Homebrew Lustrian Realm Walker Species Details

"I died. I am simply not finished."
— Sinder Hale, first recorded Walker, 689 BPT

Realm Walkers are the souls of Lustrian warriors who perished with an unbroken thread of purpose—an oath left unfulfilled, a warning undelivered, or a comrade left unprotected. Rather than pass peacefully into the Remnant Depth, their spirit recoils from dissolution and reforms into a ghostly echo of their former body. These echoes wander the battlefields, cities, forests, and ruins of Lustria until their purpose reaches completion.

Though they carry fragments of memory, Walkers seldom recall their name or past life. What they remember—what binds them—is the Purpose Thread, the psychic imprint of their final intent. This purpose shapes their abilities, their personality, and their destiny.

Some view Realm Walkers as omens. Others regard them as protectors. A few fear them as reminders of debts and regrets not laid to rest.

Echoes of War

Realm Walkers appear translucent, their bodies formed from drifting memory-light and mist. Armor or clothing they once wore clings to them as ghostly impressions rather than physical objects. Their voices ripple softly, as though heard through water or over old battlefield wind.

Most Walkers speak little, conserving their strength for the tasks ahead. They move silently, leaving no footprints and disturbing no surface—yet their presence can bend morale, sharpen resolve, or falter courage around them.

“He stood there, silent as the dead he walked with.
And suddenly… the regiment felt braver.”
—Captain Durn Kass, Crimson Standard Legion

A Purpose Unfinished

No Walker rises without cause. Every one is bound tightly to a single Purpose Thread:

  • Protect the innocent.

  • Finish the message.

  • Avenge the fallen.

  • End the siege.

  • Guard the road until the others return.

This purpose can bind them for days or decades.
When a Walker finally completes their task, their body softens into drifting motes of light, fades into the Remnant Depth, and finds its long-denied peace—a moment scholars call The Quiet Resolve.

“Some fell with rage.
Others fell with duty.
Walkers rise only when they die with purpose.”
—Chronicle of the Sundermeet Wars, Vol. III

Origins in Echo Fields

Certain places in Lustria create Walkers more frequently than others. These Echo Fields are areas where death, magic, and emotional weight converge:

The Bloody Sands of Sundermeet.
Where soldiers die too quickly for last words, so their purpose returns in silence.

The Verdant Churn.
Dense jungles where the living and dead share little distinction.

Hidun’s Midnight Siege.
Where defenders perished shielding innocents, and rose again still standing in the doorway.

“Arrows passed through them. Fear did not.”
—Witness account, 312 BPT

Cultural Views

Different Lustrian factions respond uniquely to these ghost-warriors.

Crimson Standard Legion.
Train officers to read a Walker’s gestures as battlefield warnings.

Tri-Point Academy.
Studies Walkers intensely, believing they hold the key to the intersection of magic and emotion.

Red Sands Mercenaries.
Fear Walkers deeply, calling them “the enemy who does not die.”

East Lustria Trading Company.
Find Walkers disruptive and unpredictable, believing they interfere with mercenary operations.

Realm Walker Names

Walkers rarely remember their birth names; instead, others assign them titles based on their behavior:

  • Echo-Lantern

  • Silent Step

  • Banner-Warden

  • The Grey Road

  • Mist-Sergeant

  • Unfinished Gale

  • Vow-Singer

Walkers rarely object. Names are for the living; purpose is for them.

⭐ REALM WALKER TRAITS

As a Realm Walker, you are a spectral remnant of unfinished purpose. Your body is memory-light and echo-matter, making you resistant to harm yet unable to deliver physical force.

Ability Score Increase

Increase one ability score by 2 and another by 1, or increase three different scores by 1.

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid and Spirit.

Size

You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you gain this race.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet.

⭐ Incorporeal Form

Your body is partially intangible.

  • You are immune to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

  • You take half damage from magical weapon attacks.

  • You take full damage from force, radiant, psychic, necrotic, fire, cold, thunder, lightning, acid, and poison.

If you end your turn inside a solid object, you are shunted to the nearest open space and take 1d6 force damage per 5 feet shunted.

⭐ Incorporeal Offense

Your physical attacks are echoes of intent, not force.

