Defier (5e Class)

This is a prestige class of the Fearless Guardian, meant to fit in line with the epic classes from the Epic Legacy Core Rulebook.

The Defier

“

He had to be dead now. The Archmage had used every single land destroying spell, one after another, on a single naked orc. In desperation, she dematerialized a mile of land, taking herself and a great part of her army. In the crater, a single creature remained, his skin was charred black and all his clothes and armor were desintegrated. He looked to the army, and raised his hands, he was looking for a challenge.

”

Fearless guardians push their bodies to the breaking point, but few ever reach it. One or the other gives out long before perfection is achieved. Most who reach it realize the upper limit of their bodies and give up adventuring. But few are determined to push through that limit, using their own willpower instead of flesh and courage, they become Deifiers. Their mere existence is a sacrilege to the rules of nature. A defier's resolute determination is what lets them escape the confines of what mortal bodies can do. Defying nature for a deifier is not something to boast about. It's simply what must be done.

Prerequisites

Deifiers spit in the face of what most think is possible about one's natural limits. They are the embodiment of pure willpower. No mortal body can contain such strain for long though. As deifiers test their limits again, and again, their mortal bodies break down. The mightiest deifiers train along with this decay, learning to fight in every form they degrade to. Learning to leave the body he or she has trained all this time awards incredible strength to a deifier, becoming a being of pure will, that is capable of bloodying the face of even gods. Though keep in mind, no deifier thinks their power is free, and all of them know the cost will come sooner or later. To advance as a deifier, you must meet the following prerequisites (in addition to the multiclassing requirements for your existing class):

• Fearless Guardian Level 20 — The paradoxical power of a Deifier requires one with a perfectly attuned mind, who can achieve the peace needed to draw out the power of their soul in battle.
• Slay an Epic Foe — At the DM's discretion, you may be required to defeat a mighty opponent of tremendous power. This enemy must be the greatest threat you have ever faced and represent a tremendous achievement in your adventuring career. DMs are encouraged to make this foe a creature of great power that pushes your character to its limits. The creature need not be defeated single-handedly but should always be of considerable challenge.

“ "No living being can survive a Sphere of Ultimate Destruction"? Poor thing, you still don't know what you're up against. ” —Thorg'ruk, Defier of the Seven Valleys. By Anton Solovianchyk

• Epic Trial: Expedition into Oblivion — To realize the inner potential of your soul, you must take an expedition that you know will kill any other traveler. You must stay within one hair of death while travelling every plane, meeting life-threatening battles and lethal obstacles at every step of the way. This trip will push your body and mind past their breaking point. After a year and a day of travelling, you return with a new-found determination to push the limits of yourself as a being, and gaining the power to compel your very soul to strengthen yourself.

Class Features

As a defier you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per defier level
Hit Points per Level: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per defier level

Proficiencies

Saving Throws: You gain proficiency in one Saving Throw of your choice.

Table: The Defier

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
21st	+6	Ability Score Improvement, Epic Feat, Limit of Flesh, Elysium's Shadow
22nd	+6	Defying Strikes
23rd	+7	Ability Score Improvement
24th	+7	Overfueled Soul, The Inconceivable Apex, Elyssian Strikes
25th	+7	Ability Score Improvement, Epic Feat
26th	+7	Epic Teaching
27th	+8	Ability Score Improvement
28th	+8	Empyrean Strikes
29th	+8	Ability Score Improvement, Epic Feat
30th	+8	The Final Apex

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 21st level, and again at 23rd, 25th, 27th, and 29th 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 30 using this feature.

Epic Feat

When you reach 21st level, and again at 25th and 29th level, you may select one Epic feat from the Epic feat list detailed on Pg. 82 of the Epic Legacy Core Rulebook. You may forgo taking an Epic feat to instead increase an ability score of your choice by 4, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 2. You cannot increase an ability score above 30 using this feature.

Limit of Flesh

You and your body have reached a connection no other creatures have achieved, the countless battles and experiences with death you have experienced allow you to squeeze every last bit of potential your body can provide. You gain the following benefits:

• You may choose to roll 21d12 to determine your new maximum hit points, or you may instead add 40 to your maximum hit points.Additionally, your fearless guardian hit dice become d12's.
• While you are wearing no armor, your AC is now equal to 10 + your {5a|con} modifier + your {5a|cha} modifier + half your proficiency bonus. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
• Your Sublime Edge feature no longer has a limited number of uses before a Short rest.
• At the discretion of your DM, you recieve an Epic racial feat, as if Rite of Change had been cast on you.

Elysium's Shadow

Your soul's power starts to attune itself to your surroundings, changing the look of the air and ground around you. On your turn, you can start and stop performing any number of tranquilities at no action cost, they cost resolve as usual.

	Magnitude
1	You can't have disadvantage on the attack from non-epic sources.
2	The attack can be performed as part of an attack action
3	You have advantage on the attack.
4	The damage of the attack is doubled.

