Chained Ancient

Taking to the sky for the first time in decades, a dragonborn tests her wings. The feeling is strange, because while they are brand new, something within her insists that they have always been there.

Rebuking the town guard with a bolt of flame, a wickedly grinning aasimar steps through the gaping hole in the tavern's wall. He begins to laugh. Everything seems so simple, now that his true demonic nature is returning to his mind. An avariel drops to her knees, healing light glowing through her wings as she brushed her hand across the cheek of her dying comrade. When he miraculously wakes tomorrow, he will swear up and down that he was not healed by an elf, but by an actual angel.

These adventurers are exceptional, even among the stuff of legends. They were not born, nor were they made. They were chained.

## Bound to Reality

Chained ancients are different from all other residents of the material plane. Not even planetouched races, such as aasimar and tieflings, truly compare to their raw potential.

This is because chained ancients were never meant to be mortal. In their true forms they are beings of earthshaking or even cosmic power — angels, demons, dragons; even lesser gods. Their mortal body is not a blessing bestowed upon an eager spirit, but a prison imposed by devious and arcanely powerful enemies, meant to delay or derail their plans by millenia.

## Remembering That which was Forgotten

The rituals and magics that can summon and indefinitely bind a cosmic being are dark and forbidden things. They are beyond the capabilities of even the greatest spellcasters, requiring choirs of mages both arcane and divine working in perfect tandem. Furthermore, they often require dark sacrifice, scores of lives being lost to chain beings ancient and immutable to a world that is fleeting and ever changing.

These magics dispel, for a time, such a being's innate person. A bound angel need not be good in their mortal form, while a bound devil need not be evil, though such a ritual cannot force a creature to completely abandon its nature. Lesser bindings forge a lesser version of the being's true form — a celestial becoming aasimar, a fiend becoming tiefling.

Greater bindings can forge bodies that differ from, or even contradict, such a being's nature, such as binding a lawful evil devil to the chaotic good body of an elf.

Initially, such a contradictory binding causes no issue, as the creature's true identity and nature are buried deep or scattered throughout the cosmos. However, as the binding inevitably unravels, the newfound discord of self can tear the psyche of a chained ancient apart, or convert one being into another entirely, raising devils to angelhood and changing the very colors of a dragon's scales.

## Creating a Chained Ancient

When creating a chained ancient, consider three things above all else: How will your gaming group react to your story? What is your true form? How powerful was the ritual that bound you to your mortal form?

Roughly half of chained ancients are innately evil creatures, such as fiends and chromatic dragons, that are meant to serve solely as antagonists for player characters to overcome and kill. If you choose such a story for your chained ancient character, it is important to be sure that your DM and your fellow characters approve, lest you sow discord.

If you are certain that your character is appropriate for the type of game in which you are playing, consider your true form. This class-oriented decision defines your origins and past in a manner very similar to other characters' choice of race, and deserves consideration appropriately.

The ritual that bound you gives you insight into a handful of important elements into your backstory as well. Was the group that bound you a desperate demonic cult, sacrificing the last of their numbers to make you, an archangel, into a meager aasimar and prevent you from slaying their lord? Or did an empire spanning religious organization collect a willing tribute of blood to bind you, a tyrannical red dragon, to human form? Once you have decided this, you know your sworn enemies, what mortal forms are likely for you to inhabit, and how long you spent believing yourself to be mortal before your true nature began to outlive what you thought you were.

## Quick Build

You can make a chained ancient quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Wisdom your highest ability score, followed by Constitution if you want to focus on spellcasting or Strength or Dexterity if you want to focus on martial prowess. Then take either the acolyte background, found in the Player's Handbook, or the Recovered Cultist background, found in the Tal'Dorei: Campaign Setting Guide.

## Basic Features

As a Chained Ancient, you gain the following class features.