  • Your weapon attacks always deal exactly 1 damage, before modifiers.

  • You may still deliver class abilities (maneuvers, smites, Stunning Strike, etc.), but the base damage remains 1.

“A Walker’s strike harms the body little…
but the future trembles.”
—Academy Lecture, Professor Vellok

⭐ Ethereal Stride

Once per long rest, you may take an action to become partially ethereal for 1 minute:

  • You may move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.

  • You cannot make opportunity attacks or be targeted by them.

  • If you end inside an object, you are shunted as described in Incorporeal Form.

At 13th level, this duration increases to 10 minutes.

⭐ Spectral Presence

You are unnervingly quiet and leave no trace.

  • Advantage on Stealth checks made in dim light or darkness

  • You leave no tracks

  • You make no sound while moving

  • You cannot be tracked by nonmagical means

⭐ Battlefield Drift

As a bonus action, you momentarily blur into the Ethereal Plane.
Until the end of your turn:

  • Opportunity attacks against you have disadvantage

  • You gain +2 AC

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.

⭐ Echo of Purpose

Choose one Purpose Thread:

Protective Thread.
Once per long rest, when an ally within 10 feet would drop to 0 hit points, they drop to 1 instead.

Vengeful Thread.
When an ally falls to 0 hit points, you gain advantage on your next Echo ability attack.

Guiding Thread.
Allies within 10 feet gain +1 to Wisdom saving throws.

Relentless Thread.
You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.

⭐ Support Strike

Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack (even though it deals 1 damage), choose one effect:

  • An ally within 10 feet gains +1 AC until the start of your next turn.

  • The target has –1 to its next attack roll.

  • An ally within 10 feet gains temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.

⭐ Ghostlight Whisper

As an action, whisper a supernatural phrase to a creature within 30 feet.
The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or suffer one of the following:

  • Disoriented: disadvantage on its next attack roll

  • Burdened: its speed is reduced by 10 feet

  • Unnerved: disadvantage on its next saving throw

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.

⭐ Memories of War

You gain proficiency in one tool or one weapon category of your choice, reflecting training from your former life.

⭐ Echoed Initiative

When you roll initiative, before the first round begins, you may immediately use Battlefield Drift or Ghostlight Whisper without expending a use.

⭐ LEVEL-BASED TRAITS

As you gain levels in any class, your spectral nature strengthens.

Level 1 — Ghoststep Novice

You can move through enemy spaces without provoking opportunity attacks.

Level 3 — Flicker Guard

When you take the Dodge action, choose one ally within 10 feet.
That ally gains +2 AC until the start of your next turn.

Level 5 — Echo Shout

Once per long rest as a bonus action, all allies within 15 feet gain:

  • Temporary HP equal to twice your proficiency bonus

  • Advantage on their next attack roll

Level 7 — Ethereal Recovery

When you heal yourself with a spell or class feature, choose one ally within 30 feet.
That ally regains the same number of hit points.

Level 9 — Veil Step

Bonus action. Teleport up to 15 feet.
You do not provoke opportunity attacks this turn.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Level 11 — Aura of Dread and Mercy

Action. For 1 minute (10-foot radius):

  • Enemies of your choice have –1 to attack rolls and –1 to saving throws

  • Allies of your choice gain +1 to attack rolls and +1 to saving throws

1 use per long rest.

Level 13 — Extended Ethereal Stride

Your Ethereal Stride now lasts 10 minutes.

Level 15 — Untouchable Memory

The first time each round you would take damage, you take 0 damage instead.

Level 17 — Echo of the Fallen Battalion

Once per long rest, summon spectral silhouettes of your old unit for 1 minute.
Allies within 20 feet have advantage on all saving throws.
Enemies within 20 feet have disadvantage on death saving throws.
Your Support Strike benefits two allies instead of one.

Level 20 — Quiet Resolve Denied

Once per long rest, when you would drop to 0 HP:

  • You drop to 1 HP instead

  • All enemies within 20 feet take 4d10 force damage (Dex save half)

  • All allies within 20 feet gain 20 temporary HP

  • You become invisible until the end of your next turn

Lustrian Realm Walker Traits

TRAITS
NLK

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