Shadow Master (5e Class)

Shadow Master

Shadow Masters are exiles from society. They usually live in forests, always avoiding being seen by any race and class. They tend to be nomads, always moving at night, thanks to their "Permanent Shadow" ability, which allows them to be temporarily omnipresent. These warriors have the ability to manipulate shadows, whether it be to make powerful attacks, apply effects (such as sleep or paralyze), and deceive their enemies.

Forgotten Origins

Shadow Masters come from the north of a continent called Neir, more specifically near a city called Nirin.

The masters of the shadows were believed to be extinct after a war they had against the masters of light hundreds of years ago, but the assumptions were all false, since in recent years new masters of the shadows have been appearing.

These new shadow masters are not as “friendly” as the old ones, as they want revenge on the light masters for nearly extinguishing them at any cost.

The new shadow masters are more aggressive, more obnoxious, and some are driven insane. There are exceptions of shadow masters who behave like paladins, but when going into combat, they can go so far as to use their companions as a shield without feeling any remorse.

Some of these entities follow the code of the shadow master of Sheut, which in short is "Take revenge at any cost, exterminate the light". But there are two more cults, the death cult which in short is "Kill and get blood" and the Sombra cult which says "Bring balance to the world, when you have to kill, kill, and when you have to act, act".

Shadow Masters are currently spread out over the world, and do their deeds wherever they please, whether it be sacrificing people, helping people, or doing things a raunchy bard would do.

Creating a Shadow Master

When creating a shadow master, is important to ask yourself you have you chosen to learn how to control the shadows? Were you seeking for power, or have you been trained by an ancient order, and seek to preserve the tradition of shadow-mancy. Think on the reasons that led you in the path of darkness, and how this decision affects your goals in the future.

Quick Build

You can make a shadow master quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Hermit background.

Class Features

As a Shadow Master you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion

Equipment

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

• any simple weapon
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) a shortbow and quiver of 20 arrows
• (a) a scholar's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
• Leather armor, any simple weapon, and two daggers

Table: The Shadow Master

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Permanent Shadow, Shadow Induction, Ceaseless Darkness
2nd	+2	Shadow Arsenal, Shadow Doctrine
3rd	+2	Path of Darkness, Shadow Reading
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Shadow Rhythm, Gloomy Harvest
6th	+3	Path of Darkness Feature, Magical Darkness
7th	+3	Shadow Step
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Shadow Illusions, Placeholder 9
10th	+4	Gloomy Camouflage
11th	+4	Path of Darkness Feature
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Thorny Shield
14th	+5	Doctrine Mastery
15th	+5	I am the Shadow
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Thorny Burst
18th	+6	Path of Darkness Feature
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Cross

Permanent Shadow

At 1st level, you become a true denizen of shadows. You gain darkvision up to a range of 10 feet x your Shadow Master level, or half as much if you are looking through magical darkness. In addition, you can see in dim light as if it were bright light.

Shadow Induction

At 1st level, as an Action, you can weave the shadows nearby, creating tendrils of pure darkness. Choose a point covered in darkness within 60 feet. You can cause a tendril of darkness to sprout from the darkness, and move towards a creature or object within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your Shadow save DC (8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failed save, the target is pulled up to 30 feet towards the source of the tendril.

If the target is pulled inside an area of darkness, the panic of being enveloped by shadows cause them to become frightened of you until the end of its next turn. At 5th level, a creature frightened by this feature takes 1d8 psychic damage, 2d8 psychic damage at 11th level and 3d8 psychic damage at 17th level.

Ceaseless Darkness

At 1st level, you can open a gate to the Shadowfell, invoking pure darkness from there. As an Action, you can cover an area of 10-foot radius around you in darkness. The darkness follow you as an aura. The area of the darkness increases as you gain levels, as shown on the Ceaseless Darkness radius column on the Shadow Master table. The darkness last until you are knocked unconscious, unless you choose to end it as a bonus action. The darkness also end when you finish a rest.

