Abomination 2E ¶

For 13th Age 2E, V0.13

Avert your eyes! I am … a monster.

Some heroes hide in the dark. Disfigured, feared, shunned by society. You are no longer like the others of your kin. Perhaps you are a failed experiment of the Archmage; the thing that crept out of a hellhole; or the chosen of an Old God, shaped in the image of a creature that no longer walks these realms.

Your body has been transformed. Your powers are strange, and you don’t fully understand them yourself. Yes, people call you an abomination, and even worse things when they think you are out of earshot. But you can, and you will, make a difference. Against all odds, you care. You know that you have been given a gift, even if it often feels more of a curse. You are strong. You can protect those who are kind to you, those who show compassion — or at least respect.

Overview ¶

Play Style: You are a combat monster. Literally. You claw at your enemies, stomp them in the ground, and rip their throats out. Mechanically, your powers are flexible attacks, which you choose based on the die roll of the attack. By combat style you are close to the barbarian — a heavy hitter that rips through the enemy frontline.

Ability Scores: Strength to hit things. Constitution to not die. Dexterity to zip around the battlefield. Charisma … not required.

Kin: Half-orcs are already savage combat machines. Among orcs and other savage kin, an abomination will be treated with some respect, at least after they ripped a few critics to shreds. Abominations of civilized races will have a much harder time to be accepted. They are the outcasts who find solace among the ragtag bunch of misfits that form an adventuring party.

Backgrounds: A failed experiment is on the run after killing its creator; the thing that crept out of a hellhole is holding on to its remaining sanity; a chosen of an old god seeks out the lost places of worship of his faith; a dragonborn degenerate ventures out to gain the respect of his people.

Quick Builds ¶

Mixed Offense - Talents: Carnage (+Adventurer feat), Draconic Breath Weapon, Fueled by Pain; Native element: Poison; Maneuvers: Concentrated Breath, Elemental Claw, Rising Urge to Kill

Defense and Mobility - Talents: Explosive Dodge, Hardened Plating, Troll Blood (+Adventurer feat); Native element: Cold; Maneuvers: Elemental Claw, Evasive Slide, Spike Up

Undead Monstrosity - Talents: Frightening Rally, Ghoulish Horror, Monstrous Stunt (+Adventurer feat); Native element: Unholy; Maneuvers: Angry Flailing, Rip the Bowels Out, Spike Up

<<Begin sidebar>>

Smart players will notice that the Abomination doesn’t have any social interaction penalties baked in, because honestly, it’s more fun if players take the cues and roleplay being a big scary monster without being coerced into doing so.

However, if a player needs a reminder that they can’t just walk up to a poor peasant and ask where the bakery is, hit them with the peasant reaction table. Roll 1d10.

1. Sinks to the ground and mumbles something about not getting eaten.
2. Runs away screaming, “<inaudible> has returned!!”
3. Courageously raises a pitchfork or a holy symbol, quickly retreats if threatened.
4. Unleashes the dogs. The poor dogs are too scared to do anything.
5. Grabs the children, runs inside, locks doors.
6. Profusely sweating but otherwise acting normally. Likely to break out in panic after the PC left.
7. Mental shutdown. Can only stammer incomprehensibly.
8. Too old / drunk / blind / dimwitted to notice or care.
9. A child runs up to you and wants a hug, to the utter terror of everyone around.
10. Points finger at you and loudly blames you for everything going wrong in the Empire.

<<End sidebar>>

Gear ¶

What gear? Your body is your weapon. You shred enemies with your bare hands and rip their throats out with your teeth.

You start with 25 gp on your person. Or if you're feeling lucky, punk, roll 1d6 x 10 gp instead.

Armor ¶

Your skin is thick and leathery, patched with horned plates and spikes. The protection it provides is as good as the armors which “mundane” humanoids wear in battle. You cannot wear normal armor, and it would take a true master smith to customize protective gear that fits your body, and doesn’t get ripped to shreds in the first battle.

Type	Base AC	Attack Penalty
None (natural armor)	13	-
Light	14	-2
Heavy	15	-4
Shield	+1	-2

Weapons ¶

You can use manufactured weapons, but they feel clumsy and slow to you. Ranged weapons are especially difficult, as your sharp claws tend to snap bowstrings and dent crossbow mechanisms. See the Natural Weapons class feature for what you prefer to fight with.

