Binder (bind-er)

The Binder 3.5 class by Matthew Sernett, Ari Marmell, David Noonan, and Robert J. Schwalb via Wizards of the Coasts DnD 3.5e, translated into DnD 5e for use in the Living World of Syrik by Sage Young (SerNurp) from the Tome of Magic as well as 5e homebrew via DanDWiki, zperlo Binder class, and MageHand Press’s Book of Binding.
Version: 1.1

Between mortality and godhood, beyond life and undeath, souls exist in a place both forgotten and inaccessible. Mortals too strong-willed to pass into the afterlife, dead outsiders too powerful to be absorbed into their planes, the dreams of slain deities put to rest eons before the current age—these are the beings called vestiges. A seal forms the door between these beings and reality, and knowledge is the key to opening it. Only the binder possesses that key, because only they know the vestiges’ special seals and the rituals by which they can be called from the void beyond reality. By drawing their seals and speaking the words of power, the binder summons these strange entities, bargains with them, and binds them to their service.

Beyond Reality

Binders learn to cast their minds into the Void between planes, and to search the abyss there for beings that will answer their call. These beings – called vestiges – are remnants of powerful beings residing in the nothingness outside of reality, which is born from the last echoes of the world's creation, and from energies that leak out of the planes. Pact Magic scholars seek out these vestiges and pass down legends of their origin. They learn of their personalities, abilities, and motivations, all of which vary wildly, from the reasonable, to deeply inscrutable.

Because vestiges are devoid of all sensation in the Void, they crave any small taste of reality, and will answer the call of any binder powerful enough to draw them forth. Binders, so named for their willingness to share their spirit with these exiled spirits, can merge a portion of their soul with a vestige in exchange for some of the power the vestige commanded in life.

A Bargain Sealed

In order to obtain the services of a vestige, a binder must strike a deal with that vestige, and use their magic to make the terms of the agreement totally binding. Knowing this, the vestiges will often seek to outwit the binder, adding loopholes and ambiguity into the terms of the bargain, making every deal a grave risk for the binder.

Creating a Binder

As you make your binder character, spend some time thinking about your relationship to your vestiges, and the extent to which you allow them to influence your personality. How did you learn about the mysterious vestiges, and do you have a special relationship to any of them? What drew you to your first summoning? How do you view your own soul, given that you allow other spirits to take up residence within it?

Work with your DM to determine what role vestiges and other binders will play in your campaign.

As a binder, you can redefine your role in the adventuring party, daily, if desired. There is also the possibility that your appearance and your very personality will flex with different vestiges holding sway over your soul. How do you and your adventuring party confront this, and how do you handle the physical signs presented by your vestiges? Do you hide these signs, for fear of public retribution, or do you flaunt them, embracing the power that they offer you?

Quick Build

To make a Binder quickly, consider the following suggestions: Intelligence and Charisma should be your highest ability scores, as Intelligence is keyed to your pact magic casting ability and certain features, while Charisma is tied to your Vestige binding ability. After this a medium balance of Constitution, and Strength or Dexterity. Because you can take any party role, you should be prepared to change your hat on a moment's notice. Physical stats will be more important for if you plan to take the Knight of the Sacred Seal or Twisted fate. Lastly, choose the Sage Background.

Multiclass

Ability Score Multiclass Requirements: Intelligence and Charisma 13
Multiclass Proficiencies Gained: Light armor, simple weapons
Pact Magic: If you have both the Spellcasting class feature and the Pact Magic class feature, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Pact Magic feature to cast spells you know or have prepared from classes with the Spellcasting class feature, and you can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting class feature to cast binder spells you know.
Pact Magic Spell Slots: If you possess at least two or more Pact Magic classes, the number of spells that you can cast stack, but the level of spell slot that you use remains unchanged.
For Example, If you are a level 3 Warlock, level 5 Binder; you would have two 3rd level spell slots, and two 2nd level spell slots available to you.

The Binder Table

Class Features

As a binder, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per binder level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per binder level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: All simple weapons
Lore: Binding, Vestiges
Tools: Ritual Implements
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose three from Arcana, Deception, Gossip, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Linguistics, Nature, Persuasion, Religion, and Tactics.

Equipment

You begin the game with a coin pouch containing 75 gp; you can spend this coin, along with your starting wealth from other traits and features, to purchase your starting equipment from the options found within the equipment guide. Alternatively, if you are starting in a non-Living World game, and your DM allows, you can choose to instead start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your other traits and features:

(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
(a) component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
(a) a scholar’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack
Leather armor, a set of ritual implements, and two daggers

Hunted

Show spoiler

Your use of black magic is seen by many in the world as abhorrent, a sin worthy of nothing less than death, to use your bindings is risky at best, be aware when using your Vestiges of when and why, and who might see your actions.

Pact Magic

Show Spoiler

Your arcane research and the magic bestowed on you by a bound vestige has given you the ability to bind and cast spells. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the binder spell list.

Cantrips

You know two cantrips of your choice from the binder spell list. You learn additional binder cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Binder table.

