Paragon

A tiefling leaps atop the back of a red dragon, slashing their twin swords in a flurry as they dance across its spine. Every strike only strengthens their resolve, a new majesty radiating from their movements and attacks. The dragon turns its head to incinerate the pest, but the tiefling only matches its red-hot breath with another leap, and their own scream of delight.

A pair of elves fight side by side, slowly advancing towards a lone troll. The elder takes the lead, carefully slipping under and around the brute's claws while their apprentice waits for an opening. The elder whistles sharply, and the younger falls on the troll in an instant, sending it reeling backwards. As a pair, master and apprentice move in for the kill.

A human fights to their last, kicking and screaming as the fires of their passion burn brighter and brighter in their blood. Static licks at their fingers as they blur across the battlefield, a living tempest of fury and excitement, before a great pair of gold-crimson wings erupt from their back and they take to the sky in a brilliant cascade of light and fire.

Paragons are as varied as can be, but are united in their irrepressible daring, flair for dramatics, and a willingness to go beyond any limits in pursuit of their goals. Their incredible determination leads them down paths few dare follow, and no threat, no danger, will break their limitless conviction.

Quick Build

You can make a paragon quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength or Dexterity your highest ability score, depending on whether you want to wield heavy weapons or two light weapons (or a rapier). You should make Charisma your next highest ability score. Second, choose the folk hero background.

Paragon's Mark

Paragons universally seek recognition, and many choose to identify themselves with a quirk, eccentricity, or calling card. Because of this, many paragons possess an uncanny ability to recognise other paragons by their marks.

Did your paragon choose their mark, or did they inherit it? Are there others who use it? What does it mean to them? Do they want it to inspire awe, terror, or something else entirely? At your option, you can roll on the Paragon's Marks table to help inspire a mark for your paragon.

Catalyst

A paragon's devotion to their art is a special thing, and rarely emerges without a catalyst; a defining experience that sparks their obsessive fervor and begins their journey as a paragon.

How much does your paragon's catalyst mean to them? Does it hang over their head, always pushing them forward, or was it just the first stepping stone on their journey? Does it haunt them, or does it give them strength when they need it? At your option, you can roll on the Catalysts table to help inspire a catalyst for your paragon.

Weakness

Paragons strive for perfection, but by definition, that goal means that they aren't perfect. Many even display behaviour directly in contrast with their own goals and ideals

Does your paragon hide their weaknesses, ashamed that others might discover their imperfection? Do they wear them proudly, or do they simply view them as one more obstacle to overcome? Maybe they aren't even aware of their weaknesses. At your option, you can roll on the Weaknesses table to help inspire a weakness for your paragon.

Clever Retort

When a creature that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction and spend 1 nerve point to add your Charisma modifier to your AC until the start of your next turn, including against the triggering attack. You can't
use this feature if you're wielding a shield.

Daring Rush

You can use the Dash action as a bonus action. When you
do, you can spend 1 nerve point to move up and along
vertical surfaces without falling until the end of the turn.

Swift Riposte

When a creature misses you with an attack, you can
use your reaction and spend 1 nerve point to make an opportunity attack against that creature. If you hit, you
add your Charisma modifier to the damage roll.

Optional Rule - Daring Act

Your Dungeon Master might feel that your paragon character should be rewarded for acting recklessly. If so, the following optional rule presents a method of encouraging daring, risky behaviour.

Daring Act. Whenever you perform a daring act, you can regain nerve. A daring act should be risky and dramatic; it should take a great deal of bravery, and if it fails, should have a high chance of disaster. If you succeed, you regain 1 nerve point

Ask your Dungeon Master if an act counts before you attempt it. Your DM decides what counts as a daring act, and can have you regain nerve even if you didn't ask beforehand.

Extra Attack

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

Precise Strike

Starting at 5th level, you can seize opportunities that others wouldn't dare to take. When you make a weapon attack, you can spend 1 nerve point to gain advantage on the attack roll.

