Successor
The sacred trust placed between a master and apprentice can give rise to a Hero that can surpass their master’s achievements. Successor Heroes are heirs to a great legacy of combat arts that were entrusted to them. They feel the dual burdens of their Heroic calling and the grand history and reputation of their master’s teachings but move forward doggedly on their journey regardless. Many of these Heroes tend to suffer from overprotective feelings about the legacy they inherited and are prone to outbursts when their master or their teachings are belittled. (Discuss with your DM the state of your master such as if they are dead, missing, crippled, etc. If they are dead and you have The Veteran Knight option from your Supernatural Aid/Mentor feature it would be appropriate to have them appear as a ghost to aid you if they are deceased.)
Echoed Journey: A Successor Hero’s Journey both obvious and not. They must follow their master’s Journey but also their own so that they may surpass their Master. Their tenet is to make their master proud and uphold their teachings.
| D8 | Master |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Cantankerous Old Master, your master was a salty old codger who was a rough but understanding teacher who tried to keep you at arms length though you knew they cared a great deal for you. Teachings: Your master left you with little to no expectations but a lot of utilitarian skills and teachings. At most they just wanted you to live a better life than they did and to not repeat their mistakes. |
| 2 | The Fallen Master, your master has fallen out of favor in the fighting world and become a laughing stock whether the act that led them to their fallen state was valid or not is unclear. Their dojo or battle school has fallen or is close to it. You very well may be the last student of this way of fighting. Teachings: Your master left you with everything. Every code of conduct, every combat form, maybe even the structure you were taught in if it still belonged to them in the end. |
| 3 | The “Perfect” Master, your master was frustratingly perfect. You can’t remember them ever having a wrinkle in their clothes, much less getting angry or losing a battle. They set an unreasonable standard for you to live up to though maybe that was not their intention. |
| 4 | The Parental Master, your master was more of a parental figure than your parents or maybe they even found and adopted you. They may have spoiled you or been a perfectly reasonable parent or a combination of the two and you became both their student and child. Teachings: You were given a thick bible of teachings that is both treasured possession and bane to your existence that has advice and teachings from everything from combat forms to how to care for your hygiene and healthy recipes and life lessons ending with a lengthy autobiography of your master. |
| 5 | The Prestigious Master, your master runs a legendary or perhaps infamous dojo or school of battle. You were one of many or even hundreds of their students. Your Heroic nature led you to become a project for them as they took care to mold you into their ideal successor. Teachings: Your teachings were drilled into your soul. If you died and reincarnated into a different person you're certain you’d remember your master’s lessons verbatim. Their teachings are rigid and structured with no freedom or room for failure. |
| 6 | The Absentee Master, your master was rarely present in your life to your knowledge. You learned their teachings and did the exercises and became proficient with their ways but you were more self taught. Even if they were there they gave you a list of things to do and had you wait on them hand and foot. Maybe there was a reason for their absence, maybe not and maybe you’ll never know for sure. Teachings: You know the information on a surface level with your master hinting that there is more to their teachings than what you have realized but never expounded what they meant by that. |
| 7 | The Mystifying Master, maybe your master was very wise or maybe they were crazy. Allegedly they were a force to be reckoned with in their prime. They had reams of obscure knowledge and even more pieces of advice that may or may not have been relevant or were just incorrect. They are a self proclaimed sage with great wisdom and the rest of the world agrees with that, though you may have other opinions. Teachings: A series of riddles, sayings, and life advice to go along with actual combat training. One of which is probably useful. Overall, it is fair to say that you are a better warrior and perhaps a better person because of their teachings even if you never admit it. |
| 8 | The Traditional Master, your master was a great if rather generic teacher who was perfectly reasonable and capable and taught you all that you need to know. They taught you all that they had to offer and asked that you honor the teachings and make your own way in life. Teachings: You were skillfully prepared to face life’s challenges and were given a few pieces of sage advice to go along with the practical skills. The main point that was frequently drilled upon you was not to bring dishonor to your master or their teachings. |
| Way of Fighting | Feature |
|---|---|
| Way of the Sword Savant | You were schooled almost exclusively in swordsmanship and dueling etiquette. You have proficiency with Performance checks. While holding a one handed sword and no other weapons in your other hand you can use the following features: You can use your reaction to parry when you are attacked, adding a +2 bonus to your AC. As long as you are attacking the initial target you engaged with at the start of combat you have a +2 bonus to hit and for damage on the target. |
