Energetic Expression

The artist overflows with heartfelt and profound emotion, abundant internal energy determined to be brought to life, and take the form of meaningful expression. Their well of creative energy comes from their profound emotional experiences, and an insatiable desire to create and connect through art. Expressing themselves through their artform, they are able to bend the energy around them and influence others. An artist's expressions have the power to move and inspire, comfort and invigorate, provoke and madden.

While the artist can hold their own in combat, they excel at bolstering their allies’ abilities and distracting or undermining their enemies. The artist’s list of diverse chibending techniques to choose from alongside their knack for coming up with creative ways to address any situation that may arise makes them versatile roleplayers. As they master their bending artistry, they gain the ability to immediately replicate the bending moves of others. These skills make them a wild card in battle, who is capable of giving their team the extra bit of inspiration they need to overcome any obstacle.

Creation and Experience

The artist’s spirit focuses around creation, experience, and the world that lies in between. Every experience is an inspiration for a new piece. For life itself underpins the beauty of art. An artist may become an adventurer when inspired to seek out and bear witness to or experience for themselves the greatest wonders, joys, and tragedies that life has to offer. Out of experience comes inspiration, out of inspiration comes creation.

Whether creation or experience comes first is like asking about the chicken or the egg. It is the spirit of creation that brought the world that is experienced into existence in the first place, but it’s known from experience that one cannot create true depictions without having experienced the thing itself. This is the conundrum of the artist, and thusly they seek the inspiration to create and the experiences that inspire. And even when they spend most of their time lost in the creative process, the artist who seeks to witness the great adventure of life often finds themself the hero of their own tale.

Creating an Artist

Artists both provide and rely on inspiration. Think about your character’s inspiration, what past experiences influenced it, and how it influences their personality and motivations. Inspiration could come from positive or negative experiences. Losing their parents in a traumatic event could inspire your character to learn to express their sadness through dance as much as seeing an extraordinary painting on the roof of a temple could inspire them to learn to paint.

How did your artist train their skills? Are they a commoner who learned the stories and songs of their homeland from a village elder? Or are they a self-taught painter who has been honing their skills in their spare time from a young age. Maybe they come from a wealthy family who was able to seek out and afford lessons from a regional master. Or maybe it’s been their dream from a young age to become a travelling musician. Maybe you encountered a spirit in the woods who convinced you to bind your spirit to theirs in exchange for extraordinary musical ability, but at what cost?

Quick Build

You can make an artist quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the entertainer archetype.

As‌ ‌an artist,‌ ‌you‌ ‌gain‌ ‌the‌ ‌following‌ ‌class‌ ‌features.‌ ‌ ‌

Hit‌ ‌Points‌ ‌

Hit‌ ‌Dice:‌‌ ‌1d8‌ ‌per‌ artist ‌level‌ ‌

Hit‌ ‌Points‌ ‌at‌ ‌1st‌ ‌Level:‌‌ ‌8‌ ‌+‌ ‌your‌ ‌Constitution‌ ‌modifier‌ ‌

Hit‌ ‌Points‌ ‌at‌ ‌Higher‌ ‌Levels:‌‌ ‌1d8‌ ‌(or‌ ‌5)‌ ‌+‌ ‌your‌ ‌Constitution‌ ‌modifier‌ each time you gain a level in this class

Chi Points

Chi Dice: 1d8 per artist level

Chi Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Charisma modifier

Chi Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 4) + your Charisma modifier each time you gain a level in this class 

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor

Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons with the finesse property

Tools: Two musical instruments of your choice, or one musical instrument and one artisan’s tools of your choice

Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma

Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Deception, Insight, Medicine, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) one martial weapon with the finesse property, (b) a light crossbow and 20 bolts, or (c) any two simple weapons
• (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an entertainer’s pack
• (a) leather armor and any musical instrument

Artistic Inspiration

Your artistic energy has the power to inspire others. Whether through song, dance, music, spoken word, or a display of dazzling visuals, you can spend a bonus action and expend 1 chi point on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear or see you. That creature gains one Artistic Inspiration die.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Artistic Inspiration die but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Artistic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Artistic Inspiration die at a time.

