Soul Keeper (5e Class)

                          "Long have philosophers and such others thought about what you do with a soul. Do you sell it? Is it used in the 
                           afterlife to judge your morals? Soul keepers have found the answer. You weaponize it."

Soul keepers are those who have been taught the art of harnessing souls. Whether led by a vision from a god, taught by a devil, or found a mad scientists research, all soul keepers learned how to utilize the human soul. This may be considered taboo by societies, but soul keeping is more like a tool. A tool that when wielded correctly, could match a nation in power. Before choosing this class pick intelligence, wisdom, or charisma. That is your spellcasting ability.

Class Features

As a Souls Keeper you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Souls Keeper level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Souls Keeper level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Scythes
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two from: History, Insight, Persuasion, Religion, and Medicine.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any other simple weapon
• (a) a scholar's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
• Leather armor and a dagger

Table: The Souls Keeper

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Soul Point
1st	+2	Undead Affinity, Souls expert, Soul Shield,	1
2nd	+2	Soul Tricks	2
3rd	+2	Otherworldly Weapon	3
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Ability score increase, Presence	4
5th	+3	Extra Attack	5
6th	+3	Spontaneous Unburial	6
7th	+3	Soul Whisper	7
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, The Good of the Army	8
9th	+4	Necrosis	9
10th	+4	Macabre	10
11th	+4	Soul Grasp	11
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement, Greater Bond	12
13th	+5	Negative Missile	13
14th	+5	Grim	14
15th	+5	Séance	15
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement, True Necromancy	16
17th	+6	Perfect Bond	17
18th	+6	Grim Harvest	18
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement, One with the Souls	19
20th	+6	Master of Death	20

Soul Points

Soul Points are consumables for the Soul Keeper. Soul points can be acquired by using an action to take a soul from a creature (excluding constructs and undead) if its died in the last twenty four hours and is within ten feet of you. If the creature has not died in the last twenty four hours, a one minute ritual can be performed to call its spirit back from the afterlife. Alternately you could use an action and take a fraction of a soul from an unconscious creature. A dead creature can only have their soul harvested once. An unconscious creature remains alive after their soul is harvested, but if their soul is harvested again they die. If you have a creature's soul in your possession, they cannot be revived by any means except by true resurrection or wish. All souls you have are released on death. A creature who has greater restoration cast on them has their soul returned. Over a long rest you gain souls equal to your proficiency bonus, until a level in this class says otherwise.

Soul Blast

The soul keeper can expend any amount of souls, causing a beam of energy to spring from their finger. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 necrotic damage for each soul you used, and is stunned until the beginning of the target’s next turn.

Spellcasting

At level 1 the Soul Keeper knows 1 necromancy cantrip from any class. They gain another cantrip at 10th level.

Soul Shield

When the Soul Keeper takes damage, he can expend any amount of souls and reduce the damage by 1d4 for every soul he spends.

Master of Mortality

At 2nd level, the Soul keeper learns 2 Soul tricks. They learn an extra one at levels 7, 10, 14.

Soul tricks:

A lie of life

You can use an action to spend any number of souls and gain temporary hit points equal to the amount of souls times 2.

Balance of death

You can use a bonus action to spend 2 souls and a creature of your choice that is within 30 feet of you and at 0 hit points becomes stable.

Soul barrier

You can use your reaction once targeted by an attack to spend 2 souls and gain a bonus to AC equal to your Proficiency Bonus.

Soul Port

You can use a bonus action to expend any number of souls and teleport (10*number of souls spent) feet.

Soul wave

When you use soul blast, you can spend twice the amount of souls to instead cause an explosion at a point you can see within range. All creatures in a 10 foot radius sphere must make a Dexterity saving throw againt your spell save DC, taking the regular amount of damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save.

Soul Shove

When you use Soul Blast and it hits, you can use your reaction to spend any number of souls and shove them back (5*number of souls spent) feet.

Versatile Soul Blast

When you use soul blast, you can expend twice the amount of souls to change the damage to any type of your choosing.

Soul Keeper Archetypes

At 2nd level you choose an archetype, Soul Collector, Soul Slinger, Soul Destroyer or Soul Protector, both detailed at the end of the class description. They give abilities at levels 2, 7, 10, and 14.

Otherworldly Weapon

At 3rd level the Soul Keeper learns to take the life force away from an enemy and give it to their allies. You can use an action to cause a spectral object to appear in front of you, the object shoots cords of souls at an enemy of your choice within 30 feet of you. The enemy makes a constitution saving throw against your spell save dc, making the saving throw at disadvantage if they're under half of their maximum hit points. On a failure the cords latch onto the target and they take 1d10 necrotic damage. You can increase this damage by 1d10 for every two souls you spend. You can use your bonus action to restore hit points equal to half the damage dealt to a creature that is within 30 feet of you (you can choose yourself). You can force the creature to make a saving throw again on your actions. On a success the creature is immune to that effect for the next twenty four hours. On your next turn you can choose a different creature to target. The object disappears after 1 minute, or if you lose concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). You must take a long rest or spend 15 souls to do this again.