Defying Strikes

At 22nd level, your soul can manifest the oneness it has with the universe into your strikes. You can, as an action, do a defying strike. Whenever you do a defying strike, it gains ordinances based on the tranquilities you are performing. The Ordinances are listed at the end of the page.

Performing a defying strike shakes the foundation of reality, and your very soul. It costs a number of resolve points equal to twice the number of tranquilities you are performing. Lastly, the magnitude of your defying strike is based on how many tranquilities you are performing, shown in the magnitude table. Effects on the magnitude table stack, unless they would override each other, in which case the effect highest on the table takes precedence.

Overfueled Soul

The power of your soul starts to manifest itself onto your flesh, making you less than human and giving you new powers.

• You no longer need to sleep or eat, you start giving out radiance based on your alignment.
• You radiate energy, shedding off bright light for 5 ft. and dim light to an additional 5 ft. This radiation doubles in size when you are at half health, and again when your hp reaches 0. The look of this energy is determined by your alignment
• Your Unflappable feature now lets you add your Constitution modifier as well. Additionally, undead creatures are now friendly towards you, unless they have a reason not to be.

Manifestation of Soul	Lawful	Neutral	Chaotic
Good	Shining Bronze	Argent Silver	Brilliant Gold
Neutral	Potent Sapphire	Marbled Mirror	Radiant Jade
Evil	Powerful Amethyst	Enroaching Shadows	Unstable Tempest

The Inconceivable Point

Your will is strong enough to temporarily hold your body strong after its reached its absolute limit. When you die, you can choose to activate this feature, you gain the following effects:

• You do not become unconscious, instead, holding on through sheer willpower alone.
• You are a pure being of energy. If a spell or effect only works on specific creature types, you can not be affected by the spell or effect.
• You lose your normal sight and hearing, and instead gain truesight out to 200 feet.
• You are immune to the Blinded, Deafened, Frightened, Charmed, Exhausted, Poisoned and Stunned and Unconscious conditions
• You add your {5a|con} modifier to all your Saving Throws
• You add half your {5a|cha} modifier to your AC
• You make a constitution saving throw at the end of each of your turns, and whenever you take damage. The DC of this saving throw starts at 15 and grows by one every time you beat it. If you fail, your body desintegrates from the burning of your soul, and only a True Resurrection spell cast with an epic spell slot or a Deific effect can bring you back to life.

Elyssian Strikes

	Magnitude
5	You can't have disadvantage on the attack from epic sources. The effects of the attack are considered Epic effects.
6	The damage of the attack is tripled instead.

At 24th level, your Strike feature now costs a number of resolve equal to 1.5 times your tranquilities (rounded down). Additionally, you unlock new magnitudes based on the amount of tranquilities you are performing.

Epic Teaching

You are an undying martyr of your dogma. All fearless guardians of your dogma are automatically friendly with you, unless they have a reason not to

Martyr of Life

Your Unified Resolve feature gives you 3 resolve, instead of one.

Tranquility of life, reassurance, compassion and harmony's effects are considered Epic.

If you have a dogma of life tranquility active, you may begin performing another dogma of life tranquility at the end of your turn, for no resolve cost

If you have three dogma of life tranqulities active tranquility of life quadruples the amount of temporary hit points it gives, and tranquility of harmony can share two other tranquilities (all 3 end when one ends)

Martyr of Steel

Your Reinforced Resolve feature gives you 3 resolve, instead of one.

Tranquility of entrapment, pressure, steel and reverberation's effects are considered Epic.

When you perform a defying strike with one or more steel ordinances, you can begin performing a tranquility after the attack as part of the same action, but at no resolve cost

When you have three dogma of steel tranqulities active the damage of reverberation triples and tranquility of steel gives you triple your hp as temporary hit points, and its ordinance gives you quadruple .

Martyr of Death

Your Wounded Resolve feature gives you 3 resolve, instead of one.

Tranquility of imperfection, death, onslaught and silence's effects are considered Epic.

If you have one tranquility of death active, you can activate another one for no action or resolve cost the first time you get damaged in a round

When you have three dogma of death tranqulities active tranquility of death and silence's damage is tripled.

	Magnitude
7	You have Epic advantage on the attack. You can use this feature at no action cost.
8	The effects of the attack are considered Deific effects. The damage of the attack is quadrupled instead.

Empyrean Strikes

At 28th level, you have mastered turning your inner peace into devastating blows that shake the foundations of the world around you. It now costs one resolve per tranquility to perform a defying strike, additionally, your defying strikes gain additional magnitudes based on how many tranquilities you have.

