Apocalypse Rider
Source War of Immortals pg. 106From the mightiest empire to the smallest star, everything dies. Lowly mortals, ageless
angels, and primordial gods all face the same inescapable fate—to fade beyond memory and join the litany of the forgotten. The hastening of all life into this oblivion is the ultimate goal of the daemonic harbingers and their forces, including those mortals who exploit hate and hopelessness to bring calamity on the world. Chief among these demigods are the Riders of the Apocalypse, powerful fiends chosen to deliver death, famine, pestilence, and war.
While neither the Riders nor their devotees feel obligated to make or keep promises, some mortals pledge their efforts to gain personal power and further the cause of entropy. Those destined to wreak the most destruction upon the world are known as apocalypse riders. Taking on such a mantle requires the utmost commitment to death and ruin.
You are such an apocalypse rider, and you have a terrifying ally in this fight, whether sent by daemonic overlords or spontaneously formed by
Abaddon itself. This creature is a beastly mount with a form that matches your personality and goals, though its loyalties lie with Abaddon first. It will serve you faithfully as long as you continue to cause significant losses of life and inflict mass destruction. However, this apocalypse mount is more than just a way to monitor your obedience to the cause of misery. Your mount serves as a badge of office, signifying to
daemons that you are effectively one of them.
From astride her ferocious riding drake,
Arba Dwindletree (destructive female gnome druid) staves off her Bleaching by wreaking havoc on crops and pitting fledgling settlements in the River Kingdoms against one another. Her delight in this chaos is tempered only when meddlesome fey creatures try to join in on the “fun.” Posing as an Order of the Nail Hellknight,
Owyn Darkoath (manipulative male humanwarrior) pushes border tensions between Andoran and Cheliax, riding a pitch black destrier into battle. His goal is to force default on the Thrunes’ contract with Hell, bringing even greater war when
Asmodeus’ forces come to collect what they’re owed.
Deng Fo-Murk (cruel male human necromancer) uses his alchemical skills to reanimate the corpses of nobles and diplomats to sew political conflict between Hwanggot and its neighbors. He is poised to light the fuse on a powder keg of bloody consequences, through which he will gallop through on his terror bird mount.
In Abaddon, daemonkind sometimes demonstrates an odd mix of cooperation and hostility toward one another. This remains true of their mortal champions in the
Universe. War creates both famine and pestilence, drought creates war, and all worshippers of the end of all things engineer death in one form or another. An apocalypse rider may specialize in a particular rubric of death, but all daemonic servitors understand that the categories of the Four Riders frequently overlap one another. A group of riders might even cooperate to increase the scale of their deadly designs, but their apocalypse mounts carefully track who is delivering on their oath and who is not.
Apocalypse riders who fulfill the full scope of their commitment to the Riders often prove to be among the mightiest creatures on their world. Such servants of death are hardly sated once a project reaches its desired number of casualties. Successful riders often indulge in a new sort of killing or initiate a plan larger and more lethal in scope than their original commitments. A truly ambitious apocalypse rider will turn their baleful gaze to their own master, enforcing one of the few dogmas observed by daemonkind—all creatures must die, including those immortal demigods who remain unchallenged for too many centuries. Several times over the millennia, an apocalypse rider or exalted deacon has laid waste to a presiding Rider and claimed the daemon’s post. An individual who assumes the office of Rider immediately becomes a unique daemon and takes over the realm of the previous Rider on the plane of Abaddon.
Click here for more rules on using this archetype.Uncommon Destiny Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 107Archetype Apocalypse Rider
In the darkest hour of the night, a fearsome and terrible steed arrives as a gift from a powerful daemonic patron. You gain an apocalypse mount, which is loyal and follows your commands as long as you work to spread death and destruction. Your apocalypse mount can be any
mature animal companion with the
mount special ability, though it is obviously touched by daemonic forces. Choose whether your apocalypse mount is a
nimble or
savage animal companion. During an encounter, even if you don’t use the
Command an Animal action, your apocalypse mount can still use 1 action on your turn to
Stride or
Strike.
You also gain the anathema “You forswear any plans to cheat death or build something that will last beyond your own death.” If you break this anathema, you lose access to abilities granted by this archetype until you atone or make amends.
Special If you already have an animal companion with the mount special ability, it becomes your apocalypse mount as daemonic energies infuse its form. In such a case, one of your companion’s unarmed attacks increases one die size.
Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 107Archetype Apocalypse RiderPrerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
Your apocalypse mount becomes worthier of an eventual Rider of the Apocalypse. Your apocalypse mount gains one
specializations of your choice.
Special You can select this feat up to three times. Each time, add a different specialization to your apocalypse mount. Your apocalypse mount can’t have more than three specializations.
