Divine Crusader (5e Class)
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Divine Crusader[edit]
Paladin Variant
| “ | Light, grant me the strength to overcome whatever appears on our path. | ” |
| —Galien the Zealous, Human Divine Crusader | ||
Every cause needs a champion, a hero to rally otherwise common men to a righteous cause and lead them to victory. The Divine Crusader is that champion. With holy blade in hand and conviction in heart he smites the wicked and the unholy and sends them back to the darkness from whence they crept. While his armor restricts his movement it affords him great protection, allowing him to stand in the midst of battle to take the blows that his weaker comrades cannot.
A Divine Crusader is typically seen on roads, travelling in search of evil to cleanse and darkness to shine divine light upon. While not travelling or adventuring, the Divine Crusader may be found in places of worship of their chosen deity, praying for strength to fight the evil that lurks or repenting for any perceived misdoings.
Most lawful or good classes, particularly those that share religion or hatred of evil, will typically praise the Divine Crusader for the work they do banishing darkness from the world. However, while a Divine Crusader may perceive themselves as utterly just in their actions, others may find them to be extreme or otherwise unnecessary and may dislike and distrust a Divine Crusader for their violent "crusading" in the name of a patron deity. A class such as a Paladin, however, will almost always greet the Divine Crusader in a friendly manner given their similarities and convictions against evil, and will often applaud the bravery for seeking out sinister abominations at risk of limb and life.
This is an adaptation from a 3.5e homebrew. For the 3.5e version, look at [1]
Creating a Divine Crusader[edit]
Here are presented some questions that may help you to create your divine crusader. What is the god or belief you worship, and from were you draw your powers? Your source of devotion is important to determine what are the enemies of your faith, and what you are crusading against. Some crusaders seek to destroy the evil as a whole, while others pursue the enemies of their faith.
Why did you decided to subscribe to this specific belief? Are your faith the main religion on your realm, and you have been raised in a environment of faith, adopting the morals and aspiring to the ideals of a specific church from birth? Or have you adopted your religion later in life, due to a life changing event. Near death and great losses are often great motives for one to choose a religion, and if these events have been caused by a great evil or fierce enemy, it can also become a strong drive for a crusader decide to wield his sword and march against the darkness in the world.
- Quick Build
You can create a divine crusader quickly by following these steps: first, Strength should be your highest score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the Acolyte or the Soldier background.
Class Features
As a divine crusader you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per divine crusader level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per divine crusader level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, and Religion
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
- (a) five javelins or (b) any simple melee weapon
- (a) a priest's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- Chain mail and a holy symbol
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | —Spell Slots per Spell Level— | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |||
| 1st | +2 | Divine Sense, Divine Hands | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Holy Protection, Spellcasting, Divine Smite | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Divine Health, Sacred Oath | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Debilitating Aura | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Sacred Oath feature | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Aura of Courage | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Divine Strike | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | — | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Divine Will | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Sacred Oath feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17th | +6 | — | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Holy Inferno | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Sacred Oath feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Divine Hands[edit]
Your blessed touch can destroy your enemies. You have a pool of divine power that replenishes when you take a long rest. With that pool, you can cause a total number of damage equal to your divine crusader level × 5.
As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to cause a number of radiant damage to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool. This doesn't require an attack roll or saving throw, and you can't spend more points than the current amount of hit points the target has when you use this feature.
Alternatively, you can expend 5 points of radiant damage from your pool of damage when you hit a fiend or undead with a melee weapon attack, to cause additional 1d8 radiant damage to that creature.
This feature has no effect on celestials and constructs.
Holy Protection[edit]
Beginning at 2nd level, while you are carrying a holy symbol, any damage you take is reduced by an attack is reduced by 1.
Spellcasting[edit]
By 2nd level, you have learned to draw on divine magic through meditation and prayer to cast spells as a cleric does.
- Preparing and Casting Spells
The Divine Crusader table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells from the cleric spell list. To cast one of your cleric spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of cleric spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the cleric spell list. When you do so, choose a number of cleric spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your divine crusader level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you are a 5th-level cleric, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of cleric spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
- Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your cleric spells, since their power derives from the strength of your convictions. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a cleric spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
- Spellcasting Focus
You can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for your cleric spells.
Divine Smite[edit]
Starting at 2nd level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend.
Divine Health[edit]
By 3rd level, the divine magic flowing through you makes you immune to disease.
Sacred Oath[edit]
When you reach 3rd level, you swear an oath that binds you forever, much like a paladin does. Since this class is a variant of a paladin class, you can choose the same options of paladin subclasses available. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level. Those features include oath spells and the Channel Divinity feature.
- Oath Spells
Each oath has a list of associated spells. You gain access to these spells at the levels specified in the oath description. Once you gain access to an oath spell, you always have it prepared. Oath spells don't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.
If you gain an oath spell that doesn't appear on the paladin spell list, the spell is nonetheless a paladin spell for you.
- Channel Divinity
Your oath allows you to channel divine energy to fuel magical effects. Each Channel Divinity option provided by your oath explains how to use it.
When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which option to use. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Divinity again.
Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your paladin spell save DC.
Divine Intervention (Optional)[edit]
Also at 3rd level, you can use your reaction and spend one use of your Channel Divinity when you make an Attack roll, ability check or saving throw to automatically succeed that roll. You must use this ability before you roll the die. The number of times you can use this feature is based on the level you've reached in this class: 3rd level, once; 7th level, twice; and 15th level, thrice. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
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.
Debilitating Aura[edit]
Beginning at 6th level, a divine crusader radiates a harmful aura that causes hostile creatures within 10 feet of you to have a penalty to their saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of -1).
Aura of Courage[edit]
Starting at 10th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you can't be frightened while you are conscious.
Divine Strike[edit]
At 11th level, you cause additional damage equal to your Wisdom modifier with your weapon attacks. This damage is radiant.
In addition, any attack with a weapon you make is considered magical to pierce through the resistances and immunities against non-magical attacks of fiend and undead creatures.
Divine Will[edit]
At 14th level, your Wisdom score increase in 2, up to a maximum of 22.
In addition, you add half your proficiency bonus in all Wisdom checks that don't add your proficiency bonus already.
Holy Inferno[edit]
At 18th level, whenever you smite a fiend or undead creature, you cause additional 3d6 fire damage. This sacred fire ignore resistance and immunity to fire damage.
Multiclassing[edit]
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the divine crusader class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Strength, 13 Wisdom.
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the divine crusader class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor, medium armor, simple weapons, and martial weapons.
Restriction. You can't multiclass into the paladin class.
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