Stygian Swordsman (5e Class)

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Stygian Swordsman

When a warrior taps into the dark power within their blood, a result of their pedigree containing some sort of evil being such as a demon, they ofttimes lose their sanity to this dark force. However, not all succumb to the power. Some are able to control this power, however, and wield it for their own beliefs. These swordsmen are forces to be reckoned with, adroitly exerting abyssal puissance against any who would stand against them.

Descendants of Evil

Stygian swordsmen harness tenebrosity granted to them by the cursed blood within. Their powers are fearsome, but controlling this dark strength is physically taxing, and defending yourself is likely as ineffective as the foe's own defenses.

Creating a Stygian Swordsman

When creating a Stygian Swordsman, consider how you obtained your powers, and why you have risked your mind and body to attempt control of the darkness within you. Did an ancient ancestor of yours make a pact with a powerful fiend, cursing your lineage with the shadow of a demon? Do you wield this power in retribution against those who wronged you? Or do you use this power in contrary to the original fiend's wishes, wielding it against those whose evil actions are reminiscent of the creature you channel the power from? The malicious being may be long dead, but its influence lingers still within you.

Quick Build

You can make a Stygian Swordsman quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength or Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the haunted one background.

Class Features

As a Stygian Swordsman you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per Stygian Swordsman level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 1d6 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Constitution modifier per Stygian Swordsman level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons.
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, and Stealth.

Equipment

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

• (a) a longsword or (b) any simple melee weapon
• (a) Leather armor and a hand crossbow with 20 bolts or (b) any two simple weapons
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• a shortsword
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 × 10 gp. in funds.

Table: The Stygian Swordsman

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Shadow Surges	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
						1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Dark Nascency, Tenebrous Connection	-	-	-	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Spellcasting, Surges of Darkness, Eruption of Darkness	2	2	3	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Ambassador of Chaos	3	2	4	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	5	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Extra Attack	5	3	6	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Dark Nascency feature	6	3	7	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Tenebrous Connection improvement	7	3	8	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	8	3	9	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	—	9	4	10	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Dark Authority	10	4	10	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	Improved Eruptions of Darkness	11	4	11	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	12	4	11	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	—	13	4	12	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Dark Nascency feature	14	4	12	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	Tenebrous Connection improvement	15	4	13	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	16	4	13	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	—	17	4	14	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Dark Nascency feature	18	4	14	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	19	4	15	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Consummate Umbrage	20	4	15	4	3	3	3	2

Dark Nascency

At 1st level, the powers granted by your dark ancestor awaken within you. Choose from the Aberration's Darkness, Dragon's Darkness, Fey's Darkness, or Fiend's Darnkess. Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 14th, and 18th level.

Tenebrous Connection

Also at 1st level, you are capable of using your burgeoning powers to form a shadowy link with a nonmagical object, forming a tenebrous connection with it and infusing it with chaotic energy. The ritual to form this link can be performed over the course of a short rest, and you can have no more than one object with a tenebrous connection at a time. Attempting to link with a second object breaks the connection with the first, and the energy within is harmlessly dispersed.

The object stores some of your power for you, focusing its dark chaos into a more powerful form. You cannot be disarmed of the object unless you are incapacitated, and as an action while holding the object, you may break the link and allow the object to release necrotic energy within 15 feet of you, dealing an amount of necrotic damage equal to half your stygian swordsman level, rounded up, to each other creature in the area.

If you are capable of casting spells, you may cast a stygian swordsman spell you know with a casting time of 1 action into the object rather than cause its effect as normal. The object can store only one spell at a time. While the object is storing a spell, it is a magic object, and you can use an action to cast that spell, treating the spell as though it were cast using a spell slot 1 level higher than the spell slot originally used to cast the spell. If you forcibly break your tenebrous connection with the object while it has a spell stored in it, you deal additional necrotic damage to each creature equal to the level of spell slot originally used to cast the spell into the object. A spell slot expended to cast a spell into the object is not regained when you finish rests until the object is used to cast the stored spell or until the tenebrous connection is broken. Once used, this feature cannot be used to store a spell in an object again until you finish a long rest.

