Binder

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"In my name, I call upon Bedeli, she who was martyred by flame. Bearing your symbol, I call upon Bedeli, she whose grief shattered a war. To safeguard my allies, I call upon Bedeli, to protect and to warm with her embrace."

-- Hiriko, a Binder calling upon a vestige to form a pact.

Master of Bargains

Many conflate the pacts between warlocks and patrons as the same as those of binders and vestiges. While warlocks form a (mostly) permanent pact with a single patron whose powers they receive in an indefinite manner, binders are far less committed. The pacts they form usually last a few days at most, and sometimes no longer than a few minutes, with each binding requiring a new negotiation.

These negotiations generally take the form of a contest of wills, though the nature of the contest will differ depending on the vestige, who seeks to ensure that the binder is and remains a worthy host of their powers. The contest might take the form of a riddle, a debate, or even an arm wrestling match. Should the binder fail to succeed in these contests, the vestige still accepts the pact but maintains a level of control over the binder's actions for its duration.

On the Nature of Vestiges

What a vestige exactly is remains the subject of much speculation among scholars who delve into the binding arts, but what seems clear is that there is no one singular route to becoming a vestige. The most currently accepted theory is that vestiges are imprints of the soul that one leaves upon the world in your passing, a sort of sympathetic reflection. Particularly powerful individuals leave stronger imprints that develop echoes of a will of their own. Binders then make use of these 'imprints' in order to bind the echoed abilities to their own person.

Another counter theory is that vestiges are an evolution of the soul - some mortals ascend to become gods or other planar creatures, some mortal souls become the restless undead, but vestiges are seen as a middleground between the two concepts; they are creatures whose strong ties to the material plane and stronger individuality allowed their consciousness to remain without passing on, and the strength of their soul allows them to share it with binders.

A third theorem is that vestiges are not created by individuals at all, but are instead a representation of concepts, imbued with the power of the collective unconscious of society. This synergises with gods being fueled by belief of mortals, and vestiges have been called failed or lower gods by some because of it, and some say that this explains why gods do not smite down particularly vicious vestiges like they might do with other planar creatures. Rather than being incarnations or echoes of an individuals power, this theory posits that vestiges are how people viewed a person in life without truly understanding the individual's 'inner-self'. Such a theory may go some way to explain why vestiges have 'extreme' positions and outlooks, instead of more moderate or 'mortal' philosophies.

Whichever theory is subscribed to is mostly a matter of academic debate and though some binders may enjoy the philosophical deliberations and investigation, many more only care so far as it allows them to make use of the powers that vestiges hold.

Bound

Once a pact has been successfully forged, whether it be in the vestige or the binder's favour, a portion of the vestige's energy (some would call it 'soul') is fused to the Binder, creating a link until the binder wishes it broken. This link manifests itself as a physical sign on the binder's body which warps their appearance making them appear mutated or otherworldly to onlookers. Even through death, a vestige's binds remain unbroken.

Always Alone, Never Lonely

A binder's esoteric nature means that they will rarely find true acceptance in any community which knows of their actions - many mistakenly equate vestige binding with devil or demon summoning, and a binder's typically warped appearance makes them much harder to accept. This typically makes binders solitary by nature, moving from place to place, though they will always appreciate the added protection that a loyal and understanding party of adventurers offer.

While they may not be able to find connection among the wider populace, their vestige bonds means that they are never truly alone, and whatever the fragments that make up a vestige actually are, they can - if they so wish it - be quite conversational, though how much of that conversation is of value is another matter entirely.

Class Features

As a Binder, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per binder level

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

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per binder level after 1st level.

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armour, medium armour

Weapons: Simple Weapons

Tools: Binder Ritual Tools

Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma

Skills: Choose two skills from the following list: Arcana, Religion, History, Nature, Insight, Perception, Pesuasion.

Equipment

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

• (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) Leather armor or (b) a chain shirt
• set of binder ritual tools, and two daggers

Soul Binding

A list of Vestiges for the class can be found here.