| Way of the Battle Saint | You were schooled equally in the ways of healing and in combat. You were taught that all life is sacred and should be protected. You are proficient with Religion checks and the Herbalism Kit. You are proficient with Heavy Armor and can use the Armor Mastery properties of an additional armor. Innate Spellcasting: You can cast the following spells using your CHA score as your Spellcasting ability without requiring material components or expending spell slots. 2/Long Rest: Cure Wounds At 5th level: 1/Long Rest: Lesser Restoration |
| Hidden Way of Shadow | You were schooled in the secret ways of stealth, assassination, and critical thinking. You were taught that not all evil can be faced in the light. You are proficient with Sleight of Hand or Stealth as well as Insight or Investigation. While wearing Light or no armor you gain the following features: You can hide in Dim Light or in Darkness as a bonus action and with no cover. If you have advantage on an attack you deal an additional 2D6 damage as long as you have not attacked the creature this combat. |
| Way of the True Warrior | You were schooled in the way of how a true warrior should be. That one should protect others at all costs and hit foes with the might of the hammer of justice. You were taught that honor is worth more than any amount of money. You gain the following features: When an ally within 15 ft of you would take damage you can use your reaction to take that damage instead. You reduce the damage you would take from that attack by 1D12 + your Proficiency Bonus. When you land a critical hit you deal an additional 1D8 damage (At level 15 you deal an additional 2D8 damage). |
| Way of Arcane Battle Arts | You were schooled in wizardry as well as the way of the warrior. You were taught that knowledge is power and that every real warrior has a trick or 10 up their sleeve. You have proficiency with Arcana checks and you know one additional language. You know two Wizard cantrips and you use CHA as your spellcasting ability. |
| Way of the King | You were schooled in the royal battle arts. You were taught etiquette, how to speak with authority, and the way of honorable combat. This way is diametrically opposed to the way of the Bloody Tyrant. You can present yourself as well as any prince or similar noble future and have advantage on Performance checks to maintain your appearance as such. You have a regal uniform worth 25 GPs you obtained after graduation as well as a signet ring with your master’s seal on it. In one on one combat before you make an attack you can choose to have a 1D6 bonus to hit or to damage for your first attack each turn. At 5th level you can use your Hero’s Charisma feature twice per long rest. |
| Way of the Longshot | You were schooled in archery as well as how to coexist with nature. You were taught that life and death are a cycle and that how you live and die matters. You are proficient with Animal Handling, Nature, or Survival checks. You have either the Weapon Mastery Feat for a bow or crossbow or the Archery Fighting Style, or the Sharpshooter or Crossbow Expert Feat. |
| Way of the Bloody Tyrant | You are schooled in the ways of conquest. You were taught that might makes right and power is what matters above all else. Whether or not you received these teachings well is up to you. This way is diametrically opposed to the Way of the King. You are proficient with Intimidation or if you are proficient with Intimidation you gain Expertise with Intimidation. If you succeed an Intimidation check you deal Psychic damage to the target equal to your CHA modifier (Minimum 1). A creature can only take one instance of this damage every 24 hours. You were gifted a Light or Medium set of special armor upon your graduation colored in your master’s colors and is covered in spikes with spiked gauntlets with a fierce design. While wearing this armor, if a creature makes a melee attack on you within 5 ft of you they take 1D6 Piercing damage and you have an unarmed strike dealing 1D4 Piercing damage. |
| Hidden Technique | Effect |
|---|---|
| Way of the Sword Savant- Neverending Sworddance: | As an action you begin the Sworddance, the highest form of the Way of the Sword Savant. For the next minute your movements become graceful and deadly. You can use your reaction to lash out and make a lightning fast attack and your movement no longer provokes an attack of opportunity as you dance across the battlefield unleashing furies of blows. Once during the duration of this effect when you take the attack action you make two additional attacks. |
| Way of the Battle Saint- Dual Halves Disaster/Balm: | As an action you unleash a powerful wave of life and death as you channel the true power of the Way of the Battle Saint. A wave of death crashes over your foes forcing each creature of your choice within 30 ft of you to make a CON saving throw taking 4D12 Necrotic damage or half as much on a successful save. Immediately after a wave of life energy washes over each creature of your choice within 30 ft of you healing 4D12 hit points. |
| Hidden Way of Shadow- Never Saw it Coming: | As an action you become like a shadow and make a devastating attack harnessing all the techniques the Hidden Way of Shadow has to offer. As part of the action you teleport to a point you can see within 120 ft of you that you can see and make an attack with advantage. On a successful hit you deal an additional 6D6 damage. You can then teleport to a different location of your choice within 120 ft of you that you can see and when you reappear you become Invisible until the end of your next turn. |
