Umbrablade (5e Class)

Umbrablade

The orc band prepares a campfire after another successful caravan raid. Just as the leader is about start the celebrations, the glowing blade slices his head clean off, and disappears just as fast as it appeared. One after one the orcs either drop down dead, silently disappear after backing too far into the shadows, blasted in the back with shards of pure darkness. The remaining ones stand back to back in a circle, waiting anxiously. The unseen assassin finally shows his face, two glowing eyes under a black cowl. His dark robe seems to melt in with the shadows, only the movement reveals its true shape. A split second later, shadows cover the remaining orcs, as screams of terror fill the air. Then silence.

The Blade in the Shadows

Running on rooftops and climbing walled gates, rogues, spies and assassins lurk in the shadows, using the darkness as protection more effective than the sturdiest armor. The umbrablade take this one step beyond, manipulating the shadows own essence, using magical powers to bend and shape them at their own volition. They are cunning warriors and deceitful manipulators, with access to powerful arcane powers, what makes them a mortal enemy, an unseen predator stalking in the deep of the night.

Magical Darkness

The nature of the shadows controlled by the umbrablade vary from tradition to tradition. Some actually control the light and the illumination of the environment, being the shadows no more than well crafted illusions. Others, draw their powers from the planes of shadows itself, and the darkness they manipulate is not just the lack of light, but the material manifestation of the negative energy.

Their resourcefulness makes the Umbrablade a great candidate for adventures. The ability to control the darkness comes handy on the pitch black depths of dungeons filled with gold and enemies.

Creating a Umbrablade

[1] by Christian Jarce

First, consider how and why you were granted power over the shadows. Were you a thief cursed by an artifact you stole? Or perhaps you had studied the dark arts for so long that darkness itself started to bow towards your will? Either way, an Umbrablade prefers to work alone whether it be assassinating an official or just stealing from an unlucky lord.

Quick Build

You can make an umbrablade quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Dexterity, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the criminal or the spy background.

Class Features

As a Umbrablade you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per Umbrablade level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Constitution modifier per Umbrablade level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Arcana, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) one shortsword and a dagger or (b) a rapier or (c) any martial weapon
• (a) a shortbow and quiver of 20 arrows or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• Leather armor and a dagger
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Umbrablade

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
				1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1st	+2	Mantle of Shadows, Umbra Step	-	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Shadow Form	-	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Spellcasting, Umbral Tradition	2	2	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2	3	—	—	—
5th	+3	Ghost Step,Professional Murderer	2	3	—	—	—
6th	+3	Umbral Tradition	2	3	—	—	—
7th	+3	Stalker	2	4	2	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	2	4	2	—	—
9th	+4	Improved Critical	2	4	2	—	—
10th	+4	Umbral Tradition	3	4	3	—	—
11th	+4	Dancing Silhouettes	3	4	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	3	4	3	—	—
13th	+5	Improved Critical	3	4	3	2	—
14th	+5	Umbral Tradition	3	4	3	2	—
15th	+5	Umbra Step	4	4	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	—
17th	+6	Improved Critical	4	4	3	3	—
18th	+6	Mantle of Shadows	4	4	3	3	—
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	1
20th	+6	Intangible, Umbra Step	4	4	3	3	1

Shadow Mantle

At 1st level you can mold nearby shadows to protect yourself. While you are not wearing any armor or shield, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence modifier.

In addition, you can take the Hide action even when you are in plain sight. When you do so, you make the Dexterity (Stealth) check at disadvantage.

At 18th level, when covered by your shadow mantle, you can never have a result on your Dexterity stealth check lower than your level, and you can add your Intelligence modifier to all your Dexterity checks while this is active.

Umbra Step

You can jump from the shadows to attack your enemies. On your turn, you can enter use your bonus action to slip into the umbra. While your umbra step is active, you are partially inside the material plane and partially on the shadowfell. Shifting between planes is mentally demanding and requires concentration, as if you were concentrating on a spell. You gain the following benefits:

• All attacks with weapons against you are made at disadvantage.

• Once in each of your turns, when you make a melee weapon attack using a weapon you can wield in one hand, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to 1d6 necrotic. This damage increases to 2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 11th and finally 4d6 at 17th level.

• You have advantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws.

• You gain advantage on your concentration checks.

The umbra step lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or lose concentration. You can choose to end it earlier as a bonus action.

When you reach the 15th level, you can remain inside the umbra indefinitely each time you use it.

You can use the umbra step a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. When you spend all your uses, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest. At 20th level you can use this feature any number of times.

Shadow Form

Starting at 2nd level, you can become partially intangible, as if you were made of shadows. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to activate your shadow form. If you do so, all attacks you make until the start of your next turn deal half damage on a hit, but you have resistance to all damage types until the start of your next turn, except for fire, radiant, psychic or force.

Umbral Tradition

When you reach the 3rd level, you can focus on one tradition of shadow manipulation. You can choose between the Shadowbringer and the Umbra Assassin. You gain features related to your tradition at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 10th and 14th levels.

Spellcasting

Reaching 3rd level, the shadows give you the powers a individual like you would need to accomplish it's goals.

Cantrip

You know a number of spell slots equal to the number shown in the Cantrip column in the Umbrablade table.

Spellslots

The Umbrablade table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these 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 Armor of Agathys and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Armor of Agathys using either slot.

Spell level

The Umbrablade can only cast spells on a level for which he has spell slots left and the spell slot level is shown in the spell slot table.

