Ardent
While sensing the emotions of his opponents, the north elf manipulates them, making friend to foe and his adversaries hack at each other.
A human that seems to split themself, attacking an orc from both sides at once. Too late the orc realizes that only one apparition is real and the scimitar of the human bites into his flesh.
With renewed vigour the armies of the Count surge forward, their minds filled with hope and elation, while an exhausted dwarf clings to his sword.
A wave of force crashes onto each and every one of the adversaries, its origin the high elf that stood in their midst. Most of them collapse, while the rest are too shaken to resist the Rîmguard.
Whatever their purpose, every ardent is bound by its emotions and their curse to feel and manipulate others. Some see it as a gift, to help others in need and support them on their ways, others as an opportunity to dominate those weak of mind. Regardless of their own opinion about the matter, ardents, once found out, are usually not welcome in the cities and towns of the realms, as the common folk does not trust them or any emotions they have, when around an ardent.
Battle Psionikers
The ability to manifest their psionic energy to manipulate reality and set free unseen forces that can overwhlem the enemy, makes ardents sought after fighters and a dangerous opponent. Some stories even tell about psionic storms, raging across the battlefield, making no difference between friend and foe.
While this makes them a dangerous weapon to have, it also instills fear in their opponents. But even one-on-one they are formidable fighters.
Manipulators of Emotions
The armies of the realms, on the other hand, are quite fond of ardent, as they are rare, but a powerful weapon to have. With their abilities to manipulate the emotions - and sometimes even the minds - of their opponents and allies alike, they have swayed battles in which a vastly inferior army won the day through sheer willpower alone.
Their ability to instill vigour and hope makes them excellent supporting troops that will keep the morale of an army in check, while deteriorating the enemy with barrages of negative emotions.
The Ardent
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Psion, Psionic Augmentation, Ardent Personality, Augment Fear | 2 | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Ardent Manipulation, Ardent Surge | 2 | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Ardent Personality Feature, Augment Surprise | 3 | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Increase | 3 | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack, Master of Emotion, Augment Terror | 4 | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Shed the Mantle | 4 | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | — | ∞ | 2 | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Increase | ∞ | 2 | — |
| 9th | +4 | Ardent Personality Feature, Augment Elation | ∞ | 3 | — |
| 10th | +4 | Psionic Conduit | ∞ | 3 | — |
| 11th | +4 | Master of Emotion II, Augment Doubt | ∞ | 3 | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Increase | ∞ | 3 | — |
| 13th | +5 | Ardent Celerity / Mind over Matter | ∞ | 3 | — |
| 14th | +5 | — | ∞ | 3 | 1 |
| 15th | +5 | Augment Vigilance | ∞ | 3 | 1 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Increase | ∞ | 3 | 2 |
| 17th | +6 | Corona of Battle | ∞ | 3 | 2 |
| 18th | +6 | Augment Grief | ∞ | 3 | 3 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Increase | ∞ | 3 | 3 |
| 20th | +6 | Augment Rage | ∞ | 3 | 3 |
Creating an Ardent
Always remember that the primary emotion of an ardent changes the way to play this class dramatically. A master of domination often finds subtle ways to influence enemies and sometimes even allies to do their bidding, may that be the enemies most secret horror or the allies most precious memory. A master augmenter, on the other hand, will push their allies to unknown heights of strength and endurance. Meanwhile, a master of manipulation will create opportunities for their allies to strike, like forcing their enemies to make mistakes or manipulating their movements, unrelentless in their assaults of body and mind.
Regardless which kind of ardent you play, you have psionic abilities that will support you and your allies. Though not as powerful as a pure psion, the ardent is skilled enough to be a force to be reckoned with. But apart from their latent abilities, what made your ardent the way they are? And how did they learn to control not only the emotions of others, but their own as well? Are they descendants from a noble family which views these powers as a gift or a curse, or did their birth fall under a very peculiar event? Have they been shunned from their home, or have they been hailed as heroes, sent by the gods to protect their village?
Due to their power over mind and emotions, most ardents tend towards a neutral stance, when it comes to alignments.
There have been some that gave in to their emotions, though, becoming paragons of both, good and evil. And while order can help them to control their powers, it is the freedom
of chaos in which they can thrive to empower their abilities even more, or so some ardents claim.
Quick Build
You can make an ardent quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Charisma your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the sage background.
