Shadow Monarch (5e Class)
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Shadow Monarch
There was once an Absolute Being that created two powerful races, the Rulers, and the Monarchs. The Rulers were creatures of creation, the Monarchs were creatures of destruction. Due to their natures, they waged war on each other for centuries. Eventually, With the destruction of the last Monarch, the Rulers found out that the Absolute Being had made the Rulers and Monarchs to fight each other for his own amusement. Angered and filled with grief from the gruesome war, the Rulers banded together and killed the Absolute Being. Only one out of the Rulers was still loyal to the Absolute Being and tried to protect it against the angered Rulers. Unfortunately despite his effort, he was outnumbered and killed.
While within the shadowy void of death this Ruler realized that the Absolute Being had planted a fragment inside of it's most faithful servant, as a contingency for when everything went wrong. A powerful and terrifying power capable of ending everything. True power over Death. Realizing that his faith and sacrifice had been nothing more than a final pawn for the Absolute Being game and amusement was too much. With this final betrayal, the rulers mind shattered and was corrupted; becoming the first Shadow Monarch. Consumed by the fragment and corrupted, he went out to kill the Rulers who had betrayed the Absolute Being. After succeeding, he wandered death for eternity until drawn to a mortal connected to death. Appearing before them he passed his power to a mortal to do with as they saw fit before finally dispersing within death. YOU are that Mortal.
The Power of Death
Shadow Monarchs are beings that use the power of death gifted to them from a corupted fragment of power left by the Absolute Being, a god from the dawn of time that whad been betrayed and overthrown by his own creations. With a final act of betrayal the god took his most faithful and corupted him, twisting him into a instrument of his final act of vengance and amusment He beame the first Shadow Monarch. The first Monarch didn't know why he remained within existence ocne his task was completed nor why they have the power to take the souls from the deceased and use their energy to form soldiers that can be stored within shadow. Wandering in the eternity of death, he seeks sought something unknown. Your character may not know the reason why they weres chosen to be given the powers of the Monarch, and only with time may some of these answered be gleamed. But caution to those who stare within the abyss, for the when you stare within the abyss something always statres back.
Creating a Shadow Monarch
When you are creating a Shadow Monarch ask yourself why your character why do they want to use the power of the shadows? Is it to use the enemy forces against them for revenge? Do they want to see a loved one return? Why would the first Shadow Monarch give you this power? Were you walking on the edge of death all of your life for a good cause? Did he see you as worthy for your good deeds, maybe he gave it to you to try to fulfill your desires to conquer the world? When making a Shadow Monarch you are not relying on your soldiers, you are the leader of your soldiers, and your strength and speed defines such.
- Quick Build
You can make a Shadow Monarch quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Survivor background. Third, choose a reason why you want the power of death.
Class Features
As a Shadow Monarch you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Shadow Monarch level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Shadow Monarch level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light and Medium
Weapons: Martial, Simple Weapons
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Intimidation, Arcana, Religion, Stealth
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) Pair of short swords or (b) Long Sword or (c) Dagger
- (a) cloak or (b) amulet (non-magical)
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 20 Copper Coins, 10 Silver Coins in funds.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Monarch's Touch, Fighting Style |
| 2nd | +2 | Shadow Extraction, Soldier Enhancements |
| 3rd | +2 | Shadow Infiltrator |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack |
| 6th | +3 | Shadow Zone, Soldier Enhancements |
| 7th | +3 | Shadow Exchange, Imbuing Shadows |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | Black Heart, Soldier Enhancements |
| 10th | +4 | Evolutions of the Shadows, Animating Shadows, Extra Attack |
| 11th | +4 | 'Full Recovery' |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement, Loyalty of the Shadows |
| 13th | +5 | Monarch's Touch+ |
| 14th | +5 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Shadow Infiltrator+, Stealth, Extra Attack |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | Arm the Faithful |
| 18th | +6 | — |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement, Monarch's Dominion |
| 20th | +6 | Monarch's Hallowed Elites |
Monarchs's Touch
Using a bonus action, an invisible spectral floating hand appears at a point you choose within range. The hand lasts for 1 hour or until you dismiss it as an action. The hand vanishes if it is ever more than 30 feet away from you or if you cast this cantrip again. You can use your action to control the hand. You can use the hand to manipulate an object, open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. You can move the hand up to 30 feet each time you use it. (Note: You can't attack with this ability)
Monarchs's Touch+ - Beginning at 13th Level, when you cast Monarch's Touch, your spectral hand is suffused with black shadowy flames. Using a bonus action, you can have the hand interact with an object/target. Monarch's Touch can now freely interact with any object and move it at will without limitation (including attack). Using your movement you can propel the selected object/target up to 30 feet in any direction, although the spell ends if the distance between you and the subject ever exceeds the spell's new range of 120 feet. The max weight the hand can maneuver is based on your carry capacity multiplied by your Intelligence modifier. If used to attack a creature unarmed deal 1d8 Necrotic damage, if armed with a weapon, used the weapons damage modifier + 1d4 instead and inflict the damage as necrotic. If the object/creature affected is thrown using the skill, deal damage of 1d4 Force damage for every 20 pounds.
