Each new arcane subclass in Secrets of the Tome is exemplified by an accompanying NPC. We recently met Chilblain, the lich librarian who showcases the Undying Wizard subclass, Professor Omega who introduces the Huckster Artificer, and Brother Joney: Wandering Storyteller who is the iconic Talespinner Bard. This time it’s the turn of Arketon, the Blind Moonseer who accompanies the Moon Priest subclass.
Arketon: Blind Moonseer
“The first time I shifted to my wolf guardian form, a whole new sense opened up to me. That’s when I knew: no matter how bleak things seem, there is always hope and beauty. We just need to find it.”
Arketon is a grimlock moon priest who has transcended the usual, human-like lifespan of their people. Their face, despite being eyeless, is a compassionate one of indeterminate age. When in their wolf guardian form, they have soft blue eyes alight with that same kindness, seeming to allies and innocents more like a large, friendly dog than a fearsome predator. Arketon, like most moon priests, is pro-social and community-focused. They believe that keeping hope alive—even among the denizens of the Wasteland—is their most important duty. They seek prophetic omens that bring good tidings, even as they work to defend those around them from evil.
Finding Arketon: Arketon travels a circuit between as many communities in the Wasteland as they can manage, providing protection, healing, and spiritual guidance to any they encounter. They’re easy to find if they’re in town, typically working in town squares or other public areas to maximize their ability to help others.
Dealing with Arketon: Arketon has two goals: to maintain their privacy and to spread hope among the inhabitants of the Wasteland (or whatever world on which they find themselves). They’re not forthcoming with details about themself but are full of encouragement for others.
Arketon Challenge 5
Medium humanoid (grimlock) 1,800 XP
AC 15 (hide armor, 16 with Aspect of the Moon)
HP 93 (11d8 + 44; bloodied 46)
Speed 30 ft. (40 ft. with Aspect of the Moon)
Initiative Dex +2 (12), Insight +7 (17), Perception +7 (17)
STR 16 (+3) DEX 14 (+2) CON 18 (+4) INT 14 (+2) WIS 19 (+4) CHA 16 (+3)
Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 14
Saving Throws Str +3, Dex +2, Con +4, Int +2, Wis +7, Cha +6
Skills Insight +7, Perception +7, Religion +5, Stealth +5, Survival +7
Senses blindsight 30 ft., or 10 ft. while deafened (blind beyond this radius while in grimlock form), passive Perception 17
Languages Common, Undercommon
Camouflage. Arketon has advantage on Stealth checks made to hide in rocky terrain.
Keen Hearing and Smell. Arketon has advantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Spellcasting. Arketon is an 11th-level spellcaster. Their spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). They have the following cleric spells prepared.
Cantrips (at will): sacred flame, spare the dying, thaumaturgy
1st-level (4 slots): Arketon’s mutual healing word, Arketon’s reconciling ceremony, guiding bolt
2nd-level (3 slots): Arketon’s spiritual claw, Thraumbur’s protective lesser restoration
3rd-level (3 slots): Lexiel’s knowing spirit guardians, moonbeam, Sinopa’s lycanthropic aspect of the moon
4th-level (3 slots): banishment, rage of the meek
5th-level (2 slots): Arketon’s cleansing flame strike, Arketon’s swift dispel evil and good
6th-level (1 slot): Arketon’s merciful heal
ACTIONS
Multiattack (Wolf Guardian Form Only). Arketon makes a claw attack and an iron lash attack.
Claw (Wolf Guardian Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage.
Iron Lash. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) magical bludgeoning or slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) radiant damage, or 7 (2d6) radiant damage if the target is a fiend or undead.
Sacred Flame (Cantrip; V, S). One creature within 60 feet must make a successful DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 13 (3d8) radiant damage.
Guiding Bolt (1st-Level; V, S). Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: The target takes 14 (4d6) radiant damage, and the next attack roll made against it before the end of Arketon’s next turn has advantage.
Arketon’s Cleansing Flame Strike (5th-level; V, S, M (pinch of sulfur)). Arketon summons a 40-foot-high, 10-foot-radius column of flame centered on a point within 60 feet. Arketon can select any number of creatures in the spell’s area to take no damage when casting the spell. All other creatures make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire and 14 (4d6) radiant damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. Creatures that were excluded from the damage regain 14 (4d6) hit points instead.
BONUS ACTIONS
Wolf Guardian Form. Arketon polymorphs into their wolf guardian form for 10 minutes. In wolf guardian form, Arketon gains a +1 bonus to AC, their Speed increases by 10 feet, and they have advantage on Perception checks. Their other statistics are the same except as noted.
