Shadow Lord (5e Class)

Death Monarch: Shadow Lord

Drawing Power from the Shadows

A death monarch is a mighty force to be reckoned with. They are cunning and dangerous spellcasters, knowledgeable and cautious masters of a specific type of necromantic study. They use their own essence to create a demiplane inside their shadows, made off the same material who forms the Shadowfell. The shadow of a death monarch is more than the mere absence of light, but the presence of the shadows of death itself. As a death monarch grew in power, so does its shadow domains, growing in size and in utility.

Masters of the Undead

The most terrifying aspect of the death monarch practice consists in its ability to use the shadows of living creatures as slaves. For some moments, the death monarch can corrupt the soul of a living creature with the shadow essence, creating creatures that are nothing but an echo of its former living self.

Creating a Death Monarch

In order to create a death monarch, you can answer a few questions. How did you begin your study in the shadow arts? Did you have a master, or you have always been alone, researching by yourself? Why did you begin your study of such a dark practice? You tried to overcome the death of a loved one by achieving the power to restore its body with the shadows? Are your pursuits in this art scientific in nature, being you a curious mind since your youth? Did you always wanted power, and the control over the dead is only a tool to accomplish your goals? Either way, the path of a death monarch is dangerous and grim, and only a disciplined or obsessive mind are capable of completing this journey.

Quick Build

You can make a demon hunter quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score followed by Dexterity or Constitution. Second, choose the sage or the haunted one background. Third, choose the leather armor, a mace, the arcane focus, and the dungeoneer's pack.

Class Features

As a Death Monarch: Shadow lord you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Scythes, Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Dexterity and Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Insight, Perception, Religion, Intimidation, Investigation,, History and Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) Scythe or (b) light crossbow and a case with 20 bolts
• A spellcasting focus
• (a) Dungeoneer's Pack or (b) Explorer's Pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 2d4x10 gp in funds.

Table: The Death Monarch: Shadow lord

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	Features	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	0	2	Shadow Servant, Monarch Dimension	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	2	3	Shadow Extraction, Spellcasting	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	2	4	Death Watch, Shadow Boon, Shadow Art	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	2	5	Ability Score Improvement, Ability Score Improvement	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	2	6	Silhouette Armaments, Monarch´s Hand	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	3	7	Shadow Art,	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	3	8	Undead Affinity, Shadow Exchange	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	3	9	Ability Score Improvement, Ability Score Improvement	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	3	10	Clear mind	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	4	11	Death's Gaze	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	4	12	Soul Harvest, Shadow Demon	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	4	12	Ability Score Improvement, Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	4	13	—	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	4	13	Shadow Art	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	4	14	Nightmare	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	4	14	Ability Score Improvement, Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	4	15	Conflux	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	4	15	—	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	4	15	Ability Score Improvement, Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	4	15	The Goal of Life is Death	4	3	3	3	2

Monarch Dimension

The monarch energy is vastly different from normal magical energy. Your energy is not pulled from the surrounding area or any of the material plane, but rather from its own unique dimension of shadows. This dimension houses your essence, your very being. It is empty, cold, and devoid of life. Any form of living creature may only reside in this decision for a short period of time or risk complete annihilation. You gain the following benefits:

• You have control over your own dimension. you may open 5-foot gateway that lead to your dimension. This dimension can take any form you wish, these can be used to deposit anything you wish within your dimension. To withdraw something, one must simply think of the desired item and it shall appear slightly inside the portal, without spending an action. The dimension have 1 cubic foot per level you have on this class.
• You can store any shadow creature under your control in said dimension.these shadows do not occupy any space, but the dimension itself is composed of them.
• Your Shadows can never actually die, if a Shadow falls in battle or in any other fashion The Monarch can reassemble them after a period of time. The amount of time it takes to restore a shadow depends on the CR rating of the Shadow in question. Up to DM discretion

Shadow servant

Starting at 1st level, you can use your bonus action to summon a Shadow in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of you, You can communicate telepathically with it and it will always obey your commands.

Once summoned, the shadow can:

• In combat the shadow rolls its own initiative and acts on its turn. A shadow cannot attack, but perform other actions as normal. As a reaction on the shadow's turn you can cast a touch spell through your shadow as long as you are within 100 feet of it.

• Merging into your own shadow, you gain darkvision with a range of 30 feet and a bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) score and Wisdom (Perception) checks, the bonus is equal to your Intelligence modifier. In this state the shadow cannot be the target of any attack or other damaging effect; only you can cast spells on it.

You may use this trait a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus, but you may not have more than one Shadow at a time in combat.

