Creatures around the Multiverse awaken from a latent power that dwells within them. A burning power fills the creature with the core essence of the leylines and the mana surging within them. A Realmstrider comes into its existence through a massive trauma that has pushed their physical or mental capacity to it’s ultimate breaking point. This has not known to be a genetic trait passed through lineage but something from within the very soul and essence of the being. Some with the gift may never become awoken to their abilities if they live their lives within peace and prosperity.
The origin of the spark is unknown as well as why only certain individuals carry the power. It is thought that the purpose of a Realmstrider may relate to their awakening, as a Realmstrider comes to a life of power and integrity these would be one of few who may be able to balance the scales across the multiverse.
You gain a new skill called Realmstriding. This skill directly relates to your Constitution Ability score granting a skill check when attempting to perform a Realmstrider specific ability. Some Unique abilities of a Realmstrider may require a Realmstrider DC saving throw. This DC is determined by 8 + your Constitution modifier.
You gain proficiency with this skill when you reach 10th level and Expertise at 20th Level. Add your proficiency to your Realmstrider DC which is calculated by 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus.
The ability to traverse the blind eternities between the planes can be very taxing on a strider but is one of the few things that sets them separate than others among the multiverse.
As an action you can initiate a realmstride, forming a bridge through the blind eternities. The travel becomes instantaneous fully transition into the Aether of the blind eternities. You are able to take objects you are wearing or carrying with you while you realmstride, but not other people.
Once having traveled through the blind eternities a Realmstrider must complete a short or long rest before being able to do so again. Attempting to do so before, finishing a short or long rest automatically fails.
The connection to the leylines is what feeds a Realmstrider's abilities and magics. While Realmstriding the blind eternities drains you of any mana accumulated unless granted by a Realmstrider item and your attunement to any leyline is severed. Once within the new plane a Realmstrider must attune to a new leyline in order to fill any mana charge available.
A Realmstrider can use the knowledge of their own travels to travel to an approximate point within a place they have already trekked. Gaining the ability to realmstride accurately takes time and effort to complete accurately if a guide is not present. A new strider may end up within a 20 mile radius of the targeted location whereas a veteran strider may be able to exit the Realmstride within inches of the targeted location.
The realmstride between planes leaves a slowly fading aura of the strider that can be followed. For the next minute if a Realmstrider travels between [or within] the planes you can follow that creature to a spot it has once traveled.
Realmstriding is like riding the rapids of a heavy flowing river, the travel across is taxing but achievable. The ability to cross and land on the same spot on the other side can be dangerous and normally improbable such as attempting to realmstride within the same plane is usually avoided by most Realmstriders.
If travel is attempted within the same plane the Realmstrider must make a Realmstriding Skill Check. On a success the Realmstrider arrives within a 5 mile radius of the targeted area it has trekked before and gains 1d4 +1 Exhaustion levels [Stage Three strider Sickness].
A Realmstrider gains the knowledge that it can use this to help get them to a safe place in a pinch. If a Realmstrider is killed instantly, [please see rulings on "Instant Death" - PHB pg. 197] this Realmstrider ability triggers instinctively. This trigger automatically realmstrides you to the last external plane you completed a long rest, where you arrive unconscious at 0 HP and stable. Roll 1d4 and you remain asleep for that many hours before regaining 1 HP and awakening. This time does not count toward a short or long rest. Once this ability has triggered it can not be triggered again for another 10 days.
Leyline Color Attunement
When a Realmstrider takes a rest or is unconscious for more than one hour such as a long rest [including elven trance or Warforge inert states], a Realmstrider loses their attunement and any mana charges stored. The Realmstrider must then re-attune to a leyline to restore the attunement and charges lost.
Each Realmstrider gains a mana charge at 4th level then again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level. Once a Realmstrider has attuned with a leyline they may use an action to pull mana from the leyline in order to fill their mana charges of the attuned color.
