The Bright Lord Shield raised and eyes glowing, a wounded warrior swings her sword, filling an Orc Warlord with divine light before cutting him down. Divine light spills from her wounds, digging into any remnants of the conquered army that dare still stand against her. A plate-clad man raises above his enemies with wings befitting an angel. His visage seems that of a god, yet he holds them in no high regard. A divine flash of light bursts from his hand as an explosion of divine power disintegrates a group of zombies, leaving not but ash and shards of bone in his wake. He laughs, as people might think him one of the very gods that he despises. Exhausted from a long and tenuous march, an army's eyes grow wide in fear as they see the enemy charging. Many turn back, considering running to a nearby stream and letting it carry them to some place safer. Suddenly, a divine light radiates from behind them. Their commander, riding atop an armored white steed, shouts orders at them. Light fills the troops eyes and hearts as their leader invokes the name of Pelor. The troops rally, steel themselves, and charge toward the overwhelming opposition. Bright Lords bear the powers of the divine, though many feel that they owe no fealty toward any god for a gift they didn't ask for. Light spills from their form, barely held inside through sheer force of will. Whether they chose to charge forth, blade in hand, fill their opponents with searing radiance, or inspire others through the brilliance of their forms, a Bright lord's power evokes both awe and terror in those they come across upon their path. Unbridled Divine Energy The bright lord's energy manifests as a radiant light that spills forth from inside their forms. This light can either fill others with burning pain or calm them with its divine warmth. Unlike other bearers of divine magic, the bright lord's light is seldom able to heal others or lift afflictions. Due to the destructive nature of their energy, many bright lord's feel more at home in the front lines of battle than in tending to the wounded. However, many feel guilty that their divine light is unable to heal others, and seek to redeem themselves by helping others by any other way possible. separate from the gods There is no denying that a bright lord's power stems from a god, the divine power that envelops them is undoubtable evidence to that. However, once give, often at birth, the fragment of a divine spark that dwells within a bright lord is difficult to take back. While many gods give this power with an expectation that a bright lord will pay fealty and serve them, as many bright lords feel that they owe no service to a god for this power. Even more bright lords are bequeathed this power due to some lineage spanning back to a deity or one of its servants. The shackles of this hereditary might often cause bright lords to rebel against organized religion, as the expectations of their power weigh heavily upon them. Creating a Bright Lord As you create a bright lord, the most important question to answer is the origin of their power. Was it bequeathed by a god for some great act of service, or imparted upon birth with the expectation of becoming a divine servant? Did the deity intend to bequeath this power, or did it result entirely from your bright lord's lineage? How does your character feel about the divine power coursing through them? Do they see it as a powerful gift, and what do they intend to do with this divine blessing? Alternatively, they could see it as a curse, a power that is difficult to hide and harder to live up to. Does the church of the deity which you stem from know of your existence? If not, do you wish to hide it from them? If so, how would they react to your presence? They may see you as a powerful tool, a gift from a god yourself, or as a scandal implicating the intermingling of divine blood with humans. Divinity of the Aasimar In many campaign settings, the bright lord class may be restricted to the aasimar race. This is due to the aasimar's innate hereditary connection to the divine. In such settings, the abilities of a bright lord are rarely given, and with little exception tied to divine heredity. In such settings, a bright lord's power can be as diverse as the aasimar race. Many fallen aasimar who have received the power of a bright lord may have their divine power turn to darkness alongside them. With such characters, a "Dark Lord" variant of the bright lord may be improvised with the following suggested characteristics. Limited use of the darkness spell

Radiant damage from bright lord spells and abilities replaced with necrotic damage.