Melee Weapons ¶

Size	One-Handed	Two-Handed
Small	1d4 knife	1d6 staff
Light or Simple	1d6 short sword, rapier	1d8 spear
Heavy or Martial	1d8 longsword, scimitar	1d10 (-1) greatsword
Natural	1d8 claw, bite, tail, kick	-

Ranged Weapons ¶

Size	Thrown	Crossbow	Bow	Natural
Small	1d4 (-1) dagger	1d4 (-2) hand crossbow	-	-
Light or Simple	1d6 (-1) javelin, axe	1d6 (-2) light crossbow	1d6 (-1) shortbow	1d6 spit
Heavy	-	1d8 (-2) heavy crossbow	1d8 (-2) longbow

Abomination Level Progression ¶

Abomination Level	Total Hit Points	Recoveries	Total Feats	Class talents	Powers	Level-up Ability Bonuses
Level 1	(8 + CON mod) x 3	1d10 + CON mod	1 adventurer	3 adventurer	3*
Level 2	(8 + CON mod) x 4	2d10 + CON mod	2 adventurer	3 adventurer	4*
Level 3	(8 + CON mod) x 5	3d10 + CON mod	3 adventurer	3 adventurer	4*
Level 4	(8 + CON mod) x 6	4d10 + CON mod	4 adventurer	3 adventurer	5*	+1 to 3 abilities
Level 5	(8 + CON mod) x 8	5d10 + 2 x CON mod	4 adventurer 1 champion	3 adventurer 1 champion	5*
Level 6	(8 + CON mod) x 10	6d10 + 2 x CON mod	4 adventurer 2 champion	3 adventurer 1 champion	6*
Level 7	(8 + CON mod) x 12	7d10 + 2 x CON mod	4 adventurer 3 champion	3 adventurer 1 champion	6*	+1 to 4 abilities
Level 8	(8 + CON mod) x 16	8d10 + 4 x CON mod + 5	4 adventurer 3 champion 1 epic	3 adventurer 2 champion	7*
Level 9	(8 + CON mod) x 20	9d10 + 4 x CON mod + 10	4 adventurer 3 champion 2 epic	3 adventurer 2 champion	7*
Level 10	(8 + CON mod) x 24	10d10 + 4 x CON mod + 15	4 adventurer 3 champion 3 epic	3 adventurer 2 champion	8*	+1 to 5 abilities

* Plus one limit maneuver associated with your native element.

Abomination Stats ¶

Initiative, AC, PD, MD, hit points, recovery dice, feats, and some talents are level dependent.

Key Ability Scores	Strength, Constitution
Initiative	Dex mod + Level
Armor Class (natural armor)	13 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level
Physical Defense	11 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level
Mental Defense	10 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level
Hit Points	(8 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart)
Recoveries	8
Recovery Dice	(1d10 x Level) + Con mod
Backgrounds	8 points, max 5 in any one background
Icon Relationships	3 points
Talents	3 (see level progression chart)
Feats	1 per level

Abomination Basic Attacks ¶

The transformed body of abominations makes it difficult for them to use manufactured weapons and armor, but their body itself is weapon enough. Describe these in any way you like, such as poisoned fangs, lava fists, or ice shards.

You gain two additional basic attacks, a natural weapon basic attack and a spit basic attack. Both of these can be used to trigger your abomination maneuvers.

Like a monk, you can use magical bracers to enhance your natural weapon attack. These bracers fill the weapon chakra for you. You can also enhance your natural weapons with oils and runes. To keep it simple, magic bracers also provide their bonus to your spit attack.

You can use both natural weapon basic attack and spit basic attack as no-trigger attacks, however, this does not trigger abomination maneuvers.

Melee Basic Attack ¶

Melee attack; At-Will
Target: One enemy
Attack: Strength Level vs. AC
Hit: Weapon + Strength damage
5th–7th level: Weapon + (Str mod × 2)
8th level: Weapon + (Str mod × 4) + 5
9th level: Weapon + (Str mod × 4) + 10
10th level: Weapon + (Str mod × 4) + 15
Miss: Damage equal to your level

Natural Weapon Basic Attack ¶

Melee attack; At-Will
Special: This attack can trigger your abomination maneuvers based on the natural attack roll.
Target: One enemy
Attack: Strength OR Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: 1d8 per level + Strength damage
5th–7th level: 1d8 per level + (Str mod × 2)
8th level: 8d8 + (Str mod × 4) + 5
9th level: 9d8 + (Str mod × 4) + 10
10th level: 10d8 + (Str mod × 4) + 15
Natural 2: You hit (two weapon fighting)
Miss: Damage equal to your level

Ranged Basic Attack ¶

Ranged attack; At-Will
Target: One nearby enemy
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
5th–7th level: Weapon + (Dex mod × 2)
8th level: Weapon + (Dex mod × 4) + 5
9th level: Weapon + (Dex mod × 4) + 10
10th level: Weapon + (Dex mod × 4) + 15
Miss: -

Spit Basic Attack ¶

Close-quarters attack; At-Will
Special: This attack can trigger your abomination maneuvers based on the natural attack roll.
Target: One nearby enemy
Attack: Dexterity OR Constitution + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d6 per level + Constitution native element damage
5th–7th level: 1d6 per level + (Con mod × 2)
8th level: 8d6 + (Con mod × 4) + 5
9th level: 9d6 + (Con mod × 4) + 10
10th level: 10d6 + (Con mod × 4) + 15
Miss: Native element damage equal to your level

Zenith feat: Natural weapon basic attack and spit basic attack now get a +30 damage bonus (instead of +15).