When you reach 8th level you become aware of the space between the leylines. The colorless mana that binds the leylines has always been present but only until recently have you become awoken to the power associated with it. When becoming aware you are able to separate out the colorless leyline associated with your attuned leyline. When doing so you gain an additional primary colorless mana charge. This charge is the basis of the Natural Abilities and the source of your most basic Realmstrider abilities. Some of these abilities are directly related to only the colorless mana charge versus others that can be enhanced by your color mana charges gained by the leylines.
Beginning at 8th level you understand the separation of the colorless mana and colored leylines. This understanding enhances your Natural abilities as well as your own Realmstrider Abilities yet comes at the cost of knowing your own abilities and how to manage them properly in the face of danger.
Starting at 8th level you can choose to expend your colorless mana charge along with any of the planestrider abilities charged by colored mana to grant an additional damage dice to any damage rolled from the Realmstrider ability. The Realmstrider damage dice are d8 at 8th level, d10 at 12th level and d12 at 16th level.
Realmstrider Core
It is that of the colorless leylines that gift the ability granted to your name; Realmstrider. It is this connection to not that of the leylines but the forces that bind them together throughout the Multiverse.
When you realmstride the colorless mana charge is what is expended to expell your being into the eather and fuels your realmstride into the next plane.
| Leyline Color | Damage Type 1 | Damage Type 2 |
|---|---|---|
| White | Cold | Radiant |
| Blue | Lightning | Psychic |
| Black | Acid | Necrotic |
| Red | Fire | Force |
| Green | Poison | Thunder |
Being a Realmstrider isn't all about the power over the multiverse but learning how to manipulate its Aether and Mana.
Each Realmstrider is different in their own way, giving each Realmstrider a unique innate ability that sets them apart from all others. Becoming a Realmstrider at 3rd level [or before depending on backstory] you will obtain an innate ability in which you can use at will as though a cantrip [using an action where appropriate]. This ability will need to be discussed between the player and DM for the DM to determine if the ability is custom built or something of a cantrip already available.
Through the rigorous training of a Realmstrider you can work with your DM to take the mana charges for altering spells and abilities of your Realmstrider. Granting the ability to enhance current abilities using the mana charges or altering them to fit a specific purpose.
A Realmstrider will obtain additional abilities as they grow in power at 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th levels.
Realmstrider each have their own special abilities that make them different from other Realmstriders.
These abilities can be as simple as an innate ability such as the iconic Chandra Nalaar. Such as the ability to ignite her hair, hands and eyes on fire. This innate ability may grant an ability to have the spell 'Continual Flame'. Yet may have the potential of turning into flame by using mana and dealing damage within an area or upon a strike.
Realmstrider abilities should show the increased knowledge of the primary attuned leyline and their ability to manipulate the effect it may have granting increases to the ability as the strider progresses through its levels.
Throughout a Realmstriders training they will become more attuned to the natural mana abilities associated with their abilities. These abilities require their own type of saving throw based on the magics of the leylines.
Realmstrider abilities increase through time and training, a Realmstriders saving throw is determined by your Realmstrider fortitude.
Before gaining Realmstrider proficiency at 10th level the Realmstrider DC equals:
After gaining Realmstrider proficiency at 10th level the Realmstrider DC equals:
This increase with proficiency is all amplified by your expertise with Realmstriding at 20th level. This saving throw increases using your expertise when gained.
| Leyline Color | Damage | Save | Damage | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | Cold | Con | Radiant | Con |
| Blue | Lightning | Dex | Psychic | Int |
| Black | Acid | Dex | Necrotic | Con |
| Red | Fire | Dex | Force | Str |
| Green | Poison | Con | Thunder | Con |
All natural Realmstrider abilities can be controlled to allow for normal passage and perceptions without the outward appearance of the magics imbued by your spark.
Through the experiences of a Realmstrider they start to not only understand the leylines and the power they can wield but to also manipulate the leylines to empower themselves.
