Hollow Legionnaire

Dr. Manhattan on his way to a war re-enactment

Hollow Legionnaires are a species of sapient constructs from the Scarred Lands setting of Dungeons & Dragons, added to the setting in its 2nd edition (Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition). They are creations of the Hollow Knights, a species of pseudo-undead constructs crafted by binding human souls to suits of armor; Hollow Legionnaires are made in the same general manner, but are less powerful than their prototypes. Hollow Legionnaires appear as suits of armor being worn by humans made of semi-translucent, pale blue flesh.

Hollow Legionnaires have only existed for a few decades, being the result of the Hollow Knights erecting five mystical spires in the Gleaming Valley; these spires draw the spirits of those who fell with great longing in their hearts at their failure to complete some duty or role, allowing the spirit to manifest in a creation ritual. If the spirit is willing, the Hollow Knights perform an emulation of the same ritual that Corean used to create them, binding the spirit to the physical plane by fusing it with a suit of armor. This process, sadly, mostly erases the spirit's mind, so in a cruel irony, whilst they still look like the person that they were in life, they retain no clear memory of their past existence; they have a distinct personality, but it may not be the one they originally had, and the most information they retain is enough to give them a general idea of how the world works. Still, the new Hollow Legionnaire possesses hopes, fears, wants and needs, just like any normal living being, and whereas their creators tend to be cautious and restrained, for good or ill, legionnaires have no such restrictions.

Legionnaires always bear an obvious, distinct, unique armor pattern covering the torso and at least one armored limb. The primary color of a legionnaire’s armor pattern always matches that of the spire where he or she was reborn — adamantine, gold, iron, mithril, or silver — as does the legionnaire’s blood. Armor patterns can incorporate abstract markings, stylized objects or creatures, and even elaborate images.

Because of how young their society is, and how little they remember of their former lives, hollow legionnaires base their identity around the Gleaming Valley and the spire where they were created; legionnaires of the same spire are a hollow legionnaire's closest kin. Indeed, the spire that a legionnaire hails from seems to influence its personality considerably, although whether this is the magic of the spire or the spire merely attracts that kind of personality is an unresolved philosophical question. Gold Spire legionnaires tend toward forthright interactions with others, seeing themselves as part of a great whole. Those of the Silver Spire are more careful in placing their trust and tend to be circumspect in general. Iron Spire legionnaires can be brash, preferring a direct approach in all things, and they disdain those who speak in half-truths. Legionnaires of the Mithril Spire are quick to judge, as well, but they also avoid writing off anyone as irredeemable without proof. Good-natured Adamantine Spire legionnaires stand beside their comrades, offering their loyalty on the battlefield or at the negotiating table.

A hollow legionnaire’s reception depends on how locals view the Gleaming Valley and the hollow knights that rule there (and for whom the legionnaires are sometimes mistaken). Legionnaires are generally accepted by the dwarves of Burok Torn and the people of Mithril and distrusted by the necromancers of Hollowfaust. They are viewed with the same idle curiosity by the Shelzari as those folk tend to view most everything, while they are considered meddling spies by the leadership of the Calastian Hegemony. Most followers of Corean respect them, while adherents of the titans fear and despise them. Interestingly, the clergy of Vangal loathe them.

The hollow knights do not require their legionnaires to worship Corean, although many are inclined to do so. Legionnaires with a strong calling to another god usually feel that their veneration is a holdover from their previous lives. While hollow legionnaires are predominantly lawful, and most are neutral or good, they are not restricted in alignment. However, even the occasional chaotic or evil soul found among the legionnaires would never seek to harm the Gleaming Valley itself — rather, she might seek to expand her influence through underhanded means, profit unreasonably from her successes, or gain allies in disreputable circles.

Perhaps more than characters of any other race, hollow legionnaires exist to adventure. The hollow knights send legionnaires to all corners of Ghelspad, whether alone or in groups. At any time, a legionnaire may be asked (but rarely required) to perform a task on behalf of the hollow knights, be it reporting on titanspawn activity, aiding a beleaguered city-state, or simply following their noses toward adventure. Those few legionnaires who want nothing to do with their benefactors are sent away with the hollow knights’ blessing, asked only to return to the Gleaming Valley if called upon in times of dire need.

Male Names: Alar, Brec, Edern, Heol, Mayze, Nevan, Perr, Tant, Yann

Female Names: Anic, Doni, Erwien, Gwin, Janeh, Meli, Rivana, Seiva, Terfin

5E Hollow Legionnaire Racial Traits

Hollow legionnaires are similar to one another in many ways, sharing the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase: Two different ability scores of your choice increase by 1.

