Oath of the Soulbinder

Throughout the world, whether it is found in the aftermath of a recent battle between nations or at the somber bedside of the ill who have lost the will to carry on, souls do not always find their way to their eternal resting place. It is here you will find those who have sworn the Oath of The Soulbinder making sure these spirits do not wander without purpose. The Soulbinder is concerned with what happens to the spirits of those who have succumbed to their destiny, and find their souls with nowhere to go. Armed each with leather Soul Tome and blade, they wander the countryside in search of spirits to tame. Through spending time with the souls of the recently lamented in such consistency, the Soulbinder has discovered how to harness the ethereal powers of these souls and bring them into the Material Plane to fight alongside them.

Soulbinders are often associated with gods that deal in Souls or the Afterlife, but can be in the service of any patron. These champions can serve those on either side of the alignment spectrum. Neutral or Good aligned players may choose to serve The Raven Queen, Kelemvor, , Osiris, or Anubis. Players choosing to serve those of Evil alignment might find themselves in the service of Asmodeus, Myrkul, Hades, or Hel.

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following three Channel Divinity options.

Ferryman to the Underworld - As completion of your Soulbinder training, you gain access to the spells Soul Bind and Transcribe Soul. See the details within the spell descriptions. You now can perform the sacred rituals to either bind the soul of a creature that you choose to your own, or to transcribe a soul into your Soul Tome for your safe keeping.

Transcribe Soul is a cantrip and can be used at will. This ritual binds a lost soul to your Soul Tome for transport or storage.

Soul Bind is a ritual that binds the soul of a deceased being to your own. Binding a soul gains you access to the remainder of your Oath Features. You may not use any other Oath Features when you are without a bound soul. You may only have one soul bound to you at any time. As you progress in experience, your ability to bind souls grows in strength and allows you to harness the souls of more powerful beings. See benefits of each type of soul in the below options. These soul levels unlock at Levels 3, 5, 9, 13, and 17.

Of Man and Spirit. As an action, you can invoke the spirit that is bound to you by imbuing one weapon that you are holding with soul energy, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, you add your Charisma modifier to attack rolls made with that weapon (with a minimum bonus of +1). Any creature that is hit by a melee attack while this feature is active witnesses the ethereal form of the soul that aids you, and must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you for the duration of this ability. The frightened creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. 

You can end this effect on your turn as part of any other action. If you are no longer holding or carrying this weapon, or if you fall unconscious, this effect ends.

Soul Asylum. If at any time your total hit points are dropped to zero, you can expend a reaction to use your Channel Divinity to absorb the life force of your Bound Soul. By using this ability, the soul you have bound to yours will expend its energy to extend your life. You must make a DC15 Charisma saving throw to successfully absorb the soul. On a success, you are restored to 1 hit point and do not fall unconscious. On a failure, the soul does not empower you enough to carry on and you fall unconscious. Your bound soul is permanently expended on either a success of failure, and you cannot use any of your Oath Features until a new soul is bound.

Soul Bind Options:

1. Beast Soul (Level 3)

You are chained to the soul of a once wild beast. A creature of primal instinct and cunning walks with you. With this soul bound, you gain darkvision out to 30ft, and have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that require smell or sound. Beings whose spirits are eligible for this Oath feature must be classified as: Beast

2. Mortal Soul (Level 5)

The soul of a once living humanoid now lends its talents to you from the afterlife. Be it a fallen warrior, a wise diplomat, or a wild Bugbear. The resilient will of a bipedal specter now aids you, aiding your reflexes in the world. You now may utilize the disengage action as a bonus action and you learn one language the creature knew in life.  

3. Monstrous Soul (Level 9)

Your skill in controlling the unruly power of spirits has elevated now allowing you to bind the soul of a once bloodthirsty monster to your service. The pure power of this creature empowers your combat prowess. You gain advantage on initiative rolls, and your dexterity saving throw bonus increases by 1. Beings whose spirits are eligible for this Oath feature must be classified as: Monstrosities, Aberrations

4a. Otherworldly Soul (Fiend) (Level 13)

A fallen being of another plane is now in your service. The soul of a fiend now empowers your Oath through the strength of its spirit and its ability to see through others. You now have resistance to necrotic damage, proficiency in Wisdom (Insight) and can now speak Abyssal. Beings whose spirits are eligible for this Oath feature must be classified as: Fiend

4b. Otherworldly Soul (Celestial/Fey) (Level 13)

A fallen being of another plane is now in your service. The soul of a celestial or fey being now empowers your Oath through the strength of its spirit and its ability to see through others. You now have resistance to radiant damage, proficiency in Wisdom (Insight) and can now speak Celestial or Sylvan. Beings whose spirits are eligible for this Oath feature must be classified as: Celestial, Fey

5. Dragon Soul (Level 17)

The most powerful souls in the material planes now can be bent to your will. The soul of the fierce dragon race now bolsters you with its might. You can now speak Draconic, you learn the spell disguise self, and once per long rest, when you fail a saving throw, you may choose to succeed instead.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath of the Spellbinder Spells table. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how oath spells work.

Oath of the Spellbinder Spells

Aura of the Soulbinder

Beginning at 7th level, due to spending so much time walking in the presence of spirits, you begin to emit an aura that is touched by the afterlife. Friendly creatures (including you) within 10 feet of you have resistance to necrotic damage.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Purveyor of the Spirit Realm

Beginning at 15th level, your increased skill has allowed you to see and walk in the spirit realm. You gain access to the spells Etherealness and True Seeing. You may use an action to case each spell once per day. These spells are always prepared and do not cost a spell slot to cast. You regain the ability to cast this spell after a long rest.

Master of Spirits

At 20th level, as an action, you manifest your bound soul to the material plane to serve you in battle. The soul enshrouds your form like a spectral suit of armor, creating a ghastly visage that is described by those who witness it as The Grim Reaper incarnate. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

• Your AC increases by 1
• Your movement speed increases by 10ft
• You add 1d6 necrotic damage to all melee attacks
• You are immune to being frightened, charmed, blinded or deafened

In addition, for the duration, if you bring any enemy to 0 hit points, they must make a Charisma saving throw before falling unconscious. On a success, they fall unconscious. On a failure, their soul is immediately forced from their body and ensnared in your soul tome. The affected creature dies instantly and cannot be restored to life by any means.

When this feature ends, you must make a DC18 Charisma saving throw, or your bound soul is dispersed to the afterlife and you suffer the effects of not having a bound soul as described in your Oath Feature.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.