Base Class: Ranger
Spirit Shepherds roam wild lands in search of animal spirits. They ease passing of the spirits and act as an anchor for those that wish to remain. Through this anchor bond, they are able to temporarily evoke manifestations of these spirits.
Summon Spirit
As an action, you can summon a spirit that assumes the form of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal beast. Appearing in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of you, the spirit takes on a form that you choose: any beast with a CR equal to or less than your Ranger level divided by 4, rounded down. The creature has the statistics of the chosen form, though it is a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of its normal type. You can use action this a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier per long rest.
Add your proficiency bonus to the beast's AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, any saving throws and skills it is proficient in, and any DCs it imposes as part of its abilities. Its hit point maximum equals two times the hit point number in its stat block or four times your ranger level, whichever is higher. Additionally, if your chosen creature has an Intelligence of 5 or less, its Intelligence becomes 6, and it gains the ability to understand one language of your choice that you speak.
You and your spirit have an instinctive bond that allows you to fight as a seamless unit. While your summoned spirit is within 1 mile of you, you can communicate with each other telepathically. The spirit shares your initiative and may act on the same turn in which it is summoned. It will obey your commands (no action required by you), and can act independently if you do not command it. The spirit never requires your command to use its reaction, such as when making an opportunity attack. It is friendly to you and your companions and will prioritize your safety above its own.
When the spirit drops to 0 hit points or after one hour, whichever comes first, the spirit disappears, leaving behind no physical remains. You can also dismiss your spirit at any time as a free action, causing it to disappear. You can't have more than one spirit summoned at a time.
Deeper Bond
Beginning at 7th level, your deepening connection with the animal spirits manifests in several ways.
As your bond strengthens, you are able to do more than just communicate with your spiritual manifestations. As an action, you can see through your summoned spirit's eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the creature has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses. This action fails if you and the spirit are more than 1 mile apart.
This deeper bond also allows a spirit to remain tied to you for a time after being dismissed. You can now dismiss and recall the same spirit an unlimited number of times within one hour of its summoning. If you wish to summon a different spirit of a different form within that hour, you still must expend another use of the Summon Spirit feature.
In addition, any spell you cast on yourself is duplicated on your summoned spirit.
Monstrous Bond
Starting at 11th level, your experience working with souls at the edge of death grants you the ability to shepherd the spirits of creatures beyond just beasts. You can choose to summon spirits of monstrosities you've encountered near death as well. At your DM's discretion, you may also choose from dragon and plant creatures you've encountered.
Furthermore, the spirit’s natural attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Twinned Bond
Beginning at 15th level, your link with the spiritual has become so powerful that you can duplicate the forms of your spirit herd. When you use the Summon Spirit feature, you may create two separate manifestations of the summoned spirit. The manifestations are independent from one another and you can freely command both on your turn.
Your newfound prowess also extends a summoned spirit's duration to 8 hours.
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