Darkness Domain
This is a Cleric subclass, a Divine Domain, for use with the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition RPG ruleset.
To use this subclass you must, at least, be familiar with, if not own a copy of, the Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook from Wizards of the Coast.
by Eran "Sabre Runner" Arbel
Darkness Domain
Gods of Darkness and Secrets — Including Bane, Cyric, Leira, Mask, Shar — promote the ideals of hiding, secrecy, lies, betrayal, and often use black shadows in their symbol. They are the keeper of secrets, the crawlers in the dark, patrons of assassins and spies, and seek to shroud knowledge and hide power. Clerics of a god of darkness are nefarious, selfish people who seek to draw power into themselves and keep it from others as they cloud others’ vision and hamper progress.
Darkness Domain Spells
| Cleric Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | arms of hadar, disguise self |
| 3rd | darkness, nystul’s magic aura |
| 5th | hunger of hadar, nondetection |
| 7th | evard’s black tentacles, greater invisibility |
| 9th | modify memory, seeming |
Bonus Proficiency
At 1st level, you take up the mantle and basic tenets of darkness and whispers.
You gain proficiency in the Deception and Stealth skills.
Accustomed to Darkness
At 1st level, you are also granted the gift of the dark.
You can see in regular and magical darkness up to 30 feet.
Channel Divinity: Avatar of Shadow
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to mold nearby shadows into a being of pure semi-solid darkness.
As an action, you present your holy symbol and summon an Avatar of Shadow inside a cube of, at least, 5 feet of darkness. The Avatar of Shadow is under your complete control, acts on your turn, and you may command it freely using a mental connection. The avatar remains until it is destroyed or until the following dawn.
If you use this feature again, each previously created Avatar of Shadow is destroyed.
Avatar of Shadow
medium construct, unaligned
- Armor Class 10 + Half your cleric level (rounded up)
- Hit Points 10 + three times your cleric level
- Speed 0 feet, fly 30 feet (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 1 (-5) 1 (-5) 1 (-5) 1 (-5) 1 (-5) 1 (-5)
- Saving Throws STR, DEX, CON +0, INT, WIS, CHA +Spellcasting Ability Modifier
- Damage Immunities Necrotic, Poison
- Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned, Unconscious
- Senses Darkvision 60 ft. Passive Perception 10 +Spellcasting Ability Modifier.
- Languages All languages known to you.
- Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Incorporeal Movement. The avatar can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Turning Immunity. The avatar is immune to features that turn undead.
Actions
Touch of Shadow. Melee Weapon Attack: Your spellcasting to hit modifier, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + Spellcasting Ability) necrotic damage.
** Same as you.
Denizen of Darkness
Starting at 6th level, your skills at masking the truth and staying out of sight have peaked.
You gain expertise in the Deception and Stealth skills.
Shadow Step
Also at 6th level, your shadow gains the following ability:
Shadow Step. If it is in a space of dim light or darkness, it can use a bonus action to teleport to an unoccupied space of dim light or darkness up to 60 feet away. After teleporting in this way, it has advantage on the its next attack roll before the end of its turn.
Potent Shadows
At 8th level, your mastery of darkness evolves.
When you use your Channel Divinity: Avatar of Shadow feature, you may now summon two Avatars of Shadow.
You may summon three Avatars of Shadow at 14th level.
Light Well
Starting at 17th level, your dark arts become so powerful you can generate your own darkness.
You gain resistance to Radiant damage.
Also, as an action on your turn, you can suck the light out of the area around you. For 1 minute, the area around you in a radius of 30 feet becomes darkness and a further 30 feet becomes dim light. You may designate up to ten creatures within 60 feet that you can see that will be able to see through the darkness. Those creatures gain resistance to Radiant damage while within 60 feet of you. Only a light spell of 6th level or higher or direct sunlight can penetrate the darkness. Avatars of Shadow have advantage on attack rolls inside the darkness and dim light area.
Once you use this feature, you can not use it again until you finish a long rest.
Copyright Notice
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All other original material in this work is ©2019 by Eran Arbel and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. Printing of this document for personal use is allowed. All other rights reserved.