Zanpakutō Progression
Zanpakutō (Second Draft)
Magic Weapon, very rare (requires attunement by a creature
with constitution 10 or higher and must be level 2 to
succesfully attempt the attunement ritual)
Zanpakutō are the trademark weapons beings who have
mastered their soul energies. Capable of damaging spiritual
bodies, they can defeat undead as well as spiritual or ethereal
creatures. Every Zanpakutō is unique; the weapons are
reflections of the wielder's power and soul, and sentient
beings unto themselves. The Zanpakutō's name is the name
of the living spirit which empowers the sword and lends its
strength to the creature who wields it. These beings can vary
greatly in appearance, and have their own distinct
personalities, which match their owner's.
Low level Zanpakutō do not have names, but as the
Zanpakutō levels up and forges a stronger bond to its wielder,
it eventually reveals its true form and name. In its sealed
state, a Zanpakutō has the form of any weapon. Such
weapons are unique, generated from their owner's souls. Its
shape differs depending on its owner. A Zanpakutō's shape
and abilities are based on the wielder's soul. Once the owner
learns his/her sword's name, they can communicate with one
another and grow stronger together.
Zanpakutō are born with their wielder's soul, and they die
along with them too. When released, they can display a
vibrant power. They are one with their wielder, and they share
their convictions and ideals. Inside each Zanpakutō is an
incarnation which manifests itself upon the Zanpakutō's
transformation. The first step is to acquaint oneself with this
incarnation.
Attunement
A creature who meets the requirements to summon their
Zanpakutō must spend hours total to 1d4 + half their
constitution meditating to enter the spiritual world and
connect with their weapon. Once this is achieved, they must
succeed a Wisdom check against the weapon's will (DC 12),
to achieve a successful attunement to the weapon. All
weapon wielders must spend every waking moment with
their own weapon, and as they progress in their training, they
slowly and methodically imprint the essence of their soul into
it. This is how they guide and mold their own unique
Zanpakutō.
Embracing your Zanpakutō
As a creature levels up, they unlock a new aspect of their
weapon as they begin to understand its spirit. It is not enough
to simply know the name of one's Zanpakutō. If a wielder
were to lend its power to its Zanpakutō, the weapon would
become stronger. To fully use a Zanpakutō's power, a wielder
must get to know its Zanpakutō's spirit. With each level
gained in your character progression, your weapon increases
its power and becomes more closely related and modified by
your spirit.
Player Level Weapon Upgrade
3rd Sealed Form, Call Weapon
7th Konsō and Shōka
13th Shikai Form
17th Bankai Form
General Zanpakutō Traits
When you first unlock your Zanpakutō, you access two traits,
these traits are general and shared by all Zanpakutō wielders.
Sealed Form:
Most Zanpakutō look like some of the most common
weapons prevalent in an era, with the standard being that of
the katana. When you successfully attune the Zanpakutō to
yourself, it manifests as a weapon with which you already
have proficiency, this is its sealed form. Most sealed
Zanpakutō appear as a longsword or some type of variant and
always manifest as melee weapons.
Call Weapon:
As part of your bond to your weapon, every time you sheathe
it you may spend one action to turn it into soul energy and
store it inside your own soul, thus it doesn't affect
encumbrance and allows you to always have a weapon
available. To summon the weapon again you must spend one
action to call it forth. While you don't know the Zanpakutō's
name, you must succeed a DC 10 Wisdom check, or you are
unable to summon the weapon successfully. Once you learn
its name, you may summon it without having to succeed the
check by calling it.
Zanpakutō Specific Traits:
As you come closer to the Zanpakutō, it becomes more
closely bonded to your personality. Each Zanpakutō has three
specific traits that reflect its type depending on the wielder’s
strength of spirit.
Konsō and Shōka
Once your soul and your Zanpakutō have begun to bond
successfully, you gain the ability to interact better with the
spiritual world. You gain two passive abilities dictated by your
Zanpakutō type.
Shikai Form:
Shikai is the second form available to a Zanpakutō. To
activate it, the wielder needs to learn the name of their
Zanpakutō. This is not as easy as simply picking a name, for
the living spirit of the Zanpakutō already has its own. The
creature must be able to communicate and harmonize with
their Zanpakutō effectively, which requires being able to
speak to the spirit within its world. The blade changes shape
and gains special abilities by chanting a Kaigo, or release
incantation. Using the Kaigo, followed by the name of the
Zanpakutō, activates Shikai.