### Hit Points

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

### Proficiencies

**Armor:** Light armor, medium armor
**Weapons:** Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
**Saving Throws:** Wisdom, Charisma
**Skills:** Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Religion, and Stealth

### Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

* (a) chain mail or (b) studded leather armor, a hand crossbow, and 20 bolts
* (a) a martial weapon or (b) two simple weapons
* An Explorer's pack

## Innate Spellcasting

Your true form has innate magical ability, and one of the first things to happen as your binding begins to come lose is that this magical ability again becomes yours to wield. See chapter ten of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and the end of this class for the Chained Ancient spell list.

### Cantrips

You know two cantrips of your choice from the Chained Ancient spell list. You learn additional cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Chained Ancient table.

### Spell Slots

The Chained Ancient table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your Chained Ancient spells of first level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

For example, when you are fifth level, you have two third level spell slots. To cast the first level spell Burning Hands, you must expend one of these spell slots, and you cast Burning Hands as a third level spell.

### Spells Known of First Level or Higher

At first level, you know one first level spell of your choice from the Chained Ancient spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Chained Ancient table shows when you learn more Chained Ancient spells of your choice of first level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. When you reach sixth level, for example, you learn a new Chained Ancient spell, which can be of first, second, or third level.

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

### Sixth Level Spells

Sixth level spells represent the pinnacle of your power. Even when you have sixth level spell slots, you may only know the sixth level spell granted by your True Form and one other sixth level spell of your choice.

### SpellCasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Chained Ancient spells, so you use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Chained Ancient spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

**Spell save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
**Spell attack modifier** = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
### Spellcasting Focuses and Material Components

Because your spellcasting is innate, you can use yourself as a spellcasting focus for your Chained Ancient spells. If a spell requires you to provide material components that are consumed, you can instead offer up your life force. Your hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the cost of the material components in gold pieces, divided by five, and the spell is cast. This hit point reduction lasts until you have finished three short or long rests.

## True Form

Also at first level, you are defined by a form that transcends your mortal body. Choose for your True Form to be:

* Celestial
* Demon
* Devil
* Dragon
* Great Old One

Your True Form grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels.

### Innate Spells

Each True Form has a list of associated spells. You gain access to these spells at the levels specified in the oath description. Once you gain access to an Innate spell, you add it to your list of spells known, and it does not count against the number of Chained Ancient spells that you know.

If you gain an Innate spell that doesn't appear on the Chained Ancient spell list, it is nonetheless a Chained Ancient spell for you.

## Divine Carriage

Starting at second level, your supernatural nature has begun to poke through your humanoid form. You gain advantage on ability check you make that use the Intimidation and Persuasion skills.

## High Calling

Starting at third level, you begin to regain a sense of the station you once held. Choose the Calling of:

* the Exemplar
* the Missionary
* the Prophet
* the Reaper

Your High Calling grants you a special feature at third level, and improves at 7th, 13th, and 17th levels.

## Supernatural Senses

Starting at fifth level, your superhuman true form begins to augment your mortal senses.

You gain Darkvision to a range of sixty feet, or increase the range of your Darkvision by thirty feet if you already had Darkvision with that radius or greater.

In addition, you have advantage on ability checks that rely on sight, smell, or hearing.

Finally, as an action on your turn, you can give yourself Truesight with a radius of thirty feet.

## Legendary Saves

Starting at ninth level, you regain a modicum of the immortal resilience that was once yours. Once per long rest, when an effect requires you to make a saving throw, you may choose to automatically succeed on that saving throw.

In addition, if that effect would normally impose an effect even on a successful saving throw, you suffer no ill effect.

When you reach sixteenth level, you may use this ability twice between long rests.

## Magic Channel

At eleventh level, you regain access to a font of magical power. Once per long rest, you may touch a creature other than yourself and cause it to regain two expended spell slots. The spell slots that the creature regains are both of a level less than or equal to half of your character level, rounding down.

## Divine Allies

Starting at fifteenth level, you can call on the fellows you once fought alongside to sustain and guard you. You can innately cast the Spirit Guardians and Guardian of Faith spells without needing to expend a spell slot or components. The spells do not require concentration, but instead last to their full duration or until you dismiss them as a free action.

