Heroes of the Fall

Cultures of the Fall

Most survivors of Lion's Fall grew up among Grassland, Forest, or Nomadic cultures. Half-blooded wariness or favor colors the eastern half as interactions with Elvenkind become more common. A rising number of Blood Inheritors have started to spring up, touched by birth or puberty with magical energies.

Cultures of the Fall

Culture	Languages	Proficiencies	Cultural Feature(s)
Adaptor	One of your choice	Perception; one from Arcana, Insight, and Investigation, or one set of tools	Adaptive Assistance

Adaptor. Various cultures and peoples have found technical or magical means to aid those born with or impacted by disabilities with the tools to support their independence. Viewpoints and opinions vary on the nature, value, or reasons for such things, but most healers or mystics can guide someone towards a specialist who can craft an adaptive focus - a tool or prosthetic to channel a practiced personal cantrip. Communites rise around common disabilities with their own culture, languages, and more, and many have begun to include these foci in their cultural norms.

Adaptive Assistance. You have been granted or fitted with an adaptive focus to aid in your day-to-day life. Each focus comes with a unique cantrip that has passive benefits, enhanced by concentration. While concentrating on your adaptive cantrip, you may not concentrate on another spell or similar effect.

Arm/Hand. Either your adaptive focus or a spectral hand serve the function of that hand or arm (one or both) within your immediate reach. With concentration, your limb functions as a mage hand and as a bonus action, you can increase the reach of a weapon you’re wielding that doesn’t have the two-handed property by 5 feet.

Cognitive. A comfortable voice audible only to you reads aloud text in any language you already know or can read through magical means in your native tongue and immediately performs any calculation within the bounds of your passive Intelligence (8 + your proficiency bonus if applicable + your Intelligence modifier) checks. With concentration, you benefit from the guidance cantrip on any Intelligence checks you make.

Emotional. A comfortable voice audible only to you provides comfort and context in stressful social interactions, so long as you can comprehend its participants. With concentration, you benefit from the resistance cantrip on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws or on checks to maintain social decorum or composure under stressful conditions.

Familiar. You possess a bonded familiar, identical to one from the find familiar spell. Such a familiar can serve a variety of roles, including sense-sharing and performing the equivalents to vocal spell components while you’re touching the familiar. With concentration, you can also communicate telepathically with others through your familiar. While sharing its senses or touching it, you can contact anyone within 30 feet of the familiar. This communication comes through impressions, flashes, and ideas rather than words, making descriptions simple but detailed explanations difficult.

Foot/Leg. Either your adaptive focus or a spectral limb serves the function of that foot or leg (one or both). With concentration, you gain the benefit from an effect identical to either the jump or longstrider spells, but not both at the same time. You may change the benefit as a bonus action on your turn.

Mobility. Your adaptive focus functions as a seat or harness, generating a floating disk to propel you at the walking speed of your ancestry and serves as a platform to carry supplies. With concentration, you ignore difficult terrain, but you require concentration to attempt a long or high jump, or to make Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks without suffering disadvantage.

Sensory. Your adaptive focus translates a diminished or limited sense into another sense via synesthesia, allowing you to benefit from your passive Perception as you ‘hear’ visual outlines or ‘smell’ a familiar face you wouldn’t otherwise recognize. This alternate sensing does not replicate the diminished or limited sense, so beyond negating harmful surprises, you may run into complications or interesting discoveries at your DM’s discretion. With concentration, you gain tremorsense for up to 30 feet and benefit from the guidance cantrip on all Wisdom checks.

For those who seek them out in play, Adaptive Assistance can be taken as a boon. Lesser versions, without the concentration benefits, cost 50 gold in materials and at least a week’s worth of labor to build. It requires a month's worth of acclimation to use effectively.

