Possessed

A half-orc cornered in a dark alley turns to face his pursuers, lifting his axe in preparation for battle. As he leaps into the fray shadowy tendrils stretch out of his arms and strike towards his enemies, turning their assured grins to cries of fear.

A halfling lifts the hatch to castle’s secret passageway. She looks around warily, releasing a floating orb of magical energy from her palm. It shoots down the hall and disappears. The halfling jumps down the hatch in pursuit.

A human in the heat of battle sees a stray goblin leap onto an unwary ally. His eyes glow blue for a moment and he extends an arm as if to grab the goblin, though hopelessly out of reach. An ethereal hand leaps into being and grabs the goblins wrist, buying his ally a life saving moment. Living with a companion spirit in a single body, the possessed learn to live with, and thus command their second spirit for the benefit of both their lives.

A Symbiotic Relationship

The Spirit is a varied being, ranging from ethereal ghosts to incorporeal Fey and Fiends. These beings exist before they are bound to mortal flesh. A Spirit and its host are not undead. The spirit and host are both aware of each other's presence, and willingly agree to help one another. A possessed might stem from magic similar to the undead, but it retains its soul and free will. Possessed use their bond to protect themselves and to enhance their own physical and mental abilities. The host allows the spirit some movement and in return the spirit grants them protection, watching their back and distracting their foes. The pair together defeat enemies through distraction, and protect allies by harassing and dogging threats with ethereal and physical means.

Finding a Balance

The Spirit that inhabits a body often has a goal it wishes to accomplish, or a lifestyle it wishes to lead.
It may have been unable to live its previous life to its
wishes, or it may have agreed to share a body to learn
new experiences. No matter the case, the spirit has a
goal, and the host has a goal. The host does not always
willingly become a possessed, and may wish to end their possession, help their lifelong companion, or use their new powers for their own gain.

Possessed do not have an innate hatred towards any
one group, but they are aware of the rumors and misconceptions surrounding them, and so tend to avoid clergy and regular civilians, learning instead to disguise their appearance and what they are.

For a Possessed pair, being an adventurer means
accepting the second being living within you and either dominating or embracing it. The transition to an
adventurer is almost a natural one, simply following the nature of the very being they have become.

Creating a Possessed

As you make your Possessed character, think about the situation that lead to a spirit being forced into an already inhabited body. Were you the subject of a cruel experiment to create intelligent undead? Are you a noble possessed by his ancestors to return the family to its roots? Were you born in the same room a man who never finished his mortal mission died in? Or did you willingly seek to be possessed?

Think about what made you leave your previous stable condition. Were you just recently possessed? Were you finally discovered living among villagers and cast out? Did you come to terms with what you are? Is there some deal or agreement between you and your spirit? What kind of relationship do you have with your spirit? What is it, and what kind of personality does it have?

Because of the huge range of spirits and the nature of the host, possessed have no strong affinity for a single alignment.

Quick Build

You can make a possessed quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Wisdom your highest score, followed by your Strength. If you plan to choose the Sinner or the Beast, make Dexterity your seond highest score instead. Next, choose the hermit background.

Class Features

As a possessed, you gain the following class features.

Hit points

Hit dice: 1d8 per possessed level
Hit points at 1st level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit points at higher levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution per possessed level after 1st

proficiencies

armor: light armor
weapons: all simple weapons
tools: forgery kit

saving throws: wisdom, strength
skills: choose two from athletics, insight, investigation, perception, survival

equipment:

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

• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack
• leather armour and two daggers

Spirit

You are inhabited by a spirit that shares your body. At 1st level, you choose one of the following spirits to live with: An ancient hero; a wild beast; a trickster; or an irredeemable sinner. The different spirits are detailed at the end of the class description.

Cursed Hand

At 1st level, the weapon you wield is cursed to be yours. Your weapon damage scales with your possessed level. At level 5, your attacks with weapons deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage. This increases to 2d8 at 11th level and 3d8 at 18th level.

