Valkrym (5e Class)
Valkrym
A Chosen One imbued with darkness by the Gods to deliver their Judgement.
| “ | The Gods send me to Judge you, and I deem you all unworthy! | ” |
A war takes place on an open battlefield, blood and bones litter the ground, and clouds start to roll together and form thunder. As swords and shields clash, a brilliant bolt of lightning strikes the ground, blinding the nearby armies; the Valkrym arrives.
Heads from both sides turn towards the dark spellcaster, who stands in silent repose. Then, with one sweeping moment, the Valkrym waves an arm and soldiers are thrown back from all sides. Those who try to escape judgement are caught by shadowy hands gripping them from below. With a flume of smoke, the Valkrym appears in front of one, a demonic grin spread on his ageless face. A sword is swung, but his form shimmers, as if he stepped out of reality for a moment, and the sword passes through him harmlessly. With piercing red eyes that could scare even the sturdiest of hearts, he crushes their head with a gesture of his hand.
As the armies run in horried terror, the Valkrym closes his eyes and wings of shadow form on his back. He takes to the skies and raises his hands skywards; the clouds crackle and rumble, and with one downward sweep, multiple arcs of lightning strike the ground surrounding the battlefield...
Moments later the Valkrym surveys the field, and satisfied his Judgement is complete, a dark spiral of smoke consumes him, and he dissipates.
The Valkrym
The Valkrym is a powerful spellcasting class, with access to dark magics used to terrify and debilitate foes, render them helpless, or simply remove them from existence, usually in horrrific ways.
The legends go that the Dark Gods were reluctant to interfere with mortal affairs, so they created the perfect warrior, and infused a glimmer of their own selves within him/her. How the Valkrym is chosen is not fully known, however it is known that there is only a single Chosen One at any time. Valkryms are fuelled by their gift of darkness, and it is not fully understood how their powers work, not by mortals anyway...
Creating a Valkrym
- Quick Build
You can make a Valkrym quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Choose the hermit background.
Class Features
As a Valkrym you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Valkrym level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Valkrym level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Charisma
Skills: Choose three from Perception, Intimidation, Stealth, Arcana, Investigation, Deception, Religion and Persuasion
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | —Spell Slots per Spell Level— | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |||
| 1st | +2 | Dark Weapon, Unbound Energy, Aegis of the Dark, Darkened Soul | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Spellcasting, Twilight Sight | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Shadow Bend (1/rest) | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Ascension Path | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Shadow Bend (2/rest) | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Intense Soul | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Ascension Path Feature | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Blinkshift | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | — | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Blessing of the Dark Gods | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Ascension Path Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17th | +6 | — | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Shadow Bend (3/rest) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Ascension Path Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Dark Weapon
You can use a bonus action to create a nonmagical weapon that does not have the heavy property, using the shadows around you. This dark weapon dissipates when you are no longer wielding it. You use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Strength or Dexterity modifier when making attack and damage rolls with a dark weapon.
Aegis of the Dark
Your strong connection to dark magics have manifested into a ward that covers your entire body, protecting you from harm.
While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence Modifier.
Unbound Energy
You do not need to eat or drink. You derive nourishment from shadows.
You do not need to sleep. Instead, you enter a trance, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. After finishing a trance, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Darkened Soul
Being a Valkrym is a dark and lonely road. Darkness has found its way into every vein and every crack in your skin. The Light has abandoned you.
You regain half the normal number of hit points from evocation spells (such as cure wounds or healing).
Spellcasting
By 2nd level, you begin to function as a direct conduit for your deity's power.
- Preparing and Casting spells.
The Valkrym table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your Valkyrm spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of Valkrym spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Valkrym spell list. When you do so choose a number of Valkrym spells equal to your Charisma modifier + half your Valkrym level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of Valkrym spells requires time spent in meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
- Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is the spellcasting ability for your Valkyrm spells. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Valkrym spell you cast and when making an attack with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
- Spellcasting Focus
You can use an amulet, emblem or reliquary as a spellcasting focus for your Valkrym spells.
Twilight Sight
Your eyes have been twisted and turned by the dark magic inhabiting your soul.
From 2nd level onwards, you can use a Bonus action to gain superior darkvision for 1 hour. While you have superior darkvision, you can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. You can use this feature again when you finish a long rest.
Shadow Bend
You constantly manipulate the shadows around you to mask your presence. You can throw off this mask to channel that darkness in different ways.
Starting at 3rd level, when you use Dexterity (Stealth) to hide in a dim or dark space, you are considered proficient in the Stealth skill and add double your proficiency bonus (instead of your normal proficiency bonus). You can hide from creatures with darkvision as though they had normal vision. This benefit is known as gloomblend.