Class Features ¶

Native Element ¶

The origin of your powers shows itself in your native element. If you've crept out of the fires of a hellhole, it is likely to be fire. If you were bathed in the blood of a black dragon, it is acid. If you are possessed by the essence of an ancient storm god, it is lightning or thunder.

Choose between acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison and thunder. This element is your native element.

You gain resist native element 11+. This resistance increases by +1 for each level after the first, up to resist 20+ at level 10 (so you take half damage unless the attack is a natural 20).

Natural Armor ¶

Your leathery skin and ingrown plates give you a base armor value of 13 without wearing manufactured armor. That means you won’t be able to use magical armors like your more mundane friends. Some Abominations wear shoulder plates or collars with enchantments that functionally work as armor enchantments. Others use enchanted tattoos, engravings or brandings. Work with your GM to find something that fits the character.

Flexible Attacks ¶

Your maneuvers are flexible attacks. To use your abomination flexible attack maneuvers, declare your target and use either your natural weapon basic attack or your spit basic attack (see basic attacks). Compare the total attack roll with the enemy’s defense to see whether you hit or miss. Then, look at whether the natural roll (the die roll without any bonuses) was odd or even, to see which maneuver you can trigger with the attack. There are also maneuvers which require specific die rolls, such as a natural 20. You can only trigger one flexible attack maneuver per attack.

If you have some attacks that are flexible and some that are not (such as from multiclassing), declare whether you are making a flexible abomination attack or a different attack before making your roll. You cannot use flexible attacks when you are granted a basic melee attack, such as from a commander power, or when you make an opportunity attack.

You start with three maneuvers at first level, plus one limit maneuver as a bonus that is chosen depending on your native element. You can switch maneuvers whenever you gain a level.

Intimidating ¶

Your presence frightens the common folk, but it helps you get your way without unnecessary conversation. When you are using the threat of brute force to get your way without unnecessary conversation, you can substitute Strength for Charisma in social skill checks. While this can quickly resolve a situation, the target is likely to hold a grudge and will be less willing to cooperate in the future.

Class Feats ¶

Elemental Adaptation ¶

Adventurer feat: You gain a +5 bonus to saves against ongoing damage of your native element.

Enhanced Flexibility ¶

Adventurer Feat: Once per battle, you can trigger an abomination maneuver on a melee or ranged attack that wouldn’t allow you to do so otherwise (such as when hindered, when granted a basic attack by a commander power, etc.).

Grunting Support ¶

Adventurer Feat: Once per scene, an ally can use your presence as a means of intimidation. The ally adds your Strength modifier to a Charisma-based skill check.

Harmless Transformation ¶

Adventurer Feat: You can temporarily revert the mutations that changed your body and appear as your original humanoid self. Your claws retract back into hands, and your skin becomes soft and fleshy again. Your appearance is still a bit odd -- maybe your hair, eye and skin color are unusual for your kin. Maybe you have strange tattoos or birthmarks. But at least you’re not a maggot-infested pile of rotten flesh, or a giant bear made of sparking lightning.

Turning into harmless form is a standard action, but you can turn back as a quick action (if you’re willing to shred whatever clothes you were wearing in the process, otherwise it takes a full round or two). In harmless form, you can use any weapon, armor, or shield without attack penalty. However, you lose access to all your abomination class features and maneuvers, and your unarmed base AC is reduced to 10. If you wear light or heavy armor, use your standard AC.

Peak Evolution ¶

Champion Feat: When you increase ability scores at 7th and 10th level, you can increase two ability scores by +2 instead. You must be single-class to choose this feat.

Shifting Kin ¶

Adventurer Feat: You have mutated to the point that it’s no longer clear what you were once. Choose six kin powers from any kin. During each quick rest, roll 1d8 to determine your kin power until the next quick rest. On a 7, choose one you like. On an 8, roll two d6s and gain both. (Reroll if you get the same twice.) Swap out at least one power from the list at each full heal-up.

Adventurer Tier Class Talents ¶

Choose three of these talents at first level.