Starting at 10th level a Realmstrider starts to become legendary. A Realmstrider is now proficient with the leylines, understands the colorless mana and how it all ties the essence of mana together. With this understanding comes an epiphany of what and how a Realmstrider uses the mana it carries. This mana can be fully attuned to by spending one minute per leyline (total of 6 minutes) including the colorless which is the last leyline a Realmstrider attunes to which binds the mana magics together within a Realmstrider resoviour. At the end of the attunement process the Realmstrider chooses the leyline they will become attuned to as the reservoir is filled granting one Legendary Realmstrider charge.
While a Realmstrider has all of its charges filled, once per day a Realmstrider can spend a bonus action to expend all colored, colorless and the Legendary Realmstrider charge to bond with one of the following effects:
Each Realmstrider's sidekick is unique to them and becomes available at 9th level. This sidekick can be of a stat block of an Etherial creature that is close or has meaning to the character or another being of the DM's choosing.
When the legendary charge is spent to enhance the Realmstriders essence it bonds to the strider enhancing one of the following effects. This bond grants one of the following effects when bolstering the Realmstrider. The Realmstrider chooses one of the following effects for each Legendary Realmstrider charge spent in this way:
The bond grants one of the following effects when bonded to a weapon that is not leyline empowered (The weapon can be magical but can not already be a weapon enhanced by mana charges). Using a bonus action to expend colored mana charges into the bonded weapon you gain the following benefits until the start of your next turn:
A Realmstrider gains another Legendary Realmstrider charge at 15th level, and again at 20th level.
At 15th level the Planar bond allows a Realmstrider to delve into the depeths of the Æther and bond to an extra-planar being in which they can call forth.
In order to call upon such entities it takes the knowledge and fortitude gained throughout their existance as Æthereal striders. Relinquishing a full turn in preparation a Realmstrider can call to their leviathan to perform a massive Æthereal attack in a 120 ft cone or in 60 ft radius but can be altered as described by the Dungeon Master should it fit the scene. This causes the creature to make a Realmstrider saving throw against the Realmstriders save DC. The creature takes 10x Realmstrider damage die on a failed save and half as much on a successful save.
This calling to such powerful creatures takes its toll as the Realmstriders attunement to the leylines is severd causing all bonuses and attunements gained by the leylines to be lost once the release is completed. Although all seems to be relinquished the Realmstrider gains half the amount of damage dealt in HP as the leylines bolster the Realmstrider in the last attempts of success.
As the Realmstrider experience increases the power of such callings increases as well. When a Realmstrider obtains their 3rd Legendary point the damage increases to 20x Realmstrider damage dice.
A creature that has legendary resistances or resistance to leyline abilities use such abilities to conteract such powers may do so on arcane or leyline abilities as the DM sees fit. As such a legenary creature may use its legendary resistance to succeed on any Realmstrider saving throw no matter its background or understanding of the nature of leylines and the power they hold.
In order to control the direction of the party and story the DM may use this feature in order to limit the amount of influence or uses of such abilities to bounce from plane to plane.
Through the hardships of travel a Realmstrider can push themselves to a point of breaking if they attempt to cross the Blind Eternities too often. Should a Realmstrider travel between the Prime Material Planes they can do so the amount of times equal to their Constitution Modifier. Should a Realmstrider travel beyond the number of uses available, the strider gains an effect from the strider Sickness Chart below for each realmstride beyond the striders uses. You regain all uses of your Realmstrider ability after completing a long rest.
Traveling between the Prime Material Planes is taxing and to travel beyond them takes skill and focus beyond that of a newborn strider. [Realms & Planes: DMG - pg. 43] In an attempt to travel through to the Outer Realms such as the Feywild you must have proficiency with the Realmstrider skill. An attempt to traverse the Blind Eternities without Realmstrider proficiency or the use of an external means such as a portal or spell like planeshift results in the Realmstrider being vacated to a random Prime Material Plane.
