Experimental
Experimental Heroes beat the odds and survived terrible experiments. Some were noble and volunteered in order to gain the power to defend their land and ideals while others were taken by force and used as test subjects. Their path was forever changed by the experiment and whether or not they wanted their Noble Calling was chosen the second the experiment was a success. Many of these Heroes are valiant and proud of their sacrifice and nobly support the powers that created them and others are resentful of their change and seek to tear the powers down that made them. The latter Heroes usually destroy the laboratories that made them once their power was realized (Discuss with your DM how to best incorporate the Experiment that took place so that it flows well with the current campaign).
Survivor’s Journey: An Experimental Hero’s Journey is centered on the Experiment that created them. Their tenet is to overcome their trial or to pursue their intended goal of their creator to the end.
Experimental Factor
| 1D4 | Experiment | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mysterious Core: Your heart was replaced with a mysterious artifact of great power. Once accepted the Core pulsed to life and now sustains you. Hard raised veins of the same color as the light from the Core appear in a latticework around your body and your eyes gleam with that same color. | The Core has a will of its own. When you are reduced to zero hit points the Core brings you back to 1 hit point and takes over for one turn. Often using this time to defend you, its host, or to speak using your voice often providing clues or insights to issues you are facing. |
| 2 | Secret Serum: You were injected with a series of potions, serums, and other mysterious substances and miraculously you survived. You grew 2D8 inches taller and 2D6 times 10 pounds heavier. You are a more attractive and muscular version of yourself having won the heroic lottery. | The Serum has boosted your muscle growth, reaction time, metabolism, and your constitution. You choose one of the following options: Hearty: You have a 1D6 bonus to CON saving throws and are Resistant to Poison damage and have advantage on saving throws against being Poisoned. Agile: You have a 1D6 bonus to DEX saving throws and have 10 additional movement speed. Strong: You have a 1D6 bonus to STR saving throws and can jump an additional 15 ft and have a 1D6 bonus to Athletics checks. |
| 3 | Cyborg Surgery: Your body was reconstructed with the latest in arcane construct technology. 50-70% of your body has now become mechanical. The surgeons and alchemists used either a brass, silver, gold, or mithral compound using either clockwork, steampunk, or futuristic aesthetics (Your choice). | Your mechanic parts require less time to rest than your mortal parts allowing you to sleep every other day with no repercussions. One of your arms was replaced completely and you can use a bonus action to turn it into a cannon or back into a hand. In cannon form you can use your action to fire arcane shots that have a range of 20/40 ft and deal 1D8 Lightning damage on a hit. |
| 4 | Forbidden Grafting: More than half of your body was replaced with parts taken from a horrific Aberration, fallen Celestial, mighty Dragon, or vile Fiend (Your choice). The graft conforms to you so your body is roughly symmetrical despite any size differences in the grafted parts. | Your body's grafted component imparts part of the power it had in life to you. Aberrant: You can cast the cantrip Mage Hand which takes that shape of a spined tentacle. Celestial: One of your eyes was replaced with a golden Celestial one giving you advantage on Insight checks to determine if a creature is lying or advantage on Perception checks to see through illusions (You choose when you select this feature). Draconic: Hard scales wrap around your body giving you +1 AC. Fiendish: Fiendish blood and flesh protect you giving you Resistance to Cold, Fire, Necrotic, or Poison damage. |
| Experimental Factor | Feature |
|---|---|
| Mysterious Core | The Core reveals itself to be the heart of an ancient being and an incorporeal figure made of metallic darkness flickering with the same light as your colored veins appears and overlays itself with you. A set of oddly shaped wings appear on your back and two long barrels glowing with energy appear on each arm. Flight: You have a Flying speed equal to your movement speed. Cannon: You fire one cannon as a bonus action, it is a ranged melee attack that has a range of 60/120 ft and deals 2D8 Force damage on a hit. Bolo Cannons: You fire both cannons as an action and the two projectiles linked together and grow in power, it is a ranged melee attack with a range of 80/200 ft and deals 4D10 Force damage to each creature within two 15 ft diameter spheres that can be between 15-30 ft apart from each other. |
