Vestige Unbound

April 2023
Sword Saint Changes

T Class Features
he following are changes being made to the
Sword Saint, which are going to be launched with
the class in the Retia’s setting guide. After years of As a Sword Saint, you have the following features.
feedback and seeing various Sword Saints played,
these changes are intended to address some of the issues Hit Points
the class has had at certain tables, as well as refine its Hit Dice: 1d10 per Sword Saint level
gameplay loop to be more fun. Not all tables run things the Hit Points At 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier.
same way, and Vestige’s content leans into a more Hit Points At Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution

versatile, option-oriented style of gameplay - to some, at a modifier per Sword Saint level after 1st.
glance, this can make our content sometimes seem front-
loaded. Please keep in mind as always that what a class Proficiencies
can do and what it will end up doing in motion are always Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
going to be different. The latter is often more valuable than Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
the former. Saving Throws: Dexterity, Wisdom
Below are the Sword Saint changes, including several Skills: Choose three skills from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception,
subclasses that have been adjusted with it. History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Survival
Tools: None

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the
equipment granted by your background:

(a) chain shirt or (b) studded leather, a longbow, 20

The Sword Saint arrows
Focus Max Per (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial
weapons
Level Bonus Features Points Turn
(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) 4 javelins
1st +2 Focus Channeling 3 2 (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
2nd +2 Dragon Surge 4 2
3rd +2 Path of Devotion 5 3 Focus Channeling
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 6 3
5th +3 Extra Attack 7 4 1st-level Sword Saint feature
6th +3 Devotion Feature 8 4
You have a number of focus points equal to 2 + your level
as a Sword Saint. Focus can be spent on various abilities
7th +3 - 9 5
you gain as a Sword Saint, automatically gaining the
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 10 5
abilities listed under Sword Saint focus techniques. You can
9th +4 Burgeoning Mastery 11 6
only use a number of focus points each turn equal to half
10th +4 Soul of Luxus 12 6 your Sword Saint level (rounded up).
11th +4 Devotion Feature 13 7 The save DC for focus techniques = 8 + your proficiency
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 14 7 bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
13th +5 Extra Attack 15 8 You regain your spent focus points whenever you
14th +5 Saint Weapon Bond, 16 8 complete a Long Rest.
Devotion Feature
15th +5 - 17 9 Sword Saint Focus Techniques
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 18 9 As a Sword Saint, you automatically know the following
17th +6 Devotion Feature 19 10 focus techniques:
18th +6 Moment of Tranquility 20 10
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 21 11
Adept Moment
20th +6 Unwavering Legend 22 11 When you make a skill check with a skill you have
proficiency in, you may spend 1 focus point as a bonus
action to roll 1d4 and add it to the result.