If a creature is targeted by the skill, it must make a Wisdom saving throw or be affected the same way as any other object affected by the spell. A creature affected by the skill has disadvantage on all attack rolls and can no longer perform a movement action. Once per round the creature can perform a Wisdom saving throw to break the effect.
Fighting Style
You adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options.
Archery: You gain a +2 to attack rolls you make with a ranged weapon.
Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can re-roll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Two-Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. Also, you do not take penalties from dual-wielding
Shadow Extraction
Starting at 2nd level, you can resurrect the shadows of fallen creatures and keep them as soldiers to fight under your control. As an action, you can attempt to extract the shadow of a creature within 5 feet of you that has been dead for no longer than 1 hour, and that is not a construct, inorganic creature, or undead. Each Soul you extract will become a soldier that you can control. The shape of the summoned creature is the same as when they were alive, but the color is ink black with shadowy wisps rising from its body, and eyes that glow with eldrich blue light. Their base HP and armor class will be represented in the chart below. The attack of your summon is based on the summons unrestricted attack from when it lived.
Using your action, you can extract the soul of the creature (within 1 hr of its death), you can only extract one soul per round. The way to extract a soul is by rolling based on the creature's CR rating relative to your level, Add your Intelligence modifier + Proficiency Bonus when you roll to extract.
In battle, as an action, you can summon one soldier- unless you've learned skills that say otherwise- and as a bonus action, you can give an order to a single soldier within hearing distance. If they are out of range for an order they will continue with the order given. If they complete their order they will return to defend the sovereign. Upon death, your soldier will return to the sovereign's shadow and cannot be re-summoned till a long rest is taken, Upon rest, their HP is restored to full.
You can store a number of soldiers equal to your Proficiency Bonus + Intelligence Modifier within your shadow. Once extracted the soul will immediately be stored in your shadow, if there is no room you must choose to release a stored soldier into smoke or forfeit the new soul. At the 3rd, 5th, and 10th levels you increase your capacity to store shadows by an additional unit.
- Attempts
In order to attempt to extract the soul of a creature, you have to roll a check. For a creature 1/4th your level or below, you simply need to beat a 5, if it is 1/4th of your level to 1/2 of your level you must beat a 10, if it is 1/2 your level to even with your level you must beat a 20. For a creature 1 to 10 levels higher you must beat a 27. You have three chances to extract a soul. If you fail 3 times, the soul is lost forever and cannot be attempted to be extracted ever again.
- Shadow General
You can choose a Shadow to be the most loyal soldier and the general of your army, The chosen shadow gains the passive ability that whenever it could be killed by an attack (must choose to do so before the damage roll) you can use a reaction to return it to your shadow unharmed, with its health fully restored (you may only use this ability once per long rest). This does not provoke an opportunity attack. Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your Shadow General's abilities also improve. Your shadow can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1.This shadow can no longer be permanently destroyed unless freed. If you designate a new shadow as your army general, The old one will lose all the improvements; and the new general receives them instead (you cannot change the previously increased ability scores.)
- Soldier Enhancements
Starting at 2nd level, Your servants now gain one of three passive abilities:
- Option a: you can deploy three using your action where you could only deploy one previously
- Option b: they gain experience along with you and can class up/level up (see chart below)
- Option c: Soldiers remember details and information from before their death. They can communicate with you regardless of language.
At level 6 you may choose an additional passive ability for your shadows to gain, and again at level 9.
- Soldier Levels
The soldiers are all considered their own party, so they will gain as much experience as the party does, as long as they are involved in the combat. The level chart shows what they get at each level. As a general rule, if you level the party, you should level the soldiers. Along with the hp boost, non-humanoid race soldiers get larger as they get stronger.
An alternative leveling method is after the extraction a shadow roll 2 D10(one 00-90 and one 0-9) to decide the level of the shadow. If you wish to level up a shadow beyond this level, you must sacrifice two other shadows per level.
0-14=1st, 15-29=2nd, 30-39=3rd, 40-49=4th, 50-59=5th, 60-69=6th, 70-79=7th, 80-84=8th, 85-89=9th, 90-94=10th, 95-99=11th.
| Grades | HP | Armor Class |
|---|---|---|
| 1st-Normal | 25% of original | 10 |
| 2nd-Infantry | 35% of original | 11 |
| 3rd-Elite | 50% of original | 12 |
| 4th-Knight | 60% of original | 13 |
| 5th-Elite Knight | 75% of original | 14 |
| 6th-Commander | 85% of original | 15 |
| 7th-Colonel | 100% of original | 16 |
| 8th-General | 110% of original | 17 |
| 9th-Major General | 125% of original | 18 |
| 10th-Marshal | 135% of original | 19 |
| 11th-Grand Marshal | 150% of original | 20 |
Shadow Infiltrator
At level 3 you get the ability to infiltrate and store your soldiers in the shadow of other people. As an action, you can choose a creature within 30 feet of you and infiltrate a single soldier in his shadow. The soldier is imperceptible to normal senses and in total cover unless you choose his to leave the shadow of the creature or return to you.