The Realmstrider loses the ability to realmstride for 1d4 +1 days while recovering from Stage 1 strider Sickness. Should a Realmstrider come to an Outer or Astral plane by external means but choose to realmstride without proficiency, the destination must be one of the Prime Material Planes and the Realmstrider suffers Stage 2 strider Sickness. If the destination is not of the Prime Material Plane the DM chooses a location where the Realmstrider is ejected at random within the Prime Material Planes and suffers Stage 2 strider Sickness.
Once a Realmstrider has aquired Realmstriding proficiency at level 10 a strider may choose to traverse the planes beyond the Prime Material. A travel through the Blind Eternities such as this requires skill and focus to traverse while coming to their destination unharmed. The strider expends all uses of a Realmstrider's ability to traverse to any outer or Astral Planes. A strider regains its uses once they finish a long rest.
When traveling the planes the Astral planes are where some of the most ancient of beings reside outside of the known realms. Until a Realmstrider gains expertise at 20th level a Realmstrider must first be within an outer or Astral plane to reach any of the Astral Planes. Once expertise is gained a Realmstrider may traverse the Multiverse at will without ill effects.
| Stage | Effect | |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | The Realmstrider rolls a d100 and gains a short-term madness [DMG - pg. 259] effect from the chart below which lasts 1d4 +1 hours. At the end of the the duration the strider must pass a Realmstrider Check against their own Realmstrider Save DC to end this effect or it last for an additional 1d4 +1 hours before the Realmstrider can make the save again. This effect can only be ended early by a Greater Restoration spell or Wish Spell. | |
| Stage 2 | The Realmstrider Max HP is reduced to 1. After completing a long rest the Realmstrider may roll one of its hit dice + Constitution Mod increasing the Realmstrider Max HP by that amount. This increase can only be performed once per long rest and can not increase its Max HP beyond its previous total Max HP. Plus the effects of the previous stage. | |
| Stage 3 | The Realmstrider gains Exhaustion levels equal to 1d4 +1, Plus the effects of the previous stages. |
| d100 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 01-20 | The character retreats into his or her mind and becomes paralyzed. The effect ends if the character takes any damage. |
| 21-30 | The character becomes incapacitated and spends the duration screaming, laughing, or weeping. |
| 31-40 | The character becomes frightened and must use his or her action and movement each round to flee from the source of the fear. |
| 41-50 | The character begins babbling and is incapable of normal speech or spellcasting. |
| 51-60 | The character must use his or her action each round to attack the nearest creature. |
| 61-70 | The character experiences vivid hallucinations and has disadvantage on ability checks. |
| 71-75 | The character does whatever anyone tells him or her to do that isn’t obviously self-destructive. |
| 76-80 | The character experiences an overpowering urge to eat something strange such as dirt, slime, or offal. |
| 81-90 | The character is stunned. |
| 91-100 | The character falls unconscious. |
Throughout this creation I have been playing with a group to help me better understand the concept of letting my players play as Realmstriders. At times some seemed too over powered and at others under powered. Over the last year I have strived to build a system and environment that will help accommodate both the roleplay loving players (and Dungeon Masters) along with the battle enthusiasts. I hoping to have found a nice balance of all here within.
If you have any ideas, suggestions or comments on this build please contact me at /u/techie624
All rights to the Dungeons and Dragons, Magic, The Gathering and Planeshift resources are owned by Wizards of the Coast
Thank you to Natural Crit for providing a great resource for putting this system into an amazing Player's Handbook Format. Natural Crit (Homebrewery)
These are people I would like to point out have been a tremendous help in getting this system built and in place for my group to run!
I appreciate all the time my local group has spent playing through my sandbox to help build this.
Alpha Testers
I APPRECIATE YOU!
Current Version: Version: 0.5.2-021719