You were once two separate people, perhaps siblings, lovers, or even sworn enemies. Then some event happened, and you became two souls in the same body. This duality can manifest in different ways, such as one soul being good while the other is evil, or each soul representing contrasting aspects of the character's identity. Still, even if you hate your counterpart, just know there is one thing both want: To survive. You can put aside the differences if a dragon is chasing you.
Both characters must pick this background during character creation. It is up to you to decide how your souls got combined and your relationship to each other.
- Skill Proficiencies:
Choose two skill proficiencies that this soul has learned from when they were a separate person.
- Tool Proficiencies: You two have learned to play a game so that you can keep yourselves entertained.
- Languages: Choose one language this soul learned from when they were a separate person. If asked, the soul not running the body will often translate any language they know for the other soul.
- Equipment: You gain a gaming set of your choice, a large backpack with labeled compartments, a set of common clothes, and 10 GP.
As you are two people in one body, you can switch between souls when you want. When in combat, this swap takes an Action. Certain situations may “force” a swap at the DM's discretion. For example, eating one character’s favorite food may force them to become active, or meeting someone important to that character may force their soul to the front. If a soul is unwilling to swap, both souls must make a contested d20 check. If one soul has been active for a long time, they may incur a penalty to this check.
When you swap souls, switch character sheets to the other soul. This second character sheet could choose to select a different class and will have different stats and proficiencies. You may choose to keep your physical stats (e.g., strength, dexterity, and concentration) the same between souls, but this should be discussed with your DM. When calculating HP, both characters will have a shared HP pool, so if one soul takes damage, the other does as well. If the active soul goes unconscious, a swap can not happen until HP is regained. Similarly, if the active soul dies, both souls die.
You may also speak to the other soul as if it were a person standing before you. In addition, when you go to sleep, the other soul emerges, although the body will still need a full rest to function properly. Both souls are subject to spells that cause effects such as sleep and fear.
Suggested Characteristics
It's interesting having two souls.
| d6 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | We always fight and are on opposing sides of an argument. |
| 2 | We usually are opposites of each other, but we do our best to cover each other's backs. |
| 3 | One of us is shy, and one of us is bold. Which is which? |
| 4 | We both agree that it's fun messing with other people. |
| 5 | Where one's weakness is, the other makes up for in strength. |
| 6 | It's odd how much you hate it when you are not in control of your body. However, you should ask if it even is your body in the first place. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Even though we are two different people, we believe in the same things. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Too many people confuse us with each other, so we choose to act completely differently. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Even if we are different, there's no reason to harm others. (Good) |
| 4 | We've got too many things on our minds to worry about others. (Neutral) |
| 5 | Why bother trying to hide who we are? If someone doesn't like us, we'll kill them. Simple. (Evil) |
| 6 | The only reason to hide yourself is if you are scared, and we are not. (Any) |
| d8 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I would do anything for [Other soul's name]. My life wouldn't be the same without them. |
| 2 | We were married before we got "Cursed." It's actually a blessing as far as we are concerned, although we won't be able to have children unless we adopt. |
| 3 | [Other soul's name]! You can shut your trap! |
| 4 | I may hate [Other soul's name], but I have to admit that they are useful. |
| 5 | We love different things, but we let the other have their fun when they are out. |
| 6 | We are trying to get [Other soul's name] their body back. This is MY body, not yours! |
| 7 | Yes, we are two people in one body, but we've made it work. |
| 8 | It's a pain, but we don't mind being together. |
| d8 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I hate them; they hate me; we just cooperate cause we're stuck. |
| 2 | I'll sometimes force myself to go to sleep so that the other one will come out against their will. |
| 3 | We hate admitting that we rely on each other. |
| 4 | One of us is of a different race and doesn't want to admit it |
| 5 | We've been together for so long that I'm finding it harder and harder to keep who is who clear. |
| 6 | Somehow, we are both on the same wavelength when it comes to wanting to steal stuff. |
| 7 | It's hard to get the other soul out due to them being incredibly shy, yet at the same time, it's hard for me to give control to them. |
| 8 | It is sometimes too easy to tell us apart because of our polar opposite personalities. |