Shadow Monarch, 5th Variant (5e Class)

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Shadow Monarch

There was once an Absolute Being that created two powerful races, the Rulers, and the Monarchs. The Rulers were creatures of creation, and the Monarchs were creatures of destruction. Due to their natures, they waged war on each other for centuries. Eventually, with the destruction of the last Monarch, the Rulers found out that the Absolute Being had made the Rulers and Monarchs fight each other for their own amusement. Angered and filled with grief from the gruesome war, the Rulers banded together and killed the Absolute Being. Only one out of the Rulers was still loyal to the Absolute Being and tried to protect it against the angered Rulers. Unfortunately despite his efforts, he was outnumbered and killed.

While within the shadowy void of death, this Ruler realized that the Absolute Being had planted a fragment inside of its most faithful servant, as a contingency for when everything went wrong. A powerful and terrifying power capable of ending everything. True power over Death. Realizing that his faith and sacrifice had been nothing more than a final pawn for the Absolute Being game and amusement was too much. With this final betrayal, the ruler's mind shattered and was corrupted; becoming the first Shadow Monarch. Consumed by the fragment and corrupted, he went out to kill the Rulers who had betrayed the Absolute Being. After succeeding, he wandered death for eternity until drawn to a mortal connected to death. Appearing before them he passed his power to a mortal to do with as they saw fit before finally dispersing within death. YOU are that Mortal.

The Power of Death

Shadow Monarchs are beings that use the power of death gifted to them from a corrupted fragment of power left by the Absolute Being, a god from the dawn of time who had been betrayed and overthrown by his own creations. With a final act of betrayal, the god took his most faithful and corrupted him, twisting him into an instrument of his final act of vengeance and amusement He became the first Shadow Monarch. The first Monarch didn't know why he remained within existence once his task was completed or why they had the power to take the souls from the deceased and use their energy to form soldiers that could be stored within shadow. Wandering in the eternity of death, he seeks something unknown. Your character may not know the reason why they were chosen to be given the powers of the Monarch, and only with time may some of these answers be gleamed. But caution to those who stare within the abyss, for when you stare within the abyss, something always stares back.

Creating a Shadow Monarch

When you are creating a Shadow Monarch ask yourself why your character wants to use the power of the shadows? Is it to use the enemy forces against them for revenge? Do they want to see a loved one return? Why would the first Shadow Monarch give you this power? Were you walking on the edge of death all of your life for a good cause? Did he see you as worthy for your good deeds, Maybe he gave it to you to try to fulfill your desires to conquer the world? When making a Shadow Monarch you are not relying on your soldiers; you are the leader of your soldiers, and your strength and speed define that.

Quick Build

You can make a Shadow Monarch quickly by following these suggestions. First,Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Survivor background. Third, choose a reason why you want the power of death.

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Class Features

As a Shadow Monarch you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Shadow Monarch level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Shadow Monarch level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: All
Weapons: All
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Constitution and Wisdom
Skills: Choose five from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Investigation, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, Stealth and Survival.

Equipment

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

• (a) Pair of short swords or (b) Long Sword or (c) 2 Daggers
• (a) cloak or (b) amulet (non-magical)
• (a) Dungeoneer's Pack or (b) Explorer's Pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 x 10gp in funds.

Table: The Shadow Monarch

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Monarch's Touch, Fighting Style, System Interface
2nd	+2	Shadow Extraction, Daily Quest
3rd	+2	Shadow Infiltrator, Animating Shadows, Extra Attack
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Shadow Weapon
5th	+3	Shadow Inventory
6th	+3	Shadow Exchange, Shadow Copy
7th	+3	Monarch's Aura, Monarch's Domain
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Monarch's Domain
9th	+4	Black Heart, Evolution of the Hunter,
10th	+4	Evolutions of the Shadows, Soul Harvest
11th	+4	'Full Recovery'
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement, Loyalty of the Shadows, Extra Attack,
13th	+5	Naming Shadow
14th	+5	Shadow Armor
15th	+5	Shadow Infiltrator+, Stealth,
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Arm the Faithful, Shadow shape
18th	+6	Realm of the Shadows of Death, Extra Attack
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement, Monarch's Hallowed Elites,
20th	+6	Shadow Sacrifice

Monarch's Touch

As a bonus action, a floating, even invisible, spectral hand appears at a point you can choose within 60 feet of you. You can make the hand interact with any object or creature.

