Asura, Variant (5e Race)
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Asura[edit]
“ | Twelve thousand years, and NOTHING has changed! | ” |
—Asura's Wrath |
History[edit]
The Asura are a race of demi-gods. They are humans who have been chosen by gods to become something far greater than what they were. They are enforcers of what is right and are sworn to protect the Material Plane from other worldly threats. To do so, they are gifted with the power of "Mantra", and ethereal energy that is generated from the prayers to the different pantheons. Without being a direct descendant of one of these beings, one must be chosen to undergo a procedure to become an Asura. The procedure involves implanting a Mantra Reactor in their chest. This device drastically alters their body, and allows them to use Mantra, since they could not do so naturally. The Asura are also known to be linked to a different emotions, the stronger the emotion they are linked to, the stronger their physical form becomes.
Life for the Asura has not been completely peaceful though. Even though they were originally gifted their powers from the gods, the Asura were granted the gift autonomy and were not held down by the absolute wills of the gods. Because of this, many wars of conflicting ideals have been waged. Some Asura believe they should be ruling over mortals, and forcing them onto what they believe is the right path. Others believe humanity should be left to make their own mistakes, and be free to live their own lives. Some of these wars became so intense, that they put entire worlds at risk, when entire empires of these near god-like beings clashed.
Asura Names[edit]
Male Names: Yasha, Wyzen, Deus, Augus, Kalrow
Female Names: Durga, Mithra, Olga, Daiya
Asura Traits[edit]
A race of demi-gods that use Mantra.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score is increased by 2.
Age. Asura live for eons, tens of thousands of years are nothing these beings. They cannot be aged magically either.
Alignment. An Asura's alignment depends your point of view, but they are almost always Lawful in some way. Some Asura truly are trying to be noble guardians of the material plane, while other are trying to rule it. However, while those that are trying to rule it may seem evil, they may believe they are doing the greatest good possible by leading the world down a path they think would lead to ultimate peace and happiness.
Size. Asura vary in size, but typically stand roughly between 6 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 200 and 400 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 40 feet.
Blindsight. Asura can use the power of Mantra to perceive their surroundings up to 30ft, even if they cannot see at all.
Celestial Resistance. As a demi-god, you have resistance to necrotic and radiant damage.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Celestial, and Primordial.
Sub Races[edit]
Pure Asura[edit]
A being who has had a Mantra Reactor implanted in their chest.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity or Strength score is increased by 2.
Mantra Powered Body. Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to twice your level when you gain this feat. Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points.
Reactor Mutation. Your arms and upper torso are mechanical, but are not considered metal. If you lose your arms, they will grow back in 1d4 days. You also have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
Mantra Purity. You are immune to disease.
Asura Descendant[edit]
Someone who has at least 1 parent who is a Pure Asura.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score is increased by 2.
Natural Mantra Conductor. Choose a class: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard. You learn two cantrips of your choice from that class’s spell list. Your spellcasting modifier is Wisdom.
Healing Hands. As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Prayer Guider. As an action, you can cast Healing Word as a first level spell once a day before needing a long rest.
Optional Rule: Asura Class[edit]
Creating an Asura[edit]
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Asura from Asura's Wrath |
- Quick Build
You can make an Asura quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity or Strength. Second, choose the Soldier background.
Class Features
As a Asura you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d12 per Asura level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 1d12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Asura level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Martial Weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution and Wisdom
Skills: Choose 3: Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Religion, or Sleight of Hand
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- 1 Martial Weapon
- Explorer's Pack or Dungeoneer's Pack
- Symbol of Divine Status
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 2d8 x 10 GP in funds.
Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Demi-God Fist |
---|---|---|---|
1st | +2 | Demi-God Fist, Unarmored Defense | 1d6 |
2nd | +2 | Mantra Bolt | 1d6 |
3rd | +2 | Heavy Swing | 1d6 |
4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d6 |
5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 1d8 |
6th | +3 | Limit Burst | 1d8 |
7th | +3 | Unwavering Will | 1d8 |
8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d8 |
9th | +4 | Massive Strike | 1d8 |
10th | +4 | Steps to Enlightenment | 1d8 |
11th | +4 | Mantra Affinity Feature | 1d10 |
12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d10 |
13th | +5 | Mantra Affinity Feature | 1d10 |
14th | +5 | — | 1d10 |
15th | +5 | Mantra Affinity Feature | 1d10 |
16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d10 |
17th | +6 | Mantra Affinity Feature | 1d12 |
18th | +6 | — | 1d12 |
19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d12 |
20th | +6 | Mantra Affinity Feature | 1d12 |
Demi-God Fist[edit]
At 1st level, you learn to channel Mantra directly into your fists and unleash its power.
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only martial weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield:
- You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
- You can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike. This die changes as you gain Asura levels, as shown in the Demi-God Fist column of the Asura table.
- When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
- Your unarmed strikes are magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances.
Unarmored Defense[edit]
Mantra has caused your body to evolve and become far more durable than most mortals. At 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Constitution Mod. + either your Strength or Dexterity modifier.
Mantra Bolt[edit]
Starting at 2nd level, you can hurl Mantra bolts of magical radiance.
You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack action. This special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Dexterity or Strength modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is radiant, and its damage die is a d6. This die changes as you gain Asura levels, as shown in the Demi-God Fist column of the Asura table.
When you gain the Extra Attack feature, this special attack can be used for any of the attacks you make as part of the Attack action.
