![[Passenger.jpg|500]] Passengers are symbiotic beings who begin their life on the Astral Plane, without a Material body. They spend years observing the Material world and studying related lore. Once they’ve chosen their favorite areas of study, they seek a humanoid or fey to agree to become their physical host. The host gains the knowledge, perspectives, and abilities of the symbiote, and the passenger gains reassurance, companionship, and experiences. If the passenger and host stay together for more than a year, the passenger can no longer vacate the premises – staying in phase with one body for so long fuses their astral forms. From that point on, the pair think of themselves as a single being. Despite every thought being an internal conversation between the pair, this is instantaneous and they present a unified front around untrusted individuals. The nature of the duality can be seen when a passenger moves a part of their body very quickly, as a clinging, silvery, smoke-like substance trails after the physical form. If a passenger astrally projects, this wispy, smoky aura is visible even when still. ### Passenger Traits Choose another heritage for your host (physical-half). In addition to the traits from that heritage, passengers gain the following traits. **Age.** Passengers educate themselves on the Astral for around two decades before seeking a host. After their astral forms are fused, their lifespan matches that of the material heritage. **Size.** As your material heritage. **Symbiote Separation.** Your symbiote-half can briefly leave your material form to scout your surroundings. You have two related abilities for this, and between the two you can use this trait a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) between long rests: - **Symbiote Projection.** As an action, your physical-half can enter a state of deep meditation, allowing your symbiote-half to leave your material form to scout your surroundings. Your physical-half is aware of its surroundings, but can’t move or take any actions other than to maintain concentration. Your symbiote half can maintain separation for up to 10 minutes, has a Fly speed equal to your walking speed, but cannot affect physical objects or cast any spells. It can move through creatures and objects. It takes 1d10 force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. At will, or if you lose concentration for any reason, your symbiote half instantly reappears within your physical form. - **Symbiote Synergy.** As a bonus action, your symbiote-half can briefly leave your material form to provide minor aid during combat, or whenever your Narrator determines that you should act in initiative order. You can maintain separation for up to 1 minute, you must maintain concentration, and your symbiote-half cannot pass through physical objects or creatures. Your physical-half cannot move from its space during this activity, but it can otherwise take actions, bonus actions, and reactions as normal. Other than viewing your surroundings, your separated symbiote-half has no bonus actions or reactions, and can only take actions to Dash or Sprint, to Help allies using lore skills, or to cast the *[ventriloquism](https://a5e.tabletopbytheik.nl/compendium/spells/ventriloquism)* spell (usable once between long rests). Although you can’t cast any other spells, make attacks, or flank, your symbiote enables tactics during combat. Examples include seeing what the enemy is guarding or protecting, trying to discover hidden enemies, finding objects on the battlefield that the party (or enemies) might use, etc. You can only end this ability by your symbiote-half returning to your physical-half. It also ends instantly and violently when you lose concentration, and if this happens you immediately take 1d4 psychic damage per round you were separated, and are rattled until the end of your next turn. This also happens if you have not reunited by the end of 1 minute of separation. For either option above, both of your halves retain your normal visual abilities, and your current and maximum hit points are shared between them. Your symbiote-half has AC 13, is invisible, and does not need to breathe. Fly speeds granted by your physical heritage do not apply to your symbiote half, but it has the same walking Speed as your physical form. **Speed.