Homebrew Shinigami Species Details

Shinigami (死神, death god(s); Viz "Soul Reaper(s)") are guardians of the souls who are going through the circle of transmigration. In ancient times, they were known as Balancers (調整者 (バランサー), Baransā; Japanese for "Regulators").They purify Hollows who do evil in the World of the Living and ensure the safe crossing of souls - the Pluses who have lost their way after death - by giving them a soul burial. Shinigami are the opposite of the Quincy.

Shinigami are unearthly beings living in a world ruled by a different logic than the World of the Living. They possess high Reiryoku and a body of Reishi. They are invisible to those without spiritual powers.

When Souls with exceptional spiritual energy train their bodies, they reach the level of Shinigami. The most talented of them become affiliated with various organizations like the Gotei 13 and the Onmitsukidō. The majority of potential Shinigami are born among the residents of the Seireitei, but in some rare cases are born in the Rukongai. 

Shinigami receive salaries, like workers in the Human World  and also earn bounties for defeating Hollows.

All Shinigami have vents at their wrists which release their Reiatsu. If they are blocked off, the Shinigami in question would be incinerated by their own Reiatsu from the inside out. If a Shinigami's Saketsu (鎖結, Chain Binding; Viz "Chain") and Hakusui (魄睡, Soul Sleep) are pierced, their spiritual powers are sealed up and they most likely can never regain their lost powers again.

Shinigami have a number of supernatural abilities:

• Longevity: Shinigami do not visibly age at the same rate as Humans and tend to maintain a youthful appearance for centuries. Shinigami can live for much longer than Humans, with some Shinigami, such as Retsu Unohana, being over 1,000 years old and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto being at least 2,100 years old. 

• Enhanced Durability: While Shinigami can be injured and killed like regular Humans, it takes considerably greater injuries to kill a Shinigami than it would to kill Humans. Decapitation is the only guaranteed method of killing a Shinigami.

• Reiryoku: Shinigami naturally possess high levels of Spiritual Power, which varies greatly in magnitude with the strength of a Shinigami. The more power a Shinigami has, the sharper their movements will be. A consequence of having Spiritual Power is that unlike powerless spirits, Shinigami need to eat.

• Zanpakutō: A Shinigami weapon, its shape is typically similar to a Japanese katana. Low ranking officers are issued an Asauchi sword, but high-ranking officers arm themselves with unique swords generated from their own souls. A Zanpakutō is a physical manifestation of this force concentrated into a blade.All Shinigami have a Zanpakutō, but not all of them carry one with them. Its shape differs depending on its owner

Shinigami Traits

Shinigami are humanoid in appearance because they once were human. Possessing strong amounts of Reiatsu, they wield spiritual blades and a multitude of skills from their inert power.

Hohō

Hohō is an important skill for most Shinigami, which incorporates speed and agility. The skill level of Hohō can be enhanced and improved through concentration, training, and mastery of it. Among the foremost practitioners of this technique are those assigned to the Onmitsukidō. Shunpo (瞬歩, Flash Steps) is the greatest expression of the Hohō technique; however there are variations even within Shunpo, which only master Hohō practitioners can use. Grants a +2 to Dexterity.

 

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Size

Shinigami range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.