Evasion

Starting at 7th level, you can escape certain area effects by the skin of your teeth, such as a black dragon's acidic breath or a tidal wave spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Blitz

Starting at 9th level, when you roll for initiative, you can move up to your speed if you aren't surprised (no action required). This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

Additionally, your speed increases by 10 feet, and you can move up to 10 feet when you use your Quickstep. Beginning at 15th level, your speed increases by an additional 10 feet, and you can move up to 15 feet when you use Quickstep.

Heroic Spirit

Beginning at 10th level, your determination raises your will beyond manipulation. You can't be charmed or frightened.

Virtue of Ascension

You have witnessed a legendary being firsthand and been inspired. The sheer awe evoked by these beings is enough to spark reverence, but not all who behold their power turn to worship. Paragons of this virtue don't study these beings to imitate what they do, but instead to imitate what they are.

Ascended Fiend

Large fiend, your alignment

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• Armor Class 18 (natural armour)
• Hit Points 100 (five times your level in this class)
• Speed 30 ft., fly 90 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	20 (+5)	18 (+4)	18 (+4)	17 (+3)	22 (+6)

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• Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, poison
• Senses truesight 120 ft.
• Languages your languages, telepathy 120 ft.

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Fiendish Tempest. Your weapon attacks are magical, and you can attack three times, instead of twice, when you take the attack action on your turn.

Actions

Wave of Terror (1/day). Each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you that can see you must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, a frightened creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Ascension Quirks

Paragons of this virtue invariably strive to emulate the type of creatures they venerate. At your option, you can pick from or roll on one of the following quirk tables when you choose this virtue to create a quirk for your virtue of ascension character.

Aspirant Companion

At 3rd level, you take an aspirant under your wing. Choose your aspirant's stat block—Agile Aspirant, Mighty Aspirant, or Mystical Aspirant (see the next page). Your aspirant is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands.

In combat, the aspirant acts on your turn. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes is the Dodge action unless you use your bonus action to command it to take some other action. When you do, you can spend 1 nerve point to have it use the inspired action in its stat block. If you are incapacitated or absent, the aspirant can take any action except its inspired action, not just Dodge.

Your aspirant has proficiency two skills of your choice. It also has proficiency with simple and martial weapons, light armour, and the saving throws in its stat block. Your aspirant always uses your proficiency bonus instead of its own.

For each paragon level after 3rd, your aspirant gains hit points equal to 5 + its Constitution modifier, and gains one additional hit die. If your aspirant is reduced to 0 hit points,
it makes death saving throws as a player character would.

You can spend 8 hours in any populated area attracting another aspirant, which can be the same type of aspirant or
a different one. The DM determines what might convince a new aspirant to join you; a small favour or proof of your skill or achievements would be appropriate. You can't have more than one aspirant companion at a time.

Aspirant Quirks

Your aspirant is a character with its own personality traits, ideals, and flaws. At your option, you can pick from or roll on the Aspirant Quirks table when you choose this virtue at 3rd level, or when you take a new aspirant, to establish quirks for your aspirant and define your relationship with it.

Agile Aspirant

Medium humanoid, your alignment

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• Armor Class 13 (leather armour)
• Hit Points 18 (3d8+3)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	15 (+2)	12 (+1)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)

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• Saving Throws Dex +4, Int +3
• Senses passive Perception 12
• Languages Common, one of your choice

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Actions

Burst (Inspired Action). The aspirant makes a weapon attack against two creatures, both of which must be within 5 feet of the aspirant or each other.

Mighty Aspirant

Medium humanoid, your alignment

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• Armor Class 14 (scale mail)
• Hit Points 18 (3d8+3)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	10 (+0)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)

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• Saving Throws Str +4, Con +3
• Senses passive Perception 11
• Languages Common, one of your choice

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Martial Talent. The aspirant has proficiency with medium armour.

Actions

Bullrush (Inspired Action). The aspirant moves up to its speed towards a creature it can see and makes a melee weapon attack against it. On a hit, the target is pushed 10 feet away from the aspirant.

