Martyr Knight

Martyr Knights are dark soldiers, who fight within the darkness to serve the light. Warriors that have a reputation of great, feared power. All Martyr Knights gain power in every opponent slain, by absorbing their soul after death. Usually, all kinds of Aasimar, both good and evil, become amongst these elite warriors. After all, the first Martyr Knight, and the basis of all the rest to come after, is indeed a fabled ashen-haired Aasimar hero, who wielded a legendary greatsword. These haunted fighters revel in combat, able to clear a small army of basic or unorganized soldiers, due to how they can utilize the souls they absorb within their body. Martyr Knights hold the ability to quickly regenerate wounds, bolster attacks, even come back from the brink of death. Whether or not by choice, you bear a sign of sacrifice, meaning you have suffered great loss. Or, in time you will.

Essence of Souls

3rd-level Martyr Knight feature

You carry a number of souls within yourself. The number of souls you harbor within your body are represented as Soul Essence dice, which are each a d6. You have a number of these dice equal to three times your proficiency bonus, and they fuel various powers you have, which are detailed below.

The powers you have depend on your Soul Essence die, as specified in a power’s description, and you can’t use a power if it requires you to use a die when all of your dice are expended. You regain all your expended Soul Essence dice when you finish a long rest. In addition, once you reduce a creature that has a soul and has an Intelligence score no less than 3 to 0 Hit Points, you regain one expended Soul Essence dice, as you absorb the creature’s soul into your body. If you have no expended dice when you slay a creature, you heal a number of missing hit points as if using Enhanced Regeneration.

When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of your Soul Essence dice increases: at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), and 17th level (d12). The powers below use your Soul Essence dice.

Enhanced Regeneration. As a bonus action, you can spend one or more of your Soul Essence dice to heal an amount of Hit Points equal to the number rolled plus your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1) for each dice expended, as you have a healing factor to close wounds that would normally prove detrimental, such as impalement or loss of limbs.

Soul Strike. You can enhance the force behind your strikes temporarily with the power of souls. Immediately after you hit a target within 30 feet of you with an attack and deal damage to it with a weapon or unarmed strike, you can expend one Soul Essence die, rolling it and dealing radiant or necrotic damage (your choice) equal to the number rolled plus your Constitution modifier.

Duality Sphere. As part of your attack action, you can expend a Soul Essence die and replace one or more of your attack rolls to throw a magical sphere of energy at a creature you can see. (Proficiency bonus + Constitutions modifier) The range of the sphere is 60 feet, and deals a number of radiant or necrotic damage (your choice) equal to two rolls of your Soul Essence dice plus your Constitution modifier.

Immolation State. If you have two or more Soul Dice remaining, as a bonus action, you can choose to overcharge your body with the power of souls, causing the power within you to become unstable, entering a state that rapidly destroys your very being at the cost of power. During this state, a Soul Dice is automatically used by the end of your turn, unless you’ve used a Soul Dice before the end of your turn. This state only ends when you choose to end it (no action required), when you run out of Soul Dice, get knocked unconscious, or become incapacitated. During Immolation, all checks and saving throws that use Strength or Dexterity are rolled with advantage, your movement speed increases by 10 feet, and all attack rolls deal extra radiant or necrotic damage (your choice) equal to half your fighter level rounded up. At the end of each of your turns, your maximum HP reduces by the same amount. Once Immolation ends, your hit point maximum returns to normal, though you do not regain any hit points lost by this feature. Once Immolation is used, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest, or expend 2 Soul Dice to use this feature again.

Ethereal Protector

7th-level Martyr Knight feature

You have unlocked new ways to utilize the souls of those you slay to protect the those around you, detailed below.

Soul Step. As a bonus action, you can expend a Soul Essence die and teleport a distance up to 60 feet away.

Broken Savior. When a creature you can see within 60 feet of you fails a Dexterity saving throw to avoid damage, you can expend a Soul Essence die and use your reaction to teleport within 5 feet of that creature’s location, manifesting spectral wings and interposing yourself between the creature and the source of the damage. The target automatically passes the saving throw, but you willingly fail the saving throw.

Spirit Ward

10th-level Martyr Knight feature

Your constant exposure to the souls of those you kill has altered your senses to perceive those with souls, while developing guards for your own soul and mind. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws, and know the location of creatures with souls out to 30 feet of you, including invisible creatures, such as ghosts.

Eternal Sacrifice

15th-level Martyr Knight feature

You’re forever marked to fight, so that even in death, the souls you possess within keep you from the cold grip of death. If you are reduced to 0 Hit Points before, or at the start of your next turn, as a free action you can expend a Soul Essence die to heal the wound and regain a number of Hit Points equal to the number rolled plus your Constitution modifier.

Master of Souls

18th-level Martyr Knight feature

Your constant use of other’s life force has forever altered you, so that you never find yourself in combat without souls to sacrifice. When you roll initiative and have no Soul Essence die remaining, you regain two Soul Essence die.