Masquerade (5e Class)

Masquerade

You are an agent of an elite organization with a name known only to you. Anyone foolish enough to delve into the mysterious workings of your organizations will find themselves on the wrong end of your blade. Masquerades wear masks to cover their true identity and often wear professional suits, which are reflective of how highly they view themselves. Upon selecting this class, you gain a special obsidian black wrist band with a single ruby-colored diamond shape embedded into it. As you work your way through the ranks, the number of diamonds your band possesses will increase. When you receive all four diamonds on your band, you will be acknowledged as a member of the highest rank.

Creating a Masquerade

When you create your character, first consider on how have your character been recruited to the organization. Some masquerades are chosen from members of elite clubs and educational institutions, were the candidates are groomed into joining by members of the organization in disguise, and secretly trained by them. Others are selected from amidst the gutter of towns, as former regular criminals that demonstrated potential far beyond their current actions as a robber or guild member.

Quick Build

You can make a Masquerade quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the criminal (Spy variant) background. Third, choose the leather armor and a whip, two shortswords, a burglar's pack, two daggers, and thieves' tools.

Class Features

As a Masquerade you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Masquerade level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Masquerade level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, finesse martial weapons
Tools: Thieves' tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose three from Intimidation, Persuasion, Deception, Perception, Investigation, Stealth, Acrobatics, and Insight

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) leather armor and a whip or (b) scale mail
• (a) two shortswords or (b) a rapier and a longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows or (c) two weapons you are proficient with
• (a) a burglar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• two daggers, and thieves' tools

Table: The Masquerade

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Backstab	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Mask Of Many Faces, Rune Knife, Backstab	1d6	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Spellcasting, Magic Cloak	1d6	2	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Rune of Devotion, Smoke Bomb	2d6	3	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2d6	3	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Uncanny Dodge	3d6	4	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Charismatic Manipulation, Rune of Devotion Feature	3d6	4	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Evasion	4d6	5	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4d6	5	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	—	5d6	6	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Rune of Devotion Feature	5d6	6	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	Feign, Improved Magic Cloak	6d6	7	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	6d6	7	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	Improved Mask	7d6	8	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Blindsight	7d6	8	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	Mirror Minion, Rune of Devotion Feature	8d6	9	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	8d6	9	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	—	9d6	10	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Inspiring Image	9d6	10	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	10d6	11	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	The Mind's Eye	10d6	11	4	3	3	3	2

Mask Of Many Faces

Starting at 1st level, you are able to cast disguise self a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier without expending a spell slot. When you cast Disguise Self with this trait, you receive the following benefits in addition to the normal benefits of the spell:

• You can give yourself a different voice or mimic the sounds of a creature you've heard talking or creating sound for at least 1 minute. You cannot talk in a language you have not heard for at least 1 minute.

• This version of Disguise Self lasts until a creature discerns that it is an illusion or you finish a long rest. If either your appearance or voice is discerned, the other illusion is discerned as well.

To discern that you are disguised, a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC.

Rune Knife

At 1st level, your agency grants you a strange weapon. This mystical knife is the size of a dagger and is one-handed, deals 1d8 piercing damage, and has the finesse and thrown properties, with a range of 20/60 feet.

Whenever drop the dagger, you can teleport it back to your hand as a bonus action. Whenever a creature other than you attempts to wield the rune knife, it take psychic damage equal to your Masquerade level, and the Rune Knife is treated as an improvised weapon for them.

At 3rd level, when you select your archetype, your Rune Knife bears the runes that represent the field you have selected.

Backstab

Starting at 1st level, you can take advantage of an enemy when they lower their guard. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an Attack if you have advantage on the Attack roll. The Attack must use a Finesse or a ranged weapon. The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Backstab column of the Masquerade table.

Spellcasting

When you reach 2nd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells.

Spell Slots

The Masquerade Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your wizard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell charm person and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast charm person using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level wizard spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the enchantment and illusion spells on the wizard spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Masquerade Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an enchantment or illusion spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

The spells you learn at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level can come from any school of magic.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizard spells you know with another spell of your choice from the wizard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an enchantment or illusion spell, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any school of magic.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You can use your Rune Knife as your spellcasting focus for your masquerade spells.

