• (a) a sickle, or (b) a spear


• (a) an explorer's pack, or (b) a priest's pack


• a book of rites


• 2 soulstones (filled, and 2 soulstones (empty)

Ritual Casting

Starting at 2nd-level, the Soulbinder has access to a number of unique rituals they can cast without the need for spell slots and without needing to prepare those spells as long as they have the required time and material components. Your spellcasting ability modifier is Wisdom. The Soulbinder gains access to new rituals at specific levels noted on the Soulbinder Ritual Table below.

Soulbinder Ritual Table

Soulbinding

At 1st-level, you have the ability to capture the souls of those that die near you. To do this, you must modify your weapon to hold a Soulstone, and cut the creature whose soul you intend to capture. When you damage a creature with your blade, or by the attacks of one of your beckoned spirits, you become linked to them. When a creature you have linked with dies, you can attempt to bind its soul as a reaction. Make a Wisdom ability check with a DC of 10 + half the CR of the creature that has died (rounded down). On a success, the creature's soul is captured in your soulstone. Each Soulstone can only contain one spirit, though you may have as many Soulstones as you wish. These Soulstones can then be used for your class abilities.

Beckon

At 1st-level, as an action, you can call a spirit forth from within one of your Soulstones to manifest it, allowing you to command it to fight for you. Creatures beckoned from your Soulstones have the statistics of the Beckoned Spirit stat block, which increases in power as you level up. The number of spirits you can have beckoned at any given time is equal to your proficiency bonus. Each time you beckon a spirit, it fades a bit, and will eventually disappear from your Soulstone completely. The number of times a spirit can be beckoned before fading is determined by your proficiency bonus, as shown in the 'Spirit Uses' column on the Soulbinder table. The times a spirit can be beckoned before fading is determined at the time they are captured, and this number does not increase when you level up.

Once beckoned, a spirit remains for 1 hour, after which it returns to its Soulstone. There is no limit to how many spirits you can beckon in a day so long as you have filled Soulstones. Your beckoned spirits are tethered to you and cannot move more than 60 ft. away from you. If at any point they exit this range, they will be dismissed and returned to their Soulstone.

When beckoned, you can give your spirit various traits to customize their role. The number of abilities you imbue each spirit with cannot exceed your proficiency bonus. Some traits can be added to your spirit multiple times, but count against the number of traits your spirit can have. The abilities that you can imbue your spirits with are described below:

Ritual Caster

At 2nd-level, you have the ability to use a number of Soulbinder-specific rituals. These rituals often utilize or consume souls as a material component, or use other valuable materials or blood sacrifices. You do not have spell slots for these rituals and can cast them as needed as long as you have the time and materials required. Refer to the Soulbinder Ritual table to see what rituals are available at each Soulbinder level.

Soulbinding Tradition

At 2nd-level, you must choose a Soulbinding tradition, which determines your path in how you will utilize your spirits. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level, and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Spiritual Mending

At 3rd-level, you have the ability to reconstitute your spirits. As an action, you can roll a number of d8s equal to your proficiency bonus and restore hit points to your beckoned spirits by distributing the amount rolled between them. You can do this a number of times per long rest equal to your proficiency bonus.

Danse Macabre

At 9th-level, you have the ability to change your beckoned spirits' appearances to look just like you and to trade places with one of them, confusing your enemies. Once per long rest, as an action, you can perform a strange dance that changes the appearance of your beckoned spirits to be identical to you for up to 1 minute. When you do this, you can use your reaction to teleport once up to 60 ft. to trade places with one of your beckoned spirits. The teleportation is instantaneous and imperceptible.

A creature must succeed on an Investigation check against your spell save DC to see through the illusion. This investigation check must be made separately against each of your beckoned spirits to determine if they are false. A creature that attacks one of your beckoned spirits while they are in your form will dispel the illusion on that spirit, revealing their true form, but not revealing the others. A successful Investigation check against you reveals that you are the real one.