A lesser version of the darkness spell or limited use of the Hex spell replacing the light cantrip Class Features As a bright lord, you gain the following class features Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d10 per bright lord level

1d10 per bright lord level Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier

10 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per bright lord level after 1st Proficiencies Armor: All armor, shields

All armor, shields Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons

Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons Tools: None

None Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom

Strength, Wisdom Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion Bright Lord v 1.3

The Bright Lord Level Proficiency Bonus Features Spells Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 1st +2 Inner Light, Radiant Light — — — — — — 2nd +2 Fighting Style, Spellcasting 2 2 — — — — 3rd +2 Lord's Path 3 3 — — — — 4th +2 Ability Score Improvement, 3 3 3 — — — 5th +3 Extra Attack 4 4 2 — — — 6th +3 Radiant Light Option, Radiant Light (2/rest) 4 4 2 — — — 7th +3 Lord's Path Feature 5 4 3 — — — 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 5 4 3 — — — 9th +4 Radiant Light Option 6 4 3 2 — — 10th +4 Piercing Gaze 6 4 3 2 — — 11th +4 Lord's Path Feature, Radiant Light (3/rest) 7 4 3 3 — — 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement, Divine Sight 7 4 3 3 — — 13th +5 Radiant Light Option 8 4 3 3 1 — 14th +5 Radiant Light (two effects) 8 4 3 3 1 — 15th +5 Angelic Endurance 9 4 3 3 2 — 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 9 4 3 3 2 — 17th +6 Lord's Path Feature, Radiant Light (4/rest) 10 4 3 3 3 1 18th +6 Revelation 10 4 3 3 3 1 19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 11 4 3 3 3 2 20th +6 Divine Form 11 4 3 3 3 2 Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background (a) a martial weapon and a shield (b) two martial weapons

(a) two hand axes or (b) any simple weapon

(a) a Priest’s Pack or (b) an Explorer's Pack

Chain mail and a radiant focus Inner Light You know the light cantrip. You may cast this cantrip as a bonus action, and may also target creatures with this cantrip. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this cantrip Radiant Light Beginning at 1st level, you gain access to a spark of divine power that can ignite a divine light that helps your allies and hinders your enemies. You gain one radiant light effect of your choice, detailed below. You learn one additional radiant light effect at 6th level, 9th level, and 13th level. Each time that you learn a new radiant light effect, you may replace an effect that you already know with another effect available to you. You can use this feature once, and regain expended uses upon completing a short or long rest. Beginning at 6th level, you can use your Radiant Light twice between rests, three times at 11th, and four times at 17th. You may only maintain one effect of radiant light at a time, with previous effects fading upon creating a new one. Beginning at 14th level, you may maintain two effects, but must still invoke each separately. If you target a new creature or object with an effect while you have two active effects, you may choose which of the previous two effects fades. A creature or object may only be subject to one instance of one effect of radiant light at a time. Some radiant light options require a saving throw. The DC for this saving throw is calculated as (8+ your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier). Blind: As a bonus action, you may target a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you, which begins to radiate bright light in a 10 ft radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet until the effect ends. Whenever that creature makes an attack roll, it must succeed on a constitution saving throw or make the attack roll with disadvantage. This effect lasts until it has forced a number of saving throws equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum 1), or for one minute, whichever comes first. Bright Lord v 1.3