Once you have cast a spell using this feature, you must finish a long rest before you may do so again.

## Freed Agent

Upon reaching twentieth level, the ritual that bound you to a mortal form is very nearly dissolved. You gain the following benefits:

* You are considered the creature type associated with your True Form in resepect to all spells and class features.
* You gain proficiency in all saving throws.
* You regain 10 hit points at the start of each of your turns if you are below half your hit point maximum and are conscious.
* You gain one additional use of your Magical Channel feature.
* You gain one additional use of each of the spells granted by your Divine Allies feature.
* If you are killed, you reform 10d10 days later at a random location on the material plane, having gained the effective benefits of a long rest. All of your equipment is left where you were slain.

# High Calling

The following callings each represent a role that a supernal being might have played before being bound to the material plane.

Though they might have different names given them by different True Forms — for example, celestials typically call those of their number who follow the Calling of the Reaper "Archangel" — they are conceptually universal.

## Calling of the Exemplar

### Lead by Example

At 3rd level when you take this Calling, your place is at the head of the fight. Whenever you reduce an enemy to 0 hit points, all friendly creatures who can see you gain temporary hit points equal to half your Chained Ancient level.

### Fearless Champion

At 7th level, you lead from the front, trusting completely in your allies. You gain immunity to the frightened and charmed conditions.

### Blade of the Ancients

At 13th level, your attacks are infused with divine energy. Your attacks do an extra 1d6 damage of a type determined by your True Form.

Blade of the Ancients Damage Types
 Dragon
 Fiend
 Great Old One

### Beacon of Ambition

At 17th level, you are that which others can only aspire to emulate. Your movement speed increases by ten feet, and your reach increases by five feet.

## Calling of the Missionary

### Forge Connections

At third level, you gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill. If you already had proficiency in Persuasion, you double your proficiency bonus.

In addition, you have advantage on Charisma checks made to make neutral creatures friendly to you.

### Incapacitating Strikes

Starting at 7th level, whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you may choose to leave them stable.

You have advantage on Charisma checks made with creatures that you left stable in this way for five minutes.

### Whispered Temptations

Starting at 13th level, creatures have disadvantage on Charisma and Wisdom saving throws contesting your spells and Charisma checks.

### Overcome Hatred

At 17th level, you have advantage on Charisma checks made to make hostile creatures neutral or friendly to you. You may use this feature in combat as long as you have not attacked the target creature.

## Calling of the Prophet

### Sharp Tongue

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. If you already had proficiency in Intimidation, you instead double your proficiency bonus with it.

In addition, whenever a spell you cast negatively affects a number of hostile creatures less than or equal to your Charisma modifier, you may expend your bonus action to attempt to intimidate those hostile creatures. Your Intimidation check is contested by their Wisdom saving throw. If you succeed, the creatures are frightened of you for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier.

### Empowered Demagogue

At 7th level you learn the Thaumaturgy cantrip, and may cast it as a free action if you are using it to amplify your voice. While your voice is amplified in this way you have advantage on Intimidation checks.

### Zealot's Recovery

At 13th level, you regain hit points equal to your Charisma modifier at the start of each of your turns where you are conscious and below half of your hit point maximum.

### Divine Insignia

At 17th level, whenever you take damage, the attacker takes damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

In addition, you can cast the flame strike spell once per long rest.

## Calling of the Reaper

### Blade of Death

At 3rd level, you gain the benefits of the 3rd level Warlock feature Pact of the Blade.

### Bloodlust

At 7th level, whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you regain hit points equal to your charisma modifier and may immediately move up to half your speed directly toward the nearest hostile creature.

### Armour of Divinity

At 13th level you gain the ability to manifest magical armour.

This armour takes an action to summon and confers an AC of 17 and resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

### Form of Destruction

At 17th level, you become a master of destruction, gaining the following features:

* You gain a flying speed of 30 feet.
* Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you may immediately make another attack as a free action.