Part the Veil

At 13th-level, you gain the ability to contact spirits of the dead as the 'Speak with Dead' spell without requiring the departed's remains. As an action, you can attempt to contact the spirit of a person you are aware of and can temporarily beckon them. When you do this, the departed's spirit manifests with the beckoned spirit stat block, and can be seen by all. You can then question them as per the 'Speak with Dead' spell. If you question them, they will vanish after the fifth question -- otherwise, they will remain and obey your commands for up to 1 minute.

However, your familiarity with the departed can affect the success of contacting them. If you have not personally met the person you are trying to contact, there is a chance you could contact someone completely different, or even a malevolent spirit from the Vortex. If you contact a malevolent spirit, they may attack you. See the table below to determine your chances of contacting the correct spirit based on your familiarity with them; you will not know when contacted whether the spirit you've contacted is the correct one or if they are from the Vortex:

Eidolon

At 18th-level, you take on some of the aspects of the spirits at your command as some of your animate Flow is converted into spectral Flow. You gain the following benefits:

• You can see 60 ft. into the Ethereal plane.
• You gain resistance to necrotic damage and cannot be frightened.
• You no longer age and cannot be aged magically.
• Once per long rest as an action, you can merge with one of your beckoned spirits within 5 ft. of you, transferring the spirit's resistances and immunities to yourself, as well as two traits of your choice that you have imbued them with, and gaining temporary hit points equal to the spirit's remaining hit points. This effect lasts for 10 minutes. Afterwards, the spirit returns to its Soulstone.

Bonecarver

The Bonecarver goes beyond the spiritual and chooses to bind the souls of the dead within corpses, animating them like undead, and modifying their bodies to give them more flexible capabilities. This binding is permanent, transferring the soul from its Soulstone into the prepared body. However, once these creatures are killed, their soul is lost permanently and cannot be rebound. This particular tradition can be horrifying to many civilized societies, but the Ettinor are very accepting of the practice.

Carve

At 2nd-level, you have the ability to carve the bones of a creature's body to prepare it to be inhabited by one of your spirits, giving it a permanent vessel. This allows you to give your spirits physical form, giving them different potential abilities. However, once transplanted into a vessel, you cannot return the spirit to your Soulstone. The process of carving the bones of a creature takes about 1 hour, after which you can transplant one of your bound souls into the body. The vessel does not expire, and will persist until killed. Transplanting a soul into a vessel allows you to have permanent minions in addition to your beckoned spirits. Vessels do not count against the number of spirits you can beckon.

Vessels have the statistics of the Carved Vessel stat block, and you can imbue the vessel with certain traits as you would with your beckoned spirits. However, vessels can only have a number of traits equal to half of your proficiency bonus (rounded down). The abilities that you can imbue your vessel with include:

Death Rattle

At 6th-level, your vessels can be volatile when damaged, and upon death, give off a blast of necrotic energy. When one of your vessels is killed, you can use your reaction to cause its body to explode, and all creatures within 10 ft. of it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they take 14 (4d6) necrotic damage, or half as much on a successful saving throw. This damage increases by 2d6 when you reach 11th level (6d6), and again at 17th level (8d6).

Last Stand

At 10th-level, you have the ability to sustain one of your vessels temporarily after it reaches 0 hit points. Once per long rest, you can sustain a single vessel by concentrating for up to 1 minute, recovering up to half of its maximum hit points. However, once combat ends, you fail a concentration check, or the minute has elapsed, the vessel dies.

Transient Vessel

At 14th-level, you have mastered the art of creating vessels to the point where you can immediately force a creature's soul back into its body when it dies rather than having to soulbind it and prepare a vessel. However, vessels whose bones are not carved cannot contain the soul long-term and last a short time. When you would have the opportunity to soulbind a creature, you can instead immediately transform its body into a vessel upon its death and bind it to your service. This vessel can be given an additional trait. These vessels last for only 1 hour before degrading and falling apart. You cannot capture the soul of a vessel created this way when the vessel expires. You can do this a number of times per long rest equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).

