Shadow Monarch Disciple (3.5e Class)

Shadow Monarch Disciple

While having an interest in using the power of vanquished foes to your own advantage the idea of shambling corpses, decayed flesh and the like has never appealed to you or perhaps you find this to be more humane than using the deceased bodies of others, either way, Shadow Monarch Disciples instead turn to a different form of 'dark arts' or necromancy, instead, you turn the individual's power into a different shape and form, leaving them a shadow of their former self... literally. Users of this power are not restricted by a requirement of material components to raise the dead like a necromancer and their creations can be stored easily within the user's own shadow though the forms they create are often more fragile, to begin with.

Making a Shadow Monarch Disciple

Abilities: Intelligence is the most important stat used for Shadow-related powers, typically with Dexterity being second.

Races: Humans are the most common race to tap into these powers.

Alignment: Most Shadow Monarch Disciples are Chaotic though they can take these powers for many reasons allowing for any alignment.

Starting Gold: 5d4x10 gp.

Starting Age: Simple.

Table: The Shadow Monarch Disciple

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Monarch's Touch, Fighting Style
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Shadow Extraction, Soldier Enhancements
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Shadow Guardian
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Soldier Enhancements
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Extra Attack
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Shadow Steed
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Whispering Shadows
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+2	Soldier Enhancements, Shadow Exchange
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+3	Black Heart
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+3	Evolutions of the Shadows
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+3	'Full Recovery'
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Loyalty of the Shadows, Soldier Enhancements
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+4	Monarch's Touch+
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+4	Life Harvest
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+4	Shadow Guardian+, Shadowy Retreat
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Soldier Enhancements, Shadow Exchange+
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Shadows Embrace
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+6	Monarch's Dominion
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6	Shadow Convergence, Soldier Enhancements
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Knowledge(arcana) (Int), Knowledge(Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), all Profession (Wis),all craft (Int), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Tumble (Dex).

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shadow Monarch Disciples are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light and medium armor but not with shields.

Monarchs's Touch

Using a swift action, an invisible spectral floating hand appears at a point you choose within range. The hand lasts for 1 hour or until you dismiss it as a free action. The hand vanishes if it is ever more than 30 feet away from you or if you cast this cantrip again. You can use your move action to control or command the hand. You can use the hand to manipulate an object, open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. You can move the hand up to 30 feet each time you use it. (Note: You can't attack with this ability or lift unwilling creatures)

Monarchs's Touch+ - Beginning at 13th Level, when you cast Monarch's Touch, your spectral hand is suffused with black shadowy flames. You can now have the hand interact with an object/target as a swift action. Monarch's Touch can now be used to make attacks either unarmed or with a weapon you are proficient with. The max weight the hand can lift is equal to 10 pounds per level. If used to attack a creature unarmed make a touch attack using Intelligence modifier that deals 1d8 Necrotic damage, if armed with a weapon make an attack roll using your Intelligence modifier, this deals the weapon's damage + 1d4 as necrotic damage.

Fighting Style

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

Archery: You are treated as having the Rapid Shot feat, even if you do not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons or a shield, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity for disarming, sundering, or trip attempts, if you already do not provoke from any of these you gain a +4 to your checks to do these.

Great Weapon Fighting: When wielding two-handed weapons you are treated as having the power attack feat, even if you do not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

Two-Weapon Fighting: You are treated as having the Two-Weapon fighting feat, even if you do not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

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 5 feet of you that has been dead for no longer than 1 hour, and that is not a construct, inorganic creature, or undead. Each Soul you extract will become a soldier that you can control. The shape of the summoned creature is the same as when they were alive, but the color is ink black with shadowy wisps rising from its body, and eyes that glow with eldrich blue light. The bonus they gain to HP and armor class will be represented in the Soldier Enhancements chart below, these creatures are treated as undead.

