Sacrosanct
Legend
This is one of my favorite classes* that is often omitted, and I've been musing in how to design it.
Disclosure: The included abilities are just ideas, so don't worry about balance or a specific ability. Rather, it's the structure of how the class works that I'm trying to toss around in my head. Also, this was designed for OSR, but the concept is pretty generic to apply to 5e as well. So here's what I've got:
# of Spirits is the maximum number of spirits you have bonded with and can invoke powers from.
Minor is the number of minor powers you can invoke per day for each bonded spirit.
Major is the number of major powers you can invoke per day for each bonded spirit.
Animists have two primary class features:
1: Spirit companion
The animist chooses a spirit companion, as described below, from either land, air, or sea. This companion can appear either as a normal living animal, or as a smoky spiritual form. This is up to the animist. This companion can be called forth after an 8 hour ritual, and will appear to the character. This creature cannot speak, but will understand and follow the commands of the character to the best of its ability, and both character and spirit companion will have a very close bond. An animist who mistreats or disrespects their spirit companion may find not only that their companion will have left and won’t come back, but other spirits will take note and refuse to come when called up via the figuring or tattoo.
If the companion dies for some reason, it will have travelled to the Astral plane and another 8 hour long ritual must be done in order to call it back to the material plane. Any benefits the character enjoys from the companion will be lost while the companion is not active.
Once the type of animal is selected at first level, it cannot be changed. However, as the animist gains certain levels, they may have the option of having more than one animal companion, and gain all of the benefits thereof.
There are three categories of animal companion: land, air, and water. Naturally each animal will align with this category—a wolf would be land, a dolphin would be water, and an owl would be air for example.
The basic stats for the animal reflect those of the actual animal stat block (if one exists, otherwise the GM will create one) with the following exceptions:
All: The attack roll bonus will equal that of the animist’s base attack roll bonus, and use saving throws of those equal to the animist.
Air: AC 13 +1 every odd level, HP: 4+2 hp per level, 1 attack per round, base 1d6 damage.
Land: AC 10 +1 every odd level, HP: 6+3 hp per level, 1 attack per round, base 1d6 damage.
Water: AC 11 +1 every odd level, HP: 5+2 hp per level, 1 attack per round, base 1d8 damage.
The Animist Bonus is the bonus the animist character will benefit from after they choose their preferred spirit companion.
Aspect of the Beast (2nd level)
At 2nd level, once per day per level, the animist can take on a physical trait of their spirit companion. Ears may elongate, teeth may grow into fangs, fingernails into claws, a tail appears, etc. Depending on the change that aligns with the type of creature, this may grant a natural attack (1d6 base damage), a bonus to hearing or sight (+2 bonus to impacted ability checks), or an enhanced swim speed for example. Because there are so many options, get with your GM to work this out ahead of time.
At 10th level, the animist gains the ability to swap places with their spirit companion via an instant teleportation magic. This takes the animist’s action, but is instant, and can be invoked once per day.
At 11th level, the animist can choose a second spirit companion, but only one can be active at any given time.
At 13th level once per day the animist can polymorph into the form of their spirit companion for a duration of 1 round per level. The animist would gain all of the physical characteristics of a normal animal version of their companion, but retain their intelligence, wisdom, and hit points.
At 15th level the animist can choose a third type of spirit companion, but only one can be active at any given time.
Bonded Spirit (4th level)
The animist gains the ability to communicate with their spirit companion. Only the animist and the companion will understand each other.
At 6th level, the spirit guardian’s attacks are considered magical in regards to overcoming creatures resistant or immune to non-magical attacks.
At 8th level, the animist gains the ability to communicate telepathically with their spirit companion up to a range of 100ft.
2: Spirit conduits
As mentioned, the character will need a material component in order to call forth the bonded spirit. This is either in the form of a small carved figurine that is grasped or held forth when calling the spirit, or as a tattoo on the body of the animist that the character verbally invokes. Each invocation of the spirit will take the character’s action, and if using speed factors, will have a speed factor rating of 4. Without the figurine or tattoo, the animist cannot call forth the spirit power.