Cunning Vertical
On your turn, you may spend 1 focus point to take the
Disengage action as a bonus action.
Falcon Wing Deflection
You may spend 2 focus points as a reaction to a melee
weapon attack being made against you to gain a bonus to
your Armor Class equal to your proficiency bonus, which
applies before resolving the triggering attack. This bonus
lasts until the start of your next turn. You must be wielding a
weapon you have proficiency with to use this reaction. If
you are restrained or knocked prone you lose the bonus
from this effect.
Falter Fleeting
On your turn, you can spend 1 focus point as a bonus
action to move an additional number of feet equal to your
proficiency bonus multiplied by five.
Overwhelming Advance
When you miss a creature with a weapon attack you can
spend 2 focus points to roll a d20 and must use the result in
place of the d20 of your attack roll, possibly changing the
outcome of the attack.
Dragon Surge
2nd-level Sword Saint feature
You can expend 2 focus points on your turn to take an
additional action. This feature cannot be used twice on the
same turn or during the same turn when you use another
feature that allows you to take another action (such as a
fighter’s Action Surge). Each time you use Dragon Surge,
the number of focus points it costs increases by 1 until the
next time you complete a Short or Long Rest.
When you use your Dragon Surge your movement speed
increases until the end of your turn by 5 feet x the number
of focus points it costs.
Path of Devotion
3rd-level Sword Saint feature
You choose a Path of Devotion. You pledge yourself to a
style of combat and lifestyle from the paths of devotion
listed, and gain the 3rd-level features listed. You gain that
Path’s other features at the Sword Saint levels listed.
Ability Score Improvement
4th/8th/12th/16th/19th-level Sword Saint feature
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th,
and 19th level, you can take one feat you meet the
conditions for, increase one ability score of your choice by
2, or 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
5th-level Sword Saint feature
You can attack twice, instead of once, when you take the
Attack action on your turn. When you reach 13th level as a
Sword Saint you can attack three times instead.
Burgeoning Mastery
9th-level Sword Saint feature
Your personal mastery of your skills develops in a
direction unrelated to your Path of Devotion. When you gain
this feature, choose one saving throw you are not proficient
in. You gain proficiency in that saving throw.
Soul of Luxus
10th-level Sword Saint feature
While you complete a Short Rest you regain focus points
equal to twice the number of hit dice you use to regain hit
points.
Saint Weapon Bond
14th-level Sword Saint feature
You may attune yourself to a specific weapon of your
choice and allow your spirit to connect to it. To do so you
must perform a ritual over the course of a short rest,
requiring incense and other materials unique to your
traditions that are collectively worth 500 gold pieces.
Mixing these materials with a drop of your own blood, you
imbue the weapon with a connection to your spirit that
marks it as yours. Its hue may change, and the weapon
may gain new aesthetic characteristics in response to your
spirit. This weapon is now considered to be your Saint
Weapon. Creating a new Saint Weapon breaks your
connection with the first.
You can attune to this Saint Weapon as if it were a
magical item, and if you do you gain the following benefits:
If it is a weapon that requires ammunition, it can now
create unremarkable ammunition magically when used (if
it must reload, creating new ammunition takes the same
action you would take to reload it).
If it is a thrown weapon, you can use a bonus action to
recall it if it is within 100 feet of you, causing it to fly into
your hands.
You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made
with it.
Attacks you make with it are magical.
You no longer have a limit to the number of focus points
you can spend each turn, but if you have passed that
limit and use a focus technique requiring an attack roll
you must use your Saint Weapon for that attack.
Any benefits that would normally be gained from attuning
to that item.
If you lose this weapon you always know which direction
it’s in and the condition of the weapon.
Moment of Tranquility
18th-level Sword Saint feature
When you complete a Short Rest you regain all of your
spent focus points.
Unwavering Legend
20th-level Sword Saint feature
When you are reduced to 0 hit points you do not fall
unconscious (or gain the dying condition). Instead, you can
continue fighting as normal (making death saves as normal
until you regain hit points). Each time you would fail a death
saving throw you can spend 1 focus point to negate the
failure. While in this state you cannot regain focus points by
any means.
Paths of Devotion
The Sword Saint walks a path of devotion. They study the
teachings of a famous Sword Saint who defined a
generation, trying to emulate their style and skills while
putting their own twist on them. The paths teach various
lifestyles, mentalities, and practices that support the skills of
those individuals.
A Sword Saint will usually gravitate to the teachings that
best suit their outlook on life. The methods by which they
learn their path can be from scrolls, books, stories passed
down, a teacher, or other sources of information. To some
rare Sword Saints, these skills come to them in visions or
through meditation.
Way of Blue Metal
The Way of Blue Metal is an ancient tradition forged by an
elven swordsman who sought out inner peace. Among all of
the Paths of Devotion, it is the most attuned to the spiritual
energy that is employed when focusing on the superhuman
feats Sword Saints are capable of.
The swordsmen who follow the Way of Blue Metal are
capable of learning the various skills of many different
paths, incorporating them into their own style of
swordsmanship. In critical moments in battle, they find
peace that can restore their focus and let them keep
fighting.
Defined by versatility, one of the key features of these
swordsmen is traced back to legends that it was taught to
its original practitioner by a series of dragons who each
contributed their knowledge to its form. That practitioner
learned to harness the elements, drawing out the power of
their own spirit and forcing it to manifest as elemental
energy representing their soul’s nature.
Way of Blue Metal Features
Level Features
3rd Focus Masery, Focus Techniques
6th Central Aura
11th Extra Focus
14th Purity of Form
17th Roaring Dragon Surge
Focus Mastery
3rd-level Blue Metal feature
Whenever you roll a 20 on an attack roll’s d20 result, you
regain focus points equal to your proficiency bonus. On
subsequent results of 20 on the same turn you regain 1
focus point instead.
Focus Techniques
3rd-level Way of Blue Metal feature
You learn any two focus techniques, choosing from those
of other Sword Saint Paths of Devotion. Each time you gain
a level as a Sword Saint you may switch one of these
techniques out for another.
Central Aura
6th-level Way of Blue Metal feature
Choose one of the following energy types: cold, fire,
lightning, or poison.
You learn to attune your internal energy to that element