At 3rd level, you can use your bonus action to command your shadow to hide into the shadows of a creature you can see within 100 feet. When you do so, you can use your action to see everything near that creature, similar to the arcane eye spell centered on the target. You can see through the shadow of that creature up to a range of 1000 miles.

At 11th level, your shadow offers a passive protection to you. Whenever it is merged with your own natural shadows, you can use your reaction to gain resistance to any type of damage. When you do so, your shadow receives the same amount of damage.

Spellcasting

You have begun your path to become a lesser divinity of death, controlling a type of magic that focus on aspects of necromancy.

Cantrips

At 2nd level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the death monarch spell list. You learn additional death monarch cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Death Monarch table.

Spell Slots

The Death Monarch table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these death monarch 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 inflict wounds and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast inflict wounds using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the death monarch spell list. The Spells Known column of the Death Monarch table shows when you learn more death monarch spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the death monarch spells you know and replace it with another spell from the death monarch spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your death monarch spells, since the power of your magic comes from your capacity of understanding the workings of the death in order to control it. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a death monarch spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

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

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spellcasting Focus: You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your death monarch spells.

Shadow Extraction

Starting at 2nd level, when one or more creatures are reduced to 0 hit points in the last 48 hours, you can use your bonus action to store the creatures' shadow within your Monarch Dimension . You can have a number of shadows stored equal to twice your level in this class.

As an action, you can raise the shadow of the fallen entity stored within the dimension, a death echo of the former living creature of the following types: aberration, beast, dragon, giant, humanoid, or monstrosity. Roll initiative for the shadow extraction, which has its own turns. It obeys your verbal commands. The shadow creature has the same physical and mental capabilities, although it is undead. You can have as many shadows as you want as long as the final count does not exceed your level. You can return a shadow to your Monarch Dimension as an action.

Death Watch

At 3rd level, the necromantic energy inside you sharpen your senses, allowing you to detect the presence of life. You can now detect the presence of living creatures around, in a 30-foot radius. You can tell if there are living creatures in the area, but not the direction of the.

You can spend 1 minute concentrating on this feature to reveal the number of creatures and their general direction (north, south, east or west) and distance from you.

Shadow Art

At 3rd level, you can choose one shadow art that will define your death monarch practice. You can choose between the Shadow Magic, the Monarch Knight or the Dark Stalker.

Your choice will give you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 10th and 14th levels.

Shadow Boon

Being a Monarch, you either care deeply for your shadows or at least want them to last as fodder for as long as possible. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your bonus action and expend a hit die to heal a shadow or shadow extraction under your control. The shadow regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled + your Intelligence modifier.

Silhouette Armaments

At the 5th level, you now have the knowledge to attempt shadow extraction on objects. The object must be an armor, weapon or equipment, mundane or magical. When making a extraction on the object, the object is destroyed and you create a shadowy replica of that item. If the object is an weapon or armor, your shadow extractions are proficient with it. If the item requires attunement, this counts against your limit of attuned items. The item remains stored into your monarch's vault until you decide to use it on a shadow extraction, which can be decide on the moment you use that feature.

You can have a number of objects stored equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Monarch´s Hand

At 5th level, you can manipulate your shadows as appendages and limbs, being able to extend them up to a range equal to 10 + (5 x Intelligence modifier) feet gaining the following benefits:

• You can take any action on your turn that would require your hands using your monarch's hand instead, when using your Monarch's Hand, you use your Intelligence, instead of Strength, for any Strength check you make.
• You can use your bonus action to make two attacks with your monarch's hand. Make a melee attack for each, causing 1d10 damage on a hit. You gain one additional attack at 11th level and another one at 17th level. The damage is necrotic.

Undead Affinity

Starting at 7th level, undead creatures see you as one of their own. Any undead hostile undead creature within 60 feet is indifferent about towards you. This indifference ends if the undead is attacked or harmed by a spell or if it witnesses any of its friends being harmed by you or your shadows.

Shadow Exchange

At level 7 as an action, or as a reaction in response to being hit by an attack, you can swap places with a shadow soldier that you can see. You cannot do this if there is an area where magic is denied, or if for some circumstance, the shadow is impossible to locate by any means - ex: If you are in the realms of places like limbo or hell or any astral plane for that matter, you cannot swap places with your shadow. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus plus your intelligence bonus

at level 14 you can use this ability on any shadow regardless of distance.

