# A Word of Introduction Hello, my name is J'Drago Morellin. This name has meant a lot of things as time passes, but boring has thankfully never been one of them. Today, instead of my usual wares of warfare, I bring to you these compendiums, which will be released in sequence, which detail many of the marvelous things I have discovered during my ventures! I have discovered that this knowledge holds the power of Apotheosis, and despite what many may think... It holds many of my secrets as well. Now, delve into knowledge lost from mind for times unknown, and as always... may the Venoms of Life slide from you! ### Overview I have compiled for you a selection of features, largely for what my Deus Malus calls "players". I have companions that aid me in this quest for knowledge, and thankfully for you more will come, with time. I have a selection of things for you, consisting of "classes" and "races", though in time my companions should be able to add additional, supplementary compendiums. As for the all other Deus Mali out there (mine calls himself a "DM", but that just sounds silly to me) I have a treasure trove of monsters, magic items, mechanics, and more! It's all in store for you... after the player's things. Apologies, but even deities have to wait in line! ### Classes These "Classes" I have found were developed by a Deus Malus akin to my own, and who I feel a strange kinship to. These include: - ***Contractors***, nasty little guys that make magical deals with unsuspecting people. - ***Poison Warriors***, fighters who utilize various poisons to neutralize foes. Hey, I'm one of these guys! - ***Shadowcasters***, the fools who decided to give up spells entirely in favor of stronger minions (seriously, what's so attractive about having more servants? I don't get it.) ### Races I have to admit, in most of my travels I have had more than a slight amount of struggle attempting to find races other than those I already knew of. But, I have a few for you to peruse: - ***Merrow***, fierce aquatic warriors. - ***Blights***, annoying little plant guys - ***Monodrones***, those dumb police robots - ***Insectoids***. They're, uh, bugs. That's it. \pagebreakNum # Races ### Merrow Personally, I have no taste for Merrow. Awful things have a horribly fishy aftertaste. But then again, I reckon you're not here for a culinary treatise. As a Merrow, you gain the following Racial Benefits: ***Ability Score Increase*** Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1 ***Age*** As a Merrow, you grow up a slightly longer rate. You reach adulthood at age 25, but live until you are 400. ***Alignment*** Being driven by a mindless urge for slaughter by the Demogorgon or other foul beings, most Merrow tend to be evil. As wild as the seas themselves, they also tend towards chaos. ***Size*** As a Merrow, you have a long, fluid body, and from head to tail measure around 9 feet, though on land you would stand at between 6 and 7 feet. Being strong and bulky, the average Merrow weighs between 250 and 350 pounds. Your size is Medium. ***Speed*** As an aquatic creature, you excel at swimming and have a swim speed of 40 feet, however on land you only have a speed of 10 feet. Your boots aren't exactly made for walkin'. ***Languages*** As a Merrow, you know Common, Abyssal, and Aquan, though at your discretion you can also choose to know only Abyssal and Aquan. ***Powerful Build*** You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and how much you can push, drag, and lift. ***Amphibious*** You can breathe air and water ***Blood Frenzy*** When a creature you can see within 10 feet of you drops below half of its maximum hitpoints, you can use your reaction to move up to half of your speed and make an attack against the creature. On a hit, the creature takes an extra amount of damage equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use this ability once per long rest. ### Monodrone Ah, Modrons. I find it interesting how such a species can continue to exist, despite all the peoples that find them *unbearably* annoying. But, as a Monodrone, you gain the following Racial Benefits: ***Ability Score Increase*** Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1. ***Age*** As a Modron, you have a potentially indefinite lifespan. You reach adulthood at age 20, and have no old age point. ***Alignment*** Being strictly tied to the Plane of Order, Mechanus, almost all (if not entirely all) Modrons are Lawful Neutral. ***Size*** As a Monodrone, your size is Medium. You usually stand between 4 and 5 feet tall, and weigh around 200 pounds due to your metallic internal structure. ***Speed*** You have a walking speed of 30 feet, and a flying speed of 30 feet, due to your back-mounted wings. ***Languages*** As a Monodrone, you know Common and Modron. ***Orderly Psyche*** Your strict adherence to order strengthens your will. You gain a bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws equal to half of your proficiency bonus (rounded down). ### Blights Blights are rather interesting as a whole, with multiple component species that come together to form a surprisingly formidable group of what is essentially angry shrubbery. As a Blight, you gain the following Racial Benefits: ***Ability Score Increase*** Your Constitution score increases by 1 ***Creature Type*** Your creature type is Plant ***Age*** As a Blight, you last as long as the ancient trees. You mature at age 30, and usually live until you are about 600 years old. ***Alignment*** Given a generally bloodthristy nature, most Blights are neutral evil, not straying far towards law or chaos. ***Size*** If you are a Twig Blight, your size is small, and you stand between 2 and 3 feet tall. If you are a Needle or Vine Blight, your size is Medium, and you usually stand between 5 and 7 feet tall. Twig Blights usually weigh around 30 lbs, while Needle and Vine Blights usually weigh around 200 pounds. ***Speed*** You have a speed of 30 feet ***Languages*** As a Blight, you know common and one language of your choice. ***Fire Vulnerability*** As a creature of nature, though twisted, fire harms you greatly. You have vulnerability to fire damage. ***Nature's Camouflage*** You have advantage on stealth checks made to hide in greenery that appears similar to you (twigs, vines, or trees, depending on your subrace). ***Blindsight*** As a Blight, you see not with your eyes, but with your perception of the world. You have Blindsight out to a range of 60 feet, but are blind beyond this radius. ***Subrace*** You belong to a subrace of your choice, being either a Needle Blight, a Twig Blight, or a Vine Blight, which are detailed below. #### Twig Blights Twig Blights are smaller than their cousins, and more nimble. As such, they often seek to lure in enemies rather than confront them alone, then use numbers to overwhelm them. ***Ability Score Increase*** Your Dexterity score increases by 2 ***Willowy Frame*** Your small and occasionally gapped body make you better at dodging. You have a +1 bonus to your AC. \pagebreakNum #### Needle Blights Tall and sturdy, the Needle Blights are an unbreakable wall with a rather thorny outside. ***Ability Score Increase*** Your Constitution and Strength scores both increase by 1 ***Thorny Skin*** When you are grappled, hit with a melee attack, or subjected to a melee spell with a range of touch, you can use your reaction to deal damage to the creature subjecting you to these effects equal to your level. You can use this ability once per long rest. #### Vine Blights Vine Blights are excellent stranglers, and often ambush prey before wrapping them in a deadly embrace. ***Ability Score Increase*** Your Strength score increases by 2 ***Adept Wrangler*** When you make a check to grapple another creature, you can choose to gain advantage on the check. You can use this feature once per long rest. ### Insectoids These creatures I find incredibly interesting. Hailing from diverse environments, they have all developed separate and unique cultures... and yet identify as one people. Almost makes one wonder if there is something else behind them... *AHEM CLAW SECT*. As an Insectoid you gain the following racial benefits: ***Ability Score Increase*** Your Constitution score increases by 2 ***Age*** As an Insectoid, you usually mature around age 12 and live until age 90 ***Alignment*** Most Insectoids have no care for law or chaos, good or evil, and tend towards being truly neutral. ***Size*** You stand between 4 and 5 feet tall, are size Medium, and usually weigh between 12 and 180 pounds. ***Speed*** You have a walking speed of 30 feet. ***Languages*** As an Insectoid, you know Common and Insectoid. ***Hardened Exoskeleton*** Your hardened body can protect you form harm. You gain a +1 bonus to your AC. ***Evolved Internals*** You can go for 10 days without eating before gaining exhaustion, and can go for 100 days without water without gaining exhaustion. ***Sense Quaking*** Your feet have adapted to feeling quakes in the ground. You have tremorsense out to a range of 15 feet. ***Subrace*** As an Insectoid, you belong to one of the three major subraces, the Beetlekin, the Ants, the Stingers, and the Pincers, which are detailed below. #### Ants Ants usually serve a single minded purpose, and often find ways to work with others as a cohesive unit. ***Ability Score Increase*** Your Wisdom score increases by 1 ***Pack