Prophesied Monarch
Source War of Immortals pg. 134Many lands and cultures have generational stories of an exceptional leader, a person who appeared in a time of great need to forge a kingdom and protect it against all incursions, bringing peace and prosperity. Stories abound that these “prophesied monarchs” will return when they’re needed, defying the barriers of time and death to ensure the safety of their people. Though destiny and prophecy have long since been broken on Golarion, these individuals persist, either through force of will, the power of the stories surrounding them, or some other divine quirk that ensures their pseudo-immortality.
True prophesied monarchs can be recognized by the knights who always accompany them. Mystical bonds of fate or strange magic tie the prophesied monarch and their knights together, ensuring that they’ll always find each other when they or their kingdom need them most. It would be fair to say that a prophesied monarch’s true power lies not in the impact of their decrees or the strength of their sword arm, but in the quality of their knights. Some knights might one day even be called upon to take up a fallen monarch’s mantle, protecting their legacy even after death. Regardless of the nature of a prophesied monarch’s knights, the bonds between them are practically unbreakable, and the power of their union is virtually unstoppable, defying demons, death, and perhaps even the gods themselves.
While this archetype refers to “knights” and “kingdoms,” the nature of a prophesied monarch’s chosen companions and ruled territory can vary greatly. A ferocious pirate captain might treat her ship as her kingdom and her most loyal crewmates as her knights. A pious cleric might consider their church and parishioners their kingdom and the priests who serve alongside them as the knights sworn to protect the same. A bandit outlaw might consider the woods he haunts his kingdom and the scurrilous brigands who fight alongside him his knights. What’s important is that the monarch has a territory or dominion they can claim as their own and a band of bonded allies who help enforce that claim.
In Casmaron, stories of the ancient hero-god
Namzaruum (prophesied male human hero-god) tell of the day he’ll awaken from his long rest in the Hall of Slumbering Kings to lead a new Azlanti empire.
In the land of Ustalav, rumors abound in the frontiers and forests of a man calling himself
Arnisant (mysterious male human knight), who hunts undead alongside a band of stalwart knights.
In the Fangwood Forest of Nirmathas, a jolly archer named
Relkin (mirthful male human ranger) guards his abode from undead, Molthuni troops, and Nirmathan militias alike, assisted by a knavish group of bandits with hearts of gold.
In the Shackles, Hurricane Queen
Tessa Fairwind (fearsome female aiuvarin pirate) and her crew rule over a kingdom of salt and blood.
In the Isles of the Empty Courts, off the eastern shore of Arcadia, there lies a table surrounded by thrones upon which sit the bodies of nine ancient rulers. It’s said that when the isles need them most, they shall awaken to usher in a new age.
Any of these characters might be, or might one day become, prophesied monarchs, rulers whose legendary stories grow before them, establishing an immortal and incomparable dynasty that will long outlast their mortal life.
Whatever self-made prophecy you might fulfill or kingdom you might rule is for you to decide. With your noble knights beside you, villains and monsters are sure to fall, and no hero will stay fallen long when their stalwart companions are close by to lift them to their feet. You’ll almost certainly face dragons and dark wizards and all manner of fell beasts. You’ll be called on to lift up those who look to you, no matter the personal cost to be paid. Trust in your knights, believe in your people, and rule with honor.
Click here for more rules on using this archetype.Uncommon Destiny Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 135Archetype Prophesied Monarch
Your Calling has culminated in a destiny of rulership, and you’re able to forge a mythic bond with noble knights whose destinies become intertwined with your own. Designate up to five allies as your knights; as long as you’re conscious, your knights’
doomed condition can’t rise above 3, and if they’re ever in mortal peril (such as being
unconscious with the
dying condition or imprisoned in an enemy fortress), you instantly receive a vision revealing their location and condition.
In addition, you gain the Royal Grace exploration activity.
Royal Grace (
concentrate,
exploration,
linguistic,
mental) You spend 10 minutes conferring with one of your knights who has the doomed condition. By discussing plans for your future kingdom with them and describing the benefits of your rule, you can attempt to soothe their spirits. Attempt a
Diplomacy or
Society check against a
hard DC of your knight's level. Regardless of the result, that knight gains the benefits of the
Refocus activity (if they have a focus pool) but is temporarily immune to Royal Grace for 24 hours.
Critical Success The knight’s doomed condition is reduced by 2 (minimum 0).
Success The knight’s doomed condition is reduced by 1 (minimum 0).
Failure The knight’s doomed condition isn’t reduced.
Auditory Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 135Archetype Prophesied MonarchFrequency once per day
Prerequisites Prophesied Monarch Dedication
You shout a rallying cry that inspires the well-being of your kingdom’s protectors. All your knights who hear your cry gain
fast healing equal to half your level for 1 minute.
Auditory Incapacitation Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 135Archetype Prophesied MonarchFrequency once per day
Prerequisites Prophesied Monarch Dedication
You assume a demeanor of authority and decree banishment upon a foe who has defied your authority. Speak your decree; a creature you designate within 60 feet who can hear your decree must succeed at a Will saving throw against your class DC or spell DC (whichever is higher) or spend its next turn moving as far away from you as it possibly can; this includes using magic or special movement modes, if it has any, to expedite its retreat.
