Battle HarbingerSource Divine Mysteries pg. 272Battle harbingers are elite, specially trained members of their faith, usually carrying out missions that require extra martial prowess. Built for the battlefield and used to working alongside other warriors, as well as tackling dangerous solo operations, battle harbingers typically spend more time training outside their temples than praying within them. What they lack in spellcasting prowess they make up for with expertise in weaponry and defense.
Even less combat-oriented faiths understand that battle harbingers can be a necessity, especially if there's a dangerous quest that must be undertaken alone. Because battle harbingers rigorously train their bodies to withstand hardship, they tend to have more capability to support themselves, leaving more traditional priests to handle group-wide supportive magic and prayers. Battle harbingers specialize in bolstering themselves with their deity's power and weakening their opponents in the same vein.
A battle harbinger's training varies greatly from that of a typical cleric. While this training initially resembles that of a warpriest cleric, the martial and spellcasting philosophies of a battle harbinger soon differ. A battle harbinger is taught to rely less on their spells, instead focusing on a select array of spells to supplement their combat abilities. Their main magical abilities focus on battle auras, spells that create areas centered on the battle harbinger that either empower their allies or hamper their foes. Battle harbingers are generally expected to take the fight directly to a foe, and their auras supplement these tactics. The main component of a battle harbinger's training involves their battle creed. While a battle creed varies from faith to faith, the core aspects of these creeds remain the same regardless of dogma. A battle creed declares a battle harbinger to be a living weapon for their god or faith. The battle harbinger is expected to enter combat on behalf of their god and to adhere to strict training regimens that support this goal. Battle harbingers train to make use of powerful armor and their god's favored weapon. Supplemental training focuses on the body, allowing battle harbingers to stave off fatigue and dangers that target one's health directly. Some battle harbingers, such as those who follow Erastil, prefer to make use of ranged tactics, but they still learn more direct combat should the need arise.
Although a battle harbinger's spellcasting capabilities are more limited than their fellow clerics, their magic generally isn't less potent. Battle harbingers are still capable of calling down strong divine power, but they rely on this magic less often than their brethren. This is mostly due to their martial training, which focuses on their bodies, combat, and defense. As such, a battle harbinger doesn't carry as much magic potential as other clerics. The exception to this is their training in battle auras, which many battle harbingers are able to make greater use of as their prowess grows.
While most battle harbingers are associated with a given temple, it's not unusual for one to be a lone mercenary, enacting their deity's will along their travels and through their contract work.
Battle Creed 1st
You've undergone a special training to focus your body toward combat. While you still adhere to the teachings of your faith, you also know that you serve as an instrument of your church. More so than any warpriest, the physical rigors that come with battle are key to your training. You've dedicated yourself to the battle creed, a specific approach that puts combat prowess first, even at the expense of a cleric's typical spellcasting and restorative abilities. Defeating one's enemies is more important than healing an ally in the heat of battle; the time for healing comes after. As you abide by the battle creed, your physical and martial capabilities grow stronger. You must select Battle Herald Dedication as your 2nd- level class feat.
Prerequisites: You must be a
cleric.
You don't gain the Resolute Faith class feature.
You don't gain the Miraculous Spell class feature.
Spellcasting Adjustment: Your spellcasting capabilities are more restricted. At 1st level, you can prepare one 1st-rank spell and five cantrips. As you increase in level, your number of spell slots and the highest rank of spells you can cast from spell slots increases, shown in Battle Harbinger Spells per Day. Because of your focus on your physical training at the expense of magical aptitude, you have no more than two spell slots of your highest rank and, if you can cast 2nd-rank spells or higher, two spell slots of 1 rank lower than your highest spell rank. For anything that requires the ability to cast spells of a certain rank that's lower than the highest slots you have, you still qualify even if you no longer have spell slots at those ranks.
Divine Font Adjustment: Instead of preparing
heal or
harm spells with your divine font, you instead gain the battle font, which allows you to prepare battle aura spells. You gain 4 additional spell slots each day at your highest rank of cleric spell slots. You can prepare only
bane or
bless in these slots. Any feats and effects that refer to a battle aura refers to these spells, regardless of whether they were cast with your standard spell slots or your divine font spell slots. At 5th level, the number of additional slots increases to 5, and at 15th level, the total number of additional slots increases to 6. Your battle auras use your class DC instead of your spell DC.
