Ruler

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Overview & Creation

These heroes think they are powerful when they cast spells, swing weapons and use their artifacts. Fools! True power lies in control over others. Powerful the one that doesn't have to fight himself, but let others fight for him.

— Lord Mariyan Redcastle, Ruler of the Southern Realms

Great Influencer

Rulers shine in their ability to influence other beings. By their overwhelming charisma and rhetorical abilities, they manage to find minions almost anywhere. People tend to follow and obey them almost automatically. They quickly become powerful figures wherever they settle. As great dealmakers, they hold the ability to forge agreements, alliances, and contracts fast and convincing. They gain the loyalty of the common folk, may it be by social kindness or through assertive order. By good or evil charisma they inspire and encourage, or fear and intimidate. Either way their success in achieving their goals stays unmatched
Also, rulers have a strange connection to the magical forces. Whilst they not able to focus them quite as structured and efficient as other spellcasters, they're still able to cast, or rather imitate, certain spells and use them to their will.  

Rulers throughout the Multiverse

Rulers are found everywhere in the DnD multiverse, from kings and mighty politicians to guild leaders, merchants, judges, captains, majors, and interdimensional demon lords. While often adapting the abilities of other classes as well, their true power doesn't lie in their own ability to fight or use magic. It rather comes with the strategic coordination of their troops, their decisive shout calling or their social, political or economic influence. Whilst a mafia boss might be a quite good gunslinger, he's far more dangerous through his influence on the local politics and the loyalty of his minions. While a General might be a great fighter, his experience in the war strategies makes him a far greater threat.
 

Knowledge is Power

Additionally to their power over others, the ability to find out secrets and using the information to their advantage makes rulers as dangerous and powerful as they are. May it is through brutal torture or through empathic conversation, rulers tend to get the answers they were looking for and know instinctively how this information could come to use. On the other hand, they are great secret-keepers themselves, rarely showing any expression of their emotions or their thoughts, making them incredibly hard to read.
 

Creating a Ruler

Rulers can arise from any kind of background. Maybe they're the child of a powerful family and inherit their rulership. Maybe they grew up in wretched conditions, looking for might and power to forget their past. Rulers often experienced some kind of tragedy or drastic event, shaping their personality and waking their ambition. An evil ruler might have its family killed and know strives for revenge, ignoring the damage it inflicts on the way. A good ruler might experience the same but converted the sadness into love, rather than hate, becoming altruistic and caring.
A crucial decision in ruler creation is the alignment. It not only influences some of your leadership features, but it also decides, which kind of minions you can acquire.
When creating your rulers' personality, think of how it achieves its goals and how his social superiority manifests. Is it a frighting figure that intimidates its followers and receives loyalty through fear? Or it's maybe a selfless hero, that's a moral example and is admired by its squires?

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Class Features

Impressive Charisma

Your rhetorical and social skills are exceptional. Engaging in a conversation, you intuitively assume the goals and morales of your person opposite, finding the right words to appeal to them.
Starting at 1st level, when doing a charisma check that involves (exactly) one other humanoid, you can guess the alignment of your person opposite. If you guessed correctly you gain advantage on the check.
One example of how that could happen:
Maryian Redcastle, a noble knight from the southern realms, is trying to convince the guards to let him and his party pass without being searched because they need to get to the king as quick as possible. (Correctly) predicting the guard he's talking to is lawful neutral, he applies to the urgency of the situation and gains advantage on the persuasion check
 

Will of Vengeance

You feel to be chosen for a greater destiny. An exposable minion or a loyal soldier might fall in battle, but not a leader like you. If you fall unconscious and are dying your inner will of vengeance awakes and bounds you to live until you achieve your goal.
Starting at 1st level, once per long rest, when dropping to 0 hit points you can choose to use this feature. You can add your proficiency bonus to all death saving throws. This benefit only lasts until you become stable, regain hit points or finally die. Note, that you need to decide whether to use this feature before the first roll on the death saving throws.