You can cause the area to stay stationary instead of following you at the start of your turn, but doing so requires concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). You can move the stationary cloud of darkness 30 feet in each turn using an Action.

Also using an Action, you can make the darkness dense, magical. This magical darkness has the properties of an area of darkness created by the darkness spell. Doing so limits the duration of the feature to 10 minutes or until you lose concentration.

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

Shadow Arsenal

Starting at 2nd level, you can shape weapons of pure darkness on your hands. To manifest a weapon from your shadow arsenal, you must have the hand in which that weapon will manifest free. Manifesting the weapon is made as part of the Attack roll (no action required) and vanishes after the attack is resolved (unless you choose to keep it on your hand).

Attacks made with the weapons from the Shadow Arsenal use your Shadow Attack Bonus, that is your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier, and they add your Charisma modifier to their damage rolls.

Dark Claws

You can shape your shadow in the form of a claw on an empty hand and attack with it. You cause 1d4 plus slashing damage with this attack, but the damage is higher depending on the area you are standing: 1d6 for dim light, and 1d8 for darkness.

A creature hit by your claw has Disadvantages on attacks made against you until the start of your next turn.

In addition, once per turn after or before attacking with the claw, if you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can move 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks to another area covered in dim light or darkness.

Blade of the Forbidden Arts

You can shape your shadow in the form of a sword. This sword is a simple martial weapon that causes 1d6 slashing damage and with the versatile (1d8) property, but the damage is higher depending on the area you are standing: 1d8 (1d10) for dim light, and 1d10 (1d12) for darkness.

As a bonus action when you hit a creature with the blade while that creature is in an area of darkness, you roll the damage die for your blade one additional time and you cause psychic damage equal to the number rolled.

Shadow Doctrine

Starting at 2nd level, you choose a specific doctrine that shapes the way in which you fight. You can choose one of the two doctrines below:

Demon's Wrath

The doctrine of the demon's wrath teach you aggressiveness. At the start of your turn, you can move up to 15 feet in a straight line towards a hostile creature you are able to see.

In addition, you gain Advantage on Initiative rolls.

Angel's Tranquility

The doctrine of the angel's tranquility teach you serenity and focus. As a bonus action in each of your turns, you can use your miraculous touch to cover a creature in darkness, grating it temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. These temporary hit points are lost if you use this feature again.

In addition, wings of darkness sprout from your back, shielding you from attacks. You gain the benefits of half cover against creatures further than 10 feet away from you.

Path of Darkness

At 3rd level, you chose a path. Choose between Void Path, Shadow Path, Death Cult, Circus of Dark Beasts, The Mental Domains, Sombra's Lineage, and Other all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th and 18th level.

Shadow Reading

Starting at 3rd level, you gain sense the history of a place covered by shadows. By meditating in an area in dim light or darkness, you can see all events that transpired in a place within 30 feet of the area you are meditating, as long as that area was covered in dim light or darkness when the events happened.

The meditation takes 10 minutes for each hour of events you see and hear. Using this feature don't count as light activity. Once you use this feature, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest.

Shadow Rhythm

At 5th level, when you start your turn in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use your Bonus Action to Disengage, Dash or Hide.

In addition, if you take the Attack action while in an area of darkness, or against an opponent covered in darkness while using a weapon from your Shadow Arsenal, you can attack twice, rather than once, as part of your attack action.

Gloomy Harvest

At 5th level, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points you can steal its shadow as a reaction. You can hold a number of shadow points equal to your proficiency bonus. You lose all points when you enter in an area of bright light, or after completing a rest.

You can use your Shadow Points to enhance the attacks with your Shadow Arsenal. When you make an attack with the claws or the blade, you can choose to add the points you have to either your attack or damage rolls.

Magical Darkness

Starting at 6th level the damage caused by weapons from your shadow arsenal are considered magical, for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunity to non-magical attacks.