Command

You can call upon your spirit for aid in desperate times. Starting at 2nd level, you gain the power to force one creature within 30 feet to make constitution saving throw (dc 8 + your proficiency bonus + your wisdom modifier). On a failed save, the creature has disadvantage on all rolls for 2 rounds. You have one use of the ability, after which you need to take a long rest to use it again. You can use it twice between rests at 7th level, 3 times at 14th level, and 4 times at 18th level.

Haunt

At 3rd level, when you target a creature with your cursed weapon, you can designate that creature as a “haunted.” If you do, you have advantage on all rolls against it for one minute. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make a wisdom save vs. your spell save dc (8+ proficiency + wisdom modifier) to end the effect. After you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you take a long rest. You gain 2 uses per rest at 7th level, 3 times per rest at 14th level, and 4 times per rest at 18th level.

Ability Score Improvement

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

Ghoulish Grasp

At 6th level, your cursed weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances. Additionally, you can select two creatures for your haunted per cast.

Pure Flesh

Starting at 9th level, any creature designated as your haunted takes an additional 1d8 necrotic damage from your cursed weapon

Protective Companion

At 10th level, your spirit can temporarily reach out of you at your command. You can cast arcane eye and dominate beast once per long rest. Your arcane eye appears in the guise of your spirit, or some apparition useful to your spirit.

Ancient Grip

At 13th level, your spirit has greater power outside your body. Any haunted within 10 feet cannot take opportunity attacks, and if they start their turn in that area their speed is halved. This area increases to 30 feet at level 18.

Symbiosis

At 15th level your exposure has made you more than human. You no longer need to sleep, eat or breathe. Additionally, if your haunted dies while designated, you regain the usage of that haunt.

Ethereal Nature:

At 20th level, your merging with the spirit is perfected, opening you to perspectives most don’t perceive possible. You are immune to psychic damage. You are permanently under the effects of the true seeing spell, and can force a creature in sight to fail a saving throw using your reaction.

Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again till you finish a short or long rest.

Spirits

The spirit that inhabits the host is what truly diffrentiates them. Your chosen spirit does not necassarily indicate that spirits past or personality, but it is an indicaton of what techniques they follow to accomplish their goals.

The Fallen Hero

The fallen hero was once a being of huge power. this spirit bestows upon you the strength and might that it once held.

Bonus Proficiency:

When you choose this archetype at 1st level, you gain proficiency with medium and heavy armor, shields, and martial weapons.

Protective:

When you are bound to a fallen hero at 1st level, you can use your reaction to reduce ranged attack damage against you by an amount equal to your wisdom modifier. You also immediately increase your hp by 1, and increase it by 1 every possessed level after.

Camaraderie:

Your spirit fights beside you in battle. Once per round, starting at level 5, your spirit can attack a creature within 10 feet using your action. If you do, that creature must make a dexterity saving throw (dc 8 + your proficiency bonus + your wisdom modifier). On a failed save, the creature takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage and is pushed away or pulled towards you 5 feet. at 11th level, this increases to 4d6 and 10 feet of movement - dealing half as much with no movement on a successful save.

Legendary Endurance:

Your proximity to your spirit has changed the very composition of your body. starting at 11th level, you can use your action to regenerate 1d8 + constitution modifier hit points immediately, then 2 hit points per round for the next minute (20 hit points). You can use this feature once per long rest.

Birth of a Hero:

At 17th level, your spirit finds you equal to its former glory. you can use your legendary endurance twice per long rest. additionally, you can cast forcecage once per long rest.

The Wild Beast

The wild beast is a spirit dependant on the emotions and instincts it once held. it bestows upon you the primal strength of the wild.

Bonus Proficiency:

When you choose this archetype at 1st level, you gain proficiency with medium armour.

Soul of the Wild:

Starting at 1st level, your humanoid form becomes a facade. as an action, you can reveal your inner beast against any subject of your haunt. the creature is stunned for one round. you can use this feature once per long rest. due to the shifting of your internal organs, your base AC is 13.

