Warden, Variant (5e Class)

The Warden

"Primal power courses through my very core, waits in the ground beneath my feet, surges with every beat of my heart, and flows through my lungs with every breath. The world cries out to me, calling for a champion to defend it. This is my world: the trees, the stones, the snow, the sky. Everything that makes up this world is under my protection. You have no place here. But now that you’ve arrived, I can’t have you leaving. No sir, this world wouldn’t want that. In fact, it wants you to stay forever, and I’m going to see to it that its wishes are fulfilled. Will you heed its call?"

Defending the Natural Order

Not unlike the divine Paladin, a Warden's life is spent in devotion. Not to an oath, an order or a deity, but to the natural forces of the world. Wardens believe and teach the importance of balance in nature, which they serve it diligently in every action they take. Their lives are often not without disputes and disagreements, but they do consider themselves "above" most interpersonal conflict. To a Warden, the protection of the natural world is more important than an individual's needs. Wardens are also concerned with the delicate ecological balance that sustains & animal life, and the need for all civilized folk to live in harmony with nature, not in opposition to it.

Each Warden contributes and works to maintain peace, encouraging the sharing of resources, and provide support for others. Whatever the course of their adventures takes, they seek harmony in all things. However, this does not mean that they are pacifists; they view hunting and killing as a natural order of life. They believe that they are the only ones who understand this "balance" and often justify their actions in their purpose to maintain it, even if that means fighting or killing. A Warden will always try to uphold the order and defend what they feel to be the virtues of nature. What that means to each Warden is different, but the result will always be a focus on their beliefs. Not every act performed by a Warden will be considered good or civilized, but in their heart, they will always do what they think is right.

A Lifetime in Training

Wardens spend their youth honing their abilities and finding combat techniques that best match their natural talents. They are guardians of the wild places of the world, passionate explorers par excellence, highly skilled in negotiating their way among the inhabitants of the wild. Despite their prefered discipline, a Warden's combat prowess should never be taken lightly. While not as sticky as a Fighter or attack drawing as a Paladin, wardens make very effective defenders in combat, much like a barrier reef keeps ships off coasts. They are experts at navigating the harsh brutality of nature's fury with whatever tools or weapons present themselves and can go beyond being just a survivalist, to become a cunning tactician able to adapt and prepare for any terrain or environment can afford them.

Wardens would be rare to find permenetly situated in cities, but their duties and goals will often bring them close to civilization. Industry is the bane of the natural world afer all. A fight fought reverently by all Wardens, Druids and Rangers alike. The work of a warden is never quite done, however. They find themselves on the move from task to task, or on occasion spend their entire life dedicated to a cause that they can't hope to resolve in a single lifetime. They will be guarding sacred sites or watching over regions of unspoiled nature. But when a significant danger arises, threatening nature’s balance or the lands they protect, they take on a more active role in combating the threat.

The Spirits of the Wild

From the dawn of the time, where the glaciers retreat with every fall and spring, six primeval spirits walked the world: The Bear, the Stag, the Turtle, the Owl, the Wolf, and the Monkey. Those spirits were untamed and had to adapt to the harsh conditions in order to survive, but they haven’t been too twisted by the needs of their environment. Over time, after endless cycles of each season, they began to take form and became the first of the beasts that we see today. They were tasked with the guardianship of the natural order and guiding all mortal races to an enlighted path. The Spirits of the Wild are the Wardens' spirit guides. Unlike other deities though, they do not represent broad-minded concepts like "war" or "death," but instead embody complex virtues & vices. Likewise, all Wardens do not worship the Spirits of the Wild as greater beings - in the traditional sense - but rather venerate them for their guidance and dedicate themselves entirely, usually serving as the champion of one single Spirit's ideals.

The Spirits of the Wild are always be around to guide a Warden, and though sometimes don't offer their aid directly, they will always aim to help - if they do nothing after being asked, then their intervention wasn't necessary. The spirits also keep their followers in check, teaching them not to despoil the land and effectively serve as the balance to the Warden's direct, quick-tempered attitude.