Presence

As the soul keeper grows more powerful, his appearance is affected. At fourth level faint souls and spirits swirl around them, giving them proficiency in intimidation.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

At 5th level when you choose to attack or use a soul blast, you can attack or soul blast a second time. If you attack with a soul blast you can use your second for a regular attack. A creature hit with 2 soul attacks in a single turn must make a strength(athletics) or dexterity(acrobatics) check against your spell save DC-targets choice-or be knocked prone. You can also use a cantrip in the place of a single attack.

Spontaneous Unburial

At 6th level, you learned how to raise the dead as a necromancer. You can use an action to spend a soul and shove that soul in a humanoid corpse that's medium or smaller. The corpse uses zombie or skeleton stats (your choice) and follows any command given mentally by you, no action required. You can have a number of undead equal to your proficiency bonus, animating one while you already have the maximum amount results in the oldest one you reanimated being released from your control. You can expend extra souls to boost the undead's maximum hp by the extra amount you spend. The undead restore hit points on a long rest like you would.

Soul whispers

At 7th level souls whisper into your ear, you gain proficiency in a skill or tool set, or learn a language. You can change this proficiency or language at any time by using your action and spending 1 soul.

The Good of the Army

At 8th level, All of your undead gain +2 to their Str, Dex, and Con score. You can also use an action to give all undead 5 temporary hit points.

Necrosis

At 9th level your attacks ignore the resistence to the necrotic damage, your souls also refill on a long rest.

Macabre

At 10th level, your flesh has become pale and your eyes have taken on a yellow tint.
Whenever you interact with undead, you have advantage on all Charisma checks.
You do not age and do not require food, air, water or sleep to survive. You still must participate in only light activity to gain the benefits of a long rest, though.

Soul Grasp

At 11th level you unlock soul grasp. You can use an action to choose a 30 foot radius centered on you, a 30 foot straight line in front of you, or a 15 foot cone in front of you. Every creature of your choice must make a constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure they take 5d10 necrotic damage, or half as much on a successful save. You gain the souls of every creature killed within this attack. You must take a long rest before you can use this again.

Greater Bond

At 12th level you unlock Greater Bond. You gain twice your proficiency bonus in souls when you take a long rest. Also, any time you see a creature die you can use your reaction to collect its soul. If you kill the creature there is no reaction required.

Negative Missile

At 13th level, you can cast a mimic of the spell magic missile, but instead of damage, the creature takes a -1 to every saving throw, attack roll, and ability check they make. You have an amount of missiles equal to your proficiency bonus, and you can use an action to summon and shoot any number of them. You gain these missiles back on a long rest.

(Side Note: Think about how this missile looks. Is it glowing skulls? Is it pure nectoric energy? Think about it, it's good roleplaying opportunity.-The midknight)

Grim

At 14th level, you gain the ability to embody a force of death. If you are somewhere associated with death, such as a graveyard or battlefield, you can use an action to suck up all the loose souls lying around, becoming grim. In this form you have 50 temporary hit points,a flying speed equal to twice your movement, a bonus to all saving throws, ability checks, and attack rolls equal to your proficiency, and any enemy you kill you immediately gain the soul of. Once you assume this form you cannot do so again until you take 1d4 long rests.

Séance

At 15th level, your presence commands respect from undead. As a bonus action, the necromancer can target an undead creature they can see within 30 feet of them.
The target makes a charisma saving throw, on a failure they must obey the necromancer's commands for the next 24 hours, or until the necromancer uses Séance again. You can't use this ability again until next midnight. On a success they are immune to this effect for the next 24 hours.

True Necromancy

At 16th level, you can use an action to choose any amount of corpses within 50 feet of you. They follow any orders given by your mentally (no action required) and use the statistics of a zombie. You concentrate on this like a spell. After 30 seconds, this effect ends, all zombies created by this effect become corpses once again. You must take a long rest or expend 15 soul points to do it again.

Perfect Souls

At 17th level your souls refill on a short rest.

