase damage for one cantrip that deals damage by your charisma modifier
• Add the Sanctuary and Sure Wounds spells to your known spells
• Add the Heroism and Bless spells to your known spells
• Triple your high jump distance and you may add Thunderous Smite to your known spells and you may reduce fall damage taken by 3 times your Crownsguard level
• As a reaction you may cause a spell that is targeting an ally within 30ft to change it's target to yourself but if the spell requires a saving throw you automatically fail. If the spell had an area of effect then you become the new center of the spell's area of effect
• You may use a 2nd level spell slots to inflict a wisdom saving throw on a creature your size or smaller within 60ft, on a fail you and the creature swap places
• You may add the Thunder Step spell to your known spells and the Thunderclap cantrip to your list of known cantrips
• You may add the Longstrider spell to your known spells and the Feather Fall cantrip to your known cantrips.
• You may add the Pyrotechnics and Warding Wind spells to your known spells
• You gain darkvision up to a range of 60ft. If you already have darkvision you can now see in magical darkness.
• You may add the Disguise self and Silent Image spells to your known spells
• You may add the See Invisibility and Darkvision spells to your known spells
• You may add the Shield and Otiluke's Resilient Sphere to your know spells
• You may now expend a 3rd level spell slot to cast two 1st level spells in one action (the spells must have a casting time of 1 action) or you can expend a 4th level spell slot to cast two 2nd level spells in one action (the spells must have a casting time of 1 action) or you can expend a 5th level spell slot to cast two 3rd level spells in one action (the spells must have a casting time of 1 action). You can upcast spells using this method by increase the level of the spell slot expended by 1 to increase the level the spells are cast at by 1 as well.
• You may learn an axtra spell from the Kingsgalive spell list at this level and again at 13th level, these spells do not count against your known spells.
• Increase your maximum possible weapon bonds by 1
• You may use a 2nd level spell slot when you land a critical hit with a weapon you are bonded with to restore 1d6 + your charisma modifier as hp to yourself and restore a spell slot of 1-4th (roll a d4) level.
• You can no longer cast 1st level spells (you can still upcast them) but in return you can use a 1st level spell slot to increase damage dealt on a weapon attack by 2d12, reduce damage taken by 2d6 as a reaction, increase a roll to hit by 1d10 or restore 1d8 + your charisma modifier as hp to yourself as an action.
• Your "Willing Sacrifice" ability can now be activate by you as an action and when you do this it's range becomes 30ft.
• You may bond with tools or any other items that you can hold in one hand as well as weapons.
• You no longer age.
• When you take the hide Action on your turns you may magically teleport up to 15ft as part of the Action.
• You can now teleport to an ally within 90ft of you that you can see as a bonus action using a 1st level spell slot.
• Choose an elemental damage type from fire, lightning or cold. When you that type of damage you heal 1d10hp.
• You may use a 2nd level spell slot to enter a defensive stance until the start of your next turn. All attacks rolls against you have disadvantage and you have advantage on all dexterity saving throws. If you are hit by an attack or targeted by a spell that damage you, you may use your reaction to end the defensive stance and teleport up to 15ft to a location you can see and then inflict a constitution saving throw on all creatures in a 15ft radius area that originates within 15ft of you. On a failed save they take 1d10 radiant, 1d10 necrotic, 1d10 thunder, 1d10 force, and 1d10 psychic damage or half as much on a successful save.

Arcane Bandwidth

You are more in tune with the great arcane energies of this world than almost any other at 14th level. You may attune to an extra magical item (increasing the maximum to 4). Additionally attuning to a magical item takes you half as long as it normally would.

Natural Magic

At 18th level your attunement with the magic that makes up nature is stronger than ever. All the channeling of it's power has left you scarred and carved out because of it's sheer arcane might. Now you become one. You no longer require food, water or air to survive. Additionally you are immune to the effects of strong winds, frigid water, extreme heat and extreme cold caused by natural events. You are immune to damage from lava and from the environmental elements on the elemental planes. You cannot be affected by madnesses brought on by planar magic effects (such as Shadowfell or Elysium madnesses or madness brought on by the winds of Pandemonium).

Kingsglaive Spell List

Cantrips (0 Level)
Blade Ward
Chill Touch
Control Flames
Fire Bolt
Frostbite
Message
Mold Earth
Prestidigitation
Shape Water
Shocking Grasp

1st Level
Absorb Elements
Armor of Agathys
Burning Hands
Comprehend Languages
Detect Magic
Earth Tremor
Expeditious Retreat
Fog Cloud
Ice Knife
Illusory Script
Thunderwave
True Strike

2nd Level
Darkness
Detect Thoughts
Dragon's Breath
Invisibility
Knock
Magic Mouth
Pass Without Trace
Scorching Ray
Spider Climb
Silence
Suggestion
Zone of Truth

3rd Level
Call Lightning
Clairvoyance
Counterspell
Dispel Magic
Erupting Earth
Feign Death
Fireball
Glyph of Warding
Lightning Bolt
Magic Circle
Meld Into Stone
Nondetection
Plant Growth
Remove Curse
Sleet Storm
Tidal Wave
Tongues
Water Walk
Wall of Sand
Wind Wall
Wall of Water

• Cover Art: Official art for Final Fantasy XV Comrades
• FFXV Icon: Official icon for FFXV
• Guardian Art: Concept art for FFXV (unknown artist)
• Kingsglaive Art: Art by Kevin Lei on Artstation