Squire

Starting at 2nd level, you can acquire one NPC as a loyal servant, an acolyte or a squire. In agreement with the DM, you can choose this NPC as you wish, provided that they have the same alignment as you or an adjacent one (see the Leadership Table). You might also have to take certain steps in order to achieve the squire's trust. Often a conversation is enough, but depending on the situation, further steps could be needed. It can be a humanoid of challenge rating 1 or lower.
This squire is controlled by the DM, but obeys your commands and tries to complete the tasks you give it to his best ability if it does not critically contradict with his goals Note . At higher levels the possible challenge rating of your squire increases, as well as the number of squires you can have at the same time.
As stat blocks for your squire, you can look into the humanoid list or come up with your own stat blocks. You can also create a PC-like character. In this case, your maximum (combined) squire level is your ruler level divided by two (round up).
 

Aligned Leadership

Your alignment shapes your values and morals which are crucial concerning your leading ability and the target group of your social influence.
Beginning on 3rd level you choose one Leadership type. You can choose the one that matches your alignment, or one next to that in the table below. For example, if you are chaotic neutral, you can choose between the Villian, the Captain, or the Rebel Leadership.

Leadership Table

 

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach the 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.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead. Look into feats for more information.
   

Strategic Mind

Beginning at 7th level, your mind adapts to events around you, connecting different plots and getting a better overview of the complexity of the world. You can quickly analyze situations and make out the correct reaction. You get the keen mind feat.
 

Additional Squire

Begninning at 9th level, you can promote an additional squire into your togetherness. Note, that the max. CR of your squire in the ruler table shows the combined maximum CR of all your squires. For example, at 10th level, you can have one squire with a CR of 3 or one with a CR of 2 and an additional one with a CR of 1.
 

Improved Commands

On 11th level, your commands grow in power, inspiring your allies even more and lead them to success in battle.
The 'Focus' command instead gives +3 on attack rolls against the target.
The 'Protect' command instead increases the AC by +3.
The 'Attack' command provides extra attacks for up to two allies, rather than one.
The 'Heal' command maximizes up to 2 healing spells on one target or 1 healing spell each on two different targets.
The 'Revive' When the target is stabilized by an ally, it not only gains proficiency on the roll, it also does the roll with advantage.
The 'Dodge' All allies in range do the next dexterity saving throw with advantage and take half damage on a failure, and no damage on a success.
 

Commanding Magic

Your trembling voice infuses your enchantment magic, allowing you to shout out voices of power, that manipulate the consistency of time and space thereby improves your spells. Starting at 13th level, when casting an enchantment spell you can expand one of your command charges to impose disadvantage on the check one or more enemies must make to resist the spell.
You also can use command slots to improve the level on which the spell is cast by +1 per command charge used.
 

Mighty Voice

Beginning at 15th level your commands can be heard over vast distances and let your enemies hesitate while encouraging your allies even further.
The range of your commands increases to 200ft. Also, when issuing a command, you can choose one ally and one enemy in range of your command. The ally can add one D6 to its next attack roll, and the enemy hast to subtract one D6 from its next attack roll.
 

Third Squire

Begninning at 17th level, you can promote a third squire into your togetherness. Note, that the max. CR of your squire in the ruler table shows the combined maximum CR of all your squires.
 

Perfected Commands

On 18th level, your commands improve even further, making them battle deciding moves. Note, that these
The 'Focus' command gives +4 on attack rolls against the target.
The 'Protect' command increases the AC by +4.
The 'Attack' command provides extra attacks for up to three allies.
The 'Heal' command maximizes 3 healing spells on up to three targets.
The 'Revive' command lets the target become stable immediately after one medicine check succeeds. Also, the throws have advantage and are made with proficiency.
The 'Dodge' command lets up to three targets automatically succeed on the dexterity saving throw. All other allies in range make the next dexterity saving throw with advantage and take half damage on a failure, and no damage on a success.
 

Unquestioned Authority

On level 20, you automatically succeed all charisma saving throws.

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Starting Equipment

(a) a rapier, (b) a longsword, or (c) any simple weapon
a diplomat’s pack
a ruler's arcane focus: (a) a monocle, (b) a quill, (c) a ring, (d) a crown, or (e) a scepter
robes and a dagger

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Spellcasting

You are able to bend reality to your will in certain ways. Your spells are part of your order giving nature, magic that you can command as you wish. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the section below for the ruler spell list.

Cantrips

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

Spell Slots

The Ruler table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your Ruler 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 heroism and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast heroism using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level spells of your choice from the ruler spell list. The Spells Known column of the ruler table shows when you learn more ruler spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the table. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your ruler spells. Your magic comes from the heart and soul transported by your mighty appearance and social domination. 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 a ruler 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

Ritual Casting

You can cast any ruler spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use, a monocle, a quill, a ring, a crown, a scepter, or any other item that consolidates your social power (such as the hat of a captain, etc).

