Character Incarnations

In this adventure, each character has not just a single form, but three incarnations. These incarnations share the same level and advance at the same time, but they can otherwise be as different or similar as the player wishes. Incarnations might use completely different character options, they might have different physical forms, or they might simply have cosmetic differences. A player plays only one incarnation at a time, switching incarnations only when one dies.

When creating different character incarnations, players should review their answers to the questions from the previous section and consider how different choices might have led their character down different paths.

Nexus Feature

Nexus features are distinguishing objects or traits shared among a character’s incarnations. They are icons of a character’s personality or signature tokens. Nexus features help others recognize a character no matter which incarnation is being played. Have players determine a nexus feature by creating their own or rolling on the Nexus Features table.

Nexus Features

Wizard, paladin, and druid incarnations of the same glitch character share a distinctive sunburst nexus feature

When Incarnations Die

When a character dies, the multiversal glitch restores one of that character’s incarnations of the player’s choice to life soon after. This incarnation must be different from the one who just died, but each incarnation doesn’t need to be played before a particular incarnation reappears.

Work the incarnation’s return into the adventure, following the guidance in the “Running Glitch Characters” section. Let players discover that dead characters return in new incarnations during play rather than revealing this outright. When an incarnation appears, they are attuned to any magic items the dead character was attuned to when they died.

A dead character’s body doesn’t vanish when another incarnation manifests. Glitch characters can be affected by spells such as raise dead and resurrection until their next incarnation appears. Spells that permanently alter characters, such as reincarnate, continue to affect an incarnation even after they die and return.

Running Glitch Characters

Incarnations Returning

After dying, glitch characters return as one of their other incarnations—even if those incarnations have died before.

Planar forces cause incarnations to appear in unlikely places, like in empty rooms, around bends in the road, or inside wardrobes.

Incarnations have no memory of how they came to be wherever they’re found.