Soul Reaver (5e Race)

This content deviates from 5e standards. Its use could dramatically alter campaigns, take extreme care.

Caution - Here there be monsters! This content intends to provide a different experience, or goes beyond the scope of the anticipated subjects and situations, than the 5e rules were intended to handle. Some portions of the content below may not be what you expect from traditional game content. When implementing this content, DMs and Players should read over all the information carefully, and consider the following specific notes of interest:

This race uses has a non-standard way of taking short and long rests. Consult with your DM about the balance of this race before use.

Soul Reaver

"I have been dragged through hell and back, all it seems to reach this moment."- Raziel the Soul Reaver

To be chosen as a Soul Reaver is both a blessing and curse; Chosen by an elder god of its world to become its avenging angel, a reaver is simultaneously a lethal living weapon and a plaything to those too powerful to comprehend. Trapped between life and death the reaver has no choice to move ever forward toward his destiny.

Physical Description

A soul reaver is a humanoid undead creature that has been reanimated by the gods for a specific purpose, often to kill an individual that has crossed the deity and had some connection to the reaver in life. In order to become a reaver, an individual must have possessed some link to the magical or Fey world, as such they are often drawn from the elven races or others touched by magic, like that of a sorcerer or vampire. Reavers often retain the marks of these races, such as pointed elven ears or the fangs of a vampire, but are stripped of any other racial traits.

Beyond these telltale traits, however, a soul reaver is unrecognizable as the being they were prior to their death- often deities will select a fallen being who has been dead for many years or even centuries to become its weapon, but even when the process is quick physical change is inevitable. The skin of a reaver becomes tight, revealing the jagged bones beneath, whilst also becoming a deep blue that seems to draw in shadow. The eyes of a reaver become bright white and possess an otherworldly glow. The hands and feet of a reaver are warped and become cloven.

As a result of their unsettling appearance, a soul reaver will often favor clothes or armor that conceals their face from view- wrap around scarves, face masks, hoods, and helmets are all common amongst their kind.

History

The most famed soul reaver is Raziel, named for the archangel, who was a vampire warrior and loyal servant of his vampiric mentor Kain. When Raziel surpassed his master by growing wings, he was betrayed and killed by Kain only to be resurrected by an elder god and gifted the power of the reaver. According to legend, Raziel hunted Kain across worlds and through time before claiming his life. However, when confronted with a resurrected and remorseful Kain, Raziel elected to become one with the reaver's physical form, a powerful sword, in order to purify his friend's soul and provide him with a weapon capable of slaying a god.

The legend, however, is open to interpretation- whilst some believe that the reaver itself was Raziel's gift, others believe he left Kain with a far more powerful weapon.

Hope.

Society

Soul reavers are removed from society either by choice or by the intolerance of others. They become hermits and drifters, living only to make sense of their existence and the task set for them by the gods.

Soul Reaver Names

Soul reavers often retain the names they used in their past lives. Alternatively, they may be renamed after a figure of religious significance, often angels or other powerful beings.

Angelic Names: Gabriel ("Might of God"), Michael ("Who is equal to God"), Raphael ("God Heals") , Uriel ("Light of God"), Raguel, Remiel, Sariel, Sealtiel ("Intercessor of God"),Jegudiel ("Glorifier of God"), Barachiel ("Blessed by God"), Jerahmeel ("God's Exaltation"), Raziel ("Secret of God").

Soul Reaver Traits

You are a soul reaver, blessed with a second life and powerful weapon; cursed with an unlife and a thirst for souls. You have a variety of abilities as a result of resurrection.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age. Soul reavers are ageless but often count on from the age they were at the time of their original death, adding the number of years since they reawakened.
Alignment. Soul reavers follow the will of their god in a search for purpose, as such they tend toward lawful good or lawful evil alignments.
Size. You retain the general height and weight of your previous race, if not losing a few pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Spider Climb. You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Devourer of Souls. A soul reaver does not consume food and does not need to sleep. Instead, you must consume the souls of those that have recently died. You may use an action to absorb the souls of those killed within 10 feet of you - souls remain in the material plane for 30 seconds before moving on to their respective outer planes. You may store a number of souls equal to half your level plus one (rounded up). Since you do not need to rest or sleep, in order for you to gain the benefits of a short or long rest you must expend stored souls during the rest, consuming one soul for a short rest and two souls for a long rest. You must meditate, uninterrupted, for half an hour during the short rest and for four hours during the long rest, at the end of which the soul is consumed. It may become necessary for you to actively seek out creatures to kill in order to prevent exhaustion. (Your DM may wish to introduce a variant rule that differentiates between humanoid and non-humanoid souls. In such an instance, it is recommended considering the soul of a non-sentient creature as half a soul, requiring you to consume a greater number of animal souls to nourish yourself).
Reaver's Blade. As a bonus action, you may summon your Reaver's Blade - a weapon composed of the essence of your very soul. This weapon can only be summoned if you have at least one hand free. You are proficient with this weapon. It is considered a one-handed finesse weapon that deals 1d6 radiant damage. The damage increases to 1d8 at 9th level, 1d10 at 13th level, and 1d12 at 17th level.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice.

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