It is crucial to memorize each phrase, for every Zanpakutō
has a different incantation. The commands vary between
users and range from a simple imperative verb to a short
poem. They often relate to the Zanpakutō's signature ability
or hint at the nature of its spirit. This step may be bypassed
by expert wielders who have learned how to use their Bankai.
To use the Shikai, you must succeed a DC 13 Constitution
check or receive one level of exhaustion and disadvantage for
your next turn. You can summon the Shikai of your weapon
up to an amount of times equal to your proficiency modifier.
The effects of Shikai are so draining on your soul that you
may not manifest its power for more than a certain number of
minutes, equal to half your constitution score. After each
Shikai use, you must spend 2 minutes resting. When using
the Shikai, you gain one damage ability determined by the
Zanpakutō type.
Bankai Form:
Bankai is the second and final upgraded form of a Zanpakutō.
To achieve Bankai, one must be able to materialize and
subjugate their Zanpakutō spirit. Materialization means the
opposite of getting dragged into the Zanpakutō's inner world
the wielder needs to summon the Zanpakutō's spirit into the
physical world. Attempting to subjugate the spirit of a
Zanpakutō is extremely dangerous and may prove fatal as it
strains the body and soul to their limits.
To successfully summon the Bankai form, the wielder must
first succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom check, if he or she fails,
they automatically fall unconscious. Once succeeded, the
wielder must then make a Constitution saving throw each
turn that the Bankai is active; the DC begins at 12 and
increases by 2 every round until the wielder is exhausted and
can no longer hold his grasp on the Bankai and loses
consciousness.
After the Bankai has been used once, the Zanpakutō must
be summoned again with DC 15 and can no longer use either
Bankai or Shikai until the next long rest. Due to the Bankai’s
strength, the wielder cannot move by will from their now
occupied space and have disadvantage on saving throws that
require movement. Each Bankai Form grants one benefit and
one flaw determined by the Zanpakutō Type.
Zanpakutō Types
Projectile-Type Zanpakutō
Konsō and Shōka:
• You have advantage while blocking or evading ranged
attacks.
• While a creature is in contact with your Zanpakutō, they
have a +2 to ranged attacks.
Shikai Form:
• You can swing your weapon and deal 1d8 slashing
damage on all creatures in a 15 ft. cone.
Bankai Form
• You can hurl your weapon to a distance equal to your
walking speed and deal 2d8 piercing damage, once per turn,
you can use a bonus action to call back the Zanpakutō to your
hand.
• While in Bankai Form, you cannot parry or make any
direct melee attacks.
Poison-Type Zanpakutō
Konsō and Shōka:
• You have resistance to poison effects and damage while
on combat.
• Once per turn, you can remove a poisoned effect on an
ally by touching their forehead with the tip of your weapon.
Shikai Form:
• When you hit a creature, you deal 1d6 poison damage
that lingers for two rounds, this effect doesn’t stack.
Bankai Form:
• As the Bankai appears, a poisonous smoke forms around
you in the shape of a 15 ft. sphere that deals 2d8 poison
damage each round, you may use one action per turn to move
the sphere a total of 10 ft.
• While in Bankai Form, you must maintain concentration
and must succeed a DC 15 Constitution saving throw if you
are attacked or else the poison sphere dissolves and resets in
a random point of space.
Fire-Type Zanpakutō
Konsō and Shōka:
• You have advantage while evading or blocking fire-based
attacks.
• By succeeding a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, you
can block an incoming fire-based attack against an ally.
Shikai Form:
• You can swing your weapon and deal 1d6 fire damage on
all creatures in a 15 ft. line.
Bankai Form:
• Your weapon blazes to life and burns everything around
you in a 15 ft. radius, dealing 2d8 fire damage, you can shoot
fire in a line of a distance equal to your walking distance and
deal 1d10 fire damage in the area.
• While in Bankai Form, you must succeed a DC 12
Constitution saving throw or receive 1d8 burning damage.
Ice-Type Zanpakutō
Konsō and Shōka:
• Your walking speed increases by 10 feet.
• While a creature is in near your Zanpakutō , they have
resistance to cold.