You can use the spell, although an object that is not bodied or bodied up to 30 feet in any direction ends if the distance approaches the spell's range of 60 feet. The maximum weight you can maneuver is based on your carrying capacity multiplied by your Wisdom modifier.

If used to attack a creature, it deals 1d8 necrotic damage; if armed with a weapon, it uses the weapon's normal damage, applies its effects, and deals an additional 1d4, and this damage is inflicted as necrotic damage.

Your Spell Resistance DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Likewise, you can use this ability to force a creature with dark power. It can make a wisdom-saving throw or it will be able to be moved by the hands. An execution action on the initiative of an action takes on all execution actions of the attack. At the end of its turns, the creature can make a Wisdom-saving throw to dispel the effect.

You gain another spectral hand at 5th level and another at 10th and 15th level. You can command all of your spectral hands as a bonus action. Also, at 5th level, the range of this effect will extend to 80 feet, and again at 10th level (100 feet) and 15th level (120 feet).

Fighting Style

You adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options:.

Archery: You gain +2 to attack rolls you make with a ranged weapon.

Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Mage: Gain +2 rolls and damage when using magic.

Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can re-roll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have two-handed or versatile properties for you to gain this benefit.

Two-Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. When the damage dice Crits, the damage is doubled; also, you do not take penalties from dual-wielding

Doctor: When you cure someone, 25% (rounded up) of that cure goes to someone else in need. Gains advantage in medicine tests, magical or not.

Combat Medic: Can convert damage into healing. Being 2 damage to 1 healing.

Unarmed Fighting: Unarmed attacks deal d6 + Strength (or d8 + Strength if you have no other weapons or shield)

Thrown Weapon Fighting: Draw thrown weapons with the attack action, and add +2 to damage

Defensive: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Protection: When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

At the 4th and 8th levels, you may choose an additional fighting style besides the one you have already chosen without penalty.

System Interface

You and no one else are able to see and interact with a special screen called the 'system interface'. Giving you possibilities of a game, such as: seeing your vitality, attributes, effects, buffs, debuffs, diseases, ability to quickly exchange items, crafting, storage, armor, and weapon skin, among other things that have to be discussed with the DM.

Shadow Extraction

Starting at 2nd level, you can resurrect the shadows of fallen creatures and keep them as soldiers to fight under your control. As an action, you can attempt to extract the shadow of a creature within 30 feet of you that has been dead for no more than 168 hours and that is not a construct or inorganic creature. Each Soul you extract will become a soldier you can control. The shape of the summoned creature is the same as when they were alive, but the color is black, with shadowy tendrils coming out of its body and eyes that glow with an unearthly purple light. Your base HP and armor class will be represented in the chart below. Her summon's attack is based on the summon's unrestricted attack when she lived. Your summon has any abilities it had while it lived and cannot be turned against you; your spell save DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom or Intelligence modifier.

Using your action, you can extract the creature's soul within 168 hours of its death (7 days). The way to extract a soul is for the creature's soul to make a Wisdon-saving throw. You have 3 attempts when extracting a soul; . In order to attempt to extract the soul of a creature,overcome target creature's DC. If you fail on the third attempt, you gain 1 level of exhaustion. Additionally, you cannot extract the souls of anything that has a god or entity protecting its souls.

In battle, as an action, you can summon a soldier; unless you have learned skills that say otherwise, each of the soldiers will act at the end of the monarch's turn, following his orders. If they complete his order, they will go back to defending the ruler. Upon death, your soldier will return to the sovereign's shadow and cannot be summoned again until they take a long rest. Upon resting, it's HP will be fully restored.

You can store a number of soldiers (x2) according to your level. At level 3, you can add your proficiency to the number of shadows stored. At level 7, you can add your wisdom modifier to the number of shadows stored. Once extracted, the soul will immediately be stored in its shadow. If there is no space, you must choose to release a soldier stored in the smoke or lose the new soul.