Gaining New Spirits
When the character advances in levels, they may gain the ability to reach out to and summon the power of other spirits. The total number of spirits the character can have at any given time are given on the Animist Character Table. Thus, when the animist reaches 3rd level, they can have a total of 2 spirits that they can call forth.
In order to gain the first spirit, and every spirit thereafter, the animist will either need to spend a full day carving a small idol or figurine into the shape of the type of spirit, or spend a day creating a 6-12 inch diameter tattoo on their body that represents the spirit. Once this ritual is complete, the animist can reach out and call forth the associated spirit.
Spirit Powers
Every spirit will have a passive benefit the animist will enjoy as long as they possess the figurine or tattoo (and they haven’t offended the spirit), a Minor power, and a Major power. Minor and Major powers have to be manually invoked as described above. How often each spirit can be called forth, and which power can be called, is determined by the Animist Character Chart.
Example Spirits (just a few from the list to give a general idea)
Aloe
Passive: Fire resistance
Minor: Grant fire resistance to target (touch, duration 1 round per level).
Major: Animist gains immunity to fire damage for 1 turn per level.
Basilisk
Passive: +4 bonus to Saving Throws to resist petrifying or paralysis attacks or effects.
Minor: Immune to petrification or paralysis for 1 turn per level.
Major: Target one creature within 60ft. That target must make a saving throw vs. creature attack or be petrified.
Bear
Passive: Once per day, when dropped to 0 HP or below, instead drop to 1 HP.
Minor: +4 strength for 1 round per level.
Major: Bear Hug. If melee attack is successful, target is brought next to PC and suffers 6d8 additional damage and is grappled.
Blackberry
Passive: No longer require food or water to survive.
Minor: Arms change to thorny vines. Reach 15ft, on a successful attack roll, target suffers 1d8 damage and is grappled. Duration of 1 round per level.
Major: Create a 10ft cube per level of a wall of thorns up to a range of 80ft away. Any creature trying to force their way through the wall will suffer 1d8 damage per 5ft moved. While immune to normal fire, magical fire will set this wall alight, turning it into a wall of fire (as per the spell) for 2d4 rounds before burning away. Duration of 1 turn per level.
Blackthorne
Passive: Immune to curse spells or magic items
Minor: Target creature up to 60ft away needs to make a save vs. spells or be cursed for 1 round per level (-4 to attack and saving throw rolls, damage reduced by half).
Major: As part of the action to call the spirit, call a target creature by name. Target will suffer a cumulative -1 penalty per day to their strength and constitution. This will last for 1 day per level of the animist, until a remove curse spell is cast on the creature, or one of the ability scores is reduced to 0 (which will kill the target creature).
Bull
Passive: Double carrying capacity.
Minor: Charge attack. If you move at least 20ft straight before attacking with a melee attack, double damage will be inflicted on a successful hit.
Major: +2 temporary hit points per level that last for 1 turn per level.
*Note: Historically in other games, from rpgs to computer games, this class has been called a shaman, totemist, or witch doctor. These are all terms, including phrases like “spirit animal” that will not be used in the description of this class. The reason for this is twofold.
Firstly, those terms are specific to individual cultures, many of which currently practice religious or spiritual practices and thus hijacking the terms to use in this game would be clear cultural appropriation. For example, “shaman” originates as a term used to describe a specific culture in Russia, “totem” originates from both Aborigine and Ojibwa , and “spirit animal” is a current term used by many indigenous North Americans.
Secondly, because those terms are in reference to only one or a few cultures, they would be too limiting to capture what this class will entail because each of those individual cultures had a unique and specific way in which they had a relationship with spirits. Thus, the term “animist” will be used, because it’s a larger term meant to capture the general aspects of communicating with and/or invoking animal, mineral, and plant spirits. The animist believes everything in nature has a spirit, and they have a relationship with them in a way that allows them to channel the spirit energy into magical effects. Nearly every culture throughout the world, (the aforementioned indigenous North Americans, the Aborigine, Shintoists, and the Nordic belief in flygia for example), has at one point in their history held a spirit reverence even though their individual cultures were unique. That is why “animist” is used and those other terms will be avoided.