Using a standard action, you can extract the soul of the creature (within 1 hr of its death). Extracting a soul this way is a difficult task, use a d20 + Int modifier vs a DC 8 + Creatures HD. You only have 3 chances to attempt a Shadow Extraction on a target, if you fail 3 times the remaining essence is lost forever and cannot be attempted to be extracted ever again. If successful, the newly formed Shadow becomes an undying subordinate to the Monarch, it cannot speak but can emote, it will follow any commands given.

In battle, as a standard action you can summon one shadow soldier and as a move action you can store one soldier though they cannot be stored while in battle, you can give an order to your shadows within hearing distance. If they are out of range for an order they will continue with the order given. If they complete their order they will return to defend their Monarch. Upon death, your soldier will evaporate, leaving behind only black ashes and any items it held. Shadows cannot be summoned or stored while you do not have a shadow, such as in a complete pitch black room or a room so bright no shadows exist.

You can store a number of soldiers equal to your level within your shadow. You can never have more than 4 times your caster level worth of HD of Shadows. Once extracted the soul will immediately be stored in your shadow, if there is no room you must choose to release a stored soldier into smoke or forfeit the new soul.

Shadow General

You can choose a Shadow to be the most loyal soldier and the general of your army, the chosen shadow gains a passive ability that once per day when it would be struck with an attack while within 100ft of you (must choose to do so before the damage roll) you can use an immediate action to return it to your shadow unharmed, this does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Whenever you gain an ability score improvement, your Shadow General's abilities also improve by the same amount in an ability score of your choice. If you designate a new shadow as your army general, The old one will lose all the improvements; and the new general receives them instead.

Soldier Enhancements

Starting at 2nd level, You or your Shadow Soldiers now gain one of these abilities:

Call to Arms: You can deploy or store three shadows using a full round action instead of just one from a standard action. (Can be taken multiple times allowing for 1 additional shadow to be summoned or stored each time)

Durable: All of your shadows gain the toughness feat. (Can be taken multiple times giving an additional Toughness feat each time)

Deep Connection: Giving Shadows an order only needs a Swift action and you can communicate telepathically with them, the maximum distance for this is 60ft. (Can be taken multiple times giving an additional 20ft range each time)

Monarchs Grace: You may use your own health to heal your shadows, you may transfer 2d6 HP per Shadow Monarch Disciple level to a shadow within 20ft. (Can be taken multiple times giving an additional 20ft range each time and allowing an additional 1d6 per level of health to be transferred)

Longer Shadow: Your shadow expands allowing you to fit additional Shadow Soldiers inside of it. You Gain your Intelligence modifier to the number of Shadows you can have in total. (Can be taken multiple times giving the same amount of additional shadows you can have each time)

At levels 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 you may choose an additional soldier enhancement to gain.

Soldier Ranks

At any point you may wish to enhance a shadow you have, you may sacrifice other shadows you have to empower one allowing it to gain ranks on the below chart, the cost is two times the rank you wish to achieve amount of other shadows. A shadow may only go up one rank at a time and cannot be a higher rank than your Shadow Monarch level, you cannot skip any ranks and each ranks bonus replaces the previous ones. This ability may be used 1 + Int modifier amount of times per day. You may sacrifice Shadows over time with this to save up for the next rank so they do not take up space in your shadow, though if the Shadow they were sacrificed to dies then all sacrificed shadows disappear with it. (Note: All Shadows start at rank 0)

Ranks	HP Bonus	Armor Class
1st-Normal	+25% of original	+0
2nd-Infantry	+35% of original	+1
3rd-Elite	+50% of original	+2
4th-Knight	+60% of original	+3
5th-Elite Knight	+75% of original	+4
6th-Commander	+85% of original	+5
7th-Colonel	+100% of original	+6
8th-General	+110% of original	+7
9th-Major General	+125% of original	+8
10th-Marshal	+135% of original	+9
11th-Grand Marshal	+150% of original	+10

