Something a bit different this time. This one is a Versatile Heritage. Expect it to take a bit to get a good suite of feats. I'm going to split those off into a separate post.
Versatile Heritages
Through Versatile Heritages, we are able to expand further on the themes and ideas of our character's circumstances or narrative over time. These are more intrinsic to our character build than a background, updating at regular intervals. Heritages have some staple features common to all of them, but they are also useful for thematic options. These are not necessarily overtly negative mechanically or even thematically, but the implications of what is happening/has happened to our character is really what we're focusing on with these concepts, and they often can have complicated connotations that require.
Host of Many (Versatile Heritage)
Rare Host of Many
Whether by choice, happenstance, violence or accident, sometimes creatures can find themselves sharing their body with a foreign entity, or simply the perfect vessel for future cohabitation.
Cohabitation can occur in a variety of circumstances. Wayward spirits or undead finding themselves bound to a host, both willing and unwilling. The forceful or accidental usurping of control of a host by creatures such as demons or ghosts. Or potentially the incidental shunting of ones soul into another's body as a result of wayward magic. Sometimes, a body simply comes into being inhabited by more than one soul, all of whom must navigate the world together and often all unique individuals onto themselves.
Some forms of cohabitation are able to be maintained peacefully, with the various inhabitants finding ways to divide control and time equally or as they feel necessary. Sometimes, the entity lingers within the shadows of a host's soul, influencing their host subtly and without the true host's awareness of their existence or intent. Not all forms of cohabitation are willing or positive, and in some cases the possessing entity may have been forced into or have forced their way into a host's body with total control, depriving the true host of the ability to act in their own body. The nature of cohabitation of bodies is a complicated matter, and often difficult to navigate or understand.
If you want to play a character, or even characters, who must navigate and adapt to existing while never truly alone in one body, then you should become a host of many.
You Might...
- Sometimes spend more time consulting with your co-inhabitants than with others.
- Exert a great deal of effort to shut out the other beings vying for control over your one body.
- Be constantly on the run from well-meaning but dismissive priests and exorcists.
Others Probably...
- Misunderstand the nature of your cohabitation, and simply assume you are a hapless victim.
- Become confused as to which entity is currently in control of the body.
- Blame you for misfortunes or tragedies, even if it isn't your fault.
Possessed
Multiple entities inhabit this body. You gain the host of many trait, in addition to the traits from your ancestry. You can choose from host of many feats and feats from your ancestry whenever you gain an ancestry feat. When you choose this versatile heritage, you must decide what kind of cohabitation is taking place; Collective, Conduit, Manipulated or Possessed.
Collective: Your co-inhabitants work with you to achieve harmony with one another. You can willingly allow these entities to take control in order to perform tasks or communicate with others, and can shift between these entities (including yourself) at will. Regardless of which entity is in control, you are all treated as the same entity for the sake of effects and abilities, and all entities share the same abilities and statistics. You gain the Collective trait.
Conduit: You seemingly are prone to having wayward entities finding a home in your body, typically during periods of high stress or through deliberate invitation. When you critically fail at a check, you must make an DC 5 flat check. On a failure, you are possessed for one hour by a wayward entity. This is a possession effect. Typically, these entities are related to the location where the failure occurred, such as the spirit of a long dead librarian while trying to research ancient tomes in a forgotten archive. This possession lasts for one hour, or 24 hours if the result was a critical failure. You can also willingly allow these spirits to possess your body. This requires at least 10 minutes of continuous meditation, after which an entity takes possession of your body for 10 minutes. You do not have control over what entity enters your body, nor can you exert control during this period of time. You gain the Conduit trait.
Manipulated: Sometimes, an entity residing within you might choose to hide itself from you and your knowledge, assuming control as it deems necessary or it sees fit. It can do so at will, during which you lose control over yourself. Your GM decides when this effect has taken place, and makes a DC 15 flat check on your behalf to determine whether or not you are aware that there is a gap in your memory, but you are still not aware of the possession. During this time, the possessing entity takes control of your body, and can do so for up to 24 hours. This is a possession effect. Once it has taken control of you, it cannot do so for at least a week. It can also attempt to exert control in what it deems an extreme emergency, at which point you are entitled to a DC 11 flat check to maintain control. It will never act on your behalf or behest. You gain the Manipulated trait.
Possession: This body is not your own, but you have taken it for yourself or have been forced to assume control. You can decide whether or not the true host currently inhabits this body, but if it is, it is unable to exert any control over itself whatsoever and you cannot grant control back. This is a possession effect, but you treat this body as your original body for the sake of spells that only affect the caster. All abilities and statistics on your sheet are available to you even while possessing this body, regardless of whether or not they are purely physical or mental. Your GM may choose to give your true host and their body separate abilities, but you cannot access them while possessing this body. You gain the Possessed trait.
If you die and are resurrected, any other inhabiting entities return to this body along with you.