Your Artistic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

Bending

You understand bending as a form of art and have learned to wield your energy to dazzle and move. Your bending techniques are an extension of your artistic essence. See chapter 10 for the general rules of bending and chapter 11 for the artist technique list.

Basics

At 1st level, you know one basic of your choice from the artist technique list. Alternatively, if you are an elemental bender, you can choose a basic from your elemental bending technique list. You learn additional artist basics of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Basics Known column of the Artist table.

Techniques Known of 1st Level and Higher

As an artist, you learn to bend through trial and error. At 1st level, you know two 1st level techniques of your choice from the artist technique list. Alternatively, if you are an elemental bender, you can choose techniques from your elemental bending technique list.

The Techniques Known column of the Artist table shows when you learn more techniques of your choice. The Technique Level column of the Artist table shows what level techniques you are able to learn at each level. When you reach 6th level, for example, you can learn a technique of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level.

The techniques that you learn as you level up in this class represent your natural growth and progression as a bender. Since they come to you naturally, you do not have to go through the process of mastering them. To learn additional bending techniques, they must be on the artist technique list, and you have to either be taught by somebody who can perform the technique or find the technique on a bending scroll. Techniques learned in these ways have to be mastered as described in the Mastery Points section of chapter 10.

Using Techniques

To use a technique, you must expend an amount of chi equal to the technique’s level. If you do not have enough chi available to you, you cannot perform the technique, or the technique fails. If you try to use a technique you have not mastered yet and it fails, you expend chi equal to half the technique’s level (rounded down).

You are able to learn and perform techniques of a level equal to or lower than the level shown in the Artist table’s Technique Level column for your level. If a technique can be used at multiple levels, you can use it at any level at or below the level shown in the Artist table’s Technique Level column for your level.

Bending Ability

Wisdom is your bending ability for your artist techniques, since your bending relies on your ability to understand, sway and move people. You use your Charisma whenever a technique refers to your bending ability. You use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an artist technique you use and when making an attack roll with one.

Technique save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Technique attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

If you are an elemental bender, you are able to extrapolate what you learn through your class to your elemental bending as well. Thus, you can choose whether to use your elemental bending abilities or your artist bending ability for your elemental bending techniques.

Bending Focus

You can use a musical instrument (found in chapter 5) as a focus for your artist techniques.

Healing Art

Beginning at 2nd level, you can use a combination of soothing music, oration, and healing touch to help revitalize your wounded allies during a short rest. You and any friendly creatures who participate regain hit points at the end of the short rest, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.

The extra hit points increase when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d8 at 9th level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.

Of Many Talents

Also at 2nd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.

Artistic Talent

You find you have a knack for an artform in one of the following artistic fields: Poetics, Visual Arts, or Movement, each of which is detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, and 14th level.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Self Love

Beginning at 5th level, you gain enough confidence in your own artistic abilities to inspire even yourself, unlocking the ability to use your Artistic Inspiration to give yourself an inspiration die.

Perfect Replica

By 10th level, you’ve learned to imitate the techniques of others on sight. As an action on your turn, you can expend one chi point to replicate the effect of a 1st-level bending technique you saw performed by another creature within 60 feet of you since the end of your last turn.

If you are replicating an energybending technique, you can perform the technique even if it is not on the artist technique list. You can only replicate elemental bending techniques if you can bend that element.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

You are able to replicate higher level techniques when you reach higher levels in this class. The level increases to 2nd level at 14th level and 3rd level at 18th level.

Reliable Talent

By 11th level, you have refined your chosen skills until they approach perfection. Whenever you make an ability check that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Superior Inspiration

At 20th level, each time you use your Artistic Inspiration to inspire an ally, you gain an Artistic Inspiration die as well.

While many artists practice a variety of artforms, most find they have a talent or affinity for one in particular. Your artistic talent reflects the type of art that you have the most experience with and are best able to use to express yourself.