Mythic Void Source War of Immortals pg. 107Archetype Apocalypse RiderFrequency once per 10 minutes
Prerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
Your attacks bring with them echoes of previous battles, calling the unquiet victims of your most brutal acts to savage your opponents. Make a
Strike. If this Strike hits, you deal additional
void damage equal to your key attribute modifier to the target and all enemies within 30 feet. If your attack is a critical hit, you deal twice as much damage instead, and the target of your Strike takes
persistent void damage equal to your key attribute modifier as your fallen foes attempt to drag the target into oblivion with them. This Strike counts as two attacks for calculating your multiple attack penalty.
Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 107Archetype Apocalypse RiderPrerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
While riding your apocalypse mount, any two-handed weapon you wield gains the
jousting trait with a die size equal to one die size lower than the weapon’s normal damage die.
Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 107Archetype Apocalypse RiderPrerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
It will take more than a gathered mass of foes to take you down. You gain
resistance equal to your level to damage dealt by
swarms,
troops, and creatures who occupy the same space as you. In addition, you can briefly menace large groups of enemies to step aside. You gain the Overawe Crowd activity.
Overawe Crowd [two-actions] (
concentrate)
Requirements You are sharing the same space as a
swarm or are adjacent to a
troop;
Effect Spend 1 Mythic Point and attempt an
Intimidation check at mythic proficiency against the Will DC of the required swarm or troop. On a failure, the target Strides in a direction of your choosing and you move along with it. On a success, the target Strides twice in a direction of your choosing and you can decide whether or not to move along with it. No matter the result, the target is stunned 1 and temporarily immune to your Overawe Crowd for 24 hours.
Concentrate Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 107Archetype Apocalypse RiderPrerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
You spoil the food and water nearby, even within your foes’ bodies. Spend a
Mythic Point. Enemies within 60 feet of you must succeed at a Fortitude save against your class DC or spell DC (whichever is higher) or become
sickened 1. You also cause edible food to rot and potable water to turn brackish within the area. Choose a number of
potions or alchemical
elixirs within the area equal to your key attribute modifier and attempt a
counteract against each of them using
Occultism or
Religion at mythic proficiency. Your counteract rank is half your level. If you succeed, the elixir or potion spoils and becomes a mundane item.
Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 108Archetype Apocalypse RiderPrerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
Buoyed by your fearsome reputation, your steed can take flight. Your apocalypse mount gains a
fly Speed equal to its land Speed. If it already has a fly speed, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus to
Acrobatics checks to
Maneuver in Flight. At night, or in any environment deprived of natural sunlight, your apocalypse mount gains a +10-foot circumstance bonus to its fly Speed, and critical failures on Acrobatics checks to Maneuver in Flight become failures instead.
Death Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 108Archetype Apocalypse RiderPrerequisites Apocalypse Rider DedicationTrigger Another creature within 30 feet gains the
doomed or
dying condition or their doomed or dying condition increases.
As a harbinger of daemonkind, you gain authority to delay the death of others if it serves your purposes, and in doing so, you bolster the well-being of both you and your mount to allow you sow further havoc. The triggering creature reduces their doomed or dying condition by 1. For the next minute, you and your apocalypse mount gain
fast healing 5 as long as you are within 10 feet of each other. If you use this reaction again within that minute, you and your mount’s fast healing increases by 1, but the duration isn’t increased.
To War! [three-actions] Feat 16
Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 108Archetype Apocalypse RiderFrequency once per 10 minutes
Prerequisites Apocalypse Rider DedicationRequirements You are riding your apocalypse
mount.
You inspire your allies to greater battle prowess while trampling enemies in your way. You Command your apocalypse mount to
Stride up to twice its Speed (or to
Burrow,
Climb,
Fly, or
Swim, if it has the corresponding movement type), moving through the space of any foes in your path up to one size smaller than your apocalypse mount. Your mount deals damage equal to one of its unarmed attack
Strikes to each creature whose space you move through (basic Reflex save against your apocalypse mount’s
Athletics DC). On a critical failure, the creature also becomes
off-guard until the end of your next turn. You can damage a given creature only once during this movement.
In addition, all allies who witnessed your charge gain a number of temporary Hit Points equal to your level and a +2 status bonus to damage against any foe damaged by your apocalypse mount this round. This has the
visual trait. These benefits last until the end of your next turn.
Flourish Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 108Archetype Apocalypse RiderPrerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
Those afflicted by certain maladies are closer to death in your presence. Make a
Strike against a creature. If your attack hits, the target must attempt a new saving throw against the highest-level
disease or
poison that is currently affecting it, possibly progressing it to a higher stage even if the
affliction’s interval hasn’t passed. If the target successfully saves or critically saves against the affliction, the affliction’s stage isn’t reduced. If your attack was a critical hit, the target takes a –4 circumstance penalty to the save.
Concentrate Manipulate Mythic Void Source War of Immortals pg. 108Archetype Apocalypse RiderFrequency once per 10 minutes
Prerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
You hasten the passage of time for a living creature, prematurely aging them into decrepitude. A living creature within 60 feet takes 14d6
void damage and a part of its body you chose withers, taking the following penalties depending on the result of their a Fortitude saving throw against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher.
