Class: Apostle by

# Class: Apostle
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> ##### **Homebrew Material**
>
> This document presents homebrew materials by [Weirdo Whoever](https://weirdowhoever.blogspot.com). These game mechanics are in draft form, usable in your campaign but not refined by design iterations or full game development.
>
> If you have any comments or suggestions concerning the materials, please contact Weirdo Whoever ([weirdowhoever@gmail.com](mailto:weirdowhoever@gmail.com)).
>
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>
> ##### **License**
> This document follows the [Open Game License version 1.0a](https://opengamingfoundation.org/ogl.html). Open Game License may only be Used under and in terms of the OGL v1.0a.

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*"Hold yer tongue, the dead don't speak. Do the dead dare walk the earth b'fore mine eyes? Will the un-dead raise an army, fall in, an' advance? Do those who would abandon God and praise the heretical order* dare *presume to meet me gaze? The Order shalt not allow it —* I *shalt not allow it. Ye will be cut down like a straw, trembling b'fore me wrath!"*

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For every deities there are a number of mortal agents that deliver the divine will. The divine intermediaries are the clerics; the hallowed guardians are the paladins. But behind the bright, blessed glory of the divine missions lies a deep, dark shadows, where even the divine will dare not set a foot; where the corrupt roams free, where blasphemies are never whispered but shouted out loud, and where the divine missions fail to prove their purpose.

Enter the apostles — the *other* mortal agents that wills to walk into that darkest corners of the multiverse, enforcing the will of the high and divine at all costs. These crusaders carry out the will of the deities, but in the methods and purposes they have never received; instead, they are on personal crusades, alert and vigilant yet never purposefully tied to the organized faith.

#### Quick Build
You can make an apostle quickly by following these suggestions. First, make either Strength or Dexterity your highest ability score, depending on your weapon's choice. Your second highest ability score should be Charisma. Second, choose the hermit background.

## Class Features
As an apostle, you gain the following class features.

#### Hit Points
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- **Hit Dice:** 1d8 per apostle level
- **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 8 + your Constitution modifier
- **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per apostle level after 1st

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#### Proficiencies
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- **Armor:** Light armor
- **Weapons:** Simple weapons, hand crossbows, flails, scimitars, shortswords, tridents, war picks
- **Tools:** None

___
- **Saving Throws:** Dexterity, Charisma
- **Skills:** Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Perception, Intimidation, Investigation, Religion

#### Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- *(a)* a flail, *(b)* a shortsword, or *(c)* two simple weapons
- *(a)* a hand crossbow and 20 bolts or *(b)* five javelins
- *(a)* a priest's pack or *(b)* a scholar's pack
- A leather armor and a holy symbol

### Apostle's Covenant
As an avid follower of faith, you make an oath to a specific covenant. Choose one of the following covenant: Preservation and Wrath. Your choice grants you features at 1st level, and again at 3rd, 6th, 14th, and 18th level.

### Exalted Devotion
You have a pool of mystic energy, fueled and amplified by your faith and devotion, which you can channel to fuel various effects. You know two such effects: Exalted Strike and an effect determined by your covenant. You may learn additional effects as you gain level in this class and learn specific litanies.

You have a number of Exalted Devotion equal to 1 + your Charisma modifeir (minimum of two uses). When you use such effects, you must expend one or more uses of your Exalted Devotion. You regain all expended uses when you finish a short rest or long rest.

Some effects refer to your Devotion die, which is a d4. The size of your Devotion changes as you gain level in this class, as shown in the Devotion Die column of the Apostle table for your level.

#### Exalted Strike
When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend a use of your Exalted Devotion to channel your divine energy to empower the attack. Roll a Devotion die, and the attack deals an extra necrotic or radiant damage (your choice) equal to the die roll.

### Zealous Litany
At 2nd level, you know one litany of your choice from the list of Zealout Litanies at the end of the class description. You learn more litanies of your choice when you reach a certain level in this class, as shown in the Litany Known column of the Apostle table for your level.