Shikai Form:
• You can swing your weapon and make a 1d8 cold damage
attack on all creatures in a 15 ft. line.
Bankai Form:
• You can shoot ice spikes that can travel up to your
walking distance and deal 2d8 cold damage with each swing
of your weapon.
• While in Bankai Form, you must succeed a DC 12
Constitution saving throw or else become frozen and receive
1d8 cold.
Earth-Type Zanpakutō
Konsō and Shōka:
• Your AC increases by +3 while holding the weapon .
• While a creature is near your Zanpakutō, they have
advantage on Strength saving throws.
Shikai Form:
• You can smash your weapon on the ground and make a
1d6 bludgeoning attack on all creatures in a 15 ft. cube area.
Bankai Form:
• You can strike the ground with your weapon and create
boulders which you can throw to a distance equal to your
walking speed and deal 2d8 bludgeoning damage.
• While in Bankai Form, any terrain near a 10 ft. radius
becomes difficult terrain for all creatures.
Wind-Type Zanpakutō
Konsō and Shōka:
• You have advantage on Constitution saving throws.
• While a creature is near your Zanpakutō, their walking
speed increases by 10.
Shikai Form:
• You can swing your weapon and make 1d6 attack on all
creatures in a 15 ft. cone and knock them back if they fail a
DC 15 Strength saving throw.
Bankai Form:
• You can create a powerful wind that can deal 2d8
slashing damage in a cone area equal to your walking speed.
• While in Bankai Form, you must succeed a DC 12
Strength saving throw or be kicked back by a gust of wind
and knocked prone, ending the Bankai Form.
Water-Type Zanpakutō
Konsō and Shōka:
• You gain the ability to walk on water while you are
holding the Zanpakutō.
• While a creature is near your Zanpakutō, they have
advantage on Dexterity saving throws.
Shikai Form:
• You can swing your weapon and deal 1d8 bludgeoning
damage on all creatures in a 15 ft. line and they are knocked
prone.
Bankai Form:
• You create a stream of water that shoots from your
weapon to a distance you may determine up to your walking
speed and deal 2d8 bludgeoning damage and preventing
them from taking an action in their next turn.
• While in Bankai Form, the area becomes flooded and you
have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws.
Lightning-Type Zanpakutō
Konsō and Shōka:
• You gain 10 ft. in your walking speed while you are
outside of combat and holding your Zanpakutō.
• While a creature is near your Zanpakutō, they gain a
bonus action in combat.
Shikai Form:
• You can shoot a lighting ray and make a 1d8 attack on all
creatures in a 15 ft. line.
Bankai Form:
• A lightning storm forms near you in a radius equal to your
walking speed and deal 2d8 lightning damage, as an action,
you can control where the lightning strikes in each turn.
• While in Bankai Form and wearing armor, you must
succeed a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or receive 1d8
lightning damage.
Darkness-Type Zanpakutō
Konsō and Shōka:
• You gain Darkvision for 30 ft. or is added if you already
have Darkvision.
• While a creature is in contact with your Zanpakutō, they
gain 20 ft. Darkvision.
Shikai Form:
• You can swing your weapon and make 1d6 necrotic
damage on all creatures in a 15 ft. cone area.
Bankai Form:
• A dark mass in the shape of a cube with a size equal to
your walking speed appears and deals 2d8 necrotic damage
to all creatures who enter it; as an action, you can move the
cube 10 ft. during your turn.
• While in Bankai Form, you become vulnerable to radiant
damage and must succeed a DC 12 Constitution saving
throw or receive 1d8 necrotic damage.
Light-Type Zanpakutō
Konsō and Shōka:
• Your Zanpakutō gains the ability to glow with a light
which shines in a 5 ft. radius at your will.
• While a creature is near your Zanpakutō, they gain the
ability to heal 1d4 hit points once per short rest.
Shikai Form:
• You can swing your weapon and make 1d8 radiant attack
on all creatures in a 15 ft. cone.
Bankai Form:
• A white light shines from the tip or your weapon and
casts light to a distance equal to your walking speed, when
you use an action to cast the attack, it deals 2d8 radiant
damage in a line in a direction of your choosing equal to your
walking speed.
• While in Bankai Form, you are vulnerable to necrotic
damage and become blinded for the duration of the Bankai.