Spellbook

At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing 3 + half of your Intelligence score in 1st-level binder spells of your choice. Your spellbook is the repository of the binder spells you know, except your cantrips, which are fixed in your mind. Preparing and Casting Spells The Binder table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your binder spells of 1st through 5th level. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a pact magic spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest. You prepare the list of binder spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of binder spells from your spellbook equal to your Proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier + half of your binder level. The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you’re a 3rd-level binder, you have access 2nd level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your spellbook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell magic missile, you cast it using the highest spell level that you can cast, in this case at 2nd level. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of binder spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher

Each time you gain a binder level, you add a number of binder spells of your choice of the highest highest level known as shown on the table below:

Level	Spells Gained	Level	Spells Gained
2nd	1st Level: 4	12th	5th Level or lower: 2
3rd	2nd Level: 3	13th	5th Level or lower: 2
4th	2nd Level: 3	14th	5th Level or lower: 2
5th	3rd Level: 3	15th	5th Level or lower: 2
6th	3rd Level: 3	16th	5th Level or lower: 2
7th	4th Level: 2	17th	5th Level or lower: 1
8th	4th Level: 2	18th	5th Level or lower: 1
9th	5th Level: 2	19th	5th Level or lower: 1
10th	5th Level: 2	20th	5th Level or lower: 1
11th	5th Level or lower: 2

Additionally, you add one spell for each level below your highest level you are capable of casting. For example, if you are a 5th-level binder level up to 6th level in binder, you would learn 4 3rd level spells, 1 2nd level, and 1 1st level. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Binder table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook. You can copy spells from a binder spellbook, a wizard's spellbook, or a scroll. Binders cannot copy an extract into their spellbook and gain it as a Binder spell.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your binder spells, so you use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a binder spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast a binder spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell known. You don’t need to have the spell prepared.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus (see the Adventuring Gear section) as a spellcasting focus for your binder spells.

Your Spellbook

The spells that you add to your spellbook as you gain levels reflect the arcane research you conduct on your own, as well as intellectual breakthroughs you have had about the nature of the multiverse. You might find other spells during your adventures. You could discover a spell recorded on a scroll in a binder’s chest, for example, or in a dusty tome in an ancient library.

Copying a Spell into the Book: When you find a binder spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.

Copying that spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the binder who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation. For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.

Replacing the Book: You can copy a spell from your own spellbook into another book—for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your spellbook. This is just like copying a new spell into your spellbook, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation and already know how to cast the spell. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 gp for each level of the copied spell.

If you lose your spellbook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the spells that you have prepared into a new spellbook. Filling out the remainder of your spellbook requires you to find new spells to do so, as normal. For this reason, many binders keep backup spellbooks in a safe place.

The Book’s Appearance: Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap.

Soul Binding

Show Spoiler

Through special methods known only to binders, you can contact a vestige and make a pact with it. Starting at 1st level, you can make a pact with one 1st level vestige. At higher levels, you can form and maintain pacts with multiple vestiges simultaneously, as shown in the Bound Vestiges column of the Binder Table, although you must complete the summoning and binding process with each separately. Vestiges are bound to your soul by the pact and cannot be targeted by any means. A vestige can only be expelled by the Expel Vestige class feature.

Contacting Vestiges

To contact a vestige, you must draw its unique seal visibly on a surface, making the image at least 5 feet across. Drawing a seal requires the ability to mark a surface and 1 minute of concentration (as if concentrating on a spell). A vestige may have special requirements for contact, included in its entry.

Summoning Vestiges

Once the seal is drawn, you can use your action to perform a ritual and touch the seal, calling out to a vestige using both its name and its title. An illusory image of the vestige appears in the seal's space, ignoring everyone but you. If you fail to address it before the end of your next turn, it disappears. The vestige speaks in whatever language you used to call it.

Binding Vestiges

To make a pact with the summoned vestige, you must make a Charisma (Persuasion), Charisma (Intimidation), Charisma (Deception), or Intelligence (Lore; Binding) check (1d20 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier). This process requires 1 minute, but you can choose to make a rushed binding check as an action at disadvantage. The DC for this check is determined by the level of the vestige you are attempting to bind, as shown in the "Vestiges" section at the end of this class description.

Vestigial Influence

If you succeed on your binding check, the vestige has no control over your actions and does not influence your personality. If the binding check is a failure, the vestige influences your personality and your actions, and you must adhere to its requirements to the best of your ability. If you cannot or will not adhere to the requirements of a vestige, you receive disadvantage on all actions that go against its influence. If you are influenced by more than one vestige, you must act according to all their influences.

Vestigial Manifestation

As long as you are bound to a vestige, you manifest a specific physical sign of its presence, as given in its entry. This sign is real, not an illusory or shape changing effect. If you are bound to more than one vestige, you bear the physical sign of binding for each one. You can choose not to exhibit the physical sign that accompanies a pact with a vestige when you succeed on your binding check. You can suppress or reveal the sign as a bonus action. While under the influence of a vestige, however, you cannot suppress its sign; you show it for the duration of the pact.