Class Features
As an Ardent, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d10 per ardent level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution Modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution Modifier per ardent level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armour, medium armour, heavy armour, shields
- Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
- Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Athletics, Deception, Medicine, Insight, Intimidate, and Persuasion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) mace and shield or (b) morningstar
- (a) leather armour or (b) hide armour
- (a) a diplomat's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
Psion
Due to your psionic nature, all of your melee attacks deal additional psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Psionic Augmentation
Through discipline and training, you have conquered your psionic powers in order to augment your attacks. As an action, you can use one of your augmentations. Depending on the augmentation level, you spend an augmentation slot of that same level. You regain your spent slots after a short rest.
Augmentations
Augmentations enhance your normal attacks. Each augmentation has 3 levels. While the first level of these augmentations is always available, the second and third level will only be available later on. Each subsequent level of an augmentation adds its effects on top of the former level, and works in the same restrictions unless stated otherwise. This means that an augmentation cast on level three will benefit from the effects of augmentation levels one and two.
Ardent Personalities
Choose a personality: Dominator, or Manipulator. Both are detailed at the end of the class description. Your personality determines your augmentations, as well as other features when you choose it at 1st level.
Ardent Manipulation
Beginning with 2nd level, you gain expertise in either Insight, or Persuasion checks.
Ardent Surge
By 2nd level, you have learned to manipulate your own emotions, and those of your allies, to bolster both your resolve. You can use a bonus action to let you or an ally within 25 feet regain hit points equal to 1d6 + your Charisma modifier. This increases to 3d6 at 9th, 5d6 at 13th, and 7d6 at 17th level. You can use this feature twice between a short or long rest. At 11th level this increases to three charges.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, whenever you use an augmentation on your turn.
Master of Emotion
You have learned to master your emotions and those of others, distracting your foes in the process. Beginning with 5th level, your attack rolls use your Charisma modifier instead of their usual modifier. In addition you can focus on a creature within 25 feet of you and read their strongest emotion twice per long rest. At 11th level this increases to five charges and you can read all emotions.
Shed the Mantle
Beginning with 6th level, you have learned to subtly manipulate your emotions and your personality. During a long rest, you can switch between each personality's mantle.
Psionic Conduit
At 10th level, you become a conduit of psionic power. Thrice per short rest you can channel that power into your attacks, dealing an additional 2d6 psychic damage.
Ardent Celerity / Mind over Matter
By 13th level, you have learned to channel your psionic powers to increase your celerity. Once per long rest, you can give yourself haste for 10 minutes.
Corona of Battle
At 17th level you gain the ability to create a psionic zone around you. Thrice per short rest, you can create a zone with a 25 feet radius, that lasts until the end of your next turn. When you move, the zone moves with you, with yourself at its center. While within the zone, allies gain 5 hit points per round and advantage on attack rolls. Their damage also deals 1d10 extra psychic damage. The effect of this ability is refreshed at the end of your turn, using concentration.
Ardent Personalities
An Ardent usually focuses on one personality trait of theirs. When this trait becomes dominant, the powers of the Ardent shift and shape themselves around that personality.
Dominator
There are many stories, so called myths, among the races of the Realms telling of creatures who manipulate the psych of their enemies, making them face their deepest horrors, or attack their friends in bouts of madness. The younger races and the oathbreakers may not remember, but for me this is a daily reality. The way of the dominator was chosen for me. I do not relish in its power, but I am glad for this gift.
Ardent Rage
When you drop below half of your hit points, your mantle bursts with rage. Any enemy within 25 feet of you grants advantage on attacks against them until the end of the next round, when the rage subsides. Once triggered, you have to take a long rest before you can use this ability again.
Mantle of Elation
Starting with 3rd level, you and any ally within 25 feet of you gain a bonus to damage rolls for attacks of opportunity, equal to your Charisma modifier. In addition, you gain expertise with Intimidation.
Dominate
At 9th level, you gain the ability to manipulate the emotions of others. Thrice per long rest, you can confer disadvantage on other creatures.
Augment Fear
Psychotic Nightmares. You mentally assault a target within 30 feet of you. The target has to make an Intelligence spell saving throw. If it fails the saving throw, it takes your normal weapon damage as psychic damage and, until the start of your next turn, the target takes psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier, whenever it hits one of your allies.
Augmentation 2. The target takes psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier, whenever it ends its movement adjacent to one of your allies.
Augmentation 3. The target takes psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier, for every 5 feet of movement.
Demoralizing Strike. Make a melee attack. On hit, add your Charisma modifier as psychic damage and the target gains disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
Augmentation 2. The target grants advantage on attack rolls and gains disadvantage on saving throws.
Augmentation 3. The attack affects all enemies adjacent to you.