Creating a Warden

(Comming Soon)

Class Features

As a Warden you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Set parameter to Hit Dice per level, e.g. 1d10

Proficiencies

Armor: medium, heavy
Weapons: martial
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: choose 2 from ....

Equipment

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

Table: The Warden

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known
1st	+2	—	0
2nd	+2	—	2
3rd	+2	—	2
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2
5th	+3	—	3
6th	+3	—	3
7th	+3	—	3
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3
9th	+4	—	3
10th	+4	—	3
11th	+4	—	3
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4
13th	+5	—	4
14th	+5	—	4
15th	+5	—	4
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4
17th	+6	—	4
18th	+6	—	4
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4
20th	+6	—	4

Companion Spirit

"In a rite of passage or initiation, you pledged yourself to the spirits, to be their voice and hands in the world. Through ancient song and sacred ceremony, you have called a powerful spirit companion to your side. The primal Spirits of the Wild affirm your will, guide the actions of your allies, and deal mighty attacks against your foes. You might be a venerable advisor to a tribal leader, a young traveler seeking to bring tales of a wider world back to your people, or a scholar devoted to the pursuit of nearly forgotten lore."

The spirits and voices of nature guide your every step. Their power flows through you, calling you to lead, to fight, and to triumph.

As part of your initiation as a Warden, you acquired a spirit companion, an animal spirit that accompanies and assists you.Your spirit companion must be present when you use such a power.

You gain the call spirit companion power, which allows you to call your spirit companion to your side. In addition, choose one of the following Companion Spirit options. Your choice provides you with a Spirit Boon as well as a special attack made through your spirit companion, and your choice determines one of your at-will attack powers. Your choice also provides bonuses to certain powers, as detailed in those powers.

Feral Spirit

You call on the stealth and cunning of the feral spirit to empower and position your allies.

Guardian Spirit

You draw on the strength of a protective spirit to defend and bolster your allies.

Healing Spirit

You call on the resilience of the healing spirit to grant your allies additional evocation of primal power.

Speak with Spirits

You are aware of the constant presence of spirits that float at the edges of reality. You can focus your inner energy and open your mind to these spirits, letting them guide your actions or fill you with insights. Name or describe a person, place, or object. The spell brings to your mind a brief summary of the significant lore about the thing you named. The lore might consist of current tales, forgotten stories, or even Secret lore that has never been widely known. If the thing you named isn't of legendary importance, you gain no information.

The more information you already have about the thing, the more precise and detailed the information you receive is. The information you learn is accurate but might be couched in figurative language.

Protective Ward

At level 1, you can give resistance to a target against non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing for one minute. You can use your action to use this feature. The amount of uses of this feature are determined by your Constitution modifier. This has a range of 30 ft. but if your target is not within 5 ft, a magical illusion appears next to the target to bestow the ward.

Uses= Con. modifier

Upgrades to include elemental damage at level 11.

Resilience

At level 1, after a short or long rest, you gain temporary hit points equal to your warden level + Proficiency bonus. These temporary hit points act as normal temporary hit points that stay until they are depleted and function under the phb rule on temporary hit points.

Spellcasting

By 2nd level, you have learned to draw upon the arcane magic in your blood

Spell casting ability

Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your warden spells, since your power comes from the magic in your blood. 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 a warden spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Preparing and Casting Spells

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

You prepare the list of warden spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the sorcerer spell list. When you do so, choose a number of warden spells equal to your Constitution modifier + half your warden level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 5th-level warden, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Constitution of 16, your list of prepared spells can include five spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell burning hands, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of warden spells requires time spent in experimenting or meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spell save DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + Constitution modifier

Spell attack modifier = proficiency bonus + Constitution modifier

Spell casting focus

You can use your weapon as a focus

Master of Nature

Each beast or plant creature that can see you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is charmed by you for 1 minute or until it takes damage. While it is charmed by you, it is friendly to you and other creatures you designate.

At 17th level, you gain the ability to command animals and plant creatures. You can take a bonus action on your turn to verbally command what each of those creatures will do on its next turn.

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Classes