Known Vestiges

A binder begins playing knowing three vestiges of their choice, this includes their required symbology, their legend, their name and title, any special requirements to summon the vestige, the physical signs it causes, its influence upon a binder, and its bound features. A binder can learn and thus acquire new vestiges from research or from other binder’s sharing their knowledge in a session of study that requires 1 day of downtime (8-hour study session), and the use of 50 gp worth of material components, such as fine ink, scroll velum, and chalk bound with the vestige’s essence.

Vestigial Power

Whether the binding check succeeds or fails, you successfully make a pact with the vestige, and you gain the features granted by it. The pact ends when you finish a long rest, and you lose access to all of the features granted by the vestige.

Vestigial Recharge

Many vestiges, and some Binding Sects, grant features with the Recharge 5-6 notation. When you use a feature with the "Recharge 5-6" notation, it becomes discharged. You cannot use a discharged feature again until it recharges. At the start of your turn while in Combat, you roll one d6 for each feature you have that is currently recharging. For each roll of 5 or 6, one feature is recharged (you recharge features in the same order you discharged them). The features also recharge whenever you finish a short or long rest. Recharge abilities can be used a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus while in any individual non-Combat Scene.

Vestigial Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for all spells and features granted to you by your vestiges. Use your Charisma score whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell or feature granted to you by one of your vestiges.

Saving Throw DC = 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell Attack Modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Pact Augmentation

Show Spoiler

Beginning at 2nd level, you can draw additional power from the vestiges that you bind. So long as you are bound to at least one vestige, you gain a number of augmentation points that you can use to empower your bound vestige, granting you additional abilities so long as you maintain your bond with that vestige. You are able to swap out your Pact Augmentation whenever you would make a Good Pact with a Vestige. As you attain higher levels, you gain additional augmentation points which you can use to further boost your augmented vestige. You gain one additional point at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th level (to a maximum of six augmentation points at 20th level). At 2nd level, you have access to minor augments, each of which costs one augmentation point to empower a vestige, starting at 6th level you gain access to Major Augments, each of which costs two augmentation points to empower a vestige, lastly, starting at 10th level, you gain access to Greater Augments, each of which costs three augmentation points to empower a vestige. You can choose a single augment multiple times, so long as you have enough augmentation points remaining, and their effects stack.

Occult Fate

Show Spoiler

Starting at 3rd level, your soul begins to show the marks of constant possession by the forces from outside reality. You must choose a destiny to embrace as part of your practice. Select a Binder Fate from the options available. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th level, 10th level, and 15th level.

Ability Score Improvement

Show Spoiler

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.

Expel Vestige

Show Spoiler

Starting at 5th level, you have discovered how to allow vestiges to come and go as you please. You can use your action to expel a vestige to which you are bound, making a binding check against the chosen vestige's binding DC. If you succeed on the binding check, you expel the vestige before it would normally leave you, and you can summon a different one to replace it if you wish. Once you have expelled a vestige, you must finish a short or long rest before expelling another. Vestiges react poorly to your use of this ability. You have disadvantage on your next binding check with any vestige, and you have disadvantage on your binding check the next time you summon the vestige you expelled.

Soul Guardian

Show Spoiler

When you reach 5th level, your mind is steeled by the experience of the vestiges you bind. As long as you are bound to at least one vestige, you are immune to fear effects. As you gain levels in this class, the vestige guards its time with you even more jealously, granting you protection from additional effects that would harm your soul and life energy for as long as the pact lasts.

Extra Attack

Show Spoiler

Beginning at 7th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Seal Maker

Show Spoiler

At 7th level, you have learned the intricate symbols and signs required to form seals of binding, that can be used not only to bind a vestige to yourself, but to bind other outsiders to your command, and perhaps with enough time and skill, to bind aspects of the vestiges into physical form under your will. You gain the ability to cast the spell Planar Ally once, regaining its use after taking a long rest, the ally formed from this spell has strength akin to your own strength as a binder; additionally, you can cast the spell Planar Binding to bind any one vestige or outsider you know the true name of, this spell requires half of the normal amount of time to cast for you, and is considered to be on your spell list and on your list of spells known.

Slippery Mind

Show Spoiler

At 9th level, you gain the slippery mind ability, which allows you to wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise control or compel you. While you are bound to at least one vestige, if you fail your saving throw against an enchantment spell or effect, you can make a saving throw against the same DC at the start of your next turn, ending its effects on you on a success, should this check fail, the spell is maintained for the normal duration.

Vestige Awareness

Show Spoiler

Starting at 11th level, your vestiges enhance your perception. While you are bound to at least one vestige, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, and you cannot be surprised.

Adamant Mind

Show Spoiler

At 13th level, your experience in sharing your mind with otherworldly entities has taught you how to guard your thoughts, and punish those that dare to influence them. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened, and on saving throws against any effect that would sense your emotions or read your thoughts. Additionally, you have resistance to Psychic damage, and when you succeed on a save against an effect that would cause the charmed or frightened condition or that would sense your emotions or read your thoughts, you can cause the creature that used that ability on you takes psychic damage equal to your binder level + your Intelligence modifier.

Vestige Safeguard

Show Spoiler

By 14th level, when you would drop to 0 hit points, you can dismiss one of the vestiges bound to you to drop to 1 hit points instead. Once you use this feature, you must complete a long rest before using it again.

