The 5e Binder is the result of a year-long collaboration on the Giant in the Playground boards, which is actually where I (the Finger) and Submortimer (the Palm) met. We’ve poured countless hours into its development, and it’s finally time to call the Binder complete.
The binder represents a new type of spellcaster. Rather than learning spells, a binder negotiates with vestiges, remnants of spirits that exist in the void outside reality. In exchange for sharing his body and soul with these spirits for a short time, the binder gains some of the powers they had in life. Essentially, the binder can switch and choose his powers, and party role, daily.
Now, I understand this class might be intimidating to pick up due to the sheer number of vestiges on display, so we’ve included a number of tools to make it easier: at the beginning of the Vestige Codex chapter, there’s a table detailing every vestige and its powers to help you familiarize yourself with your choices. Then, at the end of the PDF, there are printable Vestige Cards, which summarize the powers and abilities offered by vestiges. These can be printed out on standard 8.5″x11″ paper and put in trading card sleeves to play the class with only a one page character sheet and a small deck of cards.
It’s customary on Middle Finger of Vecna for us to provide a plaintext version of all of our material, but due to the sheer scope of this class, we’ve posted the 5e Binder and Vestige Codex on GiantITP boards, where they can be accessed without downloading anything. If you have a comment or question about the class, posting it here will help you get a response.
Last, but not least, if you like this type of offering, consider following us on Patreon, since it’s this type of support that allows us to chase such ambitious projects and bring them to life.
Changelog: 6/26/16: Suppress Sign: Moved to subpoint under Pact Magic, no longer in table
Minor Spirits: Now uses consistent wording for cantrips
Patron’s Aegis: 5 + binder level, not Charisma score
Amon: Amon’s Horns: Typo fixed
Dahlver-Nar: Share Harm: Reworded
Ronove: Far Hand: ‘You’ make a Charisma check, not the hand
Aym: Golden Halo: Duration fixed
7/7/16: Ronove: was missing Sprint and Ronove’s Endurance features in PDF
8/11/16: Vestige Cards: Karsus was missing resistance to spell damage
8/21/16: Quick Build: Edited to better represent a successful Binder stat array
Minor Spirit: Ghost: Specifies ranged spell attack roll
Naberius: Noble Bloodhound: Feature added; was missing in the PDF
Aym: Golden Halo: Reworded
Tenebrous Domain: Spells: Typo on ‘destructive wave’
Cards: Changes made to Savnok, Tenebrous, and Halphax
4/27/17: Aym: Golden Plate: Your speed is not reduced in any armor, regardless of proficiency
7/8/27: Minor Spirits: These have been changed to all be spell attacks.
Aym: Golden-Fisted Rule: Reworded for clarity
Ipos: Flash of Insight: 60 foot range
Ipos: Ipos’s Influence: You can choose when it’s triggered
Primus: Lawful Strike: Reworded — only triggers on turns that you make one attack
Andras: Smite Foe: Does not work when you already have disadvantage
Tenebrous: Sense the Shadows: See in darkness to a range of 120 feet and sense creatures within 30 feet
Geryon: Devil’s Sight: Range 120 feet
Balam: Balam’s Cunning: You can make this roll even after the DM decides if the roll succeeds or fails
Xanathar: Sleep Ray: Can be woken by a creature within 5 feet of it
