Dominant

ᛞᛟᛗᛁᚾᚨᚾᛏ

As a dragon sets a city ablaze, a young human calls out. A brilliant light surrounds him, and moments later another dragon rushes out of the radiance—and the sky becomes a battlefield. As an army stands at the brink of defeat, a phoenix descends from the clouds, and with a tidal wave of flame turns the tide.

Whether laying waste to a city with a furious earthquake, facing an army of monsters with naught but sword and steed, or calling forth the flames of rebirth to bring the dead back to life, the power of the Eikons rarely goes unnoticed. But as much as their chosen, the Dominants, are empowered, they are also bound to suffer—for when they call their Eikons into bodies, their flesh is torn apart and rebuilt to house their Eikon’s might. Slowly, it wears away at their very being. Some cultures see their powers as a curse or outright evil, and some Dominants thus face exile or death when discovered. Others nations recruit or enslave them, seeking weapons to wield against their enemies.

Element Made Flesh

Dominants are arcane warriors, blessed (or perhaps cursed) with might both martial and magical. Drawing upon the elemental power of their Eikons, they call forth great destruction—or summon that selfsame power into their own flesh, imbuing them with great strength. Some choose to use their power to further the cause of righteousness in the world, while others turn their newfound strength to more selfish goals. A few reject their power, and attempt to free themselves of it.

The Laws of Dominance

Each Eikon has their own preferences and criteria for those they choose: Odin chooses brave warriors facing overwhelming odds, while the Phoenix favours those aiding their community during great catastrophe—yet one rule seems absolute: for each Eikon, there can be only one Dominant. Once chosen, the Dominant remains such until they are dead and gone. As their powers grow with experience and training, the line between Eikon and Dominant blurs. It is said that some few Dominants throughout history have all but merged with their Eikons.

Despite this, rumours circulate of a battle held between two dominants of Ifrit, leveling an entire forest, many years ago…

Awakening

The moment of awakening, where a Dominant discovers their nature, is rarely a simple affair. For most, the revelation comes at a time of great inner turmoil, and many lose control, going on wild rampages that can devastate cities and end many a life. During the awakening, it is common for the Dominant to go fully Prime—truly summoning their Eikon in rapturous glory and unbridled power. They tower over the landscape, large as a fortress, aether barely contained in its freshly forged frame. Fortunately for onlookers, this state rarely lasts for more than two dozen minutes—yet that is time enough for great destruction.

Creating a Dominant

The most important part of a Dominant is, of course, which Eikon they bear within them. Make sure your character’s attributes fit the style and abilities of their Eikon. Ifrit, for example, prefers high Strength and melee combat, and his heavy armour lessens the need for Dexterity, giving more space for Constitution. Meanwhile, the Phoenix and the other more casting-focused Eikons require high Charisma to keep their spells high-powered.

What happened to trigger your awakening, did you prime, and did you retain control over your actions during the event? Perhaps you accidentally destroyed your own home while trying to defend it—could you ever go back there, or does the guilt weigh too heavily upon you? Perhaps the event was rather a small thing in the grand scheme. You discovered that your powers protected you as a maddened wizard set fire to the library after finding it to lack the tome they sought.

Consider also the relationship between Dominant and Eikon. Was your character chosen without any input from themselves, at a moment of great hardship? Or did they undergo some form of Trial to earn their power? Perhaps they all but forced the Eikon to grant them Dominance. Though the Eikons are not as talkative as Warlock patrons tend to be, try to figure out what attitudes the Dominant and Eikon have towards each other. Are you grateful for the power bestowed upon you, or do you wish you had never gotten it? Your Eikon might view your character with respect, as a servant, or perhaps with contempt for having “stolen” their power.

Finally, what does your character intend to do with their power? Perhaps you feel like you’ve been given this power for some lofty purpose. Or you might decide that the power gives you the right to do what you want, to take what you want from those who lack such power. For what purpose did your Eikon choose you, and how do your goals align with theirs…?

Quick Build

You can make a Dominant quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength or Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the Soldier background.

Dominant Leveling Table

Basic Features

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per dominant level
Hit Points at 1st level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution
modifier per dominant level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armour: Light and medium armour
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, Perception, and Persuasion.