Tactics*** When another ally is within 5 feet of you and a creature you are attacking, you gain advantage on the attack roll. ***Acidic Bite*** Your bite does some serious damage. You gain a natural weapon, which is a bite attack, which uses strength for its attack and damage rolls and which you are considered proficient in. On a hit, it deals 1d4 + your strength modifier piercing damage and the target must succeed on a saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, it takes an additional 1d6 acid damage. #### Beetlekin As a Beetlekin, you're a little more intelligent than your fellow Insectoids, and can weather out even the worst of outcomes. ***Ability Score Increase*** Your Intelligence score increases by 1 ***Weather It Out*** When you are subjected to an effect that forces you to make a dexterity or constitution saving throw, you can give yourself a bonus to the roll equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use this ability once per long rest. #### Pincers As a Pincer, you're related to the insects such as scorpions and some crabs, which fight using their claws. ***Ability Score Increase*** Your Strength score increases by 1 ***Toughened Shell*** At the end of a long rest, you can declare one damage type, choosing from bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Until the end of your next long rest, you gain resistance to the chosen damage type ***Claws** You gain two natural weapons, claws, which use your strength modifier for their attack and damage rolls and which you are considered proficient in. On a hit, they deal 1d4 piercing damage. When you make an attack with your claws in this way, you can use a bonus action to make one additional attack using your claws. \pagebreakNum # Classes ## Poison Warrior A man walks towards a distant castle, his hands fidgeting at his sides. From the darkened woods beside him suddenly looms a snarling Ettin, holding a boulder aloft to strike him. Without much mind, the man holds up his hand, and a puff of mist escapes from it, wafting into the Ettin's nose. The Ettin falls down hard to the dirt, and the man calmly continues on his way. A grinning elf circles his opponent, looking for an opportunity to strike. As the other gladiator darts forward, he touches the man's neck, sending him collapsing to the ground, a scream frozen on his lips. A Halfling stumbles from a bar, the poison of alcohol still potent within their veins. Gradually they straighten, and then hold out their hand to see a clear liquid flowing. Poison Warriors are an unusual group, with most of them obtaining their powers through poisonings gone wrong or magical potions and the like. They possess the power to poison others via their skin and blood, and use these powers to devastating effect. \pagebreakNum <div class='classTable'> ##### Poison Warrior | Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Toxin Die | |:---:|:---:|:---|:---:| | 1st | +2 | Poisonous Body, Toxic Unarmed Strikes | 1d4 | | 2nd | +2 | Venomous Archetype | 1d4 | | 3rd | +2 | Immunity | 1d4 | | 4th | +2 | Ability Score Increase | 1d4 | | 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 1d4 | | 6th | +3 | Archetype Feature | 1d6 | | 7th | +3 | Evasion | 1d6 | | 8th | +3 | Ability Score Increase | 1d6 | | 9th | +4 | Archetype Feature | 1d6 | | 10th | +4 | Poison Field | 1d6 | | 11th | +4 | Potent Toxicity | 1d8 | | 12th | +4 | Ability Score Increase | 1d8 | | 13th | +5 | Archetype Feature | 1d8 | | 14th | +5 | Venomous Breath | 1d8 | | 15th | +5 | Absorbency | 1d8 | | 16th | +5 | Ability Score Increase | 1d10 | | 17th | +6 | Poison Valley | 1d10 | | 18th | +6 | Archetype Feature | 1d10 | | 19th | +6 | Ability Score Increase | 1d10 | | 20th | +6 | Creator of Poisons | 1d10 | </div> ## Poison Warrior Features As a Poison Warrior, you gain the following class features #### Hit Points ___ - **Hit Dice:** 1d10 per Poison Warrior level - **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 10 + constitution mod - **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** hp at level 1 + (1d10 + con mod) for every single level after your first Poison Warrior level #### Proficiencies ___ - **Armor:** Light, Shields - **Weapons:** simple, martial - **Tools:** Poisoner's kit ___ - **Saving Throws:** Constitution and Dexterity - **Skills:** Choose two from acrobatics, athletics, arcana, deception, insight, intimidation, nature, perception, and survival \columnbreak #### Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: - *(a)* a broadsword or *(b)* a longsword - *(a)* a sling or *(b)* a shortbow with 20 arrows - leather armor, an explorer's kit, and a poisoner's kit ## Features ### Poisonous body Starting at level one, your blood becomes toxic to your enemies. When you are hit by a melee attack, the attacker takes poison damage equal to the amount shown in the Toxin die column of the class table. You are also become resistant to poison damage. ### Toxic Unarmed Strikes Also at level one, you gain the ability to imbue your unarmed strikes with the poison that is within you. Your unarmed strikes deal damage equal to your toxin die when you strike. Your opponent must also make a constitution saving throw contested by your toxin save DC (8 + constitution modifier + proficiency bonus) or be poisoned. ### Venomous Archetype At level two, you can select which of the sects of the poison sects you wish to follow. You can select the Acid Sect, the Fang Sect, or the Claw Sect. You will gain benefits from your sect at 2nd, 6th, 9th, 13th, and 18th levels. At level 22 you can select a second subclass, and gain features from it at 22nd, 27th, 33rd, and 38th levels. ### Immunity Starting at level three, your immune system nears perfection. You become immune to poison damage and cannot be poisoned. In addition, you cannot be affected by diseases. ### Ability Score Increase At level 4 and again at levels 8, 12, 16, and 19, you can choose one ability score to increase by two, or two ability scores to increase by one. You can also choose to forgo increase your ability scores in order to obtain a feat. You cannot cause an ability score to exceed 20 with this feature. ### Extra Attack At level five, you can attack twice, instead of once, when you take the attack action on your turn. \pagebreakNum ### Evasion Starting at level seven, you become increasingly dexterous. When you are forced to make a Dexterity saving throw, you take only half damage on a failed saving throw and no damage on a successful one. You must be conscious to use this feature. ### Poison Field At level 10, you gain the ability to create a field of poison around yourself. As an action, you can activate your Poison Field. Every creature in a 15 foot radius sphere must make a constitution saving throw contested by your toxin save DC. On a failed save, they take poison damage equal to 3 of your toxin dice, or half as much on a successful save. Creatures inside the radius of this sphere must make this saving throw at the beginning of each of your turns. You can cause this ability to end as a bonus action. It has no time limit and can be activated an unlimited number of times. ### Potent Toxicity At level eleven, you gain the ability to poison others using your blood. If a creature is hit by your Poison Blood or Toxic Unarmed Strikes it must make an additional constitution saving throw. On a failure, they become poisoned. Roll a d6 to determine which poison effect they receive <div style='column-count:2'> | d6 | effect | |:---:|:-----------:| | 1 | Unconscious, can be woken by sufficient damage/jostling | | 2 | Paralyzed, retake saving throw each turn, ending the effect on a success | | 3 | Take 1d10 poison damage at the beginning of their turns for 1d4 rounds | | d6 | Effect | |:---:|:-----------:| | 4 | Take 1d10 cold damage at the beginning of their turns for 1d4 rounds| | 5 | Charmed by Poison Warrior for 1d4 rounds on failure of a charisma saving throw contested by toxin DC| | 6 | Frightened by Poison Warrior for 1d4 rounds on failure of a charisma saving throw contested by toxin DC | </div> ### Venomous Breath When you reach level 14, you toxicity further increases. Your breath has become a potent poison, able to down many. Creatures within five feet of you must make a saving throw contested by your toxin DC with your proficiency bonus added twice to the save DC or become unconscious. They can be woken easily. ### Absorbency At level 15, you gain the ability to drain toxins from others. As an action, you can touch a creature and draw poison from its body. The DC for this is equal to 8 + the number of doses + poisoner's proficiency bonus. If you successfully draw all of the poison from a creature's body, they then become resistant (advantage on saving throw) to that particular poison. You also gain one temporary hit point per dose absorbed. You do not gain temporary hit points from your own poison. ### Poison Valley At level 17 your Poison Field's strength increases. The radius of the sphere is now 30 feet and you deal damage equal to 5 of your toxin dice. In addition, you can apply the effects of your Venomous Breath to your Poison Valley for 1 minute as an action. You must maintain concentration while doing so. ### Creator of Poisons At level 20, you have achieved a mastery of poison. When you intake a poison using your absorbancy feature, you gain the ability to replicate the poison, using your body to create one dose after a number of hours equal to the poisons cost in gold divided by 50. You can replicate a number of poisons equal to your constitution modifier. In addition, if you attempt to make a poison you have applied this ability to it takes half as much time and resources to produce it. ## Acid Sect ### Acid Body When you choose this sect at level two, your toxins become mutated. Whenever you would deal damage using your toxin dice, you can choose to either use poison or acid damage for your toxin dice. You also gain resistance to acid damage. ### Corrosive Touch At level six, you gain the ability to corrode structures. As an action, you can deal acid damage to a solid structure equal to 5 of your toxin dice. The amount increases to 6 Toxin Dice at 9th level, 7 Toxin Dice at 13th level, and 8 Toxin Dice at 18th level. ### Acid Maker At level nine, you gain proficiency in alchemist's supplies as well as gaining alchemist's supplies, if you did not have them already. