Aetherborn (5e Class)

Aetherborn

An Aasimar was standing over the body of a defeated bandit chieftain, his hand on the dead body's chest as a bright blue energy was flowing out of it. In the midst of this, the other bandits watching began to cower in fear, running away at the fear of being attacked. The Aasimar stood up as his palm was glowing bright blue, as he looked at the running bandits, a bit confused.

"Why are they running from me? I just wish to show them the great energies they squander that exists below them...the energy inside of them." He said, looking at his palm as he took a deep breath, a smirk rising on his face as he clenched his fist, chuckling to himself. "I will show them my power...and reveal to them what they have wasted."

An Aetherborn is a creature that has been introduced and accepted by a mystical energy called Aether, an energy known for its life giving properties. Most are made into Aetherborns as children by being dipped into a river of concentrated Aether. With this life giving energy flowing in their veins, they get access to new powers and abilities that use this new energy.

Creating an Aetherborn

[1] by Michael Bierek

What you should think about before you make an Aetherborn.
Aether is a natural, and very rare source from the land. Its energy can only be found in the blood of Aetherborn and in concentrated pools or rivers of the energy. How did you come into contact with this energy? Was it given to you at a young age by being dipped into the water? Were you an experiment pushed into the lake?
While you may be able to exist on the front lines of combat, you are still a melee caster. You function best when you find the blend between keeping your distance and when to close it.

Quick Build

You can make an Aetherborn quickly by following these suggestions:
First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, since as an Aetherborn, it's your main spellcasting focus followed by Constitution and Strength.

Class Features

As a Aetherborn you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Aetherborn level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Aetherborn level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Shields
Weapons: Simple and Martial
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution and Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Investigation, Perception, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) 1 Martial Melee Weapon + 1 Shield or (b) 2 Martial Melee Weapons
• (a) Leather Armor & Crossbow + 20 Arrows or (b) Scale Mail + A Shield
• Component Pouch and a Spellcasting Focus
• (a) Explorer's Pack or (b) Dungeoneer's Pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Aetherborn

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Aether Pool	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Fighting Style, Aether Surge	0	1	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Spellcasting, Well of Aether	2	2	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Gift of the Aether	2	3	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2	4	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	—	2	5	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Shatterforce	3	6	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Gift Feature	3	7	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	8	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	—	3	9	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Well of Aether (2)	3	10	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	—	4	11	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	12	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	Gift Feature	4	13	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Shatterforce (2)	4	14	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	Aether Fury	4	15	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement, Aether Restoration	5	16	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	—	5	17	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Gift Feature	5	18	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	5	19	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Aether Mastery	5	20	4	3	3	3	2

Fighting Style

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 blindsight 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.

• Defense. While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

• 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.

• Great Weapon Fighting. When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

• Interception. When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, 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.

• Protection. When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

• Superior Technique. You learn one maneuver of your choice from among those available to the Battle Master archetype. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice.)

You gain one superiority die, which is a d6 (this die is added to any superiority dice you have from another source). This die is used to fuel your maneuvers. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.

• 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 on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8.

At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.

• Close Quarters Shooter (UA). 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.

• Mariner (UA). 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.

• Tunnel Fighter (UA). 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.

Aether Surge

The Aether flowing through your body is able to be used to fuel special abilities, based on your dedication to the energy inside of you.

Starting at 1st Level, you gain access to a special pool of Aether energy inside of you that you can use to enhance you and your abilities, as well as those of your allies. This pool is represented by your Aether Points, which shows how many uses you have in the Aetherborn Table. You can use these features that use your Aether Pool, and you learn new ways to use your Aether Pool when you gain more levels into this class. You regain your Aether Pool on a long rest.

• Aether Strike You channel your energy into your weapon, which causes it to glow a bright blue. You can expend Aether Points to increase your damage. Once per turn, as a bonus action, you can use Aether Point(s) to add 1d4 Force Damage to your attacks, for an amount of time equal to the amount of Aether Points expended for this feature. 1 point is 1 round.

At Higher Levels This damage increases by 1d4, starting at 5th Level, 11th Level, 14th level, and 18th Level.

