Godhand, Variant (5e Class)

Godhand

In the days of Darkness, when the demon-kings rule the world, and humanity is forced to exil in the underground deeps, a new kind of defenders emerge from the blasted lands, harnessing the power of Gods, Dragons, and Demons alike against the demonkin. Those incommensurable combattants known as Godhands, sacrifice one of their arms to contain a deity immense power, and fight a bitter war in a world of demons.

A Godhand literally reaches out and grabs divine power for themselves. Either by way of curse, magical bindings, or other magic they seize power and sacrifice an arm to contain it. Divine power surging in an uncontrollable torrent they lash themselves to a power too large for them to fully utilize- like a man riding a storm to battle.

Godhands are almost always outcasts, outsiders, rebels, or rejects- literally stealing from the gods in a last ditch effort for personal power. They tend to be ostracized for their actions- their conquest for power conflicting with the good nature of more lawful societies.

The binding that occurs, empowering and sacrificing a limb at the same time, is not always of their working. Godhands may be born cursed with such an affliction and it only manifests when triggered by the need is meet. Others seek the power from other sources, accepting angelic spirits into their limbs with demonic magic worked by a greater demon, or playing host to dying demon for the sake of revenge. However, across the board there is the unifying notion of a lust for personal power- a consensual domination of the divine that makes godhands such renegades.

What is bound in their arm varies. Some are ambitious enough to bind a lesser Deity, a dying Great Wyrm, a very powerful Angel, maybe even a dead Demon-king, or some form of raw divine energy (perhaps a portion of a major deity’s power).

Creating a Godhand

Quick Build

You can make a Godhand quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Your next-highest score should be Constitution. Finaly, choose the Folk Hero background.

Class Features

As a Godhand you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Godhand level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Godhand level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Godhand, Unarmed Wraps
Tools: Choose one type of artisan's tools or one musical instrument.
Saving Throws: Dexterity and Charisma
Skills: Choose three: Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, Stealth.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) Leather Armor or (b) Sacred Tattoo
• (a) dungeoneer's pack or (b) explorer's pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d10x2 in funds.

Table: The Godhand

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Godhand Base Damage	Divine Potential	Spells known	Cantrips known	Features	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
							1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	1d6	8	-	-	Binding, Divine Defense, Godhand Armament, Divine Potential, Rebellion	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	1d6	10	2	2	Overdrive, Divine Meditation, Spellcasting	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	1d6	12	3	2	Godhand Absorb, Divine Destruction	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	1d6	14	3	2	Ability Score Improvement, Godhand Reaction 1	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	2d6	18	4	2	Extra Attack, Danger Sense	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	2d6	20	4	2	Divine Infused Strikes, Divine Resilience	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	2d6	22	5	2	Evasion, Godhand Reaction 2	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	2d6	24	6	2	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	3d6	26	6	2	Improved Divine Resilience, Controlled Overdrive 1	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	3d6	26	7	3	—	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	3d6	26	7	3	—	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	3d6	27	7	3	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	3d6	28	8	3	—	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	3d6	30	8	3	—	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	3d6	32	9	3	Controlled Overdrive 2	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	4d6	33	9	3	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	4d6	34	10	3	—	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	4d6	35	10	3	—	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	4d6	37	11	3	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	4d6	40	12	3	Eternal	4	3	3	3	2

Binding

The godhand has bound some form of divine energy, presence, or being by sacrificing an arm. At 1st level the godhand must select the nature of the power bound in his new arm and what arm it is bound in (henceforth referred to as the “divine arm”). The godhand’s divine arm functions as a normal arm would (complete with appropriate slots) unless specially noted.

A godhand may bind either an evil or good aligned force into their divine arm. This does not need to reflect the godhand’s own alignment. Regardless of the alignment of the power bound in the godhand’s divine arm- it resents being bound there. Once these choices have been made they cannot be changed. A divine arm has two states; active and suppressed.

A suppressed divine arm functions like a normal arm and considered an “undrawn” weapon (i.e it doesn’t threaten). It gains no benefits from being a divine arm in this state but the arm does not rebel (see the rebellion class feature).

An active divine arm gains all the benefits for being an divine arm but the arm rebels at the start of each round. Activating and suppressing a divine arm takes the same action as drawing or sheathing a weapon (allowing it to be used with feats like Quick Draw). When activating a divine arm, the godhand can have any morphologies he knows and wishes active upon activating it.

The arm has a very distinctive and clearly divine appearance reflecting the nature of the arm. It is often larger than the other arm, creating a visible asymmetry in the godhand’s silhouette. As they progress in level it becomes more lavish, much larger, and far more difficult to hide. It takes a DC 10 + godhand level Disguise check to disguise its appearance from a casual observer. A suppressed divine arm reduces the DC by 5 (so it is DC 5 + godhand level).