Spiritual Longevity

Show Spoiler

When you reach 15th level, your attunement to vestiges grants you supernatural vitality. You no longer suffer the frailty of old age, you cannot be aged magically, and whenever your hit point maximum would be reduced, you halve the amount of max HP reduction before it is applied. You can still die of old age, however.

Boundless Binding

Show Spoiler

When you attain 20th level, the seals of the vestiges are burned into your mind, a conduit for contact allowing you to bind vestiges at will. You can utter the name and title of a vestige (no action required), instantly summoning the chosen vestige and binding it to you. When you bind a vestige with this feature, the saving throw DC of its granted features increases by 1, and you automatically fail on your binding check to make a pact with it, subjecting you to its influence. As normal, the pact ends when you finish a long rest, although you can't expel the chosen vestige by any means. You can form any, or all, of your pacts in this way, and you are subjected to the influence of each vestige you bind with this feature. Additionally, you gain a +5 bonus to your maximum hit points for each vestige you have bound with this feature, and any attack you make is considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. These benefits fade when the pact(s) ends.

Pact Augmentation Abilities

Given herein is a list of Pact Augmentation abilities that a bind can select as a part of their Pact Augmentation feature.
Show Spoiler

Minor Augments

Body Augment

While bound to a vestige augmented with this ability, your maximum hit points are increased by five. Upon first binding to the augmented vestige your current hit points are increased by five.

Defense Augment

While bound to a vestige augmented with this ability, you can as a reaction to being subject to an attack roll, gain a +1 Deflection bonus to your Armor Class against the triggering attack.

Mind Augment

While bound to a vestige augmented with this ability, you gain the ability to speak, read, and write one language appropriate for the chosen vestige. If you have no remaining languages able to be granted by your vestige, you instead gain proficiency in one skill or tool of your choice.

Offense Augment

While bound to a vestige augmented with this ability, whenever you deal damage, you deal an additional two points of damage. This only applies to one instance of any given spell or effect; for example, if used with the spell magic missile, only one missile would gain this additional damage.

Soul Augment

While bound to a vestige augmented with this ability, you can as a reaction to being subject to a saving throw, gain a +1 Deflection bonus to your saving throw against the triggering save.

Major Augments

Guardian Augment

While bound to a vestige augmented with this ability, you gain advantage on saving throws made to resist one of the following conditions: Antagonized, Blinded, Charmed, Confused, Dazzled, Deafened, Decayed, Doomed, Drained, Entangled, Exhausted, Fatigued, Fear, Fogged, Grappled, Infectious, Muted, Nauseated, Paralyzed, Petrified, Pinned, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Sickened, Stunned, or Wounded.

Learned Augment

While bound to a vestige augmented with this ability, you gain proficiency in one skill or tool of your choice, if you are already proficient in the chosen skill or tool, you instead gain expertise.

Resistance Augment

While bound to a vestige augmented with this ability, you gain resistance to one damage type from the following list: Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison, or Thunder.

Shield Augment

While bound to a vestige augmented with this ability, you gain Damage Reduction 1/Physical; which reduces all bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage that you would suffer by one, this is applied after resistances are applied.

Greater Augments

Awakened Augment

While bound to a vestige augmented with this ability, you gain one of the following senses: Blindsight 10 feet, Bloodscent 20 feet, Riversense 40 feet, Tremorsense 30 feet, Websense 60 feet.

Protector Augment

While bound to a vestige augmented with this ability, you gain resistance to one damage type from the following list: Ballistic, Force, Necrotic, Physical (bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing), Psychic, or Radiant.

Reflecting Augment

While bound to a vestige augmented with this ability, whenever you are attacked by a creature within 5 feet of you by a melee attack, that creature suffers 1d6 points of damage. The damage type is drawn from the following list, once chosen it cannot be changed until you rebind to your augmented vestige: Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison, Psychic, Radiant or Thunder.

Binding Fates

All binders are ordained to a fate, even if it is not one of their choosing. Their fate is an irresistible lure that predetermines a binder’s powers before they have even developed, and is imprinted through countless vestige pacts. Though the origin of a fate is unknown, even to Pact Magic scholars, they appear to guide most binders to greatness, and others to defeat.

Eldritch

Though Binding is not spellcasting in the usual sense, it is not altogether different. Binders who follow the Eldritch Fate learn to take that skill and apply it to magic of the proper sort. As well, they learn to exploit their connection to the vestiges they bind, which they refer to as Anima, taking the power they give and channeling it directly into magical might.
Show Spoiler

Font of Magic

Starting at 3rd level, you can persuade a bound vestige into letting you tap into a wellspring of magic within them. This wellspring is represented by sorcery points, which allow you to create a variety of magical effects.

Sorcery Points

You have 1 sorcery point, and you gain 1 additional point at 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th, and 20th levels, to a maximum of 7 at 20th level. You regain all spent sorcery points when you finish a long rest.

Metamagic

At 3rd Level, you gain the ability to twist your spells to suit your needs. You gain one of the following metamagic options of your choice. You gain another one at 10th level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the metamagic options you know and replace it with another metamagic option from this list. You can use only one metamagic option on a spell when you cast it, unless otherwise noted.

