The Primordial Crest

Arbiters wield the unique ability to mark creatures with a special crest, whose properties outside of combat are largely unknown. Few know the extent of the origins of arbiters and their powers, and of the few who do know the source of them and the powers they wield, even fewer would part with such wisdom. Was it something so paramount that fanned the fires of their existence, or merely an event that is so insignificant that it wasn't worth etching their beginnings into the annals of history?

This unique power, despite its historical insignificance, is one that has been studied with no fruit borne from its efforts. Because of the scarcity of arbiters, it is very difficult to gauge what arbiters are truly capable of. Those born with the spark of an arbiter or inherit it can call upon its powers with a flick of their wrist or with careful practice. Meanwhile, those who attempt to emulate the powers of an arbiter fail spectacularly or produce no results whatsoever.

Hand of Judgment

The killing gaze of an arbiter is unmistakable. In combat, they exude an aura that none can miss - the shadow of death that's on the horizon. Due to their prowess in combat (either intended or not) and the tales that follow them, they tend to fall into one of two camps: executioners that act in good will and carry out the words of judges, or renegades who ignore the law and kill and maim as a means to an end.

Not all arbiters use the power bestowed upon them. Why does yours use the primordial gift they carry? Does it allow them to flaunt their martial prowess, make a living, or wade through life one day at a time? Does your character use this gift to achieve their goals as best as they can? Or do they try to live as monotonously as possible, striving to be better not with this entreatment, but with their own hands?

Creating an Arbiter

When you are creating your arbiter, consider these two specific elements: the origin of the spark that has given them their powers and how it has manifested, and how they intend to use this primeval brilliance. Have you accepted this power, or do you resent it for the expectations it has laid upon you?

Arbiters are known for their martial prowess, but that doesn't always come naturally. You might've enjoyed years of formal training in an army or militia, or perhaps you studied under the tutelage of a mentor keen on sharpening the skills you had at a young age.

After adventuring for some time, all arbiters must answer the call - to be a hand of judgment, or a renegade with rising ambitions and their own definition of judgment. Is the spark within them a festering curse that will only make you more ruthless as time passes, or is it a blessing that allows them to execute those aligned with forces that would watch the world burn? You may possibly divine it as an instrument that has allowed you to do as you see fit.

Unfathomable Whimsy

No two arbiters act the same, and rarely do two share the same origin. To add some texture to your arbiter, consider quirks that set them apart from others - for example you may despise the nobility you seek to become, or you try to refrain from saying the names of others. They have no effect on the game, but your character might become irritated or upset if their quirk is bothered. They are a great role-playing tool to add character to the game. You can roll or pick from the Quirks table, or design your own. Try to aim for at least two quirks to give your character, so it is more likely for them to come into play.

Class Features

As an arbiter, you gain the following class features.

Ruincrest

In combat, arbiters can brand their foes with ruincrests, brands of primordial power, to hone their focus to inhuman levels. Owing to their nature, ruincrests do not abide by the Weave - antimagic field, dispel magic, and other effects like them have no effect on ruincrests.

Each arbiter has their own unique, stylized ruincrest; for example, a dragonborn arbiter may have a claw or wing for their ruincrest, while the crest of one studying magic might be the symbol of a school of magic they use.

You can use a bonus action to brand a creature you can see within 60 feet of you with a ruincrest for 1 hour. You can't use this feature if a creature's already marked with your ruincrest or if you don't have a free hand. A ruincrest that you brand on a creature ends when any of these conditions are met.

• You finish a rest, roll initiative, or drop to 0 hit points. At the DM's discretion, you can ignore this condition when you roll initiative, letting you brand a creature with your ruincrest before entering combat.
• An arbiter feature indicates that you brand a creature.
• Divine intervention or a wish spell removes the brand.

• The branded creature dies or moves to another plane of existence, to which you are alerted but have no grasp on their new location.

While a creature is marked with your ruincrest, you gain a +2 bonus to all of the following. The bonus increases as you gain more levels in this class, as shown in the Marked Bonus column of the Arbiter table.

• Strength and Dexterity checks that you make against that creature.
• Attack rolls that you make against that creature.
• Damage rolls that you make against that creature. The damage type of this extra damage is determined by the ascension that you choose when you first take a level in this class.
• Saving throws you make against spells and other effects that originate from that creature.
• The save DC for your arbiter features that creature is forced to make saving throws against. If other creatures are forced to make a saving throw for the same feature, only the branded creature rolls against an increased DC.
• Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Survival) checks you make to find that creature.