• Revitalize You channel your energy into yourself or another creature you can touch, as bright blue energy leaves your hand and enters you or that creature. Once per turn, as an action, you can use Aether Point(s) to heal yourself or another creature, having it regain 1d6+your Aetherborn Level+the amount of Aether Points spent to use this feature.

At Higher Levels This healing increases by 1d6, starting at 8th Level and 15th level.

• Empower You channel your energy into yourself or another creature you can touch, as bright blue energy leaves your hand and empowers you or that creature. Once per turn, as a bonus action, you can use Aether Points to empower yourself or another creature, granting it a 1d8 they can add to an attack, a check, or a save, possibly turning a failure into a success.

Spellcasting

Starting at 2nd level, an Aetherborn opens their body to the Aether flowing through them, and as such, have unlocked the ability to cast spells.

An Aetherborn learns spells from the Warlock Spell List. You can have a number of Warlock Spells prepared, equal to your Intelligence Modifier+half of your Aetherborn Levels, rounded down.

For Example, a 3rd level Aetherborn with a Intelligence Modifier of 4 would be able to have 5 Warlock Spells prepared that are of a level for which you have spell slots.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Aetherborn Spells, since your spells are cast through your knowledge of the Aether. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence when setting the saving throw DC for a Warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Aetherborn are directly influenced by the Aether inside of them, and as such, uses their weapons or armor as their Spellcasting focus. You must be proficient with the weapon or armor to use it as a Focus.

Well of Aether

Aether flows through you, and as such, you're harder to kill than the normal warrior on the battlefield. During the end of your turn in which you had spent Aether Points, you can regain hit points, equal to your Aetherborn Level.

You can use this feature a number of times, equal to your Intelligence Modifier. You regain all expended uses on a long rest.

Starting at 10th level, your Well now gives your Temporary Hit Points, equal to your Intelligence Modifier + your proficiency bonus, as well as heals you as normal.

Gift of the Aether

Starting at 3rd level, the Aetherborn unlocks more of their latent energy, and starts to focus it into a more diverse awakening.

Gift of Iron Valor - A tank/damage hybrid usage of Aether, providing stronger buffs to yourself to increase your survivability and damage.

Gift of Radiance - A support based usage of Aether, providing numerous damage buffs and healing buffs to you or your allies.

Gift of Shadows - As Aether is known to give life, it can also be twisted to drain life instead. A full DPS build made around Necrotic damage.

Your chosen Gift grants the Aetherborn a feature at 3rd level, 7th level, 12th level, and 18th level.

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.

Shatterforce

Your Aether energies begin to amplify, and as such, as you use your abilities or deal force damage, you feel yourself invigorated. Starting at 6th level, on a turn where you deal Force Damage or spend an Aether Point, you can use a bonus action to deal 1d8+your Intelligence Modifier Force Damage to a creature within 5 ft of you.

At 14th level, this damage increases to 2d8+your Intelligence Modifier.

You can only use this feature a number of times, equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all uses of this feature on a short or long rest.

Aether Fury

Beginning at 15th level, your Aether energies begin to fuel your speed, strength, ability to take damage. You can use an action to invoke your Aether, granting you the benefits of the Haste Spell, but you don't require concentration for it. Also, if you would take damage during this time, you can reduce it by 1d10+your Constitution Modifier.

This feature lasts for 1 minute. After, you become drained, and are treated as stunned until the end of your next turn. You can use this feature twice before a long rest.

Aether Restoration

Aetherborns use a lot of Aether, and now with the proper control of it, you've learned to restore it when you're starting to get low. If you enter combat while you have no Aether Points, starting at 16th level, you can regain Aether Points equal to half of your Aetherborn Level, rounded down.

You can only use this feature once per long rest.

Aether Mastery

You now bear full control over the Aether inside of your body, and as such, you have the ability to use your Aether abilities without needing to expend it. Starting at 20th level, you can use the Aether Strike, Revitalize, and Empower Aether abilities for free equal to using 2 Aether Points for them. You can do this for each ability once per long rest. Also if you damage a creature with an Aether Surge ability, you regain Hit Points equal to half the amount of damage you dealt.