Shadow Guardian

At level 3 you get the ability to infiltrate and store your shadow soldiers in the shadows of other willing humanoid targets. As a standard action, you can choose a target within 30 feet of you and send a single soldier into their shadow, when doing this you may give the shadow a command to defend the target if attacked after which the shadow will return to the targets shadow. The soldiers are incredibly hard to notice with normal senses rquiring a DC 30 spot check to notice, they remain there unless you command them to leave the shadow of the target. While in the shadow of another creature, they still count toward the number of your stored shadows. The Shadow will be forced to return to you if the shadow is over 5 miles away from you, stays in another creatures shadow for over 7 days or is destroyed.

Shadow Guardian+ - At level 15, the soldier no longer loses the connection after being 5 miles away and can stay in a creatures shadow for up to 30 days.

Extra Attack

At level 5 you gain the extra attack ability. Extra Attack: Your training as a Shadow Monarch Disciple has shown you how to better utilize your combat potential. You gain one extra attack at your highest base attack bonus when taking a full attack action.

Shadow Steed

Beginning at 6th Level, You may summon a loyal light warhorse made of your own shadows to act as your steed as a free action. If the Steed is killed it will take 24 hours before it may be called again.

Whispering Shadows

At 7th as a full round action, you can communicate with your servants at any distance to discuss plans and give orders and you can now allow them to use magic items.

Shadow Exchange

At 8th level you can switch positions with any previously summoned shadow within 60ft as a move action. You may not do this if there is an area where magic is negated, or if there is not enough space in the area. This ability may be used once per day. You gain one additional use of this ability every four levels: 12, 16, 20.

Shadow Exchange+ - At level 16 you gain further control over the shadows, you may now as a full round action expend 3 uses of your shadow exchange to switch places with a shadow at any distance, this upgraded version can only be used once per week.

Black Heart

At the 9th level, you have spent so much time dealing with shadows/undead and the forces that animate them that you have become resistant to some of their effects. You gain energy resistance to necrotic damage equal to twice your level and a +4 bonus on saving throws made to resist negative energy effects.

Evolutions of the Shadows

Beginning at 10th Level, you can enhance the power of your Shadows giving them an +4 bonus to any one ability score or the Improved Toughness Feat even if they do not meet the prerequisites for it.

Full Recovery

Starting at the 11th level, you may when taking an 8 hour rest you may restore up to 4 points of ability damage or you may regrow a missing or damaged limb though you will be fatigued the next day due to the energy required to restore the limb.

Loyalty of the Shadows

At level 12, Your Soldiers have devoted themselves to you and they wish to be beside you at all times. Your shadow storage capacity is now equal to twice your level. You have also learned how to summon all your army at once (Casting - concentration of 1 minute / 10 rounds). However, doing so will give leave you with the exhausted level of fatigue. You may only use the ability once every 7 days.

Life Harvest

Starting at 14th level, by reaping life you are able to claim a fraction of those unfortunate creatures life force to regenerate your wounds and fortify your body. At the end of your turn, if you or any shadow under your control have killed one or more creatures, you gain hit points equal to your 1d6 per 2HD of the creature slain. If doing so would grant you more hit points than you can have, you gain temporary hit points equal to the number of excess hit points received. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + Int modifer and only once per round.

Shadowy Retreat

At the 15th level, you may wrap yourself in shadows that help carry you away from danger, you may now take the withdraw action using only a standard action. You may use this ability once per day.

Shadows Embrace

At 17th level, you gain the ability to absorb your shadow soldiers within your shadows in return for power. You can spend one use of your shadow extraction and sacrifice one of your shadows to gain one of the following benefits for 1 minute/ 10 rounds:

Enlarged: You become one size category larger.

Flight: You gain a fly speed of 30 ft (Average) or you may choose to use the fly speed of the sacrificed shadow if it had one.

Resistance: You gain energy resistance against one type of damage equal to twice the sacrificed Shadows HD.

