Honor, Stains and Chi
Assumptions
This piece of homebrew is made for a particular type of campaign and is balanced according to the following assumptions :
- The only classes used are the Barbarian, the Fighter and the Rogue
- Each of those classes get maneuvers at 2nd level (inspired by the Hand of Vecna variant Fighter)
- The maximum level is 10th
- The campaign uses 4 days long rests, 8 hours camps (according to the Darkest Dungeon rules compendium) and 1 hour short rests as well as item wear and tear (and optionally stress)
- No feats, the Talent Trees variant is used instead
Honor
Honor is a code of conduct central to the Of Blade and Honor setting. It's an objective set of rules governed by the laws of the universe.
Every mortal being has an Honor ability score, representing the protection they have against the influence of the spirit world and their ability to uphold the code of Honor.
If you use these rules, player characters have a 7th ability score, Honor. For Point Buy, add 3 points to the points they have and for Standard Array, use the following array : 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10 & 8.
Honor can be used to replace other abilities in relevant skill checks (for instance, Honor(Persuasion) to evoke your determination and get an ally on your side).
Finally, when you hit a Fiend or Undead, you inflict additionnal Radiant damage equal to your Honor modifier. If your Honor modifier is negative, it effectively lowers your damage.
The code
The code of Honor is a set of guidelines individuals seek to follow.
Repeatedly passively ignoring the code will Stain a warrior's Honor. Passive transgressions might be ignoring a plead for help, accepting a morally grey short-term sollution for a long-term problem or breaking one of the tenets to uphold another.
Actively doing something against the code will put one Stain on a warrior's Honor per transgression. Active transgressions might be provoking unneeded suffering, stealing from the needful or refusing your lord's direct order.
Actively upholding the code will give the warrior Inspiration. Active upholdings of the code might be listening to a dying enemie's last wish, risking your life for the needful or assuring justice where others failed.
The tenets are organized in order of the most important to the least important, and transgressing a lesser tenet to uphold a greater one (for instance, refusing an order because it is cruel) is in no way considered a transgression, while transgressing a greater tenet to uphold a lesser one (for instance, staying loyal to a cruel lord) is considered a passive transgression.
In a situation where a transgression is either minor or too gray to be sure, the transgressor should make an Honor saving throw against a DC depending on the broken tenet of greater importance. On a success, take a temporary stain instead of a permanent one.
Tenets
The tenets are as follow, in order from the most important to the least important.
Honesty and justice (DC 18). A warrior of Honor deals honestly and openly with others and cleaves to the ideals of justice. Moral decisions do not come in shades of gray, only right and wrong.
Heroic courage (DC 16). A warrior of Honor never fears to act, but lives life fully and wonderfully. Fear is replaced with respect and caution.
Compassion (DC 15). A warrior of Honor takes every opportunity to aid others, and creates opportunities when none arise. It is a responsibility to help others.
Polite courtesy (DC 12). A warrior of Honor has no reason to be cruel, and no need to prove his strength. Courtesy distinguishes a warrior of Honor from onis, and reveals one’s true strength.
Complete sincerity (DC 11). When a warrior of Honor has said that she shall perform an action, it is as good as done. She need not make promises; speaking and doing are as if the same.
Duty and loyalty (DC 10). A warrior of Honor feels responsible for consequences, and loyal to the people in her care. A warrior of Honor’s loyalty to her lord is unquestionable and unquestioning
Stains
Stains are dark marks on a person's Honor. There are two types of stains : permanent stains and temporary stains.
As their names imply, permanent stains are very hard to "clean". In order to clean a permanent stain, one needs to stay at a temple or monastery and live a humble and healthy lifestyle for a number of months equal to the highest amount of stains they had at a point. For instance, if a warrior had 2 stains at a point, it would take them 2 months to get rid of their stains. If they then get to 6 stains, getting rid of one stain would take 6 month, even if they only have 3 left to clean. Finally, your Honor score is reduced by the number of permanent stains you have.
Temporary stains aren't yet stuck to the person's Honor. They are washed off at the rate of 1 per long rest. You can have a number of temporary stains equal to your unmodified Honor modifier (minimum 0). If you suffer an additional temporary stains while you are already at your maximum, those stains instead become permanent. For instance, if a warrior has a Honor modifier or +3 and has 2 temporary stains, they can still take a 3rd one without permanent damage. However, if they take a 4th one, it'll be permanent. Finally, your Honor modifier is reduced by the number of temporary stains you have.
If you suffer permanent stains that lower your Honor modifier in such a way that you cannot support the number of temporary stains you currently have, these stains instantly become permanent.
Suffering Stains
Suffering a stain should always be considered a big deal because of the near irreparable damage they can inflict, especially in a world where monasteries can be very rare.