Heat As a bonus action, you may target an object that you can see within 60 feet of you, which radiates bright light in a 10 ft radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet until the effect ends. Any creature touching this object at the beginning of its turn or that picks up the object takes 1d4 fire damage. If a creature is holding the object and takes damage from this effect, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or drop the object. This effect ends once it has dealt damage a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum 1), or after one minute, whichever comes first. The damage dealt by this effect increases to 2d4 at 6th level, 3d4 at 11th level, and 4d4 at 17th level. Immolate: As a bonus action, you may target a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you, which begins to radiate bright light in a 10 ft radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet until the effect ends. This creature must make a constitution saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns, taking 1d6 radiant damage upon success, or half as much upon failure. This effect ends once it has dealt damage a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum 1), or after one minute, whichever comes first. The damage dealt by this effect increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 17th level. Reveal: As a bonus action after you hit a creature with an attack, you may cause a creature to make a dexterity saving throw. Upon failure, that creature begins to radiate bright light in a 10 ft radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet until the effect ends. that creature is unable to turn invisible, and if invisible, becomes visible. The creature has disadvantage on stealth checks for the duration, and attacks against it made with disadvantage are instead made without disadvantage. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum 1). Sear: As a bonus action, you may target a weapon that you can see within 60 feet of you, which begins to radiate bright light in a 10 ft radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet until the effect ends. Weapon attacks with this weapon deal an additional 1d4 radiant damage. This effect ends once it has dealt damage a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum 1), or after one minute, whichever comes first. The damage dealt by this effect increases to 2d4 at 6th level, 3d4 at 11th level, and 4d4 at 17th level. Shield: As a bonus action, you may target a willing creature that you can see within 60 feet of you, which begins to radiate bright light in a 10 ft radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet until the effect ends. That creature gains resistance to necrotic and radiant damage. This effect lasts until it has reduced damage a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum 1), or after one minute, whichever comes first. Ward: As a bonus action, you may target a willing creature that you can see within 60 feet of you, which begins to radiate bright light in a 10 ft radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet until the effect ends. Until the effect ends, disadvantage is imposed on attack rolls against this creature. This effect lasts until it has imposed disadvantage on a number of attack rolls equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum 1), or for one minute, whichever comes first. Fighting Style At 2nd leveI, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again. 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 make with a melee weapon that you are wielding 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. 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. Spellcasting You’ve held an innate connection with divine, radiant power since birth. By the time you reach 2nd level, you’ve become able to manifest this power through sheer force of will. Spellcasting You’ve held an innate connection with divine, radiant power since birth. By the time you reach 2nd level, you’ve become able to manifest this power through sheer force of will. Spell Slots The bright lord table shows how many Spell Slots you have to cast your Spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these bright lord 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. Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher You know two 1st-level Spells of your choice from the bright lord spell list. The Spells Known column of the brightlord table shows when you learn more bright lord 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 bright lord spells you know and replace it with another spell from the bright lord spell list, which also must be of a leveI for which you have spell slots. Bright Lord v 1.3

Spellcasting Ability Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your bright lord spells and abilities, since your magical abilities are harnessed through force of will. You use your wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bright lord 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 Focus You can use a radiant focus (a holy symbol without a specific connected deity) as a spellcasting focus for your brightlord Spells. Lord’s Path When you reach 3rd level, you’ve gained enough radiant power to commit it into a singular purpose. The path that you chose to follow grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, and 17th. Piercing Gaze Beginning at 10th level, you can see in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 60 ft. Divine Sight Beginning at 12th level, you are immune to the blinded condition are able to look into intensely bright light without suffering any adverse effects. Angelic Endurance Beginning at 15th level, your inner light has caused your body to become more resilient, granting you proficiency in constitution saving throws. Revelation Beginning at 18th level, you may use your action to shine a burst of bright light within a 30 ft. radius of yourself, causing the following effects. Any magical darkness within this area is dispelled.

Any magical illusion within the area is dispelled.

Any hostile creature within this area must succeed on a constitution saving throw against your Bright Lord Spell Save DC or become blinded for 1 minute. A creature may repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on success. You regain use of this ability upon completing a short or long rest. Divine Form Beginning at 20th level, you may use your action to assume a form befitting your angelic abilities. Brilliant light emanates from your body 10 minutes, shining a bright light for 30 ft. and dim light for an additional 30. You gain the following benefits. You gain truesight up to 30 ft.

You gain unlimited use of your Radiant Light cantrip, and may maintain up to three castings simultaneously.

Any hostile creature that you deal damage to within 30 ft. of you takes an additional 1d10 radiant damage. Lord’s Paths A bright lord’s abilities are a sacred gift given to a select few who may not even pay fealty to the divine. Such a power can be channeled through several paths, shaping both a bright lord’s abilities, and their path in life. The path which a bright lord choses may say as much about their abilities as it does about their true intentions. Path of the Arbiter By committing to this path, you’ve chosen to use the divine light inside you to challenge the resolve of those who stand against the light. Radiant Retaliation Beginning at 3rd level when you take this path, radiant energy bursts from your body when you take damage. When you take damage from a creature within 10 feet of you, you may use your reaction to force that creature to make a constitution saving throw. The creature takes 1d8 radiant damage on a failure, or half as much on a success. This damage increases to 2d8 at 7th level, 3d8 at 11th, and 4d8 at 17th. Scatter the Masses Beginning at 7th level, whenever you reduce an enemy to 0 hit points, every enemy within 10 ft of you must make a wisdom saving throw. Upon failure, a creature becomes frightened for one minute. A frightened creature may repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the condition upon success. Arbiter’s Challenge Beginning at 11th level, you gain access to the following ability for your radiant light cantrip, igniting a passion within a creature. Challenge: As a bonus action, you may target a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you, which begins to radiate bright light in a 10 ft radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet until the effect ends. At the beginning of each of its turns, it must make a wisdom saving throw. Upon failure, it becomes unable to move away from you and gaining disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you until the start of its next turn. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum 1). Bright Lord v 1.3