and bend it into a protective shroud. Any time you would
take damage of that type, you may spend 2 focus points as
a reaction to negate the damage and gain temporary hit
points equal to the damage instead, then gain resistance to
that type of damage for as long as you have those
temporary hit points.
You may, as an action, spend 2 focus points to imbue a
weapon you’re wielding with the same element you selected
for your central aura. For 10 minutes your weapon attacks
deal extra damage of that damage type equal to half your
Sword Saint level (rounded down).
Extra Focus
11th-level Way of Blue Metal feature
You learn additional two focus techniques as described
by the Blue Metal Focus Techniques feature.
Purity of Form
14th-level Way of Blue Metal feature
As long as you are attuned to your Saint Weapon, all of
your focus techniques cost 1 fewer points (minimum 1). If a
focus technique involves a weapon or attack roll, it must
utilize your Saint Weapon for that effect to receive this
benefit.
Roaring Dragon Surge
17th-level Way of Blue Metal feature
You can use an advanced version of the Dragon Surge
technique. Your regular use of dragon surge no longer
causes it to cost extra focus points on subsequent uses.
Whenever you use your Dragon Surge, you can spend an
additional focus point to use a Roaring Dragon Surge,
gaining advantage on weapon attacks you make with your
Saint Weapon until the start of your next turn. Those attacks
deal an additional 1d10 damage of your weapon’s type on a
successful hit.
The amount of extra movement you gain from your
dragon surge is increased to 30 feet when using a roaring
dragon surge.
Way of Musashi
A notorious figure in the history of Sword Saints, Musashi
was a rambunctious and disloyal swordsman who bounced
from master to master. He was an innately skilled individual,
however, developing a style of two-weapon swordplay that
remains unmatched. His belief was that no action should
ever be wasted, and so should be in service to making an
attack, even when defending.
Those who follow in their footsteps learn defensive
techniques that give them durability and staying power in
combat. They seek creative ways to defeat their opponents
rather than overpowering them directly. Musashi’s brilliance
has not been replicated, but their approach and style have
been co-opted into techniques that allow others to exploit
opponents by quickly pin-pointing weaknesses in their
defenses and overwhelming them simultaneously.
To follow this path is to hold a blade in each hand,
unrelentingly seeking out joy and purpose to a fault. They
live fully and pursue what they feel is right for them.
Musashi discovered a certain pure truth through this way of
living and became unbeatable. Others reaching the same
place is not outside the realm of possibility.
Subclass Features
Level Features
3rd Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighting, Focus
Techniques
6th Point Zero
11th Way of Five Souls
14th The Undeniable Path
17th Heartless Heavenly Blade
Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighting
3rd-level Way of Musashi feature
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add
your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
If another feature gives you the option of taking another
fighting style option you cannot take the two-weapon
fighting option again.
Focus Techniques
3rd-level Way of Musashi feature
You learn the following focus techniques:
Exemplary Deflection
As a reaction to a weapon attack you can see hitting you,
you may spend 1 focus point to reduce the damage from
the attack to half.
Reposition
When a creature makes a melee attack against you and
misses, you may spend 2 focus points to move immediately
up to 20 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Scatter Petals
After you take an Attack on your turn and use your bonus
action to make an additional attack with an off-hand
weapon, you may expend 1 focus point each time you make
another weapon attack with your primary weapon to take an
additional off-hand attack.
You may only use this technique on the attacks of a
single Attack action each turn.
Point Zero
6th-level Way of Musashi feature
You learn how to defend against critical situations with
expert proficiency. When a creature scores a critical hit
against you, you can use your reaction to make it a normal
hit instead. As part of the same reaction, you can make two
weapon attacks against a creature within reach (one each
with your primary weapon and one with an off-hand
weapon).
Creatures that gain bonuses from surrounding you (such
as Sneak Attack, flanking, or Pack Tactics) cannot gain
those benefits or use those features against you. If those
features have other triggers (such as needing advantage for
Sneak Attack) they still work under those conditions.
Way of Five Souls
11th-level Way of Musashi feature
You gain proficiency in all saving throws.
The Undeniable Path
14th-level Way of Musashi feature
You can bond to a second weapon as your Saint
Weapon, which gains all the same benefits as the first. You
can attune to both as if they were a single magic item,
gaining access to all of the features you would normally
gain from attuning to both individually while only counting as
one item.
Heartless Heavenly Blade
17th-level Way of Musashi feature
As an action you can spend 6 focus points and make a
sweeping strike against all creatures within 15 feet of you.
You make a single weapon attack with one of your Saint
Weapons, and its results are applied to each of those
creatures as if they were different attack rolls. You then
make a single damage roll with the weapon, and apply its
results to each creature that was hit similarly. This attack is
made without advantage or disadvantage.
These attack and damage rolls are not subject to effects
that modify the attack or damage roll results of single
attacks, but it can be affected by those with ongoing effects
that last a turn or longer.
Every creature you hit must make a Constitution saving
throw against your focus technique DC. Any creature that
fails takes an additional 2d12 damage of your weapon’s
damage type and is stunned until the end of your next turn.
You cannot use this technique and Dragon Surge in the
same turn.
Way of Pendragon
The Way of Pendragon follows legends of an ancient knight
king who led a band of noble, if not troubled, knights on a
quest to acquire an ancient god-touched artifact. Chosen by
prophecy, Pendragon drew a holy sword of selection from a
stone, and so became a legendary leader of men. His
kingdom flourished and his elegance and charisma were
spoken of in tales for ages to come. His kingdom’s downfall
eventually came at the hands of treachery within his own
court, but this noble knight stood tall and radiant until the
end.
Though unconventional as a sword saint, this
swordsman’s divine power and skill cannot be denied. Many
seeking the means to rule or lead others follow this path;
becoming one of the Way of Pendragon means becoming a
holy knight who stands against injustice. Pendragon’s
legends spoke of him as unwoundable and as benefiting
from god-given luck. Those who follow him emulate and
practice similar tactics, and look to fate when in doubt.