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for checks using Alchemist's supplies. ### Acid Incorporator At level 13 you become masterful in the use of acid and poison together. Whenever you deal poison damage using your toxin dice, you can add an amount of acid damage equal to half the amount of poison damage dealt, and if you use acid damage, you can add an amount of poison damage equal to half the amount of acid damage dealt. \pagebreakNum ### Acidic Master At level 18, when you try to create a poison using a poisoner's kit, you can add 3 to the DC to craft it and modify the poison to deal an additional 2d8 acid damage per dose. You can only use this feature once per long rest. ## Fang Sect ### Serpent's Allies At level two you become able to cast *talk to animals and plants* (snakes only) once per long rest. You also get a Serpent Familiar, one snake with a challenge rating of 1/8 or 0 and a size of small or tiny. It is loyal to you, and in combat takes the Dodge action unless you use a bonus action to command it to do otherwise. At 18th level, your Serpent Familiar can be up to CR 1/4. ### Serpent's Guile At level six, you gain proficiency in the deception and insight skills, if you did not have it already. You also have advantage against being charmed and can cast *charm person* once per day, with your Charisma modifier as the spellcasting modifier. ### Serpent's Fangs At level nine you get rather large fangs, giving you an additional attack option. You can now bite as an attack, which uses dexterity for bonuses, which deals 1d6 piercing damage plus 1d6 poison damage. ### Serpent's Gaze At level thirteen, you gain the ability to project an aura of fear on your prey. As an action, you can force creatures within a fifteen foot cone projected from your eyes to make a charisma saving throw contested by your Serpent Save DC (as detailed in Serpent's Guile) or become afraid of you. They can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effects on themselves on a success. ### Blessing of Ourobouros At level eighteen, you gain added vitality while immersed in poison. While you are within your Poison Valley or otherwise within a cloud of poisonous gas, you regain 1d4 hitpoints at the start of your turn each round. ## Claw Sect ### Wall Crawler Starting when you join this sect at level 2, you gain the ability to scale areas like an insect. You gain the ability to walk on walls and ceilings as if they were normal terrain. You also gain an body part from these aspects: **Wasp**: A Stinger which uses dexterity for bonuses and deals 1d6 piercing damage on hit and counts as an unarmed strike. **Scorpion**: Claws which use strength for bonuses and deal 1d6 slashing damage on hit which replace original unarmed strikes. **Spider**: Spinnerets which allow the user to create one 5x5x5 cube of webbing as an action and allows user to walk unhindered within webbing. It also gives a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. Any of the options above are not normally present and can be manifested as a bonus action. ### Insect Familiar At level six you gain an insect familiar, which is either: **Wasp**: Giant Wasp **Scorpion**: Giant Scorpion **Spider**: Giant Spider These familiars can be used as mounts. They are fiercely loyal to you. In combat, they only take the dodge action, unless you use a bonus action to command them to take a different action. ### Insect director At level nine you can use an action to command insects nearby to your aid. This creates a *swarm of insects* under your control for one minute, which you can command using the same bonus action that you use to command your Insect Familiar, otherwise it always takes the Dodge action. You can only use this feature once per long rest. ### Improved Transformation At level 13 your insect body parts get expanded and added to. **Wasp**: When you manifest your stinger you can also manifest a pair of clear wasp wings, granting you a flying speed of 30 feet. **Scorpion**: When you manifest your claws, you can incorporate your weapons, adding their damage to the attack. You also gain a stinger attached to a long tail, with a range of ten feet, dealing 1d6 piercing damage plus 1d4 poison damage on a hit, and which uses strength for bonuses. **Spider**: When you manifest your spinnerets, you can manifest four spider legs attached to your back. You can use them to increase your walking and climbing speed by 15 feet, and you can use them to attack, once per leg, dealing 1d4 piercing damage on a hit for each, using dexterity for bonuses. ### Swarm Lord When you reach level eighteen, you get one of the following benefits based upon your insect type: **Wasp**: You gain claws on your hands, replacing your normal unarmed strikes. They use dexterity for the bonuses, and they deal 1d6 slashing damage on a hit. **Scorpion**: You gain the armored hide of a scorpion when you manifest. You gain a +2 bonus to your AC and reduce your speed by five feet when you manifest. **Spider**: When you manifest, you form a pair of dark eyes above your normal ones. You gain darkvision to a range of sixty feet, or extend the range of your darkvision by sixty feet. \pagebreakNum # Contractor <div class='classTable'> ##### Contractor | Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | |:---:|:---:|:---| | 1st | +2 | Truthteller, Pacts (2), Helping Hand | | 2nd | +2 | Bargainer, Advisor(1) | | 3rd | +2 | Pact Path | | 4th | +2 | Ability Score Increase | | 5th | +3 | Patronage (1) | | 6th | +3 | Path Feature | | 7th | +3 | Evasion | | 8th | +3 | Ability Score Increase | | 9th | +4 | Pacts (4), Magical Summons (1) | | 10th | +4 | Patronage( 2) | | 11th | +4 | Path Feature | | 12th | +4 | Ability Score Increase | | 13th | +5 | Pacts (6) | | 14th | +5 | Path Feature | | 15th | +5 | Patronage (3), Advisor(2) | | 16th | +5 | Ability Score Increase | | 17th | +6 | Pacts (8), Magical Summons (2) | | 18th | +6 | Path Feature | | 19th | +6 | Ability Score Increase | | 20th | +6 | Pactlord | </div> ## Class Features As a Contractor, you gain the following class features #### Hit Points ___ - **Hit Dice:** 1d8 per Contractor level - **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 8 + your constitution modifier - **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d8 + your constitution modifier per level after 1st #### Proficiencies ___ - **Armor:** light armor - **Weapons:** simple weapons - **Tools:** none ___ - **Saving Throws:** Constitution, Charisma - **Skills:** Choose any three #### Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: - *(a)* a sling or *(b)* a quarterstaff - *(a)* a diplomat's pack or *(b)* an explorer's pack - leather armor and a dagger \columnbreak ### Truthteller Starting at 1st level, being an existence tied to the essence of binding souls through contracts, honesty has become the best policy for your own safety. When conducting any sort of business arrangement, transaction, deal, or other exchange of goods and services, you are considered under the effects of the *Zone of Truth* spell. In addition, any creatures interacting with you while you are under the effects caused by this ability are also affected. Both of you are considered to have automatically failed your saving throws. ### Helping Hand At 1st level, you have learned that for good or ill, you're rather good at helping people. You can take the help action as a bonus action, and if you do, you can help an additional creature. You can use your movement during this action or bonus action. ### Pacts At 1st level, you have begun to master the art of Eldritch Deals. You learn 2 Pacts, which are detailed at the end of the class description, and can have a maximum number of Pacts active at a given time equal to your Proficiency Bonus. A creature can only benefit from up to 2 Pacts at the same time. You can end a Pact at any time (no action required). You can exchange one of your known Pacts for another at the end of a long rest. Some Pacts will call for a Pact Save DC and attack bonus, which is: 8 + your charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus for save DC your charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus for attack bonus You gain additional Pacts at 9th (4), 13th (6), and 17th (8) levels. ### Bargainer At 2nd level, you have gotten better at striking deals with others. As an action, you