The Sovereign Will

Level 3 Feature: Sovereign's Gaze

Your martial training is fueled by an indomitable will, allowing you to turn defense into immediate, punishing retaliation.

You gain a pool of reactive focus called Sovereign's Gaze, which holds a number of charges equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all expended charges when you finish a short or long rest.

When a creature you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to execute one of the following counters:

• Melee Retaliation: When hit by a melee attack, you can expend 1 charge to parry the blow, taking only half damage from the attack. You can choose to expend 1 additional charge (2 charges total) to retaliate. If you do, the attacker takes damage equal to the damage you mitigated (the amount of damage prevented), and the target gains vulnerability to the triggering attack's nonmagical damage type until the end of your next turn.

• Ranged Retaliation: When hit by a ranged attack, you can expend 1 charge to attempt to evade. Make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to the attacker's total attack roll. On a success, you take no damage. If you successfully evade the attack, you can choose to expend 1 additional charge (2 charges total) to do one of the following:

  • Immediately move a distance up to twice your base walking speed.

  • Redirect the projectile at a new target you can see within 30 feet of you. Make a ranged weapon attack against the new target using your proficiency bonus and Dexterity modifier. On a hit, the target takes the attack's original damage and effects.

Level 7 Feature: Sovereign Assault

You gain a pool of active focus called Sovereign Assault, which holds a number of charges equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended charges when you finish a short or long rest.

As an action, you can execute the following technique:

• Amputation: You expend 1 charge to move a distance up to twice your walking speed. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. If you end this movement within melee reach of a creature, you can make one weapon attack against them, gaining a +10 bonus to the attack roll.

If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier). On a failed save, roll a d10. The target suffers one of the following effects until the end of its next turn based on the result:

• 1-4 (Severed Feet): The target's walking speed becomes 0, and it cannot benefit from any bonuses to its speed or use any abilities that require movement.

• 5-8 (Severed Hands): The target has disadvantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and actions that require the use of its hands. Additionally, the target cannot cast spells that require somatic components.

• 9 (Severed Legs): The target is knocked prone, its walking speed becomes 0, and it is incapacitated.

• 10 (Severed Arms): The target drops whatever it is holding, and it is incapacitated.

Level 10 Feature: Sovereign Pursuit

You have achieved a level of martial alacrity that blurs the line between motion and stillness. Upon gaining this feature, you receive the following benefits:

• Swift Strikes: Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, you can make one additional attack as part of that action.

• Fleet of Foot: Your base walking speed increases by 15 feet.

Additionally, you learn a specialized technique to manipulate the flow of combat:

Lethargiation Strike You can execute a precise, debilitating blow that saps the momentum of your enemy. You can use this feature once, and you regain the expended use whenever you roll initiative.

As an action, make a special weapon attack against a target. You use your Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls of this strike, but you take a -10 penalty to the attack roll.

If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage and triggers the following effects:

• Vitality Transfer: You, or one allied creature of your choice within 60 feet of you, regain hit points equal to twice the amount of damage dealt by this strike.

• Stolen Momentum: The target must make a Charisma saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier). On a failed save, the target’s initiative is immediately shifted to the bottom of the initiative order. If the target has already taken its turn this round, it does not take a second turn at this new initiative count. If it has not yet acted this round, it will now act at the end of the current round. The target remains at this new initiative count for the rest of the encounter.

• Lethargic Backlash: On a successful Charisma saving throw, the target resists the temporal shift, and the momentum forcefully rebounds. You are stunned until the end of the target's next turn. (Note: If the attack hits while the target is incapacitated or stunned, they automatically fail this saving throw).

Level 15 Feature: Sovereign's Decree

Your will can now manifest as a single, perfect strike—a decree so absolute it can sever an enemy's fate. You gain the following two abilities:

• Reserve of Will: As a bonus action, you can instantly regain a number of expended Sovereign's Gaze charges equal to your proficiency bonus. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

• Neverending Assault: When you use your Sovereign Assault feature, you can use your reaction and expend 5 charges of your Sovereign's Gaze to orchestrate a flawless, coordinated maneuver. When you do so, you can immediately move up to your walking speed, and you choose up to two allied creatures within 60 feet of you. The chosen allies can each immediately take one action of their choice. Neither your movement from this feature, nor any movement your allies make during their granted actions, provokes opportunity attacks. You can use this feature once, and you regain the expended use when you finish a long rest.

Level 18 Feature: Absolute Sovereignty

You have reached the absolute pinnacle of martial authority. The flow of battle, and even fate itself, bows to your command.

When you or an allied creature you can see within 240 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to categorically deny their fall. You expend 1 charge of this feature to trigger the following effects:

• Defy Death: The target instead drops to 1 hit point. They immediately stand up (if they were knocked prone) and can immediately take one action of their choice.

• Immortal Decree: The target is wreathed in your unyielding will. Their hit points cannot be reduced below 1 until the end of their next turn.

• Surging Willpower: You draw upon the absolute limit of your focus, instantly gaining temporary hit points equal to half of your hit point maximum.

• Cascading Assault: The sheer force of your intervention opens a tactical window. During your next turn, you can use a bonus action to activate your Neverending Assault feature. Activating Neverending Assault in this way does not consume its normal use, does not require you to have used Sovereign Assault first, and does not cost any Sovereign's Gaze charges.