Way of Pendragon Features
Level Features
3rd Fighting Style: Defense, Focus Techniques
6th Brave Assault
11th Instincs & Luck
14th Light of Hope
17th Avalon’s Guidance
Fighting Style: Defense
3rd-level Way of Pendragon feature
Whenever you are wearing armor you gain a +1 bonus to
your armor class.
If another feature gives you the option of taking another
fighting style you cannot take the defense option again.
Additionally, you gain proficiency with heavy armor and
Charisma saving throws.
Focus Techniques
3rd-level Way of Pendragon feature
You learn the following focus techniques:
Grit
When you take the Attack action, you can spend 1 focus
point to add extra damage to each melee weapon attack
that hits as part of it.. The damage is of the weapon’s
damage type and equal to your Strength modifier. You can
only use this technique once per Attack action.
Hold Fast
When a creature hits you with a weapon attack, you can
spend 2 focus points to reduce the damage you take from
the attack by an amount equal to 1d8 + your Constitution
modifier.
You may use this feature multiple times on the same
damage source, but must choose to use it before you take
damage.
Inspiring Call
On your turn you can spend 2 focus points as a bonus
action to give a rousing battle cry. You can choose a
number of creatures that can see or hear you equal to your
Wisdom modifier. These creatures gain temporary hit points
equal to 1d10 + your proficiency bonus. These temporary
hit points disappear after 1 minute, or if you are reduced to
0 hit points or fall unconscious.
While creatures have these temporary hit points they
have advantage on saving throws against being frightened
or charmed.
Brave Assault
6th-level Way of Pendragon feature
Whenever you take your first attack on your turn you can
use your bonus action to push forward relentlessly,
attacking with great fervor. When you do, each time you
make a weapon attack roll on that turn you roll 1d8 and add
it to the result.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your
proficiency bonus per Long Rest.
Instincts & Luck
11th-level Way of Pendragon feature
You can rely on your heightened instincts and uncanny
luck to pull you through difficult situations. Whenever you
complete a Long Rest you roll a number of d20s equal to
your proficiency bonus, re-rolling any results of 10 or below
until they are 11 or higher - these are your Instinct results. If
you roll a natural 1 on any of these rolls, that Instinct result
is not re-rolled and is instead lost until next time you re-roll.
You lose these Instinct results when you complete
another Long Rest. At any time when you make an attack
roll, ability check or saving throw you can choose to spend
one of these Instinct results to use it as the result instead of
rolling. You must do so before you roll.
Alternatively, you can spend 1 focus point to replace a
d20 result you have already rolled with one of your Instinct
results, even if the success or failure was already declared.
Light of Hope
14th-level Way of Pendragon feature
As a bonus action you can cause your Saint Weapon to
glow, shedding 50 feet of magical bright light with another
50 feet of dim light beyond that. Any magical darkness
created by a 4th level or lower spell is penetrated and
dispelled by the bright light from this effect. This lasts until
you are incapacitated, drop your weapon or use your bonus
action to end the effect.
You can choose to expand up to 4 focus points (minimum
1) as a bonus action to infuse your Saint Weapon with
radiant energy, which remains for 1 minute. Next time you
hit a creature with it during this time, the radiant energy
unleashes outward and causes the attack to deal an extra
1d10 radiant damage per focus point spent, ending the
effect.
Avalon’s Guidance
17th-level Way of Pendragon feature
Whenever you receive healing from any source you
always regain the maximum amount of hit points possible. If
you are suffering from exhaustion that you could recover
from normally, you recover from all levels of exhaustion
after you complete a single Long Rest, and you are immune
to Combat Fatigue
Additionally, whenever you roll a saving throw against an
effect that would deal half damage to you on a successful
saving throw, you take half damage on a failed save and no
damage on a successful one.
Race Preview

