Invoker

Those who follow the archetypal path of the Invoker learn to imbue their weapons with runes of primordial power. Their runic weapons allow them to unleash powerful effects, using the elements to devastate their foes. This magic can be closely compared with that employed Eldritch Knights, though there is no study or even spellcasting involved. No one truly knows the origin of the elemental runes that these fighters inscribe onto their weapons, though many theories exist. One theory suggests that these runes are a more volatile iteration of the giant runes employed by Rune Knights. Another suggests that these runes were invented by the Genies of the elemental planes as a means of granting mortals a portion of their power. Another suggests that chromatic dragons created them for use by the mortals of the Cult of the Dragon. Although it is not unusual for any of these creatures to have knowledge of the runes or use them in any of the ways mentioned, none of them can claim responsibility for their invention; they are merely so old that mortal races know of no one else to credit with the concoction of this strange magic.

Elemental Binding

At 3rd level, your understanding of primordial magic allows you to imbue a weapon with elemental energy. You perform a ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. Throughout the ritual, you inscribe four different runes along the surface of the weapon: storm, earth, fire, and ice. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the weapon and imbue it with elemental energy, binding it to you.

You can have up to two bound weapons. If you attempt to bind with a third weapon, you must break your bond with one of the other two.

As a bonus action, you can activate one of the runes, imbuing the weapon with the power of storm, earth, fire, or ice, which lasts until you finish a short or long rest. Activating a rune changes the weapon's damage type to the matching type.

Elemental Rune

As a bonus action, you can activate one of the following runes on a bound weapon. Creatures that fail a saving throw against you infusions suffer additional effects determined by the active rune. The effect ends early if you dismiss it (no action required), drop the bound weapon, are incapacitated, or die. If you make a thrown weapon attack with a bound weapon, the active rune ends immediately after the attack.

Rune of Storm. Your bound weapon and infusions deal lightning damage. If a creature fails its saving throw against your infusions, it cannot take reactions or legendary actions until the start of its next turn.

Rune of Earth. Your bound weapon and infusions deal bludgeoning or piercing damage (your choice). If a creature fails its saving throw against your infusions, it is knocked prone.

Rune of Fire. Your bound weapon and infusions deal fire damage. If a creature fails its saving throw against your infusions, it is ignited. Until an ignited creature takes an action to douse the fire, it takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns.

Rune of Ice. Your bound weapon and infusions deal cold damage. If a creature fails its saving throw against your infusions, it has disadvantage on the next weapon attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.

Storm, Earth, Fire, and Ice

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn to invoke elemental energy using infusions that are fueled by special dice called primal dice. You can only invoke these infusions while you have an active elemental rune.

Infusions. You learn Strike and two infusions of your choice, which are listed under "Infusions" below. The infusions are presented in alphabetical order. If an infusion enhances an attack in some way, you can use only one infusion per attack. The damage type of your infusions is determined by the active rune on your weapon. When a creature fails its saving throw against an Infusion, they suffer an additional effect that is also determined by the active rune.

You learn an additional infusion of your choice at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level. When you finish a long rest, you can replace a known infusion with another.

Primal Dice. You have four primal dice, which are d6s. A primal die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended primal dice when you finish a short or long rest.

You gain two more primal dice at 7th level and another two at 15th level.

Saving Throws. Some of your infusions require your target to make a saving throw to resist the infusion’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Infusion save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice)

Infusions

The infusions are presented in alphabetical order.

Charge

When you attack with your bound weapon, you can expend one primal die to become elemental energy, charging toward a creature. You can teleport to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of a target you can see within 30 feet of you, forming a line 5 feet wide that extends out to the target. When you do so, make the weapon attack against the target, if the attack hits, add the primal die to the attack's damage roll. Each creature in the line excluding you and the target must make a dexterity saving throw, taking damage equal to one roll of your primal die on a failed save, and half as much on a successful one.