You can form a tenebrous connection with up to two different nonmagical objects at a time starting at 7th level, and you can use this feature to store spells into objects twice instead of once. This increases to three connections and three uses at 15th level.

Spellcasting

By 2nd level, you have learned to harness the wellspring of dark magic within you. See about spells and casting a spell for the general rules of spellcasting..

Cantrips. You know three cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn additional cantrips at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Stygian Swordsman table.

Spell Slots. The Stygian Swordsman table shows how many spell slots you have to cast 1st-level or higher. To cast one of these stygian swordsman 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.

Spells Known of 1st-level and Higher. You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the warlock spell list. These spells count as stygian swordsman spells for you.

The Spells Known column of the Stygian Swordsman table shows when you learn more warlock spells of your choice, which also count as stygian swordsman spells for you. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the table. 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 warlock spell you know and replace it with a another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots. These spells still count as stygian swordsman spells for you.

Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your spells, since utilization of your magic requires a sufficient willpower to resist the darkness and control it properly. 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 spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

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

Spell attack modifier = your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus

Spellcasting Focus. You can use an object you have a Tenebrous Connection with as your spellcasting focus.

Surges of Darkness

Beginning at 2nd level, you have learned to unleash a special type of darkness hidden deep within you. The limit to how much you can use this darkness is represented by a number of shadow surges. Your stygian swordsman level determines the number of surges you have, as shown in the Shadow Surges column of the Stygian Swordsman table. You regain spent shadow surges after finishing a long rest.

You can expend shadow surges to fuel various surge features. You learn two surge features of your choice, which are detailed under "Surges" below. Each surge enhances a different type of action in some way. You can use only one surge per action.

You learn one additional surge of your choice at 5th, 9th, 13th and 17th level. Each time you gain a level in this class, you can choose one surge you know and replace it with another surge.

Shadow Dash

When you take the Dash action, you can expend 1 shadow surge to teleport to an unoccupied space you can see within your movement distance instead of moving. If you are standing in darkness when you use this surge, you can teleport twice as far instead, but must choose a space in an area of dim light or darkness to teleport to.

Dark Evasion

When you take the Dodge action, you can expend 1 shadow surge to gain advantage on Dexterity saving throws until the start of your next turn. If you would succeed on a saving throw to take half damage from an effect during this time, you instead take no damage.

Gloaming Maneuvers

When you take the Disengage action, you can expend 1 shadow surge to make one melee weapon attack against a creature within 5 feet of you. If the attack hits, the creature cannot take reactions until the start of your next turn.

Somber Focus

When you take the Cast a Spell action, you can expend 1 shadow surge to not need to maintain concentration on the spell until the end of you next turn. If the spell has a casting time of 1 minute or longer, expending a shadow surge in this way counts as taking the action twice.

Wicked Influence

When you take the Help action, you can expend 1 shadow surge to allow the ally you are helping to re-roll one of the dice once. If they are making an ability check in which you are proficient, they can add your proficiency bonus to the result.

Lugubrious Forbearance

When you take the Ready action, you can expend 1 shadow surge to choose two different actions to prepare instead of one. Each prepared action requires its own reaction to use. If you would expend a spell slot to prepare a spell in this way, the spell slot is not expended until after the spell is cast, and if you would make a weapon attack roll or an ability check as part of a prepared action, you have advantage on that roll.

Unholy Prescience

When you take the Search action, you can expend 1 shadow surge to gain advantage on the ability check. If you are proficient with the ability check, you double your proficiency bonus for that roll.

Caliginous Force

When you take the Attack action, you can expend 1 shadow surge to make an additional attack as part of that action. If the attack hits, it deals an additional 1d8 necrotic damage.

Shroud of the Night

When you take the Hide action, you can expend 1 shadow surge to become invisible until the end of your next turn. If you are in dim light or darkness, your movement also creates no noise and you weigh nothing for the nothing.