T
he following is a preview of the goblin race
for the setting guide. As usual, some flavor text and
subraces have been removed for now. The rules
regarding Legacy Traits can be found in the 2023-
02 edition of Vestige Unbound.

Goblin
Goblins are diminutive green and yellow-skinned folk who
get an unfavorable rap among most. They have a historic
Legacy Traits
habit of banding together into wild groups of raiders, Choose two of the following options when creating your
opportunists and bandits, but many are just as ready to character:
engage kindly with the rest of mankind. goblins can be Adaptive. You have a climbing or swimming speed (your

found all over - mostly in High Wave - and for the most part choice when gaining this trait) equal to your base
seem to originate from the Strikelands, where they picked movement speed.
up most of their territorial habits. Carry-On. As a bonus action you can jump onto a willing

Goblins are known to be tenacious workers who get an
idea in their head and see it through. It’s difficult to stop
them once they set their mind to a task. For this purpose
they fit in well in the Land of Industry, since their help in
advancing all forms of technology is sorely needed. Though
it is often more in the case of following orders or helping
creature that is larger than you and move with them,
causing no penalty as long as you do not exceed their
weight limits. You can jump off on your turn by using 5 feet
of your movement or using your reaction, entering a space
adjacent to them when you do so.
Darkvision. You have darkvision out to 60 feet, allowing