If the target attempts to move back within 60 feet of you at any time in the next week, it must succeed at a Will saving throw against your class DC or spell DC (whichever is higher) or the attempt fails, any movement ends, and any actions or spell slots used in the attempt (such as if the target were attempting to magically approach you) are wasted.
When you speak a Decree of Banishment, you can spend 1
Mythic Point as part of the action to have all friendly creatures and even the land itself within a 10-mile radius of you at that moment to reject the banished target. Within the affected area for the next month, the target has a –4 penalty to all
Diplomacy checks to
Gather Information or
Make an Impression, all
Intimidation checks to
Coerce, and all
Survival checks to
Subsist. If the target defies your Decree of Banishment and continues to operate within the area, you hear about their activities the next time you encounter a group of friendly creatures with 10 or more members. You can have only one target affected by this month-long banishment at a time; if you inflict a month-long banishment on another target, the effects on the first target end.
Auditory Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 135Archetype Prophesied MonarchFrequency once per day
Prerequisites Prophesied Monarch Dedication
You speak with a gentle encouragement that inspires confidence and competence in your followers. Speak your decree; all your knights who hear your decree treat failures (but not critical failures) on non-
attack skill checks as successes for 1 minute.
When you speak a Decree of Prosperity, you can spend a
Mythic Point as part of the action to have the inspiration spread to every individual within a 10-mile radius around you at that moment. Each individual receives a +2 status bonus to all checks to
Earn Income, and they’re all able to find jobs of their level in the region for the next month. The people who benefit from this effect quickly learn that it happened because of your decree; for the next month, you can obtain food and lodging for free anywhere within the affected area, and you can obtain up to 10 common items of 3rd-level or lower at half price.
Flourish Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 136Archetype Prophesied MonarchPrerequisites Prophesied Monarch Dedication
Bolstered by the presence of your knights, you strike a mighty blow in the name of your rule.
Strike an enemy. This counts as two attacks when calculating your multiple attack penalty. If this Strike hits, you deal an additional amount of damage equal to double the number of your designated knights whom you can see. If the Strike is a critical hit, the target is also
enfeebled 1 until the start of your next turn.
Auditory Linguistic Mental Mythic Visual Source War of Immortals pg. 136Archetype Prophesied MonarchPrerequisites Prophesied Monarch Dedication
You command that your foes bow down before you or face your wrath. All enemies within 40 feet who can see and hear you must attempt a Will saving throw against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. Regardless of the result, a creature is then temporarily immune to Kneel Before the Rightful Heir for 24 hours.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature takes 3d6
persistent mental damage.
Failure The creature takes 6d6 persistent
mental damage.
Critical Failure The creature takes 6d6 persistent mental damage and is
clumsy 2 for as long as it’s taking that persistent damage.
The persistent mental damage can be ended only if the creature
Drops Prone in a location that you can see and doesn't Stand until their next turn. An affected creature is aware of this restriction.
Manipulate Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 136Archetype Prophesied MonarchPrerequisites Prophesied Monarch Dedication
The health of the ruler is the health of the kingdom, and the health of the kingdom is that of its ruler, each bound to the other inextricably.
Stride. You can
Burrow,
Climb,
Fly, or
Swim instead of Striding if you have the corresponding movement type. You then plant your fist or weapon into the ground at your feet, creating a 60-foot
emanation in an aura around you that lasts for 1 minute. Whenever an ally within this aura takes damage, you can use your reaction to take half the damage in their stead while they take the remainder. When you take damage through this link, you don’t apply any
resistances, weaknesses, or other abilities you have to that damage; you simply take that amount of damage. Whenever you take damage while this effect is active, an ally within the aura can use their reaction to take half the damage for you in the same manner.
The effect ends immediately if you’re reduced to 0 Hit Points.
Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 136Archetype Prophesied MonarchPrerequisites Prophesied Monarch DedicationTrigger One of your designated knights is within 15 feet of you and would take damage from an enemy’s
Strike.
As your knights devote their lives and swords to you, so too do you return their devotion with your own fierce protection. Spend a
Mythic Point. The knight
Steps as a free action, and you
Stride into the space previously occupied by the knight; this movement ignores
difficult terrain and greater difficult terrain. You then take the triggering damage instead. If you have a
shield raised and have the
Shield Block reaction, you can use it as part of this ability, applying damage to the shield as though you were the original target of the attack. The enemy whose
Strike triggered this reaction is
off-guard until the end of your next turn.
Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 136Archetype Prophesied MonarchPrerequisites Prophesied Monarch DedicationRequirements You’re
flanked by at least two enemies.
You must keep your royal person safe from harm, especially when surrounded by those who would dare approach you. Attempt an
Athletics check to
Reposition or
Shove one of the enemies who’s
flanking you. If you can see at least one of your designated knights, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to this check; this bonus increases to +4 if one of your designated knights is adjacent to you. If you succeed, you get a critical success. If your roll would’ve been a critical success, you increase the distance you Reposition or Shove the enemy by 5 feet.