Careful Spell

When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell’s full force. To do so, you spend 1 sorcery point and choose a number of those creatures up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.

Distant Spell

When you cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double the range of the spell. When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can spend 1 sorcery point to make the range of the spell 30 feet.

Extended Spell

When you cast a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double its duration, to a maximum duration of 24 hours.

Heightened Spell

When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, you can spend 3 sorcery points to give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.

Quickened Spell

When you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can spend 2 sorcery points to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.

Subtle Spell

When you cast a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to cast it without any somatic or verbal components.

Versatile Casting

When you complete a long rest, you can choose one of the binder spells you know and replace it with another spell from the binder or sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an illusion or transmutation spell, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any school of magic.

Anima Shield

At 6th level, you force a bound vestige into being your personal watchdog. While you are bound to a vestige, you add your proficiency bonus to your initiative rolls.

Exploit Vestige

When you reach 6th level, you learn how to use a bound vestige to boost your spellcasting. When you form a pact with a vestige, you can siphon a small amount of latent arcane energy within them, granting you one additional spell slot. In doing so, you lose access to one feature of your choice granted by the chosen vestige. You can forego only one ability per day in this manner, even if you bind multiple vestiges. However, vestiges react poorly to your use of this ability; the next time you summon the chosen vestige, you suffer disadvantage on your binding check to bind them.

Vestige Metamagic

At 10th level, you can augment your spells by sapping your vestige's power. As a reaction when you cast a spell, you choose one your bound vestiges, and you apply the effects of one metamagic option to the triggering spell without expending sorcery points. The chosen metamagic option need not be one that you know, but it must be a metamagic option listed in the Metamagic class feature of the Anima Magi subclass. You lose access to all of the features granted by the chosen vestige when you use this feature, and do not regain them until you roll a 5 or 6 on the d6 (Recharge 5-6). If the chosen vestige has any discharged features, they are not recharged when you regain those features. If you are bound to multiple vestiges, you only lose access to the features of the chosen vestige. You must finish a short or long rest before using this feature again.

Vestige Casting

At 15th level, you can tap into the font of magic within a vestige to cast a spell outside the normal limits of time. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to cast one spell you know without expending a spell slot, and you cast the spell as if it were modified by the Subtle Spell metamagic option. When you cast a spell in this way, it is treated as if you expended a 5th level spell slot for determining its effects and damage. If the spell has a casting time greater than a bonus action, its casting time is treated as a bonus action for this feature. If the spell requires concentration, you must still concentrate on it. You can still use your action to cast another spell during the same turn, and that spell need not be a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action. You regain use of this feature when you finish a long rest.

Knight of the Sacred Seal

A knight of the sacred seal is never alone because they have formed a true partnership with a single vestige. Their oath requires them to champion and protect their patron vestige, take its seal as their symbol, and to advance its goals in the world. As their relationship with their patron vestige deepens, a knight of the sacred seal taps a well of abilities unavailable to other binders, becoming more than they once were. Though they can bind other vestiges, they choose not to because the connection they share with their companion offers strange new powers.
Show Spoiler

Patron Vestige

When you become a knight of the sacred seal at 3rd level, you must select one vestige that you can bind as your patron. You develop a stronger than normal relationship with this vestige that grants you several benefits. Whenever you summon your patron vestige, you automatically succeed on your binding check to bind them. When you gain a level in this class, you can select a vestige to replace your chosen patron.

Knight's Seal

At 3rd level, you acquire the training necessary to effectively arm yourself for battle. You gain proficiency with medium armor, heavy armor, shields, and martial weapons. You have learned of an ancient seal passed down for millennia, which allows you to channel your will through weapons inscribed with it. You can draw an intricate seal resembling no known vestige on a weapon, a process which takes 1 hour and can be completed as part of a short or long rest. During that time, the weapon must be within reach at all times. You may draw up to two seals using this feature. If you attempt to draw a third seal, the first seal immediately vanishes. As long as a weapon bears this seal, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls.

Vestige's Protection (Recharge 5-6)

Starting at 6th level, your relationship with your patron vestige deepens, prompting it to take steps to ensure your protection. As a bonus action, you and any creatures of your choice within 5 feet of you gain a bonus to their Armor Class and Dexterity saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Both of these benefits last until the start of your next turn.

Vestige's Power (Recharge 5-6)

Also at 6th level, you can use a bonus action to grant you a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, a +10-foot bonus to your movement speed, advantage on Wisdom saving throws, and a number of temporary hit points equal to your binder level. You retain all of these benefits until the start of your next turn.

Apotheosis

At 10th level, you gain resistance to non-magical Physical damage. You also gain Devilsight for up to 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, your Devilsight from this ability increases its range by an additional 60 feet.

Patron Strike

At 10th level, your melee and ranged weapon attacks deal additional psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

Vestige's Surge

At 15th level, when you use one of your patron vestige's features, or your vestige's protection or vestige's power class feature, you can choose to activate that feature again immediately (no action required) rather than waiting until it recharges. You must finish a short or long rest before using this feature again.