Disclosure: The included abilities are just ideas, so don't worry about balance or a specific ability. Rather, it's the structure of how the class works that I'm trying to toss around in my head. Also, this was designed for OSR, but the concept is pretty generic to apply to 5e as well. So here's what I've got:
# of Spirits is the maximum number of spirits you have bonded with and can invoke powers from.
Minor is the number of minor powers you can invoke per day for each bonded spirit.
Major is the number of major powers you can invoke per day for each bonded spirit.
Animists have two primary class features:
1: Spirit companion
The animist chooses a spirit companion, as described below, from either land, air, or sea. This companion can appear either as a normal living animal, or as a smoky spiritual form. This is up to the animist. This companion can be called forth after an 8 hour ritual, and will appear to the character. This creature cannot speak, but will understand and follow the commands of the character to the best of its ability, and both character and spirit companion will have a very close bond. An animist who mistreats or disrespects their spirit companion may find not only that their companion will have left and won’t come back, but other spirits will take note and refuse to come when called up via the figuring or tattoo.
If the companion dies for some reason, it will have travelled to the Astral plane and another 8 hour long ritual must be done in order to call it back to the material plane. Any benefits the character enjoys from the companion will be lost while the companion is not active.
Once the type of animal is selected at first level, it cannot be changed. However, as the animist gains certain levels, they may have the option of having more than one animal companion, and gain all of the benefits thereof.
There are three categories of animal companion: land, air, and water. Naturally each animal will align with this category—a wolf would be land, a dolphin would be water, and an owl would be air for example.
The basic stats for the animal reflect those of the actual animal stat block (if one exists, otherwise the GM will create one) with the following exceptions:
All: The attack roll bonus will equal that of the animist’s base attack roll bonus, and use saving throws of those equal to the animist.
Air: AC 13 +1 every odd level, HP: 4+2 hp per level, 1 attack per round, base 1d6 damage.
Land: AC 10 +1 every odd level, HP: 6+3 hp per level, 1 attack per round, base 1d6 damage.
Water: AC 11 +1 every odd level, HP: 5+2 hp per level, 1 attack per round, base 1d8 damage.
The Animist Bonus is the bonus the animist character will benefit from after they choose their preferred spirit companion.
Aspect of the Beast (2nd level)
At 2nd level, once per day per level, the animist can take on a physical trait of their spirit companion. Ears may elongate, teeth may grow into fangs, fingernails into claws, a tail appears, etc. Depending on the change that aligns with the type of creature, this may grant a natural attack (1d6 base damage), a bonus to hearing or sight (+2 bonus to impacted ability checks), or an enhanced swim speed for example. Because there are so many options, get with your GM to work this out ahead of time.
At 10th level, the animist gains the ability to swap places with their spirit companion via an instant teleportation magic. This takes the animist’s action, but is instant, and can be invoked once per day.
At 11th level, the animist can choose a second spirit companion, but only one can be active at any given time.
At 13th level once per day the animist can polymorph into the form of their spirit companion for a duration of 1 round per level. The animist would gain all of the physical characteristics of a normal animal version of their companion, but retain their intelligence, wisdom, and hit points.
At 15th level the animist can choose a third type of spirit companion, but only one can be active at any given time.
Bonded Spirit (4th level)
The animist gains the ability to communicate with their spirit companion. Only the animist and the companion will understand each other.
At 6th level, the spirit guardian’s attacks are considered magical in regards to overcoming creatures resistant or immune to non-magical attacks.
At 8th level, the animist gains the ability to communicate telepathically with their spirit companion up to a range of 100ft.
2: Spirit conduits
As mentioned, the character will need a material component in order to call forth the bonded spirit. This is either in the form of a small carved figurine that is grasped or held forth when calling the spirit, or as a tattoo on the body of the animist that the character verbally invokes. Each invocation of the spirit will take the character’s action, and if using speed factors, will have a speed factor rating of 4. Without the figurine or tattoo, the animist cannot call forth the spirit power.
