Stories of Vaywn: Lunar Guardian

The Lunar Guardian is a Fighter subclass deeply intertwined with the moon’s phases and the ancient curses of lycanthropy. These warriors have either been afflicted with or have chosen to embrace a lycanthropic curse, granting them the ability to transform into fearsome beasts during battle. Unlike most cursed individuals, Lunar Guardians have learned to control their transformations, using the lunar cycles to enhance their physical prowess and tap into the mystical energies of the moon. Lunar Guardians possess a unique connection to the celestial body, allowing them to harness its power in various ways. During their transformations, they gain access to feral abilities that enhance their combat skills, making them faster, stronger, and more resilient. They also develop a keen awareness of their surroundings, honing their senses to detect danger and protect their allies. As a Lunar Guardian, you walk a perilous path, constantly battling the beast within while seeking to master its power. The phases of the moon play a significant role in your abilities, with different lunar phases granting you various boons and challenges. Whether you are a noble protector using your curse to defend others or a relentless hunter driven by primal instincts, the power of the moon and the curse of lycanthropy will shape your destiny. The Lunar Guardian is a subclass that delves into themes of duality, control, and transformation, offering a unique blend of martial prowess and mystical abilities that set them apart as both fierce combatants and enigmatic protectors.

 

Lore: The origin of the Lunar Guardian is shrouded in myth and legend, with stories tracing back to the first heroes who dared to challenge the powers of the moon. Some say that the first Lunar Guardians were blessed by a celestial deity, given the gift of lycanthropy as a means to protect the world from the darkness that emerged with each lunar cycle. Others believe that they were cursed warriors, bound to the moon’s influence after making a desperate pact to save their loved ones from a monstrous fate. In Dungevista, where the light of the moon barely reaches the depths of the Dungeon, the Lunar Guardians are both feared and revered. They walk a fine line between hero and monster, often misunderstood by those who see only their beastly nature. Yet, these warriors are crucial to the city’s survival, for their connection to the lunar phases grants them power beyond the ken of ordinary fighters. The moons that hang over Dungevista, glowing faintly through the perpetual haze, seem to pulse with power when a Lunar Guardian steps onto the battlefield, their presence a constant reminder of the thin veil separating man from beast.

Roleplaying Features:

1. Lunar Influence: As a Lunar Guardian, your character’s mood and behavior might subtly shift with the phases of the moon. During a full moon, you might feel an overwhelming urge to protect others, your sense of duty heightened to a near obsessive degree. Conversely, during a new moon, you might struggle with dark thoughts, the beast within clawing at the edges of your sanity. Roleplaying this inner conflict can add depth to your character’s actions and decisions.
2. Beastial Restraint: The curse of lycanthropy is a constant presence in your life. You’ve learned to control it, but there are moments when the beast threatens to break free. In roleplay, this might manifest as sudden, intense bursts of aggression when you or your companions are threatened. You may also develop rituals or routines to help keep the beast in check—meditation, charms, or even a mentor who teaches you how to harness your curse.
3. Lunar Guidance: Your connection to the moon grants you a form of lunar intuition. You might experience visions or dreams that guide you toward your next goal or warn you of impending danger. These insights could be cryptic, requiring you to piece together their meaning through interaction with others or careful observation of your surroundings.
4. Outsider’s Perspective: Despite your efforts to control your transformation, others may still view you with suspicion or fear. You might encounter prejudice or mistrust, especially from those who have suffered at the hands of lycanthropes. This could lead to complex interactions where you have to prove your intentions or struggle to gain the trust of those around you.
5. Lunar Rituals: Your character might perform rituals during different lunar phases to honor the moon and maintain balance within themselves. These rituals could involve seeking out a quiet place to meditate under the moonlight, offering small sacrifices, or communing with the natural world. These rituals can be incorporated into roleplay as moments of calm before a storm, a way to center yourself before facing the challenges ahead.
6. Dual Nature: The dichotomy between your human and beast forms is central to your character’s identity. In roleplay, you might grapple with the implications of your transformations—how they affect your relationships, your sense of self, and your place in the world. The struggle to balance these two sides can be a compelling narrative thread, influencing your character’s choices and interactions with others.

By embracing these roleplaying features, you can bring the Lunar Guardian’s unique blend of martial skill and mystical connection to the moon to life in your campaign. The tension between control and surrender, light and darkness, human and beast, will define your journey through Dungevista and beyond.