Crash

When you attack with your bound weapon, You can expend a primal die to leap through the air to an unoccupied space you can see within 5 feet of a target within 15 feet of you. Make the attack against the target using your bound weapon, if it hits, and add the primal die to the damage roll. Each creature in a 10-foot radius excluding you and the target must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking damage equal to one roll of your primal die on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

Echo

As a bonus action, you can expend one primal die to create a floating, elemental duplicate of your bound weapon at a point you can see within 30 feet of you that lasts for 1 minute, or until this infusion is used again. On your turn, you can mentally command the weapon to move 30 feet in any direction.

When you attack with your bound weapon, any attack you make can originate from your space or the elemental weapon's space. You make this choice for each attack. You can activate infusions on any attack made from the elemental weapon's space.

Glyph

As an action, you can expend a number of primal dice up to your maximum to inscribe a glyph on a surface that later unleashes an elemental explosion. If the surface is moved more than 10 feet from where you infused the glyph, the glyph is broken, and the infusion ends without being triggered.

You decide what triggers the glyph when you infuse it. The most typical triggers include touching or standing on the glyph, removing another object covering the glyph, approaching within a certain distance of the glyph, or manipulating the object on which the glyph is inscribed. For glyphs inscribed within an object, the most common triggers include opening that object, approaching within a certain distance of the object, or seeing or reading the glyph. Once a glyph is triggered, the infusion ends.

When triggered, the glyph erupts with magical energy in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on the glyph. The sphere spreads around corners. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes damage equal to twice the number of primal dice expended on a failed saving throw, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Quake

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack using your bound weapon, you can expend a primal die to unleash the elements in an area around the target. You add the primal die to the attack's damage roll. Elemental energy ripples in an area around the target, either in a 20-foot cone behind the target or a 10-foot sphere around the target (your choice). Creatures in the area excluding you and the target must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking damage equal to one roll of your primal die on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

Rebuke

When a creature within range of your bound weapon hits you with an attack, you can expend one primal die as a reaction to make one attack against that creature using your bound weapon. On a hit, add the primal die to the attack's damage roll and the target must make a Constitution saving throw or suffer the effect of your elemental rune.

Strike

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack using your bound weapon, you can expend one primal die to empower the attack. You add two rolls of the primal die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or suffer the effect of your elemental rune.

Sunder

As an action, you drive your bound weapon into the ground, expending a number of primal dice up to your maximum. Elemental energy erupts from you, either in a 20-foot radius sphere around you or a 60-foot cone in a direction you choose (your choice). Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking damage equal to twice the number of primal dice expended on a failed saving throw, or half as much on a successful one.

Surge

As a bonus action, you can expend one primal die and augment your movement based on your active rune for 1 minute.

• Storm. Your walking speed is doubled.
• Earth. You gain a burrowing speed equal to your walking speed.
• Fire. You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed.
• Ice. The ground in a 10-foot radius sphere is difficult terrain for creatures other than you. Water in this area freezes into ice sturdy enough to walk on.

Ward

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack using your bound weapon, you can expend one primal die to convert some of the elemental energy into a barrier. You add the primal die to the attack's damage roll. Four one hour you gain temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt by the attack. If a creature hits you with a melee attack while you have these hit points, the creature takes damage equal to one roll of your primal die.

Improved Elemental Binding

Starting at 7th level, you can't be disarmed of your bound weapons unless you're incapacitated. You can dismiss a bound weapon as a bonus action, shunting it to an extradimensional space. You can summon a bound weapon as a bonus action, causing it to instantly teleport to your hand with an active rune of your choice. You can summon only one bound weapon at a time with your bonus action.

Improved Storm, Earth, Fire, and Ice

At 10th level, your primal dice turn into d8s.

Piercing Elements

Starting at 10th level, while a rune is active, your weapon attacks and infusions ignore a target's resistance against the corresponding damage type.

Unending Cataclysm

Starting at 15th level, when you roll initiative and have no primal dice remaining, you regain one primal die.

Improved Storm, Earth, Fire, and Ice

At 18th level, your primal dice turn into d10s.