Utilising special binding rituals you are able to reach into the beyond to contact vestiges and make pacts with them, granting you their powers. At 1st level you can bind with only one vestige at a time, but you are able to bind with more as detailed in the table above. Even when you are able to bind more than one vestige, you cannot bind vestiges whose total level exceeds your binder level. For instance, a 5th level binder could not bind two 3rd level vestiges, but could bind a 2nd and a 3rd level vestige.

A binding ritual takes 1 minute per vestige (and require Concentrating on, as if it were a spell). Though the vestige appears physically before you, only you are able to see and hear it. When you summon a vestige you make a charisma ability check against a DC of 10 + the vestige's level. You may use your binder ritual tools to add your proficiency bonus to this ability check. If you succeed, you forge a good pact. If you fail, you form a poor pact. Forming a poor pact still grants you all the powers of the vestige, but you are also subject to their Influence on your personality.

You complete the summoning and binding ritual for each vestige seperately, so each has a chance to influence you. While bound to a vestige you display their physical sign on your body as described in their individual vestige entry.

You can choose to expel a vestige willingly as an action, but if you made a poor pact you must succeed on a DC10 + vestige level charisma saving throw to successfully expel them. If you unbind from a vestige for any reason you cannot rebind to them until you complete a long rest. Vestiges otherwise remain bound to you until you choose to unbind them.

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for all spells and features granted to you by your vestiges, since you command the power of your vestiges through your very soul. You use your Charisma whenever such a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell or feature granted to you by one of your vestiges, and when making an attack roll with such a spell or ability.

If a vestige's abilities references casting a spell, you do not need to provide the material component for this unless it is a costly component. You must still provide any somatic or verbal components required for casting as normal, though typically your words will be spoken by your vestige through you, rather than yourself.

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

Vestige spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Suppress Sign

At 2nd level when you make a good pact you can choose not to exhibit the physical sign that normally accompanies a pact with a vestige. You can suppress or reveal the sign at will as a bonus action.

Share Vestige

From 2nd level as a 1 minute ritual you can imbue an ally with the powers of one of your currently bound vestiges, allowing both of you to benefit from it. The shared vestige can only be of a level equal to 1/3rd your binder level (minimum 1). Your ally always forms a poor pact with the vestige, and it remains bound for 10 minutes. You can share a vestige once, refreshing on a long rest.

A shared vestige still uses your Charisma modifier for any saves or spell attack rolls.

If you unbind from the shared vestige for any reason, Share Vestige instantly ends.

At 8th level in this class Share Vestige lasts for 1 hour. At 13th level it lasts until you complete a short or long rest. At 19th level it lasts until you complete a long rest.

Binder Cabal

Binders are typically 'solitary' creatures, who seek out perfection of their own craft by interacting not with other binders, but with vestiges. Rarely do binders come together, but they will often leave their notes and thoughts behind in grimoires and compendiums for others to learn from - usually not out of any sense of altruism, but instead from hoping the spread of their knowledge will in turn create a new vestige of their own.

From 3rd level you choose one of the three Binder Cabals archetypees described at the end of this class - the fateweaving Sybil cabal, the realm-bending Kyran Cabal, or Orsten cabal whose focus on binding vestiges goes beyond even normal binders.

Tongue of the Vestige

From 5th level you learn how to tap into some of your bound creature's buried memories. While you are bound to a vestige you gain proficiency in one language of your choice for each two vestiges you have bound. You can change the languages when you bind a new vestige.

Rapid Rebind

From 7th level you can rapidly rebind one Vestige you are bound to, exchanging it for another of equal level or less as an action. Rapid Rebind refreshes on a short rest. You do not need to make a charisma saving throw to successfully unbind from a poor pact with Rapid Rebind, but you must still make a binding check for a good or poor pact for the newly bound vestige.

From 15th level, you can rebind two vestiges at once when you use Rapid Rebind.

Soul Guard

From 7th level your experience with vestiges allows you to better guard your mind. While you have a vestige bound you have advantage on saving throws against being Frightened or Charmed, and on saves against having your thoughts read, being scried on, or similar actions.

Sense Vestige

From 11th level you have an innate ability to detect other vestiges. Whenever a vestige is bound within 30ft of you (even through total cover) you know binding creature's location and the details of the vestige bound.