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##### Table: The Apostle
| Level | Proficiency<br>Bonus | Class Features | Exalted<br>Die | Litany<br>Known | Litany<br>Rank | 
|:-:|:-:|:-|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 1st | +2 | Exalted Devotion, Apostle's Covenant | d4 | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Zealous Litany | d4 | 1 | Least |
| 3rd | +2 | Channel Divinity | d4 | 1 | Least |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | d4 | 1 | Least |
| 5th | +3 | — | d6 | 2 | Lesser |
| 6th | +3 | Apostle's Covenant feature | d6 | 2 | Lesser |
| 7th | +3 | Zealous Fortitude | d6 | 2 | Lesser |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | d6 | 2 | Lesser |
| 9th | +4 | — | d6 | 3 | Lesser |
| 10th | +4 | Exalted Resistance | d6 | 3 | Lesser |
| 11th | +4 | — | d8 | 4 | Greater |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | d8 | 4 | Greater |
| 13th | +5 | — | d8 | 5 | Greater |
| 14th | +5 | Apostle's Covenant feature | d8 | 5 | Greater |
| 15th | +5 | Zealous Longevity | d8 | 5 | Greater |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | d8 | 5 | Greater |
| 17th | +6 | — | d10 | 6 | Holy |
| 18th | +6 | Apostle's Covenant feature | d10 | 6 | Holy |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | d10 | 6 | Holy |
| 20th | +6 | Exalted Crusader | d10 | 6 | Holy |

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Each litany presents a number of features divided in four ranks, in following order: Least, Lesser, Great, Holy. You can use the feature of a rank no higher than what is shown in the Litany Rank column of the Apostle table for your level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the litanies you know with another litany of your choice, which also must be of a rank that you can learn.

Some litany allows you to cast spells. When you cast the spell this way, Charisma is your spellcasting ability; when a spell would require your target to make a saving throw, the save DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. You must conform to all rules regarding spellcasting, but you do not require material components for the spell you cast this way.

### Channel Divinity
At 3rd level, you can channel divine energy to fuel magical effects. You know two such effects: Rebuke Undead and an effect determined by your covenant. You may learn additional effects as you learn specific litanies.

When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which effect to create. You must then finish a short rest or long rest to use your Channel Divinity again.

Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such effect from this class, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.

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#### Rebuke Undead
You can use your Channel Divinity to awe undeads into submission.

As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer rebuking the undead. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, an undead becomes rebuke for 1 minute. A rebuked creature falls prone and becomes incapacitated for the duration.

### Zealous Fortitude
When you reach 7th level, the divine power within your soul grants you supernatural resilience against physical burden. You gain advantage on saving throws against diseases and poison, and if your hit point maximum would be decreased, the amount of hit point maximum decreased is halved for you.

### Exalted Resistance
Beginning at 10th level, your devotion grants you supernatural resistance. Whenever you finish a long rest, choose one of the following damage type: Necrotic or radiant. Until the next time you take a long rest, you gain resistance in the chosen damage type.

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### Zealous Longevity
At 15th level, your faith transcends your mortal boundaries, to the point that your body gains a strain of immortality. You become immune to diseases and poison, your hit point maximum cannot be decreased, and you cannot be magically aged.

### Exalted Crusader
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and has no Exalted Devotion use remaining, you immediately gain two uses of your Exalted Devotion.

## Apostle's Covenant
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An apostle swears an oath to a specific covenant, which grants them a number of special features.

### Covenant of Preservation

#### Preserving Touch
Starting at 1st level when you choose this covenant, you can channel your mystic energy with your devotion to ward your allies from harm.

As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Exalted Devotion and touch a willing creature other than yourself to grant temporary hit points. The amount of temporary hit points granted equals your Charisma modifier + a Devotion die roll (minimum of 1).

#### Channel Divinity: Shroud of Warning
An an action, you can use your Channel Divinity to present a holy symbol and speak the divine words that grants a protective aura that emanates from you out to a range of 10 feet. You and friendly creatures within the aura gains a bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).

The aura lasts for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if concentrating on a spell). You can end the aura early on your turn (no action required for you).

#### Preserving Blessings
Beginning at 6th level, when you use the Preserving Touch feature, you can designate a willing creature that you can see within 30 feet of you, without touching it.

Additionally, you can use your Channel Divinity or expend two uses of your Exalted Devotion to cast either *cure wounds* or *healing word* as a 2nd-level spell.