can grant yourself advantage on any charisma (persuasion), charisma (deception), or charisma (intimidation) check made to encourage others to make deals with you included in the criteria of your *Truthteller* feature. You can use this feature a number of times per long rest equal to your charisma modifier \pagebreakNum ### Advisor At 2nd level, your connection to the nature of deals has allowed you to attract a follower. This follower is a CR 0 Beast of your choice that is size small or tiny, though it secretly is either an Aberration, Fiend, Fey, Celestial, Elemental, or Undead (your choice). This follower is loyal to you, and can communicate with you telepathically using a language of your choice, and has a 14 in intelligence, wisdom, and charisma scores instead of those in its stat block. When in combat, it acts on your initiative but you cannot command it. Instead it will avoid combat, moving toward cover and away from hostiles using the *Dash*, *Dodge*, and *Hide* actions. If it is slain, it reappears mysteriously the next time you finish a long rest. You gain an additional advisor at 15th level. ### Pact Path At 3rd level, you can choose a path that your Pacts will follow, choosing between the Paths of Devotion, Dominion, Unholy, Sanctified, Horde, and Eternal. Your Path grants you features at 3rd, 6th, 11th, 14th, and 18th levels. ### Ability Score Increase At 4th level and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by two, or increase two ability scores of your choice by one. At your DM's discretion, you can instead take a feat. As normal, you cannot increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. ### Patronage Starting at 5th level, you can tap into a new kind of power. You can now function as a Warlock patron of a variety of your choice. Creatures that obtain power from you in this way are considered permanently *charmed* by you, ignoring any resistance or advantage against the effect, and you can suggest any course of action, regardless of potential consequence.. In addition, you can telepathically communicate with these creatures over any distance, and in other planes of existence, so long as nothing is interfering with telepathy and neither of you are in an antimagic field. You do not control creatures you grant power to in this way, and in order to obtain these benefits, the creature must possess at least 1 level in the Warlock class, with you as their Patron. These creatures are considered Pacted. For each creature that you have granted power to in this way, your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus. ### Evasion At 7th level, your practice at keeping yourself safe has allowed you to develop more skills in keeping yourself safe. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a dexterity saving throw, such as a red dragon's fire breath or the *lightning bolt* spell, you take half damage on a failed saving throw and no damage on a successful saving throw. ### Magical Summons Starting at 11th level, you can make your Advisors assist you in combat. As an action, you can transform one of your Advisors, and cast a spell depending on their creature type. If your Advisor was a fiend, you cast *summon fiend* in your Advisor's space, requiring no components, and their normal body disappears. If your Advisor was a Celestial, you cast *Summon Celestial* in your Advisor's space, requiring no components, and their normal body disappears. If your Advisor was an Aberration, you cast *Summon Aberration* in your Advisor's space, requiring no components, and their normal body disappears. If your Advisor was an Elemental, you cast *Summon Elemental* in your Advisor's space, requiring no components, and their normal body disappears. If your Advisor was a Celestial, you cast *Summon Celestial* in your Advisor's space, requiring no components, and their normal body disappears. If your Advisor was a Fey, you cast *Summon Fey* in your Advisor's space, requiring no components and their normal body disappears. Regardless of creature type and spell, the spell requires no concentration and is considered as being cast at a level equal to 2 + your proficiency bonus. You can use this feature once per long rest. At 17th level, you can use this feature on both of your Advisors instead of one and command both using the same bonus action, and the level the spell is cast at is 3 + your proficiency bonus for one of your Advisors transformed in this way (your choice). ### Pactlord At 20th level, you have become a force to be reckoned with. You can become an Aspect, a powerful being, and are temporarily able to draw on your power yourself. As an action, you can transform into an Aspect, your appearance being shaped by your Patronage varieties. For one minute, you gain the following bonuses: - You gain 20 temporary hitpoints - Your AC increases by 2 - You gain up to 2 features based on your Patronage varieties: - Fiend: Once, on each of your turns, you can cause an ally you can see to make one melee weapon or spell attack against an enemy within range, adding your level as fire damage on a hit - Fey: As a bonus action, you can cause each creature within 45 feet of you to make a wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they are either charmed or afraid of you (your choice) for one minute. In addition, you can cast *suggestion* on these creatures on each of your turns, requiring no components or action on your parts besides verbally specifying the suggestion. They interpret this as either a condition of release if frightened or a task to complete if charmed. They can retake the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending this effect on a success. \pagebreakNum - Celestial: As an action, you can target one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you, and cause that creature to regain hitpoints equal to 5d8 + half your level. - Great Old One: As an action, you can cause all creatures that you can see within 60 feet of you of your choice to succeed on an intelligence saving throw or take 4d8 psychic damage and become blinded for one minute as horrible visions fill their mind, suffering only half damage and no additional effects on a success. - Hexblade: As an action, you can summon a blade of howling darkness. On each of your turns, you can use a bonus action to command it to move up to 30 feet and make a melee attack using your Pact attack bonus, dealing 6d8 necrotic damage on a hit. This blade lasts for one minute, before harmlessly disappearing into wisps of shadow. - Genie: As an action on each of your turns, you can gesture to a point within range. From this spot emerges a mephit of a variety of your choice, which obeys your spoken commands (no action required). All mephits summoned in this way disappear after one minute or when you are incapacitated. - Fathomless: As an action on each of your turns, you can cause a whirling vortex to appear at a point you can see within 60 feet of you. each creature within 20 feet of the selected point must succeed on a strength saving throw against your Pact save DC or be dragged to an unoccupied space as close to the center as possible and take 2d12 force damage, taking half as much damage and not being pulled on a successful save. This movement triggers opportunity attacks. ## Subclasses ### ## Path of Devotion When you embark on the Path of Devotion, you value the loyalty and trust between you and those you form Contracts with. Typically these Contractors are Celestial or Fey Patrons, and share their Contracts with close friends and loved ones. ### Bonds of Trust Starting when uou choose this Path at 3rd level, when you form a Pact with a willing creature, both of you gain a number of temporary hitpoints equal to your Contractor level until the Pact ends. You can use this feature a number of times per ling rest equal to your charisma modifier. ### Guardian of the Fold At 6th level, you have learned that deeds speak louder than words. As a reaction to seeing a creature take damage, you can transfer the damage to yourself and reduce the total (before calculation) by an amount equal to your Contractor level. You can use this feature a number of times per long rest equal to your charisma modifier. \columnbreak ### Protective Influence Starting at 10th level, you become a further protector to those you care for. Creatures within 15 feet of you gain temporary hitpoints at the start of each of their turns equal to your Contractor level. These temporary hitpoints stack with any temporary hitpoints granted by your other abilities. At 18th level, the range of this effect increases to 30 feet. ### Trust Beyond Words Starting at 14th level, you can communicate telepathically with any creature that has formed a Pact with you or has gained temporary hitpoints from one of your features, out to a range of 120 feet. ### Faith At 18th level, the faith your companions place in you strengthens you. While one of your allies remains conscious, you can remain conscious, even if you are reduced to 0 hitpoints. You must still make death saving throws at the start of each of your turns. While you remain conscious using this feature, you have advantage on death saving throws, and all creatures within 30 feet of you of your choice regain hitpoints equal to your charisma modifier at the start of each of their turns. ## Path of Dominion Those on the Path of Dominion