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The Wathe

In the realm of Mannaheim, there are those who dwell where few dare to tread; hunters of monsters who would prey on men, women and children. They are the takers of heads of men who have made themselves wanted. They are the black arrow in the night, the fire that burns against the cold, the horn that wakes the sleepers, and the watchers in the woods. They walk here and there wearing cloaks of grey and evergreen and they are called many things in many tongues; "Hunter," "Outlander," "Green-Cloak," "Strider," "Randír," "Subj,'' and many others but among their guild, they are only known as Wathes.

A Dangerous Folk

These warriors of the wilderness learn to track their quarry as a predator does, moving stealthily through the wilds and hiding themselves in brush and rubble. Wathes focus their combat training on techniques that are particularly useful against their specific favored foes.   Thanks to their familiarity with the wilds, Wathes acquire the ability to cast spells that harness nature’s power, much as a Seiðr does. Their spells, like their combat abilities, emphasize speed, stealth, and the hunt. A Wathe’s talents and abilities are honed with deadly focus on the grim task of protecting the borderlands.

Independent Adventurers

Though a Wathe might make a living as a hunter, a guide, or a tracker, a wathe’s true calling is to defend the outskirts of civilization from the ravages of monsters and hordes that press in from the wild. In some places, wathes gather in secretive guilds or join forces with circles of Seiðr. Many Wathe, though, are independent almost to a fault, knowing that, when a dragon or a band of Jotunns attack, a Wathe might be the best—and possibly the last—hope of survival for a township.This fierce independence makes Wathes well suited to adventuring, since they are accustomed to life far from the comforts of a walled settlement.

A Word of Caution

To be a Wathe is to always be on the fringes. Because most cultures would rather banish their unruly citizens to the wilderness stripped of all rights and property, Wathes have a reputation for either being such outlaws or descended from them. Whether such accusations are true or false, they are deeply offensive to a Wathe's honor as a hunter and guard of folk who are heedless. Their magic is also considered taboo by many among the Astari, who favor Óðinn and his arcane style of rune based spellcasting and disdain the sort of Vanir magic Wathes and Seiðrs use. A Wathe may have many allies and contacts, but seldom many friends.

Class Features

As a wathe, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1D10 per Wathe Level
Hit Points At 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points At Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Wathe level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, Medium armor, shields
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: Cartographer’s Tools
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
  • Leather armor
  • (a)1 Seax or (b) two Daggers
  • A Wathe’s Pack
  • A Longbow and a Quiver of 20 Arrows
  • Favored Enemy

    Beginning at 1st level, you have significant experience studying, tracking, hunting, and even talking to a certain type of enemy.   Choose a type of favored enemy: Asgardians, Beasts, Constructs, Dragons, Drakes, Elementals, Fiends, Jötunar, Humanoids, Monstrosities, Ormr, Plants, Swarms, Trolls, Undead, Vanir, Wyrms.   You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.   When you gain this feature, you also learn one language of your choice that is spoken by your favored enemies, if they speak one at all.   You choose one additional favored enemy, as well as an associated language, at 6th and 14th level. As you gain levels, your choices should reflect the types of monsters you have encountered on your adventures.

    Deft Explorer

    You are an unsurpassed explorer and survivor, both in the wilderness and in dealing with others on your travels. You gain the Canny benefit below, and you gain an additional benefit when you reach 6th level and 10th level in this class.
  • Canny (1st Level) Choose one of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make using the chosen skill. You can also speak, read, and write an additional language of your choice.
  • Roving (6th Level) Your walking speed increases by 5, and you gain a climbing speed and a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
  • Tireless (10th Level) As an action, you can give yourself a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point). You can use this action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
  • In addition, whenever you finish a short rest, your exhaustion level, if any, is decreased by 1.

    Fighting Style

    At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.  
  • Archery. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
  • Blind Fighting. You have blind sight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
  • Close Quarters Fighter. As a bonus action, you can enter a defensive stance that lasts until the start of your next turn. While in your defensive stance, you can make opportunity attacks without using your reaction, and you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against a creature that moves more than 5 feet while within your reach.
  • Close Quarters Shooter. When making a ranged attack while you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover against targets within 30 feet of you. You have a +1 bonus to attack rolls on ranged attacks.
  • Defense. While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
  • Friend of a Seiðr. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the Seiðr spell list. They count as Wathe spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the Seiðr spell list.
  • Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
  • Interception. When a creature you can see hits a target that is within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.
  • Mariner. As long as you are not wearing heavy armor or using a shield, you have a swimming speed and a climbing speed equal to your normal speed, and you gain a +1 bonus to armor class.
  • Thrown Weapon Fighting. You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
  • Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
  • Unarmed Fighting. Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier. If you strike with two free hands, the d6 becomes a d8. When you successfully start a grapple, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to the grappled creature. Until the grapple ends, you can also deal this damage to the creature whenever you hit it with a melee attack.
  • Spellcasting

    By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned to use the magical essence of nature to cast spells, much as a Seiðr does.

