Sovereign of Dread

Forged through blood, tempered through war, you have become intimate with the concept of fear, and the spread of terror, indoctrinating it into your fighting style, to dishearten even the most steadfast of those who would stand against you.

Prestige 1 - The Iron Grip of Despair

Your subjects kneel, not from respect, but because they cannot stand in your presence. Your will is absolute, and those who oppose you find their strength sapped by the crushing weight of your authority. They cannot rebel—whether by fear or your sheer commanding aura, they know their place, bound under the shadow of your iron crown.

Your Charisma score is set to 24, forged through countless years of diplomatic manoeuvring and leadership. You have the iron will of a ruler. Three times per short rest, when you would fail a saving throw, you may choose to succeed instead. Your presence is not just one of fear, but complete and utter authority. Any creature under the effects of your Demoralized feature cannot target you with any area effects, harmful abilities, or similar things that would cause you harm without your express consent, unless they first succeed on the saving throw imposed by your Demoralize feature. Whenever a creature would trigger the saving throw from your Demoralize feature, roll an Intimidation check: the DC is now equal to the results of your check. Creatures cannot be immune to, avoid or cleanse your Demoralize effects as long as you're within their line of sight.

Prestige 2 - Dread's Presence

There is no sound, yet the silence weighs heavy. In the shadows, a chill clings to the skin, not born of cold, but of something far older. Something that lurks in the hidden corners of the mind. The world around shifts uncomfortably, eyes darting as if something unseen stalks them from behind.

 They not yet know of it, but a seed has been planted.

Whenever you make a weapon attack, on a hit you may make an Intimidation check. You may deal additional damage on the hit equal to the result as necrotic damage. Additionally, the creature you are attacking must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to the Intimidation check result. On a failed save, the creature becomes both Frightened and Demoralized. If they are already Demoralized, they instead explode with black flame, striking all hostile creatures within 60 feet of the target. The flames cause all creatures touched by them to become Demoralized. If the creatures touched by the flames are already Demoralized, they lose hit points equal to the damage roll of the attack, and additionally become vulnerable to necrotic damage you deal, unless they were already resistant or immune. If a creature is reduced to 0 hit points while Frightened or Demoralized, you can choose to bind their soul to your service.

For every soul you have bound in your possession, you receive an extra +1 to your checks, attacks, and damage rolls. Souls bound to you cannot escape their binding unless you free them of your own free will. Souls may only be bound on quests, at DM discretion. You may only benefit from an amount of souls active equal to your Strength score.

Prestige 3 - Legion of the Damned

In the stillness, shadows lengthen, and a cold wind stirs. Phantoms cloaked in the memory of their suffering, bound eternally to your will. Silent, obedient, and unforgiving, they serve as the enforcers of your empire, willing and eager to strike down those who would stand against your era of progress.

As an action, you may summon up to three Nightwalker's in a space you may see within sixty feet of you. Each Nightwalker is friendly to you, and obeys your mental commands: you, and allies you designate upon calling these Nightwalker's are immune to any detrimental effects they may impose. The Nightwalker's gain a bonus to hit, saving throws, ability checks and damage equal to the amount of souls you currently have bound in your possession, and they share your epic boons. Any creatures of your choice who witnesses these Nightwalker's being summoned are under the effects of your Demoralize, with the Nightwalker being the origin.

When a Nightwalker under your control reduces a creature to 0 Hit Points, instead of it's Life Eater trait, their soul becomes bound in your service, until you decide to free them. 

Prestige 4 - Soulsworn Vanguard

A monarch is only as strong as their subjects. Soulsworn, bound to you through fear and fate, their loyalty sealed in the moment of their deaths. To ensure your survival, to ensure your victory, they have devoted themselves, proving their ability where all else had faltered.

Your vanguard is loyal to you, even through death, serving as a permanent blockade between you and those you would stand against. Due to them, you may take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. You regain spent legendary actions at the start of your turn.

Legionary Assault: The soldiers sworn to your legion assist you in your assault. You may immediately make two attacks.

Soulward Aegis: You can immediately end one condition or effect affecting you in it's entirely, gaining immunity to it until the end of your next turn.

Shieldwall: Until the end of your next turn, all damage dealt to you is reduced by an amount equal to your Constitution + Strength scores, absorbed by your Legion.

Forceful Advance: You teleport up to 60 feet to a point you can see.

Prestige 5 - Imperial Perfection

Your enemies falter, sensing that they are not merely facing a warrior, but a ruler. In this moment, there is no flaw, no hesitation. You are truly flawless.

At the start of each of your turns, or whenever you make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you gain an Emperor charge (as per your unique boon), allowing you to succeed on the most menial of tasks that others would struggle with for some divine reason. Emperor charges can only be gained in combat, and reset after 24 hours. It is impossible for a creature to convince you of something you do not wish to be convinced of, or influence you in any way.

 Prestige 6 - Eternal Bulwark

The souls bound to you are more than just specters, they are your shield. Arrows bend away, strikes slow before reaching you, and even magic fizzles as the souls intercept, taking the brunt of the assault with unwavering loyalty towards their charge.

For every soul you have bound in your possession, you now also receive a +1 bonus to your Armor Class, Saving Throws and your maximum hit points increase by 10. There is no longer a limit on the amount of souls you may benefit from.

Prestige 7/8 - Eternal Sovereignty

"In this empire, where my will is absolute, the very essence of your defiance becomes fuel for my conquest. When you challenge my dominion, my people, my land, you do not merely oppose me. You offer yourself as a tribute to my rule. You will get one chance to leave, and only one, before you will come to forget everything you've ever known."

All beings within your domain are compelled to follow your commands, showcasing your will as absolute within the nation you've built.

In addition, creatures you designate within your domain are stripped of all abilities, special traits and boons they may have, except for class features, if any.

You may, at any time, choose to transport a creature within your domain to a shadowy arena: which takes shape and size of your desire. They appear directly opposite you, 30 feet away, and are unable to interact or contact anything outside of the arena through any means.

While within this colosseum, all of their ability scores, maximum hit points, armor class, check bonuses and saving throws are reduced by half their original amount: the other half you gain for yourself.

Whenever a creature makes an attack, it's damage is reduced by half, and you gain the reduced amount as a bonus to all of your damage rolls until the end of your next turn.

The creature's original statistics are restored upon leaving your domain. The only means to leave the arena are through you granting them passage, or by dying, in which case, they are immediately returned to where they were in your domain before being summoned. It is impossible for a creature to be immune to or avoid these effects. If they still somehow do, they are unavoidably turned into a CR0 Commoner.