Albaz's Primal Exploits, Details & Mechanics

Type of Spell List you can access

Spell Slot Recovery

Spell Preperation

Spellcasting Scores, DC, Bonus

Ritual Casting

Spellcasting Focus

Ferocity
Companions are dangerous creatures Though often more docile than their wild counterparts, they aren’t fully domesticated Each companion’s ferocity is a measure of their tenacity and fury, and of how those things build in battle As a companion’s ferocity increases, they gain access to powerful new features, but they also become more difficult for a caregiver to control If a companion isn’t incapacitated at the start of their and their caregiver’s turn, their ferocity increases by 1d4 + the number of hostile creatures within 5 feet of the companion that they can see or hear For the purpose of building ferocity, a group of creatures that share a single stat block (such as a swarm of rats) count as one creature Ferocity builds round after round during combat, and there is no maximum to the level of ferocity a companion can gain

Rampage
After rolling to increase ferocity at the start of their turn, if a companion has 10 ferocity or more and is not incapacitated, they run the risk of entering a rampage The companion’s caregiver can make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check (no action required) to try to stop the companion from entering a rampage To make the check, the caregiver must not be incapacitated, and the companion must be able to see or hear the caregiver The DC for the check equals 5 + the companion’s ferocity On a success, the companion acts normally on their turn On a failure, or if the caregiver doesn’t make the check, the companion enters a rampage When a companion enters a rampage, they immediately move up to their speed toward the nearest creature and attack that creature with their signature attack (see below), dealing extra damage equal to half their ferocity if the attack hits If at least one ally and one enemy are nearest and equidistant to the companion, the caregiver’s player rolls any die On an odd number, the companion attacks an ally On an even number, the companion attacks an enemy The caregiver’s player determines which specific ally or enemy the companion engages (and can choose their own character if they wish) A companion who can’t reach a creature to attack while in a rampage uses the Dash action to move as far as they can toward the nearest creature If a companion can’t sense any potential targets, they move as far as they can in a random direction determined by the GM, avoiding danger When a companion who has entered a rampage resolves their action or ends their turn, their ferocity drops to 0 and they are no longer in a rampage

Reducing Ferocity
To prevent a companion from entering a dangerous rampage, a caregiver has several options at their disposal for reducing the creature’s ferocity

Ferocity Actions
Each companion has three actions in their stat block that cost ferocity to use To use one of these ferocity actions, a companion must have a caregiver with a character level equal to the ferocity action’s level, and must spend the necessary amount of ferocity before they use the action If the companion doesn’t have enough ferocity to spend, they can’t use the action Ferocity actions always use the companion’s action, meaning they can’t be used as part of an opportunity attack Ferocity actions can’t be used while a companion is in a rampage

End of Combat
When a combat encounter involving a companion ends and the companion isn’t dying, the companion regains hit points equal to their ferocity, and their ferocity drops to 0 The GM determines when a combat encounter ends, typically at the point when creatures stop acting in initiative order

Primal Exploits: 2nd Level You can take any of the following exploits when you gain this feature at 2nd level, or when you gain new exploits at 10th and 17th levels

Aid Us, Friend (3 Ferocity)
You can activate this exploit whenever you take the Attack action Before or after you attack, your companion can take the Help action as a bonus action

Bring Them Down (4 Ferocity).
When your companion hits a creature with their signature attack, you can use your reaction to command the companion to yank the target down The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or fall prone

Drag Them (4 Ferocity).
When your companion hits a Large or smaller creature with their signature attack and both the companion and the target are standing on the ground, you can use your reaction to command your companion to move the target The target must make a Strength saving throw On a failure, the companion moves up to half their walking speed in any direction you choose and pulls the target with it

Feral Refexes (2 Ferocity).
When you or your companion is hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to increase the target’s AC by 2 against the triggering attack

Hurricane Blow (3 Ferocity).
You can activate this exploit whenever you take the Attack action The frst time you hit a creature with a weapon attack this turn, the attack deals its normal efects, and you can push the target up to 10 feet away from you

No Escape (1+ Ferocity).
At the start of your turn when your companion gains ferocity and doesn’t enter a rampage, you can spend up to your Wisdom modifer in

ferocity (minimum 1; no action required)
Until the start of your next turn, your speed or your companion’s speed (your choice) increases by 5 feet × the ferocity spent

Primal Pounce (3 Ferocity). When your companion hits a creature with their signature attack, you can use your reaction to command the companion to grapple the target The target must make a Dexterity saving throw On a failure, the companion grabs the target and the target is grappled (escape DC equal to your exploit save DC) The grapple also ends if your companion attacks a creature other than the target Quick Hide (2 Ferocity). You can activate this exploit whenever you take the Attack action The frst time you hit a creature with a weapon attack this turn, your companion can take the Hide action as a reaction if they are able to hide Thrash (4 Ferocity). When your companion hits a Large or smaller creature with a melee signature attack, you can use your reaction to command the companion to thrash the target from side to side, forcing them to make a Wisdom saving throw On a failure, the target has disadvantage on attack rolls, and attack rolls against the target have advantage, until the start of your next turn

Primal Exploits: 10th Level You can take any of the following exploits when you gain new exploits at 10th and 17th levels

Crushing Charge (8 Ferocity).
As an action, you move up to your speed in a straight line without provoking opportunity attacks You can move through other creatures’ spaces, but must end your move in an unoccupied space Each creature in a space you move through, except for your companion, must make a Strength saving throw On a failure, a creature takes 4d6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone On a success, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t knocked prone
When you reach 17th level, the damage increases to 5d6

Expanding Fury (6 Ferocity).
When your companion uses a ferocity action that afects creatures within a specifc distance of the companion, you can use your reaction to expand that distance by 10 feet

