Occult Warden

An occult warden is a warrior who wages war against the risen dead, the horrors of the fae, and are masters of folklore. Some call them exorcists, as they dispose of the living dead, and can exorcise the corrupted spirits of the damned. Although being an essential part of the community, their profession places them in a precarious position due to the suspicion and superstition surrounding specters and revenants. Understandably, this often means they are mistaken for necromancers, or demonists instead of their true profession, which staunchly opposes such practices. Exorcists are typically outcasts, or the last of their family who have nothing to inherit, and wish to make something of themselves. As a result they turn towards occult knowledge in how best to defend or protect their home and loved ones.

Esoteric Lore

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn from your experience from fighting the occult, and know how to prepare yourself on how best to defend against the supernatural, as well as identify them. This esoteric lore has gifted you with various boons.

You know the following spells, and can cast each once per long rest; however you must spend each spell's required components in order to cast them: alarm, detect evil and good, and detect magic and protection from evil and good.

You also gain proficiency in either Arcana, History or Nature, as well as proficiency in alchemist's supplies

Arcana

You gain knowledge in occult lore and esoteric folklore, becoming proficient in one field of study of your choice. You have chosen Arcana and have become proficient in that skill.

History

You gain knowledge in occult lore and esoteric folklore, becoming proficient in one field of study of your choice. You have chosen History and have become proficient in that skill.

Nature

You gain knowledge in occult lore and esoteric folklore, becoming proficient in one field of study of your choice. You have chosen Nature and have become proficient in that skill.

Occult Marks

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how best to weaken and track down the horrors of the night.

Occult Marks. You gain a pool of expendable marks, which you can imprint on to a creature as you attack it. A creature that has been marked can be subjected to one of the occult mark effects from your choices below in “The Marks”. You may use an occult mark effect as you imprint the mark on a creature.

You learn three occult mark effects of your choice which are detailed in 'The Mark' below. You learn one additional occult mark effects of your choice at 7th, 10th, and 15th level. Each time you learn new occult mark effects, you can also replace one occult mark effect you know with a different one.

You have have as many Occult Marks as your proficiency modifier, and regain all spent Occult Marks when you complete a short rest.

Saving Throws. Some of your marks require your target to make a saving throw to resist its effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Occult Mark save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

The Mark

Occult mark effects are presented in alphabetical order.

Attract

As a reaction, you can spend 1 Occult Mark to compell a marked creature within 60ft to come closer to you. The target creature must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, that creature is drawn to you until the end of your next turn. It has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you, and must spend as many actions as possible getting within melee range of you. If it succeeds its saving throw, it only takes half its movement to move towards you, and suffers no additional penalties.

Befuddle

When you make an attack against a marked creature, you may expend 1 Occult Mark to bewilder your foe. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the creature merely has disadvantage on Wisdom, Intelligence and Charisma saving throws until the end of your next turn. On a failure, the creature also has disadvantage on all weapon attacks until the end of your next turn. If it fails by 8 or lower, the creature becomes stunned until the end of your next turn.

Bind

When you make an attack against a marked creature, you may expend 1 Occult Mark to bind your foe in eldritch chains. The creature to make a Strength saving throw. On a success, the creature's movement speed is halved. On a failure, the creature is restrained until the end of your next turn. If it fails by 8 or lower, the creature is also incapacitated for that duration

Deny

When a creature you have marked attempts to cast a spell, you can use your reaction to torment its mind and deny its casting. It must make a saving throw using its spellcasting ability. On a failure, the spell is cancelled. If it fails by 8 or lower, the creature suffers 2d6 psychic damage each time it attempts to cast a levelled spell before the end of your next turn.

Drain

When you make an attack against a marked creature, you may expend 1 Occult Mark to drain that creature's essence and capture it as your own. The target creature must make a Constitution saving throw, or take 2d6 necrotic damage, taking half as much on a success. If the creature fails by 8 or more, you regain 1 Occult Mark.

