Fallen
Hastily the frazzled human scrambled down the alleyway. He was the king of the back pathways, and none would dare challenge him. None, except the thing that now trailed behind him. A creature of nightmares. A Fallen. A monstrosity with a body of flames. He cuts left, then right, but still, he hears the footsteps behind him. And, in no time, the monster’s light covers his whole body. This was the end. He knew it.
The vampire delighted himself, draining the blood from the foolish adventurer that thought that she, alone, could end his empire. As he did, the blood's taste felt foul, even for an undead. The corpse of the fallen warrior started to convulse, with shadows darkening her skin, covering her completely. The vampire jumped a few step back, trembling in fear, knowing what was happening. The tiefling got up and simply stared at the monster that killed her, creating a sword out of the shadows from her new body.
The Fallen are a people who were brought back to life by non-traditional means. They weren't ressurected by some powerful spellcaster, by a divine intervention, or by a necromantic ritual, but simply by their raw emotions. Anger, failure, fulfillment, pride, and revenge; All feelings that can alter the course of someone's life are enough to bring back another. Even more powerful than before.
Living Emotions
When reanimated, a Fallen's memory, different from a Reborn, are intact. For their transformation and awakening from their previous race and current were nothing but mere instants from their point of view. For that reason, their emotions are strong as ever.
The following table provides suggestions for how your character awakened and became a Fallen.
Fallen's Awakening
| d6 | Objective |
|---|---|
| 1 | You were back stabbed by most trusted friend, all because of money and glory. At your dying breath, you swore to bring down everything he had built. |
| 2 | Your daughter was taken away by a Hag, and you didn't stand a chance against it. Even in this new form, you must save her, before it's too late. |
| 3 | You made a promise/Oath and don't have the intention of breaking it, no matter the cost. |
| 4 | You were once a powerful king of a long forgotten past. At your death bed, you promised to make your kingdom prosper, but now, it's nothing but ashes. |
| 5 | You discovered the dark secrets of the king but were killed because of it. You must stop him before something bad happens. |
| 6 | You died on a battlefield and broke your promise to return home. However, in this now form, would they still love you? |
Uncertain Future
After a Fallen completes its quest, the sensation of emptiness emerges inside their mind and soul. The ones who were able to fulfill their quest may sometimes abandon their position as warriors and become hermits, isolating themselves from all the world around them, waiting for its end.
However, those whose hearts still want to fight for something, continue their position as warriors until outmatched by a stronger opponent, finally being able to rest, once and for all.
Fallen Names
Fallen usually keep the name they had in life, either to show they're back from the grave or to be remembered, but some of them choose different names that exude power or intimidate others, always resembling their subraces.
Examples of such names are: Banshee, Haunt, Lilith, Reaper, Revan, Shadow, Wraith.
A New Life... Or Damnation...
When creating a Fallen, consider how would they react to their new body and abilities; in a world full of prejudice against the Undead, how would your character act? How would they deal with this new reality? Would they hide their identity or would they embrace it?
Fallen Traits
Ability Score Modifier. Increase one ability score by 2 and increase a different one by 1, or increase three different ability scores by 1.
Age. Fallen age is indefinite. So long as their body persists, it can maintain a lifeforce.
Alignment. Most Fallen are chaotic in nature, finding it difficult to control their emotions. However, they are usually good or evil, rarely neutral.
Size. Fallen almost always inhabits the body of a humanoid creature, making their size roughly the same size as the body their soul inhabits. Choose a race and use their same size category.
Speed. Your walking speed depends on the chosen creature at Size trait.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Perennial Nature. You walk within the thin line of the living and the dead. This is represented by the following:
- You are a Undead, but can targeted by healing magic or any other effect that would effect a Humanoid.
- You have advantage on saving throws against disease and being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
- You add your Constitution Modifier to death saving throws.
- You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
- When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.
Past Life. You are considered both Fallen and the race chosen in the Size and Speed trait. Being so, means that you can chose race-related feats and attune to magic items with specific races.
For example, choosing to be a Fallen Dragonborn, you can pick, on a Ability Score Improvement, the Dragon Hide feat. Other example is attuning to a Dwarven Thrower while being a Fallen Dwarf.
Languages. Fallen can speak whatever language they knew in life. You can speak the languages given by the race chosen on the Size, Speed, and Past Life trait.
Subraces. Fallen are ressurected by their sheer emotions. They can be either The Scorching Fallen, The Stalking Fallen, The Damning Fallen, The Undying Fallen or The Everlasting Fallen.