Amphibian Mutation ¶

You are at home in the water as well as on land. You can breathe under water normally. When fighting in water that is at least waist deep, you gain advantage on Dexterity-based skill checks and checks to disengage.

Adventurer feat: When in or under water, add your level to the hit points healed when taking a recovery.

Champion feat: When in or under water, gain a +1 bonus to all defenses.

Epic feat: When fighting in or under water, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls.

Carnage ¶

Once per battle, when you kill at least one mook with an attack, you can immediately engage a different nearby enemy and make a melee attack against them.

Adventurer feat: You gain a +2 bonus to your critical range against mooks.

Champion feat: When you kill at least one mook with a hit, kill an additional mook from that group.

Epic feat: Increase the critical range bonus to +3.

Draconic Breath Weapon ¶

Your spit attack is a proper breath weapon. You don't provoke opportunity attacks with it. Increase your spit attack damage dice to d8s.

Adventurer feat: Deal twice your level in damage when you miss with your spit attack.

Champion feat: Once per battle, you can reroll an attack with your spit attack before choosing a flexible attack maneuver.

Epic feat: Once per battle, when you successfully intercept an enemy, make a spit attack against them as a free action.

Elemental Eruption ¶

Gain a sorcerer spell as a bonus spell. If the spell deals damage, it must be of the same type as your native element. (Work with your GM if you’d like to change an existing spell to a different type of damage.) Use Strength instead of Charisma for the attack and damage of the spell.

You can take feats to improve the spell.

Explosive Dodge ¶

Once per battle, when you take a normal (not critical) hit from an attack against AC or PD, reduce the damage to half.

Adventurer feat: Deal native element damage to the attacker equal to the damage you reduced.

Champion feat: You gain a +1 bonus to PD.

Epic feat: You can use this talent twice per battle.

Zenith feat: Once per arc, take no damage from an attack against AC or PD instead, and reflect the full damage.

Frightening Rally ¶

Whenever you rally in a battle, enemies engaged with you must succeed at a save or take psychic damage equal to the escalation die multiplied by your level. Until the end of your next turn, enemies attacking you must succeed at a save or the attack is a miss.

Adventurer feat: Both saves take a penalty equal to your Constitution modifier.

Champion feat: Double the healing gained when spending a recovery when you rally.

Epic feat: Your first attack the turn after you rally has advantage.

Fueled By Pain ¶

While you are staggered, your melee attacks with natural weapons gain a +2 bonus to their crit range.

Adventurer feat: Once per battle, while staggered, you can reroll a recovery roll and take the second result.

Champion feat: The first time you are staggered in a battle, as an interrupt, you can pop free, engage the enemy that staggered you (if nearby), and make a melee attack against them.

Epic feat: Increase the critical range bonus to +3.

Ghoulish Horror ¶

You are an undead monstrosity, like a zombie, ghoul, or patched together flesh golem. You don’t need to eat, sleep or breathe. As an undead, other undead creatures likely won’t attack you unless you give them a reason to.

Your native element is unholy. Your limit maneuver is Ghoul Touch, as below.

You don’t die for having 5 or more skulls. Instead, you take a -1 penalty to attacks and defenses for each skull after the fourth.

You also don’t die for having too many negative hit points. As long as there is a body left and someone is around to patch you up, you can be revived during a quick rest.

Adventurer feat: Gain a bonus to recovery rolls equal to the number of skulls you have. At 5th level, add a recovery die per skull instead. At 8th level, add two dice per skull.

Champion feat: Add a WEAPON damage die for each skull you have. At 8th level, at two dice.

Ghoul Touch (Unholy) ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Natural 20

Effect: The target is weakened (-4 to attacks and defenses) until the end of your next turn.

Champion feat: A single-strength or weaker target is stunned until the end of your next turn instead.

Hardened Plating ¶

Increase the base AC of your natural armor to 14.

Adventurer feat: Once per battle, turn a critical hit against you into a normal hit.

Champion feat: You take half damage from ongoing damage.

Epic feat: You gain resist damage dealt by mooks 16+.

Hard to Kill ¶

Add your Constitution modifier to death saves.

You only die when you reach your full, not half maximum negative hit points.

On a 11+ on your death save, you become conscious and you can use a move action on your turn.

Adventurer feat: Also add the escalation die to death saves.

Champion feat: When using a recovery while at zero hit points, heal the maximum amount.

Epic feat: Add 50 hit points.

Mad Genius ¶

You once had a brilliant mind. You were a philosopher, an alchemist, a renaissance man, a scientist, or a wizard. You were driven. You knew you had the special spark. You knew you could change the world. But then, one fateful day, your experiment failed in the most spectacular fashion. The disaster changed you forever. You still have occasional moments of clarity, but on most days, they’re buried below the madness and the nightmares.