Once Black Heart's condition has been met, the amount you can store is unlimited.

Shadow Energy

You have the a number of energies equal to your current shadow storage times two, every two hour you have a shadow summoned you expend an energy per shadow. You regain full energy on a long rest and a quarter of your maximum on a short rest. Additionally the Monarch has the ability to borrow the power of a soldier, you may use a feature or cast a spell that one of you summons know by expending 2 energies for a level one spell, 3 for a level 2 spell, 5 for a level 3 spell, 6 for a level 4 spell, 7 for a level 5 spell, 9 for a level 6 spell, 10 for a level 7 spell, 11 for a level 8 spell, and 13 for a level 9 spell.

Attempts

Any creature you try to ascend to your shadow army is already yours to claim. But one might only have it's power decided through a dice roll

Army General At the 11th level, you can choose a shadow to be the most loyal soldier and general of your army. The chosen shadow gains the passive ability that whenever it can be killed by an attack (must choose to do so before the damage roll), you can use a reaction to return him to his shadow unharmed, with his health fully restored. (You can only use this ability once per long rest). This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Whenever you gain the Skill Score Enhancement class feature, your shadow's abilities also improve. Your shadow can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. This shadow can no longer be permanently destroyed unless it is released. If you choose a new shade,. The old one lost all its improvements. As the new general gets instead. the soldier chosen as general remembers details and information from before his death. They can communicate with you and other living beings using the languages ​​you know, he can also use the language he knew before his death.

The Army General is the only one who can become the Grand Marshal. The Army General can gain the benefits of what was described but won't have the Grand Marshal benefits until it reaches its maximum level.

Soldier Enhancements Your servants now gain one of three passive abilities:

Option a: you can deploy three using your action, where you could only deploy one previously

Option b: they gain experience along with you and can class up/level up (see chart below) Shadow Soldier gains 3.3x the amount of the exp.

Option c: Soldiers remember details and information from before their death. They can communicate with you regardless of language; your shadows can communicate with other individuals if she is ranked 5 or higher.

At the 5th level, you may choose an additional passive ability for your shadows to gain, and again at the 10th level.

Soldier Levels after the extraction, a shadow roll of 1d100 (00–99) to decide the level of the shadow. If you wish to level up a shadow without sharing battle experience, you must sacrifice one shadow per level. The higher the sacrifice, the more exp the shadow gains.

Shadows can keep the original armor class if it is higher than its current rank. Shadows of knight rank and up are immune to non-magical damage 1-40=1st, 41-49=2nd, 50-59=3rd, 60-68=4th, 69-75=5th, 76-81=6th, 82-86=7th, 87-91=8th, 92-96=9th, 97-100=10th, 97-100=11th.

Grades	HP	Armor Class
1st-Normal	35% of original	12
2nd-Infantry	50% of original	13
3rd-Elite	60% of original	14
4th-Knight	75% of original	15
5th-Elite Knight	85% of original	16
6th-Commander	100% of original	17
7th-Colonel	110% of original	18
8th-General	125% of original	19
9th-Major General	135% of original	20
10th-Marshal	150% of original	22
11th-Grand Marshal	160% of original	24

Daily Quest

Starting at the 2nd level, each day, you receive a new challenge given by the Master. It may or may not be accepted. And if you are unable to complete it, you and anyone who participated in the mission will be sent to a desert area where you will have to survive the attacks of the purple worms for 4 hours. However, if you complete the mission, the player (the one who has the class) gets 4 rewards: Full recovery, +3 Stat Points, a Random Common Loot box, and Random Common Mallet Money. The quality of initial loot is common.

Quests accepted by the player are undertaken by the player receiving a key that can be used at a nearby location, where he travels to to use the key. The key can then be used at the location to open a gate to an instant dungeon containing the quest.