don't care about their followers beyond their immediate usefulness, and if one dies they view it as a loss of resources rather than friendship. Players on the Path of Dominion often become Fiend or Hexblade Patrons, and freely Pact with anyone they view as valuable and controllable. ### Harsh Control When you form a Pact with a creature, it must succeed on a charisma saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed by you, though they really fear you too much to disobey or not heed your commands. ### Extra Proficiencies At 3rd level, as a follower of the Path of Dominion, you know better than to rely on others. You gain proficiency in martial weapons, medium armor, and shields. In addition, you can choose to use your charisma modifier instead of strength or dexterity when making an attack with a melee martial weapon. ### Extra Attack Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, when you take the attack action on your turn. In addition, you can forgo one of your attacks to allow an ally within 10 feet of you to make a melee attack. \pagebreakNum ### Forced Obedience At level 10, you learn the *Controller* Pact, which doesn't count against the number of Pacts you know. In addition, two uses of this Pact count as one use when determining your number of active Pacts. ### Lord of the Game At 14th level, you have begun to see your allies as simply pawns in a game, and move them as such. As a reaction to taking damage from an attack while within 5 feet of an allied or Pacted creature, you can cause you and the ally or Pacted creature to switch places, causing the swapped creature to take the damage instead. ### Uncaring Manipulation At 18th level, all creatures are merely tools to use as you see fit. As an action, you can force up to three creatures you can see to make a wisdom saving throw against your Pact save DC or make a melee attack against the nearest creature that is within range (if any). You can use this feature a number of times equal to your charisma modifier. ## Path of the Eternal Those on the Path of the Eternal are those that see themselves as a being who is destined for greatness, and who refuse to be held back by the shackles of mortality. Most Pact with creatures for a variety of reasons, but all of them view themselves as the one that will live the longest. Followers of the Path of the Eternal are usually Fathomless or Great Old One Patrons. ### Eternity's Grasp At 3rd level, when you select this Path, you can grasp others within the coils of Eternity. You learn the *Eternal Grasp* Pact. This Pact doesn't count against the number of Pacts you know. In addition, two uses of this Pact count as one use when determining your number of active Pacts. ### Eternity's Knowledge Also at 3rd level, your knowledge of life and time has allowed you knowledge you otherwise would not have attained. You gain proficiency in two options between Arcana, History, Nature, Religion, and Survival. ### Warping At 6th level, you have begun to learn how to warp time around you. As a reaction to a creature making an attack against you or a creature you have Pacted with, you can grant a +2 bonus to AC, which lasts until the end of the attacker's turn. You can use this feature a number of times per long rest equal to your charisma modifier. \columnbreak ### Eternal Vigil Starting at 10th level, you know time more intricately than almost any being. You gain a bonus to initiative rolls equal to your charisma modifier, and cannot be surprised as long as you are conscious. This benefit extends to a number of creatures you have Pacted with equal to your charisma modifier. ### Lengthened Life At 14th level, you have finally begun to become eternal. You age only 1 year for every 10 years that passes, can't be aged magically, and suffer none of the drawbacks of old age. At 18th level, you no longer age. ### Time Shift As a reaction when a creature is hit by an attack, you can cause the attack to miss. You can use this feature 3 times per long rest. ## Path of the Horde The path of the Horde focuses on attracting followers, humanoid or not. Those on this Path usually Fey or Fathomless Patrons. ### Pack Tactics When you choose this Path at 3rd level, you and all creatures you have Pacted with gain advantage on attack rolls when making an attack against a creature while another Pacted creature or yourself is within 5 feet of the creature. ### Bestial Followers Starting at 6th level, you become able to attract animals to follow you. Once per long rest, you can approach a Beast with a CR of 1 or less. If you succeed on an animal handling check to befriend the creature, you can cause it to enter into a special Pact with you. This Pact allows it to understand you, and communicate with you telepathically. In addition, it gains a bonus to its hitpoints equal to your half of your Contractor level. In combat it only takes the Dodge action, but you can use a bonus action to command it to take another action. You can command in this way while commanding other creatures that require a bonus action to command. You can only have 2 creatures Pacted to you in this way. ### Additional Tactics Starting at 10th level, you can use your action to grant you and all creatures you have Pacted with that you can see a +1 bonus to AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls. This bonus ends after 1 minute. You can use this feature once per long rest. In addition, melee attacks made by your Bestial Followers and transformed Advisors are now considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity. \pagebreakNum ### Magical Attendants Starting at 14th level, your Pacted Followers gain additional benefits. The bonus to their hit point maximum is now equal to your Contractor level, and they gain a +1 bonus to AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls. This bonus also extends to Advisors transformed using your Magical Summons feature. In addition, you can have an additional Pacted Beast, as described in the Bestial Followers feature, and your Bestial followers can also be of the Monstrosity creature type, and you can Pact Bestial Followers up to CR 3. ### Additional Advice At 18th level, you have attracted an additional Advisor, which has a different creature type from the other two Advisors you have. When using your Magical Summons, you can choose this Advisor as one of the Advisors transformed, however you can still transform only 2 at maximum. ## Path of the Sanctified Those on the Path of the Sanctified see themselves as having a holy purpose, that of being a benevolent beacon for all the world, and lifting up those to the power they believe they deserve. These Contractors often Pact with anyone that seems worthy or deserving, and often are Celestial and Genie Patrons. ### Holy Words Starting when you choose this Path at 3rd level, you better know the Words of the holy. You become fluent in Celestial. In addition, you can cast *Healing Word* a number of times per long rest equal to your Charisma Modifier, using your Charisma modifier for the bonus. ### Holy Guidance Starting at 6th level, when you use the Help action as a bonus action or action, you can add 1d4 to the first attack roll, ability check, or saving throw the creature makes. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your charisma modifier. ### Holy Rebuke At 10th level, you have learned to rebuke the wicked for their foul deeds. When a creature that you can see takes damage, you can use your reaction to deal radiant damage to the attacker equal to your Contractor level. You can use this feature a number of times per long rest equal to your charisma modifier. ### Radiant Gifts At 14th level, you can magically bolster the abilities of your companions. You learn the *Inspiration* Pact, which doesn't count against the number of Pacts you know. In addition, two uses of this Pact count as one use when determining your number of active Pacts. ### Halo of Power Starting at 18th level, you can magically manifest your holy power. As an action, you can cause a wave of radiance to explode from your body, granting you the following benefits: - When you cast *Healing Word* using your Holy Words feature, it is considered as being cast at 4th level. - You shed bright light out to a range of 30 feet, and dim light for an additional 60 feet. - When you cast *Healing Word* using your Holy Words feature, you can cause another creature you can see to take radiant damage equal to your charisma modifier These benefits last for one minute or until you become incapacitated. ## Path of the Unholy The Path of the Unholy is a route to profane and evil Pacts, drawn often from Baator or Gehenna. Those on this path often view their Pacts as means of securing services or entertainment, and view all others as puny existences that should be honored by their presence. These are usually Fiend or Great Old One Patrons. ### Unholy Rites At 3rd level, you can form forbidden Pacts. You learn the *Blood Rite* Pact and the *Alteration* Pacts, which don't count against the number of Pacts you know. ### Shrewd Pact Maker At 6th level, your dark knowledge has given you can edge over those you PAct with. Although you still cannot lie, you gain advantage on charisma(deception) checks made to distract a creature from certain elements of the Pact. ### Dark Deals At 10th level, your Pacts have become able to twist