Homebrew Banshee Species Details

"A life now spent, no turning back, the fairy folk all have gone. And with her keening, wailing cry, forever she waits there to see the one who comes along to answer her heart's prayer. The washerwoman at the ford, forever she will roam."  

Can you hear her keening by the river? Be warned, for she may be a gentle and protective spirit, but she is still one that heralds death. For whom is she currently weeping and wailing? Who is the one she is warning of such a familiar form of tragedy? Why has she continued to manifest beyond the grave, and what will she do next to protect those beloved ones who remain?    

Banshees are the undead spirits of women whom have faced a horrific and early end of their lives, their souls becoming trapped in the world of the living for eternity as figures of impending death. Desperate to soothe the slow, rotting sensations of isolation and loneliness often faced by them, they often take up jobs and work wherever they are accepted. Unfortunately, this is contrasted by the haunting inevitability that they will outlive the creatures that they come to care for. Despite this morbid awareness, some of these souls seek out adventurers as companions in hopes of finding purpose and emotional connections with those around them.

Banshees make quite a terrifying sight, feared by most everyday people as a specter of death and disaster. While some adventuring parties are able to look past this as a sign for the death of their enemies, most wouldn't try touch a banshee with a ten foot pole, much to the despair of the protective spirits that banshees can be. Often times, good aligned banshees will actively hide their true form, either using magic or hiding in outfits that cover the entirety of their bodies, as their appearance is quite unsightly by most standards.   

Banshee Traits

A protective spirit that guards those she loves beyond the grave. She carries a strong presence and an immortal will.

Ability Score Increase:

You have a driven heart, determined to help the ones you love from beyond the grave. In addition to this, your extra time on the mortal realm has made you wise beyond the measurement of years. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Wisdom increases by 1.

Age:

While at one point you were alive an aged as normal, after you died, you ceased to age the way living things do. You remain the same age as when you died, and will remain that way for the rest of your existence. After meeting your unfortunate and brutally unfair demise, you were cursed to remain here on the mortal plane for the rest of time, unable to stop the endless force of death as it takes everything in it's path. You are immune to any effect that ages you. 

Alignment:

Death has a profound impact on ones sense of self, forcing people to change in the most unpredictable ways. Sinners seeking penance for their crimes may take up a life of heroism to make up for their past in hopes of finding peace. Chaos and Law can swap members at will. Unfortunately, due to the nature of your horrific end, this most often leads to those who were once on the side of good becoming corrupted by the pain, hate, and betrayal of this outcome. While not all are evil, many can end up there if their not careful. As a messenger of death, you neither lean towards chaos or law, as the end comes for all regardless.

Size:

You are the same height and weight as when you were alive.

Speed:

Your base walking speed is 30ft.

Darkvision:

A creature of the night and day, you have the ability to see without much light to work with.You can see in dim light within 60ft of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness, as if it were dim light. You can't deceiver color in darkness, only shades of grey.

Caught on Death's Doorway

As a spirit caught between life and the house of Donn, many of the things you once took for granted in your mortal coil now feel like foreign concepts to you. You no longer need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep, and magic cannot put you to sleep.  While unable to truly rest in peace, you gain the benefits of a long rest by spending eight hours doing light activity, such as washing clothes in the local river, keeping watch, and refilling the local well. Finally, you are immune to affects of alcohol (note that this ability does not grant immunity to the effects of anything added to the alcohol, such as poison slipped into the drink).

Herald To The House Of Donn:

As a herald to the after life for those on the material plane, sending souls off with a horrifying sound has become an innate talent. You learn the cantrip Toll The Dead, using charisma as your spellcasting ability.

Otherworldly Presence:

Being a messenger of death, most everyday people and creatures are unwelcoming and terrified of you. You gain proficiency in the intimidation skill. In addition to this, creatures with a challenge rating of 0, that are aware of your presence and are within 10ft of you, are automatically frightened by you. You have an advantage on intimidation checks made against these challenge rating 0 creatures, as long as they are in your line of sight.   

Languages:

Death comes for all eventually, and you are still able to communicate with the living to continue your purpose. You know Common and one other language of your choice.

Previous Versions

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2/16/2020 9:41:58 PM
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2/16/2020 10:40:21 PM
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