Occult

Vestiges are deeply enigmatic things, and binding them is a volatile practice. Binders that are ordained in the Occult Fate seek to unravel the deepest mysteries of Pact Magic through ritual and study, focusing their skill on the art and skill of binding above all else.
Show Spoiler

Trusted Vestiges

When you select this fate at 3rd level, you can select 2 vestiges to be Trusted vestiges, which must be of a level less than your highest vestige level. You can select two additional vestiges to be Trusted vestiges at 7th, 13th, and 17th level. Additionally, whenever you would level up in this class, you can change one of your Trusted vestiges for another vestige that is not Trusted.

Extra Vestige

At 3rd level, as an action, you can bind one of your trusted vestiges with a poor pact without it counting against your daily limit of vestige levels, or number of vestiges bound. You can expel this vestige normally, but you cannot renegotiate a new vestige in its place. At 13th level, you always bind this vestige with a good pact. This vestige is expelled after 1 minute. At 7th level, this duration increases: the vestige is expelled after 10 minutes. At 13th level the vestige is expelled when you take a short or long rest, and at 17th level only when you take a long rest. Once you use this ability, you must finish a long rest to do so again.

Share Vestige

Starting at 6th level, as an action, you can expend the use of your Extra Vestige feature and bind it to another willing host (that is not a binder) which you can see within 30 feet. This host uses your binder level, spell attack bonus, and vestige save DC for any abilities granted by this vestige. A host that is not a binder always forges a poor pact with a vestige. If you are already bound to your Extra Vestige, you can transfer the vestige to a willing host or back to yourself as an action.

Empty Vessel

Starting at 10th level, you can expend the use of your Extra Vestige feature by binding it to a corpse or skeleton as a 10-minute ritual, animating the body as per the spell animate dead, but with the following differences:

The undead gains all the features as it would being bound to the chosen vestige.
The undead can ignore your mental commands if doing so would prevent it from acting in accordance with both influences of its bound vestige.

Medium

At 10th level, you learn to channel vestiges with much greater efficiency and fluidity. When renegotiating your pacts during a short rest, you can expel any or all of your current vestiges, and make new pacts as if following a long rest. You still cannot exceed your maximum number of vestiges bound at one time.

Master Summoner

By 15th level, you learn to expedite the binding process to the point that you can swap vestiges in the blink of an eye. As an action, you can expel a bound vestige and bind a new vestige, following the standard rules for renegotiation. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Scions of Dantalion

Scions of Dantalion trace their lineage to an ancient, long-forgotten human empire - a civilization in which justice, love, and art reigned supreme. They maintain that the rulers of this realm led their people to such a height of beauty and righteousness that they rivaled the stars of the heavens in the awe they could inspire. The gods saw their accomplishments and grew envious. In their jealous rage, they destroyed the empire and cursed its nobility, decreeing that no one from that line could ever join them in the afterlife. Scions of Dantalion believe themselves to be part of this line cursed by the gods but blessed by association with Dantalion, the vestige that is the conglomeration of all their ancestors' souls. The scions believe that their destiny is to one day take up the crown, bear the scepter of rulership, and rebuild the empire that could rival the stars.
Show Spoiler

Devotion

Your patron requires devotion to their cause, to deny them their due, or worse to actively work against them, will prohibit you from continuing down the path of a Binder under the Scion of Dantalion, though many of the powers you have gained remain. So long as you are in good standing you can continue taking levels within this class, but should you ever fall from grace, leveling into this class is locked unless you receive Atonement. Certain patrons may not accept atonement, so choose wisely when accepting the gifts of these mysterious beings. If you have lost favor with your patron, subject to GM discretion, you lose access to all aspects of this subclass and can no longer bind with the vestige you selected as your patron, along with all Patron specific features given unto you by your Otherworldly Patron subclass. You cannot retrain out of this class once attained, without consequences. Leaving this class without approval by your patron is considered breaking of your pact in a negative light.

Scholarship of Dantalion

When you enter this sect at 3rd level, you become an acolyte of Dantalion. You can summon and bind Dantalion without meeting the level requirement to summon him, and you need never worry about succumbing to Dantalion's influence because you automatically succeed on the binding check when making a pact with him. Additionally, your connection to Dantalion gives you occasional flashes of insight into a variety of topics. You have advantage on history checks.

Swift Awe of Dantalion

Beginning at 3rd level, you can activate your Awe of Dantalion feature by will alone (no action required), rather than as a bonus action.

Overwhelming Thoughts

Upon reaching 6th level, you can choose to overwhelm the thoughts of any creature you target with the read thought’s ability granted by Dantalion. As an action, you send your thoughts out to a single creature whose thoughts you are reading, forcing it to succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. A creature that fails this save receives a new one at the end of each of their turns to end the effect early.

Improved Thought Travel

Beginning at 6th level, you can use the thought travel ability granted by Dantalion as a bonus action.

Dantalion's Glare (Recharge 5-6)

From 10th level on, you can use an action to intensify Dantalion's sign and glare through its eyes. The starry voids in the eyes of Dantalion's sign blaze forth with the brightness of an exploding star, affecting all creatures in a 30-foot cone. Every creature within this area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus) or be blinded for 1d4 + 1 rounds. You must be showing at least one face of Dantalion's sign to use this ability. If the face is hidden beneath clothing, you can reveal it (no action required), so long as you have a hand free. If the face is hidden beneath armor, you must have a free hand and use a bonus action to reveal the sign.