Eruption of Darkness

Starting at 2nd level, you unleash an explosion of dark energy that devastates any who would dare to oppose you or your allies. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal necrotic damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 6d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a celestial or a fey, to a maximum of 7d8.

Ambassador of Chaos

Starting at 3rd level, you seem to have a way with darker forces. You have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks you make when interacting socially with aberrations, fiends, and undead, as well as chromatic dragons and evil-aligned fey. The DM may extend this to other similar creatures as they see fit, such as nothics, blights, and other corrupted or innately evil creatures.

Ability Score Improvement

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. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Dark Authority

By 7th level, other evil entities sense the growing strength within you, some powerless to resist. As an action, choose any number of creatures within a 30-foot cube originating from you. If those creatures are aberrations, dragons, fey, fiends, or undead, they must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed by you and creatures you choose for 1 minute. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The effect also ends for a creature if it takes any damage from, is targeted by or included in the area of a spell cast by or a feature used by, or is affected by an object controlled by a creature it is charmed by.

Improved Eruptions of Darkness

Starting at 11th level, you are so suffused with dark magics that every strike inflicts deadly energy on your victims. Whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon, the creature takes an additional 1d8 necrotic damage.

Consummate Umbrage

At 20th level, you have fully harnessed the powers granted by evil ancestors. If you would be reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead. Until the end of your next turn, you are immune to all damage, you can take two different actions during your turn, each attack you make that hits is a critical hit, and every creature fails its saving throw against spells you cast. When your next turn ends, you gain 1 level of exhaustion. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Fiend's Darkness

The darkness within your blood belongs to an inhabitant of the Abyss or the Nine Hells, perhaps caused by an ancestor's pact with a devil, or fornication with a demon. Whatever the situation may have been, what resulted was the shadow within you.

Fiendish Beguilement

You have honed your silver tongue and laced it with dark magic. Beginning at 1st level, Charisma (Deception) checks you make are made with advantage. In addition, you can use your action to allure one humanoid within 30 feet of you. Make a Charisma (Deception) check contested by the target's Wisdom (Insight) check. If your check succeeds, the target is charmed by you, believing you be a trustworthy individual for 1 minute.

Blazing Abhorrence

You bear a fiery hatred for those who have wronged you. Starting at 1st level, you remember every affront against you with perfect accuracy, and when you are disserviced or injured, you never forget the moment and exactly who did it to you, even if your memories are erased, as the grudge is burned into your blood.

Additionally, if you are hit by another creature, you deal additional damage dice against them equal to half of your proficiency bonus, rounded down, with a minimum of one additional die, while they are above 0 hit points.

Furthermore, when you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can instead be reduced to 1 hit point. Upon using this feature, you deal two additional damage dice for 1 minute. You can use this feature twice, regaining all uses upon finishing a long rest.

Material Soul

Your soul becomes tied to the Material Plane, just as the soul of an outsider is to their home plane. Beginning at 6th level, when you die in a plane other than the Material Plane, your body and soul return to that plane, and your hit points are fully regenerated. You regain any missing body parts, even your own head. If you die in the Material Plane, you die as normal.

Additionally, fiends, celestials, fey and elementals you reduce to 0 hit points die, and are not transported back to their home plane.

Foundation of Corpses

You are most powerful when surrounded by fresh corpses. Starting at 14th level, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, your weapons and spells gain an additional damage die for 1 minute.

Additionally, when you successfully attack an unconscious creature, you deal maximum damage, and you double your total damage.

Blood Will Rain

You are an expert at massacring groups of powerful enemies. Beginning at 18th level, you can spend 1 shadow surge to make an attack formed from darkness. This attack's range equals your weapon's reach + your walk speed. Make a melee weapon attack against any number of foes within your reach. This attack counts as magical, and you add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll, even if you are already proficient. You make a seperate attack roll for each creature. This attack deals an additional 5d10 necrotic damage, and foes reduced to 0 hit points by this feature die instantly. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier.