Hybrid Form: Moon Touched

3rd-level Lunar Guardian feature At 3rd level, you’ve learned to control your lycanthropic curse, transforming into your Moon-Touched Hybrid Form as a bonus action. Your Hybrid Form grants you unique benefits based on your lycanthropic lineage:

• Werewolf: Your melee weapon attacks deal an additional 1d4 necrotic damage. You gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on hearing and smell.

• Weretiger: Your movement speed increases by 10 feet, and you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. Your melee weapon attacks deal an additional 1d4 slashing damage.

• Werebear: You gain a +1 bonus to AC while unarmored, and your melee weapon attacks deal an additional 1d4 bludgeoning damage.

• Wereboar: Your melee weapon attacks deal an additional 1d4 piercing damage. You can use a bonus action to move up to your speed towards a hostile creature you can see.

• Wererat: Your Dexterity increases by 1 (up to a maximum of 20), and you gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Your melee weapon attacks deal an additional 1d4 piercing damage.

You can stay in this form for up to 1 minute. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Corrupted Frenzy

7th-level Lunar Guardian feature At 7th level, your Hybrid Form grows stronger under the influence of the Dungeon. Depending on your lycanthropic curse, you gain the following benefits:

• Werewolf: You gain an additional attack when you take the Attack action. This attack deals an extra 1d6 necrotic damage.

• Weretiger: When you move at least 20 feet towards a target and hit it with a melee weapon attack on the same turn, the target takes an additional 1d6 slashing damage, and you can attempt to knock it prone as a bonus action.

• Werebear: You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks while in your Hybrid Form.

• Wereboar: When you make a melee weapon attack and hit a creature, you can use your reaction to deal an additional 1d6 piercing damage and attempt to push the target 10 feet away from you.

• Wererat: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can attempt to poison it. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or be poisoned for 1 minute

Moon's Shadow

10th-level Lunar Guardian feature At 10th level, the moon’s power over you deepens, granting you the ability to harness its light even in the darkest parts of Dungevista. You gain the following benefits based on your lycanthropic curse:

• Werewolf: You gain Shadow Step, allowing you to teleport up to 30 feet to a space in dim light or darkness as a bonus action.

• Weretiger: You gain Tiger’s Pounce, allowing you to make an additional melee weapon attack when you charge more than 20 feet before attacking a creature.

• Werebear: You gain Bear’s Fortitude, allowing you to regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier at the start of your turn while in Hybrid Form, if you have at least 1 hit point remaining.

• Wereboar: You gain Boar’s Charge, allowing you to knock creatures prone when you move at least 10 feet straight towards them and hit them with a melee weapon attack.

• Wererat: You gain Rat’s Scurry, allowing you to move through spaces occupied by other creatures without provoking opportunity attacks, and you can Hide as a bonus action.

 

Cursed Strike

15th-level Lunar Guardian feature At 15th level, your mastery over your lycanthropy allows you to channel its feral energy into devastating attacks. Each type of lycanthropy grants a unique Cursed Strike:

• Werewolf: When you hit with a melee weapon attack, you can make it a Cursed Strike, dealing an additional 4d6 necrotic damage and causing the target to make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute.

• Weretiger: Your Cursed Strike deals an additional 4d6 slashing damage and forces the target to make a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.

• Werebear: Your Cursed Strike deals an additional 4d6 bludgeoning damage, and the target must make a Strength saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

• Wereboar: Your Cursed Strike deals an additional 4d6 piercing damage, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute.

• Wererat: Your Cursed Strike deals an additional 4d6 poison damage, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Aspect of the Night Beast

8th-level Lunar Guardian feature At 18th level, you fully embody the primal essence of your lycanthropic curse. Your Hybrid Form lasts up to 10 minutes, and you gain the following benefits based on your lycanthropic curse:

• Werewolf: Your Strength score increases by 2, up to a maximum of 22. You gain the ability to cast Fear once per long rest without expending a spell slot while in your Hybrid Form.

• Weretiger: Your Dexterity score increases by 2, up to a maximum of 22. You gain advantage on all melee attacks made during the first round of combat while in your Hybrid Form.

• Werebear: Your Constitution score increases by 2, up to a maximum of 22. You gain advantage on Strength checks and saving throws, and you can cast Enlarge/Reduce on yourself once per long rest without expending a spell slot while in your Hybrid Form.

• Wereboar: Your Strength score increases by 2, up to a maximum of 22. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, you can make one additional melee attack as a bonus action.

• Wererat: Your Dexterity score increases by 2, up to a maximum of 22. You gain the ability to cast Invisibility on yourself once per long rest without expending a spell slot while in your Hybrid Form.