Sunsinger

Her last memory is of a shuddering impact, the crack of bone. Her bone. And then: nothing. The memory ripples through her, echoing and amplifying, and slowly she comes to understand that somewhere beyond herself she can hear the sounds of her fireteam. 

Fighting. Killing. Dying. 

It is a Guardian’s lot to die. To die again and again, as payment for a second life. The Traveler blessed her with the power of the Sun, and in return she has devoted that power to the cleansing of her enemies, to driving back the Darkness that would snuff out humanity’s indomitable light. Death is a constant. Death is familiar.

And now, in death, she is terrified. She is always terrified. Even so, something of her remains: 

A spark.

Time stops in this place. It affords her space to understand the shape of her fear, to listen to the movements of the skein that binds her to the world she has just departed. There is a cadence to it: it rises and falls in a rhythm she can never quite define, can never quite remember. But when she hears it—when she feels it—she has the same thought she always does, and as always, it feels to her that it is the first time she has ever thought it:

It is like a song.

It is a song of power beyond that which even she knows, holding in it the beauty of destruction, of life, of death, and of what comes after, as though all of existence is a melody and she has heard the underlying chord. To hear it is not soothing, for she knows it is separate from her, it cares nothing for the tiny pinprick of her existence—but it is there, and she can hear it. And that in itself is a gift.

The world she has recently departed is violent and terrible. But it is her world, and in it are others she has come to care for, and they are worth protecting. To do otherwise would be to squander the gift. It would be a betrayal of the flame.

From the darkness, she snatches at the melody, and when at last she finds it, she finds harmony, and the spark catches. 

And then she is reborn, and she sets the world ablaze.

Rise Like the Sun

As the sun rises day after day, no matter how deep the night, inexorably banishing every grim shadow in the blaze of dawn, so do Sunsingers mantle themselves in searing solar brightness to stand forth against the overwhelming darkness humanity faces. Their radiant expressions of Light endow Sunsingers with awe-inspiring powers of mythic proportions: swords of righteous fire, wings of brilliant sunlight, and even the ability to return from beyond death in a glorious blaze. Practicing these abilities without being consumed and burned up by the intensity of their fiery power requires immense fortitude, discipline of spirit, and strength of heart.

Shine On

The spectacular abilities of Sunsingers attract plenty of would-be disciples from the ranks of recently risen Warlocks, yet many find the training frustrating, or have difficulty taming the intense solar energies of Sunsinger techniques. Whether it comes naturally or they find it through long and patient practice, successful Sunsingers have an enthusiastic connection to their Light, and find it a warm comfort rather than a blinding glare. Above all, they seek to share its blessings, holding themselves up as guiding beacons for their allies.

Recommended Exotics

Weapons: Lord of Wolves, Tlaloc
Armor: Apotheosis Veil, Sunbracers

Class Features

As a sunsinger, your superclass is Warlock and your Power is derived from the Light. You gain the following class features.

LevelProficiency BonusFeaturesPower Level
1st+2Detect Light and Dark, Tactical Power1st
2nd+2Divine Blessing, Solar Grenade Powers1st
3rd+2Patron of the Arts, Sunsinger Ballad, Super Power
Ballad of Flame
Ballad of Grace
Ballad of Dawn
1st
4th+2Ability Score Increase, Support Power1st
5th+3Blessed Repose2nd
6th+3Archetype Feature2nd
7th+3Aspects of the Sunsinger2nd
8th+3Ability Score Increase2nd
9th+4Touch of the Sun3rd
10th+4Ability Score Increase3rd
11th+4Archetype Feature3rd
12th+4Ability Score Increase3rd
13th+5Exquisite Sunrays4th
14th+5Additional Aspect4th
15th+5Nobility of the Sun4th
16th+5Ability Score Increase4th
17th+6Heliocentric5th
18th+6Archetype Feature5th
19th+6Ability Score Increase5th
20th+6Divine Perihelion5th
Optional: Become Prismatic
Hit Point Stats

Shield die: d8

Shield recharge roll: (1d8 per Power level) + your Power modifier

Maximum Overshields: 5 times your Power level

Shield points at 1st level: 8

Shield points at higher levels: add 5 (or 1d8) for each level after first

Health points at 1st level: 8 + your Constitution modifier

Health points at higher levels: add your Constitution modifier for each level after first, minimum +0

