At 1st level, you have chosen to sacrifice a piece of your own soul to gain the aid of a creature stronger than you. You can choose one of several bonds detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you additional features when you reach 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th and 15th levels.

You and your companion both become empowered from the bond you share, but only one of you can take full advantage of that power at first. If you take the Attack action or cast a spell with a casting time of one action, your companion can't take the Attack action on the same turn, and if your companion takes the Attack action, you can't take the Attack action or cast a spell with a casting time of one action on the same turn.

At 1st level, you gain a companion that will serve and aid you in every way it possibly can. The companion gains bonuses from being linked to your essence. In combat, the companion moves and acts on your turn in initiative. You can command it verbally (no action needed) and if you are incapacitated, it will do its best to protect you and itself from harm.

Soulbound Traits

Your soulbound companion has its own hit dice, and can spend them during a short rest. At first level, its hit points are equal to the maximum value of its hit dice + its Constitution modifier. Whenever you gain a level in this class, your companion also levels up, and it can increase its hit point maximum using its hit dice as normal.

Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature in this class, your companion's abilities also improve. You can increase one of its ability scores of your choice by 2, or you can increase two of its ability scores of your choice by 1. At the DM's discretion you can forgo increasing the companion's ability scores and instead take one feat of your choice for it. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature unless its description specifies otherwise.

Your companion aids you in and out of battle, as it gains bonuses for being linked to your essence. It gains proficiency in two skills of your choice. In areas where it would use its proficiency bonus, it uses your proficiency bonus instead. It also uses your proficiency bonus when calculating its AC.

Your companion will always use Strength for its attack and damage rolls (unless otherwise specified), and its damage dice is shown in the companion's stat block. If a feature for your companion requires another creature to make a saving throw, the DC is equal to your Spell Save DC.

If your companion is reduced to 0 hit points, it falls unconscious and makes death saving throws. When it is reduced to 0 hit points, the soul binder will take any excess damage from the attack. If it is killed, you can return it to life as part of a long rest. The process of reviving can be very hard on your soul, gaining one level of exhaustion at the end of the rest when you revive your companion.

If the you die your companion will gain 1 level of exhaustion for each minute you are dead until you are revived again or the companion dies too.