Apostle Features

The Apostle is a power system designed to work alongside your standard class, augmenting your abilities as you level up. Your Apostle Level starts at Level 1 when you become an Apostle, whether born with the power or gifted it. Generally, your Apostle Level corresponds to your Character Level, and you gain an Apostle Level by leveling up in your main class. If you become an Apostle above Character Level 1, your Apostle Level increases twice as fast as your Character Level until the two are equal. If your character Ascends to godhood and becomes a Harbinger, both your Apostle Level and Character Level instantly increase to 20.   As an Apostle, you are granted additional proficiencies, and the ability to cast spells. When playing a spellcaster class, such as Wizard, Sorcerer, Druid, Bard, or Cleric, you use the Apostle spellcasting rules. When playing a half-caster class, such as Warlock, Paladin, or Ranger, you use the Apostle spellcasting rules when casting Apostle spells, and your classes' spellcasting rules when casting other spells.   You gain the following features:

Proficiencies

• Saving Throws: Constitution
• Skills: Arcana
• Languages: You learn Primordial and Celestial when you become an Apostle.

Spellcasting

You are a vessel of elemental energy, granted power without your choice, selected by providence to wield powers that even you do not fully understand. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and below for the divine spell list.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from any classes spell lists. You learn additional cantrips of your choice at higher levels as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Apostle table at the bottom of the class description.

Spell Slots

The Apostle table shows how many spell slots you have in order to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st level spells of your choice from any classes' spell list. Spells chosen must be of your element (see Oracle Powers and Damage Types), or pure aether general purpose spells, such as Shield, Counterspell, Dispel Magic, Antimagic Field, etc.   The Spells Known column of the Apostle table shows when you learn more spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.   Additionally, when you gain a level, you can choose to replace one of the spells you know and replace it with another spell from your spell lists, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Put your toes away, you filty mortal. Nobody wants to see that.

— Njord, Krakensbane and God of the Ocean

Power to Heal or Harm

In addition to the other spells you know at 1st level, you learn both the Cure Wounds spell and the Inflict Wounds spell.

Spellcasting Ability

Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your Apostle spells, since you learn your spells through your ability to sustain their effects. You use your Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an Apostle spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.   Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier   Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Spellcasting Focus

When you choose your Element at 1st level, arcane tattoos begin creeping up one of your arms (your choice), acting as a focus for your spells. As your Oracular powers grow, so to do the tattoos, granting you further abilities. At 20th level, the tattoos cover the entire chosen side of your body (minus the face). When an Apostle Ascends, their tattoos grow to encompass their entire body.

Apostle Spells

You learn certain spells at their corresponding levels as shown on the Water Spells table in each subclass' description. None of these spells count towards your limit of spells known.   Apostle Table Water Spells

Elemental Affinity - Water

At 1st level, your essence is suffused with the raw power of the universe itself, granting you power over a specific facet of existence. Choose one of the following options, which are further detailed in each subclasses individual description: Air, Ashes, Battle, Beasts, Blood, Bones, Death, Earth, Flame, Frost, Gravity, Illusion, Life, Lore, Metal, Moons, Nature, Peace, Shadow, Stars, Storms, Sun, Time, or Water.   Additionally, at your DMs discretion, you have access to two additional Apostolic abilities, the Herald of Annihilation and The Herald of Creation. These powers are an amalgamation of every other Apostle power, drawing Epiphanies from each at will. These powers are incredibly strong when wielded correctly, and can quickly overpower all other subclasses available. Speak with your DM if you'd like to use either of these classes. DM Note: These classes are best played as NPCs that travel with the party, rather than by a player. Give these abilities to a player at your discretion, but with the disclaimer that copied Epiphanies should be approved directly by you.   Apostle Power Table  

Tribulation

At 1st level, you suffer a Tribulation that comes with a benefit, as well as a hindrance. Your Tribulation cannot be removed or dispelled without Ascending. Choose one of the following options: Blindness Haunted Hobbled Tongues Decaying

Elemental Friendship

At 1st level when choosing your Tribulation, you also gain the spell Find Familiar, which you can cast as a bonus action. Your familiar takes whatever form you choose as a tiny creature. At 15th level, your familiars size increases up to small or medium (your choice) when prompted and can be mounted for traversal or combat with a fly/walking speed of 60ft.

Epiphanies of Water

Epiphanies are abilities unique to the Apostle. As your Apostle Level increases, your understanding of your chosen Element becomes stronger. At 2nd level, you gain the Waterbending Epiphany from the Epiphanies available in your chosen Element, and additional Epiphanies every other level (4th, 6th, 8th, etc.). The Epiphanies are detailed below.   Show Epiphanies

Beacon of the Elements

At 3rd level, you gain the ability as an action to focus a first level (or your lowest level) spell slot into a focused mote of energy: a coin with a symbol of your choice on one side, and the Rune of your chosen Element on the other. When given to an ally, the beacon acts as a communication device, allowing you to send and receive messages using the coin as a focus. Additionally, you may teleport to the coin by expending a 5th level or higher spell slot and casting Teleport, targeting the coin. When cast in this way, Teleport has a 100% success rate. The beacon must be in the possession of another creature to use this ability.