Advanced Soul Guard

From 13th level while you are bound to a vestige you gain proficiency in Intelligence saving throws, if you did not already have this.

Advanced Tongue of the Vestige

From 15th level you gain the ability to converse with those who have passed. While bound to a vestige you can cast Speak with Dead a number of times equal to your charisma modifier, refreshing on a long rest.

Vestige Guidance

Your vestiges whisper advice to you, calling threats before you are even aware of them. From 17th level you cannot be Surprised.

Master Soul Guard

From 20th level while you have a vestige bound you are affected by the Mind Blank spell. If this is dispelled from you you regain it when you bind another vestige, including by using your Rapid Rebind feature.

You can choose to share Master Soul Guard's feature with your Share Vestige feature, but if you do Share Vestige's duration is reduced to 10 minutes instead of until your next long rest.

Vestigial Reincarnation

From 20th level while you are bound to a vestige, you can utilise their power to rescue you from death, transferring yourself temporarily to their vestige, before being reborn. If you die and are not resurrected within 1 day, your body crumbles to dust along with any equipment you were carrying at the time your body crumbles. You then reincarnate (as the spell) in a randomly determined, but safe, location 1d4 weeks later, with all your carried equipment. The location you reincarnate in should be thematically consistent with one of your vestiges - for instance if you were bound to Davzin, you might appear in a library or at a poetry meeting.

Once Vestigial Reincarnation has been used it cannot be used again for 1 year.

Binder Cabals

Kyran Cabal

Named for the vestige Kyra, this cabal's training focuses on refining vestige energy to emulate Kyra's teleportation and planar-bending abilities. Binders of this cabal typically venerate Kyra to an almost religious degree, and some groups even come together to form cults in the hope of ascending Kyra into full deity status. Whether you worship Kyra or not, the cabal's practices are just as effective.

Kyran Shift

From 3rd level once per turn after you use a vestige ability (including casting a vestige spell) or take the attack action you can teleport 10ft to an unoccupied space. At 9th and 17th levels the distance of this ability increases by 10ft.

Footsteps of Kyra

Kyra's influence lets you move with a lighter step. From 3rd level you gain proficiency in the Stealth skill. If you are already proficient in this, you instead gain proficiency in one Binder skill of your choice.

Brief Dismissal

From 6th level as an action you can choose a creature you can see within 120ft. The target creature must make a charisma saving throw against your vestige save DC or be banished to a harmless demi-plane and rendered incapacitated for the duration. They reappear at the start of your next turn in the space it left, or the closest unoccupied space. Even if the target succeeds on their save the attempt to dimensional shunt them causes them to have disadvantage on attack rolls until the start of your next turn.

Brief Dismissal can be used once, refreshing on a short or long rest.

Enhanced Kyran Shift

From 10th level you can now shift enemies. When you damage a creature with an attack or vestige ability, you can expend your use of Kyran Shift that turn to attempt to teleport the creature. They must succeed on a charisma saving throw or be teleported to an unoccupied space of your choice within 20ft of them (30ft from 17th level). The space they are teleported to must have solid ground on which to stand.

Alternatively, when you use Kyran Shift on yourself, you can choose to instead swap places with an ally within range.

Kyran Twist

From 14th level you can reposition a targeted spell by opening up a tiny planar fissure that warps space and time. When a spell is cast with a target set at a "point" has its target within 60ft, you can use your reaction to make a charisma ability check (with proficiency) against the caster's save DC. If you succeed, you can choose a new point within 60ft of you for the spell to target.

Kyran Twist can be used once, refreshing on a long rest.

Planar Bridge

From 18th level you are able to cast the Gate spell once per long rest. When cast in this way you do not need to provide a material component.

Orsten Cabal

Few binders become individually famous, owing to their solitary and outcast nature. "Orsten" is one of the rare exceptions to the rule. Originally a noble scion whose true name remains unknown to this day, he found inheritance terribly dull and a chance encounter sank him into the binding arts, for which he found a natural talent for. Using his noble estate's inheritance he secretly published and distributed his many grimoires. The techniques contained within allow binders to open their soul for additional bindings beyond what others can comprehend.