Shadow Step

Starting at 7th level, you can use the shadows to aid your movement and defense. When you roll initiative, or as a Bonus Action, you can adopt one of the shadow steps below. You can only have a single step active at the same time. You can only do so if you are in an area of dim light or darkness, and lose its benefits when you enter or start your turn in an area of bright light.

Combat Step

Your movement speed increases in 10 feet and cause additional 1d4 damage with melee attacks against creatures in an area of dim light or darkness.

Master's Guard

Your AC increases in +2. In addition, you can choose to add your Charisma modifier, rather than your Dexterity, on your AC.

Light-footed

Your movement speed increases in 20 feet. In addition, opportunity attacks made against you while you are in an area of darkness have Disadvantage.

Shadow Illusions

At 9th level, you can use the shadows stolen by your Gloomy Harvest feature to create illusions of darkness. You can use this following ways:

Beast Instinct

You can awaken the primal fear of the dark inside the hearts of your enemies. You can spend 1 shadow point as a bonus action to force a creature covered in darkness you can see within 30 feet to make a saving throw against your Shadow Save DC. On a failed save, that creature is frightened until the end of your next turn or as long as it remains in an area covered in darkness.

Explosive Shadow

You can spend 1 shadow point to create a illusion in a area covered in dim light or darkness you can see within 30 feet. This illusion has the characteristics of a minor illusion, but it has no color, being a shadow. When a creature you can see moves within 5 feet of it, the illusion explodes, causing psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier to that creature.

Gloomy Camouflage

At 10th level, while you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use a Bonus Action to become invisible. You remain invisible until the start of your next turn. The invisibility also ends if you make an attack, cast a spell, forces a creature to make a saving throw or enter in an area of bright light.

Thorny Shield

At 13th level, you can use an Action to create a shield of pure darkness around you. When you start your turn in an area of dim light or darkness, you gain temporary hit points equal to half your Shadow Master. These temporary hit points last until you enter an area of bright light.

Whenever a creature causes damage to you with a melee attack while you have temporary hit points granted by this feature, that creature takes piercing damage equal to the number of temporary hit points you lost.

Doctrine Mastery

At 14th level, you reach the full potential of your chosen doctrine. You gain the benefit associated to your doctrine shown below:

Thief Hand (Demon's Wrath)

You can manifest a third hand, made of pure darkness, which you can control using a Bonus Action. This hand has a reach of 5 feet (15 feet on dim light, 30 feet on darkness) and a Strength score equal to your Charisma score. You can use this hand to take any actions you could with your regular hand, except wielding weapons. You can make attacks with your Claws of Darkness using this hand. The hand is considered a Large creature for grappling and shove attempts. Finally, the hand can pass through solid objects and creatures.

Angel's Tranquility (Dark Wings)

You can manifest wings of shadow that grant you the ability to fly with a speed of 15 feet (30 feet on dim light, 60 feet on darkness). You can manifest these wings using a bonus action, or use a bonus action to cause them to disappear. On an area of bright light, the wings disappear at the end of your turn.

I am the Shadow

At 15th level, while you are standing in shadows, you can envelop yourself into protective shadows to avoid harm. As a reaction to taking damage while in an area of dim light or darkness, you can reduce that damage to half.

Thorny Burst

At 17th level, when your Thorny Shield is reduced to 0 hit points, the shield explodes, causing damage to all creatures of your choice that are not in an area of bright light within 10 feet.

Cross

Starting at 20th level, you can cross through the plane of shadows, becoming yourself a living shadow. While in an area of dim light or darkness, you assume your shadow form. While in this form, you can also 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. While crossed, you are also resistant to nonmagical slashing, piercing and bludgeoning damage. You stay in this form until you enter in an area of bright light, or until you end it as a bonus action.

In addition, you can cast planeshift while in your shadow form without spending spell slots, but can target only creatures within range that are in an area of darkness, and can only go to the Shadowfell using this feature. You can't use this feature again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Paths of Darkness

Void Path

Thanks to this subclass, shadow manipulation is perfected, and the user gains things like the creation of clones and traps.