Age: A hollow legionnaire is created mature, but legionnaires rarely leave the Gleaming Valley before 5 to 10 years have passed. It is unknown how long they might live, as the oldest among them are not yet 40 years old.

Size: Hollow legionnaires average about 6 feet tall but weigh little more than 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Armor Bound: Your soul is bound within a suit of armor, which makes up much of your physical form. You have proficiency with light armor. The armor you start the game with is the armor to which you are initially bound, and this armor has markings you define as your inherent style. You can be bound to only one suit of armor at a time. During a short or long rest, you can take 1 hour to bond with any suit of armor with which you have proficiency, provided it is constructed in such a way that it covers most of a Medium humanoid’s body. (Most armor does.) Armor to which you bind yourself takes on your inherent style. If you bond to magic armor that needs attunement, the attunement can occur as part of the bonding process. You bond and gain attunement during the same hour.

Construct Body: You are humanoid, but you do not need to breathe, eat, drink, or sleep unless you wish to do so to gain some beneficial effect. Magic can’t put you to sleep. During a long rest, you remain awake and can engage in light activity for the entire 8 hours while still benefiting from the rest. Your nature is semi-living, though: You are susceptible to death, disease, exhaustion, and poison, but you have advantage on saving throws against these threats, including death saving throws. In addition, you have resistance to poison damage.

Construct Mind: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. Other creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks made to determine your emotions or intentions.

Legion’s Price: If you die, your spirit fades from your bound armor after 1 minute, and then the armor loses your inherent style. After you fade, nothing is left behind that can be considered to be part of your body, and you cannot be brought back to life via raise dead, but only with a resurrection spell.

Past-Life Knowledge: You remember bits of your past life, but usually little more than scattered bits, and those bits are most often related only to your previous death(s). However, when you select skill proficiencies from your class during character creation, add any one skill to your list of choices.

Languages: You speak Ledean and one other language.

Yugman's Guide to Ghelspad provides another set of rules that can be used instead of the ones above.

Ability Score Increase: One ability score of your choice increases by one.

Age: Whether a legionnaire has natural life span is yet to be seen. You appear similiar to what you looked like before death.

Size: Regardless of your height, you weigh as much as your armor, between 40 and 65 pounds. your size is medium

Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Armor Bound: You are bound to the armor you begin the play with. You can spend one hour to bond with another armor that you're proficient with and covers at least half of a medium-sized humanoids body. If the armor requires attunement, you attune to it during the bonding.

Spireborn: You are a semi-living amalgamation of physical armor and spirit returned from beyond with abilities granted by the spire you were created from. You don't need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe to survive, you're immune to spells that would put you to sleep, other beings have disadvantage to Insight checks to determine your intentions or emotions, you're resistant to poison damage, you glow slightly, casting a dim light in a five foot radius giving you disadvantage at Stealth checks, and anything viewed through your exposed skin is slightly obscured.

Legion’s Price: After you die, the spirit matter making up your body fades after one minute and you cannot be brought back by any magic or ability. Only True Resurrection or Wish can bring you back after dissipation.

Past-Life Knowledge: You recall previous bits and pieces of your old life that you consider useful. Choose one skill to be proficient in.

Languages: You speak Ledean and one other language.

Subrace: Choose one of the following subraces.

Adamantine Spire

Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by one.

Adamantine's Accord: Your hitpoint maximum increases by one every time you gain a level. You have advantage on death saving throws.

Golden Spire:

Ability Score Increase: Your Wisdom or Charism score increases by one.

Gold's Accord: You can't be blinded by bright light or similiar effects. You gain the Light cantrip, Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed.

Iron Spire:

Ability Score Increase: Your Strength or Charisma score increases by one.

Iron's Accord: You're proficient in Intimidation. When a creature you can see makes a successful melee attack against another creature within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to interpose your own ephemeral energy between attacker and target, reducing the damage to the target by half. You take the remainder of the damage. You have advantage on saving throws against poison.

Mithril Spire:

Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity or Intelligence score increases by one.

Mithril's Accord: Your base walking speed is increased by five feet. Wearing armor doesn't reduce your speed. You have advantage on saving throws against disease.

Silver Spire:

Ability Score Increase: Your Intelligence or Wisdom score increases by one.

Silver's Accord: You're proficient in Insight. You're immune to exhaustion. You have advantage on saving throw against being charmed or frightened.