Magic Cloak

Also at 2nd level, you can cloak yourself with illusory magic. You can use your bonus action and spend a spell slot to become invisible for 1 minute per level of spell slot you spent. Your invisibility ends if you make an attack or cast a spell.

In addition, at 11th level, when your invisible ends after making an attack or after you cast a spell, you can use a bonus action to become invisible again for the duration, without spending another spell slot.

Stealth Bomb

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to craft magical smoke bombs that can distract your foes. You can use your action and spend spell slots to create Stealth Bombs. You can create a number of bombs equal to the level of the spell slot.

On your turn, you may use your bonus action to throw down a smoke bomb to debilitate your foes. You can choose to throw the bomb at a point within 30 feet of you. Creatures in a 10-foot radius originating from the bomb must pass a Dexterity saving throw against your DC or be blinded for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success.

You are immune to the effects of your bomb. Also, any creature can throw the bomb using an action. The bomb lasts for 8 hours, losing its effects after the times wear out.

Runes of Devotion

At 3rd level, you chose a Rune type for your Rune knife. Choose between Beast Rune, Shadow Rune, Soul Rune, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 10th, 15th

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 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.

Uncanny Dodge

Starting at 5th Level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you.

Charismatic Manipulation

Starting at 6th level, you gain proficiency in two Charisma based skills of your choice. You can choose a skill you are already proficient in, which allow you to add twice your proficiency bonus in checks with it.

In addition, you can give yourself advantage on a check made with one of the chosen skills. You can use this feature twice, regaining its uses after finishing a long rest.

Evasion

Starting at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon's fiery breath or an Ice Storm spell. When you are subjected to an Effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Feign Death

At 11th level, your pocket watch provided by you organization allows you to fake your death, leaving a crack in time where you duplicate your body. When you take damage from an attack, you can use your reaction to teleport to an unoccupied space within 10 feet.

When you do so, you become invisible, while an illusory copy in the shape of your deceased corpse appears on the place you occupied. To see trough the illusion, a creature must succeed on a Wisdom (Perception) check against your spell save DC. In addition, you act as if under the effects of a haste spell. The invisibility and haste end after 1 minute, ending earlier if you make an attack or force a creature to make a saving throw.

Once you use this ability, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest, unless you spend a spell slot of 3rd-level of higher.

Blindsight

Starting at 14th level, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you.

Mirror Minion

At 15th level, as an action, you create a perfect illusion of yourself that lasts for 1 minute, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The illusion appears in an unoccupied space that you can see within 30 feet of you. As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the illusion up to 30 feet to a space you can see, but it must remain within 120 feet of you. When both you and your illusion are within 5 feet of a creature that can see the illusion, you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature, given how distracting the illusion is to the target. Additionally, a target has disadvantage on attack rolls against you while the duplicate remains. You can use this feature once per long rest.

Inspiring Image

At 18th level, for an hour you can shed bright light around the 30-foot radius and those who are willing are inspired to fight along side you. All attacks get advantage for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

The Mind's Eye

At 20th level, you take a minute to focus as time moves in slow motion as you open your mind to the outside world. Your eyes then glow the Rune's color- Power red, Shadow purple, Soul blue then a symbol of your rune appears on your iris. Don't worry you can still see.

• You are able to Parry without exhaustion still only limited once per turn.
• Things under affect of Disguise self or Invisibility are exposed no matter what. Also things like Illusion spells cant trick you.
• You are immune to being charmed,frightened and paralyzed also you have advantage on rolling against Feeble mind.
• When you make a Charisma or Wisdom saving throw you can choose to succeed instead 3 times before needing a long rest.

Runes of Devotion

Rune of Power

Masquerades with the rune of power inscribed on their knives are combat specialists, devoted to pure might and combat prowess. Their magic is strong but volatile, and combining with the tendency of Rune of Power wielders of being impulsive, this makes them dangerous foes both to their adversaries and to themselves. However, this abrasive nature also makes them protective of their allies, rushing into battle with the intent of eliminating the enemies before they have a chance to harm their companions.

