Homebrew Heroic Spirit Species Details

Disclaimer: I do not own the content listed and described hereafter. Information, names, and content belong to Type-Moon and their associates. Ideas and references are based on the Fate/stay night franchise and its associated adaptations such as Fate/Grand Order and Unlimited Blade Works.

Heroic Spirits are the souls of heroes who achieved great deeds in life, having become objects of worship after their deaths. They are beings of a higher existence, freed from the constraints of time, gathered on a plane known only as the Throne of Heroes, removed from both the world and the axis of time.

Ascension to the Throne

Heroic Spirits are beings that can be classified as those who truly existed, those only from legends, and those who were never observed at all. Those who truly existed were recognized by their deeds, with prayer and belief gathering upon their deaths. Those existing in legend and myth alone were born from similar beliefs. Those who were not observed are those who had made some sort of contract with the world during their lives, offering their soul in exchange for a blessing or miracle. The process for transcending the mortal coil into becoming a Heroic Spirit applies to any human, animal, or machine that has left behind and been recognized by achievements great enough that they were worshiped as someone, or something, capable of being achieving such status.

Each Heroic Spirit is a unique existence who stood out from others of their time. They are marked by their deeds and possessed qualities that no other possessed. 

When creating a Heroic Spirit, discuss possible origins with your DM: Where and when did you exist? What heroic deed allowed you to ascend to the Throne of Heroes? What regrets, if any, do you have about your position as a Heroic Spirit? 

Heroic Summoning and Heroic Purpose

Heroic Spirits are most normally summoned by the world as a power that protects its inhabitants. Other times, Heroic Spirits are summoned because of an ambition they would like to see realized, something they were unable to achieve in life before they ascended. As such, they put forth all their effort into pursuing the one goal they regret not achieving before becoming a Heroic Spirit.

As beings outside of time, they can be summoned to any era regardless of the notions of past and future, but only something truly powerful and ripe with magical energy is capable of such a feat. Even after summoning, a Heroic Spirit is merely an emanation of its original self and must regularly consume sources of magical energy to maintain their "physical form."

Upkeep

Heroic Spirits must maintain a certain amount of energy to remain materialized in the world and continue "living." Their current strength is reflected by their current stores of energy. Heroic Spirits have the ability to consume the souls and minds of people and convert them to magical energy if necessary. Other methods of nourishment include the intake of semen or blood as well as draining magical energy directly from leylines. Being unable to sustain their energy stores could result in death.

While they are not truly considered alive because of their status as spirits, Heroic Spirits that "die" return to the Throne of Heroes while their physical body fades out of existence.

Ideal Form

Heroic Spirits take the form that represents their golden age at the prime of their lives. However, effects such as curses or personal attachment to their ideal form can cause unforeseen changes to the form they take after summoning. The changes can influence their physical appearance as well as personalities, drastically altering them from how they were perceived in life or after death. History itself may also contribute to the altered form, as recorded history may have caused distortions in how people viewed them.

Servant Class and True Name

Heroic Spirits go to great lengths to hide their true name. Knowledge of their true name would allow their enemies to know the capabilities of the spirit in question, revealing strengths and weaknesses. As such, Heroic Spirits often go by the moniker of the class they were summoned as. Their class is contingent on their capabilities in life (a swordsman would fall under the Saber class while a sorcerer or wizard falls under the Caster class). The standard classes of Heroic Servants are:

1. Saber (Fighter)
2. Lancer (Monk)
3. Archer (Ranger)
4. Rider (Druid)
5. Caster (Cleric, Sorcerer, Wizard)
6. Assassin (Rogue)
7. Berserker (Barbarian)

Sometimes however, oddities exist which creates a non-standard class. These classes are:

1. Avenger (Blood Hunter)
2. Ruler (Paladin)
3. Faker (Bard)
4. Foreigner (Warlock)

Servant class will be created as a subclass under their respective categories. WIP

Inherent Knowledge

Heroic Spirits are summoned with basic knowledge and information on the time they are brought into, allowing them to fit into any era. No matter the age of the Heroic Spirit, they should be able to understand a number of concepts that were not known in their time. This however is not infallible or all-encompassing so while some concepts should be understood, others might not be so easily accepted.

Heroic Spirit Traits

Heroic Spirits have the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom scores increase by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.

Age

Heroic Spirits stop aging at the time of their deaths. They will appear in their prime, despite being as old as, or even older than current history will afford.

Alignment

Heroic Spirits tend toward no particular alignment. The best and worst are found among them.

Size

Heroic Spirits were once human in life and will therefore vary widely in height and build. They can range from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency with the Perception skill.

Inherent Knowledge

You have proficiency in the History skill.

Noble Phantasm

Noble Phantasms are powerful armaments, the embodiment of the ultimate mysteries of a Heroic Spirit that symbolizes their existence through historical facts and anecdotes. They can be physical weapons, such as swords, lances, and bows, or support items, such as rings and crowns. They can also be abstract concepts, like unique abilities, unique means of attacks, curses, and changes to the environment and its physical properties. They are the trump cards of the heroes that allow them to be called a Heroic Spirit and overcome others in battle.

Use of a Noble Phantasm requires magical activation that invokes its true name, and only in rare occasions do Noble Phantasms not require activation, and are instead passive abilities.

In the case of spell casting, you do not require the somatic or material components of spells in order to cast those spells and your spell save DC is 8 + your WIS modifier + your proficiency.

Spiritual Existence

Heroic Spirits don't need to eat or drink in the traditional sense nor do they need to sleep, but may do so. Instead of a standard rest, they return to an ethereal appearance to conserve their magical energies. In this state, they are fully conscious and aware of their surroundings. They may interrupt this rest as long as they take at least a total of 4 hours a day to conserve energy. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

A Heroic Spirit must maintain their Upkeep as described in the section above.

If a Heroic Spirits makes a pact with another willing individual, they may bind themselves to that person. A Heroic Spirit who does is not contracted to another individual suffer 1 level of exhaustion every 1d4+1 days. If a pact is made however, the contracted individual suffers 1 level of exhaustion every 1d4+1 days instead of the Heroic Spirit. They gain the following benefits as compensation:

1. Master-Servant relationship
   • An individual that is bound to a Heroic Spirit may speak telepathically to them as long as they are within 120 feet of each other. You need to share a language with the person for it to understand you. They may or may not refer to you as their master depending on their disposition of you.

2. 3 Command Seals

   • A Command Seal is a sign of absolute authority over the Heroic Spirit, though resilient Heroic Spirits of conflicting alignment may be able to resist such authority. These command seals appear as a collection of unique looking crests on the back of the Masters right hand and regain no charges after use.
     
     • The master may use a command spell to issue a magical command in which the Heroic Spirit must follow, forcing it to carry out some service or refrain from some action of course of activity as they decide similar to the Geas spell without the charming effect. The chosen command can be anything, short of an activity that would result in certain death. Attempts to resist is a Wisdom saving throw and the save DC is equal to 8 + their CHA modifier + proficiency of the Master.
   • After all 3 command spells have been expended, the bond between the Heroic Spirit and the contracted individual breaks. They may not form another pact with that individual ever again.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common.