Starting Proficiencies

Armor: Light, medium

Weapons:

  • Simple Melee Weapons: all
  • Martial Melee Weapons: all
  • Martial Ranged Weapons: combat bows
  • Simple Firearms: all
  • Martial Firearms: breech grenade launchers, drum grenade launchers, fusion rifles, light machine guns, linear fusion rifles, rocket launchers, shotguns, trace rifles

Saving Throws: Wisdom and Charisma

Toolkits: Medical

Skills: One Charisma-based skill of your choice, and any one other skill of your choice

Power Stats

Power ability score: Charisma

Power modifier: your Charisma modifier

Power level: see sunsinger class table

Power save DC: 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Power attack modifier: your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Power saving throw: make a Charisma saving throw

Warlock’s Prowess

As a Risen Warlock, you are proficient in the Arcana skill. Additionally, your control over the Power you channel allows you to carefully craft the range of its effects. You may give a number of creatures equal to 1 + your Power modifier immunity against the damage and effects of your Powers whenever you cast them (minimum 1 creature). You must choose which creatures receive this benefit when you cast a Power, but you may change which creatures receive this benefit on your turn. 

Also, when performing a standing jump, you can extend the distance of your jump by a number of feet equal to your Power modifier, or twice as much when performing a running jump. You must become grounded before you can extend a jump’s distance in this way again. It still costs 1 foot of movement for every foot you jump, as normal.

Detect Light and Dark

Your refined sensitivity to the ebb and flow of the Light keeps you cognizant of subtle changes in the space around you. As an action, you can take one or two deep breaths, centering yourself and opening your awareness fully to the paracausal forces around you. For the next 10 minutes, you can determine what active modifiers there are in the area, if there are any weapons within 30 feet of you that can deal Darkness damage, and you can sense if there are any paracausal creatures within the same range. You learn the creature’s level (or individual CR) when you detect them in this way.

Tactical Power

At 1st level you gain your tactical Power, which you cast by spending a tactical Power charge. You have one tactical Power charge, and the maximum you can have is one. Choose one of the following tactical Powers to learn now.

Celestial Fire
Incinerator Snap
Scorch

Divine Blessing

By the time you reach 2nd level, your abundant Light has become a protective balm you can share with your allies. As a bonus action on your turn, you may choose one creature you can see within 10 feet of you and grant them the blessing of your Light. The creature may regain shield points equal to 2d6 + your Charisma modifier. If the creature doesn’t have an energy shield point pool, it gains an equal amount of temporary hit points instead. These last for the next minute or until spent, whichever happens first.

You can use this feature a maximum number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once). You regain all uses when you complete at least a short rest.

Starting at 7th sunsinger level, this feature grants 4d6 + your Charisma modifier in shield points instead. At 14th sunsinger level, it becomes 6d6 + your Charisma modifier in shield points.

Solar Grenade Powers

At 2nd level you gain your grenade Power, which you cast by spending a grenade Power charge. You have one grenade Power charge, and the maximum you can have is one. You learn the Blaze, Healing, and Incendiary grenade Powers now. If you opt to learn a new grenade Power when your proficiency bonus increases, you choose from the solar grenade Power list.

Blaze
Healing
Incendiary

Patron of the Arts

When you reach 3rd level, choose an artisan toolkit, or choose one of the following skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Animal Handling, Performance, or Sleight of Hand. You gain proficiency with your choice. If you are proficient with your choice already, it may now benefit from Expertise.

Sunsinger Ballad

At 3rd level you choose the form of your sunsinger ballad, which will shape the progression of your abilities. Choose from the Ballad of Flame, the Ballad of Grace, or the Ballad of Dawn, all detailed at the end of this class description. Your choice grants you unique features at select levels, as seen in your sunsinger class table.

Super Power

When you reach 3rd level, you learn to cast your super Power, which you do by spending your super Power charge. You have one super Power charge. Regardless of any other features, traits, exotic items, or other sources, you may never have more than one super Power charge. Choose one of the following super Powers to learn now.

Daybreak
Song of Flame
Well of Radiance

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 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.

