5e: Path of the Giant

Recently we released Book of Heroes: Fearless Barbarian Paths for the Fifth Edition of the Worlds Oldest Fantasy Roleplaying Game. This book features 8 new paths for players that love to see their characters fly into a rage and destroy every enemy that comes into their path. Previously we shared with you the Path of the War Avatar. Today we are sharing with you a monster-themed subclass: Path of the Giant.

Higher level 5e and similar game adventures tend to focus around one of a few ideas: fiends, undead, constructs, and giants. With their mythological origins, giants make a wonderful enemy to fight as you advance through the game. Over the years, giant themed class options and races have become player options as well. This one barbarian subclass celebrates those old adventures and those races and class options available over the years. We hope that you will enjoy this offering as well.

Download Book of Heroes: Fearless Barbarian Paths, for your Fifth Edition game today at the JBE Shop, the Open Gaming Store, and DriveThruRPG.

Path of the Giant
The blood of giants flows in you. At no point in time is that heritage more obvious than when you are raging. You grow larger and your reach becomes extraordinary. Feats of strength are nothing to you. None but a true giant can stand against you.

Giant Size

When you choose this path at 3rd level, you grow in size when you rage. While you are still the same size category as before, you are obviously taller and wider when raging. Additionally, your reach with melee weapons increases by 5 feet.

Giant Body

Also at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Strength (Athletics) checks; if you already are proficient with this skill, you add double your proficiency bonus when making these checks. Additionally, you can now speak, read, and write Giant.

Giant Heritage

Starting at 6th level, you select one of the following giant types: cloud, fire, frost, hill, stone, storm. The type of giant you choose determines what ability you gain.
Cloud. You can cast the spells fog cloud and misty step once per day each.
Fire. You gain resistance to fire damage.
Frost. You gain resistance to cold damage.
Hill. You gain resistance to poison damage.
Stone. You gain the rock catching ability. If a rock or similar bulky object is hurled at you, you can catch the missile with a successful DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, thereby taking no bludgeoning damage from it.
Storm. You gain resistance to lightning damage.

Rock Throwing

Upon reaching 10th level, you can throw rocks like your giant forebears. You can make a ranged weapon attack with a rock or similar bulky object at a range of 30/120 ft. that hits one target. A successful hit deals 2d10 bludgeoning damage. Both the attack and damage rolls use your Strength modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier. At 14th level, this attack has a range of 60/240 ft. and deals 3d10 bludgeoning damage on a successful hit.

Powerful Attack

At 14th level, you can send your opponent flying after an attack. After you make an Attack action with a melee weapon, you can use your bonus action to make the target attempt a Constitution saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). A failed save pushes the creature 5 feet away from you. Failing the save by 5 or more means the creature moves 10 feet away from you and is knocked prone.

October 28, 2019 0

5e: Unbroken Hero

Book of Heroes: Heroic Fighter Archetypes DnD5e

With the Book of Heroes: Heroic Fighter Archetypes coming out next week, we wanted to give you a taste of what is inside. This one is one of my favorites. This is the “you saw Cthulhu and critted your Sanity check” archetype. This archetype pairs well with the soldier background. It is designed for a character that fought in a war and returned home and having the horror of seeing your friends slain upon the battlefield play out over and over again in your mind. While it does not fully portray those that have survived a true war zone, I hope it provides enough flavor to express that type of character for those looking to play one.

Download all of JBE’s Fifth Edition PDFs at the JBE Shop. Our adventure Deadly Delves: Reign of Ruin is coming out in game stores this month. Tell your local game store that you want to pick up this 7th-level adventure today. And now, to the archetype.

Unbroken Hero

You have seen things. Whether it was someone being torn apart, whole villages destroyed, loved ones dragged into the Abyss, or something even worse, you witnessed it with your own eyes. What you have seen would break many. The memory of that day fuels your drive to continue forward, never yielding or surrendering.

