Aetherbound Ranger

Aether does not belong to civilisation. Long before scholars measured it, artificers harnessed it, or nations built wonders upon it, Aether moved through Mytherra as naturally as wind through the trees and water beneath the earth. It gathers in forgotten valleys, ancient forests, windswept peaks, deep caverns, and places where the wilderness has remained untouched for generations. And where those currents run strong, strange life follows.

Aetherwyrms are rare draconic creatures shaped by these ancient currents. Their forms vary wildly from region to region. Some bear antler-like horns and scales resembling bark or stone. Others possess feathers, translucent wings, crystalline growths, or markings that glow faintly when Aether stirs nearby. No two are entirely alike.

An Aetherbound Ranger has formed a bond with one of these creatures.

Such a bond isn't ownership. An Aetherwyrm isn't a trained beast, summoned servant, or obedient familiar. Ranger and wyrm are companions joined by a shared current of Aether. They hunt together, wander together, and gradually learn to draw upon one another's instincts and strength.

As the bond deepens, the distinction between their Aether begins to blur. Magic can flow through either body. Instinct passes between them without words. Distance becomes increasingly meaningless. Ancient stories tell of the greatest Aetherbound moving through the wilderness as though Ranger and wyrm were a single spirit given two forms.

Level 3: Aetherwyrm Companion

Level 3

Your path has become entwined with that of an Aetherwyrm, a rare draconic creature touched by the ancient currents of Aether flowing through the natural world.

You determine how your relationship began. You might have encountered a wounded wyrm deep within the wilderness, discovered one emerging from an ancient Aether-rich sanctuary, or simply crossed paths with a creature that inexplicably chose to continue travelling beside you. Whatever its origin, your wyrm is your companion rather than your servant.

As a Magic action, you can summon your Aetherwyrm in an unoccupied space you can see within 30 feet of yourself. It uses the Aetherwyrm Companion stat block.

You determine the wyrm's appearance. Its scales might resemble stone, crystal, bark, metal, feathers, or something stranger. Its body might bear luminous markings, vestigial horns, flowing tendrils, or other signs of the Aether that shaped it. These details don't alter its game statistics.

The Aetherwyrm is friendly to you and your allies and follows your directions. In combat, it shares your Initiative count but takes its turn immediately after yours. The Aetherwyrm acts independently on its turn. It can move and take actions normally and requires no action or Bonus Action from you to command it. If the Aetherwyrm is reduced to 0 Hit Points, its physical form dissolves into drifting Aether rather than dying.

Once you summon the Aetherwyrm, you can't do so again until you finish a Long Rest unless you expend a spell slot of level 1 or higher to summon it again.

Wild Attunement

Aetherwyrms possess an extraordinary ability to attune themselves to the lands through which they travel. Whenever you summon your Aetherwyrm, choose one of the following skills:

Arcana, Deception, Insight, Nature, Perception, Performance, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, or Survival.

Until you summon it again, the Aetherwyrm gains proficiency in the chosen skill and has Advantage on ability checks using it.

The wyrm's appearance and behaviour might subtly reflect its current attunement. One attuned to Stealth might develop muted scales and move without disturbing the undergrowth. One attuned to Perception might develop luminous eyes or raised sensory frills. An Arcana-attuned wyrm might bear faint patterns that trace the invisible currents of Aether around it.

These changes are manifestations of the wyrm's connection to the wilderness and have no additional game effect.

The Hit Points of your companion equals 5 x your current Ranger Level 

 

Level 7: Kindred Current

Level 7

While your Aetherwyrm is summoned, you gain the following benefits:

• Unbound Wings. Your Aetherwyrm's Fly Speed increases to equal its Speed. Whenever you summon it, you can choose for it to be Small or Medium. If it is at least one size larger than you and has suitable anatomy, it can serve as your mount. The Aetherwyrm can fly normally while carrying you.

• Aether-Forged Fang. Your Aetherwyrm's Aether-Forged Fang deals an additional 1d6 Force damage.

• Kindred Instincts. You gain proficiency in the skill chosen for the Aetherwyrm's Wild Attunement. If you already have proficiency in that skill, you instead add 1d4 whenever you make an ability check using it.

• Shared Current. When you cast a Ranger spell, you can cause the spell to originate from your space or your Aetherwyrm's space, provided the wyrm is within 60 feet of you and you can see it. You still provide all components of the spell.

• Aetherward. You gain Resistance to Force damage.

The manifestations of your bond are unique to you. A spell cast through your wyrm might travel along a visible thread of Aether connecting you, erupt from ancient markings across its scales, or simply emerge from the creature as naturally as though it had cast the spell itself.

 

Level 11: Breath of the Wild Aether

Level 11 

As a Magic action, either you or your Aetherwyrm can release this power in a 30-foot Cone. Each creature of your choice in the Cone must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Ranger spell save DC.

On a failed save, a creature takes 6d6 Force damage, and you roll on the Aether Unbound table to determine how the uncontrolled current affects it. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and suffers no additional effect. If an effect from the table has an ongoing duration, the affected creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending that effect on itself on a success.

The breath's damage increases to 8d6 when you reach Ranger level 15.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest unless you expend a spell slot of level 3 or higher to use it again.

Aether Unbound

d6	Manifestation
1 — Repulsion	The creature is pushed up to 20 feet directly away from the origin of the breath.
2 — Grasping Wilds	Spectral roots, ancient vines, crystalline growths, or another manifestation of wild Aether envelop the creature. It has the Restrained condition.
3 — Aether Burn	Raw Aether tears through the creature. It takes an additional 2d6 Force damage.
4 — Displacement	The creature is teleported up to 20 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
5 — Suppression	The creature can't take Reactions, and its Speed is halved until the effect ends.
6 — Aether Rupture	The Aether surrounding the creature violently ruptures. Each other creature within 10 feet of it takes 2d6 Force damage.

The appearance of the breath is determined by the Aetherbound pair. It might manifest as a torrent of luminous mist, fragments of spectral crystal, twisting currents of light, ghostly vegetation, shimmering distortion, or something unique to the region from which your Aetherwyrm came.

 

Level 15: Ancient Accord

Level 15

The oldest tales of the Aetherbound speak of partnerships that endured for decades. In those stories, Ranger and wyrm ceased behaving as separate creatures. They moved without instruction, protected one another without thought, and appeared wherever the other needed them.You have entered that same ancient accord.

While your Aetherwyrm is summoned, you gain the following benefits:

• Elder Fang. The additional Force damage dealt by your Aetherwyrm's Aether-Forged Fang increases from 1d6 to 2d6.

• Cross the Current. As a Bonus Action, you can teleport, exchanging spaces with your Aetherwyrm, provided you are within 120 feet of each other and each of you can fit in the other's space. You can use this benefit a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

• Kindred Ward. When either you or your Aetherwyrm fails an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw while within 60 feet of the other, the other creature can use its Reaction to reinforce the shared current between you. The creature that failed the saving throw rerolls it and must use the new result.

• Unbroken Current. The range of your Shared Current increases to 120 feet, and you no longer need to see your Aetherwyrm to cast a Ranger spell from its space, provided you are both on the same plane of existence.

Whenever you summon your Aetherwyrm, you can also choose for it to be Large. Its other statistics are unchanged.

Aether flows through stone, root, river, beast, and mortal alike. The wilderness doesn't recognise the borders civilisation draws across it, nor does the current distinguish between the creatures through which it passes. You and your Aetherwyrm have simply learned to do the same.