Possessed

Gritting his teeth, an elf stares down the pack of gnolls stampeding toward his village Surrounded by the ravenous horde, he closes his eyes and burst explodes with power, rising into the air with the visage of a long-dead monster, and his spectral hands choke the life from one of the foul beasts while its siblings flee in terror.

An emaciated man wrapped in scars and brands stares out his windows at the torches and pitchforks of the lynch mob outside. He closes his eyes, and a single tear runs down his cheek. When the crowd bursts into his isolated hut they find it empty, the light of the full moon revealing a just-abandoned abode. In the woods outside his home, the howl of a werewolf fades into the night.

Wrapped in chains, a half-orc accused of horrific crimes stands before a magistrate. Her back bears the scars of whipping, but in her eyes there is unbroken will and unrestrained rage. As the guilty verdict is read, a roar bursts from her throat and she swells in size, shredding her bonds and leaping through the wall of the courthouse, leaving the courtroom stunned in the wake of her destruction.

Invasive Guests Possessed vary in the source and nature of their powers, but all share an uncanny symbiosis of body, mind, or soul that binds them to another creature, one far more powerful than they. Some speak in tongues and carry the soul of a celestial within. Others are possessed by demons that contort their body and blaspheme in whispered thoughts. Still others are cursed by lycanthropy, or host powerful parasites within their mortal flesh. But all possessed share the ability to call upon the magic of the creatures within them, and to surrender their will to that being to alter their body, a change that provides them with enormous strength and temporarily transforms them into whirlwinds of death.

Magic From Within Spellcasters who draw their power from the being they host within themselves, the journey of a possessed is one of self-discovery and careful control. Tapping too deeply can cause them to lose themselves, while fighting without help can risk their lives and cause the creature to burst from them regardless of their careful practice.

Empowered Anathemas Possessed are often guilty and solitary creatures, hoping for companionship but only receiving it at risk lest they harm someone else. Nevertheless, their raw power and mastery of senses beyond mortal ken leads them taking the front lines of battle with powerful magic supplemented by claw, tooth, or fist. A powerful party can help keep them in line, assuage the risks they might face, or provide long-desired companionship.

Creating a Possessed Possessed are a study in duality, of two independent creatures forced to cooperate symbiotically. Ask yourself not only about the goals and desires of your character, but those of the entity hosted within. Are they hostile, helpful, or sapient at all? Why did they choose this person as a host, and what did they hope to accomplish by binding their essence to them? Consider also how the pair co-exist. Many possessions kill the host—did your character exhibit some sort of unnatural resilience, or do they provide more vale alive than dead? Or is their relationship a mutual one, where they took the entity into themselves willingly? Or did something occur that bound two beings together, irrevocably and without the consent of either? What will your character do with their newfound powers—will they flee from them and use them as little as possible, or revel in the destruction they can cause? Quick Build You can make a possessed quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest stat, followed by whichever ability score empowers the features of your Hosted Entity. If you aren't sure or can't decide, Dexterity should be your next highest stat. Second, choose the Haunted One background.