Support Power

Beginning at 4th level, you learn to cast your support Power, which you do by spending a support Power charge. You have one support Power charge, and the maximum you can have is one. Choose one of the following support Powers to learn now.

Empowering Rift
Healing Rift
Phoenix Dive

Blessed Repose

When you reach 5th level, your restorative Light is so abundant that you regain shield points when you heal others. Whenever you use your Divine Blessing on a creature other than yourself, you also regain a number of shield points equal to 5 + your Power level.

Aspects of the Sunsinger

At 7th level, you gain one of the following Aspect features of your choice. You can’t choose an option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Heat Rises

Hellion

Icarus Dash

Touch of Flame

Touch of the Sun

At 9th level, whenever a creature benefits from your Divine Blessing feature, you can choose to cause them to emit a warm glow. Until they complete at least a brief rest, they shed paracausal bright light in a 10-foot radius sphere and dim light 5 feet beyond that. 

Exquisite Sunrays

When you reach 13th level, the range of your Divine Blessing features increases by 10 feet. Furthermore, whenever you spend a use of Divine Blessing on a creature, you also end one of the following ongoing conditions for them: Blinded, Deafened, Frozen, Incapacitated, Paralyzed, Poisoned, Scorched, Severed, or Weakened. You can only do this if the condition you want to remove isn’t caused by another condition.

Additional Aspect

At 14th level, you may choose a second sunsinger Aspect. 

Nobility of the Sun

At 15th level, your noble nature grants you great inner strength. You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws.

Heliocentric

At 17th level, the brilliant blaze of your Light burns through the darkness. Once on your turn, when you take the Revive action, you can spend your choice of a melee, grenade, or support Power charge to allow the target creature to make a shield recharge roll.

Furthermore, when an area of paracausal bright light you created overlaps with an area of magical darkness, the darkness in the overlapping area is dispelled if it is from a source equal to or less than your Power level. For instance, at 5th Power level, you could dispel magical darkness created by a Hive wizard using a 5th level spell slot, but not if the wizard used a 9th level spell slot.

Divine Perihelion

By the time you reach 20th level, you are overflowing with restorative Light, and it streams forth like sunshine. When you use your Divine Blessing feature, you may allow any creatures of your choice within range to benefit. Once you invoke this feature, you must complete a long rest before you may do so again.

Sunsinger Ballads

Sunsinger ballads are not typically literal songs, but something far more profound: as inward expressions of the shape of a Sunsinger’s Light, they reflect their relation to the chords of life, death, and rebirth. The ballad you choose will guide the arrangement and progression of your abilities.

All Guardians cross back and forth over the threshold between life and death on a regular basis, but Sunsingers who choose the Ballad of Flame recognize a deeper harmony in the crossing, and thus find ways to glean knowledge from beyond death. The most powerful are said to be capable of returning from the other side by the sheer strength of their own will.

Beyond the Veil

The constant refrain of the Ballad of Flame is illumination of the dark beyond living consciousness. During deep sleep or when returning from death, sunsingers of this ballad often receive Light-mediated visions of critical moments yet to come. Learning to recognize and remember what these portents may foretell is a key aspect of their practice.

When you choose this ballad at 3rd level you gain two Visions, each of which is represented as a roll of a d20. When you complete a long rest or are resurrected from death, roll your d20s and record the results. Once on a turn, if a creature you can see makes an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, you can choose to replace their roll of the d20 with one of your Visions. The creature treats the final result of their roll as equal to your Vision. Critical success and critical failure is determined as normal, and the creature adds any relevant modifiers to the Vision.

Each of your Visions can only be used once. You can only replace a roll with a Vision if you choose to do so before you learn the result of the creature’s attack roll, saving throw, or ability check. 

If you complete a long rest or if you are killed with unspent Visions, you lose those unspent Visions.

Righteous Surge

At 6th level, you learn to imbue your attacks with a pulse of Light, magnifying their impact. Once on each of your turns, you can deal an additional 1d8 solar damage to a single creature you hit with a weapon attack. When you reach 14th level in this class, this increases to 2d8 solar damage.

Radiant Will

Beginning at 11th level, the blaze of your Light burns even brighter when you unleash it. Sunsinger super Powers you cast are bolstered in a specific way, defined below.

Song of Flame. The bright light radius of your super Power increases by 10 feet. 