Exorcise

When you make an attack against a marked creature, you may expend 1 Occult Mark to exorcise it. The target creature must make a Wisdom saving throw, or take 2d6 radiant damage, taking half as much on a successful saving throw. If the saving throw is failed by 8 or lower, the creature instead suffers 2d8 radiant damage and if being possessed, the possession ends. Undead and possessed creatures have disadvantage on the saving throw.

Expel

When you make an attack against a marked creature, you may expend 1 Occult Mark to throw back that creature. The target creature must make a Strength saving throw, or be pushed back 10ft away from you, and take 2d6 force damage, taking half as much on a success. If it fails by 8 or lower, the creature is pushed 20ft away from you, is knocked prone, and takes 2d6 force damage.

Pacify

When a creature you have marked attempts to make an attack roll, you may expend 1 Occult Mark using your reaction to pacify your foe. The target creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the creature's attack is made at disadvantage, on a failure the attack is negated and its turn continues as normal. If it fails by 8 or lower, the creature cannot make any attacks until the end of your next turn.

Reveal

When you make an attack against a marked creature, you may expend 1 Occult Mark to reveal the creature's true form. The target creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the creature cannot be made invisible by any effect and any effect that is making it invisible automatically ends. On a failure, if the creature is in a form that is not its natural state it is transformed back to its original form until the end of your next turn. If it fails by 8 or lower, then all the above effects last for 1 hour instead.

Terrify

When a creature you have marked is killed by you, you may spend 1 Occult Mark to terrify any amount of creatures within 30ft of you to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature is frightened of you for 1 minute, repeating the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a success, a creature is immune to being frightened by you for 24 hours. Celestials, elementals, fey, fiends undead and possessed make this save at disadvantage.

Warding Staff

At 7th level, you can spend 8 hours committed to a ritual process to create a warding staff. Staves created in this manner are talismans of protection, carved out of wood or bone, which you must acquire. You or another creature gains the benefit of your choice when you create it as long as the warding staff is in the creature's possession. When you create a warding staff for the first time choose one of the following materials: ash, bone, driftwood, hawthorn, oak, or yew. Your staff's effects depend on the material chosen.

You may not have multiple staves at once. When your staff is destroyed, you may spend 8 hours once again to recreate it, and you may choose a different material from which to create it.

Warding Staff DC: If your staff's effects require a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Ash Staff

The ash tree symbolises healing. You gain the gift to heal through the runes and occult power it possesses. You can cast prayer of healing once per long rest.

As an action, you can choose to stab the ground with the staff, creating a 15ft area of effect that heals allies'. Whenever you or an allied creature you can see moves into the staff's aura for the first time on a turn or starts its turn, there it regains 2d4 hit points + your Wisdom modifier. This effect lasts 1 minute, or until the staff is removed from the ground, or destroyed. Once you have used this effect, you cannot use it against until you finish a long rest.

Bone Staff

Bones symbolise death and decay. You gain the gifts of the dead and dying through the runes and occult powers it possesses. You can cast speak with dead once per long rest.

As an action, you can choose to stab the ground with the staff, creating a 15ft area of effect that harms all creatures within. Up to 4 allied creatures of your choice can add your proficiency bonus in necrotic damage to any of their weapon attacks when they start their turn within the area of effect. This effect lasts 1 minute, or until the staff is removed from the ground, or destroyed. Once you have used this effect, you cannot use it against until you finish a long rest.

Driftwood Staff

Driftwood symbolises forgetfulness, and loss. You gain the gifts of forgotten and forlorn through the runes and occult powers it possesses. You can cast silence once per long rest.

As an action, you can choose to stab the ground with the staff, creating a 15ft aura that blurs the minds of your enemies. Whenever a hostile you can see moves into the staff's aura for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make an Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, an affected creature's movement is halved, they cannot take reactions, and have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws when concentrating on spells. At the end of each turn, they may repeat their saving throw. On a success, they become immune to the effects of the stave for 24 hours. This effect lasts 1 minute, or until the staff is removed from the ground, or destroyed. Once you have used this effect, you cannot use it against until you finish a long rest.

Hawthorn Staff

The hawthorn tree symbolises protection. You gain the gift to protect and shield your companions through the runes and occult powers it possesses. You can cast sanctuary once per long rest.

