Awakener
A grizzled old man fending off attackers in front of him while his oddly shaped cloak moves on its own to defend him from the enemies behind him. A smile crosses a young woman's face as she touches the cloak on the attacking thug, whispering a command word. The cloak flips up and chokes him to death.
An air of mystery surrounds those who can bring objects to life with their very breath.
Creative Awakening
The great thing about this class is that they're very flexible, and not restricted to certain Commands. A Command is a group of words spoken in your native language, which you will choose later, and must be clear, with no mumbling or stuttering, and must be direct. You can come up with your own Commands, though there will be a list of commands in the back.
Creating an Awakener
As you create your Awakener, think about how your character learned his abilities, and what he used them for. Was he a monk who discovered a new way to manipulate Ki and decided to take a different path in life? Was he trained by a Master Awakener? Or something entirely different?
Quick Build
First, your highest Ability Score should be Intelligence, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the Sage Background.
Class Features
As an Awakener, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d6 per Awakener level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution Modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution Modifier
Proficiencies
- Armor: none
- Weapons: Simple Weapons
- Tools: none
- Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
- Skills: Choose three from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a shortbow and 20 arrows or (b) any simple weapon
- (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- Shirt with tassels around the wrist, 100 feet or Hempen Rope.
Awakener
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Breath |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Breath, Awakening, Native Language | 5 |
| 2nd | +2 | Awakening Focus | 6 |
| 3rd | +2 | Aura Recognition | 7 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 8 |
| 5th | +3 | Second Command | 9 |
| 6th | +3 | Awakening Focus Feature | 10 |
| 7th | +3 | Greater Awakening | 11 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 12 |
| 9th | +4 | - | 13 |
| 10th | +4 | Awakening Focus Feature, Instinctive Awakening | 14 |
| 11th | +4 | Third Command | 15 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement, Life Sense | 16 |
| 13th | +5 | - | 17 |
| 14th | +5 | Awakening Focus Feature | 18 |
| 15th | +5 | Body of Breath | 19 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 20 |
| 17th | +6 | - | 21 |
| 18th | +6 | Perfect Invocation | 22 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 23 |
| 20th | +6 | Mental Command | 24 |
Breath
Breath is the core component of your magic. You can bring objects to life, or Awaken, using Commands. You may make up or own if you want. Have the DM read the DM tips at the back of the book.
Native Language
Your Native Language is a language of your choice that you already know. All your Commands must be spoken in this language.
Awakening
You may use an action to touch an object and speak a Command. The object will then come to life and act according to the Command. You can collect your BioChromatic Breath, or Breath for short, from it. The object cannot be larger than Huge or be made of inorganic materials such as stone and metal. They must be made of organic materials that are not alive, such as rope, wood, straw, and bones that can be held together.
To awaken an object, you must be touching the object. Then, you speak a Command and bring it to life. A tiny object costs 2 Breaths to Awaken. Each size up from tiny requires 2 more Breaths to Awaken. Its Breath cost is reduced by half if the object is in the form of a person, animal, or plant.
Commands. Commands are phrases that are spoken in your native language. No stuttering or mumbling allowed. If must be clear and direct. There are two kinds of Commands: Simple and Complex.
Simple Commands are a short idea or phrase. They usually consist of a Noun, Verb, and Trigger. For example, "Hold when thrown" would cause a rope to wrap around whatever it touches when it is thrown.
Complex Commands are long phrases. They are very complex. For example, "Fight for me as if you were me" would cause the Awakened object, which would have to be in the shape of a human or animal, to fight for you with your fighting style.
Color. Breath requires Color to function. In order to use breath, you have to draw Color from surrounding objects. If you awaken a Tiny object, you have to all color from a nearby Tiny object. The range is 15 feet. White and gray are Bleached Colors, which means that they cannot have their color drawn from them. Black works surprisingly well for fueling Awakening. Drab colors will work too, just not as well.
Awakening Focus
Choose the Animus, which is detailed at the end of the class description. This will grant you powers at level 2, 6, 10, and 14, and 18.
Aura Recognition
At 3rd level, you can always sence magical presences as through the Detect Magic spell. You can also see the aura of any object that has been Awakened or has Breath stored within it as part of this ability.
Ability Score Improvement
At levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 19, you may improve one Ability Score by 2 or two ability scores by 1.
Greater Awakening
At level 7, you gain the ability to Awaken objects made of unorganic materials. You can Awaken stone and metal, but it takes twice as many Breaths as it normally would. If the stone or metal is in the form of a human, animal, or plant, it costs the amount for the size. You also no longer have to be touching the object; you can Awaken objects within 60 feet of you.