Bestial Form:

Your mortal form has become a puppet in your hands. At 5th level, you can cast alter self as many times as your wisdom modifier per long rest, and can cast it as a bonus action. While altered you gain temporary hit points equal to your possessed level. These hit points disappear on a short rest, and do not stack. Whenever you cast alter self, you gain the natural weapons as finesse, and can choose one other trait. when you alter self, you can choose to gain flying, burrowing, or climbing speed equal to your walking speed. Each addition counts as an extra trait.

Shifting:

You have shed your mortal fold, embracing the beast within. Starting at 11th level, you gain the ability to use polymorph twice per long rest. You count as a shapechanger for spell resistance purposes. when you alter self, you gain finesse natural weapons and two other alter self traits, and gain additional temporary hit points equal to twice your wisdom modifier. You no longer need to concentrate on alter self.

Change Shape:

At level 17, you can cast shapechange once per long rest. Additionally, you perfect your monstrous form. when you alter self, you gain finesse natural weapons and three other traits.

The Trickster

The trickster once played all forms of tricks, from harmless to lethal. these spirits include fey, ancient rogues and assassins.

Bonus Proficiency:

When you choose this archetype at 1st level, you
gain proficiency with medium armour, rapiers,
glaives and halberds.

Watchful eye:

Starting at 1st level, your spirit watches your back. Once per long rest, you can force an enemy to roll one attack within your melee range with disadvantage. You choose this after the attack is declared, but before it is rolled.

Kidnapped!:

Your spirit steal an enemy away for a moment. Once per long rest, starting at 5th level, you can remove one enemy from this plane. One target within your melee range makes a constitution saving throw (dc 8 + your proficiency bonus + your wisdom modifier) or be kidnapped. While kidnapped, it doesn’t exist. It returns after two rounds, but at the beginning of each round it makes another saving throw. If it succeeds, it returns automatically. Additionally, you can use your watchful eye a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier per long rest.

Hidden pathways:

Direction and distance are rules your spirit doesn’t enjoy following. Starting at 11th level, you can use the dimension door or misty step spell a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier. You regain these uses on a long rest. Additionally, as a bonus action you can extend your reach by 5 feet for the rest of your turn.

Astral skipping:

You are only partially bound to the laws of the mortal realm, and can twist the fabric of reality to better suit your needs. Starting at 17th level, you can use the blink spell at will, and can cast astral projection once per long rest.

The Irredeemable Sinner

The sinner held power once, but was cast out and left to rot. spirits like these include fallen clergy, fiends and the ghosts of the dead who were never guided away from this realm.

Bonus Proficiency:

When you choose this archetype at 1st level, you gain proficiency with ranged martial weapons.

Profane Touch:

At 1st level, you can imbue your touch with mind numbing power. Make a melee spell attack, using your wisdom. If you hit, your target take 1d10 + your level psychic damage. You gain half the damage you deal as temporary hit points. After you take a short rest, any remaining temporary hit points remaining disappear. You can use this ability a number of times equal to half your wisdom modifier per long rest.

Corrupt:

You learn that each word carries terrible power. Starting at 5th level, anyone you spend at least 10 minutes conversing with, at your option, is forced to make a wisdom saving throw (dc 8 + your proficiency bonus + your wisdom modifier) or suffer one of two effects:

• Temporary insanity for 1 month. this increases to permanent insanity at 17th level.
• charmed by you for 24 hours. this increases to one month at 17th level.

If the target succeeds their save, they are aware you tried to charm them. how they react is determined by the dm. this effect can be ended with a remove curse spell. you can cast hunger of hadar and crown of madness once per long rest

Sacrilegious:

The weight of your spirits sins pours out of you. Starting at 11th level, you emit a burst of yellow light from your eyes that can force everyone in a 30 foot cone to make a constitution saving throw (dc 8 + your proficiency bonus + your wisdom modifier) or be stunned for 2 rounds. Once you have used this ability you must finish a long rest to use it again. Additionally, any creature you designate as haunted is subjected to the effects of the confusion spell for the duration of the haunt.

Hysteria:

The guilt of lifetimes of regret overwhelms your foes. At 17th level, you can cast feeblemind once per long rest. Additionally, you can use the senses of any creature you charm, seeing through their eyes and hearing through ears. During this time you are aware of your own senses, and gain any special senses your target has.