Take the Attack

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to make an attack targeting an ally within 5 feet of you target you instead. You must say you are using this before the attack is rolled. This cannot be used with area attacks or on spells that do not require attack rolls.

Haunting Eyes

At 7th level, your gaze can piece the mind, heart and soul, making you far more persuasive, to the point of terrifying. You gain proficiency with Intimidation and Persuasion. If you are already proficient with these skills, you add double your proficiency bonus when using these skills.

Fight Through the Pain

Starting at 10th level, you can use your Second Wind ability a second time before needing to finish a short or long rest.

Undeterred by Fear

Upon reaching 15th level, nothing can frighten you. You are immune to the frightened condition. Additionally, you can use a bonus action to remove the frightened condition from an ally within 10 feet.

Avatar of Terror

At 18th level, your very presence is terrifying. As an action, you can give a loud shout, requiring all of your enemies within 30 feet to make a Charisma saving throw (the DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or become paralyzed with fear for the next minute. A successful save means the creature is frightened until the end of your next turn. Once used, you cannot use this again until you complete a short or long rest.

May 15, 2019 0

Pathfinder: Samsarans Unleashed

Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Samsarans (PFRPG)

Dreams of the Past Hold the Keys to the Future

To be a samsaran is to forge a new destiny from the sum of your experiences. Born endlessly into new lives, a samsaran reincarnates time and again until achieving enlightenment. They remember the pain and joy of their experiences only through their dreams, recalling random shards of lifetimes long gone.

Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Samsarans gives you everything you need to play a samsaran character. This 22-page supplement features:

Standard Racial Traits for playing a samsaran, 3 character traits and 6 alternate racial traits to customize your character for this unique play experience
6 New Character Class Options including 3 new archetypes, a new sorcerer bloodline, a new oracle mystery, and a new cleric subdomain
6 New Feats granting you a greater connection to your past lives
5 New Samsaran-Themed Spells
3 New Magic Items
A New Deity, the deity of dreams and hidden knowledge that reveals clarity in times of uncertainty
Details on samsarans adventurers, as well as suggestions on how to incorporate this race and its unique ties to the past into your campaign or world

Be Heroic with This Advanced Race Today!

Download the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Samsarans for Pathfinder at DriveThruRPG/RPGNow, d20PFSRD, and Paizo.com.

Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Samsarans is part of the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Compendium. Order and download the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Compendium now at the JBE Shop, DriveThruRPG, d20PFSRD, and Paizo.com.

August 11, 2015 0

Pathfinder: Elans in Core Classes

Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Elans (PFRPG)

The Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Elans comes out soon. We already shared the elan racial traits and the Ratha priest slayer archetype for the psychic warrior class. Today we are taking a look at three rogue talents that an elan can take.

Not all elans take a hard core psionic class. Some choose a class from the core book or one of the other books. So we made some psionic options to add an elan flare to the class. Read three of of the rogue talents in the book below. Advanced Elans also has a new cleric domain, a fighter archetype and more.

Force of Personality (Su): A rogue with this talent may influence interactions through sheer force of personality. When he expends his psionic focus he gains a +1d6 bonus to a single Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check.

Internal Discipline (Ex): Once per day, the rogue can roll two dice while making an Autohypnosis check, and take the better result. She must choose to use this talent before making the Autohypnosis check. A rogue can use this ability one additional time per day for every five rogue levels she possesses.

Psionic Weapon Training (Su): A rogue with this talent gains Psionic Weapon (UP) as a bonus feat.

Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Elans is part of the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Compendium. Order and download the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Compendium now at the JBE Shop, DriveThruRPG, d20PFSRD, and Paizo.com.

July 8, 2015 0

Pathfinder: Elans Make Excellent Priest Slayers

The Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Elans comes out soon. We already shared the elan racial traits. Today we are sharing with you one of the archetypes central to this race, the Ratha priest slayer.