As a negative effect of branding a creature with your crest, you suffer a -3 penalty to the following rolls you make while that creature is branded with your ruincrest. The penalty to these rolls is increased as you gain more levels as an arbiter, as shown in the Marked Penalty column of the Arbiter table.

• Saving throws you make for spells and effects that don't originate from the creature branded with your ruincrest.
• Attack rolls that you make against creatures that are not branded with your ruincrest.
• Wisdom (Perception) checks you make that don't involve the creature branded with your ruincrest.

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, the second attack doesn't gain any benefits on attacks you make against a creature branded with your ruincrest, but still suffers from penalties to attack rolls that you make against creatures that aren't marked with your ruincrest.

In addition, choose from acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, or radiant damage. As long as your battlesuit is engaged, you can replace the damage normally dealt by your battlesuit's weapon or summoned weapon with damage of the chosen type on a hit.

You can replace the chosen damage type with another damage type when you reach 6th level, and again at 10th, 14th, and 18th level.

Security Override

When you reach 10th level, you gain a degree of familiarity with your battlesuit, in addition to warding magic. You gain the following benefits.

Armored Resistance. You have resistance to your chosen damage type for Battlesuit Engagement while your battlesuit is engaged.

Spellcasting. You learn otiluke's resilient sphere and can cast it once without expending a spell slot. When you cast it this way, the spell can only target yourself and ignores your size. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

Weapon Override. Whenever you engage your battlesuit, you can summon a weapon that you're carrying or wielding instead of the weapon associated with that battlesuit.

Primordial Aegis

When you reach 14th level, you can use your reaction when you're dealt damage to reduce the damage that you take by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must have your battlesuit engaged to use this reaction.

Additionally, your innate magical power matures. You learn banishing smite and you can cast it without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

Aegis's Apex

At 18th level, your reserve of limited magical power reaches its apex. You gain the following benefits.

Self-Preservation Protocol. Your battlesuit no longer ends early if you are knocked unconscious. Moreover, you regain 5 hit points at the start of each of your turns if your battlesuit is engaged and you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don’t gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.

Spellcasting. You learn globe of invulnerability. You can cast it without expending a spell slot and without requiring concentration. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

Blood Voivode

Blood voivodes are unshakable juggernauts, able to leech the life force of those they defeat and sacrifice their own blood to perform extraordinary feats. Demonized and labeled heralds of destruction, it is up to you to prove whether or not you're a portent of the evils that are rumored to follow you.

Crimson Arrogation

Beginning at 14th level, whenever you take damage from a creature within 10 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make a weapon attack against that creature; you can't make an attack against a creature outside of your weapon's range.

In addition, when you gain this feature, choose one of the following crimson sacraments to learn.

• Bloodstorm. (1/rest, 5d8) You unleash a storm of flesh-ripping force as an action. Each other creature within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. Each creature that fails its saving throw and each object in the storm's vicinity takes 6d10 slashing damage, while each creature that succeed on its saving throw takes half as much damage instead.
• Forsaken Blade. (1/rest, somatic, 4d8) You summon a blood-clad greatsword and attack a creature within 5 feet of you with it as an action. Make a melee arbiter attack against the target, dealing 8d10 slashing damage on a hit. If the target dies from the damage inflicted by the sword, you regain all of your missing hit points. The greatsword then vanishes.
• Symphony of Pain. (1/rest, 5d10) You push your body to inhuman limits for a moment, making ten attacks in the amount of time it takes others to attack once as an action. Make ten attacks with weapons you're holding distributed against any number of creatures within the range of those weapons. The physical trauma you incur from performing such a feat ends your turn and causes you to suffer 1 level of exhaustion.

Void Neophyte

At 3rd level, to augment your newfound capabilities, you learn the cosmic sword ability and two of the 3 following herrscher abilities shown below. You can use a herrscher ability a number of times equal to 1 plus your Constitution modifier (a minimum of twice) unless that ability has a specified number of uses per rest. You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest, and can't use more than one herrscher ability on each of your turns.

Several herrscher abilities require complex hand motions to invoke their power. If a herrscher ability requires an open hand to use, it is noted in parenthesis before its description.

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with a herrscher ability that doesn't require an action, bonus action, or reaction to use.

Unfathomable Might. A creature that makes a roll to learn more about your herrscher abilities rolls with disadvantage unless it has studied them in the past.

