Cerastes Warrior

A Cerastes Warrior is a fighter hailing from the desert - one that weaves mysticism, swordsmanship, and the elusive movements of vipers into their fighting style. To become a Cerastes Warrior involves harsh training among scorching dunes and towering canyons, where one learns how to wield the elements of earth and air as one. Either alone or under the tutelage of a mentor, those who survive the training emerge as nigh-untouchable masters of the blade, with the greatest among them a threat for entire armies on their own.

A variety of Cerastes Warrior can be found anywhere there's a desert, but they're most common in Al'Taj where human swordsmen often choose a single mentee to pass down their techniques to.

Focused Fangs

3rd-level Cerastes Warrior feature

After undergoing rigorous trials, you've gained mystical prowess represented by Celerity. You have an amount of Celerity equal to twice your proficiency bonus, which can be used for the abilities listed below.

You regain all expended Celerity when you finish a long rest. In addition, you can use a bonus action to regain one expended Celerity, but cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest. Some of your Celerity features require your target to make a saving throw. The DC for this save is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier.

Drifting Step. You can use your bonus action to teleport up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you take this bonus action, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest, unless you expend a Celerity to take it again.

Mirror Slice. When you take the Attack action, you can expend one Celerity to replace one attack with a rapid slice. You move in a straight line to an unoccupied space you can see within 15 feet of you, ignoring difficult terrain, attacks of opportunity, and hostile creatures. Any creatures or objects you pass through must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 magical slashing damage, taking half as much on a success. The damage increases by an additional 1d8 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level.

Shifting Strike. When you take the Attack action, you can replace one attack with a forceful blast of sand in a 15-foot cone originating from you. Creatures in the area must make a Strength saving throw or be either pushed 5 feet away or knocked prone (your choice for all creatures). Once you replace an attack in this way, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest, unless you expend a Celerity to do so.

Whirling Defense

7th-level Cerastes Warrior feature

You've further improved your skills as a warrior. Your walking speed increases by 10 feet so long as you aren't wearing heavy armor, and you gain a new technique detailed below.

Bladeveil. When you take the Attack action, you can expend one Celerity to replace one of your attacks with a tornado-like flourish of blades and dust. Creatures of your choice within 5 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d8 magical slashing damage, taking half as much on a success. Additionally, until the start of your next turn, creatures take slashing damage equal to your Dexterity modifier whenever they miss you with a melee attack. The initial damage increases at higher levels, increasing by an additional 1d8 at 11th and 17th levels.

Dispersion

10th-level Cerastes Warrior feature

You can utilize your mystic training to briefly alter the way you maneuver your body to protect against physical blows. Whenever you are hit by a weapon attack, you can use your reaction to gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage (including against the triggering attack) until the end of your next turn. Once you take this reaction, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest, unless you expend one Celerity to take it again.

Approaching Storm

15th-level Cerastes Warrior feature

You've learned how to invoke storms of mystic energy. You gain a technique, detailed below.

Tornado. As an action, you can conjure a 20-foot radius sphere of sand and wind centered on a point within 60 feet of you. The sphere's area is lightly obscured and grants you half-cover while you're within it. Hostile creatures that start their turn in it must make a Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the start of their next turn. The tornado lasts for 1 minute, and you can use a bonus action to move it up to 20 feet to a point you can see. Once you take this action, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend one Celerity to take it again.

Cerastes Champion

18th-level Cerastes Warrior feature

You are a true force to be reckoned with, having perfected the blending of your techniques into one devastating fighting style. The first time you activate each of the abilities granted by your Focused Fangs feature during a combat, they don't require a Celerity to be spent.

Additionally, your movement is unaffected by difficult terrain, and spells and other magical effects can neither reduce your speed nor cause you to be paralyzed or restrained. You can also spend 5 feet of movement to automatically escape from nonmagical restraints, such as manacles or a creature that has you grappled.