Homebrew Banshee Species Details

            There were once three sisters in the Royal Family of Eien, Saria, Imra, and Elmyra. They were born into royalty of an early elf kingdom. They were all valiant fighters, but had their own royal duties so they avoided battle. The war between races for their world was growing, to the point where the sisters had no choice but to fight. Saria lead the main troops of elves. Imra lead a team of messengers to request help from a human city. And Elmyra was sent with a small group to find an ancient artifact that could help stem the tides of the war, and bring everyone to peace.  The moment Elmyra found it, she was killed by the king of the Tieflings, who was known as Blackstar. Blackstar was a dark sorcerer, and had a long history with their family and had been planning vengeance for years. He took Elmyra's head, and used magic to send it to the Royal Family. This angered Saria. She called all forces out of the already brewing war, and sent their entire military against Blackstar. They pushed forward through Blackstar's forces long enough for Saria and Imra to confront him. Saria was a well taught ranger, proficient with many different weapons, and Imra was the most powerful sorceress of the Elf race. In battle, the two sisters dominated, until Blackstar used his magic. He was physically weak and injured, but he had enough energy for this. He cast a spell, that opened a portal to the underworld, in which Imra was thrown in, and had no escape. Driven by nothing but rage, Saria charged at him and battled. She was so close to killing him, until he made one precise stab that immediately caused her to fall. She screamed at him, for the downfall of her kingdom, family, sisters, and begged for him to end her quickly. Instead, her removed her soul from her body, and warped it into a ghastly creature of hatred and anger, that had no choice but to follow his command. This only lasted three years, until Saria's soul found her body, and repossessed it, becoming an undead, human hybrid. She finally killed Blackstar, and destroyed his entire army, but could not fix what he had done to her. Because of her new form, she was forced to stay like this, and was shunned and rejected by the world. SHe was hunted, attacked, and chased, until one day she finally stopped trying. She threw herself off of a cliff, and as she fell, her scream could be heard by elves everywhere, until finally she hit bottom. It was this scream that cursed so many elves to become the same as her, a creature of anger and hatred, who screamed at the sight of death. Saria and all the other elves who were cursed went down in legend and history as Banshees.

 

Banshees are undead spirits. Their abilities manifest during death or being cursed. When their abilities manifest, they leave their body, and undergo a type of evolution. They have the option to return to their bodies if they wish. Physically, they have all the traits of an Elf, but have supernatural abilities the Elves have never heard of. If they dont return to their bodies, they have no physical power. Banshee's can only reanimate their bodies on a full moon. 

Family

Banshees, when they die, are forced to follow their family wherever they go. They are cursed to watch them, and scream to warn them if a member of their family will die. Banshees normally follow their biological family, but if a Banshee is married in a church before death, she will follow her partner's family instead. If a banshee reanimates herself, she is able to cut the connection between her and the family she follows. 

Behavior

The banshee visits a household and by keening she warns them that a member of their family is about to die. At times she is seen in lonely places, beside a pool or stream, washing the linen of those soon to die, folding and beating it with her hands on a stone in the middle of the water. She is then known as the Bean-nighe, or the washing woman; and her being seen is a sure sign that death is near. The Banshee's keening (mourning wail) is heard at night prior to a death. In some parts of the world, her wail can be so piercing that it shatters glass. 

Banshee Traits

Banshees have many natural and supernatural traits that they can use for exploration or combat.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age

Banshees follow the same age rules as Half-Elves. This is due to the darkness inside them from reanimating their bodies. They reach adulthood physically around age 18. Once they reach up to age 20, they physically stop aging until 130 yeas. They then begin to age again until they die somewhere over 180 years.

Alignment

Banshees can have vastly different origins from each other, but despite them, they almost always end up neutral or evil.

Size

Banshees, like elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Your flight speed is 60 feet.

Darkvision

Due to your elf nature, you can see in darkness, but heightened.You can see in dim light as if it was bright light up to 80 feet, and darkness as dim light up to 40 feet. You can discern color.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Trance

Banshees don’t need to sleep. Instead, they take from their elven lifestyle and meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. You heal all hit points and restore abilities.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish, and one other language of your choice.

Flight

Banshees have the natural ability to fly. After running in a straight line for 5 seconds, dark fog starts to flow off of them as they start to drift off of the ground. Once this happens, they then have full control of altitude, speed, and direction. They cannot exceed speeds of 60 feet

Precognition

Banshees have the natural ability to tell when someone is close to death. Depending on level, this will work differently. 

This ability requires the help of your Dungeon Master to use.

Levels 1&2, you hear voices leaving riddles and clues about who will die. Roll a d20, and if you get higher than a 15, your dm may tell you who will die. They cannot say how or when.

Starting at level 3, you know when and who will die, but you don't know how. Roll a perception check to learn how, and your dm will tell you. This can be useful to protect people, and prevent death for party members or important NPCs.

Level 4, you immediately know how, who, and when someone dies. Your DM will tell you.

Incorporeal Movement

Banshees can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. They takes 5 (1d10) force damage if she ends her turn inside an object.

 

Detect Life

Banshees can magically sense the presence of creatures up to 5 miles away that aren’t undead or constructs. She knows the general direction they’re in but not their exact locations.

 

Keening

When a Banshee keens (wails) she lets out a scream. This is not the same as Banshee's Cry, as this does no damage, however this is heard by anyone who is close to death. If they are not near death, they will not hear it, even if they are really close to the Banshee herself.

Fog

When Banshees use their supernatural abilities, black fog emits from their bodies. This itself can be used as an attack. The fog can be used for telekinesis, and blasts. When fog is active, anyone in physical contact with them takes necrotic damage. 

Banshee's Cry

Banshees release a mournful wail.  This wail has no effect on constructs and undead. All other creatures within 30 feet of her that can hear her must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature drops to 0 hit points. On a success, a creature takes 10 (3d6) psychic damage. This is capable of breaking fragile objects, such as glass, ice, ceramics, and sometimes thin wood or metal. This ability can be used once per Trance.

Banshee's Cry (Focused)

Using their hands, Banshees release their cry and focus all the power in one direction. Anything up to 30 feet of the Banshee's face must roll a 3d6 damage check, or drop to 0 hit points. The Banshee must roll a d20 for knockback. 

This can be used to push enemies back, propel enemies upwards, or sometimes, when they move their hands in a horizontal motion, create a shockwave effect. This ability is powerful enough to knock down scaffolding, destroy vehicles, or even break down heavy metal doors.

Elf Charm

Reanimated Banshees return to life, but their skin becomes grey. Their eyes turn red and silver. They have scars all over their faces. They dont look like elves, but like undead. Starting level 3, Banshees can hide their true form, and look like normal elves.

Undead Life

You can communicate and control undead creatures. You can also call an army of undead creatures to assist in battle.