Furious Vengeance (5 Ferocity).
When a creature hits you or your companion with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to deal 4d6 psychic damage to the attacker
When you reach 17th level, the damage increases to 5d6

Marked Prey (4 Ferocity).
When your companion uses a ferocity action that requires a creature to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the save

Primal Shout (6 Ferocity).
As an action, you let loose a menacing bellow Each creature of your choice that can hear you within 15 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn

Wrath of the Pack (4 Ferocity). When you hit a creature with an attack and that creature is within 5 feet of your companion, you can have your companion make a signature attack against the creature (no action required) On a hit, the attack deals its normal efects, and the target is knocked prone

Primal Exploits: 17th Level You can take any of the following exploits when you gain new exploits at 17th level Blood Sport (16 Ferocity). When you hit a Large or smaller creature with a melee weapon attack, you can also push the target up to 30 feet away from you and knock them prone If the target ends this move within 5 feet of your companion, the companion can make a signature attack against the target (no action required) On a hit, the attack deals its normal efects, and the target is pushed up to 30 feet away from your companion If the target ends this move within 5 feet of you, you can make a melee weapon attack against them (no action required) that deals an extra 4d6 damage if it hits Break the Earth (14 Ferocity). As an action, you open a 10-foot-radius pit in the ground, foor, or other surface within 60 feet of you The pit can be up to 50 feet deep, depending on the depth beneath the surface where it is opened Each creature standing in the area when the pit opens must make a Dexterity saving throw On a failure, a creature falls into the pit, taking 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet fallen and landing prone On a success, the creature moves to an unoccupied space of their choice at the edge of the pit A creature can climb the rough walls of the pit without an ability check Bury the Dead (16 Ferocity). When you and your companion are within 5 feet of a creature, you can use an action to cause a vicious whirlwind flled with debris and dirt to rise around the creature, which must make a Dexterity saving throw On a failure, the creature takes 8d6 bludgeoning damage, is knocked prone, and is restrained On a success, the target takes half as much damage and isn’t knocked prone or restrained A creature restrained this way can use an action to make a Strength (Athletics) check against your exploit save DC, freeing themself on a success Imbue Projectile (14 Ferocity). As an action, you make a ranged weapon attack Whether or not the attack hits, a wave of energy explodes from the weapon or ammunition used in the attack, centered on your target Each creature within 20 feet of the target (including the target and excluding your companion) must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 10d6 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one Rend (12 Ferocity). As an action, choose a creature you can see within 5 feet of you and your companion You make a melee weapon attack against the target, and your companion makes a signature attack against the target (no actions required) If you both hit and deal damage to the target, the target is knocked prone and takes an additional 6d6 damage of a type dealt by either attack (your choice)

Spirit Form (14 Ferocity). As a bonus action, you make you and your companion incorporeal until the end of your next turn While incorporeal, you each have resistance to acid, cold, fre, lightning, and thunder damage, and to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks While incorporeal, you and your companion each gain a fying speed equal to your individual walking speed, and each of you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difcult terrain Either of you takes 5 (1d10) force damage if you end your turn inside an object

Infernal Exploits: 3rd Level You can take one of the following exploits when you gain this feature at 3rd level or when you gain a new infernal exploit at 11th level

Drain Them (4 Ferocity).
When your companion hits another creature with their signature attack, you can use your reaction to have your companion regain hit points equal to half the damage dealt

Hellish Wound (4 Ferocity).
When your companion hits another creature other than a construct or an undead with their attack, you can have the attack deal a hellish wound to the creature (no action required) At the start of each of their turns, a target with a hellish wound loses 1d10 hit points for each hellish wound they have
All of a target’s hellish wounds close if they receive magical healing, or if any creature uses an action to staunch the wounds with a successful Wisdom (Medicine) check with a DC equal to your exploit save DC

Infernal Teleport (4 Ferocity).
As an action, you or your companion (your choice) are surrounded by swirling shadow and smoke The target teleports to an unoccupied space within 90 feet of their starting position

Wicked Deception (3 Ferocity).
As an action, choose a creature hostile to you that you can see within 30 feet of you That creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or suddenly view you and your companion as friends until the end of your next turn While in this state, the creature is unable to attack or otherwise harm you or your companion This efect ends early if you or your companion attacks the afected creature Creatures immune to the charmed condition can’t be afected by this exploit

Infernal Exploits: 11th Level You can take one of the following exploits when you gain a new infernal exploit at 11th level Brimstone Teleport (8 Ferocity). As an action, you teleport to an unoccupied space that you can see within 30 feet of you Each creature within 5 feet of the space you leave and each creature within 5 feet of your destination space must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 4d6 fre damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one You and your companion take no damage from this efect When you reach 17th level, the damage increases to 5d6 Chains from Hell (8 Ferocity). As an action, you manifest fery chains that attempt to wrap around up to three creatures of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you Each target must make a Dexterity saving throw On a failure, a target takes 4d6 fre damage and is restrained until the end of your next turn On a success, a target takes half as much damage and isn’t restrained When you reach 17th level, the damage increases to 5d6 Dark of Hell (8 Ferocity). As an action, you cause your companion to radiate an aura of magical darkness in a 10-foot radius until the end of your next turn You and your companion can see within this darkness, which moves with your companion Infernal Flames (8 Ferocity). As an action, you cause a blast of fre to erupt from your companion Each creature within 20 feet of the companion must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 4d10 fre damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one You and your companion take no damage from this efect When you reach 17th level, the damage increases to 5d10 Poison Rain (8 Ferocity). As an action, you cause toxic green rain to fall in a 20-foot cube centered on a point you can see within 60 feet of you Each creature in the area except for you and your companion must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned until the end of your next turn