Well of Radiance. While concentrating on your super Power, you grant Empowered (rank 2) to all creatures of your choice who start their turn standing in the well, or who enter the area of the well for the first time on their turn. Beginning at 14th level, you grant Empowered (rank 3) instead.

Daybreak. If you are reduced to 0 health points while concentrating on Daybreak, you may drop to 1 health point instead, ignoring any concentration checks to maintain your super Power and also gaining Overshields. Once you invoke this feature, you must complete a long rest before you can invoke any trait, feature, or other source that prevents you from being reduced to 0 health points again.

Rising Sun

When you reach 18th level, you learn how you may call on your Light even after death. On your turn, if you are dead and have the option to make an RTL saving throw, you may choose to cast your super Power instead, returning to life in a blaze of solar Light. Your hit points are completely restored and you begin the duration of your super Power. You can only invoke this feature if you have a super Power charge remaining, and you spend a super Power charge when you invoke this feature.

If you do not have a super Power charge when you make an RTL saving throw, you may make a super Power recharge roll first.

You must complete a long rest before you can invoke this feature again.

In the Ballad of the Grace, the strongest chords are those of family, camaraderie, and unity. Sunsingers of this ballad practice harmony with these chords, strengthening themselves by sharing their Light to bolster allies.

Solar Prominence

When you reach 3rd level, the warm strength of your Light becomes a true reassurance to those around you. Once per long rest, when you spend a use of Divine Blessing, you may choose to maximize the roll. This increases to twice per long rest beginning at 11th sunsinger level, then three times per long rest at 19th sunsinger level.

Guiding Flame

At 6th level, you add a new melody to the song of your Light. As an action, you can expend either a melee or grenade Power charge to select a target you can see within 30 feet. The target takes solar damage equal to 1d6 + your Charisma modifier and it begins glowing with faint solar Light for up to 1 minute. The target can’t be Invisible or Unseen while glowing in this way. Furthermore, you may grant an attack roll made against the target advantage at the cost of ending the glowing effect early. The glowing effect also ends early if you’re Incapacitated or if the target ends all ongoing effects on itself.

You recover a tactical Power charge spent by this feature as d6, 5+ and a spent grenade Power charge as d8, 7+.

Blessed Presence

At 11th level, you no longer have to be close to a creature to grant them the benefit of your Divine Blessing. The range at which you can use your Divine Blessing feature increases by 10 feet.

Benevolent Dawn

At 18th level, your Light has grown to a veritable geyser of restorative power. When you use your Divine Blessing feature, you also grant the target Overshields. Alternatively, if the target can’t gain Overshields, it receives twice as many temporary hit points as normal from a use of your Divine Blessing.

Sunlight can be harsh as well as nurturing. Sunsingers who choose the Ballad of Dawn embody this aspect of the Sun. Singing a song of righteous retribution, they scourge the Darkness with blazing Light.

Brilliant Light

Also at 3rd level, you may always use your Charisma modifier to determine a weapon’s attack rolls, damage rolls, or Payload DC, but only if you are proficient with the weapon. Like normal, you must use the same modifier for all of a weapon’s attack rolls, damage rolls, and Payload DCs.

Extra Attack

When you reach 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action with a non-Power weapon on your turn. Attacks with Power weapons may only benefit from this feature if the weapon’s description explicitly allows it.

Empowered Exchange

Beginning at 11th level, once on your turn, if you are Empowered, you may end the condition in order to make a shield recharge roll. Like normal, whenever you make any shield recharge roll, you must wait until the start of your next turn before you may do so again.

Alternatively, once on your turn, if you are about to make a shield recharge roll, you may become Empowered (rank 2, or rank 3 beginning at 14th level) instead of making your shield recharge roll.

You may only perform one of these exchanges on your turn, not both.

Glorious Dawn

At 18th level you have mastered the sword of Light and honed its edge to impossible brilliance. When you draw your Light, you draw forth the very sunrise. You gain the following additional benefits while concentrating on your super Power:

  • Your AC increases by 4, though this bonus may not increase your AC beyond 20. When you have multiple sources increasing your AC, you choose the order the sources apply in.
  • Targets within the bright light of your super Power have disadvantage on saving throws you cause them to make.