Read Multiple Thoughts

When you attain 15th level, the increased strength of your connection with Dantalion allows you to simultaneously target a number of creatures equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 2) with the read thoughts feature granted by Dantalion. Each of the targets must be within range (5 feet per binder level). You can use this ability in combination with your overwhelming thoughts feature, forcing each creature of your choice to make a saving throw.

Tenebrous Apostate

The remnant of divinity once possessed by Orcus, Tenebrous is perhaps the only vestige still worshiped in some places as a god. Some followers, however, believe that Tenebrous is a separate deity, so these Tenebrous Apostates revere him as such. Dedicated to his will, all apostates are permanently bound to Tenebrous, carrying out his desires on the mortal plane.
Show Spoiler

Devotion

Your patron requires devotion to their cause, to deny them their due, or worse to actively work against them, will prohibit you from continuing down the path of a Binder under Tenebrous, though many of the powers you have gained remain. So long as you are in good standing you can continue taking levels within this class, but should you ever fall from grace, leveling into this class is locked unless you receive Atonement. Certain patrons may not accept atonement, so choose wisely when accepting the gifts of these mysterious beings. If you have lost favor with your patron, subject to GM discretion, you lose access to all aspects of this subclass and can no longer bind with the vestige you selected as your patron, along with all Patron specific features given unto you by your Otherworldly Patron subclass. You cannot retrain out of this class once attained, without consequences. Leaving this class without approval by your patron is considered breaking of your pact in a negative light.

Eternal Bondage

Starting at 3rd level, you are bound to Tenebrous constantly, even without meeting the level requirement to summon him. You cannot choose to bind a different vestige in his place, and you cannot expel him with your Vestigial Mastery class feature. However, you can still attempt a binding check each day to negate his influence. You can still bind additional vestiges as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Bound Vestiges column of the Binder table.

Tenebrous's Rebuke

Starting at 6th level, when you use the grave darkness ability granted by Tenebrous, your connection to your dark master allows you to channel the energy in a unique way. You can as a bonus action, transform the dark energy into a blast of magical power instead of forming a cloud of darkness, to deal 1d6 force damage per binder level to every undead creature within 30 feet. Alternatively, you can as an action, focus this blast of magical energy instead of forming a cloud of darkness, dealing 2d6 force damage per binder level to every undead within 30 feet with an Intelligence of 3 or lower. In either case, each creature within range must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus), taking half damage on a success.

Visage of the Dead

Upon reaching 6th level, your body begins to resemble that of an undead creature. Your skin darkens, appearing dusky and shadowy in dim illumination and corpse-gray in bright light, and you lose roughly half your body weight. Because of these changes, your Armor Class while unarmored is equal to 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence modifier; additionally, you gain expertise in the Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) and Charisma (Intimidation) skills. Furthermore, mindless undead believe you to be one of them and do not attack you except in self-defense, or when ordered to do so by their creator.

Umbral Body (Recharge 5-6)

Beginning at 10th level, you can use a bonus action to transform yourself into pure darkness. This feature functions like the etherealness spell, although creatures can still perceive your shadowy form. You can remain in this form for a total number of rounds equal to half your binder level (round down), and you may revert to your true form early as a bonus action. This feature begins recharging at the start of your next turn following your transformation back into your true form.

Blast of the Void

When you attain 15th level, you can expend a use of turn undead to deal 1d8 necrotic damage per binder level to every living creature within a 30-foot cone. You must complete a long rest before using this feature again.

Twisted

Binders are usually feared and hunted as heretics, or as monsters. As a result of whispered rumors of corruption and heresy, most binders take great pains to keep their craft hidden. Through great practice and great courage do those who take upon themselves the Twisted Fate claim unnatural powers of their own. They embrace the monster that grows in their souls with each pact they form.
Show Spoiler

Bonus Proficiency

Starting at 3rd Level, you gain proficiency in your choice of Intimidation or Perception.

Unnatural Weapon

Starting at 3rd level, you learn to tap into the form-altering abilities of your vestiges and use them to shape your body to your whim. You can grow or shape varying natural weapons from your body, such as horns, fangs, claws, tentacles, etc. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage (your choice), which is considered magical for the purposes of bypassing damage resistance and immunity. Also, when you use the Attack action on your turn to make an unarmed strike, you can use a bonus action to make an additional unarmed strike. At 6th level, your unarmed strike damage increases to 1d6, and at 10th level, it increases to 1d8. If you are bound to a vestige which augments your unarmed strike in some way, you can use the vestige's unarmed damage (if it is higher than your own) and your unarmed strikes gain a magical +1 bonus to attack and damage. Lastly, at 10th level, your unarmed strikes granted by this ability are treated as cold iron and silver for the purposes of bypassing damage resistance.

Alter Skin

At 6th level, you can change the hue and structure of your skin, providing an abnormal benefit. You gain one of the following features of your choice. You can activate and suppress this feature as an action.

