Thren - Moon of Vengeance, Broken Oaths, and Retributive Justice

THREN – MOON OF VENGEANCE, BROKEN OATHS, RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE

Themes:

• Vengeance, blood debts, “justice-as-retribution”
• Oaths broken, betrayals, grudges, secret vendettas
• Hidden orders of avengers, executioners, vigilantes

A Thren Cleric is:

• An oath‑hunter: executioner, inquisitor, or quiet avenger
• The shadow counterpart to Lunara’s public law
• In play: strong single‑target control, mark mechanics, and “you don’t get away” tools

Visually: Thren’s priests favor dark, muted colors, iron masks, black cords or red threads (symbolic of blood‑oaths), and tokens taken from those they’ve judged.

THREN DOMAIN FEATURES BY LEVEL

These stack with your base Lunar Cleric chassis.

Level 1 – Domain Spells & Oath‑Breaker’s Nemesis

Domain Spells

Always prepared; don’t count against prepared spells.

• 1st:hunter’s mark, wrathful smite
• 3rd:hold person, spiritual weapon
• 5th:bestow curse, fear
• 7th:banishment, staggering smite
• 9th:destructive wave, hold monster

This is a focused, “one target will regret this” package.

Oath‑Breaker’s Nemesis

You are consecrated as a hunter of those who betray their word.

• You gain proficiency in Intimidation or Insight (your choice).
• You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to detect:
• Lies about past promises,
• Attempts to conceal betrayal or treachery.
• Mark of the Oath‑Breaker:
• Once per short or long rest, when a creature that you can see:
• Breaks a sworn oath or explicit agreement in your presence (as judged by you and the GM),
• You can use your reaction to mark it as your Nemesis for 24 hours.
• While a creature is your Nemesis:
• You gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls against it.
• You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Survival) checks to notice or track it.
• You can only have one Nemesis at a time. Marking a new Nemesis ends the previous mark.

This is your narrative anchor: Thren clerics are terrifying when someone breaks an oath.

Level 2 – Channel Divinity: Mark of Thren

You gain a Thren‑specific Channel Divinity.

Channel Divinity: Mark of Thren

You call down Thren’s retributive brand on a single foe.

• As an action, choose a creature you can see within 60 ft.
• The target must make a Wisdom saving throw vs your spell save DC.
• On a failed save:
• The creature becomes Cursed by Thren for 1 minute (concentration).
• While Cursed:
• It has disadvantage on attack rolls against any creature other than you.
• The first time each round that it hits a creature other than you with an attack:
• It takes radiant or necrotic damage (your choice when you curse it) equal to:
• Your Wisdom modifier + half your Cleric level (rounded down).
• On a successful save:
• The creature is unaffected and is immune to your Mark of Thren for 24 hours.

This Channel Divinity makes you the moral and tactical center of a fight: enemies are punished for ignoring you.

You expend one use of Channel Divinity to invoke Mark of Thren.

Level 3 – (Base: Secondary Moon Influence I)

No additional Thren feature; you choose your first secondary moon.

Level 4 – (Base ASI)

Level 5 – Vengeful Reprisal

At 5th, you gain a reaction strike keyed to your theme.

Vengeful Reprisal

You strike back when blood is spilled.

• When you or an ally within 30 ft that you can see:
• Takes damage from a creature’s attack,
• You can use your reaction to make a weapon attack (melee or ranged) against that creature, or to cast a cantrip that targets only that creature.
• If your attack or cantrip hits, it deals an additional 1d8 radiant or necrotic damage (your choice).
• Uses per long rest = your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).

This is your “hit my friends, pay for it now” trigger.

Level 6 – Channel Divinity: Blood Debt

At 6th, you gain a second Channel option that escalates your vendetta.

Channel Divinity: Blood Debt

You declare a formal blood debt in Thren’s name.

• As a bonus action, choose a creature within 60 ft that you can see.
• It must either:
• Already be your Nemesis, or
• Have dealt damage to you or one of your allies within the last round.
• You expend Channel Divinity to place a Blood Debt on that creature for 1 minute (no concentration required).

Effects of Blood Debt:

• While the creature is under Blood Debt:
• Your attacks and damaging spells against it deal an additional 1d8 damage (radiant or necrotic, your choice when you invoke the Debt).
• If it reduces a creature to 0 HP while the Debt persists:
• The bonus damage against it increases to 2d8 for the remainder of the duration.
• If the debtor creature dies while under Blood Debt:
• You can choose to either:
• Gain temporary hit points equal to your Cleric level + your Wisdom modifier, or
• Regain one expended 1st‑ or 2nd‑level spell slot.

You can only have one Blood Debt active at a time.

Level 7 – (Base: Secondary Moon Influence II)

No extra Thren feature.

Level 8 – (Base ASI)

Level 9 – Shadow of Reckoning

At 9th, your presence becomes a quiet promise of future pain.

Shadow of Reckoning

• You gain proficiency in Stealth if you don’t already have it.
• You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to follow, observe, or lie in wait for a creature that:
• Is your Nemesis, or
• Is under your Mark of Thren or Blood Debt.
• Once per short rest, you can mark a location or object with a subtle Thren sigil as part of a 1‑minute ritual:
• While within 1 mile of that mark, you know instinctively if your Nemesis enters the marked area or interacts with the marked object (GM: a chill, whisper, or tug).
• Also, once per long rest, when a creature that has harmed you or your allies:
• Escapes you in a scene (combat or social),
• You can declare a Future Reckoning:
• You gain advantage on the next three rolls (attack, check, or save) you make directly against that creature in a future encounter.