After each quick rest or full heal-up, roll a d6. If the result is even, add it to your Intelligence score until the next time you roll. If it is odd, subtract it instead. You gain a 5-point background that represents your genius.

Adventurer feat: Once per arc, when you have an even roll on the d6, you are truly your old self, and you can perform a stunt of true genius. Maybe you solve a difficult puzzle in seconds. Maybe you mix just the right ingredients for the potion you need. Maybe you build a flying machine to escape from the tower you are trapped in.

Champion feat: Once per arc, as a free action, you can roll the d6 again to reset your Intelligence score for one scene or battle.

Monstrous Stunt ¶

Once per battle, you can perform a stunt that makes use of your transformed body, such as running up a wall with your clawed hands and feet, smashing a pillar with your armored fists, or jumping across a chasm with your tongue rolled around a tree stump. These things would be impossible, or at least a ridiculously hard skill check for a puny, un-enhanced human. But a monster like you, you don’t even need to roll the dice! If the stunt is mainly about getting from one corner of the battlefield to another, this is a move action. If you also make an attack as part of it, take a standard action instead.

Adventurer feat: You gain three points towards a background that represents your strange mutation abilities.

Champion feat: Once per battle or scene, gain advantage on a skill check using the background above.

Epic feat: Increase your stunt background to six points.

Slithering Snake ¶

Your lower body resembles a giant serpent. You can snake your way across the battlefield with surprising speed.

Add your Dexterity modifier to disengage checks. In addition, enemies don’t automatically succeed when trying to intercept you when you move. When intercepted, you can immediately make a disengage check as a free action to avoid the intercept.

Adventurer feat: When you make a successful disengage check, deal damage of your native element equal to your level to the enemy.

Champion feat: Once per battle, as an interrupt, you can pop free from all enemies and intercept another enemy.

Epic feat: Once per battle, when you successfully intercept an enemy or avoid being intercepted, make a melee attack against the target.

Troll Blood ¶

At the start of your turn, as a free action, you can roll 1d12. If the result is equal to the escalation die or lower, you can spend a recovery to heal. This can increase your current hit points above maximum, but excess hit points are lost at the end of the battle. You can heal this way once per battle.

Adventurer feat: Roll a d8 instead.

Champion feat: You can heal this way twice per battle.

Epic feat: If you roll a 1 and spend a recovery, heal twice your recovery roll.

Champion Tier Class Talents ¶

You can choose one of these talents at 5th and 8th level each. You can also choose an adventurer tier talent instead.

Absorb Magic ¶

Whenever you successfully save against a temporary effect, you gain advantage (roll twice and choose one) on your next attack roll.

Champion feat: When you take a temporary condition from an enemy attack, immediately make a save against it with disadvantage.

Epic feat: The immediate save no longer has disadvantage.

Erratic Mutation ¶

After each full heal-up, you gain a bonus abomination maneuver, randomly chosen from the ones at your level or lower that you don’t have.

Champion feat: Randomly choose two maneuvers instead, then pick the one you like.

Epic feat: Gain the lowest-tier feat of the maneuver.

Extreme Regeneration ¶

Increase your recovery dice to d12s.

Champion feat: Gain two additional recoveries.

Epic feat: Increase your recovery dice to d20s.

Giant Growth ¶

Once per arc, as a quick action, you can increase your size to large until you are reduced to 0 hp or until the end of the battle. This gives advantage on Strength-based skill checks, temporary hit points equal to half your total, and increases your melee attack damage dice to d12s. For effects such as grabbing, you now count as a large creature.

Champion feat: When you are reduced to 0 hp, the effect still ends, but you can spend a recovery to heal.

Epic feat: This ability is now Recharge 11+.

Monstrous Wings ¶

You grow wings that let you glide and land safely from any height. Proper flight takes effort, and you can’t take other actions that turn if you want to fly and stay airborne.

Epic feat: You can fly without restrictions.

Rapid Evolution ¶

Whenever you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll, skill check or save, add a d4 to your evolution die pool.

You can expend dice from your pool to get a bonus to an attack roll, skill check or save that is not a natural 1. Roll and add the die. Explain how a spontaneous, temporary mutation helped in this situation.

Unspent dice remain until the next quick rest.

Champion feat: The dice are now d6s.

Epic feat: You can also give an enemy a penalty to an attack against you, after you know the opponent’s roll.

Repeated Clawings ¶

You can use each of your “once per battle” flexible attacks an additional time per battle.

