The Hunter and the Prey

A Vengeful and Caring Spirit. 

 

Those Rangers who become too far entwined with the forest run the risk of becoming engulfed within it. Usually, this entails a spirit wandering the forests latching onto the unlucky ranger, and binding so closely to their soul that they are inseparable. In such cases, the spirit can soon enough manifest from the ranger, becoming an ethereal companion with sway over their actions as one cannot stray from the other. 

These possessed individuals take upon themselves a string of new abilities, enhancing themselves physically and spiritually. With enough time, the two entities will grow into one, and the spirit and the ranger will become an avatar of the forest itself. A protector or an avenger. 

The Spirit's Awakening.

At 3rd level, you gain a spiritual companion that is bound to you. It must remain within 40 feet of you in any direction, and it can speak and understand any language you do. It can both communicate telepathically and verbally with you, but only verbally with others. This companion is untargettable, but can attack any enemy which you can see and is within movement range. This spirit can move up to your own movement speed and can fly, however it can only be persuaded to act, it will not obey commands on demand. 

This spirit does not require an action from you in order to command it to move, but does require one in order to have it attack. 

The spirit takes its turn on your initiative, and if it hasn't been asked to perform a task, it will seek out the nearest enemy in combat and attack them and if you become unconscious, it will return to you, defending you until you can be revived. It is intangible to all except you. 

When it attacks, it deals damage in a magical manner corresponding with the damage type of the creature it takes its form from. such as an animal relying on stomping dealing its damage as bludgeoning, or piercing for fangs, and slashing for claws. It will attack as many times as you do on its turn. Meaning if you have one attack, it may attack once. 

This spirit has a wisdom of 16, charisma of 14, and intelligence of 18. It has advantage on perception and insight checks with a proficiency bonus equal to your own and the bond of the ranger and the spirit grows as they become more accustomed to each other. 

 

Mana Pool

At 3rd level, you gain access to a limited pool of spiritual energy that you may channel into refreshing the usage of one feature or spell. The costs for spells increases by one point for every level above 2, IE; a first and second level spell requires one mana point to return the spell slot, but a third level requires two, and so on. 

All class features cost one mana point, except for nature's respite. It costs 4. 

Spirit's frenzy

Beginning at 7th level, you may command your companion to strike out at blinding speeds into the radius surrounding you. This creates a new 80ft diameter space in which the spirit may attack, anchored on the point of casting, you may not leave this area until the feature is ended with a bonus action. Any creature that ends their turn within this radius, marked as friend or foe by you, must pass a WIS save, or take 3d6 psychic damage as the companion invades their consciousness. 

The feature requires concentration to be maintained by you, and will end if any concentration spells are cast alongside it. However, you may attack, move, and act within this space.

This feature refreshes after a short rest. 

This feature's damage increases by 2d6 at 10th, 14th and 17th level. 

Mounting Dread

Using your action (a bonus action at 11th level), you apply a mark to an enemy for 4 turns, halving their movement for the duration.

Attacks targeted against the enemy refresh the mark's duration. If you manage to attack the target by the time 4 stacks have been applied to the enemy, you deal an extra 6d8 piercing damage. 

If nothing has targetted the marked enemy within 4 turns of the last attack, then the mark dissipates. 

This feature is refreshed upon a long rest. (A short rest at 11th level). 

Spiritual Fury

Starting at 11th level, when you command your spiritual companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make two attacks, or it can take the Multiattack action. This will cost you the use of your action, however, ordering the spirit to attack only once will only incur the use of your bonus action, instead of a full action. 

The spirit still expends its reaction. 

Nature's Respite

You can call down the rejuvenating powers of the forest to shield yourself and those within a 20-foot radius of you from death for 4 turns starting from the turn this is cast on. Healing back 8d8 hp to all currently within the feature's effect when it ends. 

This will cause an automatic death save for anyone currently bleeding out within the effect's range. 

This can only be done once per long rest.