Clear Mind

Your understanding of yourself and your surroundings is almost divine, you add your Intelligence bonus to Wisdom saves

Death's Gaze

Beginning at 10th level, you have acquired enough energy to become naturally terrifying, by flexing your monarch energy you attempt to intimidate any being, whether magically inclined or not. As an action, you can force one creature within 60 feet of you that can see you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. In addition, you can add your Intelligence modifier as a bonus to your Charisma (Intimidation) checks.

Soul Harvest

Starting at 11th level, by reaping life you are able to claim a fraction of those unfortunate creatures souls to regenerate your wounds and fortify your body. When you or any shadow under your control reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, you or one shadow under your command of your choice gain temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier + your death monarch level (minimum of 1).

Shadow Demon

At 11th level, you learn how to warp your shadow with fiendish energy. You can spend two uses of your Shadow Servant feature to summon a shadow demon.

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

Nightmare

When you reach level 15, you can absorb the souls stored in your shadow vault. You can spend one use of shadow servant and 4 stored souls to gain 2 of the following benefits for 1 minute:

• You become one size larger.
• You gain fly speed of 30 ft (hover).
• You gain resistance to all types of damage.
• You gain a bonus of 3d8 to all your damage rolls for melee weapon attacks.

Conflux

Starting from 17th level, you may converge the material plane with your inner shadows. You turn the an area 60-foot sphere around you in a death dimension. All undead creatures under your control can teleport to any place within the sphere, up to a range equal to their movement speed.

At the beginning of your turn, both you and the undead creatures under your control regain a number of hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier, and gain a bonus to their attacks and AC equal to your proficiency bonus.

This area lasts for 10 minutes. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

The Goal Of Life is Death

Starting at 20th level, should you perish, you will not fully die as long as your monarch dimension still exists. You can use one of these features once, being unable to do it again until you finish a long rest.

• You become able to enter in your dimension of shadows. You can cast demiplane, creating an opening to your monarch dimension.
• When you die, your soul is transferred to your monarch dimension, and you return on your next turn with all the benefits of having completed a short rest.

In addition, whenever you die without using this feature to return, your body will be replicated on your demiplane of shadows over the course of a week. The new body is physically identical to the original and has the same personality, memories, and abilities, but none of your equipment. Your physical remains, if they still exist, become inert and can’t thereafter be restored to life, since the your soul is in your body of shadows.

Shadow Arts

Shadow Magic

The death monarchs who follow the shadow art of Shadow Magic can extract the arcane power present in their victims as a fuel to their own spellcasting.

Diligent Apprentice

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Arcana skill. You can add the double of your proficiency bonus if you already are proficient in it.

Dark Arcana

Starting at 3rd level, you can use the souls contained into your shadow dimension to create magical power. You can spend two uses of your Shadow Extractions to create spell slots. The level of the spell slot created equals your proficiency bonus.

In addition, you learn one cantrip from the wizard spell list. You can spend one use of your Shadow Extractions to replace this cantrip for another one from the same spell list.

Book of Shadows

At 6th level, you learn how to create magical effects using your inner darkness, mimicking spells. The book contain two spells from the wizard spell list, and you can write new spells on this spell book, as if you were a wizard, spending the same time and gp, and using the same process. The highest level of spells that can be written on your book of shadows equal to the highest level of spell slot that you can create with your Dark Arcana.

You can prepare a number of spells equal to your Intelligence modifier on this spell book.

To cast spells written on your book of shadows, you need to spend a spell slot of one level higher. For example, you need a 3rd-level spell slot to cast a 2nd-level spell.

When you cast a spell from your book of shadows, you are actually casting a shadow variant of that spell, which generate some variant effects. The spells are visually different: lighting become pure darkness, illusions always have a black aura surrounding them. All damage from the spells cast with this feature cause necrotic damage, instead of the regular damage, and any spells that change the appearance of a creature, object or place give advantage on saving throws for creatures trying to resist their effects.

Shadow Clone

At 14th level, you can craft a shadow version of yourself. You can cast simulacrum, without needing to offer any of the spell components. You can't have more than one simulacrum created by this feature at the same time. Once you summon your shadow clone, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest.

Monarch Knight

Armor of Shadows

Starting when you choose this shadow art at 3rd level, you learn how to cover yourself in your shadows for protection.

• You can summon your armor of shadows as a bonus action, and you gain an AC equal 11 + your Intelligence modifier + your Dexterity modifier, if you are not using an armor or wielding a shield.
• Your armor of shadows give you resistance to necrotic damage and you gain, at the start of each of your turns, a number of temporary hit points equal to your level in this class.