    Spell Slots

    The Wathe table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your Wathe spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short rest.   For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Animal Friendship and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Animal Friendship using either slot. Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the Wathe spell list.   The Spells Known column of the Wathe table shows when you learn more Wathe spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.   Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Wathe spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Wathe spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

    Spellcasting Ability

    Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Wathe spells, since your magic draws on your attunement to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Wathe spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.   Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier   Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

    Wathe Paths

    At 3rd level, you choose to emulate the ideals and training of a god of the wilderness. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
  • The Path of Ægir
  • The Path of Freyja
  • The Path of Skaði
  • The Path of Ullr
  • Primal Awareness

    You can focus your awareness through the interconnections of nature and you learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class if you don't already know them. These spells don't count against the number of Wathe spells you know.

    Primal Awareness Spells

    Wathe Level: Spell
    3rd Level: Speak with Animals
    5th Level: Beast Bond
    9th Level: Speak with Plants
    13th Level: Locate Creature
    17th Level: Commune with Nature You can cast each of these spells once without expending a spell slot. Once you cast a spell in this way, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

    Hunter’s Prey

    At 3rd Level, you gain one of the following features of your choice:
  • Colossus Slayer: Your tenacity can wear down the most potent foes. When you hit a creature with a weapon Attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it’s below its hit point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn.
  • Giant Killer: When a Large or larger creature within 5 feet of you hits or misses you with an Attack, you can use your Reaction to Attack that creature immediately after its Attack, provided that you can see the creature.
  • Horde Breaker: Once on each of your turns when you make a weapon Attack, you can make another Attack with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your weapon.
  • Ability Score Improvement

    When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.   You may forgo this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.

    Extra Attack

    Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

    Defensive Tactics

    At 7th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.
  • Escape the Horde: Opportunity Attacks against you are made with disadvantage.
  • Multiattack Defense: When a creature hits you with an Attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.
  • Steel Will: You have advantage on Saving Throws against being Frightened.
  • Land's Stride

    Starting at 8th level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard. In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede movement, such as those created by the Entangle spell.

    Nature's Veil

    Starting at 10th level, you can draw on the powers of nature to hide yourself from view briefly. As a bonus action, you can magically become invisible, along with any equipment you are wearing or carrying, until the start of your next turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest

    Multiattack

    At 11th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice:
  • Volley: You can use your Action to make a ranged Attack against any number of Creatures within 10 feet of a point you can see within your weapon’s range. You must have Ammunition for each target, as normal, and you make a separate Attack roll for each target.
  • Whirlwind Attack: You can use your Action to make a melee Attack against any number of Creatures within 5 feet of you, with a separate Attack roll for each target.
  • Vanish

    Starting at 14th level, you can use the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. Also, you can't be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail.

    Superior Hunter’s Defense

    At 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice:
  • Evasion: When you are subjected to an Effect, such as a dragon’s fiery breath or a Lightning Bolt spell, that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
  • Stand Against the Tide: When a Hostile creature misses you with a melee Attack, you can use your Reaction to force that creature to repeat the same Attack against another creature (other than itself) of your choice.
  • Uncanny Dodge: When an attacker that you can see hits you with an Attack, you can use your Reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you.
  • Feral Senses

    At 18th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight creatures you can't see. When you attack a creature you can't see, your inability to see it doesn't impose disadvantage on your attack rolls against it. You are also aware of the location of any invisible creature within 30 feet of you, provided that the creature isn't hidden from you and you aren't blinded or deafened.

    Foe Slayer

    At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter of your enemies. Once on each of your turns, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the attack roll or the damage roll of an attack you make against one of your favored enemies. You can choose to use this feature before or after the roll, but before any effects of the roll are applied.

    Wathe Spells

    1st-Level Spells

  • Absorb Elements
  • Alarm
  • Animal Friendship
  • Bake Lembas Bread
  • Blær Strike
  • Beast Bond
  • Blaer Strike
  • Cure Wounds
  • Detect Magic
  • Detect Poison and Disease
  • Ensnaring Strike
  • Entangle
  • Fog Cloud
  • Hail of Thorns
  • Hunter’s Mark
  • Jump
  • Longstrider
  • Searing Smite
  • Snare
  • Speak with Animals
  • Sudden Awakening
  • Wild Cunning
  • 2nd-Level Spell

  • Aid
  • Animal Messenger
  • Barkskin
  • Beast Sense
  • Cordon of Arrows
  • Darkvision
  • Enhance Ability
  • Find Traps
  • Gust of Wind
  • Healing Spirits
  • Lesser Restoration
  • Locate Animals or Plants
  • Locate Object
  • Pass Without Trace
  • Protection from Poison
  • Silence
  • Spike Growth
  • Summon Beast
  • 3rd-Level Spells

  • Conjure Animals
  • Conjure Barrage
  • Daylight
  • Elemental Weapon
  • Flame Arrows
  • Flame Stride
  • Freedom of Waves
  • Lightning Arrow
  • Meld into Stone
  • Nondetection
  • Plant Growth
  • Protection from Energy
  • Speak with Plants
  • Summon Vanir
  • Water Breathing
  • Water Wall
  • Wind Wall
  • 4th-Level Spells

  • Conjure Woodland Beings
  • Dominate Beast
  • Freedom of Movement
  • Grasping Vine
  • Guardian of Nature
  • Locate Creature
  • Stoneskin
  • Summon Elemental
  • 5th-Level Spells

  • Commune with Nature
  • Conjure Volley
  • Freedom of Winds
  • Revivify
  • Steel Wind Strike
  • Swift Quiver
  • Tree Stride
  • Wrath of Nature

  • Articles under The Wathe


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