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Martial Archetype
Notes from the Palm: This, in addition to the next few subclasses, items, and other rules, are all inspired by Greater Than Games co-operative card-based board game, Sentinels of the Multiverse. Since we already have plenty of other superhero-analogous classes and subclasses, these should fit right in to any game in that theme.

Hero of Legacy

Pauldric Parsons, the man history knows as the First Legacy, was a man of simple means and humble origins. Despite being a poor wheat farmer, Pauldric was the mortal son of a forgotten but not yet powerless god of the Sun and Harvest. During a raid on his lands by orcish invaders which threatened his land, his home, and family, his godly blood took hold of his mortal form, and he smashed through the oncoming horde with ease. Parsons took up the name Legacy to honor his godly parentage, and devoted the remainder of his amazingly long life to destroying the forces of evil.
     Since then, the children and descendants of the Parsons line have upheld Pauldric’s Legacy: once or twice a generation, a child would display a feat amazing strength or impossible prowess, and once identified they would be trained to fight and use their strength for good. Though the bloodline has split thousands of ways over the ages, those with a deep connection to the Legacy still exist, and with the right training can bring their powers to fruition and forge their own Legacy.

Fortitude
Starting at 3rd level, while you are both unarmored and not wielding any weapons or a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Strength Modifier + your Constitution modifier. Additionally, your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage, and increase in damage you gain levels in the fighter class, as shown on the Fortitude Unarmed Strike table below.
     Starting at 7th level, your unarmed strikes also count as magical for the purposes of bypassing damage resistance.

 

Fortitude Unarmed Strike

Fighter level   Unarmed damage
7th 1d6 
10th 1d8
15th 1d10
18th 1d12

Galvanize
Starting at 3rd level, you learn how to bolster your allies to boost their power in combat. As an action on your turn, you can inspire your allies, causing you and each friendly creature within 30 feet of you to deal additional damage equal to 1d4 + your Charisma modifier on all weapon or spell attacks until the start of your next turn. At 5th level, when you use this ability, you may make a single unarmed strike as a bonus action, and at 10th level this ability effects all friendly creatures within 60 feet.

Danger Sense
Starting at 7th level, you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, you can’t be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Motivational Charge
At 10th level, as an action on your turn, you can move up to your movement speed towards a hostile creature you can see and make a single unarmed strike against that creature. If you hit, you and all friendly creatures within 60 feet of you heal an amount of hp equal to 1d8 + your Charisma modifier.

Next Evolution
At 15th level, while you are not wearing medium or heavy armor you gain a fly speed equal to your normal movement speed, and your movement speed increases by 10 feet.

Superhuman Durability
At 18th level, you gain resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. As an action on your turn, you can gain immunity to a single damage type of your choice until the start of your next turn.


New Fighting Styles
The following new options for the Fighting Style feature are available to any class which gains this feature.

     Back-Fist Strike. When a creature targets you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a single unarmed strike against that creature before their attack happens.
     Surge of Strength. While you are unarmed you add +1 to your unarmed strike attack and damage rolls.
     Lead from the Front. As a bonus action on your turn you can adopt a defensive stance, allowing you to draw your foe’s attacks. Until the start of your next turn, when a friendly creature that you can see is hit by an attack you may use your reaction to move up to half your movement speed towards that creature. If you end your movement speed adjacent to that creature, you are hit by that attack instead.

New Magic item
This item is important to a hero of legacy and the Parsons line.

Legacy’s Ring
Ring, legendary (requires attunement)
This plain, silver band has an inscription on the inner surface which reads, “Furthering your Father’s Legacy.” Despite its common appearance, it has been passed down from every Scion of Legacy to the next, for generations. As such, it has gained an immense amount of power over the years, which it grants to its holder.
     Currently, the ring gives an attuned wearer the following benefits:

  • Your Strength score is 24.
  • Your speed is increased by 20 feet
  • You can take an additional action on your turn. Once you use this trait, you must finish a long rest before you use it again.

Background: Scion of Legacy

Though the bloodline of Pauldric Parsons has fractured over the years, at least one direct familial line has lasted through the ages. Though not all choose to or can carry on the family’s legacy, each has found their own way to impact the world in a meaningful way
     You are a trueborn son or daughter of the line of Parsons. Since your youth, you have been trained for the day when your blood’s powers will either awaken, allowing you to take on the Parson’s Legacy, or decide to stay dormant, prompting you to set off and forge your own destiny.

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Persuasion
Tool Proficiencies: None

Equipment: A set of common clothes, a set of clothes prominently displaying the Parsons family crest, a signet ring, a copy of the Legacy diary, a letter from your father/mother, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp.

Feature: Hero
Your family name is well known, and that brings both advantages and hurdles. People will actively seek you out to help them right wrongs and obtain justice, and will also readily give you the benefit of the doubt when you are suspected of wrong doing. Many commoners will offer to help you in whatever small way they can.

Suggested Characteristics
As a Scion of Legacy, you’ve been raised with the sole purpose of taking over as the newest in a long line of heroes. This may perfectly suit you, or it may go completely against your nature; in either case, it is what is expected of you.

d8 Personality Trait
  1. I am headstrong to a fault and always assume my natural powers will get me out of any scrape.
  2. I am reserved, always being careful not to overuse my strength.
  3. I love reading the tales of the previous Legacies.
  4. I am, at my heart, a pacifist; I will not kill unless the situation unbelievably dire.
  5. I do not tolerate foul language from my companions.
  6. I am constantly blessing my allies with idioms and bits of good advice I have learned from my training. 
  7. My compatriots are closer to me than even my family, and I will always fight to protect them.
  8. I have a special place I go when the stress of the world is too great, so that I can meditate in solitude.
d6 Ideal
  1. Greater Good. The meek should be protected by the strong, and no one is stronger than I am. (Good)
  2. Justice. Criminals cannot be allowed to run amok; I am the arm of the law, and I am strong. (Lawful)
  3. Tradition. The Legacy must be kept, and I am next in line. (Neutral)
  4. Independence. I am not my father/mother; I will forge my own Legacy. (Chaotic)
  5. Supremacy. The previous Legacies were fools; with my power, I could rule the world. (Evil)
  6. Abandonment. I was born to this life, but I did not choose it, and I will not be a part of it. (Chaotic)
d6 Bond
  1. My spouse/child is the most important thing in the world to me; they are why I fight evil.
  2. I seek to topple a great foe who has hounded my family for generations.
  3. Legacy Ring is my birthright, but I have not yet earned it. I seek to prove I am worthy to wear it. 
  4. The approval of the previous Legacy (my mentor) is worth more to me than gold. 
  5. My family was driven from our home by evil; I will take it back, by any means necessary.
  6. My city is my ward: I will defend her from all evils, both within and without.
d6 Flaw
  1. Though I was trained to be even-tempered, I often resort to violence as my first course of action.
  2. I honor the Legacy, but I resent it for stripping me of the choice to have a normal life.
  3. I will sacrifice everything to protect my friends and family, even against my better judgement.
  4. My power is often hard to control, and I find it hard to hold back even when it would be important to do so.
  5. I never lie, even when it would benefit me to do so.  
  6. The Legacy means nothing to me; I am using my mentor as a means to an end, and that end is power.
 

 
Changelog: 
12/11/16: Motivational Charge: Targets only hostile creatures
Superhuman Durability: Non-magical BSP resistance with temporary immunity as an action.
Background: Minor changes to bring it in line with other backgrounds.  
 

 

 

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