#### Exalted Preservation
Starting at 14th level, when you use your Preserving Touch feature, the affected creature can restore its hit points equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). A creature that benefited this way must finish a short rest or long rest before it can benefit from this feature again.

Additionally, you can use your Channel Divinity or expend two uses of your Exalted Devotion to cast *revivify*, without requiring material components. Once you cast the spell this way, you mush finish a long rest before you can cast it again.

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#### Fanatic Blessings
At 18th level, when you use an action to cast a spell with an apostle feature or a litany, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack.

Additionally, when you use your Preserving Touch feature, you can expend one additional use of your Exalted Devotion to make one melee weapon attack as a part of the same bonus action.

### Covenant of Wrath

#### Wrathful Smite
Starting at 1st level when you choose this covenant, you can empower your accuracy with your solemn wrath.

When you make a melee weapon attack, you can expend one use of your Exalted Devotion to roll a Devotion die and add the result to the attack roll. You can use this feature before or after rolling a d20, but you must use this feature before the DM decides whether the attack hits or misses.

#### Channel Divinity: Shroud of Awe
An an action, you can use your Channel Divinity to present a holy symbol and speak the divine words that grants an intimidating aura that emanates from you out to a range of 10 feet. When a hostile creature first enters the aura or starts its turn within the aura, it must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. On a successful save, the creature becomes immune to this feature for the next 24 hours.

The aura lasts for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if concentrating on a spell). You can end the aura early on your turn (no action required for you).

#### Extra Attack
Beginning at 6th level, you can make two attacks, instead of one, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

#### Exalted Celerity
When you reach 14th level, you can propel yourself at mighty speed with your determination and faith. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Exalted Devotion to move up to half your walking speed toward a hostile creature that you can see.

When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, or when you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points with an attack, you can use this feature without expending an Exalted Devotion use.

#### Fanatic Flurry
At 18th level, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can use your bonus action to make one melee weapon attack.

Additionally, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can expend one use of your Exalted Devotion to make two melee weapon attacks.

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## Zealous Litanies
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You can learn the litany at the same time that you meet its prerequisite. If a litany allows you to cast spells, you must cast it at its lowest possible level, unless the litany states otherwise.

#### Blessings of the Snake
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*Least litany*

You gain proficiency in Acrobatics and Sleight of Hands skills.

#### Charge of the Light Brigade
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*Lesser litany*

You can use your Channel Divinity or expend two uses of your Exalted Devotion to cast *find steed*.

#### Command Undead
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*Greater litany*

When an undead with a Challenge Rating of 1/2 or lower fails its saving throw against your Rebuke Undead feature, you can instead take control of the creature for 1 hour.

On each of your turns, you can use a bonus action to mentally command any creature you have taken control with this feature if the creature is within 60 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.

After the duration, the creature stops obeying any command you have given it.

#### Curse Upon the Lands
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*Holy litany*

You can use your Channel Divinity or expend three uses of your Exalted Devotion to cast *negative energy flood*. Once you cast the spell this way, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again.

#### Defying the Death
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*Greater litany*

When you would drop to 0 hit points, you can expend one use of your Exalted Devotion to drop to 1 hit point instead. When you do so, roll a Devotion die, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + the die roll (minimum of 1).

#### Divine Apparition
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*Greater litany*

You can use your Channel Divinity or expend two uses of your Exalted Devotion to cast *spirit guardians* as a 3rd-level spell.

#### Exalted Senses
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*Least litany*

As an action, you can expend one use of your Exalted Devotion to heighten your senses to detect supernatural entities. Choose one of the following creature type: Aberration, celestial, elemental, fey, fiend, undead. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any chosen creature within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover, but not its identity.

#### Hold Thy Tongue
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*Lesser litany*

You can use your Channel Divinity or expend two uses of your Exalted Devotion to cast *silence*.

#### Improved Exalted Strike
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*Greater litany*

Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can deal an extra 1d8 necrotic or radiant damage with it (your choice).

#### Inquisitor's Grasp
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*Lesser litany*

You can use your Channel Divinity or expend two uses of your Exalted Devotion to cast *hold person*.

#### Let There Be Light
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*Holy litany*

You can use your Channel Divinity or expend three uses of your Exalted Devotion to cast *dawn*. Once you cast the spell this way, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again.