# True Forms

## Celestial True Form

### Divine Radiance

Starting at first level, you are immune to radiant damage and have resistance to fire damage.

In addition, whenever you restore hit points to a creature with a spell or class features, that creature regains an additional number of hit points equal to half your Chained Ancient level, rounding down (minimum of 1).

### Innate Spells

As a Celestial, you gain innate spells at the levels listed.

Innate Spells
Ancient Level

### Celestial Purpose

At sixth level, you begin to remember the strength of purpose that once guided your actions. You gain immunity to the charmed and frightened conditions.

### Celestial Tongue

Also starting at sixth level, you learn to speak Celestial, or one other language of your choice if you already knew Celestial.

### Beacon of Hope

Starting at tenth level, you can cast Beacon of Hope without expending spell slots or material components a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest.

In addition, as a bonus action on your turn, you may cause yourself to shed bright light in a forty foot radius and dim light for a further forty feet. You may extinguish this light as a free action as well.

### Celestial Conduit

Starting at fourteenth level, whenever you deal radiant damage or restore hit points to a creature, you may treat any dice that roll ones or twos as having rolled a three instead.

### Angelic Brilliance

Starting at eighteenth level, the radius of both the bright light and the dim light shed by your Beacon of Hope feature doubles.

In addition, a creature that begins its turn within fifteen feet of you or that moves within fifteen feet if you for the first time on its turn while this light is shining takes 4d6 + your Chained Ancient level radiant damage.

## Demonic True Form

### At Home in Chaos

Once on each of your turns, if there are at least two hostile creatures within five feet of you, you may use your reaction when you take damage to reduce that damage by two.

### Innate Spells

As a Demon, you gain innate spells at the levels listed.

Innate Spells
Ancient Level

### Minion of Chaos

Starting at sixth level, whenever you make an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you may choose to do so with advantage. You have two uses of this ability, and regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

In addition, whenever you make an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw with disadvantage, you regain one expended use of this feature.

### Abyssal Tongue

Also starting at sixth level, you learn to speak Abyssal, or one other language of your choice if you already knew Abyssal.

### Unpredictable Nature

Starting at tenth level, creatures that are further than five feet away from you have a penalty to attack rolls against you equal to half your proficiency bonus, rounded down.

### Maddening Presence

Starting at fourteenth level, whenever you cause a creature to be frightened as a result of a class feature or spell, that creature has disadvantage on future saving throws made to end the frightened condition on itself.

Once a creature succeeds on a saving throw against the frightened condition caused by you, it is immune to this effect for twenty-four hours.

### Touch of Corruption

Starting at eighteenth level, you may cast the Finger of Death spell once innately, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. A zombie created by this feature is considered a fiend instead of an undead.

## Devilish True Form

### Fiendish Vigour

At first level, the power of the Nine Hells sustains you. You can cast the False Life spell at first level at will.

### Innate Spells

As a Devil, you gain innate spells at the levels listed.

Innate Spells
Ancient Level

### Bound to Order

Starting at sixth level, whenever you have to roll a die, you may forgo the die roll and use the average result of the die, rounding up. For example, instead of rolling a d8 for a weapon attack, you could instead choose for the attack to automatically deal five damage, plus relevant bonuses.

Once you have used this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, you must finish a long rest before you may use it again. Each die you affect counts as a use of this feature, so taking the average result for both d6s when attacking with a greatsword requires you to expend two uses of this feature.

### Infernal Tongue

Also starting at sixth level, you learn to speak Infernal, or one other language of your choice if you already knew Infernal.

### Hellish Strike

Starting at tenth level, once per turn when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 magical fire damage to the target.

When you reach fourteenth level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

### Collector of Debts

Starting at fourteenth level, when you reduce a hostile creature with a CR of five or greater to zero hit points, you regain hit points equal to your Chained Ancient level + the slain creature's challenge rating + your Wisdom modifier.