Divine Judgement Beginning at 17th level, you have learned to channel raw radiant energy through your body and into your enemies. As a bonus action immediately after grappling a creature, or as an action if you are already grappling a creature, you may cause one creature that you are grappling to make a constitution saving throw against your Brightlord Spell Save DC. Upon failure, the target takes 5d10 radiant damage. Upon success, both you and the target take half as much damage. The damage you take from this ability cannot be reduced in any way. Path of the Destroyer By committing to this path, you’ve chosen to harness the sheer destructive energy of the divine flame within your body. Burst of Light When you chose this path at 3rd level, you may deal radiant damage equal to your wisdom modifier to any target of your radiant light cantrip. You may choose to deal this damage upon casting the cantrip or to one target of your cantrip at the beginning of your turn. Any hostile creature within 5 feet of the target also takes this damage. Divine Flame Beginning at 7th level, whenever you deal radiant damage with an attack or ability, you may choose to deal fire damage instead. You may use this feature once per round. You also learn the Sacred Flame cantrip. Piercing Light Beginning at 11th level, you gain access to the following option for your radiant light cantrip, engulfing a target in light that seeps into its wounds. Pierce: As a bonus action, you may target a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you, which begins to radiate bright light in a 10 ft radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet until the effect ends. Whenever that creature takes damage, it takes an additional 1d8 points of radiant damage. This effect ends once it has dealt damage a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum 1), or after one minute, whichever comes first. Immolating Brilliance Beginning at 17th level, you’ve learned to channel the divine spark inside your body to a dangerous level. You may maximize the damage of one source of radiant damage dealt during your turn. When you do so, make a constitution saving throw, with a DC equal to your Bright Lord Spell Save DC. On a failed save, you take radiant damage equal to half the damage dealt by this effect. Damage dealt by this ability ignores resistance, and treats immunity as resistance. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Path of the Commander By committing to this path, you’ve chosen to lead and support others with the inspiring brilliance of your divine light. Radiant Visage Beginning at 3rd level when you take this path, you may add your wisdom modifier to any persuasion or intimidation ability check. Divine Inspiration Beginning at 7th level, you may use an action to impart a 1d6 inspiration die to any number of creatures of your choosing within 30 ft. of you. This die may be added to any attack roll, damage roll, saving throw, or ability check that each of the creatures makes before the end of your next turn. If the die is added to a damage roll, the damage rolled on the inspiration die is considered radiant damage. You regain use of this ability upon completing a short or long rest. Commander’s Rally Beginning at 11th level, you gain access to the following ability for your radiant light cantrip, lighting the flame of courage within a creature. Rally: As a bonus action, you may target a willing creature that you can see within 60 feet of you, which begins to radiate bright light in a 10 ft radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet until the effect ends. That creature gains immunity to charm and fear effects and advantage on wisdom saving throws. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum 1). Call to Glory Beginning at 17th level, You may use your action to cause any number of friendly creatures within 30 ft. of you to move up to half their movement and make one weapon attack or cast one damaging cantrip. Each of these attacks deals an additional 2d8 radiant damage. You regain use of this ability upon completing a long rest. Variant: Unbridled Power Bright lords are filled with divine power that they seldom fully understand or control. Some bright lords have surges of divine magic unleash from their bodies, seemingly at random. When a Bright Lord with this trait rolls a 1 on any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, the DM may elect to have them roll a d100, determining an effect that takes place by the Unbridled Power Table. The DM may also ask the bright lord to roll during a stressful situation, or after a particularly effective or ineffective action. Bright Lord v 1.3