Wraith

The Wraith has the ability to consume the animate Flow of souls as well as binding it. They can heal themselves and their allies by consuming the soul. Most do not take issue with this act when it is used against monstrous creatures, but even other Soulbinders find the act of consuming the soul of a person to be abhorrent. The Wraith can also bind souls to themselves and others temporarily to grant them powerful boons and temporary hit points. At higher levels, they can even use souls to jump start the life force of someone who has recently perished, reviving them.

Reap

At 2nd-level, you have the ability to consume the souls of creatures as they die to recover. When a creature that you have linked to dies, you can use your reaction to consume their soul rather than binding it. When you do this, the creature's soul is destroyed and you regain 1d6 hit points. This amount increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th-level (2d6), 11th-level (3d6), and 17th-level (4d6).

Life Drain

At 6th-level, you have the ability to drain animate Flow from living creatures to heal yourself. As an action, your hand is set alight by a black flame and you can make a melee spell attack at a creature within 5 ft. On a hit, the target creature takes 2d8 necrotic damage, and you regain hit points equal to the damage dealt, and the target creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the target creature cannot regain hit points until the end of your next turn.

You can use this ability a number of times per long rest equal to your proficiency bonus. The damage of this ability increases by 1d8 at level 11 (3d8) and level 17 (4d8).

Soul Exploitation

At 10th-level, when a creature within 30 ft. dies, you can use your reaction to immediately bind the spirit to your service, acting as a Beckoned Spirit. The spirit appears in the place that their corporeal body fell, and does not count against the number of spirits you can have beckoned. The spirit remains for 10 minutes, and is then destroyed. You can use this ability a number of times per long rest equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).

Soulstorm

At 14th-level, you can burn out one of your bound souls all at once to create a storm of necrotic energy that saps the life out of those within. As an action, you can choose one of your Soulstones and consume the soul contained within, emptying the Soulstone, and creating a storm in a 20 ft. radius centered on you. This storm moves with you, and at the time you create it, and whenever a creature enters the storm or starts its turn within it, they must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, a creature takes 8d8 necrotic damage, or half as much damage on a successful saving throw.

Additionally, no creature within the storm can regain hit points. Creatures that die due to this effect cannot be Soulbound or consumed by your Wraith abilities. The storm lasts until the end of your next turn. You can do this a number of times per long rest equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).

Veilwalker

The Veilwalker toes the line between life and death, becoming like a spirit themselves, granting them many abilities of the spirits they command. Additionally, the Veilwalker has a stronger connection to their spirits and can speak to the dead, as well as make them stronger. The Veilwalker is a formidable foe you may never see coming.

Soul Shepherd

At 2nd-level, your spirits can coordinate their attacks, becoming more proficient in combat when around your other beckoned spirits. When your beckoned spirits are within 10 ft. of another one of your beckoned spirits, they gain the following benefits:

• They gain +1 to AC.
• They gain an extra damage die on their attacks.
• They can distribute damage among them when one of them takes damage from an attack.
• If a spirit attacks a creature that another spirit has attacked this round, they gain advantage on their attack roll.

Veilwalk

At 6th-level, you gain the ability to enter the Ethereal plane to become like a spirit yourself. As an action, you can shift into the Ethereal plane, becoming intangible for up to 1 minute. While in this state, you can see 60 ft. into the Material plane, seeing anything beyond as a vague pale green-white mist. You can move through solid objects at half your movement speed unless the material you are trying to move through contains Zegrumite. You can occupy the same space as another creature that is on the Material plane. You are invisible to creatures on the Material plane unless they can see into the Ethereal plane.

You cannot interact with creatures on the Material plane and vice versa. You can choose to shift back to the Material plane early, requiring no action. When you re-enter the Material plane, if you are occupying the same space as another creature or object, you are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space, taking 5 (1d10) force damage for each 5 ft. you are moved. You can do this a number of times per long rest equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).