with labor, they contribute more than their fair share to the
advancement of Retia’s many industries.
Traits
As a goblin, you have the following traits, in addition to
those granted by your subrace and legacy traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by
2, and one other score increases by 1 based on your
subrace.
Alternatively, at your GM’s discretion, you can choose
one of the following options:
Increase one of your Ability scores by 2, and another by
1.
Increase three of your Ability scores by 1.
None of the Ability score increases gained through your
race can increase any Ability score above 20.
Age. Goblins reach adulthood at 8 years of age, and
those lucky enough to live to the extent of old age live to
roughly 60 years.
Alignment. Goblins are typically chaotic. Many outlandish
tribes of goblins act in service to tyrants, bandits and are a
nuisance to polite society, but these do not represent
goblins as a whole. Though one might expect it, they do not
have any particular proclivity to evil.
Creature Type. As well as a humanoid and a goblin, you
are also considered a goblinoid.
Hardly Noticed. You can move through the spaces of non
hostile creatures that are larger than you without any
penalty to movement, and through the spaces of hostile
creatures larger than you as if they were difficult terrain.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and
you to see in dim light as bright light and in darkness as if it
was dim light. You see color in this way in shades of gray.
Fairy Magic. You know one cantrip and one 1st-level spell
from the Druid or Sorcerer spell lists, and must pick
Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma. You can cast the cantrip
at will, and the 1st-level spell a number of times per day
equal to your proficiency bonus, using the ability score you
picked as your spellcasting ability for both. You can also
cast it using appropriate spell slots.
Fury of the Small. Once per turn, when you deal damage
to a creature with an attack (or spell attack) and the
creature’s size is larger than yours, you can cause the
attack or spell to deal extra damage equal to your
proficiency bonus.
You can do so a number of times equal to your
proficiency bonus per Long Rest.
Nervous Watch. You cannot be surprised in combat.
Mixed Blood Traits
If your character is of mixed blood and goblin is not their
dominant race, you may choose from the following traits
when considering your character’s Legacy Traits:
Bloodline. Choose one of the following traits, which you
gain from its corresponding subrace:
Tireless Little Guy (badland goblin)
Death Run (dust goblin)
Bigger Bother (fear flock goblin)
I Get It! (gear goblin)
Hardly Noticed. You have the goblin’s Hardly Noticed
trait.
Nimble. You have the goblin’s Nimble Escape trait.

Goblinoid.
Nimble Escape. You can take the Disengage or Hide

action as a bonus action.

Size. You are Small.

Speed. You have a base walking speed of 30 feet.