Blade of the Stars. Unlike other herrscher abilities, you regain expended uses of cosmic sword when you finish a short rest. Whenever you finish a short rest, you regain 2 expended uses of it.

• Cosmic Sword. (somatic) You summon a sword made of starstuff and attack a creature within 10 feet of you with it. Make a melee arbiter attack against the target, dealing 2d6 force damage on a hit. The blade then evanesces after you hit or miss with it. The damage dealt increases to 3d6 at 5th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 17th level.
• Netherspike. (somatic) A geyser of abyssal force erupts from underneath a creature you can see no more than 30 feet away from you as a bonus action. It is knocked prone unless it succeeds on a Strength saving throw.
• Spatial Ward. (somatic) You warp reality to augment your defenses as a reaction to a spell or attack. Until the end of the turn, you gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class and get a +2 bonus to saving throws you make.
• Voidburst. You expel chaotic energy that lashes out at others. Each other creature within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 force damage. The damage dealt increases to 2d8 at 5th level, 3d8 at 11th level, and 4d8 at 17th level.

Astral Grace

Beginning at 6th level, you have a flying speed of 30 feet, can hover, and gain an additional use of cosmic sword. With this movement, you can't move more than 5 feet above a solid or liquid surface.

Also when you gain this feature, choose two of the four following herrscher abilities to learn.

• Kinetic Crash. You dash in a straight line at a point no more than 20 feet away, phasing through everything you touch. Each creature touched must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature is dealt 4d6 force damage on a failed save and half as much damage on a success. The damage dealt increases to 5d6 at 11th level and 6d6 at 17th level.

• Abyssal Claws. (somatic) You summon three claws made of abyssal energy. Each of these claws strike a creature of your choice that's within 10 feet of you. For each claw, the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or suffer 2d6 force damage. The claw's damage increases to 3d6 at 11th level and 4d7 at 17th level. Shortly afterwards, each claw vanishes.
• Regeneration. (2/rest) You glow with a shimmering light which heals you for 2d8 hit points. Starting at 11th level, the number of hit points regained increases to 3d8, and you can use this ability 3 times per rest instead of twice.
• Teleportation. (somatic) You melt into a shadowy mass that sinks into the ground as a bonus action, reappearing in an unoccupied space you can see no more than 30 feet away from your original location.

Temporal Distortion

When you reach 10th level, you gain one additional use of cosmic sword. In addition, whenever you kill a creature that is branded with your ruincrest with an entropic liege feature, a sphere of negative energy with a radius of 10 feet emerges from it. Each hostile creature in the sphere's area must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature's movement speed is halved until the end of its next turn on a failed save.

Also when you gain this feature, choose two of the three following herrscher abilities to learn.

• Abyssal Lance. (somatic, 3/rest) You summon a lance made of starstuff and strike at a creature within 15 feet of you with it; make a melee arbiter attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 3d12 force damage. The lance then turns into nothing on a hit or miss, and follows the same rules as a lance - if you make an attack against a creature within 5 feet of you with it, you make the attack roll with disadvantage. The damage increases to 4d12 at 17th level.
• Nethersquall. (2/rest) You call upon the void to send tremors through your surroundings. Each other creature within 30 feet of you must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is knocked prone.
• Voidsnare. (somatic, 2/rest) As a bonus action, you impose the weight of the void onto those near you. Each creature of your choice you can see within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. Each target that fails its saving throw has its speed reduced to 0 until the beginning of your next turn.

Sovereign's Grace

Beginning at 14th level, the flying speed from Astral Grace increases to 40 feet and can be used to fly more than 5 feet above a surface.

Also when you gain this feature, choose two of the three following herrscher abilities to learn.

• Abyssal Storm. (somatic, 1/rest) You rain destructive star-matter upon the battlefield as an action. Each other creature within 45 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 5d10 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save.

Lastly, when you gain this feature, you learn one tyrannical flair of your choice from Tyrant's Weapon, and two of the four following tyrannical flairs of your choice presented below.

Chain Attack. When you use this flair to replace an attack, you can make two attacks with your tyrant's weapon instead of one. Each attack can target the same creature or different ones. The weapon's damage for this attack is 1d6, increasing to 1d8 at 17th level.

The number of additional attacks that are made with your tyrant's weapon when you use this tyrannical flair increases to two at 11th level. You can move between each attack that's made as part of this bonus action, as normal when you make more than one attack with the Attack action, and can change the form that your tyrant's weapon takes with each attack.

Using this flair expends two uses of your tyrannical flairs, instead of one.

