Many creatures across the realms command insidious powers of domination. From ghostly possession, an aboleth's mental enslavement, or time spent as a mind flayer's favored experimentation subject there are many ways someone might stumble into a loss of free will. Whether liberated by a chance encounter with fellow explorers, the sudden disappearance of your master, sheer will, or a quirk of biology; you have managed to break through the mental shackles which have held you at bay, though not without sacrifice. A scar or other element persists despite the broken compulsion of between you and your former tormentor. This scar can manifest in numerous different ways, from physical transformation, a psychic link, or psychological damage. Regardless of the form this scar takes it has caused a change to take root in you, reflected in a psionic bent in your magics if you are able to cast spells.
- Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set
- Languages: Choose one of Undercommon, Deep Speech or Abyssal
- Equipment: A trinket from your former life or from the lair of your former oppressor worth 15gp, a set of fine clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp
Your mind has become sensitive to the intentions of those around you. A successful insight check reveals if the person under scrutiny has a generally favorable or unfavorable view of you and your companions. This does not reveal any machinations or plans the subject has toward the party, only their general disposition toward the character or party performing the insight check. Gaining this information can assist you in further conversation with the target, granting you advantage on the next charisma check intended to influence them. This does not cause them to ignore their own interests or agree to requests that would otherwise never be granted.
Spell List
For you, the spells on the Liberated Thrall Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.) The spells in this spell list are meant to be tailored to the type of creature which had you enthralled, work with your dm to determine appropriate spells or use the attached spells for a psionically bent domination.
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| Cantrip | encode thoughts, mind sliver |
| 1st | catapult, command |
| 2nd | shadow blade, tasha's mind whip |
| 3rd | fly, pulse wave |
| 4th | gravity sinkhole, summon aberration |
| 5th | bigby's hand, wall of force |
Your magic often features dramatic bursts of bright color or an absence of color all together. When you cast beneficial spells on your allies, they appear momentarily tethered to you via a thread of bright color or distortion in the air surrounding them.
Suggested Characteristics
The road to recovery for a former thrall is different for every subject. Some subjects zealously pursue vendettas against the monsters which enslaved them while others drown out the memories with alcohol or pleasurable company. Still, others turn inward to quiet contemplation, slowly learning to come to terms with the abuse they suffered. Use the characteristics table from the Haunted One background to flesh out your own life after liberation.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I don’t run from evil. Evil runs from me. |
| 2 | I like to read and memorize poetry. It keeps me calm and brings me fleeting moments of happiness. |
| 3 | I spend money freely and live life to the fullest, knowing that tomorrow I might die. |
| 4 | I live for the thrill of the hunt. |
| 5 | I don’t talk about the thing that torments me. I’d rather not burden others with my curse. |
| 6 | I expect danger around every corner. |
| 7 | I refuse to become a victim, and I will not allow others to be victimized. |
| 8 | I put no trust in divine beings. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | I try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) |
| 2 | I’ll stop the spirits that haunt me or die trying. (Any) |
| 3 | I kill monsters to make the world a safer place, and to exorcise my own demons. (Good) |
| 4 | I have a dark calling that puts me above the law. (Chaotic) |
| 5 | I like to know my enemy’s capabilities and weaknesses before rushing into battle. (Lawful) |
| 6 | I’m a monster that destroys other monsters, and anything else that gets in my way. (Evil) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I keep my thoughts and discoveries in a journal. My journal is my legacy. |
| 2 | I would sacrifice my life and my soul to protect the innocent. |
| 3 | My torment drove away the person I love. I strive to win back the love I’ve lost. |
| 4 | A terrible guilt consumes me. I hope that I can find redemption through my actions. |
| 5 | There’s evil in me, I can feel it. It must never be set free. |
| 6 | I have a child to protect. I must make the world a safer place for him (or her). |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have certain rituals that I must follow every day. I can never break them. |
| 2 | I assume the worst in people. |
| 3 | I feel no compassion for the dead. They’re the lucky ones |
| 4 | I have an addiction. |
| 5 | I am a purveyor of doom and gloom who lives in a world without hope. |
| 6 | I talk to spirits that no one else can see. |
Contacts
The downfall of a aberrant slave master is rarely an isolated event. You may have kept in contact with other former thralls, forming a network of support on your road to recovery, or as a way of emulating a hive mind once shared.
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