### Lawful Destruction

Starting at eighteenth level, allies who bow to your will are blessed for their wisdom. If you deal Hellish Strike damage to a creature, that creature takes an extra 2d8 magical fire damage the first time each turn that any ally of yours hits it with a weapon attack.

This benefit lasts until the start of your next turn.

## Draconic True Form

### Draconic Heritage

Starting at first level, you begin to manifest scales. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC equals thirteen plus your Dexterity modifier.

In addition, your true draconic color begins to show through your form. Choose which color dragon you were. You gain resistance to the damage type associated with your choice, as shown in the table at top right. Your choice also affects some of your later features.

### Innate Spells

As a Dragon, you gain innate spells at the levels listed.

Innate Spells
Ancient Level

### Breath Weapon

Starting at sixth level, you have a breath weapon representative of your proper draconic form. As an action, you can use this breath weapon to devastate your enemies.

When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus, the type of which is determined by your Draconic Heritage. A creature takes 3d6 damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save. The damage increases to 4d6 at eleventh level and 5d6 at sixteenth level.

After you use your breath weapon, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

### Draconic Tongue

Also starting at sixth level, you learn to speak Draconic, or one other language of your choice if you already knew Draconic.

### Draconic Immunity

At tenth level, you gain immunity to the type of damage associated with your Draconic Heritage.

### Draconic Wings

At fourteenth level, in a moment of exultation, you regain your wings. You can choose to fold them in, keeping them tight against your back. As a bonus action, you can unfurl or furl them.

While the wings are unfurled, you have a flying speed equal to your highest speed.

You can't unfurl your wings while wearing armor unless the armor is made to accommodate them, and clothing not made to accommodate your wings might be torn or destroyed when you unfurl them.

### Draconic Intimidation

Starting at eighteenth level, when you cast Fear, all targets make their saving throw with disadvantage.

## Great Old True Form

### Opened Mind

Starting at first level, your alien mind allows you to communicate telepathically. You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within thirty feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.

As a bonus action, you can allow the creature to respond to you telepathically.

### Innate Spells

As a Great Old One, you gain innate spells at the levels listed.

Innate Spells
Ancient Level

### Collapse Distance

Starting at sixth level, you can cast the spell Misty Step at will.

When you deal ten or more psychic damage to a creature, you regain the use of this feature.

### Deep Tongue

Also starting at sixth level, you learn to speak Deep Speech, or one other language of your choice if you already knew Deep Speech.

### Psychic Ward

Starting at tenth level, you are immune to effects that would read or detect your thoughts unless you want your thoughts to be visible.

In addition, you have resistance to psychic damage, and whenever a creature deals psychic damage to you, that creature takes the same amount of psychic damage that you do.

### Subcorporeal Form

Starting at fourteenth level, you can move through other creatures and objects as though they are difficult terrain.

When you exit a creature's space after moving through a creature in this way, it takes 1d10 psychic damage; though a creature cannot take this damage more than once per turn.

If you end your turn inside a creature or object, you take 1d10 force damage.

# Multiclassing

Should you wish to multiclass with the Chained Ancient class, you must meet prerequisites and you gain proficiencies as described here.
**Chained Ancient Multiclassing Prerequisites**
*Ability Score Minimum*
Wisdom 15
**Chained Ancient Multiclassing Proficiencies**
*Proficiencies Gained*
Light armor, medium armor, simple weapons, one skill from the class' skill list

**Chained Ancient Multiclassing and Innate Magic**
When multiclassing Chained Ancient and another class that gains the ability to cast spells as a core class feature (such as Cleric or Warlock), you gain spell slots and spells known from the Chained Ancient separately from all other classes.

If you multiclass into a class that has a patron being, such as a Cleric, Paladin, or Warlock, your Dungeon Master must rule that your idea for your story reasonably addresses both your True Form and your supernatural patron. For example, you should not be a Chained Ancient who is a celestial in their true form and then enter into a Warlock pact with Asmodeus unless you have good reason for doing so, just as a Demonic Chained Ancient shouldn't become a Cleric of a Life Domain god unless their inherent nature is actually changing.