Learning to Adapt The Silver Lion Sarenna Lohrian took a winding path to her current position, returned to a throne she’d gladly left behind her to tend the wounds left by her successor. Over 70 years of age, her brief retirement was a reprieve from a weight she’d borne since her early twenties. Despite the toll that attunement to the Galasteri throne must take, she remains as active as ever in the affairs of state, the reorganization of her military, and the maintenance of the ever-important Imperial Standard. In fact, she has recently expanded the legal purview of the Imperial Standard to include all ‘necessary and reasonable accommodations’ of her citizens’ needs to access all of the Empire’s many benefits - a ration, education, and more. Many scoff at the additional costs in gold, labor, and reconstruction to add ramps, provide assistive devices, and other expenses while the weight of war reparations linger. While Sarenna is a shrewd negotiator more than a philanthropist, on this she has remained ever firm. Perhaps her favored project relates to her late daughter, who despite difficulties with reading and a tendency to weeks or months of melancholy, sought to serve the Empire in her owns as a civic researcher. She studied, refined, and popularized wearable eyeglasses, advancing the tools to cover a broader range of issues that included her own mother - Sarenna’s wife, consort, and chief librarian. By continuing that legacy, perhaps she can honor the daughter she overlooked as a successor and distance herself from the man she chose, a man who led the Empire astray. Perhaps she simply cares. Regardless of her motives, this expansion of the Imperial Standard and the funds she’s set aside have changed countless lives and will impact countless more... So long as her next successor honors her aims.

Adepts

If anyone is going to determine the future of Lion's Fall, it will be those with the perspective to overcome grief, misery, and despair to forge a path ahead. Innovators and opportunists come to Lion's Fall in equal measure, seeking the ultimate challenges and rewards.

Those with a kind heart or a ruthless edge are drawn in equal measure to the blight, and are likely to drive both the clashes and alliances that will make all the difference in the end, if an end ever truly comes.

Exceptional Boons

Winterblooded

Due to a burn from the Lion's Flame, your body temperature never rises above freezing. You ignore environmental extremes of heat and cold. In addition, you have resistance to fire damage and can snuff any nonmagical flame equal to or smaller than your size with a touch. As a bonus action, you can also snuff any candles, torches, or similar flames the size of a hand or smaller that you can see within 30 feet of you.

Lion's Flame. This boon can also be taken by sages of the Lion's Flame supernal source.

Paragons

Stone and steel hold back the ashen winter, but it’s flesh and blood that hold that boundary. Comprised of volunteers and veterans, with very little in between, Lion's Fall has become a crucible for some of the hardiest warriors the Dream has ever seen. The dangers they face demand no less of them.

Those who linger from their losses are often just as trapped as the dead within the memories of that brief, but brutal conflict. Newcomers always have a reason to come - slight motives won’t survive the fear that fills the belly of someone seeing the vast gray before them, pocked with fissures of coal red.

Ancestral Boons

Dead to Feeling

Your wounds still smolder, numb where the fire touched, but driven to burn anew in moments of need. Reduce all nonmagical damage by half of your proficiency modifier. Whenever you possess less than half of your maximum hit points, add your Constitution modifier to damage you deal with attacks or spells.

Lion's Flame. This boon can also be taken by sages of the Lion's Flame supernal source.

Sages

Lion's Fall is a tragedy. It’s a nightmare. It’s a symbol of the Muses’ disfavor and a grave marker for one man’s ambitions. But to those who come to Lion's Fall with open eyes? The Lion's Flame is a question, or several. How does it work? How can it be cured? Should it be cured, or left as a testament?

Others have more troubling questions, and have started to demonstrate their answers. Those afflicted by the burns of the Lion's Flame are bound to it, suffering without peace. Within that suffering lies a secret strength, and for those with the will or courage to drink deeper? There’s a chance for power or revenge.

Supernal Source: The Lion's Flame

Savrias Lohrian was, among many other things, an arcane genius. His ambitious plan came from years of idle study with access to the Galasteri Throne of Knowledge, followed by a briefer period of desperate research into the nature of the Dream, its regions, and the Thrones themselves. His ultimate goal was to create a new Throne, one with dominion over all others. The Lion's Flame was the Muses’ answer, perhaps, or just a side-effect of powers to great for him to harness. Now, through accident or willful exposure, you too burn with a wound that will never heal. From the embers of hubris, you’ve tapped into a power that continues to expand within you. And where the fire passes? Flesh is slowly altered.

Tales of horrific constructs of obsidian and blood are more than fool’s whispers, you know. But there’s little to be gained from stopping - both a cure and the power to make your own choices only lie ahead.

Source Feature: The Inner Fire

The fire that seared a would-be god has no respect for lesser flames. You gain resistance to fire damage, as well as immunity to any fire that you’ve directly caused – a candle you lit or your own fireball will fear you, but should that fire spread beyond your control? The freed flames can still harm you.

