Practices of Unity
A collection of thoughts, teachings, techniques, and practices providing several paths to choose from for those who truly understand that collaboration makes each individual stronger.
Individuals that adopt this way of thinking come to realize that as they train, the goal is not to become stronger for one's own sake, but for the sake of one's companions, so that together, you and your allies become better equipped to face down whatever dangers you might be up against.
Even though the most known collaborations consist of one with great magical talents and one with great physical talents, something which is evidenced by some of the truly advanced techniques, there are several examples of successful pairings where both show prowess in similar, or even the same, areas.
Path of the Defender
Barbarians that follow the Path of the Defender have assumed the responsibility of keeping a bondmate alive. They are often charged with the safekeeping of people of importance, like a traveling priest, a tribe's shaman or elder, and so on, but just as often they simply form a bond with someone they either care for or share a common goal with, like a sibling or fellow adventurer.
Chosen Charge
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can perform a 1-hour ritual to bond with one creature of your choosing. This bond is suppressed if one of you is charmed, but otherwise lasts until your bondmate dies or you perform this ritual again.
In order to reap the benefits from the bond, you must be within a certain range of your bondmate. This range is referred to as soul range, and for the Defender, who must almost be like a shadow to its bondmate, the range is 10 feet.
Avert and Avenge
At 3rd level, you've mastered the very basics of guarding your bondmate from bodily harm. While raging and within soul range, if a creature you can see hits your bondmate with an attack, you can use a reaction to throw yourself in harm's way, forcing the damage to be dealt to yourself instead. If you do, you switch places with your bondmate. Whenever you take damage this way, the first attack you make on your next turn deals 1d6 additional damage if you hit. You can't use this feature if either your movement speed or your bondmate's movement speed is 0 or you are otherwise hindered, for example by a wall or being chained.
Dexterous Cover
Beginning at 6th level, your reflexes allow you to shield your bondmate in even more ways. While within soul range, if a spell or effect would grant both you and the bondmate a Dexterity saving throw to avoid damage, you can choose to impose disadvantage on your own roll in order to grant your bondmate advantage on its roll.
Passive Aggressiveness
Starting at 14th level, you and your bondmate function even more like a team when faced with foes. While raging, if a hostile creature deals damage to you with an attack aimed at your bondmate, your bondmate can use a reaction to make a weapon attack against it.
Conductor
Fighters that take on the role of Conductor have spent hours upon hours to learn how to direct magic. All to better serve as a conduit for magical energy, both to and fro.
Attuned Energies
Starting at 3rd level, you can perform a 1-hour ritual to bond with one creature of your choosing. This bond is suppressed if one of you is charmed, but otherwise lasts until your bondmate dies or you perform this ritual again.
In order to reap the benefits from the bond, you must be within a certain range of your bondmate. This range is referred to as soul range, and for the Conductor, who focuses on how to strengthen the benefits instead of the range of them, the range is 30 feet.
Coursing Magic
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how to open your body to magic and let it flow freely through you. While within soul range, if your bondmate casts a spell with a range of touch or self (area) and wants you to, you can use a reaction to deliver the spell as if you had cast it. If the spell requires an attack roll or a saving throw, you use your bondmate's attack modifier for the roll or its saving throw DC. Whenever you use this feature, your weapon attacks count as magical until the end of your next turn.
Additionally, you can choose to add some of your inherent energy to the spell if it deals damage. If you do, you add 1d10 additional damage to the damage roll of it. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Set Aside Time
Also at 3rd level, you can participate in rituals your bondmate performs to cast spells. If you do, the ritual's casting time is halved, and if its range is self, the caster can cast it at you instead of themselves.
Lingering Energy
Starting at 7th level, your body has learned to harness some of the magical energy that flows through you. After a spell has been channeled through you with the Coursing Magic feature, magical residue lingers around you until the end of your next turn. While surrounded by this energy, you have resistance to magical damage.
Bondmate's Boon
At 10th level, the bond between you and your bondmate allows for shaping of magic to better fit your mutual goals. While within soul range, your bondmate can cast a spell with range self on you, instead of itself.
What's Mine is Yours
By 15th level, your understanding of the magic that suffuses everything has improved. During a short rest, you can perform a ritual while touching your bondmate to transfer some of your inherent magical energy to them. The bondmate can regain spent spell slots up to 5th level this way, and the spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your fighter level.
Once you've used this feature, you can't do so again until you've finished a long rest.