Relentless Power

Starting at 3rd level, your reckless flow of power allows you to enhance the power of your attacks and magic. You can use this feature in two ways:

• When you hit a creature with an attack, you gain a bonus of +10 to the damage of that attack.
• You increase the level in which a spell is cast in 1.

You can use this feature once, and regain the ability to do so after finishing a long rest. Doing it again causes you to lose 1d12 hit points. This hit point loss can't be stopped by any means.

Unstable Force

Starting at 6th level, your backstabs can be charged with a volatile energy. When you make a backstab, you can use a bonus action and spend a spell slot of 1st-level or higher to cause an explosion, targeting all creatures within 15 feet of your target. Creatures other than you in the area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, or take 2d6 damage, plus 1d6 per level of the spell spent. The damage type is force.

Obliterating Critical

Starting at 10th level, you can destroy a creature with one of your strikes. When you roll a critical on an attack, you can choose to multiply the damage roll by four, instead of two.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Wrath Of Vengeance

At 15th level, the Rune's sure force of power extends to it's maximum, making it vibrate in your hand. When you hit a creature with an attack from your dagger, you can choose to deal maximum damage, instead of rolling. Once you do so, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest, unless you lose 2d12 hit points to do it again. You can't prevent this hit point loss by any means.

Shadow Rune

This Rune is very rare and is chosen for those who are calm and level headed. They are chosen for complex stealth missions, missions that require a level of subtlety, discipline and patience that most masquerades aren't able to achieve. Shadow rune wielders are the spies of the masquerades, acting in the interest of the order to protect them from the shadows.

Stealthy Take Down

Starting at 3rd level, when you hit a creature with a backstab, you can try to knock out that creature, instead of killing it. Roll the damage and add 1d8. The creature take no damage and if the creature would be reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is affected by a sleep spell. You add 3d8 to the roll at 5th level, 5d8 at 11th level and 7d8 at 17th level.

The Darkness Is where I Roam

Starting at 6th level, you exude an aura of complete darkness. As a bonus action, you can cover the area around 10 feet of you in darkness. You can see trough the darkness you create, if you can't already.

In addition, you can teleport to any place within the darkness created by you as a bonus action.

Black Cloud

Starting at 10th level, you can spend one use of your smoke bomb to create a black cloud of death. Any creature other than you in the area of the bomb suffer 2 levels of exhaustion while inside the area. While you are inside the cloud, you become invisible. Your invisibility is canceled if you make an attack or cast a spell, and only returns at the start of your next turn.

The cloud also creates an area of darkness inside its area. You can dispel the cloud using a bonus action on your turn.

Dark Ghost

Starting at 15th level, when your in darkness you are almost translucent and hard to see the only thing they see is the purple tint in your eyes. You can use a bonus action to assume the form of the dark ghost. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• When you are in dim light or darkness, attacks made against you are always made at disadvantage.
• You have a flying speed equal to your walking speed and can hover. You can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain, but you take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside a creature or an object.
• If you end your turn in darkness, you become invisible until you move, make an attack or cast a spell.
• If you start your turn in an area of bright light, or move into an area of bright light for the first time, you take 4d10 radiant damage.
• If the target can see you, you can use an Action to force them to make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, the creature is frightened for the duration, or until it can no longer see you.

Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Soul Rune

This Rune is given to those who work for Death. Users of the soul rune are the assassins of the organization, also called as reapers, since the Soul Rune is able to absorb and store the souls of the deceased, allowing its power to be used by the masquerade. Soul Rune users are amongst the most feared members of the organization, even by other masquerades.

Soul Collector

Starting at 3rd level, you become able to collect the souls of deceased creatures. You gain an amount of soul points equal to your Charisma modifier. You can spend these soul points to fuel some features called Soul Abilities.

You regain soul points whenever you finish a short or a long rest. You know the following Soul Abilities:

Collecting Souls. You can regain 1 soul point when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points. You can also use a reaction when a hostile creature is reduced to 0 hit points within 30 feet of you.

