Homebrew Ancient Soul Possession Species Details

'"The boy held the anicent sword high and felt pride in himself. He would make his family proud with this ancient mystic blade!" The boy's cold hands still  held onto the blade as his soul left this plane. However the blade glowed and a soul long sealed away had a body anew. The body rose and quickly shifted to that of a long dead warrior, one of might and power, unlike the scrawny copse that once stood there before. The undead thing roared triumphantly and rushed into the fray. Free from it's mystic sword like prison at last.'

 

Ancient soul possessors are spirits of cursed artifacts, locations, or tools that have taken over the recently deceased body of it's recent user. Often shifting them to fit the prior form the soul had, the being itself seeks often only the lust for battle, though some may seek knowledge of the world, or to help others like they had done prior in life. Often these souls peruse these goals till the end of their corporal form. Upon it's destruction reverts them back to their prior form.

 

[Souls can be found within weapons, necklaces, charms, wands, staffs, grimoires, and pretty much any ancient item from a time long before... yes even a cup.]

 

Types of souls

   The Raging Beast: Some souls go mad while in their artifact form and come out acting like little but mindless beasts. Though not common, one can regain it's sanity given some time and most likely a lot of bloodshed.

   The Scholar: A scholar who sought enlightment beyond their mortal body. Often seen more or less stuck in grimoires and magical staffs, these souls often use their new vessel to discover the world and it's newest knowledge.

  The sealed/ Guardian Spirit: A spirit that either nearly destroyed or protected a village or shrine. Often ambivalent when they become free and often have a single purpose in mind.

Ancient Soul Possession Traits

The Ancient Soul gets a few racial traits.

Age

They are unaffected by age and stay physically at the age they are at.

Prior Knowledge

The soul remembers a few tricks it had in it's prior life. 

Gains 1 feat of their choosing.

Inherted Body

One trait from the body remains in the new form. This being a bonus in a stat and one skill.

Traits

The traits of a soul possesed

 

a +1 in dex  and a +2 in any other stat of your choosing.

Languages

They can speak common, primordial, and one extra language

Seal

Ranging from a greatsword of ornate gold, to a small coin. The item of the soul never leaves their side, no matter what they do.

 

(Give yourself one non-enchanted item/ weapon. Discuss with DM if you can have an enchanted one if you are so inclined.)

The Body

The body counts as undead.

Immune to being poisioned and disease, but are undead.

Gender

The body forcibly changes to match the spirit, so if a man dies, but the soul is a woman, the body will become that of a woman's and vice versa.

Alignment

The soul is usually matched to what it was in life. So if they were a hero then most likely lawful good, if they were a monster, then Chaotic Evil. Most however end up as Neutral Evil due to their time in their seal.

Residual Magic

The magic from the time spent as an object remains, allowing even the most blundering of brutes a single cantrip.

 

(gives 1 cantrip)