The Scorching
The representation of resurrection by pride. Where one wouldn't let go of what killed them. To see what they have built, gone, just like ashes in the fire. Due to this nature, their bodies are nothing but skeletons covered in magical flames that, given enough pride inside them, can even destroy magical darkness.
Scorching Flame. You have resistance to fire damage and immunity to Extreme Cold.
Moreover, the flames from your body harms neither you nor your equipment and emit bright light in 15-foot radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet. You can use your bonus action to expand or reduce its radius of bright and dim light , to a maximum of 30 feet each or a minimum of 5 feet each. You can also use your action to extinguish your flames.
At 5th level, if any of this area of bright light overlaps with an area of darkness created by a spell of 3rd level or lower, the spell that created the darkness is dispelled.
The Damning
The representation of resurrection by anger. Being revived by the most negative emotion brings the most negative effects over the Fallen's body. Being nothing but bones, necromancy thrive within them. They are usually confused as simply mindless skeletons, even by the reanimated undead.
Damning Kin. Undead with an intelligence of 7 or less will not attack you unless if attacked first. Undead controlled by a creature or spells, such as a Wight's Life Drain ability or ressurected by the Animate Dead Spell, are not affected by this trait.
The Stalking
The representation of resurrection by failure. The ones who died failing their duty, failing to protect their home. Their bodies are covered in shadows, with glimpses of neon lights that shine through their eye sockets and chest, utilizing these magical shadows for their own advantage.
Stalking Shadow. You have proficiency in the Dexterity(Stealth) skill. Additionally, while in dim light or darkness, you can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
Umbral Magic. You know the Minor Illusion cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the Shadow Blade spell with this trait. You can't cast this spell with this feature again until you finish a short or long rest. You can also cast this spell using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level.
Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait.
The Undying
The representation of resurrection by revenge. Filled by the emotions to pay with the same coin the ones who wronged them. Having missing skin, parts of meat being torn apart by their transformation, they usually wrap themselves in bandages to hide themselves.
Undying Soul. As an action, at the start of your turns for the next minute and when you activate this trait, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your level. Any remaining temporary hit points fade away after this trait ends.
Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
The Everlasting
The representation of resurrection by fulfillment. The ones that refuse to stay dead until they finish their work. Their appearance is a mix of spectral and physical, where if any limb went missing, it is replaced by a specter of what it was.
Pseudo-Spectral Limbs. If you have a severed part and hold it to the stump, you instantaneously causes the limb to knit to the stump.
The target’s severed body members (fingers, legs, tails, and so on), if any, are not knit in 24 hours, a spectral-like in appearance, but still physical, forms on it's place.
While you have one these limbs become spectral in form, you can cast the Mage Hand cantrip. At 3rd level, you can cast the Tenser's Floating Disk spell with this trait. Reaching 5th level, you can cast the Mirror Image spell. You can't cast these spells with this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait.
Everlasting Life. Whenever you roll a death saving throw, you score a critical success on a 20 or higher after adding all your bonuses to it.
Feats
Soul Projection
Prerequisite: Fallen
You learn the Find Familiar spell and can cast it as ritual. When casting the spell this way, your familiar is a Specter, with it being considered an undead, instead of a celestial, fey, or fiend. It doesn't have it's Sunlight Sensitivity trait.
The Past Never Forgets
Prerequisite: Fallen
You can choose to gain two traits from the Race chosen in the Size, Speed, Past Life and Languages traits.
For instance, if you chose to be a Fallen Changeling, you can pick the Shapechanger and Changeling Instincts traits.
Mixed Emotions
Prerequisite: Fallen
Pick a Fallen subrace you didn't choose at character creation. You gain the traits from the subrace chosen with this feat.
Whenever you reach a level that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace this feat's subrace with another one from the Fallen race that you don't have.
Touch From The Beyond
Prerequisite: Fallen
Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
As a bonus action, you can touch a simple or martial weapon and infuse it your undeath abilities. For the next minute, the weapon deals an extra 1d4 necrotic damage when it hits. After you use this bonus action, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
A truly undead race for the world's greatest roleplaying game. Embody different emotions to base yourself on a reason to refuse death: Anger, Failure, Fulfillment, Pride, and Revenge!
Artist Credit:
Cover Art: Void Skull, by Skullsmith
Page 2: The Knight of Death: Igris, by JC str
Page 3: Jason Nguyen
Page 4: lyssan
Page 5: ImmortAlchemy (I.C)
Back Art: Mabs_Gabs
Additional Blue's Tavern Brews Homebrew content can be found for free on GM Binder and even additional ones behind a small charge on my Patreon.