Though most seek to flee the heavy clutch of sadness, some Willsurgers accept it—embrace it—not as a weakness, but as a truth. These mournful warriors carry the burden of sorrow not to be rid of it, but to better understand the pain of others. The Ideal of Depression is not about giving in to hopelessness; it is about enduring it. Such Willsurgers are quiet beacons of emotional gravity, sapping the strength of their foes with each sigh and stare, reminding all that joy can fade, but endurance remains.
Idealized Depression Willsurgers are sometimes mistaken for melancholic bystanders, but when their power is unleashed, their presence can bring an entire battlefield to a crawl—bodies heavy with emotional weight, hope lost, and actions sluggish. Their mastery lies not in passion but in persistence.
Depressing Surge
3rd-Level Willsurger (Idealized Depression) Feature
When you use your Ardent Surge feature, one other creature of your choice in your Empathic Range must make a Charisma saving throw, taking a penalty to all attack rolls it would roll until the start of your next turn equal to the number of d6s rolled as depression overtakes them.
Despair’s Embrace
6th-Level Willsurger (Idealized Depression) Feature
Your aura exudes the weight of your inner melancholy. Whenever a creature within your Empathic Range takes damage from an attack or fails a saving throw, you may use your reaction to force them to make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, they are overwhelmed by despair until the end of their next turn: their speed is halved, and they can’t take the Dash or Disengage action.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Willsurger Power Reservoir, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Erosion of Will
14th-Level Willsurger (Idealized Depression) Feature
While a creature is under the effects of your Depressing Surge or Despair's Embrace features, its speed is halved and it cannot take reactions.
Whenever a creature within your Empathic Range is reduced to 0 hit points, you may choose one other creature within your Empathic Range. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw, being
Frightened of you for 1 minute on a failure (save ends at end of turn).
Nothing Left to Give
18th-Level Willsurger (Idealized Depression) Feature
Your sorrow becomes an anchor that drains the battlefield. As an action, you may exhale your despair in a wave of psychic anguish. All creatures of your choice within your Empathic Range must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, each creature gains one level of exhaustion and until for 1 minute suffers disadvantage on all saving throws and cannot regain hit points (save ends at end of turn).
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
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