“Everything my god needs to say to you can be said with my weapon.”[PH2:32]
Avenger is a divine striker class in Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition.[PH2:32][DP:4]
Class Traits[]
- Role: Striker. Your oaths bring divine wrath upon the enemies of your god. With methodical devastation you eliminate one foe at a time. You lean toward controller as a secondary role.
- Power Source: Divine. You practice mysteries forgotten or forbidden by most religious orders, yet the power you wield is a gift from your god.
- Key Abilities: Wisdom, Dexterity, Intelligence
- Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
- Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, military melee, simple ranged
- Implement Proficiency: Holy symbol
- Bonus to Defense: +1 Fortitude, +1 Reflex, +1 Will,
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 14 + Constitution score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 6[]
- Healing Surges per Day: 7 + Constitution modifier
Class Skills[]
Avengers are trained in Religion, plus any three skills from the avenger class skill list:
- Acrobatics (Dex)
- Athletics (Str)
- Endurance (Con)
- Heal (Wis)
- Intimidate (Cha)
- Perception (Wis)
- Religion (Int)
- Stealth (Dex)
- Streetwise (Cha)
Armor of Faith[]
The favor of your deity wards you from harm. While you are neither wearing heavy armor or shield, you gain a +3 bonus to AC. This bonus being untyped, it stacks with the Intelligence or Dexterity bonus for wearing light armor.
This feature can be improved by the Improved Armor of Faith feat, which gives a bonus to AC depending on level (+1 for 1-10, +2 for 11-20, +3 for 21-30) when the Avenger isn't wearing Heavy Armor or wielding a Shield.
Avenger's Censure[]
An avenger chooses one of the following options. Each option grants the avenger a bonus to damage rolls against the avenger's oath of enmity target in a given situation.
| Avenger's Censure option | Condition | Damage bonus against avenger's oath of enmity target |
|---|---|---|
| Censure of Pursuit[PH2:33] | the avenger's oath of enmity target willingly moves away from the avenger | +2 per tier + Dex modifier until the end of the avenger's next turn |
| Censure of Retribution[PH2:33] | any enemy other than the avenger's oath of enmity target hits the avenger | Int modifier until the end of the avenger's next turn, cumulative |
| Censure of Unity[DP:6] | one or more of the avenger's allies are adjacent to the avenger's oath of enmity target | +1 per tier for each of the avenger's allies adjacent to the target |
Avengers who choose Censure of Pursuit are sometimes called "chasers", and tend to make Dexterity a secondary ability score. Avengers who choose Censure of Retribution are sometimes called "martyrs", and tend to make Intelligence a secondary ability score.
Channel Divinity[]
Once per encounter you can use a channel divinity power. You start with two channel divinity powers: abjure undead and divine guidance.
With DM permission, you may use divine identification instead of divine guidance. [Dr398:UA]
Oath of Enmity[]
An avenger can use oath of enmity, a minor action encounter power that affects an enemy until the end of the encounter or until the enemy drops to 0 hit points. An avenger regains the use of oath of enmity when his or her previous oath of enmity effect ends.
When the avenger makes a melee attack against his or her oath of enmity target, and the target is the only enemy adjacent to the avenger, the avenger rolls twice for the attack roll and chooses either result.
If the avenger also has the Avenger's Censure class feature, he or she may deal bonus damage to his or her oath of enmity target as specified by the choice of Avenger's Censure.
Avenger powers[]
Avenger powers, having a divine power source, are also called prayers.
Avenger Paragon Paths[]
Refer to the Avenger section in the Paragon Path page or the Avenger Paragon Paths category.
Multiclass Avengers[]
Characters who did not start as avengers and who do not already have a multiclass feat of a type other than multiclass avenger may multiclass as avengers by taking one of the following entry feats.
| Avenger entry feat | Prerequisites | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Disciple of Divine Wrath [PH2:196] | Wis 13 | The character becomes trained in Religion. Once per encounter, the character can use oath of enmity. Oath of enmity only lasts until the end of the character's next turn. |
| Hero of Faith [DP:144] | Wis 15 | The character becomes trained in any skill from the avenger class skill list. Once per encounter, the character can use oath of enmity. Oath of enmity only lasts until the character hits the target or the target drops to 0 hit points, and the character cannot switch oath of enmity's target or extend its duration in any way.[U :11/2009] |
In addition, each avenger entry feat grants all of the following benefits:
- The character counts as an avenger, in addition to his or her original class, for the purpose of meeting prerequisites for feats, paragon paths, etc.
- The character gains implement proficiency with avenger implements, such as holy symbols.
- The character may take Novice Power, Acolyte Power, and Adept Power feats to exchange powers for avenger powers.
- If the character takes a multiclass encounter, a multiclass utility, and a multiclass daily feat (such as Novice, Acolyte, and Adept Power), the character can paragon multiclass in avenger instead of taking a paragon path. Paragon multiclassed avengers select additional avenger powers instead of paragon path powers, and may take the Channel of Vengeance[DP:144] feat to gain the avenger channel divinity powers abjure undead and divine guidance, as well as counting as having the Channel Divinity class feature, if not already possessed.
Hybrid Avengers[]
A character may be created as a hybrid of avenger and another class other than avenger. The hybrid avenger bonus to defense is +1 Fortitude, +1 Reflex, or +1 Will. The hybrid's avenger class features is Oath of Enmity (hybrid), which is the same as Oath of Enmity except that oath of enmity affects only melee attacks with avenger powers or avenger paragon path powers.
When a hybrid avenger gains the Hybrid Talent feat, he or she chooses one hybrid talent option from either of his or her hybrid classes. The avenger hybrid talent options are:
- Armor of Faith
- The hybrid avenger gains the Armor of Faith avenger class feature.
- Avenger's Censure (hybrid)
- Avenger's Censure (hybrid) is the same as Avenger's Censure except that the bonus to damage rolls only applies to avenger powers and avenger paragon path powers.
- Channel Divinity (hybrid)
- Channel Divinity (hybrid) is the same as Channel Divinity except that the hybrid avenger gains either abjure undead or divine guidance, but not both.[PH3:140]
Suggested Builds[]
Commanding Avenger[]
Based on the Censure of Unity, once you have sworn your oath of enmity , you hope to surround your oath of enmity target with as many of your allies as possible. If the enemy seeks to flee, your powers enable you to compel it to face you. Alone you are powerful, but fighting alongside your comrades you are vengeance incarnate. Like other avengers, you should make Wisdom your highest ability score. Intelligence should be your second highest, followed by Dexterity.[DP:10]
| Suggested | |
|---|---|
| Class Features | Censure of Unity[DP:6] |
| Feat | Weapon Focus |
| Skills | Athletics, Perception, Religion, Stealth |
| At-Will Powers | bond of censure[DP:6], overwhelming strike[PH2:35] |
| Encounter Power | pass at arms[DP:7] |
| Daily Power | strength of many[DP:8] |
Character Optimization[]
- Righteous Wrath: The Avenger's Handbook (archived on google sites) (repost on ENWorld)
- Swift & Without Mercy: A Guide to Pursuit Avengers (archived on Dyas Designs) (repost on Zenith Games)
Appendix[]
- Wizards RPG Team. (2009). Divine Power. Wizards of the Coast, pg.4 - 27. Retrieved on 2019-06-06.
- Wizards RPG Team. (2009). Player's Handbook 2. Wizards of the Coast, pg.32 - 47. Retrieved on 2019-06-06.