Shaman (5e Class)/Bond of the Binder

While all Shamans are bound to their Eidolon spirit, and use it to bargain with stronger spirits of its home plane, some Shamans use their power to bargain with kindred spirits of lesser stature, gaining their service in exchange for granting them access to the mortal realm. Many of these spirits are those who've been exiled from the confines of reality, and leap at the chance to experience existence again, even if still confined to a mortal coil while doing so.

However, these spirits tend to have motives of their own that may not align with the Shaman's, and most of them exert a strong influence on the Shaman as a price for their servitude, demanding the Shaman follow even more extreme restrictions in order to retain their gifts.

Shamans the choose the Bond of the Binder most often have Biped, Quadruped, Serpentine or Insectoid Eidolons, typically of the Fiend, Fey, Aberration, Monstrosity or Undead type.

Spirit Binding

Beginning at 2nd level when you select this Bond, when you finish a Long Rest, you may spend 10 minutes scribing arcane seals in order to summon a Spirit and make a bargain with it. Once a Spirit is bound to you, it remains bound to you until you use this feature again.

At 2nd level, you may bind you one Minor Spirit.

At 6th level, you may bind to one Lesser Spirit. Whenever you could bind to a Lesser Spirit, you can instead choose to bind to two Minor Spirits.

At 14th level, you may bind to one Major Spirit. Whenever you could bind to a Major Spirit, you can instead choose to Bind to two Lesser Spirits.

At 20th level, you may bind to one Ultimate Spirit. Whenever you could bind to an Ultimate Spirit, you can instead choose to Bind to two Major Spirits.

This is highly flexible, allowing, for example, a 14th-level Shaman to bind to one Major Spirit, two Lesser Spirits, one Lesser Spirit and two Minor Spirits, or even four Minor Spirits.

However, for each individual Spirit you bind to, you must abide by an additional Taboo of the DM's choice for as long as that spirit remains bound to you. If you violate one of your Taboos and fail your Charisma save made to bargain with the spirits for forgiveness, you lose access to your chosen Spirit Boons until you finish a Long Rest.

Each Spirit bound to you grants you benefits as defined by its strength.

Minor Spirit Boons

When you bind to a Minor Spirit, you gain any two of the following benefits:

• Proficiency: You gain proficiency with any one of the following: Heavy armor; Martial weapons; One tool; One skill; Or one language.

• Cantrip: You learn a Cantrip of your choice from any spell list. This counts as a Shaman spell for you, and does not count against your number of cantrips known.

• Minor Spell: You learn one 1st-level spell of your choice from any spell list. This counts as a Shaman spell for you, and does not count against your number of spells known.

Lesser Spirit Boons

When you bind to a Lesser Spirit, you gain any two of the following benefits:

• Lesser Invocation: You learn one Warlock Invocation of your choice, which can not have a level prerequisite. You must meet all other prerequisites for the Invocation chosen.

• Lesser Evolution: You learn one additional Evolution of your choice, which can not have a level prerequisite. You must meet all other prerequisites for the Evolution chosen.

• Lesser Spell: You learn one 2nd- or 3rd-level spell of your choice from any spell list. This counts as a Shaman spell for you, and does not count against your number of spells known.

Major Spirit Boons

When you bind to a Major Spirit, you gain any two of the following benefits:

• Major Invocation: You learn one Warlock Invocation of your choice; The Invocation must have a level prerequisite of 7th level or less, which you ignore. You must meet all other prerequisites for the Invocation chosen.

• Major Evolution: You learn one additional Evolution of your choice; The Evolution must have a level prerequisite of 9th level or less. You must meet all other prerequisites for the Evolution chosen.

• Major Spell: You learn one 4th- or 5th-level spell of your choice from any spell list. This counts as a Shaman spell for you, and does not count against your number of spells known.

Ultimate Spirit Boons

When you bind to a Ultimate Spirit, you gain one of the following benefits:

• Ultimate Invocation: You learn one Warlock Invocation of your choice; You ignore all level prerequisites for this Invocation. You must meet all other prerequisites for the Invocation chosen.