Doctrine Adjustment: Instead of choosing a doctrine, you follow the battle creed. At 1st level, you gain the benefits of the initial creed. You gain additional benefits from your creed at the listed levels.
Initial Creed (1st): You're trained in light and medium armor, and you have expert proficiency in Fortitude saves. You're trained in martial weapons. If your deity's favored weapon is a simple weapon or an unarmed attack, you gain the
Deadly Simplicity cleric feat. At 13th level when you gain the Divine Defense class feature, you also gain expert proficiency in light and medium armor.
Lesser Creed (5th): You gain expert proficiency with your deity's favored weapon, martial weapons, simple weapons, and unarmed attacks. When you critically succeed at an attack roll using your deity's favored weapon, you apply the weapon's critical specialization effect. Your proficiency rank for your class DC increases to expert.
Moderate Creed (9th): You gain
Reactive Strike as a cleric feat.
Greater Creed (11th): Your proficiency ranks for the spell attack modifier and spell DC statistics increase to expert.
Major Creed (13th): You gain master proficiency with your deity's favored weapon. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Fortitude save, you get a critical success instead.
True Creed (15th): Your proficiency rank for your class DC increases to master. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to master.
Final Creed (19th): Your proficiency ranks for light and medium armor, as well as for unarmed defense, increase to master. Your proficiency rank for your class DC increases to legendary.
Battle Harbinger Spells Per Day
| Your Level | Cantrips | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 1 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | 5 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | 5 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | 5 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | 5 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 12 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 13 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| 14 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| 15 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — |
| 16 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — |
| 17 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 18 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 19 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 20 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
Additional Feats
Source Player Core pg. 215 2.0Some archetypes include a list of “Additional Feats” that appear in other sources. The list includes each feat’s level, which might be different than normal when gained from the archetype. You can take the feat as an archetype feat of that level, meaning it counts toward the number of feats required by the archetype’s dedication feat. When selected this way, a feat that normally has a class’s trait (such as the fighter trait) doesn’t have that class trait.
Click here for the full rules on Additional Feats.
Archetype Class Dedication Source Divine Mysteries pg. 274Archetype Battle HarbingerPrerequisites battle creed
You have trained extensively in combat, battlefield tactics, and stamina, focusing on being an exceptional warrior for your faith in exchange for less time studying the traditional spells and scriptures. You become trained in your choice of
Athletics or
Acrobatics, if you are already trained in both skills, you instead become trained in another skill of your choice. You gain the
Toughness general feat. If you already have this feat, you gain another general feat of your choice.
Fighter Flourish Source Player Core pg. 141 2.0Archetypes Battle Harbinger,
Mauler* This version of the Vicious Swing feat is intended for use with an Archetype and has a different level for access than the
original feat.
You unleash a particularly powerful attack that clobbers your foe but leaves you a bit unsteady. Make a melee Strike. This counts as two attacks when calculating your multiple attack penalty. If this Strike hits, you deal an extra die of weapon damage. If you’re at least 10th level, increase this to two extra dice, and if you’re at least 18th level, increase it to three extra dice.
Archetype Source Divine Mysteries pg. 274Archetype Battle HarbingerPrerequisites Battle Harbinger Dedication
You’ve enhanced your training with your battle magic, allowing you access to a more potent divine font. Add
benediction and
malediction to the spells you can prepare with your additional slots from your divine font. These spells are also battle auras.
Barbarian Emotion Fear Fighter Mental Source Player Core pg. 141 2.0,
Player Core 2 pg. 77 1.1Archetype Battle Harbinger* This version of the Intimidating Strike feat is intended for use with an Archetype and has a different level for access than the
original feat.
Your blow not only wounds creatures but also shatters their confidence. Make a melee Strike. If you hit and deal damage, the target is frightened 1, or frightened 2 on a critical hit.
Archetype Source Divine Mysteries pg. 274Archetype Battle HarbingerPrerequisites Battle Harbinger Dedication
You have trained your body and mind to work in tandem, and you can combine your combat and spellcasting prowess to better support yourself in battle. The first time each round that you successfully hit and deal damage to an enemy creature with a
Strike using a weapon or unarmed attack, you can automatically
Sustain a single battle aura that you currently have active, applying any additional effects that come with Sustaining the spell.
