Divine Champion - Lunar Avatar in Training

DIVINE CHAMPION (Lunar Avatar in Training)

Core Concept

A Divine Champion is a mortal chosen and uplifted by a moon to be its walking ideology. Unlike Priests/Clerics (who tap a current), Champions are:

• Singular avatars: each moon has at most one true Champion at a time.
• Heavily martial, half-caster style.
• Anchored to one Primary Moon; they may respect others, but their power source is singular and personal.

Mechanically, think:

• Paladin-like hit die, proficiencies, and spell progression.
• Oath‑style subclass = Moon Path.

Narratively:

• Becoming a Champion is an event:
• Mechanically, you can take levels 1–20.
• In the setting, the moment of “uplift” is a story beat—visions, celestial portents, temples recognizing you, etc.

Class Basics

• Hit Die: d10
• Primary Ability: Strength or Dexterity (player’s choice)
• Spellcasting Ability: Wisdom
• Saves: Wisdom, Charisma
• Armor: All armor, shields
• Weapons: Simple and martial weapons
• Tools: One set (religious instruments, artisan tools, or a martial order’s tools)

Skills: Choose 2 from Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, Religion, Survival.

Spellcasting (Summary)

• Half-caster progression (like Paladin/Ranger):
• 1st-level spells at 2nd
• 2nd-level at 5th
• 3rd-level at 9th
• 4th-level at 13th
• 5th-level at 17th
• Spells prepared = Wis mod + half your Champion level (rounded up).
• Spell list:
• Buffs, smites, auras, protection, moon‑flavored magic.
• Plus unique spells per Moon Path later (Lunara path gets order/oath spells, etc.).

Divine Champion – Features by Level

Level 1 – Lunar Chosen & Fighting Style

1. Lunar Chosen (Aspirant)

At level 1, you are recognized by a moon but not yet fully ascended.

• Choose your Primary Moon (e.g., Lunara).
• You gain:
• A moon mark (visible or subtle): e.g., silver irises, a halo on your shadow, etc.
• An instinctive sense of:
• When your moon is above the horizon
• Its general phase (New/Waxing/Full/Waning)
• You gain a passive Moon’s Favor baseline:
• When acting in clear accordance with your moon’s ideology (protecting community, enforcing law for Lunara; etc.), you can add +1d4 once per short rest to:
• An attack roll, saving throw, or ability check.

2. Fighting Style

Choose one:

• Defense: +1 AC while wearing armor.
• Dueling: +2 damage when wielding a single one‑handed weapon.
• Great Weapon Fighting: Reroll 1s and 2s on damage dice for two‑handed melee weapons.
• Protection: Use reaction with shield to impose disadvantage on an attack vs an adjacent ally.
• (We can add moon‑specific styles later if you like.)

Level 2 – Moon’s Smite & Spellcasting

1. Spellcasting (Half‑Caster)

• You gain 1st‑level spells.
• Slots and progression as per half‑caster (Paladin style).

2. Moon’s Smite

Similar to Divine Smite, but flavored by your moon.

• When you hit with a melee weapon attack:
• You can expend a spell slot to deal extra radiant or thematic damage (e.g., Lunara = radiant; Umbriel = necrotic; Eryth = lightning; etc.).
• Extra damage:
• 1st-level slot: 2d8
• +1d8 per slot level above 1st
• +1d8 if the target is a sworn oath‑breaker or creature opposed to your moon’s ideology (GM adjudication; e.g., chaos cultist vs Lunara).
• Damage cap: 5d8 normally, 6d8 vs opposed creatures.

Level 3 – Moon Path (Subclass) & Lunar Oath

You choose your Moon Path—your specific Champion archetype. We’ll fully detail Lunara’s Path here; others later.

You also gain:

1. Lunar Oath

• You swear a personal oath embodying your moon’s ideals.
• You gain Oath Tenets (roleplay-guiding principles) and Oath‑breaking consequences (loss or distortion of power until atonement).

2. Moon Path Features (3rd level)

Each Moon Path grants:

• A set of Oath Spells (always prepared).
• A Channel Moonlight option (like Channel Divinity).
• A 3rd‑level unique feature.

We’ll define these in the Lunara section below.

Level 4 – Ability Score Improvement

Level 5 – Extra Attack & Radiant Reproof

1. Extra Attack

• You can attack twice when you take the Attack action.