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Subclass Options

The subclasses of the ruler class are the leadership types. When you reach the 3rd level, you choose one of these from the Leadership Table above. You can only choose one that matches your alignment or lies adjacent to it. This choice made when reaching 3rd level is permanent, although your alignment isn't. That means, while your alignment can be changed later on, your leadership type stays the same and can't be changed.

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Tyrant

Tyrants are powerful leaders, with great social, economic or political influence. They work within an established system and rule over their people with great dominance and strictness. Although, they think about their own benefits first, before considering others, if they ever do so. All their actions aim at gaining more power or preserving their current one. Squires of tyrants follow them, because they fear punishment or because their alternatives are even worse than the cruelty of their ruler. Word of Supremacy
On 14th level, you get the ability to shout a war cry onto the battlefield and thusly horror your enemies into paralysis.
You gain the following commands, which use up two command slots each:
Tremble: You can choose up to six enemies. They have to succeed on a CHA saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened by you for 120 seconds.
Shiver: The four nearest enemies to you have to succeed on a CHA saving throw against your spell save DC or be paralyzed until the end of their next turn.  

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General

Generals are the aspect of justice. Often experienced in war, their one and only goal is to preserve the social system they consider best for their realm. As great leaders and brilliant minds, they worked themselves up from a front-row soldier to the decision-maker behind the lines. Generals shine in their ability to encourage and empower their battalion in order to defeat forces they consider hostile. From their squires, they expect high loyalty, which is delivered, most of the time, by a feeling of justice or faithfulness.
 

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Hero

The Hero is the classic good guy ruler. He's following the law and brings order, as well as righteousness and justice. He supports the poor and the weak and fights for those who cannot. As a consequence, he's loved by the folk and admired throughout the land. Those who serve the established social system are willing to help heroes, hoping to contribute to their public status.
 

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Benefactor

Benefactors thrive in goodwill. They try to do best to their people, regardless of the status quo or their own social status or the rules established in the political system. Often, people not only look up to benefactors but are fundamentally dependant on their kindness, loving them for what they did and supporting them with borderless loyalty.

 

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Rebel

Freedom and for those who are suppressed! Down with the Tyrants that subdue our people. Rebels fight for a good cause, often an injustice of the current system or another strong individual, that oppresses the defenceless. While their goal might be a noble one, rebels tend to take extreme actions in order to free their people. Overthrowing an entire system is tolerated when it leads to a change of power. Squires of rebels often follow them willingly, without being incited by the rebel himself, who doesn't hold much with rulership.
 

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Captain

Feared by every noble and every merchant, buccaneers roam a region, breaking the law, enriching themselves and staying out of the radar of the police forces. At sea, they're called pirates, on land bandits and in city thieves. Wherever they consider their territory, it's dangerous land for those who don't know how to defend themselves. Some of these outlaws stand out as particularly vicious and ruthless and naturally become the leader of their gang, the Captain.

Back Against the Wall
Beginning on 14th, you gain the ability to fight yourself out of even the most desperate situations. If at least two enemies are within 10ft. range of you, you can use this feature as an action. You can walk up to 30ft. straight into one direction, without provoking opportunity attacks. Also, you can attack every enemy you pass, provided they are in your melee range at some point. You can use this feature only once per long rest.

This is the day you will always remember as the day you almost caught [the] Captain.

— Captain Jack Sparrow

 

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Villain

Noone kills more ruthless and destroys more efficient than the big bad guy. He or she is the leader of a dark force, an army of banished people that aim for revenge against the kingdom or the head of an underground organization, a long searched criminal with a huge bounty that's planning out his destruction of the world as we know it. Villains are cruel and brutal in their actions and fear no measure to achieve their goal.  

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Schemer

Who hides in the shadows, overseen by the just who are blinded by naiveness and distracted by honor. Those who forge evil plans, craft hideous contracts and blackmailing their enemies into helplessness. The heads of secret underground organizations who stay hidden from the powers of righteousness, we call them schemers. They are the wicked minds that thrive on the strategic destruction of villages, towns cities, and even countries and entire social systems.

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