Auditory Death Incapacitation Mythic Spirit Source War of Immortals pg. 136Archetype Prophesied MonarchFrequency once per day
Prerequisites Prophesied Monarch Dedication
You proclaim that a foe has violated the sanctity of your realm and must die. Speak your decree; a creature you designate within 60 feet who can hear your decree must attempt a Will saving throw against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. Once targeted, the creature is temporarily immune for 1 year. Whether the target perishes or is marked for death depends on their level and the result of their saving throw.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success If the target is 14th level or lower, it drops to 1 Hit point. If the target is 15th level or higher, it takes 50 spirit damage.
Failure If the target is 14th level or lower, it dies instantly. If the target is 15th level or higher, it takes 50 spirit damage; if this damage brings it to 0 Hit Points, it dies instantly. Otherwise, it gains
weakness 20 to all damage for 1 minute.
Critical Failure As failure, but a target who survives the damage is
stunned 1 for 1 minute.
When you speak a Decree of Execution, you can spend a
Mythic Point as part of the action to remove the incapacitation trait.
Auditory Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 137Archetype Prophesied MonarchFrequency once per day
Prerequisites Prophesied Monarch Dedication
You declare your current foes as irredeemable enemies, calling your allies down upon them. Speak your decree; all your knights who hear your decree can use their reaction to
Stride up to twice directly toward an enemy and then
Strike that enemy if it’s within their reach or range.
When you speak a Decree of War, you can spend a
Mythic Point as part of the action to let every individual within a 10-mile radius around you at that moment know that war has come to your kingdom. You and your knights are able to gain access to free food, lodging, and repairs of common items while within the affected area for the next month, as allied citizens and creatures come to your aid. During this time, you also receive at least 10-minutes’ warning whenever an enemy group of more than 10 creatures travels in your direction, as allied scouts report to you.
Fated Duel [one-action] Feat 18
Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 137Archetype Prophesied MonarchFrequency once per week
Prerequisites Prophesied Monarch Dedication
You and your knights are an unbeatable force together, but sometimes it’s a monarch’s duty to resolve the fate of their kingdom with nothing more than their own trusted weapon. Spend a
Mythic Point, and choose one opponent within 30 feet; you declare a Fated Duel against that opponent.
If the opponent accepts your challenge, you’re locked in mystical combat together. Neither you nor your opponent can move more than 30 feet from each other; you both can’t be harmed by any creature other than each other; and you both can’t harm any creature other than each other. This mystical bond is incredibly draining on both parties, pulling at their life and spirit; if neither you nor your opponent has defeated the other by the time 1 minute has passed, you both become
doomed 1. Your doomed conditions increase by 1 for each additional minute that passes until one or both of you die.
If your opponent refuses your challenge, you regain a Mythic Point and can immediately attempt an
Intimidation check at mythic proficiency to
Demoralize them.
Light Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 137Archetype Prophesied MonarchPrerequisites Prophesied Monarch DedicationRequirements You’re wielding a melee weapon.
As you raise your weapon into the air, it begins to shed a
bright light that pierces
darkness and calls your knights to your side. Spend a
Mythic Point; you automatically
counteract any magical darkness whose counteract rank is 7 or lower. Any knight who can see your raised weapon can immediately use their reaction to
Stride up to twice directly toward you, and any of your knights who are adjacent to you after this movement get a +2 status bonus to their attack rolls until the start of your next turn.
Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 137Archetype Prophesied MonarchPrerequisites Prophesied Monarch Dedication
No matter what might happen to you, your legacy shall never die. If you’re slain, any of your knights who touches your corpse can choose to take up your mantle; over the course of 10 minutes, they don your equipment, replace their attribute modifiers with yours, replace their skills and feats with yours, and become you for all intents and purposes, retaining only their
ancestry,
heritage, and ancestry feats. If you’re later returned to life, you can choose to reclaim your mantle from your former knight; if you do so, they revert to their previous state, and you reclaim all that was yours. Otherwise, you can choose to live a new life, retraining all your skills and feats while adopting a new name and identity.
Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 137Archetype Prophesied MonarchPrerequisites Prophesied Monarch Dedication
Though foul treachery might lay you low or dark magic still your heart, when the people cry out for you in desperate need, you shall rise to protect them. You can’t die except due to old age as long as one of your knights is alive and within 30 feet; if your
dying or
doomed condition would increase to a high enough value to kill you, it doesn’t increase, and any effect that would instantly kill you instead just reduces you to 0 Hit Points. The first time each year you would die for any reason other than old age, you instead return to life and consciousness with a number of Hit Points equal to twice your level and gain a Mythic Point. If you ever truly die and aren’t returned to life within 1 year, you’re reborn as a child into a new mortal body somewhere in the world where stories of your accomplishments are still told. You don’t complete your journey along the River of Souls until all mortal memory of you has vanished.