The time spent inside instant dungeons is 1/10 of the time outside, so if you spent 10 days inside an instant dungeon, only 1 day would have passed. You cannot gain experience from monsters killed in instant dungeons. When this skill levels up, the loot becomes uncommon, and for each successive level, the loot goes up another rarity category. Keep in mind, however, that this affects the difficulty of the mission. The level increases every 4 levels. The time limit is when you wake up until mid-night, and if you fail to complete the quest, you will be punished.

Shadow Infiltrator

At the 3rd level, you gain the ability to infiltrate and store your soldiers in other people's shadows. As a free action, you can choose one creature within 30 feet of you and infiltrate a single soldier into its shadow. The soldier is imperceptible to normal, magical senses and is completely covered unless you choose the soldier to leave the creature's shadow or return to you.

As an action, you can see what your soldiers see from the perspective of other people's shadows; during this time, you are deafened and blinded by your own senses. While in the shadow of another creature. You can communicate with your servants at any distance to discuss plans, and you can now allow them to use magical items. Items given to a shadow become part of the shadow and will remain with it unless you remove them or if they are destroyed during the shadow's use.

Animating Shadows

Starting at the 3rd level, using your bonus action, you can bring to life the shadow of a creature you can see within 30 feet. The target must make a Wisdom-saving throw against your spell-saving DC or its shadow will animate into a malevolent attacker. The shadow constantly attacks him, granting an advantage in all attacks against him. Additionally, the shadow deals extra 1d6 necrotic damage at the start of each target's turn.

This damage increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 9th level, 4d8 at 12th level, 10d10 at 15th level, and 12d12 at 18th level. At the end of each turn, the target can attempt a wisdom-saving throw against your spell-saving DC to dispel the shadow and end the effect. If the target dies while its shadow is linked, it becomes part of the caster's army. If the summoned shadow is that of an ally, the shadow attacks the nearest enemy in sync with the shadow's owner. At 6th, 9th, and 12th levels, you gain another use of this ability.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach the 4th level, and again at 6th, 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.

Shadow Weapon

At the 4th level, your shadow begins to take shape at your will. You are able to produce 2 different weapons from your shadow, each having the same dice damage as a weapon dealing necrotic damage to anyone hit by it. You can also imbue a weapon or spell with your shadows and add 1d8 necrotic damage to the weapon's original damage.Your crit margin increases by 1. At 10th level, this becomes 1d12. 14th level becomes 1d16. 18th level becomes 1d20.

Extra Attack

Starting at 3rd level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increases to three at 8th level, four at 12th level, and five at 16th level.

Shadow Inventory

Beginning at the 5th level, the darkness now makes way for you and provides a safe space for you. Whenever you are NOT in combat, you can slip into your shadow and enter a pocket dimension that has an area of 60ft x 60ft, height limit of 30ft. You can place any item in there that you are holding/touching. You cannot bring another creature with you until the 10th level, at which point the room expands to 100ft x 100ft, height limit of 120 feet, and you can bring in up to 4 people/creatures (including yourself). While in this room, nobody can cast spells.

You can only throw or withdraw items from the inventory if you are in battle. if you want, you can just put the items or remove them from the inventory without having to enter the shadow dimension.

Once Black Heart's condition is met, Shadow Inventory turns into the Realm of The Shadow Monarch, where it can become a liveable space, and there is no limit to the number of living beings you can bring in.

Shadow Exchange

At 6th level, as a bonus action or as a reaction in response to being hit by a weapon attack or magic attack, you can switch places with a shadow soldier, no matter the distance. You cannot do this if there is an area where the spell is negated or if, for some reason, the shadow is impossible to locate because it is destroyed. You can only use this ability once per 12-hour period.

At the 16th level, you gain a number of uses equal to your constitution + proficiency modifier.

You and a creature that is cuddled with you can swap places with a shadow if you want to swap places without taking the creature even cuddled with you.

After Black Heart's requirements are satisfied, Shadow Exchange changes to Shadow Portal. You can create a Shadow Portal using your shadow, which can go anywhere you want.

Shadow Copy

At 6th level, the caster can summon a copy of himself made of shadows. This shadow has half the stats of the monarch; it is friendly to allies, immune to mind control or magical suggestion spells, and always acts after the caster—only one use per day.