The Ratha are a group of elans that believe that the worship of a deity is dangerous and should be ended. Their priest slayers, as their name would imply, are prepared to use violence to accomplish their ends. Most startling to other elans, they are willing to kill their own kind if they should worship a deity. Since elans are a race created by non-deities, worshipping a deity is an anathema to the Ratha and should be stopped.

This organization can be used as protagonists, antagonists, and as uneasy allies. Having a ratha priest slayer in your group will be most handy against infernal and demonic deities that want to enslave or zombify the living. They also work great as antagonists if the players are assisting a good-aligned deity in their quest to stop evil, especially if that evil lacks a strong connection to a deity. At the same time, if both good and evil are strongly connected to a deity, a Ratha might be a force for chaos, helping both sides take out each other and having the priest slayers clean up whomever is still standing when the fighting is done.

Ratha Priest Slayer

Associated Class: psychic warrior
Associated Race: elan
Replaced Abilities: bonus feat (1st, 2nd, and 5th levels), expanded path (3rd level only), path skill (4th level only)
Psionic Feats: The Ratha priest slayer gains the Wild Talent (UP) feat and his choice of Psionic Shot (UP), or Psionic Weapon (UP) as bonus feats at first level. He must meet any prerequisites for the feat selected.
Hampered Divine Conduit (Su): At 2nd level, the Ratha priest slayer adds half his psychic warrior level to the DC of all concentration checks made by divine spellcasters that the he threatens.
Mind Armor (Ps): At 3rd level, the Ratha priest slayer gains mind armor as a psi-like ability. When maintaining psionic focus, the priest slayer gains a +2 enhancement bonus to armor class and a +2 resistance bonus to all saving throws against divine spells and effects. These bonuses increase by +1 every four ratha priest slayer levels thereafter. This ability does not stack with inertial armor or any source that grants an enhancement bonus to AC.
Infectious Doubt (Su): At 4th level, the Ratha priest slayer can disrupt a divine spellcaster’s tie to his deity. After the priest slayer confirms a critical hit against a divine spellcaster, that target must make a Will save (DC 10 + damage dealt). On a failed save, the target must succeed on a concentration check (DC 10 + damage dealt) when attempting to cast divine spells for a number of rounds equal to one-third the priest slayer’s level. A failed Concentration check means the divine spellcaster loses the spell. At 10th level, the DCs for both the Will save and the concentration check increase to 15 + damage dealt.
Shaken Faith (Su): At 5th level, the priest slayer’s touch can shake the faith of the devout. As a melee touch attack, he can inflict Wisdom damage equal to 1d4 + 1 per every four levels he possesses. A successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the priest slayer’s level + his Wisdom modifier) reduces this damage by half. The priest slayer can use this ability once per day. At 10th level and every five levels thereafter, he gains an additional daily use of this ability. A creature targeted by this ability is immune to shaken faith for 24 hours.

July 7, 2015 0

Pathfinder: An Elan Explosion

We’re putting the finishing touches on Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Elans right now and just thought we would share with you just what exactly is an elan.
First off, the elan race was not published by Paizo for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, but by Dreamscarred Press in Ultimate Psionics. They come from the 3.5 psionics rules and have been updated by Dreamscarred along with the rest of that rules subset. If you have not checked them out yet, I highly recommend you give them a look as they are faithful update and are well balanced.

As far as the race itself, elans are a secret cabal of people that have been infused with psionic energy and can live forever, barring disease or a violent death. They appear slightly off from a normal human, practically bursting with magical energy.

At their core, these are psionic being that chose a life of psionic, so this supplement is filled with psionic options for your game play, particularly flavored for the elan race. If you are a fan of psionics, this is a supplement that you will want to check out.
Today we are sharing the elan racial traits. Stay tuned to JonBrazer.com all week for more details of what is inside fantastic racial supplement.

