Homebrew Wraith Host Species Details
...and so stood the last contingent of the Eagle Guard, each man and woman clutching a spear and shield as the sorcerers behind them flung fireball after fireball at a seemingly never-ending tide of infernal creatures and their subservient monstrosities. Their brothers and sisters slain, their city in ruins and with no hope of escape left, these brave heroes were the last ones standing between their civilisation and its annihilation.
Born from desperation and a need to survive, the wraith hosts are constructs into which a willing elven warrior's soul has been invited. Possessing the skill and knowledge of legendary heroes, these machines of stone and metal are as dauntless as they are terrifying to behold, moving with the grace of an elf dancer. While they no longer have a connection to the living, they still very much understand that it is their duty to wage war so as delay the end their brothers and sisters foretell.
Stoic guardians
Fashioned from fine stones and exotic metals, wraith host possess what could be considered an alien design as its smooth curves and featureless surfaces make it look like nothing other than someone's abstract art. Yet, even so, these entities move quickly and with purpose, their naturally durable construction allowing them to weather punishment that would put their kin into an early grave. Standing on average heads and shoulders above elves in height, wraith host are unnaturally light for their frame.
When a wraith host is first built, it is empty and inanimate - no more than a posable sculpture, in effect. Through ancient, well-guarded rituals, a spellcaster strong in matters of summoning and soul binding invite the willing soul of an elven hero into the chassis. Once bound, the construct comes to life. For the first few days, the soul becomes accustomed to their new body and how it moves. During this process, the nature of their self-imposed imprisonment alters the very essence of the inhabitant itself, transforming what might have been a fiery personality into something colder and more robotic. The naturally aloof and independent nature of the elf is subverted into something stoic and cooperative.
As many of these wraith hosts were built in a rush, they normally look very utilitarian, coloured in tones of grey and lacking in distinct features with the exception of curved joints and sleek looking armour. Some wraith hosts decorate themselves with painted patterns, cloth and what other ornaments they feel suit them, and when time is plentiful, the creators themselves will paint their subjects in the colours of their respective houses or families, leading to some very brilliantly painted and artful hosts.
Muted independence
Wraith host have a dulled sense of independence in comparison to their living kin; perhaps a side-effect of being willingly imprisoned in a walking sarcophagus, or indeed some sinister magic intended to make these machines more easily controllable in the heat of battle. To a wraith host, their mission and the will of their fellow elves are more important than their own survival.
Much of the wraith hosts beliefs and temperament remain intact, however, allowing for plenty of individuality to resurface as the inhabitant soul becomes more acclimated to their host. Some even develop a sense of pride, finding endless honour in their unlife. For others, the prospect of being an eternal warrior is similar to a horror story which they themselves walked into.
At the end of the day, they are still elves. They maintain some degree of the aloof and often chaotic nature that comes with the territory, albeit notably muted in comparison to a living, breathing elf. Amongst one another, the wraith host have an immeasurably powerful bond owing to their telepathic nature. Sharing in what is a unique experience, whether in misery or in celebration, a wraith host will eventually always form a lasting bond with the rest in their packs, for that is what the nature of their telepathy promotes: small, but intimate packs of constructs which understand each other better than even the oldest married couple.
As such, a wraith host will look to their pack mates for reassurance and help first and foremost, and will always see kinship in other elves.
Wraith Host names
Wraith host names are an amalgamation of their elven names in life, and a title reflecting their heroic deeds or the purpose assigned to their host upon creation. Before a wraith host is occupied, it has no name besides a cold, numeric designation found in an artificer's book. Sometimes, this is the name a wraith host keeps even upon receiving its soul - they simply had to be rushed out so quickly there was no choice.
