Heartbound Origin

A burden freely shared becomes a promise neither heart must carry alone.

Lore Overview

Your Current answers the space between two freely offered hands. A promise remembered, a companion’s steady voice, a burden willingly divided: these are the channels through which primordial power takes shape. Choose this origin to protect companions through chosen connection without requiring romance or intimacy.

You are a support caster and damage-sharing defender. Arousal can be carried between willing conduits; Libido funds exceptional protection; release shelters those connected to you. Bonds create tactical responsibilities rather than obedience or ownership.

Subclass Features

Chosen Hearts

3rd-Level Subclass Feature

At the end of a long rest, choose up to PB willing creatures present with you for a 10-minute observance. You and those creatures are heartbound until your next long rest. A creature can belong to only one Heartbound Origin network at a time and may leave it at any time without an action. Its benefits work only while you and the recipient are conscious and within 30 feet of each other. This bond grants no telepathy, location sense, or knowledge of feelings.

Veiled Play. When forming your network, you may gain 1 Arousal to give one other member temporary hit points equal to PB + Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

Unveiled Play. When forming your network, spend 1 Libido to let one other member reduce its Arousal by 1. This does not extend its range or grant telepathy.

Bear the Burden

3rd-Level Subclass Feature

When another conscious heartbound creature within 30 feet takes damage, use your Reaction and spend 1 Flux to reduce it by 1d8 + your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). You take psychic damage equal to the amount prevented, which cannot be reduced or redirected. Apply the original creature’s resistance or vulnerability before the reduction.

Veiled Play. Gain 1 Arousal instead of its Flux cost when sharing damage. The transferred psychic damage still applies; resolve any Climax before continuing.

Unveiled Play. Instead of sharing damage, spend its Reaction and 1 Flux to transfer 1 of another willing member’s incoming Arousal to you. Both agree and you must be able to gain the point under the turn cap. This cannot redirect another Heartbound transfer.

Ritual and Social Identity

3rd-Level Subclass Feature

Heartbound conduits witness promises of friendship, family, service, and love with equal reverence. During a short rest, you may guide your network through a burden-sharing rite. One participant of your choice may add your PB to one Hit Die roll made during that rest. You may grant that Hit Die bonus once per long rest. The observance never transfers exhaustion, restores Libido, or compels disclosure.

Veiled Play. When the burden-sharing rite ends, you may gain 1 Arousal to grant one willing heartbound participant advantage on its next EROSave before its next long rest.

Unveiled Play. When the burden-sharing rite ends, you may spend 1 Libido to let up to PB willing heartbound participants each reduce Arousal by 1. Each recipient can receive this reduction once per long rest.

Shelter after Release

6th-Level Subclass Feature

When you or another heartbound creature within 30 feet Climaxes, you may use your reaction to grant a different heartbound creature within 30 feet temporary hit points equal to your Bloodborn level + your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). You may choose yourself if you were not the triggering creature. In Classic Play, you may instead use this reaction after you cast a Bloodborn spell of 1st level or higher that targets at least one other heartbound creature. You may use this feature PB times per long rest, shared between its triggers. After you cast a Manifested Bloodborn spell, you may instead activate this feature without a reaction, expending one use and choosing another heartbound creature in range. A single Climax and its resulting spell cannot both grant Shelter after Release; choose one trigger.

Veiled Play. After its Climax-triggered protection, the chosen recipient may use its Reaction to move 10 feet without Opportunity Attacks.

Unveiled Play. Spend 1 Libido after granting its protection to let the recipient reduce Arousal by 2. This restores no limited use and grants no extra Manifestation.

The Willing Share

10th-Level Subclass Feature

Bear the Burden’s damage reduction becomes 2d8 + your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

Veiled Play. When you take its shared psychic damage, gain 1 Arousal to grant the protected member Advantage on its next EROSave before your next turn.

Unveiled Play. Spend 1 Libido before resolving the damage-sharing version to prevent the psychic damage you would take; Flux and Reaction still apply. For its Arousal-transfer version, this expenditure instead lets you accept up to 2 incoming Arousal actually prevented, within the turn cap.

Hold Fast Together

14th-Level Subclass Feature

When another heartbound creature within 30 feet fails a saving throw against being charmed or frightened, or fails an EROS Save, you may use your reaction and spend 2 Flux to let it reroll, using the new result. You may use this feature PB times per long rest.

Veiled Play. After its reroll turns failure to success, you may gain 1 Arousal to let the protected member move 5 feet without Opportunity Attacks.

Unveiled Play. The willing recipient may spend 1 of its own Libido instead of your 2 Flux; the Reaction and limited use remain. You cannot spend a companion’s resource without its choice.

Confluence of Hearts

18th-Level Subclass Feature

Once per long rest, as a bonus action, awaken your network for 1 minute. Its feature range increases to 60 feet. Once during each round, when you use Bear the Burden, you may waive its Flux cost. Once during the transformation, you may use Shelter after Release as part of the same reaction that you use for Bear the Burden, if its Arousal transfer causes a Climax. This still expends a use of Shelter after Release. The transformation ends early if you are incapacitated; unconscious companions receive no network benefits.

Veiled Play. Once during the awakened network after your own Climax, up to PB willing members within its range may move 10 feet without Opportunity Attacks, each using its Reaction.

Unveiled Play. Once per turn after your Manifested spell resolves during the awakened network, one willing member in range may reduce its Arousal by 1. This costs no action and creates no new release or spell.