| Way of the True Warrior- Body of Iron: | As an action your body becomes as hard as iron so you can fulfill the duty of the Way of the True Warrior and defend your allies and the weak. For the next minute you gain Resistance to nonmagical Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage. In addition, all incoming non Psychic damage is reduced by 5. |
| Way of Arcane Battle Arts- Two-Pronged Assault: | As an action you reach the heights of the Way of Arcane Battle Arts being able to fully incorporate spellwork and melee combat. For the next minute when you take the attack action you can substitute one attack with casting a Wizard cantrip. |
| Way of the King- Sword of the King: | As an action you wrap your weapon with brilliant energy as you channel the latent energy you have been nurturing by practicing the Way of the King. For the next minute when you make an attack roll you choose one of the following options: Regal Flash: The target must make a CON saving throw as your weapon flashes brightly and on a failed save the target is Blinded until the end of its next turn. Radiant Edge: You deal an additional 2D10 Radiant damage as righteous power sears your foe. |
| Way of the Longshot- Cloud of Arrows: | As an action your body becomes inhumanly fast as the Way of the Longshot’s true potential is revealed as a combination of mystical and utilitarian skills. You unleash a barrage of projectiles originating from a single shot. You choose a point with your weapon’s range and force each creature of your choice within a 30 ft diameter to make a DEX saving throw as a wave of projectiles blot out of the sky and then rain down upon them dealing 4D8 + 10 Piercing damage or half as much on a successful save. If only a single target is within the range you choose, the target instead takes 4D10 + 20 Piercing damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful save. |
| Way of the Bloody Tyrant- Bloodmist: | As an action the blood of your fallen foes coalesces in the infamous Bloodmist of the Way of the Bloody Tyrant. You create a 20-foot-radius sphere of ominous red mist centered on a point you choose within 120 ft of you. It lasts for one minute. Its area is Heavily Obscured. When a creature other than you enters the mist’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, that creature must make a CON saving throw. The creature takes 3D8 Piercing damage + 3D8 Necrotic on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one as needles of blood piece and drain their life essence. |
Subclass Features
Martial and Life Training
You were trained in the way of your master both in matters of war and in life. You learn an additional Fighting Style conducive with your master’s teachings and you learn one additional language or skill.
Way of the Master
You were taught in the specific fighting style of your master and have inherited their skills and will as the successor of their way of fighting. Choose from among the following Way of the Master and Master options or roll to determine your way of fighting and master.
Master
Way of the Master
Limit Break- Martial Arts Successor
You embody your master’s techniques and become a warrior worthy of their teachings. As an action you gain the following features for one minute.
You can make an additional attack as a bonus action on each of your turns.
Your disciplined training gives you a 1D6 bonus to all saving throws.
Your quick reflexes allow you to reroll one saving throw or attack roll and take the new result as a reaction. You can use this feature once per Limit Break.
Backlash: Once you use your Limit Break feature the weight of your responsibility of a Successor of your master’s teachings pressed upon you mightily. After the duration of your Limit Break feature, your movement speed is reduced to 0 ft for 1D4 +1 turns.
Heroic Spirit
Your Heroic Spirit calls out to previous masters that share your teachings. When you fail a saving throw or take damage the old masters can step in and protect you. You can use your reaction to add a 1D10 bonus to the saving throw possibly changing the result or you can reduce the damage you would take by 2D10 + your Proficiency Bonus.
You can use this feature a number of times per long rest equal to your CHA modifier (Minimum 1).
True Limit Break:- Martial Arts Master
You have come into your own and have gone from a student to a master. You can draw out the full potential of your master’s teachings. When you use your Limit Break feature you gain the following features instead.
You can make two additional attacks as a bonus action on each of your turns.
Your disciplined training gives you a 1D8 bonus to all saving throws.
Your quick reflexes allow you to reroll one saving throw or attack roll and take the new result as a reaction. You can use this feature twice per Limit Break.
You can use your Limit Break feature twice per long rest.
Legendary Attack- Master’s Hidden Technique
While you knew of the technique of your master, you were never able to recreate it. Until now. You have made the highest form of your master’s technique your own. If the technique requires a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your CHA modifier (Minimum 1) + your Proficiency Bonus.
You regain the use of this feature after using your Limit Break feature and after waiting out your Backlash period.