Instinctive Awakening
At 10th level, you can now speak Commands as bonus actions instead of actions. You also have two bonus actions per turn, but the second one must be used to speak a Command.
Life Sense
At level 12, you gain the ability to know the presence of any creature within 60 feet of you. You don't know what creature they are but you do know what direction they are in. If they are in 30 feet of you, you know their exact location.
Body Of Breath
At level 15, you are immune to poison and disease. You also do not age and cannot be aged magically.
Perfect Invocation
At level 18, instead of bleaching colors to gray, you bleach them to white. You may now Awaken objects by bleaching color from an object one size smaller.
Mental Command
At level 20, all Commands can be spoken mentally as a Bonus Action to a target within 60 feet.
Credit: Dan Dos Santos
Awakener Focus
At level 2, you become an Animus. This will give you benefits later.
Animus
For some, the vast possiblities of Awakening is not enough. They seek to bring their Breath to the very limit. They even bring back the dead to fight alongside them.
Chromatic Aspect
At 2nd level, you draw upon the color of objects, more than Awakeners normally can. Different colors have different effects. You may spend an extra Breath to gain the special ability for a color that you drew on for Awakening.
Yellow. If the target is an object, it becomes immune to lightning damage and does an extra 1d6 lightning damage to each attack they make. If the target is a Lifeless, they become immune to lightning damage and can cast Shocking Grasp as a Cantrip.
Red. If the target is an object, it becomes immune to fire damage and does an extra 1d6 fire damage to each attack they make. If the target is a Lifeless, they become immune to fire damage and can cast Fire Bolt as a Cantrip.
Green. If the target is an object, it becomes immune to poison damage and grows spikes that drip poison. Every attack that it makes deals a bonus 1d6 poison damage. If the target is a Lifeless, it sends off an aura of poison. Everyone of your choice who goes within 5 feet of the Lifeless takes 1d10 poison damage.
Blue. If the target is an object, it is coated in a dense layer of frost, reducing any damage it takes by 2 and dealing an extra 1d6 cold damage with and attack ti makes. If the target is a Lifeless, they are coated in a layer of dense frost, increasing its AC by 2. It can also cast Ray of Frost as a Cantrip.
Black. If the target is an object, its weight is doubled and it deals an extra die of damage whenever it takes. If the target is a Lifeless, its weight it doubled. If it is grappled, the grappler has disadvantage. The Lifeless has advantage on checks involving being forcefully moved.
Lifeless
At level 6, you have learned to turn the dead into living creatures. A tiny creature costs 1 Breath, medium 2 Breaths, large 3 Breaths, and huge 4 breaths. You cannot create a Huge Lifeless yet. When you create a Lifeless, its skin bleaches to gray and all semblance of life disappears from its eyes. Next, you give it a Command Phrase, which can be anything, then speak you Command, which can be anything you want. Finally, you speak its Command Phrase again. If you wish to give it new Commands, just say the Command Phrase again and speak another Command. You can only control one Lifeless at a time. You can control 2 Lifeless at level 10, 3 Lifeless at level 14, and 4 Lifeless at level 18.
At level 18, instead of controlling 4 Lifeless, you can Control 1 Huge Lifeless. Before it is Awakened, if there is any color on the body, that can be used to fuel the transformation. Once you have created a Lifeless, you cannot retreive the Breaths until the Lifeless dies. When it dies, the Breaths return to you. If it is not being commanded, it will do its best to defend you and keep you from harm. They have their own initiative.
Take the Stats of the creature you're creating the Lifeless from and add these special abilities:
Statistic Changes. The Lifeless gains +1 to strength, +2 to constitution, -2 to Intelligence, -2 to Wisdom, and -4 to Charisma.
Traits. The Lifeless retains all of its Physical Skill, Weapon, and Armor Proficiencies. It is immune to poison and the poisoned condition. It has Darkvision for 60 feet and understands all languages, but cannot speak.
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces a Lifeless to 0 HP, it must make a Constitution Saving Throw with a DC equal to 5 + the amount of damage taken. On a success, the Lifeless drops to 1 HP instead.
Undead Nature. Lifeless don't need require air, eating, drinking, or sleeping.
Chromatic Blending
At 10th level, you gain the ability to blend Chromatic Aspects. In order to do this, you need to drain the colors of both that you choose.
Command Break
At level 14 you can use an action to break the Command of an Awakened object, Lifeless included. You can only use this ability twice between long rests. At level 18, you can do this three times between long rests.
Simple Commands
Climb. This Command causes the Awakened object to climb a climbable surface nearby. This Command works best when used in a Complex Command.