Dragon's Darkness

The darkness within your blood belongs to an ancient evil dragon, perhaps due to a scandal in a polymorphed form, or a reward of transfusion for an exceptionally useful minion. Whatever matter may have taken place, you benefit from supreme might granted by this draconic shadow.

Unending Desire

The draconic darkness in your blood has imbued you with a lust for gold and blood. Beginning at 1st level, you suffer disadvantage on Wisdom checks while you can see gold that you do not own, as your focus is centered on the possible wealth you could accumulate. While you can see gold that you do own, you gain advantage on Wisdom checks, as the pride you feel when with your hoard steels you for any challenge.

Additionally, choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. You can subsitute the necrotic damage type with this damage type whenever one of your class features calls for it.

Draconic Fury

Your rage is reminiscent of a true dragon; truly fearsome. Starting at 1st level, while you are below your hit point maximum, you deal an additional damage die, and attacks made by and against you have advantage. While you are below half of your hit point maximum, you deal two additional damage dice. While at 1 hit point, you deal three additional damage dice.

Tempest of Shadow

The darkness within you has forged new bones within you, manifesting outside as a pair of dragon wings with a shadowy appearance. Beginning at 6th level, you gain a fly speed of 40 feet. You cannot benefit from this while you are wearing heavy armor.

Additionally, when targeted by a missile such as an arrow, you can use your reaction to create a strong draft with your wings, negating the attack.

Furthermore, as an action, you can use your wings to blow out fires, channeling dark force into the gust to put it out completely, as the darkness rapidly spreads through the blaze and reduces it to mere embers.

Wyrm's Vision

The darkness seeps into your eyes, honing them to the same echelon as a dragon. Starting at 14th level, you gain truesight up to 10 feet, and you become immune to the blinded condition.

Additionally, you can dispel an illusion that you can see with your truesight. Make an Intelligence (Arcana) check against the caster's spell save DC. On a success, you dispel the illusion completely, along with all traces of magic tied to it.

Dragon's Defense

The power of the dragon flows through you, and you have mastered control of it. Beginning at 18th level, when you fail a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it until you finish a long rest.

Additionally, when a creature within 30 feet of you fails a saving throw, you can expend a use of this feature as a reaction to make them automatically pass the save.

Aberration's Darkness

The darkness within your blood belongs to an aberration, a curious result of what was possibly the magical impregnation of one of your ancestors by a beholder or mind flayer. However this may have happened, the result is an eldritch darkness within you that enables more powerful magic.

Otherworldly Acumen

The strange shadow within you has granted you supernatural perception. Beginning at 1st level, you had advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks. Additionally, you can detect illusions and automatically succeed on saving throws against them.

Furthermore, you can perceive the contents of any telepathic communication within 60 feet of you, and you cannot be surprised by creatures with any form of telepathy.

Aberrant Bequest

The dwellers of the Underdark have granted you their powers as your birthright. Starting at 1st level, the ground in a 5-foot radius around you is doughlike difficult terrain. Creatures who start their turn in this radius must make a Strength saving throw. The DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, their speed is reduced to 0 until the start of their next turn.

Additionally, you gain resistance to psychic damage, and you have advantage on Wisdom saving throws.

Exceeding Dominion

Your grasp of magic is exceptional, and you can shape the perceived reality of your spells. Beginning at 6th level, when casting a spell, you can expend 1 shadow surge to make it both invisible and silent. A creature that can see through illusions perceives it as normal. You can use this feature three times, and you regain all uses upon finishing a long rest.

Force of the Occult

The darkness has seeped into every part of you, even your breathing. Starting at 14th level, you can breathe in air and water. Additionally, you gain telepathy up to 60 feet, and creatures who cannot speak or do not understand any languages can still understand your telepathy.

Furthermore, while using telepathy, you can attempt to seize control of the mind you are communicating with. As an action, you can impose a Wisdom saving throw on a creature you are communicating with telepathically. The DC equals 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, that creature is magically charmed by you for 1 minute. They are under your control and cannot take reactions. Whenever that creature takes damage, they can repeat the saving throw. When the duration ends, the creature is fully aware that they were being controlled. A creature prone to violence might attack you. Other creatures may seek retribution in different ways (at the DM's discretion).