2. Radiant Reproof (Generic)

• When you use Moon’s Smite on a creature that:
• Just attacked an ally within 10 ft of you, or
• Just violated an oath/sanctuary in your presence,
• The target has disadvantage on its next attack roll before the end of its next turn.

Level 6 – Lunar Aura (Minor)

You emit a faint Lunar Aura when your moon is above the horizon.

• Allies within 10 feet gain a +1 bonus to saving throws vs:
• charm,
• fear,
• and effects tied to your moon’s opposed concepts (chaos vs Lunara, oblivion vs Umbriel, etc.).
• If your moon is Full, the bonus becomes +2 once per long rest for one encounter you choose.

Level 7 – Moon Path Feature

Your Path grants a 7th‑level feature (Lunara’s below).

Level 8 – Ability Score Improvement

Level 9 – Greater Smite & 3rd‑Level Spells

1. 3rd‑level Spells

2. Greater Smite

• Once per turn, when you use Moon’s Smite, you can choose to:
• Force the target to make a Wisdom save against your spell DC.
• On a failure, it is blinded, frightened, restrained, or otherwise hindered for 1 round (effect based on your moon; Lunara = restrained by light, etc.).
• You can apply this condition rider a number of times per long rest equal to your Wisdom modifier (min 1).

Level 10 – Celestial Endurance

• You gain advantage on saving throws vs:
• exhaustions from forced marching, starvation, etc.
• spells/effects that would drain your life force (necrotic, massive psychic).
• Once per long rest, when reduced to 0 hit points, you can instead drop to 1 hit point as your moon’s light flares around you.

Level 11 – Improved Lunar Aura

• Your Lunar Aura radius increases to 30 feet.
• Once per long rest, you can intensify your aura for 1 minute:
• Allies in the aura gain temporary hit points equal to your Champion level.
• Enemies in the aura have disadvantage on saving throws vs your spells and smites.

Level 12 – Ability Score Improvement

Level 13 – 4th‑Level Spells & Moonstride

1. 4th‑level Spells

2. Moonstride

• As a bonus action, you can step through moonlight:
• Teleport up to 30 ft to a space you can see that is in dim light or darkness.
• Uses per long rest = Wis mod (min 1).

Level 14 – Moon Path Feature

Your Path grants another feature here.

Level 15 – Unyielding Will

• You gain proficiency in all saving throws (like Paladin’s high-level resilience).
• If you already have proficiency in a save, you gain +1 bonus to that save instead.

Level 16 – Ability Score Improvement

Level 17 – 5th‑Level Spells & Mythic Smite

1. 5th‑level Spells

2. Mythic Smite

Once per long rest, when you use Moon’s Smite:

• You can:
• Maximize all the smite’s damage dice, and
• Apply your Greater Smite condition without expending a use of that feature, and
• Cause a visible celestial phenomenon (beam of moonlight, auroral ring, etc.) marking the event.

This is where the Champion feels truly mythic.

Level 18 – Planetary Resolve

Your connection to moon and world is near‑absolute.

• You gain resistance to:
• One damage type associated with your moon (Lunara = radiant; Umbriel = necrotic; etc.).
• You cannot be possessed or mind‑controlled by entities tied to the Silent Void or Weeping Gate unless they exceed mythic-level power (GM call).
• Once per long rest, you can automatically succeed on a saving throw vs a spell or effect that would banish or teleport you against your will.

Level 19 – Ability Score Improvement

Level 20 – True Champion of the Moon

You are now the unquestioned, fully realized Champion.

• Wisdom +2 (max 22).
• Your Moon’s Smite:
• Always deals at least 1d8 extra damage (no slot required) once per turn.
• You gain a Moon Avatar Form, 1/min per long rest:

Moon Avatar

• Duration: 1 minute.
• Effects (generic; Path adds specifics):
• You shed bright light 30 ft, dim 30 ft.
• You gain resistance to all damage.
• Your weapon attacks count as mythic, radiant, and your moon’s aspect type for overcoming resistances.
• Once on each of your turns, when you hit with an attack, you can teleport up to 10 ft after the attack (moon‑blink).

Moon Paths can add extra effects to this Avatar (Lunara’s will get law/order auras, etc.).