Denizen of Darkness

Starting at 3rd level, you are a true creature of the void. The range of the darkvision granted by your Permanent Shadow feature doubles.

Grasp of the Abism

When you choose this path at 3rd level, your ability to manifest tendrils of darkness increase further. When you use your Shadow Induction, you can target a separate target within 5 feet of your previous one.

In addition, the reach of your tendrils of darkness and the range of the feature double.

Dark Tides

At 6th level, you can hurl blades of shadows towards your enemies. As an Action, you force all creatures in a 30-foot by 5 feet line to make a Dexterity saving throw against your Shadow save DC, or take 2d6 slashing damage or half as much on a success. This damage is considered magical.

If the target take this damage while standing in dim light or darkness, you can change the damage type to psychic instead.

You can spend shadow points to increase the damage dealt by 1d6 per point spent.

Shadow Clone

At 11th level, you can create a clone of shadows that enables you to escape your enemies. When you use your Gloomy Camouflage feature, you can create a illusory double with the same properties of a illusion created by mislead, but lasting until the end of your next turn.

You can allow this clone to explode as if it were a Explosive Shadow (no action required).

Portals to a Thousand

When you reach the 18th level, you can create portals through shadows. You can cast arcane gate, without spending spell slot and not requiring concentration, but only in areas covered by dim light or darkness. The gate opened appears as black hole of deep darkness.

Once you use this feature, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest. You can spend Shadow Points to extend the duration of this spell while active for 1 minute per point spent.

Shadow Path

Warriors who follow this path learn not to hide and fight face to face with weapons steeped in shadow.

Two Better Than One

Starting at 3rd level, you master the ability of creating shadow armaments. When you take the Attack action and attack with one weapon from your Shadow Arsenal, you can use your bonus action and create another shadow weapon, attacking with it.

You must have both hands free in order to use this feature.

Shadow Dancer

At 6th level, you can gain the benefits of two shadow steps at once, rather than only one.

Superior Combat Step

At 11th level, you master the combat step. The additional damage caused by combat step doubles.

Cut from the Soul

When you reach the 18th level, you can cut the connection between a limb of your target and its shadows, disabling it temporarily or even killing the target. You can spend 1 shadow point to force a creature you hit with a shadow weapon to make a Constitution saving throw against your shadow save DC. On a failure, roll a d8 to determine the limb disabled:

• 1-2. The target's arms are disabled, forcing it to drop whenever they are holding and rendering them unusable until the end of your next turn.

• 3-4. The target's legs and wings are disabled, reducing its movement speed to 0 and knocking that creature prone until the end of your next turn.

• 5-6. The target's eyes are disabled, rendering the target blind until the end of your next turn.

• 7-8. The target's head is disabled, reducing that target to 0 hit points.

Death Cult

Warriors of this subclass have lost all sanity and think only of adding a corpse to their collection.

Crimson Shadows

Starting at 3rd level, you can infuse your shadows with blood to enhance their powers. Whenever you hit a creature with a Shadow Attack or with a feature that forces a single target to make a Shadow save DC, you can roll a number of d4s (d6s if you are in dim light and d8s if you are in darkness) up to your proficiency bonus. You lose hit points equal to the number rolled (this loss can't be prevented in any way) but cause additional damage equal to the number rolled.

In addition, whenever you take damage, record the damage taken. Your next attack made until the end of your next turn with a shadow weapon causes additional damage equal to the total damage taken.

Pierce

Starting at 6th level, you can use your shadow induction to create long spikes, rather than tendrils. When a creature fail the save against this version of Shadow Induction, the creature is not pulled. Instead, it is pushed for the same distance, and suffer piercing damage instead of psychic.

Miraculous Blood

Starting at 11th level, when you cause damage to a creature using a shadow weapon, if you are below half your maximum of hit points, you regain a number of hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.

Alternatively, you can choose to not regain hit points and instead hurl a grenade of dark flames to a place within 30 feet. All creatures within 5 feet of the grenade suffer 1d4 psychic damage (1d6 if they stand in dim light, 1d8 in darkness).