Elan Racial Traits

+2 to One Ability Score: Elans gain a +2 bonus to one ability score chosen at creation to represent their varied nature.
Aberrant Blood: Elans are humanoids with the aberrant subtype.
Medium: Elan are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Elans have a base speed of 30 feet.
Aberrant Nature: Although human in appearance, elans are seen as slightly “off” by non-elans. They suffer a –1 penalty to Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with non-elans.
Naturally Psionic: Elans gain the Wild Talent (UP) feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. If an elan takes levels in a psionic class, she instead gains the Psionic Talent (UP) feat.
Resistance (Su): Elans can use psionic energy to increase their resistance to various forms of attack. As an immediate action, an elan can spend 1 power point to gain a +4 racial bonus on saving throws until the beginning of her next action.
Resilience (Su): When an elan takes damage, she can spend power points to reduce its severity. As an immediate action, she can reduce the damage he is about to take by 2 hit points for every 1 power point he spends.
Repletion (Su): An elan can sustain her body without need of food or water. If she spends 1 power point, an elan does not need to eat or drink for 24 hours.
Psionic Aptitude: When an elan takes a level in a favored class, she can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point.
Languages: Elans begin play speaking Common. Elans with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

July 6, 2015 0

Pathfinder: Under the Sea

Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Merfolk (PFRPG)

With Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Merfolk coming out soon (probably Thursday), we wanted to share with you what you can expect in inside. Lets start with the basic racial stats and a pair of alternatives to the traditional merfolk itself.

First up we have the basic Merfolk Racial Traits.

+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma: Merfolk are graceful, hale, and beautiful.
Medium: Merfolk are medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Slow Speed: Merfolk have a base speed of 5 feet. They have a swim speed of 50 feet.
Aquatic: Merfolk are humanoids with the aquatic subtype.
Amphibious: Merfolk are amphibious, but prefer not to spend long periods out of the water.
Low-Light Vision: Merfolk have low-light vision.
Armor: Merfolk have a +2 natural armor bonus.
Legless: Merfolk have no legs, and cannot be tripped.
Languages: Merfolk begin play speaking Common and Aquan. Merfolk with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aboleth, Aklo, Draconic, Elven, and Sylvan.

Next up, we have the angufolk, a variant of merfolk that live in the deepest sees, where sunlight dares not tread.
Except as noted below, the angufolk are treated as merfolk.
+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Angufolk are heardy creatures that can withstand the pressures of the deep sea and perceive their prey in the great dark, but they lack a forceful personality.
Type: Angufolk are aberrations with the aquatic subtype.
Darkvision: Angufolk have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
Bite: Angufolk have long sharp teeth, granting a bite attack. This is a primary natural attack that deals 1d4 points of piercing damage.
Deep Dwellers: Angufolk do not take pressure damage from being in very deep water, nor do they take the nonlethal damage from hypothermia or exposure.
Lighted Lure: Angufolk are immune to light-based blindness and dazzle effects and are treated as one level higher when determining the effects of any light based spells or effects they cast (including spell-like and supernatural abilities). Angufolk with a Wisdom score of 10 or higher gain the following spell-like ability: at will—light.
Water Dependency: Since Angufolk are from deep waters, exploration on shore wears on them. They take 1 point of Constitution damage after every hour out of the water.
Languages: Angufolk begin play speaking Aquan. Angufolk with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aboleth, Aklo, Common, Draconic, and Undercommon.
Replaced Traits: Angufolk merfolk lose the following racial traits: humanoid type, amphibious, armor, legless, low-light vision