Bonus Spells of the Lion's Flame

Spell Level	Bonus Spells
1st	burning hands, hex
2nd	continual flame, heat metal
3rd	bestow curse, fireball
4th	blight, fire shield
5th	conjure elemental, hallow*

* Without a means to purify or alter the essence of the Lion's Flame, all hallows you make are unholy.

Supernal Boons

Universal. These boons are available to all classes, potentially replacing one or more subclass features. In cases where you’d prefer to keep another subclass feature, work with your DM to see if one or more of these options would be purchased as a boon when you gain an Ability Score Improvement. Cleric. Clerics may also add the Bonus Spells of the Lion's Flame above as a bonus spell list, replacing any bonus spells they may receive upon taking a divine domain. At 2nd level, a cleric may use their Channel Divinity feature to invoke The Inner Flame as an action, gaining fire resistance and immunity to fire they've directly caused for 1 minute. Druid. Druids may also add the Bonus Spells of the Lion's Flame above as a bonus spell list, replacing any bonus spells they may receive upon taking a druid circle. Sorcerer. Sorcerers may also add the Bonus Spells of the Lion's Flame above as a bonus spell list, not counting against the number of spells they may know. Warlock. Warlocks may take the Lion's Flame as an otherworldly patron with the Bonus Spells of the Lion's Flame as an expanded spell list, drawing on the memories and yearnings of those trapped or lost within as a source of power. Either that, or the destructive nature of the Lion's Flame’s unique wounds has a will of its own and a desire to consume hubris above all else.

Touch of the Lion's Flame

Those have been exposed to the eternal fires of the Lion's Flame are left marked by those flames, an obsidian scar that will never fade. If exacerbated through willful destruction, regret, or cruelty, it has been observed as an expanding infection. So far, only rumors speak of this infection’s final state. Those who know better are rarely in a mood for study. Worse, such wounds may appear in other regions.

Ashen Armor

Level 1+ Lion's Flame Feature

The wounds of the Lion's Flame have rendered you tougher, flaking the wound and peppering your skin with freckles of gleaming obsidian. When not wearing armor, your AC is equal to 10 + your Dexterity modifier + the higher of your Constitution modifier or your proficiency bonus. Even if you are not proficient, you always add your proficiency bonus on saving throws to maintain concentration.

This supernal gift may be taken by adepts or paragons capable of casting a spell of 1st-level or higher as an adept fortune or ancestral boon.

Bard. If you replace a feature that uses Bardic Inspiration, you also gain the Spark of Passion. "You may use your reaction to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration, adding a plume of multi-colored flame to a successful weapon or spell attack made by you or an ally within 30 feet of you. This plume deals fire damage equal to your Bardic Inspiration die. This fire damage ignores all resistances, but not immunity." Monk. If you replace a monastic tradition feature, you also gain the Caress of Lion's Flame. "By spending 1 ki point, you expand your nails with gleaming, fire-hot obsidian for 1 minute. Your unarmed attacks deal your choice of bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, or fire damage and ignore all resistance, but not immunity." Paladin. Paladins may exchange one Channel Divinity option with this boon or replace one Channel Divinity option with Alight the Lion's Flame upon undertaking a sacred oath at 3rd level. "As an action, you can imbue one weapon you are holding with flame from the spark that burns within you, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, you add your Charisma modifier as fire damage when you hit with that weapon. This fire damage ignores all resistance, but not immunity. The fire damage also prevents all forms of healing until the flame expires. You may sustain the flame for an additional minute by expending two Hit Dice."

Feeding the Lion's Flame

Level 1+ Lion's Flame Feature

You have learned how to stoke and feed the endless fire in your veins. As a bonus action, you may roll one or more Hit Dice, regaining 1 focus point per die you expend. You take half of the roll’s result as necrotic damage that cannot be reduced or diminished by any means. This blood price must come from your own hit points - bypassing temporary hit points without removing them. You may also do the reverse, spending points of focus to roll dice to recover hit points equal to your highest Hit Die.

You may only feed the Lion's Flame twice before completing a long rest.