Spellcasting

Beginning when you reach 3rd level, your emotion manifests in bursts of untamed magic. See chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting, and the next page for the virtue of passion spell list.

Cantrips. You learn four cantrips of your choice from the virtue of passion spell list. You learn an additional virtue of passion cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots. The Virtue of Passion Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell burning hands and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast burning hands using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. You know three 1st-level virtue of passion spells of your choice

The Spells Known column of the Virtue of Passion Spellcasting table shows when you learn more virtue of passion spells of 1st level or higher. Each spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new virtue of passion spell of 1st or 2nd level.

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

Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your virtue of passion spells, since your magic is fueled by the power of your emotion. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier whenever you set the saving throw DC for a virtue of passion spell you cast and whenever you make an attack roll with one.

Focus Without Focus

Starting at 3rd level, you shape your magic with passion alone. You can ignore the material components of virtue of passion spells.

—Spell Slots per Spell Level—

Virtue of Passion Spell List

The following spell list is presented in alphabetical order.

Raw Talent

When you choose this virtue at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with any combination of three skills or tools of your choice.

Steel Step

Also at 3rd level, immediately before or after you Quickstep, you can deal damage equal to your Charisma modifier to one creature that you can see within 5 feet of you, which can take this damage only once each turn. The damage is a type dealt by your attack.

[Bitter Retort]

Starting at 6th level, if you use your Clever Retort and the triggering attack still hits, you can halve its damage against you.

Last Word

Starting at 13th level, you gain a special reaction that you can take once on every other creature's turn, but not on the same turn you take your normal reaction. You can use this reaction only to use your Swift Retort.

Perfection

When you reach 20th level, all of your ability scores increase by 2. Your maximum for those scores also increases by 2.

You also no longer suffer the frailty of old age, and you are immune to disease. Your health and beauty are unfading.

Bare Knuckle Brawler

Your unarmed strikes deal damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier. You can also two-weapon fight with them as if they had the light property, and you can make the extra attack as part of the Attack action instead of a bonus action. You can still make this extra attack only once per turn.

Bravado

You laugh in the face of danger, your bravado pushing you ever-forward. You can add your Charisma modifier to your initiative rolls.

Caped Crusader

Armour would only slow you down. While wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.

Duelist's Flourish

When you make a melee attack with a weapon you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to make a ranged attack with a diferent weapon you're holding in another hand.

Expertise

Choose one skill or tool with which you have proficiency. You gain expertise with it, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it.

You can select this flair multiple times, choosing another skill or tool each time you do.

Polyglot

You learn three languages of your choice, and you can always communicate simple ideas with any creature that can see and hear you. The creature doesn't need to share a language with you, but it must understand at least one language.

Polymath

You gain proficiency with any combination of two skills or tools of your choice. You can select this flair multiple times, choosing new skill or tool proficiencies each time you do.

You can also add half your proficiency bonus to any ability check you make using a tool that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.

Quick Pursuit

You can use Quickstep to move even if it isn't your turn. After you make an opportunity attack, you can move with the target until the end of the turn instead of using Quickstep, staying within 5 feet of it as it moves. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks. If you can't follow (if the target flies and you can't, for example), you stop moving.

If you fall at least 10 feet towards a creature before hitting it with a melee weapon attack, you can expend 1 nerve point. If you do, you take no damage from the fall, and the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or fall prone. A Large or larger creature has advantage on this saving throw.

You can spend 10 minutes enlivening your allies. When you do, up to six creatures of your choice who can see or hear you gain a Performance die, a d6, which lasts for 1 hour.

A creature can roll the die and add the result to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after rolling the d20 before deciding to use the die, but it must decide before the DM says whether or not the roll succeeds or fails. Once a creature rolls a Performance die, it is lost, and the creature can't benefit from this flair again until it has finished a short or long rest.

You can use your action to sense the presence of creatures
of the type you chose at 3rd level. You learn if any creatures of that type are within 500 feet of you and their location. At the same time, you also learn if there are any powerful celestials, dragons, fey, fiends, elementals, or undead in the same area, but not how many or their location.