Echoing Phylactery of the Soulbinder
Wondrous Item (Artifact), rare (requires attunement)
This exquisitely crafted phylactery resembles a small, ornate glass vial filled with a silvery liquid that seems to sparkle with an inner light. When attuned, the bearer gains a deep connection to the souls around them, allowing them to channel and harness the ethereal essence of fallen foes or allies.
Once per long rest, the attuned wielder can invoke the phylactery to create an ethereal echo of their own soul, which is capable of performing one of the following effects:
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Soul Echo (3/Day): As a bonus action, the wielder can expend a charge to summon an echo of a creature that has died within the last 24 hours. The echo lasts for 1 minute and can provide guidance or relay a single message as the creature would have. The echo is incorporeal and cannot take physical actions nor cause harm. However, it can reveal knowledge about its demise or insights regarding its surroundings.
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Spirit Shield (1/Day): When the bearer is reduced to 0 hit points, they can choose to shatter the phylactery instead of falling unconscious. In doing so, the phylactery releases the stored souls within, creating a protective barrier. This barrier grants temporary hit points equal to the bearer’s level plus their Constitution modifier and absorbs damage equal to that amount from the next attack made against them.
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Soul Exchange (1/Long Rest): The wielder can invoke the phylactery to exchange their consciousness with a willing creature within 30 feet for up to 10 minutes. During this time, both creatures share thoughts and experiences, granting each party advantage on their next skill check or saving throw as they draw upon unique abilities and insights. The creature must be within your line of sight for the duration of the effect.
The phylactery can hold a maximum of three souls at any time. If the wielder attempts to captivate a fourth soul, one previously bound is released.
While attuned to this item, the bearer experiences vivid dreams that sometimes reveal glimpses of the past lives of the souls stored within. Additionally, the use of the phylactery comes at a cost: the bearer receives occasional whispers urging them to delve into darker paths, representing the temptation of the lost souls. For every three uses of the item, the wielder must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be haunted by visions of the recently lost souls, imposing disadvantage on their next Wisdom saving throw.
This rare phylactery serves as a bridge between life and death, offering great power while constantly reminding the bearer of the delicate balance between the two.
