Phantasm

Phantasms are organisms that evolved naturally in the space between the Mortal Plane and the Spirit Plane. They are made of necroplasm, a type of slime similar to the ectoplasm that makes up the ghosts of the living. They have a wide range of appearances, each weirder than the last, and can have different colors, shapes, and sizes. Phantasms are obsessed with the Mortal Plane, seeking to wreak havoc on the living. They are common in areas where the barrier between realms is weakest. They are also drawn to electricity and travel to areas with advanced technology.

Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age. Phantasms manifest as adults, despite many of them acting immaturely. They are ageless.

Alignment. Phantasms value their own needs and desires above others, though they are not wantonly cruel. They love pulling pranks, even on their allies, though they seek mostly to annoy as opposed to causing lasting harm. Phantasms are neutral evil.

Rarity. Rare.

Size. Phantasms are typically 4 to 5 feet tall, though nearly weightless. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 10 feet. You have a flying speed of 25 feet, but you can fly no more than 3 feet above the ground. If the ground is ever farther away than that, such as when a pit opens underneath you, you fall.

Floating Necroplasm. You know the mage hand cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast feather fall, targeting yourself. You regain the use of this spell each time you finish a short or long rest. At 5th level, you can cast levitate, targeting yourself, once per day. When you reach 7th level, you regain the use of levitate each time you finish a short or long rest. Wisdom or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells, and you need no material components for them.

Living Spirit. You are a humanoid, but your undead nature gives you the following traits.

  • You are immune to disease, and you have resistance to poison damage and damage from falling. Also, you can add your proficiency bonus to saving throws against being poisoned. If you have proficiency in such a saving throw, your proficiency bonus is doubled against being poisoned.
  • You need not breathe.
  • You are vulnerable to radiant and lightning damage, which severely disrupts your necroplasmic body.
  • Although you can be healed as if you’re humanoid, and the raise dead spell works on you (returning you to “life” as a phantasm), you are otherwise considered to be undead whenever it is detrimental for you.

Necroplasmic Movement. Double the distance you can jump. Your spiritual body also allows you to reduce the cost of moving through difficult terrain by 2 feet per foot you move. When you crawl, you can do so at full speed. In addition, you can enter spaces small enough to admit Tiny creatures without squeezing.

Necroplasmic Residue. You leave a spiritual residue, resembling a slimy substance, on whatever you touch (unless you do so in spectral form). This substance not only makes it easier to discern whether you touched something, but it also counts as a part of your body for spells and effects enhanced by possessing such an (??/object. Your necroplasmic residue disintegrates after/24 hours.

Necroplasmic Touch. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d3 necrotic damage. Your unarmed strike has the light and finesse weapon properties, and you have proficiency with it.

Restless Hunger. You always hunger for the life force your necroplasmic touch gives you. To benefit from a long rest, you must have dealt an amount of necrotic damage with your necroplasmic touch equal to 10 + your level since finishing the previous long rest.

Spectral Form. Using your action, you can alter the vibration of your necroplasmic body, becoming incorporeal for a time along with everything you’re wearing and carrying. This form lasts while you focus on it, as if you are concentrating on a spell. In it, you have a fly speed of 30 feet, you can hover, and you can enter and occupy the space of another creature. Other creatures can enter and occupy your space. You can move through solid objects and creatures, but each foot you move when doing so costs you 1 extra foot of movement. The surface of an object must remain within your reach, and if you end your turn within a creature or object, you take 2d6 psychic damage and return to the point from which you entered that creature or object. In this form, you can’t manipulate objects, attack, or cast spells, and objects that transformed with you can’t be interacted with. You can use this ability again only after you finish a long rest.

Languages. You speak, read, and write Common and Shadowtongue. Many phantasms learn Monstrous or Gutteral.

Unique Appearance. The appearance of each phantasm varies wildly from the rest. You are encouraged to draw your character so that other players can envision them as you do. Even though you can add cosmetic features when depicting your character, such as wings, claws, or extra arms, these features have no function in the game. Of course, you can work with your GM to have these features emulate traits from other races.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tales of Arcana Race Guide © 2021 Arcanomicon, LLC Author(s) Matt Knicl, Chris S. Sims

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