A divine arm radiates an aura of the alignment of the power sealed within it as if it were a paladin or anti-paladin of equal level, though this is clearly separate from the godhand’s own (example: a detect evil spell on an evil godhand with an evil divine arm would detect the godhand’s own evil alignment but a distinctly separate evil source from their arm).

Divine Defense

Your divine arm provide you divine protection. Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.

Godhand Armament

At 1st level, your divine arm gives you mastery over a unique combat style that combine divine strikes and spellcasting in one move.

You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed:

• You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your divine arm's strikes.
• You roll 1d6 Damage. The damages change as you gain Godhand levels, as shown in the Godhand Base Damage column of the Godhand table.
• When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike using your divine arm, you can cast a spell as a bonus action.
• You ignore all components for your spells, you must cast them using your divine arm.

Divine Potential

Starting at the 2nd level, you can now harness the divine energy flowing within your arm. Awakening its true power. This Divine Potential can be used in many ways to enhance your abilities. Those powers are known as morphologies.

As long as your divine arm is active, you have each round your full Divine Potential value, ex:if you have 8 Divine Potential, you can allocate 8 Points each round.

Using your Godhand Base Damage, choose between bludgeonning, piercing, slashing Dmg, each turn while your divine arm is active, you can:

• Allocate 2 Point for upgrading your Dmg die, starting from the Godhand Base Damage: d6, 2 Point for d8, 4 for d10, 6 for d12.
• Allocate 4 Point for 1 additional Dmg die, 4 Point for +1d, 7 for +2d and so on.
• Allocate 4 Points for +1 attack, 8 for +2 attacks, and so on.
• Allocate 1 Point for +15 feet reach, 2 for +30, and so on.
• Allocate 1 Point for a Ray, 2 Points for a Cone, 3 for an AoE, base reach is 15 feet.
• Allocate 1,2,3 Points to apply the Brutal propertie to your dmg rolls (reroll 1s, 2s,3s for 1,2,3 Points).
• Allocate 7 Points for +1 AC, 9 Points for +2, and so on.
• Allocate 2 Points for a dmg reduction of 1d6, 4 Points for 2d6, and so on.
• Allocate 5 Points to gain Advantage on all your attack rolls.
• Allocate 2 Points/Spell level, with this morphology you can cast spells up to the Spell level acquired without expending your spell slots.
• Allocate 7 Points to impose Disadvantage on your Spell DC for opponents.
• Allocate 1 Point to increase your total life in 6 HP (Cumulative).
• Allocate 3 Points for give Temp HP equal 2*Your Godhand Level for a partner.
• Allocate 2 Points/Spell level, to exchange the type of dmg dealt by the spell.
• Allocate 3 Points for gain +2 on atk rolls, 5 for +4, and so on.

You cannot allocate more Divine Potential than your Proficiency Bonus + Char Modifier in one morphology. At 7th level this limits increase by 5, in 15th level by 7. Exemple:

• at level 1, Proficiency Bonus +2, Char Modifier +3 (total +5), Divine Potential 8, as long as your divine arm is active, each round you can allocate up to 5 Points in one morphology, and the last 3 in others.

Rebellion

A godhand struggles against the raw torrent of power locked inside his arm. It’s too much for a mortal vessel to bear safely and this manifests in rebellions from it’s arm. At the start of each round when a divine arm is active, the godhand must make a Char save DC 8 + godhand Level).

All penalties last until the start of their next turn. The Godhand may alternatively accept taking 1/2 his godhand level in damage (minimum 1 damage) to ignore this failed effect.

Roll a d4, and apply the result:

• 1/ You act normally but at a -2 penalty on attack and damage rolls as the divine arm resists you. Increase This penalty by 1 at 5th (-3), 10th (-4), 15th (-5), and 20th (-6) level.
• 2/ Divine arm takes a move action, swinging around and lashing ineffectively.
• 3/ You deal 1d8 points of damage + Str modifier to yourself with divine arm.
• 4/ You must attack the nearest creature of the opposing alignment of the divine arm regardless if ally or enemy.

Overdrive

Starting at 2nd level a godhand can flood himself with the energy from his arm as a free action, breaking down the seals that bind the power in their arm slightly.

This flood of energy grants him a +1/4 godhand level (minimum +1) sacred or profane bonus (depending on the alignment of their divine arm) on attack rolls until the start of his next turn, but also gives a penalty equal to half the bonus granted on Char saves against rebellion on the following turn (minimum -1).

