Shadow Monarch, 3rd Variant (5e Class)
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This page needs grammatical help. Reason: Servant Shadow needs to be rewritten. It seems to use shadows (plural) to refer to both the shadow that your PC casts naturally, and to refer to shadows of others creatures as well. When speaking of the servant the text should use the words "shadow servant" not just shadow (singular). The whole section could likely benefit from use of small titles (;) to divide the content and be reorganized (telepathic communication should appear much earlier in the section). Shadow Dimension, Monarch Dimension, Shadow Vault, etc. should be consolidated or made very clear. Other wording issues.
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This page is incomplete and/or lacking flavor. Reason: Missing shadow demon and shadow servant details. Do the shadows stored in the monarch dimension take up space? What's the functional difference between dismissing forever and temporarily? Does Monarch Vault equal Monarch dimension? Can the Monarch's Hand extra attacks use weapons; or must they be unarmed strikes? There so many 'currencies'; Spells, Stored shadow servants/demons, Stored souls (and their stat blocks), Stored equipment (and their stats), Monarch/Shadow Vault storage space. Undead Transport is missing action type. Why are the shadow soldier links here?
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This page is of questionable balance. Reason: Is casting spells remotely (up to 100ft. away from yourself) without any drawbacks balanced? The exact mechanics of the shadow servant and shadow demon need to be looked into. Army of Shadows gives temporary hit points every turn.
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Shadow Monarch[edit]
A man steps out of a gloomy alley, seeming to appear out of nowhere. He sets his sights on a high elf walking through a crowded market place. Following the elf silently, the man draws a dagger that was concealed in his sleeve. For a brief second, the mans's eyes turn black. Then, shadows begin to creep slowly over his blade, turning it as dark as his eyes. He takes aim, and hurls the dagger in the direction of the elf. The weapon speeds toward the elf, somehow slipping in between the people that fill the street, never even grazing a single one of them. The moment before it can strike the elf, she turns down a side street, out of the dagger's path. But just at the last moment, the dagger curves impossibly, following the elf down the side street and embedding itself in her heart. An instant later, and the weapon appears in the man's hand. He turns, and walks away as if nothing has happened, disappearing once again into the shadows of the alley.
A woman walks alone through a darkened forest, moving effortlessly through the thick undergrowth. Suddenly a twig snaps. She stops, and stares hard into the darkness. All around her, pairs of glowing eyes begin to appear, and the once-quiet forest is filled with the sound of low, menacing growls as the pack of wolves closes in. Seemingly unafraid, the woman calmly raises her arms, and her shadow, somehow still present despite the lack of light, begins to writhe, blacker than the night itself. Out of it rises a figure, then another, then another. Clad in armor of darkness, the slits in their armor glow blue. The woman waves her hand, and the figures advance towards the wolves, drawing long spears of shadow out of the air. The figures set about their work, and the night is filled with the screams and agonized howls of their victims.
Shadow Monarchs are individuals who are capable of calling upon and controlling the ancient powers of darkness. They use this power as a source of magic, with which they can cast spells, cloak themselves in shadow to hide, or to attack unseen. Shadow Monarchs can even use their powers to raise and control the dead themselves.
Creating a Shadow Monarch[edit]
Like sorcerers, Shadow Monarchs are born with their power; born with shadow and darkness within their hearts. However, most Shadow Monarchs are unable to access their power at first, usually requiring an awakening based on some strong emotion or other method. When making a Shadow Monarch, ask yourself what happened to your character to cause them to awaken their power. Also ask yourself what going through that experience has done to them mentally and emotionally. Has it left them scarred and twisted, causing them to use their abilities to make others suffer what they have suffered? Will they use their power for good, so no one else has to feel what they have? Or maybe they will simply use it for their own gain.
Class Features
As a Shadow Monarch you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Shadow Monarch level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Shadow Monarch level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: light armor, medium armor, and shields
Weapons: Simple and Martial weapons, scimitar
Tools: Alchemy kit
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose three skills from Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Stealth, Arcana
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) A spear or (b) A longsword or (c) A scimitar
- (a) A shortbow and 20 arrows or (b) A light crossbow and 20 bolts
- leather armor or scale mail and shield
- An explorer's pack
- An alchemy kit
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | —Spell Slots per Spell Level— | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |||||
| 1st | +2 | Monarch Dimension, Shadow Servant | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Shadow Extraction, Spellcasting | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Shadow Boon, Shadow Art | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Silhouette Armaments, Monarch's Hand | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Shadow Art Feature | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Undead Affinity, Shadow Exchange | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | — | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Death's Gaze | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Soul Harvest, Shadow Demon | 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | — | 5 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Shadow Art Feature, Undead Transport | 5 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Shadow Self | 6 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17th | +6 | — | 6 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Conflux | 6 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 7 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | The Goal of Life is Death | 7 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Monarch Dimension[edit]
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. You can summon or store a shadow within 5 feet of you as a bonus action on your turn. The number of shadows you can store inside the vault equals half your level in this class, rounded down.