Power You gain a bonus of 1d8 per 2HD of the sacrificed Shadow to all your damage rolls for melee weapon attacks.

Monarch's Dominion

At level 19 you may use a standard action to activate the Monarch's Dominion. This causes the floor within a 120ft radius in a point you choose within 60 feet to become dyed black in shadows, and your soldiers will get your Highest Base Attack Bonus added to their damage while they stay in the cone extending upward indefinitely. The territory will dissipate after one hour. This ability can only be used once per day.

Shadow Convergence

At 20th level you may converge the material plane with your inner shadows. You turn the area in a 60-foot sphere around you into your Shadow Domain. All shadows under your control can teleport to any place within the sphere as a swift action each turn, up to a range equal to their movement speed. At the beginning of your turn, both you and the shadows under your control regain a number of hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier and gain a bonus to your attack rolls and AC equal to half your level. This area lasts for 10 minutes. This ability can only be used once per day and cannot be used with Monarchs Dominion.

Epic <-class name->

Table: The Epic <-class name->

Hit Die: d<-Die size for Hit Die->

Level	Special
21st	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
22nd	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
23rd	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
24th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
25th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
26th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
27th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
28th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
29th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
30th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
<-number of skill points-> + Int modifier skill points per level.

<-existing class feature->: <-how this class feature increases or accumulates at epic levels->

<-another existing class feature->: <-how this class feature increases or accumulates at epic levels->

<-Lather, rinse...->

<-... repeat.->

Bonus Feats: The epic <-class name-> gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic <-class name-> bonus feats) every <-number of feats per level-> levels after 20th.

Epic <-class name-> Bonus Feat List: <-list of bonus epic feats->.

<-Sample race of your choice-> <-class name-> Starting Package

Weapons: <-Weapon selection for starting at 1st level with this class.->.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
<-Skill name->	<-4 for class skills and 2 for cross-class skills->	<-Abbreviated key ability->	<-armor check penalty based on starting armor. If inapplicable put "—"->
<-Skill name->	<-4 for class skills and 2 for cross-class skills->	<-Abbreviated key ability->	<-armor check penalty based on starting armor. If inapplicable put "—"-> <-copy and paste the rows as necessary.->

Feat: <-1st-level feat selection->.

Bonus Feats: <-1st-level feat bonus feats due to class or sample race. remove this section if this sample doesn't get any bonus feats at 1st level. ->.

Gear: <-Starting armor and other equipment outside of weapons.->.

Gold: <-Starting gold using this package.->.

Campaign Information

Playing a <-class name->

Religion: <-description of how this class typically (but no exclusively) approaches religion including likely portfolios it would worship->.

Other Classes: <-How this class typically interacts with other classes and how characters of this class interact with characters of other classes->.

Combat: <-Typical role in combat->.

Advancement: <-Typical advancement options for characters with this class. Include desirable multiclass options->.

<-pluralized class name-> in the World

“	<-Some quote from a character of this class->	”
—<-NPC name->, <-race-> <-class->

<-Where characters of this class fit in a d20 world.->

Daily Life: <-day in the life of a character of this class->.

Notables: <-notable NPCs of this class->.

Organizations: <-info on what, where, when, and how characters of this class congregate and assemble->.

NPC Reactions: <-How NPCs react to PCs of this class->.

<-class name-> Lore

Characters with ranks in <-the appropriate skills-> can research <-pluralized class name-> to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

<-the appropriate skills->

DC	Result
5	<-common knowledge->.
10	<-not so common knowledge->.
15	<-rare information->.
20	<-very rare information->.

<-pluralized class name-> in the Game

<-How characters of this class fit in the game (PC and NPC) and what roles they play.->

Adaptation: <-Possible variant conceptions of this class.->.

Sample Encounter: <-DM placement for NPCs of this class.->.

EL : <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter.->.

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