Exemplar

As the commander knelt, bleeding before the enemy hoard, he could feel the courage of his nearby troops fading. Knowing the battle was soon to be lost, he reached deep into the fabric of magic with his heart alone. Without magical words, gestures, song, or formulae he pulled at the veins of power which ran beneath the earth and began to shape the energy with his very soul.

With a mighty rallying cry, the magical power was unleashed as he and many others rose to their feet with renewed supernatural strength and will. They would not be defeated today.

Exemplars are primarily warriors who practice a long-forgotten school of magic known as suffusion which involves taking existing magical energy into their own bodies with force of personality alone. No spells required. They use this technique to counter other magic, inspire their allies on the battlefield, and enhance their combat prowess.

The exemplar's powers can be adapted to fit the magic system of any campaign setting. They are able to extract raw magic from the very source of all magic. This source might be the traditionally-thought magic "weave", a kind of magical fabric. The exemplar might have to reach across some kind of veil to pull magic from an entirely separate realm of condensed magic. Or the source of magic can be local and tangible, like ley lines which run beneath the surface of the land, which spellcasters draw from to shape their spells.

The First Exemplar The first exemplar was an extraordinary hero in the most genuine sense of the word. He grew up in vassalage under a dangerous magocracy and eventually escaped. The talent of suffusion was strong in his heart, and in time he was found by an ancient sacred order determined to stop the magocracy. With his courage and magnetism, he quickly rose in the ranks to become commander, teaching the martial troops the technique of suffusion so that they, meagre mercenaries, had the power to stand against the arcanists. Suffusion didn’t die with him – the sacred order overthrew the magocracy and brought peace to the land, and the most devoted and resolute of his troops continued to spread the technique of suffusion down through generations.

The Calling Most exemplars feel a calling to magic, similar to what the first exemplar must have felt. It takes a very special individual to learn to shape magical energy without spells on their own, and though a few do, most acquire the skill by seeking out a tutor to fulfill this calling. The calling is different for all exemplars. Though exemplars share natural and innate bonds to the source of magic, they seek to develop suffusion for the betterment of their own varied lives. Perhaps they wish to defend the innocent against an oppressive regime and follow in the first exemplar’s footsteps, or maybe they have a score to settle with their own personal villain. Regardless of what the calling is, they all share one thing in common. They are inspired.

Creating An Exemplar An exemplar doesn't have to hate or even distrust magic. They do not need to follow in the first exemplar's footsteps or devote himself to any kind of crusade - though they can. What is most important to consider is their calling. What pressures, injustices, and obstacles did your character face growing up that sparked the sacred connection to the source of all magic? The exemplar life isn't learned through study and curiosity or inherited from a domestic or otherworldly being. It is carried in the heart. Additionally, discuss with your DM regarding the source of magic in their world, as this can vastly enrich your exemplar's backstory and personal relationship to magic as well as the understanding of how his or her abilities work within the lore your DM has established. Finally, as exemplars do not use magic through spells but through inspiring and suffusing themselves and their combat abilities. What kind of tutelage (if any) did your character receive to achieve such a commanding personality and adeptness in combat? Quick Build You can make an exemplar quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength or Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma and Constitution. Second, select the Soldier background.