Gloomblend lasts until you use a Shadow Bend feature. You begin with one such effect: Dark Repulsion. You must then finish a short or long rest to regain gloomblend, and to be able to use your Shadow Bend again.
Some Shadow Bend effects require a saving throw. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your Valkyrm spell save DC.
Beginning at 6th level, you can use your Shadow Bend twice between rests, and beginning at 18th level you can use it three times between rests. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.
- Shadow Bend – Dark Repulsion
When a creature moves within 5 feet of you, you can use your Reaction to repel them. The creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pushed away from you 20 feet and knocked prone.
Ascension Path
At 5th level, you choose one of two ascension paths.
Intense Soul
At 6th level, choose either Persuasion or Intimidation. When you use your chosen skill, you add double your proficiency bonus (instead of your normal proficiency bonus).
If you do not have proficiency in either the Persuasion or Intimidation skill you gain proficiency in one of those skills, but you use your normal proficiency bonus.
Blinkshift
From 11th level onwards, when you use your Shadow Bend on your turn, you may use your reaction to cast misty step on the same turn. This does not expend a spell slot.
Blessing of the Dark Gods
You have been a powerful and unforgiving deliverer of Judgement for the Dark Gods for many years, and as a reward for your service, they have imbued you with immortality.
At 14th level, you gain the following benefits:
- You no longer age and cannot be magically aged.
- You have advantage on Constitution checks made against disease
- You gain resistance to poison
Ascension Paths
The path you choose culminates in the ultimate expression of your judgement.
Executioner Path
Your dark weapon becomes a direct conduit for the Dark Gods' punishment.
- Magic Dark Weapon
When you choose this path at 5th level, you dark weapons are considered to be magic weapons.
- Shadow Bend – Siphon Soul
From 5th level onwards, when you attack a creature with your dark weapon and roll an 19 or 20 on the attack roll, you can use your Shadow Bend to siphon that creature's life force. The target takes an extra 5 necrotic damage if it isn't a construct or an undead. You also gain 5 temporary hit points.
At 13th level this increases to 10 necrotic damage and 10 temporary hit points.
- Gloomflight
From 10th level onwards, while your gloomblend is active, you can cast fly (self only) at will.
- Shadow Bend – Umbral Weapon
From 15th level, you can use a bonus action to use your Shadow Bend to enhance your dark weapon for 1 minute. For the duration, when you attack with a dark weapon, you gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls.
- Irreplaceable
The Fates have deemed you as irreplaceable; you have delivered such punishment to mankind that they must reward you suitably.
At 20th level, when you drop to 0 hit points, you instead drop to 1 hit point and you regain 10 hit points at the start of each of your turns. The regeneration ends when you regain hit points back to your maximum hit points, or you drop to 0 hit points again. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.
Dark Sorcery Path
- Cantrips
When you take this path at 5th level, you gain two cantrips from the sorcerer spell list.
- Shadow Bend – Swift Spell
From 5th level onwards, when you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can use your Shadow Bend to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.
- Gloompsyche
From 10th level onwards, while your gloomblend is active, you have advantage on Intelligence and Charisma saving throws.
- Shadow Bend – Dark Infusion
From 15th level, when you roll damage for a spell, you can use your Shadow Bend to reroll any number of the damage dice. You must use the new rolls.
- Apocalypse
At 20th level, you can use your action to emit cataclysmic blast of obliterating darkness. Each creature in a 60-foot sphere centered on you must make a Dexterity saving throw (using your spellcasting DC). The sphere spreads around corners. A creature takes 8d6 force damage and 8d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. The apocalypse damages objects in the area. Creatures reduced to 0 hit points by the apocalypse are reduced to a black stain and cannot be returned to life except through a true ressurection or wish spell.
You can repeat the effect on your following turn by using your action and gaining one level of exhaustion; you can only repeat the effect twice.
You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.
Valkrym Spells
- 1st Level
- 2nd Level
- Branding Smite
- Darkness
- Darkvision
- Detect Evil and Good
- Detect Thoughts
- Hold Person
- Invisibility
- Levitate
- Misty Step
- Suggestion
- 3rd Level
- Blink
- Fear
- Fly (self only)
- Haste (self only)
- Nondetection
- Vampiric Touch
- 4th Level
- 5th Level
Multiclassing
- Prerequisites
Intelligence 13 and Charisma 13
- Proficiencies
Simple weapons, martial weapons.
- Notes
Shadow Blend is considered to be a Channel Divinity feature for the purpose of multiclassing.
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