It can store half the number of shadows as the monarch rounded down and there can only be 3 copies of the monarch at any given time.

There is no discernible difference between the copies and the monarch, magical or otherwise, and the copies see themselves as an extension of the monarch himself.

Monarch's Aura

At the 7th level, you begin to grasp the power of a true monarch. The power flowing in you can be felt for anyone around you. As a bonus action, you create a 30-foot aura around yourself. Once per turn, you can make an intimidation check against an enemy within your aura; if your enemy fails, they'll fall into a deep fear and will start hallucinating for 1d4 turns. While hallucinating, they cannot attack you or your allies/minions and will either attack their allies, run away in extreme fear, or freeze while hallucinating.

Additionally, your shadows within your aura get +1 to their ac, +2 to hit, and an extra 1d6 to their total damage.

Monarch's Aura + At the 12th level, your aura is more expressive and now it can hurt more than your enemy's mind. At the start of your turn, you deal 1d8 psychic damage to each enemy within your aura.

Your shadows can't have disadvantage on any of their checks or attacks while in your aura. Enemies targeted with this that cannot be intimidated fly into a fury, attacking you and all of your allies and minions with the intent to kill until the hallucinations end. (this does not force the enemy to attack their allies, but does make them willing to hurt their allies if it means doing damage to you or your allies.)

Monarch's Domain

At the 8th level, rule now as a monarch who has more mastery over your power. You expand your domain, commanding your most powerful soldiers; your soldiers gain 1d4 damage reduction, +1 armor class, and add 1d6 to your attacks and damage. You can hide as a bonus action, have 20 higher movement speeds, and crit with 17–20 melee attacks.

This feature can only be used after a long rest. At the 12th level, the damage reduction changes to 2d4, and at the 18th level, the die changes to 2d8, and at the 20th level, it can be used after a short rest. Animating Shadows will automatically activate.

The extent of the Domain reaches as far as the eye can perceive once Black Heart's requirements are satisfied.

Black Heart

By 9th level, you've spent so much time dealing with shadows and undead and the forces that animate them that you've become partially immune to some of their worst effects. You gain immunity to paralysis, fear, and resistance to necrotic and poisonous damage; your maximum health cannot be reduced in one hit, and when you reach 0 health, you can choose to remain at 1. Requiring a long rest to use again.

Ability: King of the Dead. The king of the dead ability is a characteristic. To activate this feature, you must have completely died once. your character, instead of dying forever, activates this characteristic and stabilizes, returning with maximum health. Gaining the skill: ‘Shadow Armor’. Other enemy undead creatures that see you for the first time must make a Constitution-saving throw against your power (level + proficiency + charisma attribute + intelligence attribute). On a failed save, the creature is paralyzed with necrotic fear for 1d6 turns. During this state of fear, you can make a Wisdom check. check (creatures cr+4) if successful, the creature submits to your authority, becoming a shadow if you wish.

Evolution of the Hunter

At the 9th level, you become more powerful the more you and your shadow soldiers kill or comrades kill. You get the following bonuses below per kill (only for players, not soldiers.). You must be the one to kill or participate; watching will not count. You now have life-or-death training and access to titles, evolved abilities, and appearances that kill.

You will choose your weapons of destruction. Depending on the weapon chosen, you will get what is shown below. You can choose your second weapon at level 11 and a third at 15th level.

A Walk with Death

Killing living creatures grants temporary hit points equal to the creature's cr. Killing 50 creatures with a CR of 2 or higher within 7 days grants 1 permanent natural AC for every 50 killed (this bonus is capped at +3 AC).

Your strikes are deadly. Killing 50 living creatures with a cr of 2 or above within 7 days will give you +1 to all your attack and damage rolls ( this bonus is capped at +4)

If you kill a creature of cr 10 or above, you gain the ability Shadow Regeneration

At the start of your turn, heal 1d4 hit points.

If you kill a creature of cr 20 or above, gain the ability to Necrotic life Whenever you deal necrotic damage, you heal for half of the damage dealt. Additionally, the first time you die, instead cast false life on yourself and heal back to full hit points, you can only use this ability once every 7 days.