Male Names: Adran, Aelar, Aramil, Arannis, Aust, Beiro, Berrian, Carric, Enialis, Erdan, Erevan, Galinndan, Hadarai, Heian, Himo, Immeral, Ivellios, Laucian, Mindartis, Paelias, Peren, Quarion, Riardon, Rolen, Soveliss, Thamior, Tharivol, Theren, Varis
Female Names: Adrie, Althaea, Anastrianna, Andraste, Antinua, Bethrynna, Birel, Caelynn, Drusilia, Enna, Felosial, Ielenia, Jelenneth, Keyleth, Leshanna, Lia, Meriele, Mialee, Naivara, Quelenna, Quillathe, Sariel, Shanairra, Shava, Silaqui, Theirastra, Thia, Vadania, Valanthe, Xanaphia
Artificer Designations: Guard A-10, S19162, 001, Host #46
Heroic Titles: Indomitable, Slayer, Fearless, Wraith lord, Grave blade, Dragon's Bane, Holy Light, Banisher
Wraith Host Traits
As a wraith host, you have the following racial traits.Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age
Wraith host are ageless. So long as the soul within is not released or the construct destroyed, the wraith host will live forever.
Alignment
Wraith host, being constructs inhabited by souls, have to cope with a natural disconnect from the world of the living. They do not feel emotions or interpret morality in the same way as a living being would; whilst the inhabiting souls impose their views upon their host, being the sole intelligence within it, the experience of driving such a machine alters the essence of the soul itself. This has led to wraith host naturally veering towards lawful neutrality, though deviancies do emerge.
Size
Wraith host are constructed within the imagery of elves, and thus they are tall and slender - although their height can vary, reaching up to 8 feet, and normally they weigh around 200 lbs. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Construct
Owing to your nature as a construct, you are immune to disease and you do not need to eat or breathe - nor can you. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
Wraith Speech
The elves constructed their wraith hosts with the goal of fluid and instant communication in mind. Owing to that, wraith hosts can not speak - they are completely mute. Instead, they possess a short ranged form of telepathy.
As a bonus action, choose one willing creature you are familiar with which has a minimum intelligence of 6, on the same plane of existence as you, within 60 feet of your position. You do not need to know where exactly they are, as you can detect familiar entities around you. Upon committing to this action, you create a bi-directional telepathic link with the creature, allowing you to share images, sounds, smells, thoughts and feelings - but not words or speech.
This effect lasts until you or they choose to dispel it, or if the target moves out of the 60 foot range of this ability.
Wraith Senses
The elves construct their Wraith Hosts to be able to perceive the world without ears, eyes nor other common sensory organs, instead utilising something akin to blindsight, known as wraith senses.
While the Wraith Host is not communicating with an ally through wraith speech, it can only perceive sounds, smells and sight up to 60 feet, but sees no colour and light does not affect it, meaning the host sees equally as well in complete non-magical darkness as it does in well lit conditions.
If it is actively sharing a link with an ally, the host will have its perception range extended to 120 feet, or can optionally simply choose to sense through the ally. While doing this, the host will adopt the sensory capabilities of said ally, whether magical or non-magical.
Chassis Type
The elves designed different types of wraith host chassis, each with a predisposition towards a specific battlefield role. The three most commonly available chassis types are:
- Chameleon Chassis - Designed for ambushing and stealth, the chameleon chassis gives the host advantage on stealth checks. This chassis looks as if it has had a faint web pattern built into the outer layers of its metal plating, and its stone skin resembles something like small reptilian scales.
- Guard Chassis - The standard frontline chassis, this type provides a bonus to the hosts armor class. It looks bulkier than other chassis types, with extra plating and reinforcing structures added onto it.
- Scout Chassis - Much more slender than the other two chassis types, this variant provides a movement boost to the host by way of optimisations to its frame, as well as arcane mobility enhancing mechanisms.
Elven Heritage
Upon the inhabitation of a wraith host by a soul, the wraith host responds to its new inhabitant and develops an adaptation in its core systems based around it, granting the host a new ability that is unique to the soul itself - often times, these are derived from the heritage of said elf, whether they are a wood elf, high elf, eladrin or dark elf.
Most commonly, their heritage bestows one of the following:
- High Elf - You know one extra cantrip of your choice from the Wizard spellcasting class. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for it.
- Wood Elf - You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
- Dark Elf (Drow) - Your Wraith Senses retain a connection to the dark; while in low light or completely dark environments, your perception range increases to 120 feet. Wraith speech linking does not alter this.
- Eladrin - Even in death, you have a strong connection to the Feywilds. Once per round, as part of a melee attack action, you can teleport to your target foe. Your movement speed is set to 0 until your next round after doing this.
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