Fortified

As your body acclimates to the overwhelming power of the Apostolic Elements, it becomes more resilient. Your growing mastery over your chosen Element bolsters your body, allowing you to channel larger amounts of Aether and take more damage. At 4th Level, you gain +1 to your Constitution/Body Score, and your CON/BODY Score can now exceed the maximum of 20. At higher Levels, the bonus increases to +2 (8th Level), +3 (12th Level), and +4 (16th Level). At 20th Level, as you reach the pinnacle of your Apostle status, your body becomes a focus for magic itself, increasing your Constitution/Body Score by another +2 (for a total of +6 from your base CON/BODY Score).

Master of Arcana

Beginning at 5th level, you can create pockets of relative safety within the effects of your spells. When you cast a spell that affects other creatures that you can see, you can choose a number of creatures equal to your Proficiency Bonus to gain advantage on Saving Throws against your spells. At 10th Level, creatures you designate automatically succeed on their Saving Throws against your spells. At 15th Level, creatures you designate now take no damage from your spells if they would normally take half damage on a successful save. At 20th Level, you may designate any number of creatures to gain the above effects.

Elemental Incarnation - Wavebreaker

At 10th Level, you become empowered by your element, granting you the Tough feat, and giving you the ability to activate a state of Elemental Incarnation, gaining the following benefits for one minute as a bonus action once per Long Rest. This increases to two uses at 15th level, and three uses when you Ascend and become a Harbinger.

• a) You gain a fly speed of 40 feet. If you already have a fly speed, it increases by 15ft.
• b) While in this form, whenever you make an attack or cast a spell, the target takes an additional 1d8 damage of your associated element. This damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 14th level (2d8), and 18th level (3d8).
• c) Your Trident from the Liquid Armament Epiphany deals an extra 10 Water(Piercing) damage while in this form.

 

Elemental Vigor

At 15th Character Level, you gain an additional benefit of the DMs choosing that synergizes with your main Class. For example, you might gain an additional use of Action Surge as a Fighter, another Eldritch Invocation as a Warlock, or the ability to use the Portent skill from the Divination school as a Wizard. Pick one of the following options:

Vigor of Quickness(Prerequisite: Martial Class)

At 15th Character Level with a Martial class, you gain the Action Surge skill from the Fighter Class. If you already have access to Action Surge, you instead gain the Rage ability from the Barbarian Class.   Action Surge Rage

Vigor of Aether(Prerequisite: Spellcaster or Half-Caster Class)

At 15th Character Level with a Spellcaster or Half-caster class, you gain the Sorcerer classes' Metamagic ability, and gain a number of Sorcery Points equal to half your character level rounded up. If you are already a Sorcerer, you double your available Sorcery Points.   Metamagic

Ultimate Incarnation - Waterborne

At 20th level, you become an avatar of your element, gaining the ability to assume the form of the spirit of water itself - the Waterborne. As an action, you can become an avatar of Water. For 1 minute, you gain all of the abilities of the Elemental Incarnation - Wavebreaker ability, as well as the following benefits:

• a) You cast Sudden Sea when you enter this form.
• b) The first time you reach zero hit points while in this form, you heal 1HP and remain conscious.
• c) Gain immunity to all nonmagical weapon attacks and resistance to spell attacks.
• d) You gain the ability to cast any spell related to your element without expending a spell slot once.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Ascension - Harbinger of Water: The Krakensbane

The ultimate feature of the Apostle, Godhood. Upon the death or dethroning of their associated God, the Apostle of Water ascends and becomes a Harbinger, gaining several new abilities:  

Divine Durability

You gain one additional Legendary Resistance.

Divine Speed

You gain an additional action per turn.

Divine Resistance

You gain advantage on saving throws against all magical effects.

Divine Power

You gain additional 8th and 9th level spell slots, or an additional 24 spell points.

Divine Providence - World Wave

You learn the spell World Wave.   World Wave

Divine Domain - Red Sea

Once per day, invoke the pinnacle of your power as the Harbinger of Water. As an action and bonus action, you expend one half of your current hit points, and gain the ability to conjure the Water Plane in a 60ft radius around you. While here, you have implicit control over the entire Domain; you can create currents that pull creatures, you can force creatures underwater, you can part the seas to create a battlefield - the possibilities are endless. As a Divine Speed action, you may force the colossal waves of the Water Plane to crash down onto everyone within the Domain, dealing 40d10 Water(Force) damage. If another God or Harbinger casts their Divine Domain while yours is active, make a D20 contest. You may add your Arcana proficiency or Spellcasting Modifier at the DMs discretion. Whichever caster rolls higher succeeds on casting their Domain, while the other's is expended.

Artifact Spells - Water