Oracle Sorcerer Wizard Source Player Core pg. 202 2.0,
Player Core 2 pg. 139 1.1Archetypes Battle Harbinger,
BloodragerFrequency once per turn
Requirements Your most recent action was to cast a non-cantrip spell
* This version of the Bespell Strikes feat is intended for use with an Archetype and has a different level for access than the
original feat.
You siphon spell energy into one weapon you’re wielding, or into one of your unarmed attacks, such as a fist. Until the end of your turn, the weapon or unarmed attack deals an extra 1d6 force damage and gains the arcane trait if it didn’t have it already. If the spell dealt a different type of damage, the Strike deals this type of damage instead (or one type of your choice if the spell could deal multiple types of damage).
Archetype Source Divine Mysteries pg. 274Archetype Battle HarbingerPrerequisites Battle Harbinger Dedication
The power of your
deity and your own convictions leave an impression on creatures even when they normally would be unable to comprehend your words or the feelings spurred on by your god. Your battle auras can affect
mindless creatures, though they gain a +4 circumstance bonus on saving throws to resist the battle aura’s effects.
Archetype Source Divine Mysteries pg. 274Archetype Battle HarbingerPrerequisites Battle Harbinger Dedication
You often work on missions alone, making sure to cover up your weaknesses more effectively than other members of your faith. You are trained in heavy armor. When you gain expert or greater proficiency in any type of armor, you also gain that proficiency in heavy armor.
Archetype Source Divine Mysteries pg. 274Archetype Battle HarbingerPrerequisites Battle Harbinger Dedication
You’ve expanded your divine capabilities, granting you magic that better supports your combat focus. You gain two special 2nd-rank creed spell slots, which can be used to prepare
resist energy,
see the unseen,
sure strike, and
water breathing as
divine spells. At 10th level, the extra slots increase to 3rd rank and you add
haste and
heroism to the spells you can prepare in your creed spell slots. At 14th level, the extra slots increase to 4th rank and you add
fly and
unfettered movement.
Archetype Source Divine Mysteries pg. 275Archetype Battle HarbingerPrerequisites Battle Harbinger Dedication
Your
deity grants you extra power that you have learned to channel into your weapons. Select one weapon or
handwraps of mighty blows when you make your daily preparations. While in your hands it gains the effect of one
property rune. Choose either
fearsome,
ghost touch,
returning,
shifting, or
vitalizing. This rune does not count toward your maximum rune count, and this choice lasts 24 hours or until you make your next daily preparations, whichever comes first.
Archetype Source Divine Mysteries pg. 275Archetype Battle HarbingerFrequency once per round
Prerequisites Tandem OnslaughtTrigger You critically hit and
Sustain a battle aura.
When your body and mind are perfectly in sync and pushed to the limit, it can produce even greater results. You channel your combat focus into the power of your battle auras. Choose one active battle aura you have; that battle aura’s status bonus or penalty increases by 1, to a maximum of 4. This value remains for the rest of the aura’s duration.
Archetype Source Divine Mysteries pg. 275Archetype Battle HarbingerPrerequisites Battle Harbinger Dedication
You’ve learned how to maintain multiple auras at once, reinforcing them simultaneously. When you
Sustain a battle aura, you can also Sustain a different battle aura you have active.
Archetype Source Divine Mysteries pg. 275Archetype Battle Harbinger
You’ve become so accustomed to maintaining your battle auras that it’s become second nature to you. You immediately gain the effects of the
Sustain action for one of your battle auras.
Archetype Source Divine Mysteries pg. 275Archetype Battle HarbingerPrerequisites Harbinger's Armament
Your weapons have greater power available to them. Add
brilliant,
corrosive,
flaming,
frost,
holy,
shock,
thundering, and
unholy to the list of property runes you can add to your weapon during your
daily preparations.
Archetype Source Divine Mysteries pg. 275Archetype Battle HarbingerPrerequisites Battle Harbinger Dedication
You’ve become an unparalleled figure among your faith, able to align your divine abilities with unparalleled swiftness. You cast a battle aura using one of your divine font slots.