those they touch. When you Pact with a creature, they gain resistance to a damage type of your choice until the Pact ends, however they are noticeably transformed in a hideous manner, inflicting disadvantage on any charisma checks besides intimidation with any creature besides you that lacks the Fiend creature type. ### Evil Abyss Starting at 14th level, you can show other creatures the darkest corners of their mind. As an action, you can cause each creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you to make a wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they take 3d8 psychic damage and are stunned for one round, as you show them glimpses of all their dark desires fulfilled. Creatures that succeed on the saving throw take only half damage and suffer no additional effects. You can use this feature a number of times per long rest equal to your charisma modifier. \pagebreakNum ### Evil Incarnate At 18th level, you have become a truly Evil being. You have advantage on all intimidation checks against non evil creatures, and gain resistance to fire and necrotic damage. In addition, you have advantage on persuasion checks against fiends, since they begin to recognize you as one of their own. ## Pacts (For now these will not be alphabetically organized, but will be at a later date) ### Strength As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature you can see a bonus to damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus (rounded up) for one minute. You also take an amount of necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus, which ignores resistance, immunity, and absorption. ### Eternal Grasp Prerequisites: level 3, Path of the Eternal As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see a bonus to movement speed equal to your own for one minute. During this time, you cannot move using your movement speed. ### Alteration Prerequisites: level 3, Path of the Unholy As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus for one minute. However, the creature also becomes hideously transfigured, losing 5 feet of movement speed and suffering disadvantage on charisma checks until the Pact ends. ### Blood Rite Prerequisites: level 3, Path of the Unholy As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see, and grant resistance to a damage type of your choice for one minute. At the start of each of your turns until the Pact ends, you or the creature you Pacted with (your choice) lose a number of hitpoints equal to your charisma modifier at the start of each of their turns. ### Inspiration Prerequisites: Path of the Sanctified, 14th level As an action, you can target one willing creature you can see and form this Pact. For one minute, the creature has advantage on all ability checks. At the start of each of your turns, you or the creature you Pacted with (your choice) loses a number of hitpoints equal to half of your Contractor level. ### Controller Prerequisites: Level 10, Path of Dominion As an action, you can form this Pact, and target one creature you can see, even if they are unwilling. They must succeed on a saving throw against your Pact Save DC or be affected as if you had cast the *Dominate Person* or *Dominate Monster* spell on them (whichever would take effect from creature type), which lasts for one minute. During this Pact, you are paralyzed. ### Fiery Shell Prerequisites: 8th level As an action, you can form this Pact, and target one willing creature that you can see and cause it to erupt into flames for one minute. For the duration, they shed bright light in a 10 foot radius and dim light for another 10 feet, and when they hit a creature with a melee attack or are hit by a melee attack, the target or attacker takes 2d10 fire damage. At the start of each of your turns, you take 1d8 cold damage. ### Minor Strength As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see a +1 bonus to attack rolls for one minute. This Pact has no drawbacks. ### Minor Protection As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see a number of temporary hitpoints equal to your charisma modifier, which fade after one minute. This Pact has no drawbacks. ### Minor Assistance As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see a +1 bonus to its next 2 ability checks in the next minute. This Pact has no drawbacks. ### Protection Prerequisites: 6th level As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see a number of temporary hitpoints equal to your Contractor level, which fade after 1 minute. When you form this Pact, you take 1d4 necrotic damage. ### Assistance Prerequisites: 10th level As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see a +2 bonus to all ability checks it makes within the next minute. During this time, you take 1d4 necrotic damage at the start of each of your turns. \pagebreakNum ### Immunity Prerequisites: 6th level As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see immunity to 1 status effect of your choice besides restrained and unconscious for 1 hour. During this time, you suffer from this status effect. ### Minor Immunity As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see immunity to the poisoned condition. This Pact has no drawbacks ### Relief Prerequisites: 10th level As an action, you can form this Pact, and target one willing creature that you can see and remove all status effects and curses affecting the creature. If a specific spell would be required, you are considered as having cast it at a level equal to half your Contractor level -1. When you form this Pact, you take 3d12 necrotic damage and become poisoned, with the poisoned effect ending after 1 hour has passed. ### Minor Relief As an action, you can form this Pact, and target one willing creature that you can see and end one status effect on them. This Pact has no drawbacks. ### Speed Prerequisites: 10th level As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see an increase in its movement speed by 90 feet for one minute. In addition, its movement does not provoke opportunity attacks, and it can ignore magical and nonmagical difficult terrain. During the duration of this Pact, you take 1d8 force damage at the start of each of your turns. ### Minor Speed As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see an increase in its movement speed by 30 feet. This Pact has no drawbacks. ### Icy Shell Prerequisites: 8th level As an action, you can form this Pact, and target one willing creature that you can see, causing it to be thinly coated in ice for one minute. When it hits with a melee attack or is hit by a melee attack, the victim or attacker takes 2d10 cold damage. In addition, the ground around them to a range of 10 feet is difficult terrain for creatures of their choice. ### Stormy Shell Prerequisites: 8th level As an action, you can form this Pact, and target one willing creature that you can see, causing stormy winds to erupt around them. Each creature of their choice that comes within 15 feet of them must succeed on a dexterity saving throw against your Pact save DC or take 1d10 lightning damage and 1d10 thunder damage, taking half as much damage on a successful save. In addition, the targeted creature is under the effects of half cover in all directions, and a strong wind blows out from them to a range of 15 feet. ### Invisibility Prerequisites: 14th level As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see invisibility which lasts for one minute or until they are rendered unconscious. During this time, you take 1d6 radiant damage at the start of each of your turns. ### Minor Invisibility Prerequisites: 6th level As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see invsibility, which lasts for one minute or until they attack, cast a spell, force a creature to make a saving throw, or fall unconscious. This Pact has no drawbacks. ### Momentum As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see a bonus to damage and attack rolls equal to half of your proficiency bonus, rounded down, for one minute. During this time, you suffer 1d8 force damage at the start of each turn. ### Secrets Prerequisites: 6th level As an action, you can form this Pact, and grant one willing creature that you can see a bonus to intelligence, wisdom, and charisma saving throws equal to your charisma modifier. However, they are unable to speak on a topic of your choice, determined after the Pact is formed, and any attempts to do so are met with failure as they \pagebreakNum # Shadowcaster ### A human walks quietly down a lonely road, their shadow stretching out far in front of them as the day draws to a close. They stumble, but before they can fall a hand bursts from their shadow, holding them up until they can support themselves. An eye gleams from the darkness, and the human can hear a faint voice say, "be careful." An orc is dragged down a shady alley, beating frantically at the hands that hold them. Their captor tries to secure them, but a shadowy blade erupts from their chest, and they fall down with a whimper. As the orc looks up, they see a concerned face, etched in shadow, holding its hand out to them. A tiefling sits in front of a blazing fire, staring deeply into it. Warriors try to creep up on them, but before they can get close they are cut down, a mysterious and dark assailant striding among them. Shadowcasters are a unique breed of adventurer, in that they are