Spell Surge
Starting at 18th level, you can push your bond beyond its normal limits for a moment. When you use your Action Surge feature while within soul range of your bondmate, you can use an action to have your bondmate cast a spell through you, as per the Coursing Magic feature, if willing. When cast this way, your bondmate uses a reaction instead of you. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action.
Oath of Unity
The paladins who take the Oath of Unity, though they often come from different circumstances, have in common an unwavering belief that if one stands together with others, one will not only persevere, but grow stronger.
Tenets of Unity
Though the exact words and strictures of the Oath of Unity vary, paladins of this oath share these tenets.
Trust. Through your words and actions, you should not only gain trust, but spread it.
Empathy. Without understanding others' feelings and motivations, you can't truly understand your own.
Including. There will always be some that stand on the outside; it is your duty to not only let them in, but encourage them to step in themselves.
Cooperation. People working towards a shared goal will always net a better result through coordination and working together than they would alone.
Care. Care for others the way you want them to care for you.
Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
Oath of Unity Spells
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | bless, cure wounds |
| 5th | enhance ability, lesser restoration |
| 9th | aura of vitality, Leomund's tiny hut |
| 13th | death ward, stoneskin |
| 17th | greater restoration, skill empowerment |
Merry Band
Beginning at 3rd level, you can perform a 1-hour ritual to bond with one creature of your choosing. This bond is suppressed if one of you is charmed, but otherwise lasts until your bondmate dies or you perform this ritual again. You can bond with two creatures starting at 7th level, and three creatures at 15th level.
In order to reap the benefits from the bond, you must be within a certain range of a bondmate. This range is referred to as soul range, and for the paladin, the range is 30 feet.
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Protective Community. As an action, you can make the bond between you and a bondmate manifest as a link of vitality, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, one bondmate of your choice has resistance to all damage while it's within soul range. Also, each time it takes damage, you take the same amount of damage. Additionally, when you do, another bondmate within soul range can use a reaction to take the damage in your stead.
Pooled Knowledge. As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak words of encouragement, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, while within soul range, whenever you or a bondmate make an ability check with advantage, you can reroll one of the dice once.
Aiding Allies
Beginning at 7th level, the bond between you and your bondmates grants an intuitive understanding of each other's actions. You gain an aura with a 10-foot radius. While within the aura, when you or a bondmate use the Help action to aid a bondmate in attacking a creature, the target of that attack can be anywhere within the aura, rather than within 5 feet of you, if the target can see or hear you.
You can perform a 1-minute ritual to transfer the aura to one of your bondmates. At 18th level, you can transfer it to two of your bondmates.
You regain the aura if the bond is broken.
Give and Take
Starting at 15th level, your faith in your bondmates allows you to direct some of your divine energy to them. Whenever you use your Divine Smite with an attack, one bondmate of your choice within soul range regains 2d8 hit points.
We are Legion
At 20th level, you and your bondmates form a tight-knit unit, able to take on any and all challenges. Using an action, you rally your bondmates to action, gaining the following benefits for 10 minutes:
- When you or a bondmate take the Help action, each other bondmate within soul range gains the same benefit.
- When a creature attacks you or a bondmate, each other bondmate within soul range can use a reaction to make a weapon attack against it.
Guerilla
These rangers have trained in techniques to harry their enemies at both melee range and from further away while maximizing the distraction and mayhem coordinated attacks can create.
Persistent Partner
Beginning at 3rd level, you can perform a 1-hour ritual to bond with one creature of your choosing. This bond is suppressed if one of you is charmed, but otherwise lasts until your bondmate dies or you perform this ritual again.
In order to reap the benefits from the bond, you must stay a certain range away from your bondmate. This range is referred to as reversed soul range, and for the ranger, who excels in guerilla tactics, the range is 30 feet, but if you exceed 120 feet, you no longer gain any benefits from the bond.
Harry and Hurt
Starting at 3rd level, you and your bondmate compliment each other in combat. Once per turn, while at least 30 feet away from each other, either of you can add 1d4 to a weapon damage roll.
Hit and Run
At 7th level, you and your bondmate zoom around the battlefield as you see fit. While at least 30 feet away from each other, both of you can take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action.
Killing in the Moment
At 11th level, the coordination between you and your bondmate leaves creatures frozen in fear. Once per turn, while at least 30 feet away from each other, when one of you scores a critical hit or reduces a creature to 0 hit points, the other can use a reaction to make a weapon attack against a creature .
Vibrant Link
By 15th level, your bond is strong and vibrant. At the start of your turn, while at least 30 feet away from your bondmate, you and your bondmate both gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + their Wisdom modifier.