Subclass Feature. Regardless of your class, you may only feed the Lion's Flame twice before completing a long rest. Classes with Spellcasting. Instead of focus, you may regain a spell slot of a level equal to the Hit Dice you expend, taking damage as above. You may also expend a spell slot to recover hit points equal to the maximum value of Hit Dice equal to the spell slot level. You may not regain or expend a spell slot of a higher level than half of your proficiency bonus. Barbarian. You may expend a Hit Die to sustain a rage even if you haven’t attacked, taking damage from the Lion's Flame within as above. On any turn you expend a Hit Die, you may roll that die as additional fire damage on one damage roll per turn. This fire damage ignores all resistance, but not immunity. You may also sacrifice a use of rage to recover hit points equal to 12 + your barbarian level. Fighter. You may expend two Hit Dice to regain the use of your Action Surge feature, taking damage as above. Once you gain the Indomitable class feature, you may expend three Hit Dice to regain one use. You may also sacrifice one use of these features, healing the maximum value of the Hit Dice they’d cost. Monk. You may sacrifice Hit Dice, regaining 1 ki point per Hit Die, and taking damage as above. You may also expend 1 or more ki points, recovering hit points equal to the maximum value of one Hit Die per ki point. Rogue. On a successful sneak attack, you may expend Hit Dice, rolling the same dice as additional fire damage, but taking damage as stated above. This fire damage bypasses all resistance, but not immunity. Alternatively, you can stoke your heart with satisfaction from inflicting pain, recovering hit points equal to the extra damage your sneak attack dice inflict.

Obsidian-Scarred

Level 8+ Lion's Flame Feature
Prerequisite: Feeding the Lion's Flame

Your smoldering wounds have spread, numbing your innards and replacing your bones, nails, and teeth with razor-sharp obsidian. You gain resistance to bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage from nonmagical weapons. You may also perform a melee spell attack with your nails or teeth, dealing 3d8 + your Constitution modifier in slashing damage. This damage ignores all resistances, but not immunity. This damage increases to 4d8 at 17th level.

Rogue. The melee spell attack granted by this feature also qualifies for your Sneak Attack feature. Classes with Extra Attack. You may also replace one of your attacks as part of an Attack action with a bite or claw attack, dealing 1d10 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier in your choice of fire or slashing damage that ignores resistance, but not immunity. You also gain the Obsidian-Skinned feature, listed below.

Obsidian-Skinned

Level 8+ Lion's Flame Feature
Prerequisite: Feeding the Lion's Flame

Beneath your skin is a layer of obsidian that cracks and scatters when struck. If struck by a melee attack, you may use your reaction to deal slashing damage to your attacker equal to your sage level. This magical damage bypasses all resistances and immunities. Reduce the damage you take by the same amount.

Becoming the Lion's Flame

Level 14+ Lion's Flame Feature
Prerequisite: Either Obsidian-Scarred or Obsidian-Skinned

As the flame reaches your heart, it spreads like wildfire and completes its work. Your flesh becomes living, fluid obsidian, rugged coal, as soft as ash, and other burned materials. Your hair hardens as above or turns to a living flame of countless hollow colors. Your eyes burn with the embers of the Lion's Flame itself.

You count as a construct, not a humanoid, except in the case of magical healing. You do not require air, food, or drink– in fact, you cannot use or benefit from these things unless they are magical in nature. You gain immunity to the blinded, deafened, exhausted, paralyzed, petrified, or poisoned conditions and effects that would alter your form or deal fire damage – if dealt fire damage that you did not cause, in fact, you regain hit points equal to the damage dealt.

You may spend 2 focus points to revert to a whole, unburned form for 24 hours. Coming into direct contact with any kind of fire reverts you to construct form immediately. Once you’ve transformed, you may not do so again until you complete a long rest.

Subclass Feature. You must possess Feeding the Lion's Flame and either Obsidian-Scarred or Obsidian-Skinned to take this subclass feature. Classes with Spellcasting. As written above. Instead of focus, you may expend a 2nd-level spell slot to revert to mortal form until the next dawn. Barbarian. You may expend one use of rage to revert to a mortal form until the next dawn. Fighter. You may expend a use of your Action surge or Indomitable feature to revert as above. Monk. You may expend 5 ki points to revert as above. Rogue. You may expend four Hit Dice, suffering half of those dice’s maximum value as necrotic damage that cannot be prevented in any way. Alternately, you may revert by successfully using your Sneak Attack feature upon an intelligent creature and reducing that creature to 0 hit points.