Avatar of Fate - The Emperor And The Lovers
The Magician may be an inspiring figure, but he’s small beans. As we continue to reveal Avatars, we’ll be climbing in CR scale, and today, we’re very quickly moving through the lower tiers of play. Today, we have the Emperor, and the Lovers, cards #4 and #6!
The Emperor is the avatar dispatched to raise up kings and leaders, though not necessarily directly. The Emperor has acted as a mentor or teach, an old king ready to hand down the crown, but just as often the avatar acts as the adversary the young leader must overcome to prove themselves. Bandit lords and usurpers are the sorts of forms that the Emperor might take as it rules, waiting to be overthrown by fate’s chosen.
The Lovers, meanwhile, are the avatar of bonds and connection, and are tasked with strengthening and building connections in accordance with fate. This particular avatar, while a singular being, takes the form of a pair of bonded creatures, and the pair are rarely if ever parted.
The Avatars of Fate are only going to more powerful from here, and much stranger in places; as the major arcana become more and more abstract and cosmically minded, our designs had to expand to fit. We hope you’re as excited to see them as we are to show them to you!
If you wish to pay tithe to us, your beloved homebrew emperors, then carry your offering to our Patreon, and for your loyal devotion we will reward you with, of course, more homebrew. And remember, if you love what you see of the Avatars and want to be sure to get them all as soon as they drop, then join at $7 or more, and you’ll have them all as soon as they’re available on the 30th. Meanwhile, if you liked emperors better when they just made brain-melting black metal, then you can tell us about it on Discord, where everyone is encouraged to despise any autocratic leader not in love with blast beats.
Avatar of Fate
Strange entities are forged in the astral sea from the beliefs and desires of all thinking beings. They know all that is remembered, all that is known, and all that is anticipated— and with this knowledge they ensure that fate is preserved. Yet these forces cannot exist outside of the astral sea, and so they create avatars—corporeal beings to carry out fate itself.
These avatars can appear anywhere, ready and able to take on the role that fate requires of them. Be they powerful antagonists, trusted advisors, or beloved companions, these avatars can serve many roles in an adventure and be many things to an adventuring party. What role they fill and what the course of fate dictates is in your hands.
The Emperor
Heroes, kings, and conquerors—throughout history there are influential figures that have brought about great periods of order through their actions. This is the archetype that the avatar of the emperor fulfills, representing figures of great authority behind whom people are inspired to rally and follow. These avatars do not enact these great influences on the world themselves, but inspire those that must.
Ambition Unwavering. The avatar of the emperor takes the form of leaders of all kinds. Mannered noble lords are common enough, but others might appear as bandit kings, criminal masterminds, enigmatic leaders of secret societies, or even leaders of influential guilds. It is not power itself that unites these different walks of life, but the undeniable ability to lead others.
Trials of Will. Despite their guises, avatars of the emperor
are still shepherds to the needs of fate. They appear to those
who must prove themselves to be capable leaders in their
own right, or to those who must rise against tyranny. They
employ networks of supporters to aid in this purpose. To
defeat an emperor, be it on the field of battle or in the court of
the public eye, is to defeat the following it has garnered as
well.
The Lovers
Life is a series of bonds, connections formed between one another shaped by identity and choices. Hatred and love, fear and friendship, disgust and annoyance—the lovers reflect the fateful choices to pursue acceptance or separation.
Emotional Commitment. The avatar of the lovers is encountered by anyone acting in their relationships without restraint or self-reflection, such as a carousing bachelor moving from one romantic liaison to the next or a politician associating with only the most influential figures. Similarly, an organization that isolates itself from the world or a society devoid of meaningful social connections are especially in need of the lovers’ attention.
The Spark of Passion. The lovers most often appear as a pair of closely bonded souls. This could be a caring couple who give themselves regularly to a community's charitable works, or even two battle bonded warriors who seek to protect their place of residence. Any guise which can act as both a venue for forming social bonds and an example of such a bond for others suits the lovers well. The lovers will rarely appear as a singular entity, though the two aspects of it will almost never be seen far from one another.
The Emperor
Medium Celestial (Avatar), Typically Neutral
Armor Class 18 (plate)
Hit Points 71 (12d8 + 12)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 16 (+3)
DEX 8 (-1)
CON 13 (+1)
INT 13 (+1)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 17 (+3)
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened
Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages All, telepathy 60 ft.
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Emperor's Domain. At the start of the avatar’s turn, it can command a creature charmed by it within 60 feet to take the Attack action as a reaction. If the attack hits, it deals an additional 9 (2d8) force damage.
Fateseer. The avatar has advantage on initiative rolls and cannot be surprised.
Actions
Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) force damage.
Charm. The avatar targets one humanoid it can see within 30 feet of it. If the target can see the avatar, the target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed. The target has advantage on this saving throw if they are fighting the avatar. The charmed target regards the avatar as a trusted leader to be heeded and protected. The target isn’t under the avatar’s control, but it takes the avatar’s requests and actions in the most favorable way.
Each time the avatar or its companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until the avatar is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the avatar’s Charm for the next 24 hours.
Summon Forces (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The avatar summons up to 5 spectral guards with immunity to psychic damage. These guards are charmed by the avatar, acting as allies of the avatar and obeying its spoken commands. The guards remain for 1 hour, until the avatar dies, or until it dismisses them as a bonus action.
The Lovers
Medium Celestial (Avatar), Typically Neutral
Armor Class 15 (studded leather armor)
Hit Points 120 (16d10 + 32)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 13 (+1)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 15 (+2)
WIS 15 (+2)
CHA 18 (+4)
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages All, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Lover's Bond. The avatar is a single entity as well as two different beings. While paired, the avatar can use a bonus action to split into two creatures that are one size smaller and each occupy their own space. The avatars act one after the other while separate, and the avatar can split its Multiattack attacks between either avatar. If either avatar is not within 60 feet of the other, it has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.
These avatars share a stat block, initiative order, and a pool of hit points. If both avatars are subjected to the same effect, such as a fear spell or a dragon’s breath weapon, they make the save once and are treated as one creature, even while separate. One of the avatars can return them both to their paired form as a bonus action while within 5 feet of the other.
Magic Resistance. The avatar has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The avatar’s weapon attacks are magical.
Actions
Multiattack. The avatar makes four Scimitar attacks.
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.