If you kill a creature above cr 30 or above, you gain the ability of shadow annihilation. Once every day, you channel all of your energy into one ultimate attack, and create a large magical shadow blade, The attack roll is your level + your proficiency, and the damage is xd12, where x is your level.

Weapons of Destruction

Choose your weapon of death. You can get another at the 11th and 15th levels.

Short Swords

Give an additional 1d12 damage on each attack. The short sword damage is x2 to x10+, depending on the opponent's level being above yours if you are by yourself. The damage stacks if there are multiple opponents. It does x2 to x10 max if you have an ally with you (not counting shadow soldiers). There is no bonus other than the 1d12 if you have 2 or more allies with you. Dual wielding counts as its attack, so it would be 1d12 times whatever for each one. Short-sword damage is halved until you reach level 15. It gives you proficiency in athletics; if you already have proficiency, it becomes expertise.

Daggers

Give additional 1d8 damage. The dagger damage is x2 to x10+ depending on the opponent's level above yours (you being 10 and them being 11 gives you x2, 10-12=x3, etc...). The damage amount won't decrease with up to 4 allies but more than that and the bonus rolls cannot be applied. Daggers do an additional 1d12 if thrown. They cannot be taken out of it once it hits the target until the target dies, unless the dagger hits a weak spot or you remove it yourself. Dual wielding counts as its attack, so it would be 1d8 per dagger. Daggers have a bonus; depending on what the dagger is made out of, it can have a chance to have an additional effect on the opponent. It gives you proficiency in stealth; if you have already had proficiency, it becomes expertise. It increases your movement by 20 feet

Longswords

It gives an additional 1d20 damage; this goes to 1d12 if you have 3 allies with you, 1d8 for 4 allies, and 1d4 for anything above. It can be dual-wielded, but its damage is per turn, not attack. Dual wielding lowers the additional damage by 5 if the damage is above that, but gives an extra attack afterward. Using 2 hands to grab the sword allows you to do an additional 1d20 damage; however, ALL opponents now get to act first if they plan to attack you. It gives you proficiency in intimidation; if you already have proficiency, it becomes expertise. It increases your movement by 10 feet

Pole weapons

Allow you to attack twice for attack action, deal an additional 1d4 per successful hit, and give a choice on each turn: you can either not attack or study 1 opponent to find the spot that would induce the most pain dealing damage equals to your shadow monarch level; attack once and hide or escape combat if the area allows it. When hiding/escaping, the opponent closest to your attack will have to roll perception to see where you went. If the opponent has very good sight and sees you, you will be hidden from everyone except for them. It gives you proficiency in perception; if you already have proficiency, it becomes expertise. It increases your movement by 30 feet and you can Dash as a bonus action.

Great Swords and Clubs

They do not give bonus damage, but successful attacks that deal over 5 damage will knock the opponent back 10 feet. If they hit a wall, they are stunned until their turn. If they fall after being hit, they are stunned for 2 turns. If it does over 10 damage, it will also deal damage to other enemies in the range of your swing, dealing -2 stacking to each opponent the further they are from the initial target. Great swords do not follow that limitation but lower your movement by 10 feet; clubs do not. gives an advantage to the initiative.

Staff and Spears

They do not give bonus damage, but they can disarm any opponent as long as the weapon is not an extension of their body and is used as a bonus action. The opponent would have to roll against it but they have a disadvantage. If their roll is successful, they can grab your weapon and take it, or pull you towards them. Gives +5 to initiative. Allows you to Dash.

Axes and Hammers

They do not deal bonus damage but can cause opponents to stagger. If the opponent staggers, they lose their turn. If you deal the killing blow to the enemy with an axe, you take their total health as damage and get a free attack on the next opponent. If that kills them, their health gets added, so if the first opponent had 50 health and the second had 30, you are now dealing 80 damage to the next person for free. If the opponent is at a higher level than you, they can roll a save with a disadvantage; if successful, they take no damage. When killing with the hammer, the first attack against any different opponent will stun, and they will lose a turn. The more you kill with it, the more turns the opponent you hit gets skipped. If you hit the ground with 20+ damage using the hammer, all opponents in 30 feet are stunned and lose their turn. They have to roll with a disadvantage to not be stunned. Lowers movement by 10 feet, giving an additional 10 feet of attack radius.