This is your long‑game “we will meet again, and I’ll be ready” feature.

Level 10 – Lunar Intervention (Base)

Mechanically unchanged; under Thren, interventions might appear as:

• A rope “happening” to fail under a fleeing traitor.
• A crucial enemy attack going mysteriously wide against a sworn innocent.
• A sudden, chill whisper reminding an NPC of a past betrayal—altering their choice.

Level 11 – Warden of Retribution

You become a spiritual enforcement zone.

Warden of Retribution

• While you are conscious, you emit a 10‑ft‑radius aura of grim judgment.
• Within the aura:
• Enemies that are your Nemesis, or under your Mark of Thren or Blood Debt:
• Have disadvantage on attack rolls against any creature other than you.
• Whenever such a creature starts its turn in the aura:
• If it damaged you or an ally since the start of your last turn, it takes radiant or necrotic damage (your choice) equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).

Additionally:

• When a creature under any of your Thren marks (Nemesis, Mark, or Blood Debt) is reduced to 0 HP within your aura:
• You can use your reaction to:
• Gain temporary hit points equal to your Cleric level, and
• Intimidate one enemy of your choice within 30 ft:
• That enemy must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw vs your spell DC or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

At 18th, this aura improves.

Level 12 – (Base ASI)

Level 13 – Law of Redress

Thren’s doctrine calibrates when you strike back and when you stay your hand.

Law of Redress

• You have advantage on saving throws vs being charmed or magically compelled to:
• Forgive,
• Forget, or
• Reconcile with a known betrayer against your will.
• When a creature that has never harmed or betrayed you or your allies:
• Is clearly at your mercy (e.g., restrained, unconscious, surrendered),
• And you choose to spare or show mercy:
• You gain one Redress Die, a d8.
• You can add this d8 to one attack roll, saving throw, or ability check you make within the next 24 hours.
• You can only have one Redress Die at a time.
• Additionally, when you strike down a creature that:
• Has clearly violated an oath or committed a serious betrayal,
• While you are acting under Thren’s tenets (GM and you agree it’s “just”),
• You regain hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + your Cleric level.

This bakes in that Thren approves of measured vengeance, not indiscriminate slaughter.

Level 14 – (Base: Third Moon / Deeper Influence)

No Thren‑specific feature here.

Level 15 – Nightwatch Zenith (Base)

Under Thren, Nightwatch might manifest as:

• You waking at the exact moment a treacherous ally reaches for a dagger.
• Subtle sounds of chains or whispers warning of betrayal.

Mechanics remain as per the base Nightwatch.

Level 16 – (Base ASI)

Level 17 – Thren’s Confluence

Your Lunar Confluence gains a Thren‑specific rider.

Thren’s Confluence

While Lunar Confluence is active (1 minute):

• Your attacks and spells against any creature that is:
• Your Nemesis, or
• Under your Mark of Thren or Blood Debt,
• Gain the following benefits:
• Your attacks have advantage against them.
• They have disadvantage on all saving throws against your spells and Channel Divinity effects.
• Your Vengeful Reprisal extra damage increases to 2d8 during Confluence.

In addition, once per Confluence:

• When a creature that is:
• Your Nemesis, or
• Under Mark of Thren or Blood Debt,
• Is reduced to 0 HP within 30 ft of you,
• You can choose to invoke Final Sentence:
• The creature dies instantly and cannot be stabilized or resurrected by anything short of a wish‑level effect.
• If the creature would normally be able to reform (e.g., demon, lich phylactery), that process is delayed or hindered at the GM’s discretion.
• You immediately:
• Regain one expended 4th‑ or 5th‑level spell slot, and
• Gain temporary hit points equal to twice your Cleric level.

This is your mythic “this ends here” moment against a true betrayer.

Level 18 – Relentless Executioner

You become an unstoppable force of retribution.

Relentless Executioner

• Your Warden of Retribution aura radius increases to 30 ft.
• While you are conscious:
• Creatures that are your Nemesis or under your Thren marks (Mark / Blood Debt):
• Cannot benefit from invisibility or illusions to hide from you; you always know their general direction and distance within 120 ft (though not necessarily line of sight).
• You ignore nonmagical difficult terrain when moving towards your Nemesis.

Additionally:

• Once per long rest, when a creature that is:
• Your Nemesis or under Blood Debt,
• Attempts to escape by teleportation, plane shift, or a similar effect:
• You can use your reaction to attempt to chain them to judgment:
• They must succeed on a Charisma saving throw vs your spell DC.
• On a failure:
• The effect fails, and the spell slot or ability is wasted.
• On a success:
• The effect proceeds, but it leaves a lingering Thren sigil:
• For the next 7 days, you know the plane they are on and get a general sense of direction if you are on the same plane.

This ensures high‑level oath‑breakers can’t simply vanish without consequence.

Level 19 – (Base ASI)

Level 20 – Lunar Avatar (Base)

Your Lunar Avatar capstone applies mechanically as written; for Thren, its manifestation might be:

• A halo of iron chains or dark oaths swirling around you.
• Every step sounding like a distant executioner’s drum.
• Enemies feeling their past lies physically drag them down.