Gift of Iron Valor

The ravine that protects the city from the flood. The wall that protects the people from the swarm. The guardian that protects the innocent from war. That is what you are. As an Iron Valor Aetherborn, you use your mystic energies to protect the people around you, while strengthening yourself to put those who would hurt them into the ground.

Armored Wall

When you choose this gift, you gain proficiency in Heavy Armor, and if you are wearing heavy armor, you and allies within 10 feet of you gain +1 to AC. Also, if a creature makes an attack on another creature within 5 ft of you, you can make an attack of opportunity on that creature.

You can only use this feature a number of times, equal to your Strength Modifier. You regain all uses on a long rest.

Versatile Aether Capabilities

After you choose this Gift, you gain access to 2 new abilities that you can use with your Aether Points.

• Aether Shield You can forge your Aether energy to protect your allies from danger. You can spend Aether Points, as a reaction, to reduce the damage an allied creature would take from an attack by 4*the amount of Aether Points spent. If you reduce the damage a creature takes by 0 with this effect, you gain a bonus to your next damage roll, equal to the damage that creature would've taken.

• Stand your Ground You forge your Aether inside of your body, making yourself stronger and more resilient to damage. You can spend Aether Points as a bonus action to increase your AC by the amount of Aether Points spent for 1 round, and add a bonus to your Attack rolls equal to the amount of Aether Points spent. During that round, you cannot move, and you can only use your action to use the attack action. In exchange, when you use the attack action, you can attack one additional time when you make the attack action.

Iron Breaker

With your empowered Aether energy, you have become adapted to crushing armour. Starting at 7th level, if you land an opportunity attack on a creature, you can force that creature to make a Constitution saving throw against your Spellcasting DC. On a fail, that creature has its AC reduced by an amount equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Breaker of Armies

Using your Aether to empower yourself has its benefits, and now it starts to show in your abilities against large amounts of enemies. Starting at 13th level, during your turn, if you are affected by your Stand Your Ground Aether ability and you take the attack action, you can include 2 other creatures within 5 feet of you in the same attack. A creature hit by this ability takes additional damage, equal to the amount of Aether Points spent this turn.

Blood of Iron

Your Aether has fully accepted your body, and as such, your skin has hardened to that of iron. Starting at 18th level, you gain immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, and your AC is increased by 3, but you gain vulnerability to Acid and Force damage.

Gift of Radiance

The Aether is a mystical energy that can give life and revitalize the people around you. When focused into a central area, its powers increase immensely, but begin to lose its damaging capabilities. You do not worry about this though. You are a winged guardian, providing numerous buffs to your team to protect them from harm, and to put harm away for good.

Invigorating Radiance

Starting at 3rd level, you can use a bonus action to create a 10 foot radius aura at your current location, as the ground becomes a pool of focused Aether energies. When you or an allied creature starts its turn in the pool, they gain temporary hit points equal to 1d8+your Aetherborn Level. Also, as an action on your turn, you can send a pulse of healing energy through the pool, healing you and all allied creatures inside of it, regaining 1d6+your Aetherborn Level Hit Points.

This feature lasts for 1 minute. You can only use this feature a number of times, equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all uses on a long rest.

Versatile Aether Capabilities

After you choose this Gift, you gain access to 2 new abilities that you can use with your Aether Points.

• Empowering Radiance You send a pulse of empowering Aether into your Pool of Radiance, strengthening those inside of it. You can spend Aether Points to strengthen your allies, granting them 1d6 Force Damage in addition to their attacks. One point equals 1 round of additional damage while they remain in the pool.

At higher levels This damage increases by 1d6 at 8th level and 16th level.

• Cursing Radiance You can enhance your Pool of Radiance by causing it to damage enemies who enter the pool, making it dangerous for them to enter. You can spend Aether Points, making your Pool of Radiance dangerous to creatures who enter it, dealing 1d4 Radiant Damage to creatures who enter or start their turn in the Pool. One point equals 1 round of damage in it.