not very strong. Most shadowcasters possess very little magical or martial skill, however they don't need to, for they have their Shade: a living shadow that protects them until death. Shades can appear in a variety of shapes and sizes, but one fact holds true: a Shade always gets stronger as it gets more detailed, and a detailed Shade can do incredible things. ### Shadowcasters are a variety of class based upon summoning, utilizing variously detailed Shades to protect yourself and attack others. However, their Shade can come from a variety of sources. For examples, I will use the Black Sheep, a group of Shadowcaster NPCs I have developed: Arwin Naga, a Yuan-ti Shadowcaster of the Path of the Guardian, inherited his Shade while he was on the battlefield. A war orphan, he had aimlessly wandered the area, nearly getting hit many times, until a kindhearted enemy found him and, seeing that he was only a child, tried to protect him. The man's own comrades felled him, raging that a traitor could have appeared among their own, but he rose from his death as a Shade bound to Arwin, determined to save him, even after death. The relationship between Shadowcaster and Shade is very good in this case, and they like to sit and have amiable conversations. Yuloth Kinfeller, a goliath Shadowcaster of the Path of Annihilation, gained a shade through extraplanar contact. His tribe had been tasked for many long years with guarding a portal to Shadowfell, and had fought off attacks from its denizens countless times. Once, a small Shade broke free, and Yuloth ran to slay it. The Shade begged for mercy, pleading for its freedom after being transformed into a Shade from countless years spent in Shadowfell, and Yuloth elected not to slay it. In thanks, it bonded to him, promising to protect him even as he had protected it. Orville Manyhands, a gnome Shadowcaster of the Path of Strings, only obtained a Shade through much sadness and heartache. As a boy, he and his older brother had been inseperable, always playing together and enjoying each other's company. One day, while playing, Orville took a deadly fall. Without hesitating, his brother reached over the precipice he had fallen from and hoisted Orville up, even though he lost his own balance on the cliff and fell. A heartbroken Orville reached the bottom of the cliff face, and found his brother's broken body. While the tears still sat on his cheeks, a dark vapor rose from the corpse and came to him, and to Orville's ears came his brother's voice, saying, "I'll *always* protect you." Samuel Darktouch, a human Shadowcaster of the Path of Curses, gained his Shade through darker means. As a member of the Cult of Whispers, he had been ordered to practice the sacrifice of humanoid beings. Though reluctant, he slew an elf, and it rose again as a Shade. Using forbidden rites, he forced it to bond to him, and it begrudgingly was forced into his service. After many long hours, he finally came to know his Shade, Alven, and they escaped the clutches of the cult. Although unable to break the Bond they had forged, he searches to this day, trying to find a way to free his friend. Shadowcasters often inherit their Shade during the death of a loved one, or someone who had great interest in protecting them. In other cases, their Shade could have been a mindless aberration or undead, protecting their Shadowcaster out of a sense of duty, or as thanks for giving them purpose. They could even be an ancestor, an ancient progenitor who has made it their duty to pass down the line of their descendants and protect them from harm. Shadowcasters can also have mixed feelings about their relationship with their Shades. For example, Arwin is great friends with his Shade, and both of them are content with their relationship as it stands. Samuel and Alven, however, have a relationship that has taken many years to improve. Even though Alven has forgiven Samuel for doing what he believed he had to in order to save his own life, she still wants to be free of their Bond and escape to the afterlife, which puts some strain on their companionship. \pagebreakNum <div class='classTable'> ##### Shadowcaster | Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Details | |:---:|:---:|:---|:---:|:---:| | 1st | +2 | Shade, Details | 1 | 1 | | 2nd | +2 | Dimness, Shade Fighting Style | 1 | 2 | | 3rd | +2 | Shade Path | 1 | 3 | | 4th | +2 | Ability Score Increase | 2 | 4 | | 5th | +3 | Extra attack (1) | 2 | 5 | | 6th | +3 | Hidden Ally | 2 | 6 | | 7th | +3 | Path Feature | 3 | 7 | | 8th | +3 | Ability Score Increase | 3 | 8 | | 9th | +4 | Shadowy Aura | 3 | 9 | | 10th | +4 | Path Feature | 4 | 10 | | 11th | +4 | Shadowed Mantle | 4 | 11 | | 12th | +4 | Ability Score Increase | 4 | 12 | | 13th | +5 | Shadow Veil | 5 | 13 | | 14th | +5 | Path Feature | 5 | 14 | | 15th | +5 | Vigilant Protector | 5 | 15 | | 16th | +5 | Ability Score Increase | 6 | 16 | | 17th | +6 | Extra Attack (2) | 6 | 17 | | 18th | +6 | Path Feature | 6 | 18 | | 19th | +6 | Ability Score Increase | 7 | 19 | | 20th | +6 | Nightmare | 7 | 20 | </div> ## Class Features As a Shadowcaster, you gain the following class features #### Hit Points ___ - **Hit Dice:** 1d4 per Shadowcaster level - **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 4 + your constitution modifier - **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d4 + your constitution modifier per level after 1st ## Proficiencies ___ - **Armor:** none - **Weapons:** daggers, slings, quarterstaves - **Tools:** none ___ - **Saving Throws:** Wisdom and Intelligence - **Skills:** Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Deception, Persuasion, and Stealth #### Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: - *(a)* a sling or *(b)* a quarterstaff - *(a)* a Dungeoneer's pack or*(b)* an explorer's pack - a dagger ### Shade At 1st level, you are the Shadowcaster of a Shade. This Shade has separate statistics, and is considered to be a humanoid of a race of your choice besides warforged. The Shade has ability scores separate from your own, and with your DM's permission you can either use the standard array or roll stats for the Shade. After this, you can apply up to 2 points of Ability Score Increase from the Shade's race and 1 racial feature of your choice, which cannot be a spellcasting ability. You cannot select darkvision or skill proficiencies as the trait that is derived from the Shade's race. The Shade knows one language its race knows and one language of your choice, in addition to common. The language you choose must be a language that you know. The Shade has hitpoints at 1st level equal to 10 + its constitution modifier, and gains an additional 1d10 + its constitution modifier bonus to its maximum hitpoints each time you level up. The Shade has standard unarmed AC when you first obtain it, however it can attune to magical armor, in which case it is treated as a creature wearing that armor. Your Shade adds your proficiency bonus to its AC. The shade has proficiency in stealth and one other skill of your choice, and has proficiency in simple weapons and light armor. The Shade can take the *Hide* action as a bonus action so long as it is in an area of dim light or darkness (including the Shadowcaster's shadow). Shades cannot wear armor, as they are incorporeal, and all weapons they use are made of shadowy material. Shades have three attunement slots, and can attune to magic items if they fulfill any prerequisites the items may have. Your Shade has normal eyesight for a humanoid, and darkvision out to a range of 180 feet. Your Shade's proficiency bonus is equal to your own. The shade starts with one melee weapon of your choice, made from shadowy material. This weapon deals necrotic damage instead of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. You can summon your Shade as an action, and can command it to take the Attack, dash, help, or hide action (no action required). If no command is given, it will stay as close to you as it can and take either the attack or help action as it tries to protect you. Your Shade can remain active for one minute, until you die, or until you use a bonus action to dismiss it. ### Details Your Shade would be powerless without features, and luckily your focus can hone its features into a defined shape. Your Shade gains one Detail (as detailed at the end of the class description), and gains additional details when specified in the Details column of the class table. You can replace a number of Details your Shade has with other details over the course of a Long Rest (this takes up all of your hours of light activity). \pagebreakNum ### Dimness At 2nd level, you can dim the room you are in. As a bonus action, you can cause an area of bright light in a 30 foot radius around you to become dim light, or make an area of dim light in a 30 foot radius around you become darkness. ### Shade Fighting Style At 2nd level, your Shade gains a Fighting Style of your choice as detailed in the Fighter Class description. When you gain a level in this class, you can exchange your Shade's current Fighting Style for a different one. ### Shade Path At 3rd level, you embark on a Path of Progression for your Shade. You can choose between the path of Annihilation, the path of the guardian, the path of curses, and the Path of Strings. These paths grant additional features at 