#### Miracle of Exorcism
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*Greater litany*

You can use your Channel Divinity or expend two uses of your Exalted Devotion to cast *remove curse*.

#### Miracle of Protection
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*Least litany*

You can use your Channel Divinity or expend one use of your Exalted Devotion to cast *sanctuary*.

#### Miracle of Rebirth
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*Holy litany*

You can use your Channel Divinity or expend three uses of your Exalted Devotion to cast *raise dead*. Once you cast the spell this way, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again.

#### See No Falsehood
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*Lesser litany*

You gain proficiency in the Investigation skill, and your proficiency bonus is doubled whenever you make an ability check with it.

#### Smite the Erratic
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*Least litany*

When you hit an aberration or fey with a melee weapon attack and apply your Exalted Strike feature with it, you add your Charisma modifier to the extra damage dealt with the Exalted Strike (minimum of 1).

#### Smite the Foul
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*Least litany*

When you hit a fiend or undead with a melee weapon attack and apply your Exalted Strike feature with it, you add your Charisma modifier to the extra damage dealt with the Exalted Strike (minimum of 1).

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## Roleplaying Options

As an additional way to add more flavor to your character, you can consider the following roleplaying option when playing an apostle character.

#### Activities
An apostle tend to prove their faith in more active measures. Many of them are members of the Inner Circle, where normal priests and acolytes have never even heard of; some of them work alone, on a mission that only their deities may know.

| 1d4 | Activities |
|:-:|:-|
| 1 | ***Vigilante.*** In the light of day, you are little more than an everyman; by night, you are the iron hand of faith, the cowled enforcer of the righteous will. |
| 2 | ***Traveling Inquisitor.*** Your duty involves visiting the major temples of your faith, investigating crimes and internal affairs. Nobody must expect your inquisition — the High Council was very specific on ths part. |
| 3 | ***Special Services.*** You are a member of the commune, but your works are not done in public. You may occasionally receive a letter from the Inner Circle that requires you to visit a specific place and be, er, *discreet*. |
| 4 | ***Bad Guard.*** You take the normal roles of enforcing the laws and religious orders, but in a way that involves more *oomphs.* Expect to have a partner that serves as a "Good Guard" to persuade the perps. |

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## Multiclassing

On the DM's discretion, you can [multiclass](https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/customization-options#Multiclassing) in the apostle class, as described in *Player's Handbook* (page 163-165). If you do so, the following rules are applied.

#### Prerequisites
To qualify for an apostle class, you must meet the ability score proficiency for the apostle class, as shown in the table below.

#### Proficiency Bonus
When you multiclass into the apostle class, you gain the following proficiencies as shown in the table below.

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## Credits
All contents are created by [Weirdo Whoever](https://weirdowhoever.blogspot.com) unless noted otherwise. Special thanks to [D&D Wiki](https://www.dandwiki.com), [NaturalCrit Homebrewery tool](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com), and [GM Binder](https://www.gmbinder.com) for providing the templates for my imaginations.

#### Class Concept
The apostle class is very, *very* loosely inspired by the Invoker class introduced in the 4th edition *Player's Handbook II*.

The class is also very directly inspired by Father Alexander Anderson from the manga *Hellsing*. He even provides the awesome quote at the start of the class description, by the way.

#### Class Features
Some features are shamelessly ripped off from the Invoker class mentioned above. The subclass is called the Covenant because of this; the Shroud of Awe/Shroud of Warning features are both Invoker features.

Rebuke Undead and Command Undead are from the older editions, where neutral- and evil-aligned clerics were able to rebuke or override command of the undeads instead. I even made [a Death Domain overhaul](https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LNNiVA-62K24_kAXgOl) with this specific feature as an option.

#### Roleplaying Options
The Activities options are all references to general or specific works: Vigilante had *Batman* in mind (and ["Sweet Transvestite"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WDXOO3VM-0) lyrics while I'm at it); Special Services is *Hotline Miami* in all in but names; and Bad Guard is the medieval fantasy equivalent of [good cop, bad cop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_cop/bad_cop) tactic. (Traveling Inquisitor just *had* to be *Monty Python*, because, why not?)