Joiner
Many rogues are skillful in ways that others can benefit from, but the Joiner has taken this to new heights by focusing on cooperating with and aiding one ally to achieve mutually shared goals.
Kindred Spirits
Starting at 3rd level, you can perform a 1-hour ritual to bond with one creature of your choosing. This bond is suppressed if one of you is charmed, but otherwise lasts until your bondmate dies or you perform this ritual again.
In order to reap the benefits from the bond, you must be within a certain range of your bondmate. This range is referred to as soul range, and for the Joiner, who specializes in this particular aspect of the bond, starts out at 100 feet, then increases to 500 feet at 9th level, and to 1000 feet at 13th level.
Familiar Territory
Starting at 3rd level, your connection with your bondmate transcends physical bounds. While within soul range, you can communicate with each other telepathically as long as you share a language. Additionally, as an action, you or your bondmate can see through the other's eyes and hear what the other hears for up to one minute, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the other has. During this time, the one using this feature is deaf and blind with regard to its own senses.
Linked Aggression
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to exploit the weaknesses your teamwork exposes in your enemies. You don't need advantage on the attack roll to use your Sneak Attack against a creature if your bondmate has targeted it with a spell or an attack since the end of your last turn, and you don't have disadvantage on the attack roll. All the other rules for Sneak Attack still apply to you.
Friend at Hand
At 13th level, your bondmate is never far away. While within soul range, and able to communicate telepathically, either of you can use an action to instantly teleport to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the other.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Synchronized Fighting
Starting at 17th level, you almost act as one with your bondmate. Whenever one of you rolls initiative, the other, if within soul range, can choose to teleport to its bondmate's side without spending an action, taking its turn at the other's initiative minus 1. Additionally, when you do so, you both get advantage on your first attack made during the first round of combat. You can't use this feature when you are surprised.
School of Unity
The School of Unity focuses not on what magic wizards use, but how they use the magical energy they're wielding. In particular, how their magical energy can benefit others, and in what ways.
Magical Mates
Starting at 2nd level, you can perform a 1-hour ritual to bond with one creature of your choosing. This bond is suppressed if one of you is charmed, but otherwise lasts until your bondmate dies or you perform this ritual again.
In order to reap the benefits from the bond, you must be within a certain range of your bondmate. This range is referred to as soul range, and for the Unity wizard, the range is 60 feet.
Symbiotic Strength
When you choose this school at 2nd level, you learn various theories of magic manipulation developed to alter magic to better be used in tandem with others. The most basic of these teaches you how to slice off a sliver of the magical energy you use when casting a spell and channel it through your bond, benefiting both you and your bondmate.
You learn two of the effects below, and one more at 6th level, 10th level, and 14th level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the ones you know and replace it with another.
While within soul range, when you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can use a bonus action to gain temporary hit points equal to the level of the spell and use one of the effects you know.
- Your bondmate's movement speed and jump distance is increased by 15 feet until the end of its next turn.
- Your bondmate can add your Intelligence modifier to the first Strength or Dexterity check it makes within 1 minute.
- Your bondmate can add your Intelligence modifier to the first weapon damage roll it makes before the end of its next turn.
- You can immediately teleport your bondmate up to 10 feet.
- Your bondmate's weapon attacks deal cold, fire, or lightning damage (your choice) until the end of the next turn.
- Your bondmate gains temporary hit points equal to the level of the spell + your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).
Spell Siphon
Starting at 6th level, your bondmate can draw out magical energy and knowledge from you. While within soul range, it can use an action to cast a spell of 3rd level or lower that you have prepared without expending a spell slot or material components, and a bonus action when doing so to use one of the effects you know from the Symbiotic Strength feature, targeting you. Once your bondmate has used this feature, you must finish a long rest before it can be used again.
Combined Force
Starting at 10th level, there's a tiny, but constant flow of energy through your bond. While within soul range, you can use your reaction when your bondmate hits with a weapon attack to add your wizard level to the damage roll.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Arcane Armor
Beginning at 14th level, the magic flowing through your bond acts as insulation against external magic. While within soul range, you and your bondmate have resistance against the damage of spells.
Credits
- Created by redditor groggen2
- Thanks to everyone on the 'Discord of Many Things' who helped me along the way.
- Template provided by GMBinder
- Art by Michael Komarck, Goshun, dleoblack and Izzy Medrano
- Quote from Catapult Master
- PDF & GMBinder version
- This is version 1 (2018-05-15)