** As your material heritage. ### Passenger Gifts Choose either a gift(s) as indicated from your physical heritage, or select one of the following: #### Favored Lore Choose one of the following: - 3 specializations from any [[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Ability Scores, Skills, Checks, Saving Throws|lore skills]]. You do not need to be proficient with the skill. - Proficiency with [[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Investigation|Investigation]], and choose one specialty. - Proficiency with [[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Arcana|Arcana]] or [[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/History|History]]. When you take the [[03-Mechanics/7-Adventuring/Between Adventures/Research|Research]] downtime activity, you treat the DC, cost, and time as one level more common than usual. Uncommon knowledge remains unchanged, but takes only 1 day of research. You must still have access to a library or libraries that might conceivably contain the information that you are searching for. #### Improved Symbiote Synergy When you use your Symbiote Synergy trait, your symbiote-half can also perform any of the following as an action. Note that both halves count toward the same total for the number of spells you can cast in a single round: - Cast the *[ventriloquism](https://a5e.tabletopbytheik.nl/compendium/spells/ventriloquism)* spell at will, at 1st-level without using spell points or slots  - [Squeeze](https://a5e.tools/rules/movement-and-position) through a space that normally requires you to be one size smaller - Use your voice from your current space to coordinate with an ally and provide a flanking bonus, following the usual rules for [flanking](https://a5e.tools/rules/movement-and-position). - Fly up to your Speed (reminder that this is your action). ### Passenger Paragon When you reach 10th level, choose either a paragon gift from your physical heritage, or select one of the following: #### Astral Separation When you use Symbiote Separation (either option) or Improved Symbiote Synergy, your symbiote-half can no longer be harmed unless the attack specifies it can affect creatures on the border Astral Plane. Creatures on that plane can attack your symbiote-half as normal. In addition, you no longer need to concentrate while separated, and during Symbiote Synergy your symbiote-half gains a [Fly Speed](https://a5e.tools/rules/movement-and-position) equal to your Speed. #### Symbiote Possession Once between long rests, you can attempt to possess one humanoid or fey within 5 feet. This process takes 1 minute, the target must be willing or incapacitated, and the target must make a  Charisma saving throw of DC 13 + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, it is possessed by your symbiote-half. The possessed creature becomes [unconscious](https://a5e.tools/rules/conditions), so does your physical-half, and an incorporeal tether connects your physical-half with your symbiote-half (similar to the *[astral projection](https://a5e.tabletopbytheik.nl/compendium/spells/astral_projection)* spell). Your symbiote enters the creature’s body and takes control of it. It can be targeted only by effects that would normally turn you (such as a *[cleric's Empowered Turning](https://a5e.tools/rules/cleric)* options of Turn Supernatural or Turn Ideology), and you retain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. You grant your temporary host body any immunities you might have. Your symbiote-half otherwise uses the possessed creature’s statistics and actions instead of its own. It doesn’t gain access to the creature’s memories but does gain access to proficiencies, nonmagical class features and traits, and nonmagical actions. You can't use limited-used abilities or class traits that require spending a resource. The possession ends after 24 hours, when the body drops to 0 hit points, when you end it as a bonus action, or when you are turned or affected by *[dispel evil and good](https://a5e.tools/spell/dispel-evil-and-good)* or a similar effect. Additionally, the possessed creature repeats its saving throw whenever it takes damage.  When the possession ends, your symbiote-half reappears in a space within 5 feet of the possessed creature’s body. Treat this as beginning your Symbiote Synergy trait (or the Improved gift). As an action, you can snap back to your physical-half using the connecting tether, though this causes you to take 4d4 psychic damage and become [rattled](https://a5e.tools/rules/conditions) until the end of your next turn. A creature is immune to your Symbiote Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on its saving throw or after the possession ends. ### Passenger Culture Prior to finding a host, passengers live a lonely existence, but they’re so focused on their studies that they hardly notice. But when they encounter their first potential host, this emotion spikes. Until a bargain is struck, the passenger is almost manic in their drive to find companionship. Luckily, their early studies teach young passengers about the nature of humanoids and fey, so few fall into bargains that are toxic relationships for the symbiote. Once a passenger is mature, they tend to have a wanderlust that can’t be quenched. Regardless of their class or background, they’ll often be found rabbit holing on obscure topics related to their interests. This is also true for less academic passengers, for topics as diverse as monster hunting, survival know-how, weaponry, experiencing new cultures, etc. **Suggested Cultures.** While you can choose any culture for your passenger character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: carvanner, circusfolk, eladrin, itinerant, lone wanderer, nomad, [[2.2e Riverfolk|riverfolk]], [[2.2d Urban Wanderer|urban wanderer]], or tinker gnome.