Divine Meditation

At the 2nd level. When you take a long or short rest, you are in an inactive, motionless, Meditative like state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.

Spellcasting

By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned to use the divine magic power within your god arm to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and the end of the class description for the Godhand Spell List.

You do not have to prepare your spells.

Spell Slots

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

Spellcasting Modifier

Charisma is your spell casting modifier, your spell save DC is 8 + your Charisma modifier + your Proficiency bonus.

Godhand Absorb

You use your divine arm when landing. The strengh of your divine arm protect you from falling damage. Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage by your Divine Potential value.

Divine Destruction

At 3rd level, the godhand’s divine arm gains a sacred or profane bonus (depending on the alignment of their divine arm) on attack and damage rolls equal to 1/2 their godhand level (rounded up) when striking with their divine arm. This bonus stacks with that from overdrive.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Godhand Reaction

Starting at 4th level, as a free action you can reactivly dodge any ranged weapon attack. When you do so, you impose a disavantage against ranged attacks and add your proficiency bonus to your ac until the end of your next turn. This ac increase does not protect you from melee attacks.

• Additionally, at the 7th level, this technique now works against any ranged attack. Including ranged attack spells.

You add your Charisma modifier to your Initiative Roll.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Danger Sense

At 5th level, you gain an uncanny sense of when things nearby aren't as they should be, giving you an edge when you dodge away from danger.

You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can see, such as traps, spells or any effect that requires a dexterity saving throw to dodge/ escape from. To gain this benefit, you can't be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Divine Infused Strikes

Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Divine Resilience

At 6th level, The divine power trapped in your arm allows you to add your Charisma Modifier to all of your saving throws. Apply twice your Modifier to Char saving throws.

Evasion

At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon's lightning breath or a fireball spell.

When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Controlled Overdrive

At 9th level, a godhand gains a mastery over overdriving his divine arm. The penalty to his Char save against rebellion is reduced by 1/2 his Charisma modifier (rounded up) when he overdrives. At 15th level when he overdrives, he suffers no penalty on the following round from doing so.

Improved Divine Resilience

At 9th level, The divine power flowing within your arm helps protect you from many effects and illnesses.

You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage. Your divine arm also gives you immunity to disease. Additionally, magic can’t put you to sleep.

Eternal

At 20th level, the godhand can finally fully tap into and control their divine arm. They no longer suffer rebellion checks and all of their arms become divine arms.

Godhand Spell List

Cantrips (0 Level)

• Blade Ward
• Acid Splash: You hurl a bubble of acid.
• Mage Hand: A spectral, floating hand appears at a point you choose within range.
• Poison Spray: You extend your hand toward a creature you can see within range and project a puff of noxious gas from your palm.
• True Strike: Your magic grants you a brief insight into the target's defenses.
• Dancing Lights: You create up to four torch-sized lights within range, making them appear as torches, lanterns, or glowing orbs that hover in the air for the duration.
• Fire Bolt: You hurl a mote of fire at a creature or object within range.
• Light: Until the spell ends, the object sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.
• Ray of Frost: A frigid beam of blue-white light streaks toward a creature within range.
• Shocking GraspLightning springs from your hand to deliver a shock to a creature you try to touch.
• Minor Illusion: You create a sound or an image of an object within range that lasts for the duration.
• Chill Touch: You create a ghostly, skeletal hand in the space of a creature within range.
• Mending: This spell repairs a single break or tear in an object you touch, such as a broken chain link, two halves of a broken key, a torn cloak, or a leaking wineskin.
• Message: You point your finger toward a creature within range and whisper a message.
• Prestidigitation: This spell is a minor magical trick that novice spellcasters use for practice.

1st-Level Spells

• Mage Armor: You touch a willing creature who isn't wearing armor, and a protective magical force surrounds it until the spell ends.
• Shield: An invisible barrier of magical force appears and protects you.
• Fog Cloud: You create a 20-foot-radius sphere of fog centered on a point within range.
• Witch Bolt
• Comprehend Languages:For the duration, you understand the literal meaning of any spoken language that you hear.
• Detect Magic: For the duration, you sense the presence of magic within 30 feet of you.
• Burning Hands: As you hold your hands with thumbs touching and fingers spread, a thin sheet of flames shoots forth from your outstretched fingertips.
• Chromatic Orb: You hurl a 4-inch-diameter sphere of energy at a creature that you can see within range. You choose acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder for the type of orb you create, and then make a ranged spell attack against the target.
• Magic Missile: You create three glowing darts of magical force.
• Thunderwave: A wave of thunderous force sweeps out from you.
• Color Spray: A dazzling array of flashing, colored light springs from your hand.
• Disguise Self: You make yourself–including your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings on your person–look different until the spell ends or until you use your action to dismiss it.
• Silent Image: You create the image of an object, a creature, or some other visible phenomenon that is no larger than a 15-foot
• Jump: The creature's jump distance is tripled until the spell ends.