Grab. This Command causes the Awakened object to grab onto the nearest target that is not you. It works best if you say Grab Things as the Command. It's good to use a rope to Grab Things.
Move. This Command causes the Awakened object to move at its speed to a space of your choice. It's best to use this in conjunction with other Commands.
Raise/Lower. This Command causes the Awakened object to wrap around the Awakener and raise or lower the Awakener to a space of his choice.
Tie/Untie. This Command causes the Awakened object, preferably a rope, to tie or untie around a target.
My life to yours, My Breath become yours. Use this Command to put all of your Breath into an object. It does not Awaken, it just holds your Breath. Only you can retrieve it. Bring it back into you by saying "Your Breath to mine."
Complex Commands
Awaken to my Breath, serve my needs, live at my Command and my word. This Command awakens a Lifeless. Next, you say anything from 2 to 5 words. Then, you give it orders. Lifeless are better at understanding Commands than other Awakened objects, so you can give them details. Finally, speak the Command Phrase again. The Lifeless will do what you told it to do.
Upon call, become my fingers and grip. When you twitch your thumb twice really fast, the Awakened object, preferably tassels or several ropes tied together with knots. Whenever you move your hand, the tassels or ropes will move too. They will be faster and stronger than your regular hands.
Fetch... When you say the Command, specify what the Awakened object is supposed to fetch. If the item can't be physically moved, the Breath will return to you. If the item can't be found, the Breath will return to you. Otherwise, the item will be brought back to you.
Fight for me, as if you were me. This will cause the Awakened object, preferably a lot of cloth or rope, to assume the shape of a human. It will pick up anything near it to use as a weapon. If will fight using your fighting style, and will attack those that you want to attack.
Find... When you say this Command, specify what the Awakened object is supposed to find. Then, it will try to find it. If it can't, the Breath will return to you. If it can find the thing it's looking for, it will lead the Awakener to it.
Protect me. This Command works best on cloaks and scarves. Whenever a hostile NPC or moster gets near, the cloak or scarf will attack. Attackers have disadvantage on all rolls. Also, the cloak or scarf has unlimited reactions. When a hostile enemy gets near, it will attack using a reaction, dealing 1d8 bludgeoning damage for a cloak, and 1d6 bludgeoning damage for a scarf. The opponent must make a DC 15 Dexterity Saving Throw or take the damage.
Credit: Stormlight Archives Wiki
Stengthen Me. When you use this Command, put Breaths into your clothes. You gain +2 to your Strength Score. The Awakener takes no fall damage. Your Unarmed Strikes now deal 1d4 + you Str Mod bludgeoning damage, and you have a +1 to Melee attack rolls.
Use... When you use this Command, specify what it's going to use. Then, the Awakened object will use the thing. For example, you Command "Use the lock." Your Breath will go into the rope or item and the rope will pick the lock instantly. This Command works best with ropes and similar things.
Command Triggers
Upon call. You this Trigger in a Command. When you do something that you specifically chose, but didn't say out loud, it causes the Command to start working.
Upon contact. This Trigger works much the same was as Upon Call, but it happens when you make contact with an object of your designation.
When thrown. This Trigger is used in a Command. It causes the Command to work when the object is thrown.
DM Tips
DMs, if an Awakener if your campaign makes up a Command, make sure the Command is clear and direct. When they make up Commands, it is best for them to have Simple Commands mixed in with the Command. Thanks!
Credits
Thanks to Stormlight Archives Wiki for the picture of Vasher above, thanks to Dan Dos Santos for the Warbreaker picture, and finally, and thanks to Stormlight Archives Wiki for the cover picture. Finally, a big thanks to Brandon Sanderson for writing Warbreaker. I suggest you check it out.
Race: Returned
A Returned is a unique individual who died in a heroic way, but came back to life with no memory of their previous life. They have perfect bodies, standing a head or two taller than most people. They are incredibly strong.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Strength score increases by 2. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Previous Life. You still retain abilities from your past life. Increase one Ability Score of your choice by 2. Then, you become proficient in 2 Skills of your choice.
Languages. You gain 1 bonus language.
Weapons. You gain proficiency in 1 weapon of your choice.
Armor. You gain proficiency in Light or Medium armor, if you don't have it already.
Tool Kits. You gain proficiency in one tool kit of your choice.
Awakeners
And
Returned
Dive deep into Nalthis to learn about Awakeners and Returned and study the undead Lifeless.
Discover the ability to Awaken object and dead people to your will!
Also, a big thanks to Brandon Sanderson for inspiring me to do this!
Cover Art: Stormlight Archives Wiki
Enjoy your powerful Awakener! Don't forget to come up with your own Commands. Feel free to share them.