Abomination Maneuvers ¶

Maneuver List ¶

	Even	Odd
Natural 20	Limit Maneuvers	-
Hit	(1) Concentrated Breath, Elemental Claw, Rip the Bowels Out (3) Splash Damage, Sticky Spit (5) Double Claw (7) Horrid Maiming, Yanking Arms and Tossing Goblins (9) Clawing Alpha Lions, Surprise Upper Cut	(1) Spike Up (3) Nauseating Breath, Power Grab (5) Show Dominance (7) Displacer Strike, Willbreaker (9) Hasted Evolution, Living Breath
Any roll (hit or miss)	(1) Tail Slap (3) Irate Outburst (7) Quick Spit	(1) Evasive Slide, Rising Urge to Kill (3) Bestial Resilience (5) Angered Resurgence, Metallic Scales
Miss	(1) Angry Flailing, Me Smash!! (3) Self-Preservation (5) Hind Kick (7) Spiky Puddle	(1) Taunting Grin (3) Smell Weakness (5) Frothing Rage (7) Frenzied Pheromones

Limit Maneuvers ¶

At first level, you gain a bonus maneuver based on your choice of native element. You can trigger this maneuver on a natural 20, as it represents you pushing your power to the limit.

Chain Lightning (Lightning) ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Natural 20

Effect: Make a spit attack against a different nearby enemy as a free action.

Champion Feat: If the escalation die is 2+, make two attacks against different nearby enemies.

Molten Twin (Fire) ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Natural 20

Effect: You summon a clone of yourself that is entirely made of molten lava. The clone has the same defenses as you, and half your maximum hit points. Starting from your next turn, it can move, and make one natural weapon claw or spit attack that deals half damage during your turn. If you trigger this maneuver while you have a clone active, the clone can make an attack as a free action. (You don’t get more clones.)

Champion feat: If the escalation die is 2+, the clone can move and attack the turn you create it.

Freeze in Place (Cold) ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Natural 20

Effect: If the target has fewer hit points than you after taking damage, it is frozen (like stunned: –4 penalty to defenses and cannot take any actions) until the end of its next turn.

Champion feat: If you hit a mook, the entire group of mooks is frozen.

Melting Skin (Acid) ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Natural 20

Effect: The target takes a -2 penalty to AC until the end of the battle.

Champion feat: If the escalation die is 2+, decrease AC by 4.

Poison Cloud (Poison) ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Natural 20

Effect: Make a spit attack against the highest PD of all nearby enemies. If you hit, all nearby enemies take half damage from the attack. Groups of mooks take damage once.

Champion feat: Groups of mooks who take damage from the spit attack are also dazed until the start of your next turn.

Thunder Blast (Thunder) ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Natural 20

Effect: Deal 1d6 per level extra thunder damage. You can pop free from it.

Champion feat: If the target is staggered after taking damage, it is also dazed until the end of your next turn.

1st Level Maneuvers ¶

Angry Flailing ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Natural even miss

Effect: Roll two d4s. Deal extra damage equal to the higher roll plus your Strength modifier (x2 at 5th level, x4 at 8th). You take damage equal to the lower roll (without adding Strength).

3rd level: Roll two d6s.

5th level: Roll two d8s.

7th level: Roll two d12s.

9th level: Roll two d20s.

Adventurer feat: If the escalation die is 3+, roll three dice, and deal damage equal to the two highest dice while taking damage equal to the lowest.

Concentrated Breath ¶

Flexible ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Natural even hit

Effect: You can reroll any number of damage dice once.

Adventurer feat: For any die that came up as the highest number, reroll once and add the result to the original roll.

Elemental Claw ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Natural even hit

Effect: Deal 1d4 per level extra native element damage.

Adventurer feat: If your next attack is a miss, it deals extra damage equal to your level.

Evasive Slide ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Any natural odd roll

Effect: Gain a +2 bonus to PD and disengage checks until the end of your next turn.

Adventurer feat: When the escalation die is 3+, increase the bonus to +3.

Me Smash!! ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Natural even miss

Effect: Destroy something in the nearby environment. Depending on what you smash, the effect can be anything from expensive property damage to a chain reaction that causes the building to collapse. The GM can require a separate Strength check to smash particularly large or durable objects.

Rip the Bowels Out ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Natural even hit

Effect: Deal ongoing damage equal to twice your level.

Adventurer feat: You can pop free from the opponent.

Rising Urge to Kill ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Any natural odd roll

Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you gain a +1 bonus to abomination attack rolls.

Adventurer feat: Each time you are attacked until the start of your next turn, increase the bonus by +1.

Spike Up ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Natural odd hit

Effect: Until the end of your next turn, when an enemy makes a melee attack against you, deal your level plus Strength modifier (x2 at 5th level, x4 at 8th) damage to it.

Adventurer feat: You can now trigger this maneuver on natural odd miss.