As an action you can see what your soldiers see in the perspective of inside other people's shadow, during this time, you are deafened and blinded of your own senses. While in the shadow of another creature, he still counts in the number of your stored shadows. If the shadow is over 5 miles away from you, stay in another creature for over 2 days or is destroyed, the connection is lost and the Shadow return to your storage.
Shadow Infiltrator+ - At level 15, the soldier no longer loses the connection after being 5 miles away and can stay in a creature for at least 30 days.
Ability Score Increase
When you reach the 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increases to three at 10th level, and four at 15th level.
Shadow Zone
Beginning at 6th Level, the darkness now makes way for you and provides a safe space for you, whenever you are NOT in combat you can slip into your shadow and enter a pocket dimension that has an area of 15ft x 15ft, height limit of 20 feet. You can place any item in there that you are holding/touching. You cannot bring another creature with you until level 10, at which point the room expands to 30ft x 30ft, height limit of 20 feet, and you can bring in up to 4 people/creatures (including yourself). While in this room, nobody can cast spells, and only you may rest here.
Imbuing Shadows
At level 7, you can communicate with your servants at any distance to discuss plans and you can now allow them to use magic items. Items given to a shadow become part of the shadow and will remain with them unless you remove them or if they are destroyed while in use by the shadow.
Shadow Exchange
At level 7, you may swap places with a shadow soldier, no matter how far away. You may not do this if there is an area where magic is negated, or if by some circumstance, the shadow is impossible by any means to locate - ex: If you're in the realms of such places as limbo or hell or any astral plane for that matter, you may not switch place with your shadow. You may only use this skill once per 24 hour period.
Black Heart
At the 9th level, you have spent so much time dealing with shadows/undead and the forces that animate them that you have become partially immune to some of their worst effects. You gain resistance to necrotic and poison damage, and your hit point maximum can't be reduced.
Evolutions of the Shadows
Beginning at 10th Level, you can change the species of all beast type soldiers to a larger, similarly shaped species at your DM's discretion. This also adds a passive ability to these shadows where they can change between their original and upgraded species. (ex: wolf shifts form to become a dire wolf)
Animating Shadows
Beginning at 10th Level, You can bring to life the shadow of a creature you can see within a 30 foot range. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or their shadow animates into a malevolent attacker. The shadow stays attached to the target, sharing its space, and constantly assailing the target, granting advantage on all attacks against it. In addition, the shadow deals 1d6 necrotic damage at the beginning of each of the target's turns. At the end of each turn, the target can attempt a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC to dispel the shadow and end the effect. You may use this ability three times before needing a short rest.
'Full Recovery'
Starting at the 11th level, you regain your health to full, as well as your conditions being set back to normal; after a long rest. Along with this, you may recover one limb during a long rest but doing so will have you gain one exhaustion. If a limb is recovered, then you must wait 3 days before another limb can be restored.
Loyalty of the Shadows
At level 12, Your Soldiers have devoted themselves to you and they wish to be beside you at all times. Your storage capacity is doubled. You have also learned how to summon all your army at once (Casting - concentration of 1 minute). However, doing so gives you 2 levels of exhaustion. After using this skill you can't use this feature again for 7 days.
Stealth
At the 15th level, you may take an action to go into complete invisibility, with your movements being concealed and unheard. You may use this twice per long rest. You may conceal yourself for 2 minutes per charge, or you may consume both stealth charges to boost the concealment to last for 5 minutes.
Arm the Faithful
At level 17, Your soldier's devotion to you has reached a point where your shadows form into magical items. Each soldier at the elite knight level or above is granted one permanent magic item of the DM's discretion that will power up their existing abilities or that will be best suited for their use.
Monarch's Dominion
At level 19 you may take an action to activate the Monarch's Dominion. This causes the floor within a 120ft radius in a point you choose within 60 feet to become dyed black in shadows, and your soldiers will get your proficiency bonus added to their attack rolls and damage while they stay in the cone extending upward indefinitely. This stacks with their original proficiency. The territory will dissipate after one hour. This ability can only be used once every 24 hours.
Monarch's Hallowed Elites
At 20th level you can take a bonus action that makes it so that your soldiers are cloaked in reflective shadow armor, making them seem to slip in and out of vision. This gives all enemies disadvantage on perception checks targeting them, as well as disadvantage on attack rolls while they are not constrained. The armor also augments their abilities, giving them advantage on strength and dexterity based checks, including attack rolls. This lasts for 3 hours, and after which the Soldiers retreat to your shadow until the next short rest. This ability can only be used once every 48 hours
Multi classing
You really shouldn't, but if you do, make sure to tell your DM that your character will be way better than they should. You need 15 intelligence and 15 strength.
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