Ranger Conclave
Abyssal Roamer
Where the Horizon Walker conclave focuses on protecting the material plane from extraplanar threats, Abyssal Roamers choose to go farther. They are offensive counterparts, a conclave prepared to go through the portal themselves and challenge the forces of the lower planes on their home turf.
Contrary to their name, Abyssal Roamers do not exclusively focus their attentions on the Abyss; some specialize in the Nine Hells or other planes, or wander freely around the Great Wheel. Core to the ranger's ethos is to make use of the tools around them, to take advantage of their environment, and Abyssal Roamers practice this anywhere in the lower planes.
Evil-aligned Abyssal Roamers might see the lower planes as a source of power. Good-aligned Roamers wish to use the tools of evil against it, and believe the only way to defeat fiends for good is to slay them on their home planes. Abyssal Roamers do not have any particular tendency between Law and Chaos, though it may be reflected if they have a focus on certain planes.
Abyssal Roamer Features
| Ranger Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Planar Patroller, Infernal Companion |
| 7th | Bonded Sacrifice, Fiendish Strikes |
| 11th | Abyssal Ally |
| 15th | Planar Sanctum |
Abyssal Roamer Spells
Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the table below. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.
| Ranger Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | protection from evil and good |
| 5th | aganazzar's scorcher |
| 9th | fear |
| 13th | banishment |
| 17th | dispel evil and good |
Planar Patroller
Also at 3rd level, you have developed your skills for lower-planar excursions. You gain proficiency in one of: Nature, Arcana, History, and Religion. You may automatically treat the lower planes as a favored terrain for the purposes of your Natural Explorer feature, in addition to the favored terrain you selected. Additionally, you can add your Wisdom modifier to any Intelligence skill checks you make for knowledge of fiends or lower-planar phenomena.
Infernal Companion
At 3rd level, you gain the friendship of a fiendish beast. This may be a creature you discovered in your travels, or perhaps a beast from the material plane that journeyed with you and was tainted in the process. Your companion is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the accompanying Fiendish Beast stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. It is considered native to one specific lower plane of your choice.
In combat, your companion shares your initiative count, taking its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the beast can take any action of its choice. It cannot spend its own Hit Dice during a short rest to regain hit points, but when you roll Hit Dice, it regains hit points equal the number rolled + its Constitution modifier.
Your companion remains until it is reduced to 0 hit points or until you die. Anything it was wearing or carrying is left behind when it vanishes. If it dies, you can revive it over the course of an hour, via a ritual which you can perform during a short or long rest.
Anywhere the Fiendish Beast's stat block lists multiple options, choose one when you first gain this feature. Anywhere it mentions elemental damage, this is the damage type you select for its Fiendish Essence. You can determine the cosmetic characteristics of the beast, such as its color, its shape, or any visible effect of its Fiendish Essence; your choice has no effect on its game statistics.
Bonded Sacrifice
At 7th level, you gain resistance to the damage type selected for your Infernal Companion's Fiendish Essence. In addition, your bond with your Infernal Companion allows you to trade one life for the other. As a reaction to either you or your Infernal Companion taking damage, you may instantaneously teleport up to 60 feet, switching locations with it. If you do so, you both gain resistance to all damage until the start of your next turn. You can teleport in this manner once per short rest.
Fiendish Strikes
Additionally at 7th level, your Infernal Companion's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Abyssal Ally
At 11th level, your Infernal Companion's listed actions all deal an additional die of damage. Additionally, when your companion deals damage to a creature, you gain advantage on the next attack you make against that creature before the end of your next turn.
Planar Sanctum
At 15th level, your Infernal Companion can travel the planes readily. It can cast plane shift on itself and one other creature without material components, taking that creature with it to its home plane. Both creatures suffer 6d6 elemental damage at the start of each round they remain there.
Your companion can return itself and the other creature as an action. They automatically return if your companion dies or falls unconscious.
Fiendish Beast
Medium or Small Fiend, Any Alignment
- Armor Class 12+PB
- Hit Points 5+5 times your ranger level
- Speed 35 ft.
16 12 14 6 12 8 STR(+3) DEX(+1) CON(+2) INT(-2) WIS(+1) CHA(-1)
- Skills Perception
- Saving Throws Dexterity +1 plus PB, Constitution +2 plus PB
- Damage Resistances poison, See Fiendish Essence
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11+PB
- Languages Understands the languages you speak
Traits
Fiendish Essence. When you gain this companion, choose one element of: acid, cold, fire, lightning. It gains resistance to that damage type, and some of its attacks do damage of that type. In addition, it has one special feature out of: Ambush Attacker, Brutal Charge, Unnatural Agility. It also has one special feature out of: Breath Weapon, Hellish Aura, Fiendish Teleport.
Hellish Aura. The fiendish beast radiates hateful energy. Enemies who strike it with a melee attack take 1d4 elemental damage.
Ambush Attacker. The fiendish beast gains proficiency in Stealth, and its Strike attack deals an extra die of damage on the first round of combat.
Brutal Charge. The fiendish beast gains proficiency in Athletics. If the fiendish beast moves 20 feet or more before hitting with its Strike, the target must make a Strength saving throw against your spellcasting DC or be knocked prone.
Unnatural Agility. The fiendish beast gains proficiency in Acrobatics. Its movement speed is increased to 40 ft., and it can jump up to half its movement. It can cling to walls or ceilings without difficulty.
Actions
Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: 3+PB to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + PB piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage.
Fiendish Teleport. As an action, the fiendish beast can teleport 15 ft. in a direction of its choosing. All creatures within 5 ft. of its starting location must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spellcasting DC or suffer 1d8 elemental damage.
Breath Weapon (1/SR). As an action, the fiendish beast exhales a cone of energy. All creatures in a 15 ft. cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they suffer 3d6 elemental damage.
Abyssal Roamer Quirks
The following are some optional quirks for a player of this Conclave to choose from.
| d6 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You named your Infernal Companion after one of your parents or siblings. |
| 2 | You have strange ritual scarring, which you cannot or will not explain. |
| 3 | Your skin is extremely warm to the touch. |
| 4 | No one has ever persuaded you your Companion is not cuddly. |
| 5 | You are more comfortable in overtly-hostile environments, like the Abyss. |
| 6 | You enjoy the same treats you feed your Companion; it's not that bad! |
Change Log
v0.31
- More small language cleanups.
v0.3
- Clarification on Abyssal Ally and Planar Sanctum.
v0.2
- Small language cleanup
v0.1
- Initial Draft
Credits & References:
Abyssal Roamer created by somanyrobots Discord | Patreon
Art
- All art © Wizards of the Coast LLC, listed in order of appearance.
- Infernal Scarring, by Mike Bierek
- Akoum Hellhound, by Jason Kang
Background Image Stains
Fan Content Policy
This work is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.