Impairing Attack. You attempt to cripple and hinder the target with your tyrant's weapon. On a hit with the weapon, the target has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws it makes until the beginning of your next turn and is dealt an additional 1d4 damage. This increases to 1d6 at 11th level and 1d8 at 17th level.

Prostrating Strike. Before you attack with your tyrant's weapon, you attempt to knock the target down. If the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone. On either a failure or success, you then attack the target with your tyrant's weapon, dealing an additional 1d4 damage.

The additional damage increases to 1d6 at 11th level and 1d8 at 17th level.

Savage Oppression. You imbue your tyrant's weapon with your primal strength as you attack with it. On a hit with it, the weapon deals additional damage to the target equal to 1d6 + your ability modifier. This increases to 1d8 at 11th level and 1d10 at 17th level.

Also when you score a hit with your tyrant's weapon using this flair, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or it becomes frightened of you for the next minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a successful save. When a creature makes a successful saving throw against this option or the effect ends for it, that creature cannot be frightened of you this way for the next 24 hours.

Psychic Awakening

As a hand of arrogation, you wield impressive psychic might. When you choose this ascension, some hand of arrogation features grant you the ability to cast certain spells through the use of psionics, which require no verbal components. You use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for these spells and when making an attack roll with one.

Spellcasting. (Psionics) Moreover, you learn raulothim's psychic lance and can cast it without expending a spell slot. When cast this way, the target is marked with your ruincrest for 1 hour before making the saving throw. You must finish a short or long rest before you can do so again.

Sovereign of Tides

A sovereign of tides is an arbiter with unparalleled physical might, and is unmatched when it comes to single combat. Relying on their own strength and weapons instead of the enigmatic powers that other arbiters can make use of, they cut down enemies with inhuman efficiency, as if they were hunters in the abyss.

Unyielding Savagery

Beginning at 10th level, while you're missing at least half of your hit points, your weapon attacks deal an additional 1d8 fire damage on a hit, and you can use a vermillion assault twice, instead of once, before overheating it.

Additionally, your weapon attacks and vermillion knight features now ignore resistance to fire damage.

Alpha Executioner

When you reach 14th level, you learn one of the following alpha executions shown below - performances that exhaust the user greatly and are acts of pure, unadulterated carnage. Each execution requires an action to use.

• Heavensbane. You shape a massive sword from swirling flame and leap at a creature up to 10 feet away, branding them with a ruincrest for one hour before striking them with the sword. They must make a Constitution saving throw to avoid the blade's impact. A creature takes 15d10 fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful save.
• Immolating Wave. Each creature within 30 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature is dealt 10d10 fire damage on a failed save and half as much damage instead on a successful one.

Flaming Crescendo

At 18th level, you have immunity to fire damage and regain a charge whenever you kill a creature that's branded with your ruincrest. Moreover, your vermillion knight features deal half damage, instead of no damage, to creatures and objects with immunity to fire damage.

Wyrmscourge

Wyrmscourges are arbiters who surge with draconic might, perhaps as a result of bargaining with a dragon or draconic parentage. Regardless of their circumstances, they emulate many aspects of dragons such as their iconic breath attacks, rending claws, and flight capabilities.

Celestial Mettle

Prerequisite: 9th level, Entropic Liege ascension

When you gain this birthright, if you are already proficient in saving throws that use Constitution, your proficiency bonus is doubled for saving throws you make that use it. Otherwise, you gain proficiency in saving throws that use Constitution but your proficiency bonus is not doubled for saving throws that use it.

Dauntless Executioner

Prerequisite: 7th level

Your primeval inheritance grants you firmness in the face of a creature you've marked with your crest. You can't be charmed or frightened while a creature is branded with your ruincrest.

Deathbringer's Veil

Prerequisite: 12th level

When you kill a creature that's branded with your ruincrest, you become invisible for 1 minute. It ends early if you attack or cast a spell.

Destructive Exhalation

Prerequisite: 9th level, Wyrmscourge ascension

You can double the number of damage dice rolled for your Dragon Breath once when you use it. You can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Divine Reach

Prerequisite: Seneschal ascension

Whenever you cast a seneschal spell with a single target, the spell's range is doubled if it targets a creature that's branded with your ruincrest and it doesn't have a range of touch.

Draconic Infusion

Prerequisite: Wyrmscourge ascension

Whenever you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can replace all of the damage dealt by the attack with the damage type that's associated with your chosen ancestry.