The Final Apex

The last step, a pure representation of courage. They who enter this state are ready to never come back, losing their very existence in the storm of battle By Viktor Titov

Your constant testing of your mortal limits has finally given you the strength necessary to become a pure expression of you willpower. A soul with no body. Whenever you are conscious, as a free action, you can choose to become a soul:

• Your flesh decays and is engulfed by the energy manifested by your soul. You shed bright light for 60 ft. and dim light for an additional 60 ft.
• Your hp drops to 0, and you receive temporary hit points equal to your maximum hp. All sources of temporary hit points you receive afterwards now stack with these and each other, and are doubled. Any healing you would receive is converted into temporary hit points. These temporary hit points do not expire after you finish a short or long rest.
• You recieve all the benefits of Vigilance of the Brink, The Danger Line, The Sublime Edge, and The Inconceivable Point.
• Your Charisma and Constitution become 30, unless they are already 30 or higher.
• The first defying strike you do every turn costs no Resolve
• You gain telepathy, and can speak any language
• You gain epic resistance on saving throws against all effects
• You only fight by instinct, and cannot communicate or think clearly outside of battle. You can still recognize your allies and fight alongside them, though. You can only answer questions asked of you, as if a speak with dead spell has been cast on your corpse.
• Your body is gone, and only a 5e SRD:True Resurrection spell cast with an epic spell slot or a deific effect can create a new one. If you are brought back into a body, you do not remember anything that you experienced in this form.
• If your temporary hit points drop to 0, your very soul disappears from this world. You are well and truly gone. You can only be brought back by the Deific effects of a Divine Being.

Ordinances

Ordinance of Breathing

Roll Stillness for each tranquility you are performing. You don't stop performing them on a one, but still gain tranquility as usual.

Ordinance of Sense

After your attack, roll a d8. The affected creatures loses that many points in the ability score you've used Tranquility of sense on. You cannot lower an ability score under one using this feature. Their ability score returns to normal on a long rest.

Ordinance of Heart

You gain a number of temporary hit points equal to a third of the damage of the attack. These hit points stack with any other source of temporary hit points you have, and expire at the same time. Otherwise they expire when you take a short or long rest.

Ordinance of Joints

The creature's AC is lowered by the same amount of extra AC that Tranquility of Joints is giving you. This effect expires when Tranquility of Joints expires, and a creature can only be affected by one instance of the effect.

Ordinance of Warfare

The dice of the attack are maxed.

Ordinance of Composure

As part of the attack, you can use Earnest Appeal on three creatures.

Ordinance of Determination

You take 5 points of vile damage. You add a d12 of necrotic damage to the attack for each source of damage you've taken this round.

Ordinance of Animation

You may perform the attack again for half its usual cost, but if you choose to do so you roll stillness for every tranquility you are performing.

Ordinance of Desperation

You deal an extra d4 of necrotic damage for each source of damage you've taken this combat.

Ordinance of Guidance

If you miss the attack, you can perform another one at no resolve cost.

Ordinance of Six Senses

The enemy gains disadvantage in all saving throws until the end of your next turn.

Ordinance of Mobility

You can move twice your speed as part of the attack. This movement doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity.

Ordinance of Encouragement

All friendly creatures within 15 feet of you can make a weapon attack without spending a reaction when you take the attack.

Ordinance of Excitement

Whenever you roll a stillness roll, note the result down. Your next weapon attack also deals the damage of all your results as force damage.

Ordinance of Life

All allied creatures within 30 feet of you gain temporary hp equal to your Charisma modifier. These temporary hit points stack with the ones given from Tranquility of Life. Whenever you would double or triple the damage of this attack, also double or triple the temporary hit points given by this Ordinance. These temporary hit points last for a minute after Tranquility of Life stops.

Ordinance of Reassurance

After you make the attack, all allied creatures within 30 feet of you gain +2 AC and 3 to all saving throws until the start of your next turn.

Ordinance of Compassion

Your don't have to roll stillness when you activate the effect of tranquility of compassion until the start of your next turn.

Ordinance of Harmony

All allied creatures within 30 feet can activate the ordinance of the tranquility you are sharing with them with tranquility of Harmony the next time they attack or cast a damaging spell effect

Ordinance of Entrapment

Your crit range increases by one for each creature you've used Tranquility of Entrapment's feature on this turn

Ordinance of Pressure

Creatures hit by this attack act as if tranquility of pressure has been used on them. Additionally, they have disadvantage on the saving throw to move away from you.

Ordinance of Steel

You lose a number of hit points equal to half the attack's damage, and gain twice as many temporary hit points. These temporary hit points stack with the ones given by Tranquility of Steel

Ordinance of Reverberation

Before you make the attack, but as part of the same action, you may allow the targeted creature (or creatures) to make an weapon attack against you.

Ordinance of Imperfection

The attack deals normal damage, even if the target is resistant, immune, or vulnerable to any of its damage types.

Ordinance of Death

You can take your proficiency bonus damage a number of times equal to the ordinances of this attack.

Ordinance of Onslaught

The creature hit by this attack can't have advantage on attack rolls made against you and you can't have disadvantage to resist damaging spell effects it makes against you.

Ordinance of Silence

You also take half the damage this attack deals. Full damage if you have three tranquilities from the dogma of death active.

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As a Defier you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Defier level
Hit Points per Level: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Defier level

Proficiencies

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st		—
2nd		—
3rd		—
4th		—
5th		—
6th		—
7th		—
8th		—
9th		—
10th		—