Subraces
Goblin subraces, like many, are based on where they best
thrive. Choose one of the following subraces when creating
your character:
Badland Goblin
Often making up the bulk of outlaw tribes of goblins, these
worrisome scavengers are known for doing what they must
to survive in even the most difficult conditions. Individually
they are relatively harmless, but when in large groups out in
the wild they are a sure sign of trouble for caravans and
wandering adventurers. Of course, many law-abiding
badland goblins would try to work in direct opposition to this
generalization.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases
by 1.
Ambush Tactics. When you make an attack against a
creature while one of your allies are within 5 feet of that
target and not incapacitated, you can roll 1d8 and add the
result to your attack roll. You can do so a number of times
per Long Rest equal to your proficiency bonus, but uses are
only considered spent if your attack hits.
Survivor of the Wastes. You are proficient in the Survival
and Nature skills.
Tireless Little Guy. You have advantage on saving throws
made to resist or avoid being exhausted. Regardless of
what is causing exhaustion for you, you can never suffer
more than one level of exhaustion at a time from a single
effect (such as dehydration while already having one level
of exhaustion) - this does not mean the same effect multiple
times cannot stack.
Dust Goblin
Hiding in sandy and hot climates are goblins with skin that
either matches the hues of their surroundings, or has a
distinctly burnt look to it - like charcoal. These goblins are
used to the unforgiving elements of these terrains and more
than often know how to take advantage of those who aren’t
ready for them.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases
by 1.
Countermeasures. If a creature makes an opportunity
attack against you, you can use this trait to force it to make
a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your Dexterity modifier +
your proficiency bonus). If they fail, their attack misses, their
reaction is spent, and you can make a melee attack against
them as part of the same reaction. You can use this trait a
number of times per Long Rest equal to your proficiency
bonus.
Death Run. On your first turn in combat your movement
speed is doubled, you do not provoke opportunity attacks,
and the first melee attack you make has advantage.
Heat Resistance. You are resistant to fire damage.
Fear Flock Goblin
Fear flock goblins were descended from a strain of goblins
bred to serve as foot-soldiers and cannon fodder for an
ancient tyrannical warlord in the Strikelands. These intrepid
goblins rose up against their master and took their freedom
by force, and their survivors swore to use their talents and
new freedom to act honorably and to put some good into
the world.
They have a great resistance to fear, and are in fact
enraged and empowered in situations where others might
be terrified.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases
by 1.
Bigger Bother. Your size is Medium instead of small. You
are not as large as average humanoids, but are larger than
average goblins.
Defy Terror. You have advantage on saving throws made
to resist or avoid being frightened.
A number of times per Long Rest equal to half your
proficiency bonus (rounded down), you can react to terror
by flying into a minor rage. You can either do so as a
reaction to succeeding a saving throw against being
frightened, or as a bonus action if you are frightened (also
ending the effect as if you had succeeded). When you do
so, until the end of your next turn you have advantage on
attack rolls and saving throws.
Disorienting Call. You can cast the confusion spell once
per Long Rest, requiring no spell slots or components.
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
When you cast confusion this way, its radius must be
centered on you (affecting all creatures within 10 feet of
you), but the effect ignores you.
Gear Goblin
Witty and interested in figuring out how things work (and
how to make them NOT work), gear goblins might be
mistaken for having black skin for how often they’re found
covered in soot and gunpowder. They are inventive, curious
and the most common to find working in cities and
settlements to build contraptions to make life better - or in
warbands making machines and tools to make someone
else’s life worse.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases
by 1.
Bonus Proficiencies. You are proficient in two additional
skills that would normally require Intelligence, Charisma or
Wisdom, as well as one set of Artisan’s Tools of your
choice.
Fix It Up. You can cast the mending cantrip at will, using
your Intelligence as your spellcasting ability.
I Get It! When you make an ability check using a skill you
are not proficient in, you can roll 1d6 and add it to the result.
You can do so a number of times per Long Rest equal to
your proficiency bonus.
Optional Rules
It is no secret that the optional rule below was written with
heavy inspiration from XP to Level 3’s video on stun/dying -
he makes some salient points. Though I don’t necessarily
immediately agree with his specific solution, it inspired me
to outline a new variant rule for dying that is designed to
keep players involved in the game while without entirely
washing away the consequences of death - narratively, it
also allows for more dramatic final moments. Please
consider the following optional rule if it insterests you!
Alternatively, please see the video by XP to Level 3 that
inspired this variant rule: https://youtu.be/w_6fHrOUoXM
Condition: Dying
When you drop to 0 hit points you receive the dying
condition, but do not fall unconscious. While dying, your are
subject to the following effects:
Your movement speed is reduced to 10 feet, and cannot
be increased higher than that.
You cannot stand from being prone, and if you are
unsupported by a creature or supportive surface you fall
prone automatically.
You cannot take actions or reactions, but may still take
your movement and possible bonus action on your turn.
You have disadvantage on Strength, Dexterity and
Constitution saving throws.
You cannot concentrate on spells or effects.
The dying condition is removed at the start of a creature’s
turn if they have 1 or more hit points.
Death Saving Throws
When you begin your turn while dying, you make a death
saving throw as normally described by the core 5th Edition
Rules. If you succeed three death saving throws you are
automatically stabilized. If you fail three you die. The rules
for rolling a natural 1 or natural 20 on your death saving
throw are as described in the core rules, resulting in two
failed death saves or regaining 1 hit point automatically.
When a creature takes damage while dying with 0 hit
points they automatically fail one death saving throw. A
critical hit from an attack automatically causes two failures.
Death saving throws reset when the creature is stabilized or
the dying condition is removed, but taking damage while
stabilized causes the creature to fail one and begin making
them again.
Being Stabilized
The rules for stabilizing a creature remain unchanged from
the core 5th Edition Rules. When a creature is stabilized
they stop making death saving throws, but they retain the
dying condition and its effects until they regain at least 1 hit
point. A stabilized creature automatically regains 1 hit point
after 1d4 hours or after completing a Short or Long Rest.
NPCs and Nonlethal Damage
Non-player characters instantly die when reduced to 0 hit
points as normal, unless the GM decides they should make
death saving throws. If they do, they follow the rules of the
dying condition as described above.
A creature who reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a
melee attack, or when such an attack would cause them to
begin making death saving throws, they can decide to do so
nonlethally. If they do, the target must make a Constitution
saving throw. The DC is equal to the damage exceeding
their remaining hit points. On a failure they fall unconscious
and are stabilized until the dying condition is removed. On a
success they begin dying and are stabilized, but do not fall
unconscious.