At higher levels This damage increases by 1d4 at 8th level and 16th level.

Blessing of the Sky

Your Aether energies are invigorating to your allies, and as such, you can restore energies that others thought impossible. Starting at 7th level, if you heal a creature with your Invigorating Radiance feature, you can have that creature either regain one spell slot of their lowest level, or you can have that creature regain one usage of a feature that resets on a short rest.

Guardian Angel

With your Aether running through you, you can channel your abilities to take to the sky and slow your falling. Starting at 13th level, you can use your Aether to create wings on your back that can be used to reduce your falling speed to 5 feet instead, and if a creature tries to attack you while you are more than 10 feet off the ground, that attack is made with disadvantage. If you healed or empowered someone with your Invigorating Radiance feature this round, they can reduce their falling speed to 5 feet, instead of normal speed.

Radiant Dawnblade

At 18th level, your Aether now solidifies inside of your blood, represented by a glowing blade. You can use a bonus action to summon your Radiant Dawnblade. While you wield this weapon, it is treated as a longsword that you are proficient with, and landing an attack with it deals 3d8 Radiant Damage and marks the creature, increasing the damage it takes until the start of your next turn. A creature affected by this blade takes an increased 3d8 Radiant Damage whenever a creature damages it. As an action, you can drop your blade into the ground, consecrating the ground into a 10 foot radius of Divine Aether. If an allied creature while in this Divine Aether, deals damage to another creature, they deal double damage to that creature.

This circle of consecrated energy lasts for 1 minute.

You can only use your Radiant Dawnblade action once per long rest.

Gift of Shadows

Like all energies, even Aether can be twisted for darker needs. It's energies can be shifted to instead drain and absorb the life from it's targets, instead of giving life to them. This is a dangerous path, as it can be harmful to the user, but those who master it become skilled assassins and benders of it's dark magic.

Draining Darkness

When you choose this gift at 3rd level, the Aether inside of you has twisted to your dark desires, and as such, granted you resistance to Necrotic Damage. Also, when you deal Necrotic damage with a melee attack or with a spell, you regain Hit Points, equal to half of the damage dealt, rounded down.

Versatile Aether Capabilities

After you choose this Gift, you gain access to 2 new abilities that you can use with your Aether Points.

• Dark Empowerment You control your Aether to strengthen your weapon with dark energies, empowering it with it. You can spend Aether Points, causing your weapon to gain a bonus to attack rolls, equal to the amount of Aether Points spent for this effect, and it adds a number of d4s of Necrotic Damage equal to the number of Aether Points spent for this effect. These changes last until the end of the round.

• Aether Corruption The darkness of the Aether can be controlled to spread into your body, enhancing your regeneration from your Necrotic Abilities. You can spend Aether Points to make the healing from your Draining Darkness heal you for full damage, instead of half. One point is one round of this effect.

Shadow Strike

Your Dark Aether now begins to flow into your weapon, empowering it permanently when it's in your hands. Starting at 7th level, while you are wielding a weapon in which you are proficient with, it now deals an additional damage dice of that weapon in Necrotic Damage. Additionally, you ignore resistances to Necrotic Damage, and you treat immunity to Necrotic Damage as resistance to it.

Envelop Darkness

Your Dark Aether enhances your senses in the dark, as well as darkness from other sources. Starting at 13th level, you can see in magical and non-magical darkness, and if you're standing in magical darkness, you gain the effect of Dark Empowerment, as if it was activated with 2 Aether Points, while you are standing in magical darkness.

Aura of Shadows

Your Dark Aether has completely become a part of you, and can now seep out of you at an area. Starting at 18th level, you can release a 10 foot radius area of enhanced magical darkness that only you and creatures with True Sight can see through. If you damage a creature inside of this darkness, it's speed is reduced to 0, and it cannot use a bonus action or a reaction, until the end of it's next turn.

The area lasts for 1 minute, and does not follow you.

You can only use this feature once per long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Aetherborn class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Intelligence, 13 Strength and 13 Constitution

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Aetherborn class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor, medium armor, shields, simple and martial melee weapons.

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