- Arms The target’s arms grow weak. The target becomes enfeebled 1.
- Head The target has trouble thinking straight. The target becomes stupefied 1.
- Legs The target’s legs buckle with every movement. The target takes a –10-foot status penalty to its Speeds.
- Torso The target’s skin becomes thin and papery. The target gains weakness 10 to slashing damage.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success The target takes half damage and the withering penalty lasts until the end of your next turn.
Failure The creature takes full damage and the withering penalty lasts for 1 minute.
Critical Failure The creature takes double damage, and you can choose a second part of the body to wither. Both penalties last for 1 minute.
Concentrate Mythic Spellshape Source War of Immortals pg. 108Archetype Apocalypse RiderPrerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
Your magic can bring devastation to more individuals. Spend a
Mythic Point. If your next action is to
Cast a Spell that inflicts damage or debilitating conditions and targets a specific number of creatures, you can target one additional creature.
Healing Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 108Archetype Apocalypse RiderPrerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
The servants of apocalypse know that it is impossible to cheat death, but your will is sufficient to help you outlive even your strongest enemies. The first time each day you would be reduced to 0 Hit Points but not immediately killed, you avoid being knocked out and instead of taking the damage, you regain a number of Hit Points equal to twice your level. Your
wounded condition increases by 1.
In addition, whenever you have the wounded condition, you gain a status bonus to your Armor Class equal to your wounded condition value and a status bonus to the damage of your
Strikes equal to twice your wounded condition value.
Concentrate Manipulate Mental Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 109Archetype Apocalypse RiderPrerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
With a look and a gesture, you turn a thinking creature’s mind against itself, causing the creature to struggle to remember how to perform more complex actions. Choose a target within 30 feet and spend a
Mythic Point. The target must attempt a Will save against your class DC or spell DC (whichever is higher) at mythic proficiency.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success For the next 3 rounds, if the target performs an activity that requires three or more actions, they take 12d8
mental damage.
Failure For the next 3 rounds, if the target performs an activity that requires two or more actions, they take 12d8 mental damage.
Critical Failure As failure, but the target is also
stunned 1 as its mind struggles to function.
Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 109Archetype Apocalypse RiderPrerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
Your mount has a supernatural hunger for mortal souls that you can feed. Once per day, you can cast
seize soul as a divine innate spell. The spell gains a cost of 1
Mythic Point but you can use your apocalypse mount as the item in which you store the soul. Your apocalypse mount counts as an
artifact for the purpose of the spell. At any point while your apocalypse mount contains a soul, you can
Sustain the spell to allow your apocalypse mount to consume the soul. It regains a number of Hit Points equal to twice your level. For the next minute, it also gains a +20-foot status bonus to its Speed and its unarmed attack
Strikes are made at mythic proficiency.
Mythic Source War of Immortals pg. 109Archetype Apocalypse RiderPrerequisites Apocalypse Rider Dedication
Your commitment to ending all life earns you a measure of immortality, setting the stage for you to become a true Rider of the Apocalypse, possibly supplanting one of the Four. You gain the
daemon,
fiend, and
unholy traits, and so does your apocalypse mount, but your fates are ever more entwined. As long as your apocalypse mount lives, you don’t age and whenever your
doomed or
dying condition would increase to 4 or more, it doesn’t increase. If you would be killed in any other way, you are instead reduced to 0 Hit Points, become
unconscious, and if your apocalypse mount is conscious, it instantly teleports to your side, picks you up, and attempts to flee the scene of danger.
While you are conscious and within 30 feet of your apocalypse mount, it can’t be killed. If your apocalypse mount is reduced to 0 Hit Points, it immediately
stabilizes and its dying condition can’t increase. If its doomed condition would increase to 4 or more, it doesn’t increase. However, if you move more than 30 feet away from your apocalypse mount or go unconscious during this time, your apocalypse mount loses these benefits and might die.
Finally, when a living creature within 60 feet of you dies, it must attempt a Will saving throw against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. This is an
incapacitation effect. On a failure, that creature can’t be brought back to life for 24 hours. On a critical failure, you can chose to have that creature’s soul coalesce into a fist-sized soul gem (Hardness 2, HP 8) that appears in that creature’s space. That creature’s soul is trapped within the gem for 1 week, though you can make the gem permanent with a 10-minute ritual. Destroying the gem frees the soul within but doesn’t return the deceased creature to life. If a caster attempts to return to life a creature whose soul is trapped within a soul gem, they fail unless they succeed at a
Religion check against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. A success causes the soul gem to shatter, allowing the creature to be returned to life as normal for the spell. Daemons and other fiends prize these soul gems, and they’re generally worth an amount relative to the level of a gem’s captive soul.