| Secret Serum | It is revealed that the Serum is a chaotic mixture of many extractions of fearsome creatures that happened to coexist within your body. An incorporeal network of various body parts overlays with yours making your size Large for the duration. Your head becomes overlaid with a Storm Giant, your torso becomes overlaid with a Dragon with your right arm becoming a dragon’s head and wings appearing on your back. Your left is overlaid with the red, smoking arm of a Pit Fiend. Your lower half is overlaid with the shining flesh of an Angel in gold armor. And an incorporeal great tail of a Neothelid flicks angrily behind you. Flight: You gain a Flying speed equal to your movement speed. Giant’s Gaze: You can see Invisible creatures and objects as well as creatures on the Ethereal Plane. Dragon Breath (Recharge (5-6): You can use your action to unleash a torrent of dragon fire in a 30 ft cone forcing each creature in the area to make a DEX saving throw DC 8 + your CHA modifier (Minimum 1) + your Proficiency Bonus and on a failed save they take 5D6 Fire damage or half as much on a successful save. Multiattack: When you take the attack action you take one of each of the following attacks. Dragon Bite: You can make an unarmed strike using your draconic arm dealing 1D10 magical Piercing damage + 2D6 Fire damage. Fiendish Claw: You can make an unarmed strike using your fiendish arm dealing 1D8 magical Slashing damage + 2D6 Necrotic damage. Mind Numbing Tail Whip: You can use make an attack with your aberrant tail dealing 1D12 magical Bludgeoning damage + 1D10 Psychic damage and the target must make DC 8 + your CHA modifier (Minimum 1) + your Proficiency Bonus INT saving throw and on a failed save become Stunned until the end of their next turn. |
| Cyborg Surgery | The lost technology of the Construct parts bonded with you grind to life and aid you as an ethereal shell of armor overlays itself with you. You grow to Large size for the duration of the effect as you appear as a hulking series of gears, pipes, plating, diodes, and wires in a vaguely humanoid shape with short legs, long arms, and a massive melee weapon of your choice. Masterwork: Your Construct facsimile from the past has an AC of 23. Constructed Resilience: You are Immune to the Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, Stunned, and Poisoned conditions and you are Immune to Acid, Poison, and Psychic damage. Pulverizing Blow: You make an unarmed strike with your massive fist dealing 2D10 magical Bludgeoning damage. This attack deals twice as much damage to objects and structures. Behemoth Weapon: You make a melee attack with the simple and brutal conjured weapon dealing 2D12 magical Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing damage (As is appropriate for the weapon) + 2D6 Force damage. This attack deals twice as much damage to objects and structures. Overdrive: Once per Legendary Attack you can take the attack option an additional time. |
| Forbidden Grafting | The pieces within you take on new life as they grow and temporarily take on their old form as their previous form overlays itself with your own and becomes semi-transparent, crackling with energy as its incorporeal form covers yours. Based on your selection when you chose this subclass you take on one the following Stat Blocks and summon any equipment the creature had in its previous life: Aberrant: Star Spawn Hulk Celestial: Deva Dragon: Young Gold Dragon Fiend: Orthon |
Subclass Features
Military Training
Whether they wish it or not, Experimental Heroes were military assets and were trained that way. You have proficiency with Heavy Armor and know one additional Fighting Style.
Heroic Presence
These Heroes have an indomitable will to survive that allowed them to survive the Experiment. With vigor coursing through your veins and a fire in your eye you can use your reaction to reroll a saving throw and take the new result. You can use this feature twice per long rest.
Limit Break- Unleash Potential
Your Heroic nature allows you to force the Experimental factors within you to the surface and draw out your potential. You can use your action to press your body and mind to its limits, for the next minute you gain the following features
Your movement speed is doubled.
You have advantage on STR and DEX saving throws.
You have advantage on saving throws against being Charmed or Frightened.
You have a bonus to hit and to damage equal to your Proficiency Modifier.
Backlash: After the duration of your Limit Break your body and mind are left briefly drained leaving you Vulnerable to Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing damage and Psychic damage for 1D4 turns.
You can use your Limit Break once per long rest.
Heroic Spirit
Your body is exceedingly durable and your mind especially resilient. You regain 3 hit points at the beginning of each of your turns as long as you have at least 1 hit point remaining.
You can use your reaction to reroll a saving throw to end the Charmed, Frightened, or Poisoned condition and on a successful save the condition is ended. The DC for this new save is 12.
You can use this feature once per long or short rest.
True Limit Break- Reach True Potential
You can tap into the full might of the Experimental factors within you allowing you reach your true potential and accept more of the Experimental factor. As an action you use your Limit Break feature and gain the following features in addition to your other features
You regain 5 hit points at the end of your turn as long as you have at least one hit point remaining.
You can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge actions.
You have a 1D10 bonus to CON, DEX, and STR saving throws.
You have Resistance to Psychic damage.
You can use your Limit Break feature twice per long rest.
Legendary Attack- Manifest the Past
For a brief period you bring a figment of the past to aid you, a portion of what your Experimental factor used to be. As an action for the next minute a flickering afterimage of the being(s) overlaps with yours granting you the following features.
You regain the use of this feature after using your Limit Break feature and after the Backlash ends.