Tail Slap ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Any natural even roll

Effect: Deal your level + Strength modifier (x2 at 5th level, x4 at 8th) damage to a different nearby enemy. You can pop free from your current target and engage the other enemy.

Adventurer feat: On an even hit, increase the damage to twice your level + Strength modifier.

Taunting Grin ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Any natural odd roll

Effect: Until the end of your next turn, the target gets a +2 bonus to attacks against you. If it misses you with its next attack, gain advantage (roll twice and choose one) on your next attack against it.

Adventurer feat: The target also takes a -2 penalty to attacks against other targets.

3rd Level Maneuvers ¶

Bestial Resilience ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Any natural odd roll

Effect: Immediately make a save against a temporary condition. If there is nothing to save against, you gain a +2 bonus to the next save you make this battle.

Adventurer feat: If your save is against ongoing damage and you fail, reduce the ongoing damage by half.

Irate Outburst ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Any natural even roll

Effect: Deal your Constitution modifier (x2 at 5th level, x4 at 8th) native element damage to all enemies you are engaged with. If you are not engaged with an enemy, deal the damage to a random nearby enemy.

Adventurer feat: Double the extra damage if the attack is a hit and you are staggered.

Nauseating Breath ¶

Flexible ranged attack; Once per battle

Triggering Roll: Natural odd hit

Effect: The target is dazed until the end of your next turn.

Adventurer feat: 1d3 nearby enemies must succeed at a save or be dazed until the end of your next turn.

Power Grab ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Natural odd hit

Effect: You grab the target (Unless the target successfully disengages or pops free, deal half damage to it again at the start of your next turn).

Adventurer feat: The target takes a penalty to disengage checks equal to your Strength modifier while grabbed.

Self-Preservation ¶

Flexible melee attack; Once per battle

Triggering roll: Natural even miss

Effect: Until the end of your next turn, reduce the damage you take from attacks against AC and PD by twice your level.

Adventurer feat: You can now use this maneuver at-will.

Smell Weakness ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Natural odd miss

Effect: The next time your attack against the target this battle would be a miss, you can reroll the attack and take the second result.

Adventurer feat: Roll two dice for the reroll and choose one.

Splash Damage ¶

Flexible ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Any natural even hit

Effect: Deal 1d6 native element damage (2d6 at 5th level; 4d6 at 8th) to 1d3 different nearby enemies.

Adventurer feat: Deal the damage to 1d4+1 different nearby enemies.

Sticky Spit ¶

Flexible ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Natural even hit

Effect: Deal ongoing damage equal to your Constitution modifier (x2 at 5th level; x4 at 8th).

Adventurer feat: Increase the ongoing damage by 5.

5th Level Maneuvers ¶

Angered Resurgence ¶

Flexible melee or ranged attack; Once per battle

Triggering Roll: Any natural odd roll

Effect: Spend a recovery to heal.

Champion feat: You no longer expend this power while staggered.

Double Claw ¶

Flexible melee attack; Once per battle

Triggering Roll: Natural even hit

Effect: Make a second melee attack against the same target with a -2 penalty to the attack roll. This attack does not trigger maneuvers.

Champion feat: If the first attack kills the target, you can make the second attack against a different target. You can move to engage a different nearby enemy to do so.

Frothing Rage ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Natural odd miss

Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you gain a +4 bonus to melee attacks, but a -4 penalty to AC.

Champion feat: Deal your level in native element damage to all enemies you are engaged with.

Hind Kick ¶

Flexible melee attack; Once per battle

Triggering Roll: Natural even miss

Effect: Pop free and make a second melee attack against a different nearby enemy. This attack deals half damage and does not trigger maneuvers.

Champion feat: If the second target is a mook, gain a +2 bonus to the attack roll.

Metallic Scales ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Any natural odd roll

Effect: Until the end of the battle, you gain a +2 bonus to AC and PD, but also take a -5 penalty to disengage checks.

Special: If you use this maneuver again this battle, your AC, PD, and disengage checks return to normal.

Champion feat: You also gain resist physical attacks 12+.

Show Dominance ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Natural odd hit

Effect: Until the end of your next turn, the target has a -2 penalty to attacks against you. If the target is staggered, increase the penalty to -4.

Champion feat: The target also takes the penalty to checks to disengage from you.

7th Level Maneuvers ¶

Displacer Strike ¶

Flexible melee attack; Once per battle

Triggering Roll: Natural odd hit

Effect: After the attack, teleport to a location you can see.

Champion feat: You can now use this power twice per battle, and you can trigger it on a natural odd miss.

