Primeval

"They came out of the wildlands, wearing beasts as armour; as trophies. We were overrun in mere seconds. I'm not sure why I was spared. Maybe it was to warn other tribes and wanderers to not pick quarrels and wars with those who wear the wilderness." - Carvings in a tablet, mounted on a tree.

In battle, the Primeval is a fearsome sight. Wearing different beasts on their body, they adapt to any foe and any challenge. Their strikes are swift and powerful, mimicking the predatory instincts of the creatures whose armor they wear.

But it’s not just about the physical prowess. The Primeval possess an almost mystical connection to the natural world. They understand the delicate balance of life and death, predator and prey. This deep respect for nature and its ancient inhabitants guides their actions, whether they are defending their homeland from invaders or hunting down those who would desecrate the wilds.

To become a Primeval is to walk the path that embodies nature itself. It is to honor the wildlands and harness their strength in the service of a greater balance. 

Primeval Armor

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to craft and wear armor made from the hides, scales, shells, or carapaces of different creatures. You can spend 8 hours crafting armor from a creature you've defeated, which grants you special properties based on the type of creature. You can spend a bonus action to switch into your Primeval Armors a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, however, you can't switch into a Primeval Armor more than once per hour.

Example Primeval Armors:

To provide Dungeon Masters and players with ideas, here are some creatures and the special properties their armor might grant:

• Sabertooth Pelt Armor: Grants you advantage on Perception checks that rely on smell, and your melee weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
• Megalodon Hide Armor: Grants you a swimming speed of 30 feet and resistance to cold damage.
• Tortoise Shell Armor: Grants you a +1 bonus to AC and resistance to bludgeoning damage.
• Dragonfly Carapace Armor: Grants you a flying speed of 20 feet and advantage on Stealth checks.
• Beetle Carapace Armor: Grants you resistance to poison damage and advantage on Strength checks and saving throws.

Also starting at 3rd level, you develop a small pocket dimension in which you can store your various bestial armours. Starting at 1 at 3rd level, then increasing to 2 at 7th level, 3 at 10th level, 5 at 15th level, and an unlimited amount at 18th level.

Wild Reflexes

At 7th level, you gain proficiency in Dexterity saving throws. Additionally, you can choose one of the following benefits when you finish a long rest:

• Your speed increases by 10 feet.
• You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
• You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.

In for the Kill

At 10th level, your attacks become more ferocious, mirroring the predatory nature of the prehistoric creatures whose armor you wear. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can deal an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon’s type. If you’re wearing a Primeval Armor, this extra damage increases to 2d8.

Adapt to Survive

At 15th level, your Primeval Armor hardens and adapts, granting you resistance to one type of damage based on the creature it was made from. Choose one of the following damage types when you craft the armor:

• Fire
• Cold
• Lightning
• Poison

Additionally, while wearing your Primeval Armor, you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened, and proficiency in Intimidation.

Apex Predator

At 18th level, you embody the apex predators of the world around you. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + your Fighter level. Additionally, you can choose to gain one of the following benefits while wearing Primeval Armor:

• Regeneration: At the start of your turn, if you have less than half of your hit points remaining, you regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). This feature doesn’t function if you have 0 hit points.
• Unyielding: When you drop to 0 hit points and don’t die outright, you can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead. Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. The DC resets to 10 after a long rest.

Additionally, you can combine multiple Primeval Armors to gain their benefits simultaneously (max. 3). 

Example Creatures and Corresponding Armors

To provide Dungeon Masters and players with ideas, here are some stronger creatures and the special properties their armor might grant:

• T-Rex Hide Armor: Grants advantage on Intimidation checks and the ability to use a powerful roar once per short rest, forcing all creatures within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or become frightened for 1 minute.
• Plesiosaurus Scale Armor: Grants you a swimming speed of 40 feet and the ability to hold your breath for up to 1 hour. Gain advantage when making an attack on a creature while in water.
• Stegosaurus Plate Armor: Grants you a +2 bonus to AC and the ability to deal an extra 1d6 piercing damage when you make a successful melee attack.
• Titanic Scorpion Carapace Armor: Grants resistance to poison damage and the ability to use a poisonous sting attack once per short rest (1d6 poison damage, DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier for half damage).
• Mammoth Hide Armor: Grants resistance to cold damage and advantage on Athletics checks.
• Giant Centipede Carapace Armor: Grants a climbing speed of 30 feet and the ability to cast the Spider Climb spell on yourself once per long rest.