Homebrew: Undying Legacy

During character creation, a player who creates a backstory which provides the character with a clear Ambition or Goal may (with GM approval) may give their character an ability with a 1-time use called "Undying Legacy."

Undying Legacy:

This character may do one of the following:

1. If this character is subjected to an effect which would instantly kill them, they may choose to ignore that effect. If the instant death effect is the result of a failed save, they are assumed to have made that save. If the effect is the result of being reduced to 0 hit point, they are assumed to be left at 1 hit point.
2. During initiative between other creatures' turns, this character may immediately get back up if they are dying, restore themselves to their max HP, and immediately take a full turn (adjusting their initiative to the current initiative).

After doing either action, this character immediately and permanently loses this ability. It cannot be regained.

Example Ambitions and Goals

Ambitions and Goals that qualify for Undying Legacy don't necessarily have to be world-changing or even setting specific, though they should be something a character would need to put persistent effort toward in order to achieve. What follows are a small number of ambitions that would qualify, which you may use as guidelines as well as an explanation on why it makes for a good ambition.

• Establish a successful magic item shop in Ember.
This is a good example of an ambition that doesn't have much to do with the setting. Succeeding at this will require getting a building for the business, collecting magic items and money, and then selling said items. It will almost certainly require working with other players in some respect, and the ambition would continue to be a driving factor even after the business is created since now it would need to be run to keep successful.


• Re-establish trade and control with Kibildun.
This ambition is a better example of something linked to the setting. Ever since the Aberrant Storms, Ember has lost contact with Kibildun which was once a valuable trade partner. Simply finding the settlement is just the first step as you cannot be sure anyone has survived the last century. Even if they have, establishing trade will mean clearing the route of hazards for trade and negotiating with officials in both Kibildun and Ember. Controlling the trade is also likely to require ongoing effort.


• Fill my spellbook with every possible spell.
D&D has many spells, so while this goal is simple on the surface it will require a lot of time and effort on the part of a wizard who undertakes it. An ambition like this is great for someone who wants something more open-ended.


• Establish and rule over a settlement of my own.
A more extreme version of establishing a business. Establishing a new settlement would be quite challenging in this region as a result of the weather patterns. The benefits to the world could be equally massive, however.


• Create a map of the lands surrounding Ember.
Another free-form ambition. For the most part, this ambition would require the character to actively adventure while creating a map of the surrounding lands. It would almost certainly involve a character being proficient in Cartography tools and going on expeditions with other players expressly to build out the map and plot the locations of landmarks.


• Summon my Patron (or one of their minions) into the world!
This is the sort of ambition that could work in any setting. It would certainly require collaborating with the GM. Depending on the patron, it might also be the sort of goal that would be opposed by other players.

It is possible that your ambition is not actually achievable in the setting, or that multiple characters could have directly conflicting ambitions. This is perfectly fine! A character's ambition isn't something they must be able to succeed at, and they don't lose Undying Legacy if they fail at their goal. They merely need to select something that they will work toward in the world. If they eventually determine this goal is impossible or come up with a new one they like more, that is fine.