Empyrean Awareness

Prerequisite: 17th level

You always know if you hear a lie.

Esoteric Step

Prerequisite: 9th level

You can use an action to gain the effects of the spell levitate until you dimiss it (no action required) or you die.

Essence Detection

Prerequisite: 7th level

Your primordial inheritance allows you to discern when the living are nearby. You can sense the presence of creatures within 30 feet of you that aren't undead or constructs. You know the general direction they are in but not their exact locations.

Malefic Indignation

Prerequisite: 9th level, Blood Voivode ascension

Whenever a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you deals damage to you while you are missing at least half of your hit points, that creature takes 1d10 necrotic damage unless you choose not to harm them.

Menacing Crest

Prerequisite: 5th level

You have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks you make against a creature that's branded with your ruincrest.

Metamorphic Arbiter

Prerequisite: 12th level

You can transform your appearance as you please.

As an action, you can transform your appearance, including your height, weight, facial features, sound of your voice, hair length, coloration, and distinguishing characteristics, if any. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your statistics change. You can't appear as a creature of a different size than you, and the basic shape of your body stays the same; if you're bipedal, you can't use this birthright to become quadrupedal, for instance.

You stay in the new form until you use an action to revert to your true form or until you die.

Murderous Reticence

Prerequisite: 5th level

You can cast the spell silence once without expending a spell slot. When you cast it this way, the sphere that's created by it is centered on you, moves with you, and doesn't silence noise that you create.

You can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Otherworldly Ward

Prerequisite: 15th level

Your primeval descent provides you with immunity to lesser spells. You can't be affected or detected by spells of 2nd level or lower unless you wish to be.

Phantasmal Visitor

Prerequisite: 15th level

You can cast the spell dream at will without expending a spell slot. When you cast it this way, the spell can't deal damage, and if the target of the spell is a creature that was branded with your ruincrest in the past 24 hours, you can terrify the target while delivering a message of more than ten words.

When you cast dream with this birthright and attempt to terrify a creature, you can't terrify another creature with a dream spell cast with this birthright until you finish a long rest.

Preternatural Prescience

The primeval essence that flows through you heightens your senses. You can sense any magic within 30 feet of you at will.

Primeval Envoy

Prerequisite: 9th level

You can use an action to replicate the effects of the spell sending. In addition, if the recipient of the message sent is a creature that was branded with your ruincrest in the past 24 hours, the message sent can be up to fifty, instead of twenty-five, words long.

Primeval Recollection

Prerequisite: 5th level

You can use an action to call upon the primeval knowledge locked away within yourself. Choose one skill that you lack proficiency with. You gain proficiency with the chosen skill until your next long rest.

You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Primordial Glamor

Prerequisite: 7th level

You have expertise with two skills of your choice from the arbiter's skill list you are proficient with. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

If you are proficient with Deception or Persuasion, you can gain expertise with one of those skills (your choice, which you must be proficient with) and one arbiter skill you're proficient with instead.

Primordial Obscura

Prerequisite: 12th level

You are always under the effects of a nondetection spell.

Additionally, divination magic and magical scrying sensors perceive the area centered around you in a 30-foot range as a constantly shifting and wavering blur.

Psychic Strikes

Prerequisite: Hand of Arrogation ascension

You empower the attacks made with your psionic weapons using your mind rather than physical strength. You can use Intelligence instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your psionic weapons.

Sanguine Protection

Prerequisite: Blood Voivode ascension

You get a +2 bonus to your Armor Class while you're missing at least half of your hit points.

Slayer's Implement

You learn a ritual that creates a primeval connection between yourself and one melee weapon, which you perform over the course of one hour, and can be done during a short rest. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the end of which you touch the weapon and forge the bond.

Once you have bonded a weapon to yourself, you can't be disarmed of that weapon unless you are incapacitated. You can summon that weapon as a bonus action on your turn due to the primordial bond you share with it, causing it to teleport instantly to your hand regardless of what plane of existence it is on.

Epic Boons

An Epic Boon is a special power available only to 20th level characters. Characters at that level gain such boons only if the DM wants them to and only when they find it appropriate. Epic Boons are best awarded after the characters complete a major quest, or accomplish something else that's particularly notable. A character might gain an epic boon after destroying an evil artifact, defeating an ancient dragon, or halting an incursion from the Outer Planes.

Unless a boon says otherwise, a character can't gain it more than once.

The boons presented below are for characters with 20 levels as an arbiter.

The Mythoclast

Changelog