Arketon’s Spiritual Claw (2nd-Level; V, S). Arketon creates a floating, incandescent clawed hand and uses it to attack their enemies. On the round Arketon casts it, they can make a melee spell attack at +7 to hit against a creature within 5 feet of the hand. On a hit, the target takes 8 (1d8 + 4) force damage. If the target is a fiend or undead, it takes an additional 2 (1d4) radiant damage. If a fiend or undead is reduced to 0 hit points this way, Arketon can choose a creature within 30 feet of themself to regain 2 hit points. As a bonus action on subsequent turns until the spell ends, Arketon can move the claw up to 20 feet and make another attack against a creature within 5 feet of it. The claw persists for 1 minute or until Arketon ends the spell.
Cleric Archetype: Moon Priest
Moon priests are servants of the light who operate in the dark. In forgotten ages past, the moon was revered as the great protector of the night, and moon priests traveled the byways between communities hunting hags, fiends, and worse, striking down their foes with fangs, claws, and their signature iron whips. Denounced as witches by overzealous inquisitors, moon priests eventually faded from the world.
Inspired By History
The flavor of this archetype is drawn heavily from the benandanti, a historical group of European “werewolves” who claimed to protect their communities from the forces of hell, often using a signature iron whip weapon while in their guardian forms. Though they were persecuted by the Roman Inquisition, many benandanti stubbornly refused to admit that they were in service to evil. Narrators wishing to use this archetype are encouraged to treat themselves and do a bit of research into the benandanti. They’re a fascinating bit of history, and this archetype is far from the only fun gaming idea to be had by learning more about them.
Moon Priest Archetype Spells
Level 1: animal friendship, detect evil and good
Level 3: moonbeam, pass without trace
Level 5: aspect of the moon, darklight
Level 7: faithful hound, rage of the meek
Level 9: dispel evil and good, mislead
Night Strider
At 1st level, you’ve learned to move unseen through the night. You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill, or an expertise die if you already have proficiency. You also gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, its range increases by 30 feet instead.
Wolfspeaker
Also at 1st level, you form a bond with the moon priest’s ancient allies: wolves. Wolves, werewolves, and wolf-like creatures such as winter wolves and worgs begin with an attitude one step friendlier toward you than usual. In addition, you can communicate with wolves and wolf-like creatures as if you were under the effects of the speak with animals spell.
Channel Divinity: Iron Lash
At 2nd level, you can expend one use of Channel Divinity as a bonus action to summon the traditional weapon of the moon priest: the iron lash, a whip made of metal links infused with divine magic. You have proficiency with the iron lash, and you can use your Wisdom modifier for the attack and damage rolls of attacks you make with it. The iron lash has the finesse, parrying immunity, reach (10 feet), and trip properties. On a hit, the lash deals 1d8 magical bludgeoning or slashing damage (chosen by you each time you attack). If the target is a fiend or undead, it takes an additional 1d6 radiant damage.
The iron lash remains until you let go of it, fall unconscious, or begin a short or long rest.
Channel Divinity: Wolf Guardian
Beginning at 6th level, you’ve learned to take on the signature wolf form of your order. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of Channel Divinity to cast aspect of the moon on yourself without expending a spell slot. When cast in this way, aspect of the moon has a duration of 10 minutes and doesn’t require concentration.
As part of the same bonus action, you can also choose to summon your iron lash, without expending an additional use of Channel Divinity. When the aspect of the moon spell ends, you can choose to retain your iron lash.
Fiend Stalker
Also at 6th level, you gain proficiency in the Survival skill, or an expertise die if you already have proficiency. You have advantage on Survival checks made to track fiends and undead.
Sacred Scourge
At 8th level, your iron lash improves. It deals an additional 1d6 radiant damage on a hit, or an additional 2d6 radiant damage if the target is a fiend or undead. In addition, the iron lash’s reach increases to 15 feet. Finally, you can attack with your iron lash as a bonus action on each of your turns.
Hound of Heaven
At 17th level, when you use Wolf Guardian, your wolf form improves in the following ways:
Your thick fur grants you protection from cold. You have resistance to cold damage and automatically succeed on saves due to extreme cold.
You jump distance triples, and your speed increases by an additional 20 feet.
Your claws deal an additional 1d6 radiant damage on a hit.
You have advantage on Athletics checks.
You gain an expertise die on Perception checks dependent on hearing or smell.
Your form is majestic and powerful-looking, with lustrous fur, glowing eyes, and impressive limbs and jaws. You gain an expertise die on Charisma checks.
As an action, you can emit the Howl of Heaven. Friendly creatures within 60 feet of you can immediately make a saving throw with advantage against any effects causing the following conditions: charmed, frightened, or rattled. Hostile creatures within 60 feet of you must make a Charisma saving throw or be frightened of you for 1 minute. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Once a hostile creature successfully saves against your Howl of Heaven, it is immune to the effect for 24 hours.
The duration increases to 1 hour.