2nd-Level Spells

• Cloud of Daggers
• Misty Step: Briefly surrounded by silvery mist, you teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see.
• Detect Thoughts: For the duration, you can read the thoughts of certain creatures.
• See Invisibility: For the duration, you see invisible creatures and objects as if they were visible, and you can see into the Ethereal Plane.
• Darkness: Magical darkness spreads from a point you choose within range to fill a 15-foot-radius sphere for the duration.
• Gust of Wind: A line of strong wind 60 feet long and 10 feet wide blasts from you in a direction you choose for the spell's duration.
• Scorching Ray: You create three rays of fire and hurl them at targets within range.
• Shatter: A sudden loud ringing noise, painfully intense, erupts from a point of your choice within range.
• Blur: Your body becomes blurred, shifting and wavering to all who can see you.
• Invisibility: A creature you touch becomes invisible until the spell ends.
• Mirror Image: Three illusory duplicates of yourself appear in your space.
• Phantasmal Force
• Darkvision (Spell): You touch a willing creature to grant it the ability to see in the dark.
• Enhance Ability: You touch a creature and bestow upon it a magical enhancement.
• Knock: A target that is held shut by a mundane lock or that is stuck or barred becomes unlocked, unstuck, or unbarred.
• Levitate: One creature or object of your choice that you can see within range rises vertically, up to 20 feet, and remains suspended there for the duration.

3rd-Level Spells

• Counterspell: You attempt to interrupt a creature in the process of casting a spell.
• Dispel Magic: Any spell of 3rd level or lower on the target ends. For each spell of 4th level or higher on the target, make an ability check using your spellcasting ability.
• Protection from Energy: For the duration, the willing creature you touch has resistance to one damage type of your choice: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder.
• Sleet Storm: Until the spell ends, freezing rain and sleet fall in a 20-foot-tall cylinder
• Daylight: A 60-foot-radius sphere of light spreads out from a point you choose within range.
• Fireball: A bright streak flashes from your pointing finger to a point you choose within range and then blossoms with a low roar into an explosion of flame.
• Lightning Bolt: A stroke of lightning forming a line 100 feet long and 5 feet wide blasts out from you in a direction you choose.
• Major Image:: You create the image of an object, a creature, or some other visible phenomenon that is no larger than a 20-foot cube.
• Blink: On a roll of 11 or higher, you vanish from your current plane of existence and appear in the Ethereal Plane (the spell fails and the casting is wasted if you were already on that plane).
• Fly: The target gains a flying speed of 60 feet for the duration.
• Haste: Until the spell ends, the target's speed is doubled, it gains a +2 bonus to AC, it has advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and it gains an additional action on each of its turns.
• Slow: You alter time around up to six creatures of your choice in a 40-foot cube within range.
• Water Breathing: This spell grants up to ten willing creatures you can see within range the ability to breathe underwater until the spell ends.
• Water Walk: This spell grants the ability to move across any liquid surface–such as water, acid, mud, snow, quicksand, or lava–as if it were harmless solid ground (creatures crossing molten lava can still take damage from the heat).

4th-Level Spells

• Banishment: You attempt to send one creature that you can see within range to another plane of existence.
• Stoneskin: This spell turns the flesh of a willing creature you touch as hard as stone.
• Dimension Door: You teleport yourself from your current location to any other spot within range.
• Dominate Beast: You attempt to beguile a beast that you can see within range.
• Ice Storm: A hail of rock-hard ice pounds to the ground in a 20-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range.
• Wall of Fire: You create a wall of fire on a solid surface within range.
• Greater Invisibility: You or a creature you touch becomes invisible until the spell ends.

5th-Level Spells

• Cloudkill: You create a 20-foot-radius sphere of poisonous, yellow-green fog centered on a point you choose within range.
• Teleportation Circle: As you cast the spell, you draw a 10-foot-diameter circle on the ground inscribed with sigils that link your location to a permanent teleportation circle of your choice whose sigil sequence you know and that is on the same plane of existence as you.
• Hold Monster: The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed for the duration.
• Cone of Cold: A blast of cold air erupts from your hands.
• Wall of Stone: A nonmagical wall of solid stone springs into existence at a point you choose within range.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the <!-class name-> class, you must meet these prerequisites:

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the <!-class name-> class, you gain the following proficiencies:

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