Deva
Devas were those people – mostly human – who have a sliver of immortality, and for hundreds of years whenever they die they reincarnate into a fully-grown adult form, reappearing within a few days somewhere generally three miles from where they died.
A reincarnated deva has vague recollections of her previous life, and often could easily connect with the people and places of her former life if given the chance. But she might just as easily have found herself adopting a new life and training in new skills. Whatever path she took, however, she would occasionally have flashes of memories from one of her former lives.
Physically, devas resemble their original species, but with unearthly beauty and an uncanny stillness. Their skin is sometimes covered in geometric patterns of light and dark. Some of noteworthy power will occasionally manifest insubstantial and wholly decorative wings, though they can conceal these with practice and concentration.
If a deva has a child, it does not inherit immortality. Resurrection magic works the same on devas as it does anyone else.
Deva Traits
Devas gain the following traits.
Type. Humanoid. However, you can be detected by magic that can detect celestials.
Age. Devas reincarnate into adult bodies, and die of old age perhaps seventy years after their incarnation begins.
Size. Medium usually, though Small deva who were once gnomes or halflings are not unknown.
Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet.
Deathless Calm. You gain resistance to necrotic and radiant damage, and cannot be blinded by bright light.
Memory of Past Lifetimes. When making an ability check or saving throw , you may gain an expertise die . (An expertise die is an extra 1d4 that you roll and add to your main d20 roll.) If you do this for a skill, tool, or vehicle you are not proficient with, you gain proficiency for the next minute. After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest .
Deva Gifts
Select one of the following deva gifts.
Pluripotent Form
You have one or more extra sets of spiritual arms, which are clearly magical and not attached to your torso, but instead float a short distance away. You can dismiss them or manifest them with a thought. You still only have two limbs that can wield weapons, shields, and the like, and you don’t gain any extra actions. However, these limbs allow you to hold many extra hands’ worth of items, and are quite useful at confounding those who would tie you up.
Additionally, you count as one size larger for the purpose of grabbing and shoving. Your unarmed strikes count as magical. Once per round when you hit with an unarmed strike, you can deal an extra 1 radiant damage.
Presence of the Divine
You also know one cantrip of your choice from the cleric spell list. At 3rd level, choose one 1st- or 2nd-level cleric spell, which you can cast once per long rest without any material components. A 1st-level spell chosen this way can be cast as if using a 2nd-level spell slot, if the spell allows. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Deva Paragon
When you reach 10th level, you gain one of the following paragon gifts.
Combined Soul
Your memories now include those of many devas who lived before you. You now have proficiency in all skills.
Manifest Incarnation
You learn to call forth a past life more fully. When you gain this ability, create a 3rd level deva character with your same base ability scores (though slightly altered if you choose a different background).
As a bonus action you can call forth a shimmering manifestation of this past life. You share senses intuitively. Each of you can move independently, but you share a single pool of one action, one bonus action, and one reaction per round. You share hit points.
When you fall unconscious , or if you and the incarnation are separated by more than 250 feet, the incarnation is destroyed. If the incarnation is adjacent to you, you can spend a bonus action to absorb it.
If the incarnation is destroyed without you absorbing it, you cannot manifest it again until you complete a long rest . If you do absorb it, you can manifest it again after a short rest. However, any limited-use abilities or spells it has used are still expended. The incarnation only regains expended abilities and spells when you complete a long rest.
When you manifest your incarnation, its spiritual essence has the equivalent of mundane equipment worth no more than 200 gold. Any of this equipment that leaves its possession vanishes after one round. The incarnation is corporeal and can wield other objects if it picks them up, but when the incarnation is destroyed or absorbed it drops those items.
For every five minutes the incarnation is active, you gain a level of strife , which goes away when the incarnation is destroyed or absorbed.
Deva Culture
Devas spread across the world, and only a handful of deva communities exist.
Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your deva character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: forsaken , godbound .