Life and Death Training

your body has adapted and strengthened. you can gain one of the following attributes:

Longevity

All diseases, poisons, and status effects heal slowly, and sleeping will explosively increase regeneration ability. This is different from Full Recovery.

Eagle Eye: can spot the weak point of 1 target enemy in a fight and hit it with pinpoint accuracy. if successful, no one can roll a save against the attack. can only be used on another opponent if the first target has been killed or downed.

Dragon's Fear: Any opponent or allies weaker than you will feel true fear if they look at you or are around you. This does not affect those who see you with affectionate eyes, those who are kind are not scared of you but are wary and will be reserved. If you are hidden or disguised, they won't know where the source of their fear came from unless they have heightened senses or detection.

You gain another at the 15th and 17th level.

Looks that Kill

Your looks cannot be ignored; you are one of the most handsome and beautiful people anyone has ever seen. People are more willing to talk to you and open up to you. People will admire you up close and at a distance. You become the center of attention and the person of their dreams. Those weaker than you will believe anything you say, and you have an advantage in persuasion, performance, deception, and intimidation against anyone stronger than you. Those that are immune to such effects must make rolls with disadvantage and if successful, they cannot be affected for 48 hours. Your voice, whether talking or singing serenades the ears of those who hear it, and you have an easier time learning 2 other forms of entertainment. This does not work when walking using stealth or disguise, as they can no longer see your face or body. Your voice remains the same, unless you try to disguise it.

Titles

Titles are accomplishments that give bonuses. They are to be created by the DM and given when the player accomplishes it. An example from the source is: " Wolf Slayer." A title given to a hunter experienced in slaying wolves. (40% increased stats against beast-type monsters.) Or: " The One Who Overcame Adversity," A title given to those who overcame adversity heroically. Your stats increase proportionally to your missing health. (1% stat increase every 1% HP missing.)

Evolutions of the Shadows

Beginning at 10th Level, you can change the species of all beast-type soldiers to a larger, similarly shaped species at your DM's discretion. This also adds a passive ability to these shadows, where they can change between their original and upgraded species. (ex: wolf shifts form to become a dire wolf). Now your shadows damage counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.

Soul Harvest

Starting at the 10th level, by reaping life, you are able to claim a fraction of those unfortunate creature's souls to regenerate your wounds and fortify your body. At the end of your turn, if you or any shadow under your control has killed one or more creatures, you gain hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + 1d10.

'Full Recovery'

Starting at 11th level, once per long rest, you can regain half your health and heal from all conditions as long as you're not incapacitated, but doing so induces 1 level of exhaustion. Along with this, you may recover one limb during a long rest, but doing so will cause you to gain exhaustion. If a limb is recovered, then you must wait 3 days before another limb can be restored.

Once Black Heart's condition has been met, all limbs that have been lost will recover after a long rest and can be used again after a 24-hour day.

Loyalty of the Shadows

At the 12th level, your Soldiers have devoted themselves to you, and they wish to be beside you at all times. Your current storage capacity is doubled. You have also learned how to summon all your army at once as a full action. However, doing so gives you 2 levels of exhaustion. After using this skill, you can't use this feature again for 2 days.

Once Black Heart's condition have been met, Loyalty of the Shadows can be used anytime; exhaustion will no longer apply if the Constitution is 18 and above.

Naming Shadow

Naming something isn't that important in many moments or places. But for your shadows, who value loyalty as the most important thing in their lives, a name means more connection to its master and therefore more power. At the 13th level, you gain the ability to name your shadows. Changing their old selves and turning into something new, the shadow with a new name changes appearance and abilities.

Pre requisites

To name a shadow, it must have one of the three following requisites: Being of the highest level.