Death Chain

At 18th level, the area around you becomes a volatile zone of death and necrotic magic. You have learned to sew the agony of the newly departed death into those nearby. Whenever an enemy creature dies within 60 feet of you, you may use your reaction to target it and cause an explosion of necrotic energy. All creatures within 10 feet of the explosion to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, they take 8d6 necrotic damage and half as much on a success. If this damage kills any creatures, you may target one of the creatures killed to cause a secondary explosion but the damage is reduced to 4d6 and halved on a successful Constitution saving throw. If this secondary explosion kills any creatures, you may choose one of the creatures killed by this secondary damage to cause an explosion a third time but the damage is reduced to 2d6 or no damage on a successful Constitution saving throw. Any undead you control within the radius of the explosions regain hit points equal to half the amount of necrotic damage done. You regain use of this feature when you complete a short or long rest.

One with the Souls

At 19th level, when you see a creature take damage, you can spend 10 souls to double that damage.

Master of Death

At 20th level, you gain peak understanding of death. You gain immunity to necrotic damage and suffer no levels of exhaustion. Any successful death save you make is regarded as a nat 20. When you die you come back to life with 1 hitpoint. You must take a long rest before you can use this again.

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Soul Archetypes

Not all soul keepers are the same, some lock people into contacts, others force souls out of bodies, some even protect others. They all have one thing in common, though. All are powerful.

Soul Collector

Soul contractors have learned the art of a soul contract. Whether they had a vision, found a note, or were taught by a devil themselves, they enlist people and have them do there bidding.

Smooth Speaker

When you pick this archetype at 2nd level you learn infernal and gain proficiency in the deception skill.

Soul Contract

At 2nd level when you chose this archetype you can make a soul contract from a piece of paper. Over a short rest you can transform a normal piece of paper into a soul contract. If a creature with an intelligence above 3 WILLINGLY signs your soul contract, you control them. You can only control a number of creatures with a added CR of half your level. For example at level 6 you could control 1 CR 3 creature, 2 CR 1 and 1 CR 1/2 creature, and so on.

Written in blood

At 7th level you can use an action to manifest a quill and write healing runes on your soul contract in your own blood. You take any amount of damage of your choosing, you can heal twice that amount to anyone under your soul contract. They can be distributed to your liking or just go to one creature. You can only heal creatures to half their hit point maximum. After you do this you must finish a long rest or sacrifice an amount of souls equal to twice the number of hp you sacrifice to do this again.

Morale boost

At 10th level whenever you or anyone under your soul contract kills a creature (excluding constructs and undead) you or one person under you soul contract gains temporary hit points equal to twice their challenge rating.

Undying Fury

At 14th level when someone under your soul contract hits zero hit points, you can use your reaction to return them to 3d10 hit points. You can only use this reaction a number of times equal to your spellcasting modifier, regaining uses on a long rest.

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Soul destroyer

Those who choose this archetype have no need for petty contracts or to buff others. No. They pick apart the soul strand by strand, until there's nothing left.

Soul grab

At 2nd level when a creature within 40 feet falls below hit points equal to twice your proficiency bonus, you know and can use your reaction to force that soul out of their body. The creature immediately dies and you gain their soul.

Soul pool

At 2nd level you gain a soul pool. You roll d4s equal to your proficiency bonus, and add your spellcasting modifier times 5, that is your soul pool for the day, you reroll the soul pool on a long rest. You can use a bonus action to expend any amount of souls from the soul pool and target a creature. The DM will tell you if the amount of souls is more than or less than the creature's remaining hp. If it is more than the creature's hp, you can expend that amount of souls from the soul pool and lose all of those souls, but insta-kill that creature. You can refill the soul pool by transferring a regular soul into the soul pool, but not vice versa. The die you use for your soul pool increases at levels in this subclass. If you choose not to expend that amount of souls or the hp is above what you thought, you lose 1d4 souls.

Double check

At 7th level when you use your soul pool you can choose to make a second guess for 1d4 souls, you can use this if you didn get over their hp the first time, or if you want to try and save souls. You choose which if you use the first or second guess. Your soul die also increases to a d6

Soul refund

At 10th level when you harvest a soul, if you use a soul blast on the creature, you can regain half the amount you spent on all the blasts (rounded down). Your soul die increases to a d8.

Soul Supply

At 14th level, you gain a soul supply equal to your spellcasting modifier in d10s. You can perform a one minute ritual to use any amount of those dice and gain souls back. Your soul die increases to a d10.

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Soul protector

As a soul protector, you found out how to use the death of one creature to give life to another.

Soul healing

At 2nd level you have learned how to utilise death to create life. You can cast cure wounds and healing word, using 2 souls to cast, and 3 souls for every upcast level.

Soul Reduction

At 2nd level you can use your soul shield ability on another creature.

Soul invigoration

At 7th level you can expend one soul to cast haste on a creature by using one soul, and using another soul for every round after that. You can choose to stop concentrating at any time, and prevent them from losing a round by spending 2 souls.