Frenzied Pheromones ¶

Flexible melee attack; Once per battle

Triggering Roll: Natural odd miss

Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you and all nearby creatures (allies and enemies) get a +2 bonus to attack rolls. Enemies under the effect who make an attack lose hit points equal to your level.

Champion feat: You can now use this power twice per battle.

Horrid Maiming ¶

Flexible melee attack, Once per battle

Triggering Roll: Natural even hit

Effect: Make a Strength + Level attack against the highest MD of all nearby enemies. On a hit, deal twice your level in psychic damage to all nearby enemies.

Epic Feat: On a hit, mooks and single-strength enemies take a -4 penalty to attack rolls against you until the end of your next turn.

Quick Spit ¶

Flexible melee attack; Once per battle

Triggering Roll: Any natural even roll

Effect: Make a spit attack against the same enemy as a quick action. You don’t provoke an opportunity attack, but take a -2 penalty to the attack roll.

Champion feat: You can trigger this maneuver on an even hit.

Spiky Puddle ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Natural even miss

Effect: You cover the floor around you with hot lava, icy spikes, or corrosive acid until the end of your next turn. Enemies that start their turn engaged with you, or engage you during their turn, take 10 native element damage (9th level: 20 damage). They also take a -5 penalty to disengage from you.

Champion feat: Increase the damage by 10.

Willbreaker ¶

Flexible ranged attack; Once per battle

Triggering Roll: Natural odd hit

Effect: The target is weakened until the end of your next turn. Double-strength and stronger enemies can immediately roll a save. On a success, they can choose to take psychic damage equal to the damage of the attack to end the effect immediately.

Epic feat: If the target has fewer hit points than five times your level after the attack, it falls unconscious.

Yanking Arms and Tossing Goblins ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Natural even hit

Effect: The target must make a save. If the save fails, it immediately makes an attack against its own ally. Mooks always fail the save. For double and triple strength monsters the save is easy (6+).

Champion feat: Normal strength monsters also fail the save.

9th Level Maneuvers ¶

Clawing Alpha Lions ¶

Flexible melee attack; Once per battle

Triggering Roll: Natural even hit

Effect: Your target can make a melee attack against you as a free action. If the enemy takes the attack, make another melee attack against the enemy. If the enemy’s attack was a miss, you gain a +4 bonus to your second attack.

Epic feat: Take half damage from the enemy’s attack.

Hasted Evolution ¶

Flexible melee attack

Triggering Roll: Natural odd hit

Effect: If the target has a power that triggers on certain natural attack rolls (such as odd, even, or 16+), you gain that power as an abomination maneuver until the end of battle. If it has several such powers, you gain one at random. If it has no such powers, nothing happens. (Ask your GM before you announce the maneuver whether there is anything to gain.)

You can “evolve” only one power at a time. If you gain a new power, you lose any you have previously gained through this maneuver.

Living Breath ¶

Flexible ranged attack; Once per battle

Triggering roll: Natural odd hit

Effect: You create a floating elemental under your control that has your defenses, 100 hit points, and an attack that has the same attack and damage roll as your breath attack. The ball has a move and standard action on your turn, starting with your next turn. If the elemental rolls a natural odd attack roll, it vanishes after the attack. Otherwise it remains until the end of the battle.

10th level: The elemental has 125 hp.

Epic feat: On a natural odd attack roll, the elemental loses 20 hp instead of being destroyed.

Surprise Upper Cut ¶

Flexible ranged attack

Triggering Roll: Natural even hit

Effect: Teleport to engage the enemy. Then, instead of rolling spit attack damage, resolve the attack as a melee attack with your claws.

Epic feat: Also deal 20 ongoing damage.

2E Changes ¶

• Updated to 2E framework: additional damage at epic level, ability score increases, x4 damage multiplier etc.
• Number of powers now follows 2E default
• Removed champion talents that grant +2 to ability scores (there’s a feat that lets you focus ability increases in two stats)
• Removed options to trigger limit maneuvers on rolls other than natural 20
• Rewrote a few talents and maneuvers
• Some new maneuvers
• Reduced feat bloat - maximum one per maneuver
• Maneuvers that grant additional attacks, or that can prevent an opponent from attacking are now 1/battle max
• Added some limiters to debuffs like weaken
• You still get another talent at 5th and 8th level, but they come from the same pool (no separate epic tier talents)

Section 15: Copyright Notice
13th Age Second Edition Heroes’ Handbook. Copyright 2025, Fire Opal Media, Inc.; Authors: Rob Heinsoo, Jonathan Tweet. Dark Alleys & Twisted Paths. Copyright 2019, Martin Killmann; Author: Martin Killmann. Dark Pacts & Ancient Secrets. Copyright 2017, Martin Killmann; Author: Martin Killmann.