Order of the Zero Hour

'The hubris of the creator is not anticipating it's ruin at the hands of the created'

The Order of the Zero Hour is of the belief that intelligent life will come to its demise at the hands of it's own creations. To combat this the Order prepares. Arming its members with tools to overcome any situation rather than specific threats.

Just what the Order considers 'created' is a point of great contention, some parts of the Order consider Constructs their sole enemy whilst others have have a much broader scope, including conjured or altered creatures as a threat to the world. 

Boasting an intrinsically paranoid method of thinking, the Order derives its name from the theory of a Zero Hour in which a created being ascends to a level of self awareness that it may break free of it's imposed bonds and rules and lead others of it's kind in a brutal all out slaughter of any being other than its own kind.This event is described as a Zero Hour in accordance with the belief that the moment this happens, naturally created life has initiated the countdown to its own destruction.

Members of the Order of the Zero Hour may be found closely observing those it believes to be conducting research or experiments that further risk initiating this destruction. They also consider the removal of rampant Constructs and unnatural beings to be part of their duty as well as participating in battles or events in the defense of the realm. 

Rite of Nullification

After your initiation to the order at 3rd level, you are taught the Crimson Rite of Nullification.

Rite of Nullification. Your rite damage is force damage. While the rite is active, you also gain the following benefits:

• Void Countenance: Your weapon muffles sound in a 5ft radius aura centred on you as if under the influence of the silence spell. 
• Reactive Resilience: Whilst under the effect of a status condition that allows you to make a saving throw to end the condition, you may use your reaction to roll an additional saving throw before your next turn.
• Bane of the Created: Your weapon deals one additional hemocraft die of rite damage when you hit a construct. 

Curse Contingency

Beginning at 3rd level, you realise the need to apply your blood curses to constructs. Your blood curses can target any creature, regardless of whether it has blood or not.

You also gain the ability to attempt to avoid any self inflicted hemocraft die damage. Upon activation of your Crimson Rite or amplification of your Blood Maledict feature you may choose to roll a constitution saving throw, avoiding the damage entirely on a success.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

The save DC for this feature begins at 13 and increases by two each time you use this feature. Resetting on a long rest. 

Silent Link

Upon reaching 7th level, your preparation to combat intelligent foes has taught you to keep your plans and battle tactics out of the prying ears of your enemies.

As an action you may select up to 8 willing creatures that you can see within 60ft and forge a telepathic bond with each. Once forged the bond lasts for 10 minutes, has a range of 1 mile and no longer requires sight.

Any creatures that share a language may communicate with each other via the link. The bond terminates for all creatures if you lose consciousness or are otherwise blocked from telepathic communication 

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier (minimum of one) and regain all uses upon completing a long rest. 

Brand of the Jailor

Beginning at 11th level, your Brand of Castigation helps ensure that your quarry cannot escape once you have targeted it for destruction. Creatures bearing your brand have their movement speed halved and provoke opportunity attacks from you even if they use the disengage action.

Furthermore, if you successfully make an opportunity attack against a branded creature it must make a strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Blood Curse of Faltering

At 15th level, you’ve perfected the art of using your hemocraft to cause enemies to weaken against effects that would not usually phase them. You gain the Blood Curse of Faltering for your Blood Maledict feature. This doesn’t count against your number of blood curses known.

Unfailing Rite

Upon reaching 18th level, you have fully realised your potential as the realm's contingency plan.

Whenever you make an attack with your Crimson Rite active, you may choose to activate this feature. For one minute, regardless of whether or not your attack hits you may roll your Crimson Rite damage against the target of your attack. Damage resistances or immunities are calculated as normal.

You gain one use of this feature at 18th level and regain that use upon completing a long rest.