As an action, you can choose to stab the ground with the staff, creating a 15ft area of effect of protection that lasts 1 minute. Up to 4 allies of your choice gain double your proficiency bonus' worth of temporary hit points whilst they are within this aura. This effect lasts 1 minute, or until the staff is removed from the ground, or destroyed. Once you have used this effect, you cannot use it against until you finish a long rest.

Oak Staff

The oak tree symbolises authority and strength. You gain the gift of the mighty and powerful through its runes and occult power. You can cast enlarge/reduce once per long rest.

As an action, you can stab the staff into the ground to create a 15ft area of effect of power for 1 minute. Up to 4 allied creatures of your choice gain an additionnal 1d4 to their melee attack and damage rolls whilst they start their turn within the area of effect. This effect lasts 1 minute, or until the staff is removed from the ground, or destroyed. Once you have used this effect, you cannot use it against until you finish a long rest.

Yew Staff

The yew tree symbolises mystery and darkness. You gain the gifts of sorcery and shadow through its runes and occult power. You can cast blindness/deafness once per long rest.

As an action, you can stab the staff into the ground to create a 15ft aura of magical inky shadow that lasts 1 minute. Choose up to 4 allied creatures within the aura, you and it are immune to the aura's effects and can see through it as if it were bright light. Any other creature considers the aura as heavily obscured, as one would with the darkness spell. This effect lasts 1 minute, or until the staff is removed from the ground, or destroyed. Once you have used this effect, you cannot use it against until you finish a long rest.

Silver-Blooded

When you reach 10th level in this archetype, your body and blood adapts to combat the horrors that haunt the night.

Silver-Blooded. Your blood has the same qualities as silver for the sake of bypassing resistances and immunities, and any object you apply your own blood to counts as magical.

You can apply your blood to any piercing or slashing weapon and ammunition as a bonus action. The object is considered magical and silvered for 1 minute. You can only use this feature once per dawn.

If you take melee damage from a creature which is affected by silver, such as vampires, lycanthropes or undead, you can spend your reaction to retaliate. Make an attack roll at advantage.

Relentless Tracker

At 15th level, you always know the direction of your marked target whilst it is on the same plane as you, and know its precise location whilst it is within 1 mile of you. You cannot be surprised by your quarry whilst it is marked by an Occult Mark. Additionally, you gain eldritch sight, and become capable of one of the following gazes. When you complete a long rest, you may choose to gain one of the following benefits:

Hypnotic Gaze. As an action, you can stare into a creature's eyes, compelling them to obey you. The target must make a Charisma saving throw against your Occult Mark DC, or become charmed by you for 10 minutes. This effect ends if you or an allied creature deals damage to the charmed creature. Once the effect ends, the creature knows they have been charmed, and are immune to being charmed in this way for 24 hours.

Corpse-Sight. You choose to be adept at hunting down ghosts, revenants and ethereal creatures. As an action, you can see into the Ethereal Plane and see invisible creatures and objects that are within 100ft of you and in line of sight for 10 minutes.

Farseer's Gaze. You choose to enhance your senses to track down far reaching creatures, as well as observe them from a distance. As an action, you can see up to 1 mile away with no difficult, able to discern even fine details as though looking at something no more than 10 feet away from you, for 10 minutes.

You cannot use this feature again until you've completed a long rest.

Warded Land

At 18th level, you have learned how best to ward against the greatest of foes, creating a warded land against otherworldly forces that would disrupt the daily lives of mortals.

When you would use your Warding Staff's aura action, choose between 3 of the following creature types: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. These creatures are prohibited from entering the area of effect, and must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw to enter the area, or if they are within it upon activation. On a failure, they take 5d10 radiant, force, or psychic damage (your choice) and become paralyzed within the area for 1 minute. They may attempt the saving throw again should they take damage for the duration. On a successful saving throw, they take half as much damage.

You also know the [spell]magic circle[spell] spell, and can cast it once per long rest.

Your marks extended effect is now active when a saving throw is failed by 5 or more