Gaining New Spirits
When the character advances in levels, they may gain the ability to reach out to and summon the power of other spirits. The total number of spirits the character can have at any given time are given on the Animist Character Table. Thus, when the animist reaches 3rd level, they can have a total of 2 spirits that they can call forth.
In order to gain the first spirit, and every spirit thereafter, the animist will either need to spend a full day carving a small idol or figurine into the shape of the type of spirit, or spend a day creating a 6-12 inch diameter tattoo on their body that represents the spirit. Once this ritual is complete, the animist can reach out and call forth the associated spirit.
Spirit Powers
Every spirit will have a passive benefit the animist will enjoy as long as they possess the figurine or tattoo (and they haven’t offended the spirit), a Minor power, and a Major power. Minor and Major powers have to be manually invoked as described above. How often each spirit can be called forth, and which power can be called, is determined by the Animist Character Chart.
Example Spirits (just a few from the list to give a general idea)
Aloe
Passive: Fire resistance
Minor: Grant fire resistance to target (touch, duration 1 round per level).
Major: Animist gains immunity to fire damage for 1 turn per level.
Basilisk
Passive: +4 bonus to Saving Throws to resist petrifying or paralysis attacks or effects.
Minor: Immune to petrification or paralysis for 1 turn per level.
Major: Target one creature within 60ft. That target must make a saving throw vs. creature attack or be petrified.
Bear
Passive: Once per day, when dropped to 0 HP or below, instead drop to 1 HP.
Minor: +4 strength for 1 round per level.
Major: Bear Hug. If melee attack is successful, target is brought next to PC and suffers 6d8 additional damage and is grappled.
Blackberry
Passive: No longer require food or water to survive.
Minor: Arms change to thorny vines. Reach 15ft, on a successful attack roll, target suffers 1d8 damage and is grappled. Duration of 1 round per level.
Major: Create a 10ft cube per level of a wall of thorns up to a range of 80ft away. Any creature trying to force their way through the wall will suffer 1d8 damage per 5ft moved. While immune to normal fire, magical fire will set this wall alight, turning it into a wall of fire (as per the spell) for 2d4 rounds before burning away. Duration of 1 turn per level.
Blackthorne
Passive: Immune to curse spells or magic items
Minor: Target creature up to 60ft away needs to make a save vs. spells or be cursed for 1 round per level (-4 to attack and saving throw rolls, damage reduced by half).
Major: As part of the action to call the spirit, call a target creature by name. Target will suffer a cumulative -1 penalty per day to their strength and constitution. This will last for 1 day per level of the animist, until a remove curse spell is cast on the creature, or one of the ability scores is reduced to 0 (which will kill the target creature).
Bull
Passive: Double carrying capacity.
Minor: Charge attack. If you move at least 20ft straight before attacking with a melee attack, double damage will be inflicted on a successful hit.
Major: +2 temporary hit points per level that last for 1 turn per level.
*Note: Historically in other games, from rpgs to computer games, this class has been called a shaman, totemist, or witch doctor. These are all terms, including phrases like “spirit animal” that will not be used in the description of this class. The reason for this is twofold.
Firstly, those terms are specific to individual cultures, many of which currently practice religious or spiritual practices and thus hijacking the terms to use in this game would be clear cultural appropriation. For example, “shaman” originates as a term used to describe a specific culture in Russia, “totem” originates from both Aborigine and Ojibwa , and “spirit animal” is a current term used by many indigenous North Americans.
Secondly, because those terms are in reference to only one or a few cultures, they would be too limiting to capture what this class will entail because each of those individual cultures had a unique and specific way in which they had a relationship with spirits. Thus, the term “animist” will be used, because it’s a larger term meant to capture the general aspects of communicating with and/or invoking animal, mineral, and plant spirits. The animist believes everything in nature has a spirit, and they have a relationship with them in a way that allows them to channel the spirit energy into magical effects. Nearly every culture throughout the world, (the aforementioned indigenous North Americans, the Aborigine, Shintoists, and the Nordic belief in flygia for example), has at one point in their history held a spirit reverence even though their individual cultures were unique. That is why “animist” is used and those other terms will be avoided.
