I've made this subclass, and between the facts that I only have the Basic Rules at my disposal and that this is a rather unorthodox idea, I legit have no idea how good it is. Probably needs a lot of wording fixes, primarily. Any suggestions or critiques are appreciated. Without further ado, here's the ranger subclass: Bell Keeper.
It was ten days into my journey northward that I realized how truly and unequivocally lost I had become. The mountain roads were blocked by a recent rockslide, so I took what looked to be a deer path winding around the other side of the mountain. Little did I know at the time that the woods it ran through were cursed, and anyone who dared enter them had never returned. Until now, of course! A fogbank rolled in not long after I started on the trail, and soon it was so thick I could not see my own hand in front of me. The mist seemed unnatural, somehow. Ethereal.
I walked through that fog for three days on end, most likely in circles. Sometimes I thought I saw people on the same path as I was, but how could I see them through the rolling mists? I decided my mind was playing tricks on me. Especially considering the people I saw seemed to just fade away into the fog, like they themselves were made of air. Or ghosts, perhaps. Yes, it is only now that I realize I was seeing ghosts.
My provisions were running low and so was my sanity. It was at a point of complete despair that I heard it. A soft, ringing tone. Like the beat of an angel's heart. A beautiful sound that turned my head, and I saw a light shining through the curtains of fog. A pair of windchimes, if you can believe it. Floating right there in front of me and glowing with the warmth of a firefly as it made its music. A man draped in white cloth, with a longbow slung over his shoulder, accompanied the spirit instrument. He said nothing, only smiled at me, then seemed to convey some silent message to the windchimes. They began glowing brighter, their song echoing past the mists, and suddenly the path cleared itself. The fog parted for the chime! I saw the deer path stretch out before me and lead back to the main road, which would undoubtedly return me to civilization. I wished to thank the man for his help, but he had disappeared along with the mist. Whoever he was, he guided me back to the world of the living. Him and that chime of his.
-A Lost Traveler's Tale
Bell Keepers understand that there are incidents in which people from their plane get stuck in the Border Ethereal which overlaps their world, as well as incidents in which lost souls in the Ethereal Plane begin to torment the living. Bell Keepers use a Bell- a manifestation of ethereal energy taken visible form- to guide these travelers- both material and ethereal- back to their proper path. The soft glow and hollow ring of the Bell acts as a beacon for these people, and helps them find where they belong...and, when necessary, rings as their funeral bell. Sometimes, the proper path for a wrathful spirit is one that sees them in a material grave.
Ethereal Bell
At 3rd level, you gain a manifestation of ethereal magic in the form of a Bell. This Bell is made up of spectral, white light and can be any instrument that would make a hollow clang: a bell, a gong, windchimes, a triangle, etc. You can carry your Bell or have it float beside you. While the Bell is away from your side, the magic holding it together is weakened, and therefore it can be damaged. It can only be harmed by force damage, and has an amount of hit points equal to your ranger level. When its hit points are reduced to zero, it is destroyed and its current effects are deactivated. It fully regains its hit points if you recall it to your side and cannot be damaged until you send it away again. You can summon, recreate, or dismiss the Bell with a bonus action.
While your Bell is present, you can perform one or more of the following in a single bonus action:
You send the Bell to a point within 30 feet, or recall it to your side. The Bell can travel through solid objects, except those that extend into the Ethereal Plane such as wall of force. If you or the Bell strays past this distance, the Bell is destroyed.
You cause the Bell to start shedding bright light within a 10-foot radius and dim light for another 10 feet. This light travels through solid objects that do not extend into the Ethereal Plane. Creatures and objects in the Ethereal Plane within the light are made visible.
You cause the Bell to start ringing.
Mystic Chime
At 7th level, while your Bell is present, you gain access to chimes; mystical intonations that your Bell can produce to grant magical effects. Each chime costs an action to begin, and only one can be active at a time. A chime ends when dismissed with no action cost, or when the Bell is destroyed. You gain access to the following chimes:
Calling Chime: You cause the Bell to start ringing out with a strangely compelling tone. Choose a type of creature. Creatures of that type within 1 mile (or 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain) are drawn to the sound of your Bell. Only creatures of that type can hear the sound. If you are in the Ethereal Plane, creatures in a plane you border can still hear the sound, and vice versa.
Illuminating Chime: You cause the Bell to start ringing out with a bright, cheery note. The Bell starts shedding bright light within a 10-foot radius and dim light for another 10 feet. This light travels through solid objects that do not extend into the Ethereal Plane, and pierces through magical darkness and magical effects which obscure surroundings such as fog cloud. Creatures and objects in the Ethereal Plane within the light are made visible and can be interacted with as if they were present in your current plane, and vice versa.
Soothing Chime: You cause the Bell to start ringing out with a clear, hollow song. Creatures that enter or start their turn within 10 feet of the Bell must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed until they leave the range of this chime. Creatures charmed by Soothing Chime cannot willingly move beyond 10 feet of the Bell. At the end of each of their turns, a creature can make the same saving throw again to attempt to break free of the charmed condition. If they succeed, they cannot be charmed again by this effect for 1 hour.
Ethereal Sight
At 11th level, you can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane from your current plane, and vice versa.
Traveler's Chime
At 15th level, you can cast the etherealness spell using an action. Treat the spell's components as having already been met. You cast this spell as if you are using an 8th level spell slot. You can use this feature once per long rest.
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I've made this subclass, and between the facts that I only have the Basic Rules at my disposal and that this is a rather unorthodox idea, I legit have no idea how good it is. Probably needs a lot of wording fixes, primarily. Any suggestions or critiques are appreciated. Without further ado, here's the ranger subclass: Bell Keeper.
Bell Keepers understand that there are incidents in which people from their plane get stuck in the Border Ethereal which overlaps their world, as well as incidents in which lost souls in the Ethereal Plane begin to torment the living. Bell Keepers use a Bell- a manifestation of ethereal energy taken visible form- to guide these travelers- both material and ethereal- back to their proper path. The soft glow and hollow ring of the Bell acts as a beacon for these people, and helps them find where they belong...and, when necessary, rings as their funeral bell. Sometimes, the proper path for a wrathful spirit is one that sees them in a material grave.
Ethereal Bell
At 3rd level, you gain a manifestation of ethereal magic in the form of a Bell. This Bell is made up of spectral, white light and can be any instrument that would make a hollow clang: a bell, a gong, windchimes, a triangle, etc. You can carry your Bell or have it float beside you. While the Bell is away from your side, the magic holding it together is weakened, and therefore it can be damaged. It can only be harmed by force damage, and has an amount of hit points equal to your ranger level. When its hit points are reduced to zero, it is destroyed and its current effects are deactivated. It fully regains its hit points if you recall it to your side and cannot be damaged until you send it away again. You can summon, recreate, or dismiss the Bell with a bonus action.
While your Bell is present, you can perform one or more of the following in a single bonus action:
Mystic Chime
At 7th level, while your Bell is present, you gain access to chimes; mystical intonations that your Bell can produce to grant magical effects. Each chime costs an action to begin, and only one can be active at a time. A chime ends when dismissed with no action cost, or when the Bell is destroyed. You gain access to the following chimes:
Ethereal Sight
At 11th level, you can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane from your current plane, and vice versa.
Traveler's Chime
At 15th level, you can cast the etherealness spell using an action. Treat the spell's components as having already been met. You cast this spell as if you are using an 8th level spell slot. You can use this feature once per long rest.