Preparing and Casting

You can know all spells of the Umbrablade spel list that equal or are smaller than your current spell level. You must prepare spells from that list to cast them. You can prepare a number of spells up to half of your Umbrablade level (rounded up) + your Intelligence modifier.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your umbrablade spells, since your magic draws on your comprehension of the shadows. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a umbrablade spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack = your proficiency modifier + your Intelligence modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a arcane focus as your spellcasting focus.

Ability Score Increase

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.

Professional Murderer

At 5th level, once in each of your turns, you can reroll an missed attack roll. You must choose the best result between them, and, on a hit, you deal additional damage equal to half your level in this class.

Ghost Blink

Starting at 5th level, you can use your bonus action to, instead of walk, teleport to any place you can see within your movement speed range. The area must be covered in dim light or darkness.

Stalker

By 7th level, you become so silent that you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks when you are in dim light or darkness. Also, you can see in normal and magical darkness up to a range of 120 feet.

Additionally, you no longer suffer disadvantage when hiding in plain sight with your mantle of shadows.

Improved Critical

Beginning at 9th level, you score a critical hit with a roll of 19-20 on the d20.

This increases to 18-20 at 13th level and 17-20 at 17th level.

Dancing Silhouettes

By 11th level, you have learned how to animate the shadows around you, creating illusory representations of you. When you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use your action to create three shadow clones of yourself. They copy your actions and shift positions, making impossible to discern your copies from you while in darkness.

When a creature make an attack against you, roll a d20. With three duplicates, a result of 6 or higher redirects the attack to the shadow. This number increases to 8 for two shadows and 11 for three shadows.

Each silhouette has an AC equal 10 + your Dexterity modifier and 1 hit point. The silhouette is immune to all sources of damage, and can only be destroyed by a targeted attack.

A creature that not rely on sight to see or immune to illusions is unaffected by this feature.

The effect ends if you enter an area of bright light.

Intangible

At 20th level, you become the embodiment of darkness. You can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing and the space occupied by you is considered permanent covered in magical darkness, unless you choose to remove the darkness without spending an action.

In addition, whenever a creature hit you with an attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to reroll, potentially causing the creature to miss the attack.

Umbra Assassin

The assassin profession usually rely on sneaking within the shadows of the night and wait the right moment to strike. Assassins usually need to find secret passages, blind spots in watchtowers and camouflage to become able to deliver their mortal blows. Umbrablades who follow the Tradition of the Umbra Assassin can bring their own shadows to exploit weaknesses and reach their targets. They can hide on the umbra created by themselves, jumping on enemies and delivering deadly strikes.

Assassination

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can go try to assassinate a opponent when you step into the umbra. If you do so, for the duration of the umbra step, you can use a bonus action on each of your turns after this one to make an assassination attempt. You make an attack with advantage and, on a hit, you deal additional 2d6 damage. The additional damage increases to 3d6 at 10th level and 4d6 at 15th level. When your the umbra step ends, you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Aura of Concealment

At 6th level, all creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks that rely on sight.

Painful Strike

Beginning at 10th level, you can use your action to make a immobilizing strike against a creature. When you do so, you must make a melee weapon attack against that creature. On a hit, the creature don't take any damage, but it is paralyzed until the end of your next turn.

On subsequent turns, you can use your action to extend the duration of this effect on the paralyzed creature until the end of your next turn. This effect ends if the creature is further than 5 feet away from you for 1 round.

If the creature succeeds on its saving throw, you can't use this feature on that creature again for 24 hours.

Opportunist

Starting at 14th level, when an ally hit a creature that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.

Shadowbringer

Summoners of shadows, the Shadowbringers can open momentary portals to the shadowfell and unleash the negative energy against their enemies.

Field of Darkness

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you bring part of the shadowfell to the material plane when you use your Umbra Step . This field of darkness extends 10 feet from you in every direction, but not through total cover.

Your field of darkness has an effect that activates when you enter the umbra, and you can activate the effect again on each of your turns as a bonus action.

When you step into the umbra, you must choose what of the following effects you want to generate: Choose life draining or dark tentacles.

If your field's effects require a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.

Life Draining. When this effect is activated, all other creatures in the field take necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Dark Tentacles. When this effect is activated, you can choose one other creature you can see in the field. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. The target is hit by a tentacle made of pure darkness, and takes 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The tentacles benefit from the additional necrotic damage from your Umbra Step.

Shadow Reborn

At 6th level, the shadowfell grants you benefits even when your field of darkness isn't active. You gain resistance to necrotic damage and you become immune to the blinded condition.

Weakening

At 10th level, you learn to use your over the shadows to harm creatures. Each creature of your choice that is not immune or resistant to necrotic damage is now vulnerable to it while in your field of darkness.

Shield of Darkness

At 14th level, Immediately after a creature in the field of darkness hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes necrotic damage equal to your Umbrablade level.

Umbra Blade Spell List

You know all of the spells on the basic Umbrablade spell list.

Cantrips

blade ward, booming blade, friends, mage hand, message, minor illusionguidance, true strike, vicious mockery

1st Level

alarm, armor of agathys, arms of hadar charm person, color spray, comprehend languages, disguise self, grease, hunter's mark, jump, longstrider, silent image, snare

2nd Level

alter self, arms of hadar, blindness/deafness, blur, crown of madness, darkness, darkvision, invisibility, mirror image, misty step, shadow blade, spider climb, suggestion, web

3rd Level

blink, fear, feign death, haste, hunger of hadar, nondetection, phantom steed, speak with dead

4th Level

death ward, dimension door, black tentacles, greater invisibility, faithful hound, phantasmal killer, shadow of moil, staggering smite

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the umbrablade class, you must meet these prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Intelligence 13.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the umbrablade class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor, simple weapons, martial weapons

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