Augment Surprise
Unsteadying Rebuke. When a creature targets you with an attack, you can use this augmentation as a reaction. You attack the creature that attacked you, interrupting its attack, and can move it by 5 feet to a square adjacent to you. This movement can trigger attacks of opportunity. You lose your standard action for the next turn.
Augmentation 2. You can move one ally adjacent to you to an
unoccupied square adjacent to the target.
Augmentation 3. You do not lose your standard action.
Augment Terror
Unhinging Strike. You make an attack. If you hit, you deal your Charisma modifier as psychic damage. You also force the target to make an attack as a free action against a creature of your choice.
Augmentation 2. Until the end of the target's next turn, enemies provoke attacks of opportunity and the target must make those attacks.
Augmentation 3. You deal your normal weapon damage and the target must make two attacks against one or two creatures of your choice.
Flood of Madness. The target makes an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the target takes psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier and you force it to make an attack as a free action against a creature of your choice.
Augmentation 2. Until the end of your next turn, your target counts as ally. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity when leaving its range and it gives you flanking bonus.
Augmentation 3. You target each enemy adjacent to you.
Anarchic Strike. You make an attack. On hit, you may move the target 5 feet and force it to make an attack against a creature of your choice, as a free action. The target's attack gains advantage.
Augmentation 2. The target's attack hits critically.
Augmentation 3. The target attacks all enemies within range.
Augment Elation
Hope's Audacity. Make an attack. Until the start of your next turn, all allies within 25 feet of you can score a critical hit against the target on a roll of 19-20.
Augmentation 2. You and your allies score a critical hit on an 18-20.
Augmentation 3. If at least one ally scores a critical hit, the duration is refreshed.
Stack the Odds. Make an attack. Allies adjacent to you gain advantage on attack rolls until the start of your next turn.
Augmentation 2. Affected allies deal extra psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
Augmentation 3. Enemies adjacent to you gain disadvantage on attack rolls.
Augment Doubt
Violent Upsurge. Make an attack. Until the start of your next turn, whenever the target takes damage, it takes extra damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Augmentation 2. Whenever the target takes damage, you gain a +4 damage bonus for the next attack you make against the target. This bonus is cumulative.
Augmentation 3. The target gains vulnerability to all damage it is not at least resistant to, until the end of your next turn.
Tactical Failure. Make an attack. On hit, until the end of your next turn, the target grants advantage if it takes an attack action.
Augmentation 2. Make an additional attack. The target provokes attacks of opportunity if it takes an attack action.
Augmentation 3. Make two additional attacks. The target provokes attacks of opportunity and grants advantage when it moves.
Augment Vigilance
Revealing Strike. Make an attack. On hit, the target gains disadvantage on saving throws and gives advantage on attack rolls made against it until the start of your next turn.
Augmentation 2. Make an additional attack. The target is unable to hide or turn invisible.
Augmentation 3. Make two additional attacks. You and each ally adjacent to you gain blindsight (50 ft.) until the end of your next turn.
Exhilarating Strike. An ally within 25 feet of you can make a basic attack as a free action. On hit, the ally may make a saving throw.
Augmentation 2. The ally gains damage bonus equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Augmentation 3. All allies within 25 feet are affected.
Augment Grief
Crushing Vortex. Make an attack. One creature adjacent to the target takes force damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Augmentation 2. Make an additional attack. A creature of your choice takes damage equal to your Intelligence modifier as force damage.
Augmentation 3. Make an additional attack and create a zone 5 feet around you until the end of your next turn. When a creature within the zone takes damage, each enemy within the zone takes force damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Brandished Promise. All enemies within 5 feet must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed saving throw, each target takes psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Augmentation 2. The attack deals damage equal to your weapon damage.
Augmentation 3. Increase the radius to 10 feet. The attack always hits critically.
Augment Rage
Ruinous Scream. Attack with force damage. On hit, you push the target 5 feet away from you. The target is deafened until the end of your next turn.
Augmentation 2. Each enemy adjacent to the target at the end of the push takes force damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Augmentation 3. You attack each enemy adjacent to you with force damage. On hit you push each target 10 feet away from you, instead of 5.
Manipulator
Amongst my brethren there are those who specialized in the manipulation of the mind. A small fear increased to a terror, a glimmer of hope elevated to jubilant elation. Illusions and emotional amplifications are their tools of the trade. Within their vicinity reality and emotions warp like the twisting nether of chaos that surrounds this world.
Ardent Fear
When you drop below half of your hit points, your mantle envelopes you with an illusion. Any enemy within line of sight of you drops whatever they are holding and becomes Frightened until the end of the next round. The mantle then dispels the illusion. Once triggered, you have to take a long rest before you can use this ability again.