River of Blood

At 18th level, you can use an Action to summon a giant scythe of shadow and blood. All creatures within 20 feet must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your Shadow save DC, or take 1d8 + your Charisma modifier psychic damage. If you are below half your maximum hit points when you use this feature, you regain 1 hit point for each creature that fails the save.

The Mental Domains

The warriors of this faction have mastered the art of mind control.

Mind Echoes

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can not only see the past, but hear the minds of creatures covered in darkness. Whenever a creature is within the same area of darkness you are (not broke by dim light or bright light), you can use an Action to attempt to read its mind as if you had cast detect thoughts.

In addition, you can spend the use of this feature when using your Shadow Reading to discover the surfaces thoughts of creatures you see within your visions of the past.

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

Mind Raid

Starting at 3rd level, when you use your Shadow Induction on a humanoid or beast, you can choose to not cause damage to, instead, force your tendrils of darkness inside of the target's body, to control it as a puppet. On its next turn, you can force that creature to move and decide what Action that target will take. After taking the action of your choice, the control is released. The creature can't move further than the Shadow Induction tendril reach.

You can only force the target to take an Action you have seen it take before, otherwise you can only force him to Dodge, Disengage, Dash, Hide or to waste its action. If the action is an attack, you can make only a single attack, regardless of the target having the multiattack feature. If the Action can't be taken for whatever reason (like uses limitations) the action is wasted if you try to use that action. Finally, you can't force the target to cast spells.

Weak Mind

At 6th level, when a creature with a number of hit dice below your proficiency bonus and Intelligence score below your Charisma score fails the save against your mind raid, the control over that creature lasts until you choose to release it. While controlling a creature with weak mind, you can't use Shadow Induction.

The control over that creature ends if the creature leaves the reach of the shadow tendril, if the area of darkness from where the tendril was summoned is dissipated, or if you choose to end it on your turn (no action required).

Superior Raid

At 11th level, you no longer are restricted to humanoids and beasts when you use your Mind Raid. In addition, you can command the controlled to take an Action (but not move) using its reaction on the same turn you took control over it. Not action from you is required to do so.

Relocation Touch

At 18th level, you gain the ability to touch a creature contaminating it with shadows, turning him into a slave. You can use your Action to touch a humanoid that is within an area of darkness and is unaware of your presence. That creature is then charmed by you until a Remove Curse spell is cast on it, the charmed condition is removed from it, until the creature is touched by bright light or you use this feature again.

You can communicate telepathically with the charmed creature as long as the two of you are on an area covered in dim light or darkness.

Circus of Dark Beasts

Warriors of this subclass have learned to harness dark beasts and enhance them.

Devouring Darkness

At 3rd level, when a creature is brought into an area of darkness due to your Shadow Induction, that creature is ravaged by creatures of darkness. The target takes additional slashing or piercing damage (magical) equal to 2d8 + your level in this class.

After using this feature, you can't do it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Beasts of Darkness

Starting at 6th level, you can tame a shadow you've stolen, transforming it into a beast of darkness under your command. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 shadow point to conjure a beast of darkness in an area of darkness within 60 feet. The bast of darkness have the statistics of a shadow, and gains temporary hit points equal to half your warlock level. Roll initiative for the beast, 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 beast remains in your service for 1 minute, disappearing into the Shadowfell afterwards. The beast disappears earlier if it enters an area of bright light.

Shadow Taming

At 11th level, you can exert full control over your captured shadows. You know the spell summon shadowspawn. You can cast it without spell slots or a material component. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

You can cast this spell again if you have no uses of this feature by spending 4 shadow points.

Dark Leviathan

When you reach the 18th level, you can manifest a gigantic monster of shadows. You can use an Action to cast illusory dragon once, without spending a spell slot. When you conjure this spell, the illusion can have any appearance you want (not only of a dragon), but the effect of the spell do not change.

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

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Shadow Master class, you must meet these prerequisites: Charisma 13.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Shadow Master class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, simple weapons.

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