If the shadow has achieved its most powerful form, it can emerge stronger than before by receiving a name from its master (it gains powers based on the DM's discretion).

If the soldiers rank as Knight or above, they can receive a name.

Shadow Armor

At the 14th level, you can concentrate and command the shadows around you to generate jet-black armor, increasing your stealth, initiative, and AC by 2 as an action. You do not need to roll to maintain concentration as a result of being hit. You can also sacrifice a shadow soldier to form them into shadow armor on another creature.

Once Black Heart's condition has been met, AC, Stealth, and Initiative +4 will be added and will automatically be on at all times; no concentration will be necessary.

Shadow Stealth

At the 15th level, you may take an action to go into complete invisibility, with your movements being concealed and unheard. Divination-type spells cannot detect you in any way shape or form. If you attack while in this form, you lose the invisibility, but if you successfully hit your target, you deal an extra 4d10 damage with your attack. You may use this twice per long rest. You may conceal yourself for 2 minutes per charge, or you may consume both stealth charges to boost the concealment to last for 5 minutes.

Arm the Faithful

At the 17th level, your soldier's devotion to you has reached a point where your shadows form into magical items. Each soldier at the elite knight level or above can use, attune, and wield magical items; they take magical items back to your shadow realm with them and attune to the item there.

Shadow shape

At 17th level, your body is now sustained by shadow. Parts of your figure seem to flicker with darkness when you move, and wispy tendrils of shade curl from your form. You gain the following benefits:

You no longer need to eat, sleep, or drink.

You stop aging and are immune to being aged magically (unless you plan to pass on the throne, to which the ability applies, but you're still immune to being aged magically).

You are immune to necrotic and poison damage, as well as the poisoned condition. While in dim light, your movement speed increases by 50 feet.

When your hitpoints drop to 5 or lower, while at 5 or lower, you can only ever take 1 damage at a time for each instance of damage.

Realm of the Shadows of Death

At the 18th level, you may take action to activate the Monarch's Dominion. This causes the floor within a 120 feet-radius at a point you choose within 60 feet to become dyed black in shadows. The area is treated as magical darkness, in which you and your soldiers can see perfectly. You and your soldiers will also get your proficiency bonus added to their attack rolls and damage while they stay in the cone, extending upward indefinitely. This stacks with their original proficiency. The territory will dissipate after one hour, and cannot be removed with light in any way, including magical means. This ability can only be used once every 24 hours.

Once Black Heart's condition has been met, it can be used at any time, as long as you're not mentally drained.

Monarch's Hallowed Elites

At the 19th level, you can take a bonus action that makes it so that your soldiers are cloaked in reflective shadow armor, making them seem to slip in and out of sight. This gives all enemies a disadvantage on perception checks targeting them, as well as a disadvantage on attack rolls while they are not constrained. The armor also augments their abilities, giving them an advantage on strength- and dexterity-based checks, including attack rolls. Lastly, this gives all soldiers of General Grade or higher a single use of the spell Counterspell. If the opposing spell is of 4th level or higher, soldiers use your Intelligence Score as the spellcasting ability for the check. Soldiers may expend their use to upcast another counterspell by 1. This lasts for 3 hours, after which the soldiers retreat to your shadow until the next short rest. This ability can only be used once every 48 hours

Once Black Heart's conditions have been met, the time will be cut by 4x.

Shadow Sacrifice

When you reach 20th level, you can sacrifice your own Shadow Soldiers to preserve your life. If you are ever reduced to 0 hit points, you can choose to sacrifice one of your Shadow Soldiers (no action required). If you choose to sacrifice it this way, it ceases to exist and cannot be summoned again. Then, you regain a number of hit points equal to the sacrificed Shadow Soldier's current hit points before it died. To do so, the Shadow Soldier must be within 1 mile of you and be on the same plane of existence as you. Once used, this feature can't be used again until you finish a long rest.

Multi classing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Shadow Monarch class, you must meet these prerequisites: 8 Wisdom, 12 Dexterity

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Shadow Monarch class, you gain the following proficiencies: Armor: Light and Medium Weapons: Martial, Simple Weapons

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