Soul cage

At 10th level, you can expend 5 souls to create a soul cage around one creature within 40 feet. The creature is restrained while in the soul cage. The soul keeper must expend 3 souls every round to continue creating the soul cage. The soul cage is broken when you run out of souls or stop concentrating (as if you were concentrating on a spell).

Soul wall

At 14th level as an action you can construct a wall of souls. The wall starts at a place of your choosing within 20 feet of you that you can see. You can build on to the soul wall by using a soul and growing it five feet in any direction you choose. You can grow it as long as you like as long as you have the souls required. You must take a long rest or use 10 souls to create another wall. The wall lasts for one minute or until you create another soul wall.

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Soul Slinger

Soul Slingers believe in imbuing weapons with souls to make them much more deadly.

Soul Weapon

When this archetype is chose at 2 level, choose any weapon (including firearms if your DM allows those). You gain the ability to use one soul and manifest a spectral weapon (no action required) that has the same stats as the regular one you choose. You are proficient with this weapon, and you can use your spellcasting modifier instead of strength or dexterity. You can never be disarmed of this weapon, as it would simply appear back in your hand on your next turn. You cannot summon this weapon if you cannot use magic. If you choose a ranged weapon, no ammo is required, for it will simply shoot concentrated magic. You can summon only one of these weapons, unless the weapon has the light and one handed property, in which case you can summon two, using the same soul and action. If you summon a weapon while you already have the maximum amount, the oldest weapon you summoned fades away.

Soul Imbue

At 2nd level if your soul weapon is in hand you can use a bonus action to enchant it with one of the following benefits, which lasts until the start of your next turn, or until you hit an enemy.

Soul Cleave

Prerequisite: Soul weapon is melee.

If there is more than one enemy in reach of your melee attack, you can spend 1 soul for any number of creatures in reach besides one that you target. you can make an attack against all of those creatures, using the same attack roll for each one.

Piercing Shot

Prerequisite: Soul weapon is ranged

If there are multiple creatures in a straight line, you can attack the first one and expend any amount of soul point to attack that many creatures behind it. The creatures must be within 10 feet of each other.

Lethargic Attack

You can choose to spend 2 souls and enchant your weapon with sluggish energy. If you hit a creature with this attack, for the next turn their movement speed is halved and they cannot take reactions.

Vampiric Strike

You can spend 3 souls and imbue your weapon with leeching energy. If you hit a creature with this attack, you regain hit points equal to the damage dealt.

Confident Attack

When you hit an enemy with an attack, you can spend souls equal to the damage dealt and choose a target within 30 feet of the creature you attacked. The person you choose gains temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt.

Fearful Attack

You can enchant your weapon with malevolent energy and spend 3 souls. When you hit an enemy with an attack, the enemy must make a wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC, or be frightened of you until the start of your next turn.

Exhausting strike

You can spend 5 souls and enchant your weapon with draining energy. An enemy hit by this attack must make a constitution saving throw against your spell save DC, or suffer 1 level of exhaustion.

Disarming strike

You can spend 3 souls and enchant your weapon with pure force. When you hit an enemy holding a weapon, they must make a dexterity saving throw or drop their weapon. You can use your reaction to grab the weapon if they drop it and you are within 5 feet.

Soul Smite

At 7th level your soul weapon does an extra 1d8 necrotic damage. You can also change your soul weapon to a weapon of uncommon rarity.

Improved soul weapon

At 10th level when you attack with your soul weapon you can use a soul trick if the trick is applied to the soul blast feature (except for soul wave), the cost of the soul trick is five souls. You can change your weapon to one with a rarity of rare.

Improved Soul Smite

At 14th level the damage from soul smite increases to 2d8. You can also change your weapon to a weapon of very rare rarity.

Soul keeper magic items

(If your DM is nice)

Ring of Souls

ring, uncommon(+1), rare(+2), very rare(+3)(requires attunement by a soul keeper)

While you are wearing this ring you gain a bonus to your spell attack, spell saving throw, and everything that uses your spell attack and saving throws. While this ring is in your possession you can take a soul from a creature as a bonus action.

Soul Bank

Uncommon(+3), rare(+5), very rare(+10) (requires attunement by a soul keeper)

When you attune to this small metal object, it vanishes to another plane. You can collect souls over your limit, automatically transferring them to this plane. You can store an amount of souls equal to the rarity. You can use a bonus action to take any amount of souls you've stored in the bank back.

(When creating this I wondered what the plane would be. Would it be a physical place, or is it metaphorical? Could anything else be stored in there. I then realized it´s a fictional game so I could stop worrying.-The MidKnight)

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Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the soul keeper class, you must meet these prerequisites: intelligence, wisdom, or charisma 13.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the soul keeper class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor. Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Classes