Unbridled Power d100... Effect 01-03 Each creature within 30 ft. of you must succeed a DC 15 constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of your next turn 04-06 Each nonmagical light source that you can see within 100 ft. is extinguished 07-09 Each light source within 100 ft. has its radius of bright and dim light double for one minute 10-12 Each light source within 100 ft. of you turns blue 13-15 Every holy symbol within 60 ft. begins to vibrate until the end of your next turn 16-18 You must make a DC 15 wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the nearest creature for one minute. You may repeat this saving throw at the beginning of each of your turns, ending the effect early upon success 19-21 Every creature within 60 ft. recalls a pleasant memory. Creatures immune to charm effects are unaffected 22-23 Each creature within 30 ft of you that can see you, excluding yourself, must make a DC 15 constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn 24-25 You have disadvantage on saving throws to resist fear and charm effects for the next minute 26-27 You gain one point of exhaustion 28-29 A celestial creature of CR 5 or lower, chosen by the DM, appears in an unoccupied space within 20 ft. of you. It acts according to its own will, and disappears when it drops to 0 hit points, or after 10 minutes 30-31 Any celestial that you can see must make a DC 15 wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for one minute. Each fiend that you can see must make a DC 15 wisdom saving throw or become frightened by you for one minute 32-33 You lose all memory of the last 10 minutes 34-35 You regain up to five levels of spell slots 36-37 You maximize the damage roll of the next source of radiant damage that you deal 38-39 You gain vulnerability to all damage sources until the end of your next turn 40-41 Each creature within 30 ft of you takes 2d8 radiant damage 42-44 Every metal object within 30 ft of you acts as if it has been targeted by the Heat Metal spell until the end of your next turn 45-47 You cast Searing Radiance as a 3rd level spell as a free action without expelling a spell slot, even if you do not know or are unable to cast this spell 48-50 A flaming sphere (as if cast by the flaming sphere spell at 2nd level) appears in a random direction 20 ft from you. At the beginning of each of your turns, it moves 30 ft in a random direction as determined by the DM. The sphere disappears after 1 minute 51-52 The nearest container of water containing 5 gallons of water or less has its contents transformed into holy water d100... Effect 53-54 Your hair assumes the appearance of divine flame for 1d4 hours 55-56 You cast the thunderwave spell (DC 15), the cube centered on yourself. You ignore the effects of this spell, and it does not emit any sound audible outside of the cube. 57-58 Your voice becomes twice as loud as normal and echoes faintly for 1 minute 59-60 For the next ten minutes, your eyes turn a prismatic hue and you gain advantage on all insight and perception checks 61-62 You are unable to speak for the next minute. Whenever you attempt to do so, bright light instead emits from your mouth, dealing 1d4 radiant damage to any creature within a 20 ft. cone 63-64 For the next minute, you can see the true form of any shapechanger and detect any invisible creature within your line of sight 65-67 For the next minute, you must use your reaction, if available, to move your full movement speed toward and perform one melee attack against any creature that you can hear knowingly tell a lie. If you cannot reach this creature, you must move as close to it as possible 68-69 You cast the light cantrip instead of any other spell or cantrip they attempt to cast for the next minute. However, you believes that the intended spell has been cast, and that the effects have been staggering 70-72 You regain all uses of your radiant light cantrip. For the next minute, you may maintain one more casting of this cantrip than you would normally be able to 73-74 You gain temporary HP equal to your Bright Lord level 75-76 You become immune to fear and charm effects for 10 minutes, and become aware of any creature that tries to impose these effects on you 77-78 You may speak and read any language that you hear or read for the next minute 79-81 You may only speak in celestial for the next minute 82-84 The next spell that you casts that would normally expend a spell slot does not expend a spell slot 85-87 For one minute, you take 2d8 psychic damage whenever you knowingly speak a lie 88-90 Your concentration is broken and all current uses of the radiant light cantrip fade 91-93 For one minute, your skin begins to shimmer and you emit dim light for 10 ft 94-96 For the next 10 minutes, celestials and fiends within 300 ft. are able to sense your location 97-98 Any fiend that can see you must make a DC 15 Wisdom Saving throw. Upon failure, the fiend may only target you with attacks, spells, or harmful abilities for the next minute. Other creatures may still be harmed incidentally by areas of effect 99-00 The next time you speak, you cast Divine Word (DC 15) without expending a spell slot or bonus action, targeting every creature within 30 ft. that you can see and that can hear you Bright Lord v 1.3