Mantle of Doubt
Starting with 3rd level, you and any ally within 25 feet of you gain a bonus to their armour class against attacks of opportunity, equal to your Charisma modifier. In addition, you gain expertise with Deception checks.
Manipulate
Beginning with 9th level, you can give advantage on skill checks, saving throws, or attack rolls against a creature in a 50 feet radius, thrice per long rest.
Augment Fear
Ire Strike. Make a melee attack. On hit, the target gains vulnerability against non-magic damage, unless immune or resistant, until the end of your next turn.
Augmentation 2. The target loses any resistances and its immunities become resistances.
Augmentation 3. The target gains vulnerability to all damage types.
Conflicted Emotions. Make an attack. The target takes psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier, if it ends its next turn adjacent to one of its allies.
Augmentation 2. The targets takes damage if it ends its next turn adjacent to any creature.
Augmentation 3. Each enemy adjacent to you takes psychic damage equal to 10 + your Charisma modifier and grants advantage, if they end their turn adjacent to you.
Augment Surprise
Prescient Strike. Make an attack. If the target attacks you or an adjacent ally of yours during its next turn, you can make another attack against the target as a reaction.
Augmentation 2. The target has to make a spell saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the target takes a penalty to its attack roll equal to your Charisma modifier.
Augmentation 3. The damage you deal is doubled. You also gain an attack roll bonus on your next attack against the target, equal to your Charisma modifier.
Cast the Net. Make an attack. Your weapon gains reach for this attack. On hit, you teleport to a square adjacent to the target.
Augmentation 2. On hit, you can choose to teleport the target to a square adjacent to you, instead.
Augmentation 3. If the target moves more than 10 feet on its next turn, you can teleport it to a space adjacent to you as an immediate reaction.
Augment Terror
Mindlink Strike. Make an attack. An ally adjacent to you can use their reaction to make an attack of opportunity against the target, if possible. On a hit, you and the ally can both move 5 feet without provoking attacks of opportunity.
Augmentation 2. Your ally gains your proficiency bonus to their damage roll.
Augmentation 3. You attack each enemy adjacent to you. Each ally adjacent to one of the targets may use their reaction to make an attack of opportunity against the targets.
Body Double. Choose a square adjacent to a target that is in melee range of you. You occupy that square in addition to your normal square until the start of your next turn. While you occupy multiple squares through this power, you can attack from either square. You can flank from either square, even with yourself. You can also be targeted in either square, but area of effect attacks that affect both squares target you only once. You then make an attack, but only deal weapon damage without your Intelligence modifier.
Augmentation 2. When the effect ends, you choose which square to occupy. In addition, when you are hit by an AoE, you can choose to stand exclusively in one square, possibly evading the AoE's effect.
Augmentation 3. You can choose any square within 25 feet of you. You also make the attack with reach 3, still flanking the enemy, if flanking applies.
Augment Elation
Essence Conduit. Make an attack. One ally you can see gains temporary hit points equal to 5 + your Charisma modifier.
Augmentation 2. The ally may also use Hit Dice to heal.
Augmentation 3. The target takes an additional 1d8 psychic damage. One additional ally within 25 feet can spend hit dice to regain hit points.
Augment Doubt
Revelatory Slash. One ally within 50 feet of you can make a basic attack as a free action. If that attack hits, its target grants advantage until the end of your next turn.
Augmentation 2. The ally also gains a bonus to its damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
Augmentation 3. You can choose another ally to make a basic attack as a free action. This attack has the same effects as the first. Each attack also gives 15 temporary hit points to the attacker.
Augment Vigilance
Unconscious Assault. The target makes an attack as a free action against a creature of your choice, with advantage. If the target hits, it takes 10 psychic damage.
Augmentation 2. You may move the target 10 feet before it attacks.
Augmentation 3. The target attacks twice. Itself and its target take additional 10 psychic damage.
Augment Rage
Violent Impulse. You and an ally within 25 feet can make a basic attack as a free action.
Augmentation 2. You and all allies within 25 feet can make a basic attack as a free action.
Augmentation 3. Each attack deals 2d6 extra psychic damage.
Anticipation Tactics. As a reaction, when an enemy within 10 feet of you makes an attack, an ally within 15 feet can shift 5 feet and make a basic attack against the triggering enemy.
Augmentation 2. The attack deals extra 1d8 psychic damage.
Augmentation 3. You or another ally may also shift and attack.
Binding Strike. Make an attack. If the attack hits, the target is immobilized.
Augmentation 2. Make an additional attack.
Augmentation 3. All damage done is psychic damage.
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