Multiclassing

Ability Score Minimum: Strength or Dexterity 13 and Charisma 13.
When you gain a level in a class other than your first, you gain only some of that class’s starting proficiencies.
Armour: Light and medium armour.
Weapons: Simple and martial weapons.

Equipment

• (a) a martial weapon and shield or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) five javelins, or (b) a longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows, or (c) any simple melee weapon
• (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
• (a) scale mail, or (b) leather armor, or (c) chain mail (if proficient)

Alternatively, you may start with 5d4 × 10 gp (125 gp) to buy your own equipment.

Dominance

You are the Dominant of an Eikon. Choose one from the list below. Your choice grants you features now, and at certain later levels.

Eikon Spells

Each Eikon has a list of associated spells. You gain access to these spells at the levels specified in the Eikon description. Once you gain access to an Eikon spell, you learn that spell, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you know. You can cast them using your spell slots as normal.

If you gain an Eikon spell that doesn’t appear on the dominant spell list, the spell is nonetheless a dominant spell for you.

Eikonic Trance

Imbued with the power of an Eikon, you are a tempest on the battlefield. On your turn, you can break your limits and enter an eikonic trance as a bonus action.

While in an eikonic trance, when you hit an enemy with a weapon attack, you deal 2 extra damage of the type associated with your Eikon. This bonus increases as you level; see the Trance Damage column of the dominant table.

Your trance lasts for 1 minute or until you die. You can also choose to end your trance on your turn (no action required).

Once you have entered a trance for the maximum number of times for your dominant level, you must finish a long rest before you can enter another trance. The number of times you may enter a trance can be found in the dominant table.

Spellcasting

By 2nd level, you have learned how to draw upon the deep well of Eikonic aether residing within you, and channel it into powerful magicks. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting. The Dominant spell list can be found on its own page.

Spell Slots

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

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Burning Hands and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Burning Hands using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the dominant spell list. The Spells Known column of the Dominant table show when you learn more dominant spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the dominant spells you know and replace it with another spell from the dominant spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your dominant spells, since the power of your magic relies on your ability to project your will into the world. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an dominant spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Martial Magic

You can use any simple or martial weapon you are proficient with, or an arcane focus, as a spellcasting focus for your dominant spells.

Aether Sensitivity

Starting at 3rd level, your sensitivity to the aether surrounding you has grown. As an action, you can open your awareness to the flow of magicks around you. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any spell, dominant, or magic item within 60 feet of you that isn’t behind total cover. When you sense a spell, you learn which school of magic it belongs to, and which of the 10 elements it is mainly aspected to, if any. If you sense a dominant, you learn which element they are attuned to—but the dominant in question also automatically senses that you are a dominant.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses whenever you finish a long rest.

Fighting Style

At 3rd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take the same Fighting Style option more than once, even if you get to choose again.

Arcane Warrior

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the Dominant spell list. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the Dominant spell list.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Blind Fighting

You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you made with a melee weapon that you are wielding in with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Interception

When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Additionally, whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to dominants.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Eikonic Resilience

Starting at 6th level, you gain resistance to damage of your eikon’s associated damage type.

Primordial Conduit

When you attain 7th level, you gain one of the following benefits. You may revisit your choice whenever you attain a dominant level granting you an ability score increase.

Eikonic Strike.

Whenever you use an action to cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action until the end of your turn.

Elemental Empowerment.

When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that deals damage of your eikon’s associated type, or one that is an eikon spell for you, you can add your Charisma modifier to one damage roll of that spell.

Magic Burst

By 11th level, you have learnt to follow up your blows with flares of elemental power, and your weapon channels eikonic aether with every blow. Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage of your Eikon’s type. The weapon used counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Unyielding Will

From 14th level and onwards, you have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed or frightened conditions on yourself.

Eikonic Ascension

Once you have attained level 20, you have all but become your Eikon. You no longer age, don’t die from old age, and you no longer need to eat, drink, or breathe. You become immune to non-magical diseases, and to magical diseases that were not created by a spell of 9th level.