Swift Binding

From 3rd level as a bonus action on your turn you can forge the swiftest of bonds with a vestige of a level equal to 1/3rd your binder level. This is always made as a poor pact, and lasts for 1 minute, but does not count against your typical number of vestiges bound or your total number of vestige levels bound.

From 13th level, you now form Swift Binding as a good pact, instead of a poor pact.

Swift Binding can be used once, refreshing on a long rest.

Orsten Body

Focusing on pushing your body to its limits grants you proficiency in the Athletics skill. If you are already proficient in this, you instead gain proficiency in one Binder skill of your choice.

Enhanced Share Vestige

From 6th level when you use your Share Vestige feature you can now share your vestige with two creatures instead of one. You must share the same vestige with both creatures.

Pain Expulsion

From 10th level when you would be reduced to 0 hit points by damage, you can use your reaction to expel a currently bound vestige to negate the damage you would take. If your Swift Binding is available to use, you can choose to expend this instead of expelling a currently bound vestige.

Practiced Binding

From 14th level the total number of vestige levels you can bind now totals your binder level plus half your proficiency bonus.

Legendary Resistance

From 18th level your experience with vestiges both magical and mystical grants you an understanding of their most potent defences. When you fail a saving throw, you can instead choose to succeed on it.

You must complete a long rest before being able to use Legendary Resistance again.

Sybil Cabal

While the Kyran Cabal often worships their vestige with a religious fervour, such devotion is far rarer among the Sybil Cabal. A binder who takes up their teachings is often intensely academic - more so than their colleagues - and seeks to use their binding abilities to untangle the threads of Sybil's powers. Some do this to complete her work on the Chronomicon, others do it to attain their own vestigial self, and others simply do it to uncover the mystery and reveal the truth of the universe, whatever that may be.

Chronal Regeneration

When you take this subclass your maximum hit points are increased by 1 for each level in the Binder Class. In addition when you or an ally heals themselves by expending hit dice during a rest, they can roll an additional time for free without expending an extra hit dice. A creature can benefit from this only once per rest.

Knowledge of Sybil

At 3rd level you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Arcana, Religion, History, Nature. If you are already proficient in all of these, you instead gain proficiency in one Binder skill of your choice.

Accelerated Actions

From 6th level you're able to heighten your reaction speed due to your vestige pacts. You add your charisma modifier to your initiative rolls.

In addition, you can gain a second bonus action on your turn, at the cost of not having a bonus action on the following turn.

Stasis

From 10th level you can attempt to lock a creature's time. Choose a target within 30ft. They must succeed on a constitution saving throw or be frozen in time. They lose their next turn, cannot take reactions, until the end of your next turn. They also gain immunity to all damage and conditions, and any spells that the creature had active that required their concentration are suppressed for the duration. In effect, the creature in stasis cannot be affected in any way, be it by creatures or objects.

A creature can willingly choose to fail the saving throw. If they attempt to resist it and succeed, the chronal energies inflict the Slow spell on them until the end of your next turn instead.

Stasis can be used once, refreshing on a long rest. From 17th level it can be used twice per long rest.

Chronal Motion

From 14th level when you complete a long rest you can infuse some of your chronal magic into one of your allies (other than yourself). Choose one of the following effects to grant them:

Echo. When they take the Attack action, they may make one additional attack. This stacks with other sources of Extra Attack or similar features.

Eternity. When they cast a spell of 5th level or lower that has duration of 1 minute or longer, its duration is doubled, to a maximum duration of 24 hours.

Entropy. When they are affected by a condition or effect that allows a saving throw at the end of the turn to end early, they make the saving throws with advantage.

A creature benefits from Chronal Motion until the end of their next long rest.

Timeless Body

From 14th level you can no longer be aged, either magically or mundanely, and cannot die of old age.

Ravages of Time

From 18th level you can tear a creature's time asunder once per long rest. As an action choose a creature you can see within 90ft. The target must make a constitution saving throw, taking 10d12 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the save fails, the target also ages to the point where it has only 30 days left before it dies of old age. In this aged state, the target has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws, and its walking speed is halved. Only the Wish spell or the Greater Restoration spell cast with a 9th-level spell slot can end these effects and restore the target to its previous age.