- 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[edit]
Starting from 1st level, you can use your bonus action to summon a shadow in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. You can’t have more than one shadow summoned at a time. While the shadow is merged with your own shadows, you gain darkvision with a range of 30 feet and a bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) score and to Wisdom (Perception) checks. The bonus equals your Intelligence modifier. While merged with your own shadows, the shadow can’t be targeted by any attack or other harmful effect; only you can cast spells on it; it can’t take damage; and it is incapacitated. Your shadow acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. A shadow can’t attack, but it can take other actions as normal. When you take the attack action, if your shadow is within 100 feet, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your shadow to use its reaction to make one attack of its own. When you cast a spell with a range of touch, your shadow can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your shadow must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the roll. While your shadow is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your shadow. It disappears on your own shadows, as if were part of it, where it awaits your summons. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever. As an action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. 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.
Shadow Extraction[edit]
Starting from 2nd level, when a creature is reduced to 0 hit points within the last minute, you can use your reaction to store the soul of that creature inside your Monarch Dimension. You can have a number of souls stored equal to your level in this class.
As an action, you can raise the shadow from the fallen entity stored inside the dimension, a death echo of the former living creature from the following types: aberration, beast, dragon, giant, humanoid, or monstrosity.
The shadow of the creature have the same statistics of the deceased creature, though is an undead. You can raise up to eight creatures, but the result from the sum of the CR's can't be higher than 1/4 of your level. Two creatures of CR 0 are equivalent to one creature with a CR equal to 1/8.
Maintaining control over a extracted shadow requires concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). Roll initiative for the shadow extraction, which has its own turns. It obeys your verbal commands and remains in your service for 1 hour, at which point it vanishes to the afterlife.
Once you extract a shadow with this feature, you can't use the feature again until you finish a short or a long rest
Spellcasting[edit]
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
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Shadow Monarch 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 Death Monarch 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
Shadow Art[edit]
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[edit]
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 Charisma modifier.
Ability Score Improvement[edit]
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. Using variant rules you can instead take a feat. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Silhouette Armaments[edit]
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 an 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 decided on the moment you use that feature.
You can have a number of objects stored equal to your Charisma modifier.
Monarch's Hand[edit]
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 Charisma 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 Charisma, instead of Strength, for any Strength check you make.
- You can take the attack action to make attacks with melee weapons using the limbs. When doing so, you add your Charisma instead of Dexterity or Strength to the attack and damage rolls.
- You can use your action to make two attacks with your monarch's hand. Make a melee spell 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[edit]
Starting at 7th level, undead creatures see you as one of their own. Any hostile undead creature within 60 feet is indifferent towards you. This indifference ends if the undead is attacked or harmed by a spell or if it witnesses any of its allies being harmed by you or your shadows.
Shadow Exchange[edit]
At 7th level, you can use your bonus action to switch positions with a shadow or shadow extraction you can see within 30 feet. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or a long rest.
Death's Gaze[edit]
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[edit]
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 Charisma modifier + your death monarch level (minimum of 1).
Shadow Demon[edit]
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[1].
Once you do this, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest.
Undead Transport[edit]
Your army has grown to the point where they can now carry you. At 14th level, your shadow army can emerge from the ground, grab you, and transport you elsewhere, given that you know where you want to go. You can move 30 feet in any direction when doing this. Also, while transported by your shadows, you can move through water without suffering any effects of being underwater.
Shadow Self[edit]
At 15th level, you can move and merge with the shadows, becoming now able to use the Disengage and the hide action as a bonus action.
Conflux[edit]
Starting from 18th 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 Charisma 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[edit]
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 the demiplane spell, 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 your soul is in your body of shadows.
Shadow Magic[edit]
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 in 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: fireballs become balls of 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 the 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[edit]
- Army 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 10 + your Charisma modifier + your Constitution 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 Charisma 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.
- Extra Attack
Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the attack action on your turn.
- Shadow Warrior
When you reach the 14th level, you can absorb the shadows stored into your shadow vault. You can spend one use of your shadow extraction and four stored souls to gain the following benefits for 1 minute:
- You become one size larger.
- You gain flying 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.
Dark Stalker[edit]
- 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 the spider climb spell.
- 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.
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 Charisma 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.
Shadow Monarch Spell List[edit]
- Cantrips
toll the dead, message, minor illusion, vicious mockery, guidance, spare the dying, true strike, friends, eldritch blast
- 1st Level
arms of hadar, cause fear, expeditious retreat, false life, inflict wounds, hex, ray of sickness, unseen servant
- 2nd Level
blindness/deafness, blur, darkness, darkvision, gentle response, invisibility, ray of enfeeblement, shadow blade
- 3rd Level
animate dead, bestow curse, feign death, hunger of hadar, life transference, revivify, speak with dead, vampiric touch, fear, phantom steed, spirit shroud, summon undead spirit
- 4th Level
blight, black tentacles, death ward, faithful hound, greater invisibility, phantasmal killer, sickening radiance, shadow of moil
- 5th Level
antilife shell, contagion, danse macabre, enervation, negative energy flood, raise dead
Shadow Soldier Stat Blocks[edit]
Multiclassing[edit]
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Shadow Monarch Class class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Wisdom and 13 Intelligence.
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into a Shadow Monarch, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor, Simple weapons, shortswords, rapiers
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