Pawn of Nexthar

The Pawn of Nexthar martial archetype is one that focuses on healing from other's pain. With his scythe, the Pawn is able to become a deadly assassin, dealing damage, healing, and pinning creatures down; but it all comes at the bloody price of maybe being consumed by the Tortured God.

 

It can only be taken if the player has attuned to Nexthar's Scythe. Any ability that forces a creature to make a saving throw, that saving throw DC is set as 8 + CON mod + Prof. bonus.

Nexthar's Improved Critical & Defenses

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain resistance to necrotic damage and your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. Any critical hit made with the scythe also regains one Bloodlust stack and increases that attack's healing by 1d4.

Nexthar Slam

Starting at 3rd level, the Pawn can make a downward, pinning strike with the scythe. After hitting a creature with Nexthar's scythe, the Pawn can use a bonus action to force the defending creature to make a WIS save. On a failed save, the target is hit with the thundering boom of Nexthar’s scream, taking 1d4 necrotic damage and be stunned (see Condition) until the Pawn's next turn (the creature can attempt to make the save again at the end of it's next turn). This feature can be used 3 times a day and refreshes after a long rest.

Reaping Blood Spike

At 7th level, using it's full turn and a Bloodlust stack, the Pawn moves up to a creature within it's speed, cuts open their own chest dealing 1d4 psychic damage to themselves, and spins the scythe in an uppercut swing to a creature within weapon range to impale a Blood Spike into the target. Defending creature makes a DEX saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is stunned and the target takes 2d8 necrotic damage and continues to take another 1d8 necrotic damage at the end of it's turn (CON save ends both these effects). While impaled with the Blood Spike, the Pawn or other allies can spend a bonus action to consume the spike while within 5ft of the infected target. If consumed, make a WIS save DC 15. On success, heal 4d8 damage. On failed save, take 2d8 necrotic damage. Consuming ends the Blood Spike, otherwise it last for CON mod turns (CON save ends early). This feature's movement does not provoke attacks of opportunities, and can be used once per short rest. On successful DEX save, the target takes no damage and is not stunned nor impaled.

Leviathan’s Flood

At 10th level, you can choose to unleash some of Nexthar's energy from the scythe. After channeling dark energy from the scythe for 1 round, taking 3d8 psychic damage, and expending 3 Bloodlust stacks, you absorb the scythe and unleash blood and necrotic energy around you. The blood swirls, hitting all targets within 15ft of you. Each creature must make a DEX save, taking 5d8 necrotic damage and slowing movement by 10ft on a failed save, half damage and no movement reduction on a successful save. The flood last for CON mod rounds or can be dismissed early as an action. While active, the Pawn cannot take any actions (other than dismissing the flood), bonus actions, and has a movement speed of 20ft. Any creature that starts it's turn or ends it's turn within the area takes an additional 2d4 necrotic damage (DEX save halves damage). The area is treated as difficult terrain for every creature besides the Pawn.

When the flood ends, the Pawn must make a CON save. On a successful save, they heal for all the damage dealt to creatures using this feature. On a failed save, they receive half the damage as healing and suffer 2 points of exhaustion. The scythe cannot gain any Bloodlust stacks from creatures falling to 0hp and dying while the flood is active. This feature can only be used once per long rest.

Nexthar's Superior Critical & Defenses

Starting at 15th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18–20 if the scythe has 10 or more Bloodlust stacks. Also, while having the Superior Critical effects active, the Pawn is immune to necrotic damage and resistant to psychic damage.

Survivor

At 18th level, you attain the pinnacle of resilience in battle. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don’t gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.

Purge

At level 18, the Pawn can embody Nexthar for a short period. As an action and using 10 Bloodlust stacks, the Pawn transforms, looses all other abilities and the scythe is teleported to a pocket dimension for the duration. The Pawn becomes Nexthar, a Huge Monstrosity with 0 ft. movement, 300ft truesight, gains 125 temporary hp, and gains 20 in each ability score (+5 mod). He is also immune to all conditions, necrotic damage, and resistant to all damage made by nonmagical weapons. Nexthar retains the Pawn's AC, proficiency bonus and saving throws, and current HP (in addition to the temp hp).  After transforming, each creature within 50 ft. of Nexthar makes a WIS save or is frightened for 1 minute. While transformed, Nexthar can take an action to infect a creature's mind with dark energy and torturous images. To do so, Nexthar targets one creature within 50 ft. That creature must make a WIS saving throw, with disadvantage if frightened by Nexthar. On a failed save, the target takes 5d10 necrotic damage and 5d10 psychic damage, and the target is paralyzed for 1 minute (WIS save ends on start of each of it's turn), taking only half damage and not paralyzed on a successful save. As a bonus action, Nexthar can teleport to a paralyzed creature dealing 1d10 psychic damage to himself, and can repeat the infect action if there is another creature that is frightened by Nexthar within range. Any creature that is not frightened by Nexthar that ends it's turn within 15ft of him must repeat the frightening saving throw. Once frightened by Nexthar, that creature cannot be frightened by him again for the next 24 hours.

Purge lasts for the Pawn's CON mod + Prof mod turn or until it looses all temporary hp. Once transformed back, the Pawn must make a CHA save. On a successful save, the Pawn can heal a number of CON mod creatures for 10d10 health and suffers 1 point of exhaustion. On a failed save, the Pawn takes 10d10 psychic damage, suffers 2 points of exhaustion, and looses attunement to the scythe. The scythe returns no matter the results of the save and gains no Bloodlust stacks while in the pocket dimension. Purge may only be used once per 7 days.