Last up, we have the octopi merfolk. This variant merfolk have the top half of a humanoid and the bottom half with eight tentacles.
Octopi have the same racial traits as merfolk except as noted below.
+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution: Octopi are graceful and hale like most merfolk but lack their enchanting beauty.
Base Speed: Octopi merfolk have a base speed of 15 feet. They have a swim speed of 30 feet.
Type: Octopi are monstrous humanoids with the aquatic subtype.
Darkvision: Octopi have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
Watersense: Octopi can sense vibrations in the water, granting them blindsight 30 feet against creatures that are touching the same body of water.
Octopod: Octopi merfolk gain a +12 racial bonus to CMD against overrun and trip attempts.
Ink Cloud (Ex): One per day, an octopi merfolk can release an ink cloud. Treat this as an underwater obscuring mist using the octopi merfolk’s character level as her caster level.
Camouflage: Three times per day, an octopi merfolk can adjust the color of her body to blend in with her surroundings, granting a +4 racial bonus to Stealth checks. The octopi merfolk can make Stealth checks without cover or concealment when using this ability, but cannot move more than 5 feet per round
Replaced Traits: Octopi merfolk lose the following racial traits: humanoid type, armor, legless, low-light vision

Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Merfolk is part of the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Compendium. Order and download the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Compendium now at the JBE Shop, DriveThruRPG, d20PFSRD, and Paizo.com.

June 8, 2015 0

Pathfinder: Merfolk Artwork

Now that PaizoCon is over, its time for us to get back to work. Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Merfolk is next up on our list. Like I said before, it was suppose to come out this month, but PaizoCon prep pushed it back until June. But we are hard at work on it. In the meantime, check out the awesome artwork by Brian Brinlee that arrived earlier this month for it.

We’ve got images for a merfolk time thief, sorcerer, cleric, and barbarian, so reverse alphabetical order. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy bringing them to you.

Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Merfolk is part of the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Compendium. Download the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Compendium now at DriveThruRPG/RPGNow, d20PFSRD, and Paizo.com.

May 27, 2015 0

Pathfinder: Spells to Make Your Changeling More Hag-Like

Earlier this week, we showed off the new bloodrager bloodline for changelings. Today, we are sharing with you three changeling-related spells that are useful to a wider range of spellcasters. The hag aspect spells are based on the beast shape family of spells and all the variations thereof but are specific to the hag origins of a changeling. These will give you the protections that hags enjoy when combating powerful foes. We hope you enjoy these and every other new option presented in Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Changelings.

Hag Aspect, Lesser

School transmutation; Level alchemist/investigator 2, arcanist/sorcerer/wizard 2, bloodrager 2, witch 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You take on the aspect of a hag, including some of its physical characteristics. You gain low-light vision, damage reduction 5/bludgeoning, the benefits of pass without trace, and a +1 enhancement bonus to natural armor which increases by +1 for every four caster levels above 3rd (to a maximum of +4 at 15th level).

Hag Aspect

School transmutation; Level alchemist/investigator 4, arcanist/sorcerer/wizard 5, bloodrager 3, witch 5
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
As lesser hag aspect, and in addition you gain darkvision 60 feet, damage reduction 5/bludgeoning and magic, resist electricity 10, a swim speed of 30 feet, and you grow gills which allow you to breathe underwater. In addition your natural weapons and any weapons you wield are considered magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Hag Aspect, Greater

School transmutation; Level alchemist/investigator 6, arcanist/sorcerer/wizard 8, bloodrager 4, witch 8
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
As hag aspect, and in addition you gain damage reduction 10/bludgeoning and magic; immunity to electricity, charm, and fear; a +4 racial bonus on saving throws against gaze attacks and disease; and a 20 foot aura of strong wind (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, Section 13 Environment). You are immune to the effects of this aura.

Download the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Changelings for Pathfinder at DriveThruRPG/RPGNow and d20PFSRD and coming soon to Paizo.com.

Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Changelings is part of the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Compendium. Download the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Compendium now at DriveThruRPG/RPGNow, d20PFSRD, and Paizo.com.

April 2, 2015 0

Path of the Giant The blood of giants flows in you. At no point in time is that heritage more obvious than when you are raging. You grow larger and your reach becomes extraordinary. Feats of strength are nothing to you. None but a true giant can stand against you.