You can use this feature once. Due to the immense toll this takes on your spirit, you must finish 3 long rests before you can use this feature again.

Level 3: Sovereign's Gaze

Your martial training is fueled by an indomitable will, allowing you to turn defense into immediate, punishing retaliation.

You gain a pool of reactive focus called Sovereign's Gaze, which holds a number of charges equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all expended charges when you finish a short or long rest.

When a creature you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to execute one of the following counters:

• Melee Retaliation: When hit by a melee attack, you can expend 1 charge to parry the blow, taking only half damage from the attack. You can choose to expend 1 additional charge (2 charges total) to retaliate. If you do, the attacker takes damage equal to the damage you mitigated (the amount of damage prevented), and the target gains vulnerability to the triggering attack's nonmagical damage type until the end of your next turn.

• Ranged Retaliation: When hit by a ranged attack, you can expend 1 charge to attempt to evade. Make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to the attacker's total attack roll. On a success, you take no damage. If you successfully evade the attack, you can choose to expend 1 additional charge (2 charges total) to do one of the following:

  • Immediately move a distance up to twice your base walking speed.

  • Redirect the projectile at a new target you can see within 30 feet of you. Make a ranged weapon attack against the new target using your proficiency bonus and Dexterity modifier. On a hit, the target takes the attack's original damage and effects.

Level 7: Sovereign Assault

You gain a pool of active focus called Sovereign Assault, which holds a number of charges equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended charges when you finish a short or long rest.

As an action, you can execute the following technique:

• Amputation: You expend 1 charge to move a distance up to twice your walking speed. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. If you end this movement within melee reach of a creature, you can make one weapon attack against them.

If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier). On a failed save, roll a d10. The target suffers one of the following effects until the end of its next turn based on the result:

• 1-4 (Severed Feet): The target's walking speed becomes 0, and it cannot benefit from any bonuses to its speed or use any abilities that require movement.

• 5-8 (Severed Hands): The target has disadvantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and actions that require the use of its hands. Additionally, the target cannot cast spells that require somatic components.

• 9 (Severed Legs): The target is knocked prone, its walking speed becomes 0, and it is incapacitated.

• 10 (Severed Arms): The target drops whatever it is holding, and it is incapacitated.

Sovereign Pursuit

You have achieved a level of martial alacrity that blurs the line between motion and stillness. Upon gaining this feature, you receive the following benefits:

• Swift Strikes: Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, you can make one additional attack as part of that action.

• Fleet of Foot: Your base walking speed increases by 15 feet.

Lethargiation Strike You can execute a precise, debilitating blow that saps the momentum of your enemy. You can use this feature once, and you regain the expended use whenever you roll initiative.

As an action, make a special weapon attack against a target. You use your Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls of this strike, but you take a -10 penalty to the attack roll.

If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage and triggers the following effects:

• Vitality Transfer: You, or one allied creature of your choice within 60 feet of you, regain hit points equal to twice the amount of damage dealt by this strike.

• Stolen Momentum: The target must make a Charisma saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier). On a failed save, the target’s initiative is immediately shifted to the bottom of the initiative order. If the target has already taken its turn this round, it does not take a second turn at this new initiative count. If it has not yet acted this round, it will now act at the end of the current round. The target remains at this new initiative count for the rest of the encounter.

• Lethargic Backlash: On a successful Charisma saving throw, the target resists the temporal shift, and the momentum forcefully rebounds onto you. You are stunned until the end of the target's next turn.

Level 15: Sovereign's Decree

Your will can now manifest as a single, perfect strike—a decree so absolute it can sever an enemy's fate. You gain the following two abilities:

• Reserve of Will: As a bonus action, you can instantly regain a number of expended Sovereign's Gaze charges equal to your proficiency bonus. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

• Neverending Assault: When you use your Sovereign Assault feature, you can use your reaction and expend 5 charges of your Sovereign's Gaze to orchestrate a flawless, coordinated maneuver. When you do so, you can immediately move up to your walking speed, and you choose up to two allied creatures within 60 feet of you. The chosen allies can each immediately take one action of their choice. Neither your movement from this feature, nor any movement your allies make during their granted actions, provokes opportunity attacks. You can use this feature once, and you regain the expended use when you finish a long rest.

Level 18: Absolute Sovereignty

You have reached the absolute pinnacle of martial authority. The flow of battle, and even fate itself, bows to your command.

When you or an allied creature you can see within 240 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to categorically deny their fall. You expend 1 charge of this feature to trigger the following effects:

• Defy Death: The target instead drops to 1 hit point. They immediately stand up (if they were knocked prone) and can immediately take one action of their choice.

• Immortal Decree: The target is wreathed in your unyielding will. Their hit points cannot be reduced below 1 until the end of their next turn.

• Surging Willpower: You draw upon the absolute limit of your focus, instantly gaining temporary hit points equal to half of your hit point maximum.

• Cascading Assault: The sheer force of your intervention opens a tactical window. During your next turn, you can use a bonus action to activate your Neverending Assault feature. Activating Neverending Assault in this way does not consume its normal use, does not require you to have used Sovereign Assault first, and does not cost any Sovereign's Gaze charges.

You can use this feature once. Due to the immense toll this takes on your spirit, you must finish 3 long rests before you can use this feature again.