MOON PATHS – LUNARA’S JUSTICAR

We’ll define the Lunara Path now (Lunara’s Champion). Others (Umbriel, Noctis, etc.) later.

Lunara’s Justicar – Fluff

You are Lunara’s Champion of Order and Community:

• You enforce oaths, defend settlements, break tyrants who pervert law.
• You are a judge, marshal, or protector whose very presence asserts structure.

Path Features Overview

• 3rd: Oath Spells, Channel Moonlight (Lunara), Bonds of Law
• 7th: Aura of Oaths
• 14th: Edict of the Justicar
• Avatar Add‑Ons: At 20th level, extra features in Moon Avatar

3rd Level – Oath Spells, Channel Moonlight, Bonds of Law

Oath Spells (Lunara)

Always prepared; don’t count vs your limit.

• 1st:compelled duel, shield of faith
• 2nd:zone of truth, hold person
• 3rd:spirit guardians (orderly glyphs), beacon of hope
• 4th:banishment, guardian of faith
• 5th:hold monster, circle of power

Channel Moonlight: Judgment & Sanctuary

You gain 2 Channel Moonlight options (uses per short/long rest = 1, then 2 at 9th level; you can share this track with any generic pool the class may have if you like):

1. Judgment of Lunara
2. As an action, choose a creature within 30 ft you can see.
3. It must make a Wisdom save vs your spell DC.
4. On a failure:
5. For 1 minute (concentration):
6. The creature has disadvantage on attacks vs anyone but you.
7. If it attacks someone else, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against it and add your Wis mod as radiant damage.
8. On a success:
9. It still has disadvantage on attacks vs your allies until the end of its next turn.
10. Circle of Sanctuary
11. As an action, you mark a 15‑ft‑radius circle centered on you for 1 minute (concentration).
12. Allies in the circle gain:
13. +1 bonus to AC and saving throws.
14. Enemies entering the circle for the first time each turn must succeed on a Wis save or:
15. Their speed is reduced to 0 until the start of their next turn.

Bonds of Law

When you strike a creature with Moon’s Smite:

• You can choose to bind it instead of dealing extra damage dice:
• The target must make a Strength or Dexterity save (target’s choice) vs your spell DC.
• On a failure:
• It is restrained by glowing chains of moonlight until the end of your next turn.
• On a success:
• Its speed is reduced by 10 ft until the end of its next turn.

You can use this binding option Wis mod times per long rest (min 1).

7th Level – Aura of Oaths

Your presence enforces promises.

• While you are conscious, allies within 10 feet:
• Gain advantage on saving throws vs being charmed or compelled to break an oath.
• When any creature within the aura:
• Swears an oath or makes a solemn promise under your supervision,
• They gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws for 24 hours as long as they honor that oath.
• If they willfully violate the oath, they immediately:
• Take radiant damage equal to your Champion level, and
• Lose the bonus.

At 18th level, this aura radius becomes 30 feet.

14th Level – Edict of the Justicar

You can lay down a binding edict over a battlefield or community.

• Once per long rest, as an action, you declare a Justicar’s Edict affecting creatures within 60 ft who can hear/see you.
• State a simple, clear rule (e.g., “No one shall strike the helpless,” “None shall flee this fight,” “No spell shall be cast within this hall”).
• For 1 minute (no concentration):
• Any creature that directly violates the edict must make a Wisdom saving throw vs your spell DC:
• On a failure:
• It takes 4d10 radiant damage and suffers disadvantage on all rolls until the start of its next turn.
• On a success:
• It takes half damage, no disadvantage.
• You and your allies are not automatically exempt; if you break your own edict knowingly, you also suffer the full effect.

This is a powerful soft control that shapes behavior rather than locking everything down.

20th Level – Lunara’s Avatar Add‑Ons

When you activate Moon Avatar as Lunara’s Justicar:

• In addition to the generic Avatar benefits, you also:
• Emit an Aura of Perfect Law (30 ft):
• Enemies in the aura have disadvantage on attack rolls against any target other than you.
• Allies in the aura gain +2 AC and +2 to all saving throws.
• Your Bonds of Law upgrade:
• When you restrain a target with Bonds of Law, it also cannot teleport or become invisible until the end of your next turn.

This makes you the literal center of order on the battlefield.