• Ultimate Evolution: You learn one additional Evolution of your choice; You ignore all level prerequisites for this Evolution. You must meet all other prerequisites for the Evolution chosen.

• Ultimate Spell: You learn one 6th-level spell of your choice from any spell list, which you may cast once at its lowest level without expending a spell slot; You regain the ability to do so when you finish a Long Rest. This counts as a Shaman spell for you, and does not count against your number of spells known.

Practiced Binding

Beginning at 6th level, whenever you finish a Short Rest, you may select one Spirit you are bound to, release it, and bind a different Spirit of the same strength. Effectively, this allows you to select new benefits from the same Boon list, and it also changes what Taboo that Spirit forces you to abide by.

For example, say a 6th-level Shaman has bound two Minor Spirits to themselves. One Minor Spirit grants them the Proficiency: Martial Weapons and Cantrip: Booming Blade boons and requires them to follow the "Cannot view your own reflection" Taboo, while the other Minor Spirit grants them the Proficiency: Heavy Armor and Minor Spell: Shield boons, and requires them to abide by the "Cannot indulge in intoxicants, such as alcohol" Taboo.

The Shaman could use Practiced Binding to remove either of these Spirits, changing not only the boons granted by that Spirit, but the Taboo enforced by it.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a Long Rest before you may do so again.

Familiar Bargain

Beginning at 6th level, your spiritual bargaining skills have reached new heights. This grants you the following benefits:

• You have advantage on Charisma checks made to Retrieve a spell.

• Your Eidolon only vanishes for 10 minutes each time you send it to Retrieve a spell.

• You may choose to Retrieve a spell at the end of a Short Rest, instead of a Long Rest. You must finish a Long Rest before you may do so again.

• When you retrieve a spell at the end of a Long Rest, you may choose to retrieve a more powerful spell at the expense of only retaining it temporarily. When you do so, the spell retrieved can be from any class spell list. However, the next time you finish a Short or Long Rest, this Retrieved spell returns to its owner, and is once again replaced on your list of Spells Known with the spell you used to Barter for it.

Bonded Nature

At 14th level, your soul has become so receptive to harboring those from the Other Side that your constant companions are nearly engrained in you.

First, this allows you to bind one additional Minor Spirit of your choice, which does not count against the number of Spirits you may bind at once, and does not require you to abide by a Taboo. You may use Practiced Binding one this special spirit as an Action at any time, and doing so does not expend the use of Practiced Binding. Once re-bind this Minor Spirit in this way, you must finish a Short Rest before you may do so again.

Additionally, the Spirits bound to you grant you protection. Whenever you use your Spirit Binding feature, you may choose any two of the following benefits, which last until you use Spirit Binding again.

• Your current and maximum hit points increase by 10. You may select this benefit more than once, increasing the number of hit points gained by 10.

• Choose one condition from among: Blinded, Charmed, Deafened, Fatigued, Frightened, Poisoned or Restrained. You are immune to that condition. You may select this benefit more than once, gaining a different immunity each time you select it.

• Choose one type of damage. You have resistance to that type of damage. You may select this benefit more than once, gaining a different damage type each time you select it.

Soulbinding Master

At 20th level, you've mastered the art of bargaining with the other side.

First, this allows you to bind one additional Lesser Spirit of your choice, which does not count against the number of Spirits you may bind at once, and does not require you to abide by a Taboo; However, this Lesser Spirit cannot be replaced with two Minor Spirits. You may use Practiced Binding one this special spirit as an Action at any time, and doing so does not expend the use of Practiced Binding. Once re-bind this Lesser Spirit in this way, you must finish a Short Rest before you may do so again.

Additionally, when you use Practiced Binding at the end of a Short Rest, you no longer need to finish a Long Rest before you may do so again.

Finally, you may select a third benefit for your Bonded Nature feature.