Adaptive: You have advantage on all Constitution saving throws against environmental conditions that would cause fatigue or exhaustion (i.e., extreme heat or cold, high air pressure).
Amphibious: You grow gills and fins. You can breathe normally in water as well as in air, and you gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed.
Camouflage: You can shift the color of your skin. You can attempt to hide whenever you are adjacent to a solid surface larger than you with a uniform color or simple pattern (i.e. tall trees, stone walls, a noble house corridor, etc.)

Enhanced Unnatural Attack

At 10th level, you enhance your unarmed strikes with a strange deformity, chosen from the following list:

Corded Muscle: The muscles on your limbs tighten into thick, taut fibers. When you hit a creature with your unarmed strike, you can use your bonus action to automatically make a successful shove attempt against the creature you hit, roll the shove attempt as normal to determine how far the target is shoved, minimum of 5 feet.
Elasticity: Your limbs are stretchy and swing somewhat loose. Your unarmed strikes gain Reach.
Poison Gland: You grow a poisonous gland inside your chest, and a number of stingers about your body. On a critical hit with your unarmed strikes, you deal an additional 1d12 poison damage.

Otherworldly Form

Beginning at 15th Level, you can, as an action, manifest the eldritch beast within you and can take its image. For up to 1 minute, you become an aberration. During this time, you are Large sized if you were smaller, gain advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and deal an additional 1d4 damage on melee weapon attacks. You also gain one of the following benefits of your choice. Once you have chosen this benefit it cannot be changed while in this form. After using this ability to become an aberration, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

Dire: The damage of your unarmed strike increases to 1d10.
Impervious: When you first gain this feature, choose 3 types of damage. This selection cannot be changed. You have resistance against these types of damage. The damage you selected do not apply to damage from magical weapons.Wings: You sprout pronounced, membranous wings and gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed.

Vestiges

Beings that cannot exist inhabit a place that cannot be. Cursed by gods and feared by mortals, these entities fall outside the boundaries of life, death, and undeath. They are untouchable by even the most powerful deities, though they can be summoned and used by the weakest mortal. The practitioner of binding magic contacts these alien forces by means of special symbols and rituals.

Choosing a Vestige

Although some binders devote themselves to single vestiges or choose vestiges based on philosophy or personality, most freely choose among all the vestiges they can call forth. When deciding which vestige to summon, a binder must consider several factors. In most cases, this decision is based largely on the binder’s likely needs for the day. Binders must anticipate their activities in much the same way as a wizard must when preparing spells. Some binders wait to summon a vestige (or summon one and wait to summon others) until they know more of what the day holds, though by doing so they risk not having the extra powers provided by a vestige at a critical moment. In addition to the needs of the day, a binder should consider the vestige’s sign and influence. A binder can mitigate any potential trouble that a vestige’s influence might cause by choosing either a vestige whose influence is generally inoffensive, or one that they can easily control. In addition, the binder should consider their own abilities when making their choice. They might possess feats, magic items, or other abilities that would enhance their performance while they are bound to a particular vestige.

Table: Vestige Codex

Making a Pact

A summoned vestige is interested only in striking a bargain with its summoner. As soon as the pact is made, the vestige vanishes and the binder shows its sign, unless they have the means to suppress it. Once made, a pact cannot be broken. Occasionally, a vestige might speak with a binder about other matters before the process of binding begins, though its willingness to do so is based entirely on whim. The information gained in such a conversation, however, is suspect because vestiges are notoriously unreliable sources. They don’t seem to recall anything except their own lives, and even those memories are often confused or incorrect. To make themselves more attractive to binders, vestiges often pretend to possess much greater knowledge than they are capable of having; indeed, some even assert that they can see the future or monitor present events occurring in distant locations. It’s impossible to force a vestige to tell the truth or even determine whether it is lying, since vestiges have immunity to all spells except antimagic field, and Insight attempts against them always fail. Even so, however, some binders regularly consult with vestiges. Although the information provided is unreliable, it sometimes bears a startling similarity to the truth, and strange coincidences abound. Years of questioning various vestiges about their origins have yielded many different versions of each one’s story, but the binder scholars who collect vestige legends have become adept at compiling the common elements and researching their veracity. In this way, the individual vestige histories have gained at least a degree of credence.

Multiple Vestiges

As a binder grows in power, they learn how to bind more than one vestige at a time. To do so, they must go through the ritual of drawing the seal and making a pact with each of them separately. While bound to multiple vestiges, the binder gains the full range of powers granted by all of them. The binder shows the sign of each vestige (unless they can suppress it), and risks being influenced by multiple vestiges on failed binding checks. If they ignore the influence of more than one vestige, the penalties stack.

Vestiges by Circle

Binder Spell List

Binder’s draw their spell list from the Warlock spell list, as well as from the following spells.

1st Level: Compelled Duel, Divine Favor, Searing Smite, Shield of Faith, Thunderous Smite, Wrathful Smite
2nd Level: Aid, Branding Smite
3rd Level: Blinding Smite, Elemental Weapon, Spirit Shroud
4th Level: Death Ward, Staggering Smite
5th Level: Banishing Smite, Destructive Wave

Type

Illicit