Homebrew The Bound Species Details
Planar Entities
Bound appear as humanoids of all shapes and sizes, and typically have markings or features reflecting the plane they were summoned from. Bound are created from the energy of their home plane when they are summoned, rather than being independent entities that will be temporarily moved to the material plane. As such, they are not truly extraplanar - while they are composed of planar energy, they are created on the material plane.
As Bound are composed of extraplanar energy, they always align themselves with their source planes when they are created. However, they are sentient creatures, and as they live out their timeless lives, they frequently find their own path, regardless of the tendencies of their plane.
Servants and Wanderers
Bound are generally created to serve a powerful wizard as servants who are both easy to control and intelligent enough to learn, grow, and capably fulfill any task a master could ask. As they strongly tend towards alignments from their source planes, they typically are happy to serve duties on the material plane that are within these alignments. However, a Bound that is mistreated or becomes disenfranchised with its master may start plotting its escape.
Even Bound that remain in good standing with their masters for the duration of their service typically end up on their own. Bound do not age in the same way that mortals do, and barring violence, a Bound can potentially survive indefinitely. With skills learned from serving a powerful master and a natural tendency towards a strong alignment, many Bound become adventurers, wandering the land while searching for power, justice, or just something new.
Living Items
Bound get their namesake from the magical items they are created with and bound to. While bound need to eat, drink and breathe like any other humanoids they walk among, they can rest undisturbed for centuries as dormant magic items. These items usually play into what the bound was created to accomplish; Bound weapons may have been created to serve as assassins or warlords, Bound armor may serve as a sentry or bodyguard, and Bound trinkets were likely responsible for assisting with magical rituals.
Bound Names
Most bound are assigned names when they are created, which likely draw inspiration from their purpose and the creator's language. However, many Bound choose new names once they are free of their master, which could be from any culture they identify with.
The Bound Traits
Your Bound character has the following traits.Ability Score Increase
Bound are particularly hardy due to their exposure to planar energy. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age
It's unclear whether Bound have a maximum lifespan, although particularly old Bound may have spent a large portion of their time dormant.
Size
Your size is medium. Most Bound stand between 5 and 7 feet tall. Fey Bound tend to the smaller side, while Fiendish and Radiant Bound tend towards the larger.
Speed
Bound are not particularly fast or slow. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Created To Serve
The ritual to create Bound causes them to be susceptible to Charming magic to make them easier to control. You have disadvantage on saving throws against effects causing the Charmed condition.
Dormant Form
Your body consists of extraplanar energy bound to an item, and as such, you do not function the same way most humanoids do. You have the following features:
- You have a dormant form. When you are in this form, you have no physical body except for the item you are bound to, and are not aware of your surroundings or the passage of time. You do not need to eat, drink, or breathe while dormant. While dormant, if a creature is touching you, you become aware, and can communicate with it telepathically and see through its eyes. You have Armor Class 10 and hit points equal to half your hit point maximum while in this form, which can be restored through repair or spells such as Mending. If these hit points are depleted, you die. You automatically fail saving throws while dormant. You can willingly enter your dormant form by spending ten minutes meditating, and exit it on your turn with no action if you are aware.
- When you take a long rest, you do not sleep. Instead, you must spend six hours in your dormant form, charging energy from your source plane. At the end of these six hours, you automatically return to your humanoid form.
- If an effect causes you to fall unconscious, such as the sleep spell, you instead enter your dormant form until the spell ends.
- If you drop to 0 hit points, you do not fall unconscious or have to make death saving throws. Instead, you enter your dormant form. You remain in your dormant form until a healing spell is cast on you or a creature spends a short rest with you in their possession. At the end of this rest, you can spend hit dice to heal as normal.
- If you enter an area where magic does not function, you enter your dormant form until you leave the area.
- While in humanoid form, you cannot be separated from your bound item by any means.
Darkvision
Your connection to the darkness of the lower planes, the shadowy twilight of the feywild, or the radiant energy of the upper planes grants you the ability to see in the dark. . You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Living Item
The magical energy which surrounds the item you are bound to grants powerful benefits when you or another creatures uses it. Choose Living Weapon, Living Armor, or Living Trinket.