Whenever a person transgresses the code of Honor, they take permanent stains. You also take permanent stains if you take too much temporary stains. Permanent stains reduce your Honor score by their amount.
Corrupted magic items, some environments and demon-warrior abilities inflict temporary stains. Their temporary nature can be extremely deceiving and even if they can be more easily washed off, they should still be considered a big deal. Temporary stains reduce your Honor modifier by their amount.
Being lost to corruption
Suffer too much stains and your life force break downs. You then become an easy prey for evil spirits and demons.
If your number of permanent stains equals or exceeds your Honor score, your character loses all protections they have against evil spirits. Retire them, unless they are a Demon Warrior.
If a Demon Warrior loses it's Honor, they become equally unplayable, but instead immediately turn into an Fiend(Oni) with a challenge rating equal to the 4th of their level (rounded up). This Oni will generally try to flee, unless they are surrouded by much weaker creatures, in which case they will try to devour as much as possible.
Chi
The Chi is the flow, the life force present in all beings, mortals and sprituals. Trained warriors can channel their chi to perform supernatural feats and fight their opponents.
Mortal beings have a number of chi points equal to their Honor score. They regain all expended points at the end of a long rest. They can also chose to meditate for 2 hours while camping, regaining a number of chi points equal to their Honor modifier (minimum 1). Using the Second Wind feature gives you back an amount of Chi equal to your Honor modifier (minimum 1). Finally, if you are a Demon Warrior you can use a Bonus Action when you kill a Fiend, Undead or other spirit with a melee weapon attack to regain an amount of Chi equal to half the creature's CR (rounded down).
You cannot have more chi than your Honor score, any point above this threshold are discarded and lost.
Chi abilities
By consumming Chi, trained warriors can use a variety of abilities and maneuvers that put them above the rest of mortal warriors.
Demon warriors have the unique ability to use Demonic Abilties. These are corrupted, fell versions of some chi abilities, that inflict stains instead of consuming chi.
Flurry of Blows (Bonus Action, if Attacking)
When you use the Attack Action, you can use your Bonus Action and expend an amount of chi between 1 and your proficiency bonus. For every point of chi consumed in this way, you make an additionnal unarmed attack. If one of these melee attacks hit a creature no more than one size larger than you, you can expend 1 chi to push the target back 10ft. You can also turn two unarmed attacks into an attack with a weapon.
Patient Defense (Bonus Action)
As a Bonus Action, you can expend 1 chi to Dodge or Brace.
Odious Defense (Free, when damaged)
When you take damage, you can suffer 1 temporary stain to take no damage. If the damage came from an object or a creature, they take it instead. If the damage came from a critical hit, you suffer an additional temporary stain.
Step of the Wind (Free)
Expend an amount of chi between 2 and twice your proficiency bonus. Until the start of your next turn, your jump distance is multiplied by the amount of chi expended. You can also take the dash or disengage action as a bonus action.
Abhorent Feat (Free)
Suffer 1 temporary stain and perform a completely superhuman feat, such as jumping 200 feet into the air, lifting a house above your head or blowing a piece of castle wall with your lungs.
Focused Attack (Bonus Action)
When you take the Attack Action, you can use a Bonus Action to expend 1 chi and gain advantage on an attack. If you have more than one attack in your turn (for instance, due to the Extra Attack or Action Surge features) you can expend more chi with the same Bonus Action, up to the number of attacks you wish to perform.
Empowered Strike (Free)
Expend 1 chi. Until the start of your next turn, your attacks are considered magical (with a +0 bonus). At 5th level, you can expend an additional chi point to gain a magical +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. At 7th level, you can expend 3 chi to gain a +2 bonus. At 9th level, you can expend 4 chi to gain a +3 bonus.
Vicious Attack (Free, when making an attack roll)
Suffer 1 temporary stain. The attack is automatically a critical hit. Roll the attack anyway and gaze upon your hubris.
Deflect Missile (Reaction, when hit at range)
When you get hit by a ranged attack, you can use your reaction to expend 1 chi. Reduce the damage taken by 1d10 + your Honor modifier + your level. If the damage is reduced to 0 or less and you have a free hand, you can catch the projectile. As part of the same reaction, you can immediately expend 1 chi and throw it back, repeating the attack that initially hit you (rolling the same amount of damage dice and with the same ranges).
Other Demonic Actions
Fiendish Trickery (Free, when making an attack roll)
Suffer 1 temporary stain. You automatically succeed the next social roll. Furthermore, your next statement is considered to be true and you can even lie through magical effects.
Baleful Spell (Variable)
Suffer between 1 and 3 temporary stains. You cast a spell from the Warlock spell list at a level equal to the number of stains you suffered.