Limitless Control

You have tapped into the power of all aberrations, wielding their powers in unison with efficiency matching their own. Beginning at 18th level, you can spend 5 shadow surges to emit a 150-foot antimagic cone in front of you for 1 minute. Additionally, you can spend 3 shadow surges to duplicate the effect of certain eye rays, each with a range of 120 feet. The ray's DC equals 8 + your charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. Choose a target and roll a d10. The ray's type is determined by the table below. This feature may only be used once per long rest.

Result	Ray Type	Effect
1	Charm Ray	The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed for 1 minute, or until you harm the creature.
2	Paralyzing Ray	The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
3	Fear Ray	The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
4	Slowing Ray	The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target's speed is halved for 1 minute. In addition, the creature can't take reactions, and it can take either an action or a bonus action on its turn, not both. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
5	Enervation Ray	The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 8d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
6	Telekinetic Ray	If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be moved by you up to 30 feet in any direction. It is restrained by the ray's telekinetic grip until the start of your next turn or until you are incapacitated. If the target is an object weighing 300 pounds or less that isn't being worn or carried, it is moved up to 30 ft. in any direction. You can also exert fine control on objects with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or opening a door or a container.
7	Sleep Ray	The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remain unconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it. This ray has no effect on constructs and undead.
8	Petrification Ray	The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature begins to turn to stone and is restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On a failure, the creature is petrified until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
9	Disintegration Ray	If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 10d8 force damage. If this damage reduces the creature to 0 hit points, its body becomes a pile of fine gray dust. If the target is a Large or smaller nonmagical object or creation of magical force, it is disintegrated without a saving throw. If the target is a Huge or larger object or creation of magical force, this ray disintegrates a 10-foot cube of it.
10	Death Ray	The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 12d12 necrotic damage. The target dies if the ray reduces it to 0 hit points.

Fey's Darkness

The darkness within your blood belongs to an inhabitant of the Feywild, potentially caused by a powerful eladrin's lust for one of your pregenitors, or the boredom of an evil archfey leading them to seek carnal pleasure with a mortal. However the situation played out, the result is a foul darkness within you, fueled by sin.

Dark Ennui

The darkness in your blood desires fulfillment and satisfaction, growing restless when idle and calming after activity. Beginning at 1st level, you can choose to gain the benefits of a short rest when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.

Additionally, you gain disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws after 4 hours spent doing no activity, which is removed upon spending 4 hours performing light activity. You gain one level of exhaustion after 48 hours without battle or debauchery. This exhaustion can only be cured by reducing a creature to 0 hit points or committing debauchery.

Vile Allurement

Your blood seeks to lead others astray from the path of virtue. Starting at 1st level, you add double your proficiency bonus to Charisma checks made to entice others to commit a sin or crime.

Additionally, you gain advantage on attack rolls against the Good-aligned.

Veil of Deception

The fey's shadow gravitates towards dishonesty, and infuses you with unhindered lying. Beginning at 6th level, magical effects that would force you to tell the truth no longer apply. When a creature detects whether or not you are lying, it appears to them as the truth.

Additionally, you gain proficiency in Deception. If you are already proficient, you may add double your proficiency bonus to Deception checks.

Fey's Freedom

Chaos and freedom flow through you, and you become a truly liberated force. Starting at 14th level, you are always under the effects of the Freedom of Movement spell.

Additionally, you can use all magical items, regardless of their requirements.

Chaos Sleight

You wield the unbridled chaos of the Feywild as though it were a tool, and the darkness within you flows through every inch of your body. Beginning at 18th level, when you are required to make a saving throw, you can subsitute it with a Dexterity saving throw.

Additionally, you add half of your Dexterity modifier, rounded up, to all skills you are not proficient in.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Stygian Swordsman class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength or Dexterity 13, Charisma 13

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Stygian Swordsman class, you gain the following proficiencies: simple weapons.

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