User:Spencer F./Avenger (Dungeons & Dragons)

The Avenger is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.

4th edition
--> The Avenger appears in the 4th edition as a player character class in Player's Handbook 2 (2009). Avengers are trained in secret monasteries devoted to a single god, and are then set loose to work for their god. Avengers are divine strikers, notable for its use of a sacred Oath giving it exceptional accuracy against one target. Avengers make use of Wisdom for their attacks, and either Dexterity or Intelligence for a conditional damage bonus, called a Censure.

The Avenger's most important class feature is its Oath of Enmity power, which allows the her to roll two d20 dice for every melee attack roll she makes and take the higher result. The second die gives a much better chance of a high roll, meaning Avengers will rarely miss their targets. However, to achieve this incredible focus, the Avenger must be adjacent only to the enemy she is targeting--she is unable to use the additional roll if there are multiple enemies next to her.

Avengers also receive a conditional damage bonus based on enemy behavior, based on which ability score (Dexterity or Intelligence) they choose to emphasize. Unlike most Striker bonus damage, the Censures are designed to not trigger: they provide a mechanical penalty when enemies behave in a certain way, such as moving away from the Avenger or attacking her when she is engaging another foe. The Avenger builds are based on which type of behavior they discourage: Pursuit Avengers try to keep enemies physically separated from their allies, while Retribution Avengers are boosted when attacked by non-Oathed enemies, encouraging other foes to not assist the Avenger's target.

Pursuit Avengers focus on Dexterity, and receive their bonus to damage when their Oath target moves away from them intentionally. Their powers also contain features like free movement or teleportation, which allow them to chase enemies that try to escape. The Pursuit Avenger's goal is to move a foe out of the main battle, and keep them there while they duel.

Retribution Avengers focus on Intelligense, and gain a damage bonus when enemies other than their Oath target hit them. Retribution powers use effects like extra damage to nearby enemies or the Oath target to encourage other foes to stay away and not attack the Avenger. The ideal Retribution Avenger removes an enemy's allies from the equation, making them unable to render any assistance.