• You can use your bonus action to make a shadow weapon appear from your armor of shadows. You can choose the form that this melee weapon takes each time you create it. You are proficient with it while you wield it, and you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of your Dexterity or Strength for your attack and damage rolls with it. This weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Your shadow weapon disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die.

shadow commander

Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, each time you take the Attack action on your turn. You can also summon more than one shadow, as long as it does not exceed your CR

Marshall

When you reach level 14, you are able to command death itself.

You choose one of your shadows and promote it to a Marshal, this grants it the following benefits

• A life increase equal to twice your class level.
• The CR is considered half

Dark Stalker

Shadow Jump

Starting when you choose this shadow art at 3rd level, you can hide into your monarch dimension as a bonus action, remaining in it until the beginning of your next turn, working as if you were being targeted by the banishment spell. While in your monarch dimension, you can't be target of any attacks or effects, and can't take any actions other than exiting the monarch dimension, reactions or bonus actions. You can jump out of your pocket dimension as an action on your turn.

In addition, while grappling a creature, you can bring this creature to your monarch dimension as a bonus action. When you do so, the creature take 1d8 necrotic damage each turn it starts inside it. At the start of each of its turns, the creature can make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC to escape the monarch dimension.

Lurker in the Shadows

At 3rd level, while you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you gain advantage on your Dexterity (Stealth) checks. In addition, you can see in normal or magical darkness up to a range of 120 feet.

Shadow Dancer

At 6th level, you gain the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action, you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness, or to the position of a shadow under your control.

In addition, you move freely trough shadows. In any area of dim light, darkness or covered in some type of shadows, you gain additional 10 feet of movement. You ignore difficult terrain under these circumstances and can walk through walls covered in shadows as if you were under the effect of spider climb

Corrupt Shadow

At 14th level, you can use your bonus action to enter the shadow of a creature you can see within 120 feet. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, allowing you to enter on a failed save (creatures warded by a Protection from Evil and Good or Magic Circle spell are immune). While inside its shadow, you can't be target of attacks or spells, except spells or effects that target undead or are used to stop possession. While in its shadow,

When inside its shadow, you can drain its vitality. At the start of each of your turns, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature loses 1d8 + your Intelligence modifier hit points, and you regain the same amount. If you reduce the creature to 0 hit points using this vitality drain, the creature becomes a shadow under your control for 24 hours on the start of your next turn. In each of its turns, the creature can use its action to make a Wisdom saving throw to try to expel you from its shadow.

In each of your turns, you can use your action to make a single attack with advantage against the creature, jump temporarily from its shadow to make an attack. You can exit its shadow as a bonus action.

Once you are successful in entering a shadow of a creature, you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest

Death Monarch Spell List

Cantrips

chill touch, mage hand, spare the dying, toll the dead , minor illusion, shadowcery, Spectral Scythe

1st

Alarm, Armor of Agathys, Arms of Hadar, Bane, Bless, Command, Comprehend Languages, Cure Wounds, Detect Evil and Good, Detect Poison and Disease, Disguise Self, False Life, Hellish Rebuke, Hex, Inflict Wounds, Protection from Evil and Good, Ray of Sickness, Silent Image, Sleep, Unseen Servant, identify

2nd

Aid, Blindness/Deafness, Blur, Calm Emotions, Crown of Madness, Darkness, Detect Thoughts, Enhance Ability, Gentle Repose, Hold Person, Invisibility, Lesser Restoration, Misty Step, Pass without Trace, Phantasmal Force,Protection from Poison, Ray of Enfeeblement, See Invisibility, Silence, Suggestion, Zone of Truth, shadow blade

3rd

Animate Dead,Fireball, Bestow Curse, Blink, Clairvoyance, Haste, Hunger of Hadar, Nondetection, Protection from Energy, Remove Curse, Revivify, Speak with Dead, Tongues, Vampiric Touch, feign death, fear, phantom steed, spirit shroud , summon undead spirit

4th

blight, black tentacles, death ward, faithful hound, greater invisibility, phantasmal killer, sickening radiance, shadow of moil, Compulsion, confusion, Death Ward, Dimension Door, Freedom of Movement, Guardian of Faith

5th

Antilife Shell, danse macabre, Commune, enervation, Contagion, Dispel Evil and Good, Dominate Person, Dream, Geas, Greater Restoration, Hallow, negative energy flood

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the death monarch class, you must meet these prerequisites: 15 Intelligence. or 17 Dexterity

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the death monarch class, you gain the following proficiencies: simple weapons and light armor.

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