Heavy Swing[edit]
At 3rd level, you put everything you have into your next strike. Before you use an attack, once per turn you can declare a Heavy Swing. If the attack lands, the attack deals one extra die of the damage it would normally do. All attacks against you have advantage until the start of your next turn.
Ability Score Improvement[edit]
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack[edit]
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Limit Burst[edit]
Starting at 6th level, you push your body past its limit and become an unstoppable force of pure power. As an action, you can supercharge yourself with Mantra and become resistant to all damage. This lasts for one minute, and you can only do it once before needing a long rest.
Unwavering Will[edit]
At 7th level, when you start your turn with zero hit points, you regain one hit point. This happens a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier per long rest.
Massive Strike[edit]
At 9th level, when you use Heavy Swing, it now hits everything within melee range.
Steps to Enlightenment[edit]
At 10th level, you begin to truly master how to use Mantra to its full potential. Taking you one step closer to Enlightenment. You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any Saving Throws you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.
Mantra Affinity[edit]
Unbeknownst to most mortals, there are different types of Mantras. These different types of Mantra are most often associated with different emotions. Wrath, Sadness, Happiness, etc. When you reach 11th level, you choose your Mantra affinity.
Wrath Affinity[edit]
Anger is not always a bad thing. Anger can drive one to noble causes: protecting the innocent, avenging injustice, or simply keeping one going in troubling times. Asura who have an affinity to Wrath Mantra are some of the fiercest warriors throughout the entire multiverse. If there a someone, or something that threatens humanity, be it physical or metaphysical threats such as tyranny. The Asura of Wrath will be the first to charge into battle, to destroy whatever evil plagues the world.
Vajra Form[edit]
At 11th level, you get your first real taste of what the Asura are truly capable of. Your Limit Burst is upgraded to a form more befitting of your Mantra Affinity. When you activate your Limit Burst, you grow two additional sets of arms to use in combat. While you have them, you gain one additional action per turn.
Mantra Bomb[edit]
At 13th level, you learn you condense and fire the hurricane of power inside you. As an action, you can fire a ball a Mantra a point you can see within 120ft and force each creature within a 20ft radius to make a Dexterity saving throw, DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier. Each creature takes 8d6 radiant damage on a failed save, and half as much on a successful save. You may do this as many times equal to your Constitution modifier.
Berserker Form[edit]
The next of your Limit Burst is unlocked, you are now one step closer to achieving your true power. At 15th level, in addition to the previous upgrades of your Limit Burst, you now gain additional benefits. While in this form, your movement speed is increased by an extra 10ft and all melee attacks you make against other creatures have advantage.
Fury Blaster[edit]
At 17th level, you put all your rage into one powerful attack, to burn evil away once and for all. As an action, you can fire two 100ft long beams from your hands in any two directions, forcing each creature within the 10ft wide beams to make a Constitution saving throw, DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier. Each creature takes 8d8 radiant damage on a failed save, and half as much on a successful save. You can do this a number of times equal to half you Constitution modifier rounded down, and the beams cannot intersect.
True Mantra Form[edit]
This is an Asura's true power. Not many have survived to behold the majesty of this form for long. When you reach 20th level, your Limit Burst is upgraded once more. When you transform, hundreds of arms burst out from your back, coalescing into two mighty arms that can devastate even the most powerful of opponents. In addition to all previous upgrades to your Limit Burst, you now have a flying speed equal to your walking speed, and your melee attacks ignore all resistances and immunites.
Pride Affinity[edit]
There is nothing wrong with being prideful. Being prideful comes naturally to most civilized beings, and the Asura are no different. Asura with Pride Mantra often aim to become leaders and guide the material plane as best they can to times of ultimate peace and prosperity. While these types of Asura can often come across as self-righteous or act like they know more than their compatriots, they usually have knowledge and overall worldly understanding to back it.
Vajra Form[edit]
At 11th level, you get your first real taste of what the Asura are truly capable of. Your Limit Burst is upgraded to a form more befitting of your Mantra Affinity. When you activate your Limit Burst, you become cloaked in a field of Mantra that can repel attacks. While you are in this form, all melee attacks that hit you inflict 1d10 lighting damage back at the creature that attacked you, ignoring resistances to lightning damage, if they have it. Even other Asura.
Mantra Storm[edit]
At 13th level, you control the crackling power of your mantra into a powerful attack. As an action, you fire stroke of lightning from your hand, forming a line 100 feet long and 5 feet wide in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. Each creature in the line of fire takes 8d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. You may do this a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Divine Weapon[edit]
The next of your Limit Burst is unlocked, you are now one step closer to achieving your true power. At 15th level, in addition to the previous upgrades of your Limit Burst, you now gain additional benefits. While in this form, your weapon becomes magical if it is not already, and it deals an extra 1d10 lightning damage on every successful hit, ignoring all resistances or immunities to lightning damage.
Brilliant Sky Strike[edit]
At 17th level, the sky itself obeys your commands. As an action, choose a point you can see within 100ft. A bolt of Mantra lightning flashes down from the sky on that point. This can even work indoors. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 4d10 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. You may do this a number of times equal to half your Wisdom modifier, rounded down.
True Mantra Form[edit]
This is an Asura's true power. Not many have survived to behold the majesty of this form for long. When you reach 20th level, your Limit Burst is upgraded once more. When you transform, your body glows with a bright white light, and a floating mask of Mantra hovers in front of your face. In addition to all previous upgrades to your Limit Burst, you gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed, the DC of your attacks is increased by 5, and you gain an additional +5 to your weapon attacks.
Multiclassing[edit]
You cannot multiclass into this class, you can only multiclass into other classes from this one.
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