Possess

At 10th-level, you gain the ability to enter the body of another creature while Veilwalking, allowing you to control their actions. Once per long rest, as an action while you are in your spirit form on the Ethereal plane, and while occupying the same space as another creature, you can enter their body and try to take control of them. The target creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC to avoid being possessed. On a failed saving throw, you assume control of the creature's body for up to 10 minutes, gaining full access to their innate abilities, but cannot cast spells that they have access to. While possessing the creature, you act on their initiative. If the target creature is killed while you are possessing them, you are ejected back into your spirit form, taking 11 (2d10) psychic damage. The creature may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns after you choose their actions, ejecting you to your spirit form on a successful saving throw.

If the creature you are attempting to possess succeeds on their initial saving throw, your ability is not expended, and you can attempt to possess another creature after 1 minute. Your Veilwalking duration pauses while you are possessing a creature. After a creature has been possessed or succeeds on their saving throw against possession, they are immune to the effect for 24 hours.

Spiritual Affinity

At 14th-level, you have mastered the art of beckoning. Your beckoned spirits no longer fade. Additionally, when you use your action to beckon, you may beckon all of your spirits at once.

Sifter

The Sifter has the ability to see into Matroka -- the plane of memories; Estrea's domain. This plane leaves imprints of the deaths of everyone who has ever died, and the Sifter has the ability to see these imprints, allowing them to glimpse the past and see exactly what happened. It also allows them a close connection with their ancestors, using personal mementos to bypass the need to soulbind a spirit to beckon it. Beyond simply serving justice, a Sifter can restore a spirit that has been corrupted by exposure to charged Flow by reconnecting them to their memories, restoring their sanity, in order to allow them to pass on to the afterlife.

Spiritual Kinship

At 2nd-level, you have the ability to beckon the spirits of your ancestors and allies to fight by your side. These spirits do not fade and you do not require Soulstones to do so. Instead, you simply need a memento associated with who they were in life to make the connection. A spirit must be willing to be beckoned in order for you to beckon them in this manner.

Additionally, when you are within 30 ft. of someone who was present at the death of another person, you will see phantom images near them of the victims. For these images to appear, the person in question must have been involved in the victim's death in some way, though they may not necessarily have been the one to end the victim's life. These images are not spirits and cannot be interacted with in any way.

Echoes of Death

At 6th-level, you gain the ability to see echoes of those who have died intersecting with the Material plane. As an action, you can open yourself to visions from Matroka, allowing you to see phantom images of those who have died within 60 ft. of you replaying their final moments endlessly. These phantom images, much like the ones you see around people involved in the deaths of others, repeat the actions they took moments before death, allowing you to see what killed them, to hear their final words, and to see anyone else who was within 30 ft. of them when it happened. This effect lasts for 1 minute. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to half of your proficiency bonus (rounded down), regaining all uses after a long rest.

Sandstorm

At 10th-level, you have the ability to conjure the sands of Matroka to addle your foes and bolster your spirits. Once per day, as an action, you can conjure a sandstorm in a 30 ft. radius centered on you. The sandstorm moves as you move, and lasts for 1 minute, requiring concentration. Within the sandstorm, vision is heavily obscured for all creatures except beckoned spirits.

Echoes of Retribution

At 14th-level, you gain the ability to call upon the spirits you see around those who have caused the deaths of others, giving them a chance at retribution. Once per day, as an action, you can choose a number of spirits up to your proficiency bonus (subtracting any spirits you already have beckoned) that you can see surrounding a target creature. If the spirits agree to be beckoned, they immediately appear in spaces within 10 ft. of the target. When beckoned this way, these spirits can be imbued with a spiritual trait for free, and they have advantage to attack rolls against the target. These spirits will remain until either the target is killed, or until 10 minutes have passed, whichever comes first. This ability can be used on monsters.