Homebrew Ankou (old) Species Details

Undead Conjuring

An Ankou is the soul of a fallen warrior brought back to the land of the living. One can be brought back due to multiple different reasons and ways, one way is by a necromancer or similarly trained person through a very special and powerful ritual requiring a "Black Pearl", the remains of the spirit's body or their suit of armor (usually without the helmet), and an essential item to the person, like their weapon, jewelry, etc. Another way one can be made is by a powerful entity, usually connected to death, this method usually makes the Ankou a warlock or cleric to that patron that revived them. There are other ways but they are scarce and usually don't last that very long but another way is by the spirit's ser will and desire to come back to life.

Rituals origin?

Long ago a necromantic ritual tore through an ancient empire that reduced its people to naught but withered husks of themselves, Nor did their minds survive unscathed, most were reduced to empty, hollow vessels that now serve as soldiers and servants to those whose personalities and egos survived the onslaught of necromantic energy. All were alive once, now naught but ashes of their humanity remain. Even the destruction of their new undead forms proved for not as they would just be raised again to serve their masters, that sought to expand their rule, emboldened by their immortality granted to them by their new form. Some, once mindless undead because of their masters, have broken free of their bonds and regained some intelligence, or at least that was the tale. Many blame lich's and even gods like the raven queen for these monsters, but the answer may never be known.

Ecto Core

What was once the black pearl is now their heart and now is turned into an Ectocore, the capsule for their ethereal energy. the core has magical properties like the ability to hold other people's souls in it and give the user a minor boost. the core's appearance and energy it gives off is usually a reflection of the person who brought back the awoken in the first place.

The ability to hold others' souls is called "dead man's bluff" and it allows the user to take the soul of one who falls near them and use it to make them stronger, for the time being, it is short and more of aburst of energy but proves to be useful.

The ecto core is the key to bringing an Ankou back from the grave and due to this is also the key way to be brought back if fallen again in combat. If such an event does happen then the Ankou will dissolve leaving only their ecto core, this means that they can always be brought back, the process however requires that a necromancer, death domain cleric, any spell caster connected to death, or even a powerful death domain entity must perform a ritual that lasts for at least 6 hours with another black pearl. only by doing this can an Ankou be brought back, however, if they were brought back by a death domain entity they could just do the ritual for free and for half the time by bringing them to a location that is strong with said entity like their church or place there statue or symbol is at, however, most entities don't tend to be that kind.

It is also noted knowing that destroying these cores is downright difficult, due to the undead energy found within the core it becomes harder than a dragons scales, the only way to destroy it easily is with a blessed weapon by a god or celestial, by the hands of a celestial, by the hands of a deity, by the empowered blade of a death knight, by an archfey or archfiend, or by feeding it to an ancient dragon. It's possible to destroy it by hitting it really hard but it's difficult unless you use divine or otherworldly alternatives.

Undead Status

The Ankou is considered Undead and Humanoid, because of this they due tend to act very much alive. due to their undead status, they are affected by undead targeting spells and weapons, however, they are immune to disease and are resistant to necrotic damage. but the part that makes them humanoid is their need to get clean, to eat, and to sleep, however, they do not need to breathe. they have the ability to taste so they try to keep a preference but if worst comes to worst they can eat anything. they have a mind of their own (for the most part) so they will have their own ideas and desires if it wasn't for their core and undead status they wouldn't be that much different then the living.

Appearance

Their bodies are by far the most unique feature has to be the body this ritual gives them, unlike most undead where their flesh tends to be hanging on, Ankou was made from the bones of their remains. Their skeletal remains get coated with an abnormal glowing material that mimics their form and acting as their muscles, fat, and skin, the form can be different from what they were before but tend to tread in similarities from the original form. They also have glowing eyes. The body's 'skin' can be made of material that can mimic parts of the skin, act like shadows, or even expose pieces of their remains. Their skin has a glowing aura around them that can only be hidden when fully concealed. This aura mimics the color of their eyes. This aura can leave a trail similar to a torch being carried through a tomb. This aura has a similar look to the area or who made them for example; those resurrected in the fey wild or swamp may have their trail mimic glowing insects.

also when an Ankou takes damage to their body their skin may break away like a cloud, exposing the remains of the once alive warrior.

Ankou (old) Traits

These are the potential of a Ankou

Ability score improvement

One of your ability scores increases by two, and two others increase by one.

Age

Ankou can not age.

Size

Your size is Medium or Small.

Speed

your movement speed is 30 ft.

Ecto Core

The thing that bounds you to the plane and land of the living, you use this to absorb the souls of others as well as bring yourself back if you were to die.

in order to be revived a necromancer like a spellcaster or entity must perform a ritual that uses a black pearl and do the ritual for 6 hours, or less depending on how powerful they are. 

Undead physiology

Your creature type is Humanoid and Undead

• You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
• You don't need to breathe.
• you have resistance to necrotic damage
• You are immune to disease.

If an effect works on at least one of a creature’s types, that effect can work on that creature. For example, if you are both a Humanoid and an Undead, cure wounds works on you, since the spell works on a Humanoid.

Past knowledge

you carry over the two pieces of knowledge from the life you once had. you gain proficiency with one tool of your choice and one weapon of your choice.

Language

You know common and one language of your choice.

Ethereal Sight

other then their normal vision, as a bonus action Ankou can see into the border ethereal plane at will for a range of 15 ft till their next turn.

Dead Mans Bluff

As a reaction if someone dies 20ft from you, you can absorb their soul into your ectocore, this gives the user a plus 2 too temporary hitpoints, a plus 1 to all attack rolls, and a plus2 to all damage rolls, while the hit and damage rolls don't stack however the temporary hit points do and every time you absorb another soul the temporary hit points increase by 2. this ability lasts for 5 turns within every first absorption, time doesn't restart when getting a new soul.

Alignment

Ankous alignment is usually inspired by who made them and their past, no one is sure which alignment an Ankou is until after learning about them.

Wisp Flesh

you give off 10 ft of light when not completely covered, when not covered an Ankou has a disadvantage on a stealth check.