Soul Revitalization. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 soul point and choose a creature within 30 feet that has at least 1 hit die. That creature's hit die is spent, and the creature regain 1d6 + your Charisma modifier hit points.

Soul Empowerment. You can spend up to 1 soul point to increase the damage dealt by an attack or spell in 1d6. This damage is either radiant or necrotic, and you make the choice when you gain this ability.

Soul Strike. You can spend 1 soul point to add a d6 to an attack roll you make.

Soul Web

Starting at 6th level, on your turn you may throw out an invisible spectral web using an action. You are able to see the webs normally. The webs work exactly like the spell web, but the webbing is invisible.

In addition, at any point during the spell's duration, you can use a bonus action to spontaneously ignite the webs.

You can use this ability once, and can't do it again until you finish a long rest, unless you spend a spell slot of 2nd-level or higher to do it again.

In addition, you can use this feature in a way that doesn't require concentration. When you do so, the duration of the web is reduced to 1 minute.

Soul Beam

Starting at 10th level, when you have both of your hands free, you can use your action to unleash your collected souls in a massive energy beam. You hurl this beam in a line 5 feet wide and 30 feet long. All creatures in the area take damage equal to the amount of soul points spent on this attack x d6 on a failed Dexterity save, or half as much on a success. The damage is the same chosen for your soul empowerment feature.

As an action in each of your turns after the fist, you can use an action to keep the beam active, dealing 1d6 less damage in each turn, ending after removing the last damage die. After using soul beam, you must use a bonus action to recharge it before being able to use it again.

The range on the soul beam increases to 60 feet at 15th level.

The Keeper

When you reach the 15th level, you become a master of souls. You gain the following benefits:

• Whenever you use soul beam, you can use without spending soul, causing 3d6 damage. You can increase the damage dealt by 1d6 per soul spent.

• Soul Beam now takes half the souls but treats it like you did giving it 1 more use or allowing you to follow up.
• You can spend 3 soul when you collect a humanoid soul to, instead of regain a soul point, bind the soul of the deceased creature as a specter under your service. When the specter appears, it gains temporary hit points equal to half your Masquerade level. Roll initiative for the specter, which has its own turns. It obeys your verbal commands, and it gains a special bonus to its attack rolls equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +0). The specter remains in your service until the end of your next long rest, or until you bind another specter.
• You can spend all your soul to cast revivify, without spending material components. Once you use your soul to cast this spell, you can't do it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Masquerade Spell List

You know all of the spells on the basic Masquerade spell list and additional spells based on your subclass.

1st Level

• Armor of Agathys • Arms of Hadar • Cause Fear • Charm Person • Comprehend Languages • Expeditious Retreat • Healing Elixir • Hellish Rebuke • Hex • ID Insinuation (UA) • Illusory Script • Protection from Evil and Good • Puppet • Sense Emotion • Unseen Servant • Witch Bolt

2nd Level

• Cloud of Daggers • Crown of Madness • Darkness • Earthbind • Enthrall • Flock of Familiars • Hold Person • Invisibility • Mental Barrier (UA) • Mind Thrust (UA) • Mirror Image • Misty Step • Ray of Enfeeblement • Shatter • Spider Climb • Suggestion • Thought Shield (UA)

3rd Level

• Counterspell • Dispel Magic • Enemies Abound • Fear • Fly • Gaseous Form • Hunger of Hadar • Hypnotic Pattern • Magic Circle • Major Image • Psionic Blast (UA) • Remove Curse • Spirit Shroud (UA) • Summon Fey Spirit (UA) • Summon Shadow Spirit (UA) • Summon Undead Spirit (UA) • Tongues • Vampiric Touch

4th Level

• Banishment • Blight • Dimension Door • Ego Whip (UA) • Elemental Bane • Galder's Speedy Courier • Summon Abberant Spirit (UA) • Hallucinatory Terrain

5th Level

• Contact Other Plane • Dream • Intellect Fortress (UA) • Hold Monster • Scrying

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the <!-class name-> class, you must meet these prerequisites:

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the <!-class name-> class, you gain the following proficiencies:

5.00

(one vote)

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Classes