Poetics

The poetics are a class of art that include everything written, spoken, sung, or played. They are, in large part, the art of storytelling, by way of words, music, sounds, or script. Those who have talent in poetics are typically able to play at least one instrument, are familiar with regional songs and epics, and in many cases, are among the few commoners who are able to read and write. They are chasers of stories and tellers of tales, able to masterfully blur the lines between truth and fiction, holding their audiences captive through highs and lows, all for the sake of their bittersweet ends.

Linguist

When you join the School of Poetics at 3rd level, you learn three human languages of your choice.

Cutting Words

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction and expend 1 chi point to roll your Artistic Inspiration die and subtract the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Disturbing Sounds

At 6th level, you can lace your music or words with unsettling energy, causing a creature to doubt itself. As a bonus action, you can expend 1 chi point to disturb one creature that you choose within 60 feet of you that can hear you. Roll your Artistic Inspiration die. The creature must subtract the number rolled from the next saving throw it makes before the start of your next turn.

Sound Healing

By 14th level, you have learned to create soothing, healing sounds, whether by word or by music. You learn the mass healing word technique.

Visual Arts

Visual artists include all those who would capture and portray their world through images. They include illustrators, painters, potters, and sculptors. Visual artists usually have a preferred medium and style that they learned from their culture or picked up somewhere along their journey. While they are rarely seen practicing their art in the fray of battle, their ability to create and portray meaningful visual displays helps to build their allies' sense of readiness and unity.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you start to focus on Visual Arts at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the disguise kit and forgery kit.

War Paint

Also at 3rd level, you can use your talent to paint powerful visual displays on a creature before going into battle. Your paint inspires the creature, bestowing a special Artistic Inspiration that lasts for one hour. You can expend 1 chi point and spend 1 minute painting a creature’s face or body, to grant one of the following benefits:

• Confidence. Any time the creature rolls a saving throw against being frightened they can add your Artistic Inspiration die to the roll.
• Camouflage. Any time the creature rolls a stealth check they can add your Artistic Inspiration die to the roll.
• Intimidation. Any time the creature rolls an intimidation check they can add your Artistic Inspiration die to the roll.

Banner of Unity

At 6th level, you use your skills to create a flag as a symbol of your cohort’s unity. As a reaction, you can expend 1 chi point to raise the banner in opposition to those who would tear your group apart. Until the start of your next turn, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. A creature must be able to see you to gain this benefit. This bonus ends early if you are incapacitated or knocked prone, or if you voluntarily end it (no action required).

Personal Emblem

By 14th level, you’ve learned to create and portray personalized insignias that inspire confidence, honor, and courage in their wearers. If you spend an hour or more painting, engraving, or otherwise illustrating these symbols on a shield or piece of armor, the wearer gains a +1 bonus to AC while they are wearing the item. A creature can only benefit from one armorial bearing at a time.

Movement

The movement arts are a vast collection of arts focusing on bodily awareness and intentional motion. They include such practices as martial arts, dance, gymnastics, and yoga. People who practice movement arts typically excel in creative movement, balance, and flexibility. They are able to move through the battlefield with ease and grace, often using their creativity and unexpected movements to surprise their opponents.

Unbridled Movement

At 3rd level, you move through the battle with grace and agility. Your speed increases by 10 feet and creatures have disadvantage on opportunity attack rolls against you while you aren’t wearing medium or heavy armor, or wearing a shield.

Inspiration in Motion

Also at 3rd level, your movement in battle alone is enough to inspire others. When you use your action to take the Attack, Disengage, or Dodge actions, or perform a bending technique that incorporates some somatic component, you can expend 1 chi point to add some flare to the action, inspiring one of your allies. Choose one creature within 60 feet of you that can see you, that creature gains one Artistic Inspiration die.

Striking Agility

At 6th level, when you take the Dodge action and a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against that creature. On a hit, the creature is surprised by your agility and is unable to take reactions until the start of their next turn.

Shake it Off

Beginning at 14th level, as a bonus action you can expend 2 chi points to end one effect on yourself.