7th, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels. ### Ability Score Increase At level 4 and again at levels 8, 12, 16, and 19, you can choose one ability score to increase by two, or two ability scores to increase by one. You can also choose to forgo increase your ability scores in order to obtain a feat. You cannot cause an ability score to exceed 20 with this feature. ### Extra Attack Starting at 5th level, your Shade can attack twice, instead of once, when it takes the Attack action on its turn. At level 17, it can attack 3 times. ### Hidden Ally At 6th level, your Shade has become even more adept at blending in. While in an area of dim light or shadow (even including a shadow your body casts), your Shade can automatically become invisibly unless it wishes to remain visible. ### Shadowy Aura Starting at 9th level, you have become better able to provide shadows for your Shade. You emanate an aura of darkness, and cause all bright light within 10 feet of you to become dim light, and all dim light within 30 feet of you (that was not changed into dim light by this feature) to become darkness. While within this darkness, your Shade gains a +1 bonus to its AC, and has advantage on the first attack roll it makes each turn. You can choose to activate or dismiss this effect as a bonus action, and if you use your Dimness feature on any area turned into darkness by this ability, it becomes an area of magical darkness as described in the *Darkness* spell. ### Shadowed Mantle At 11th level, your Shade begins to exude shadow on its own. Your Shade now produces an effect identical to your Shadowy Aura feature, except it has a radius of 5 feet and it is you that gains the bonus to AC and advantage on attacks instead of your Shade. ### Shadow Veil At 13th level, your Shade can cause chaos in the darkness. If your Shade makes an attack against a creature that cannot see it, the creature must make a saving throw against your Shade save DC (8 + your charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failure, the creature is frightened of both you and your Shade for one minute, but can retake the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. ### Vigilant Protector At 15th level, your Shade has become an even more dutiful guardian. You and your Shade can no longer be surprised, and all allies within 10 feet of you aren't surprised even if they normally would be. ### Nightmare At 20th level, your Shade has become an extremely powerful being. No senses, including Truesight and divination magic, register its presence while it is in an area of dim light or darkness. In addition, your Shadowy Aura radius increases to 30 feet, and while within that radius your Shade instead gains a +2 bonus to AC, all attack rolls against it are made with disadvantage, it makes all attack rolls with advantage, and it gains a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls. ## Subclasses ### ## Path of Annihilation Those on the Path of Annihilation focus with their Shades on becoming strong, valuing combat ability above all else. ### Shade Proficiencies At 3rd level, your Shade has adapted to intensive combat. Your Shade becomes proficient in martial weapons, medium armor, and shields. ### Brutality Starting when you choose this Path at 3rd level, when your Shade makes an attack with advantage, it deals an additional number of d6s of necrotic damage equal to half of your proficiency bonus (rounded down). You can use this feature twice per round. \pagebreakNum ### Strengthened Blows Starting at 7th level, when your Shade hits an enemy with an attack while it had advantage, the target must succeed on a strength saving throw contested by 8 + your Shade's Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, the creature is knocked prone and takes an additional 1d6 necrotic damage, suffering no extra effects beyond th normal effects of the attack on a success. ### Vicious Attacker At 10th level, your Shade has learned not to let up just because the enemy is down. Whenever your Shade scores a critical hit, it deals additional necrotic damage equal to your level. ### Punishment At 14th level, your Shade can strike out as a reaction to being hurt. When you or your Shade is hit by an attack, and the attacker is within 5 feet of your Shade, your Shade can use its reaction to make a melee attack against the attacker. ### Grim Annihilator At 18th level, your Shade has fully mastered its skills in combat. When your Shade rolls initiative, before the initiative starts, it can move up to its movement speed and make one melee attack, dealing additional necrotic damage equal to your level. You can use this feature once per long rest. ## Path of Curses When you embark on the path of Curses, you choose to maximize your shadowy power to the fullest yourself instead of letting your Shade do all the work for you. ### Curse At 3rd level, you gain the ability to curse your opponents. As an action, you can target one creature that you can see and force it to make a saving throw against your Curse DC (8 + your charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus) or suffer from one of the following status conditions: Charmed, Afraid, Poisoned, Stunned, or Paralyzed. These effects last for one minute, or one round if you chose stunned or paralyzed. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your charisma modifier. ### Hexes At 7th level, you have begun to be even more adept at dealing out curses. You learn either the *Bane* spell or the *Hex* spell, and can cast it at 3rd level a number of times per long rest equal to your charisma modifier. At 18th level, you learn the spell you did not select at 7th level, and can use it similarly. \columnbreak ### Heightened Curses At 10th level, your curses have begun to have more adverse effects. When a creature gains a status effect from your Curse feature or has the *Bane* or *Hex* spells applied to them by your Hexes feature, you can also inflict one of the following effects: - The target takes 1d4 necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns for one minute - The target becomes blinded for one minute - The target becomes deafened for one minute - The target takes 2d6 necrotic damage at the start of its next turn ### Lengthened Curses At 14th level, your curses last even longer. Any effect your Path of Curses features inflicts last for one minute if it lasted for one round, ten minutes if it lasted for one minute, or eight hours if it lasted for one hour. ### Supreme Curse At 18th level, you have mastered the ultimate curse. When you use your Curses feature, you can choose to invoke a curse of fragility. The creature's strength, dexterity, and constitution scores are reduced to 10, unless they were already lower. Each time you use this curse, you take 5d12 necrotic damage, which ignores resistance and immunity. ## Path of the Guardian The Path of the Guardian is all about protection, both of yourself and of others. ### Shade Proficiencies At 3rd level when you choose this Path, your Shade gains proficiency in medium and heavy armor, as well as shields. ### Additional Shade Fighting Style Also at 3rd level, your Shade gains an additional Fighting Style, as detailed in the Fighter Class description, choosing between the protection, defense, and interception styles. ### Shadowed Bulwark At 7th level, your Shade can use surrounding shadows to protect those around it. While your Shade is within an area of dim light or darkness, all creatures of its choice within 5 feet of it gain a +2 bonus to AC. \pagebreakNum ### Guardian's Duty At 10th level, your Shade has improved its own knowledge of how to protect. When a creature is hit by a melee attack within 5 feet of your Shade (or 15 feet if both your Shade and the creature are in an area of dim light or darkness), your Shade can use its reaction to swap places with the creature, becoming the new target of the attack. If you use this feature, the damage of the attack is reduced by an amount equal to your Shade's Constitution modifier. You can use this ability a number of times per long rest equal to your Shade's Constitution modifier. ### Guardian's Aura Starting at 14th level, while your Shade is in an area of dim light or darkness, all other creatures of your choice within that same area of dim light or darkness gain temporary hitpoints equal to your charisma modifier, which replenish at the start of each of their turns but do not stack. ### Grim Bulwark At 18th level, the radius of your Shadowed Bulwark ability increases to 10 feet, and all creatures receiving this benefit also don't trigger opportunity attacks while they remain within this radius. ## Path of Strings The path of strings believes that the ties that bind you and your Shade together can bind others too... and not in ways they like. ### Restraining Touch At 3rd level, when your Shade hits a creature with an attack, the creature musts succeed on a strength saving throw against your Shade save DC or be restrained until the start of your next turn. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. ### Restraining Shadows Starting at 7th level, while your Shade is in an area of dim light or darkness, all creatures of your choice within 15 feet of your Shade have their movement speed halved, and don't benefit from features or actions that inflict disadvantage on opportunity attacks or make creatures immune to opportunity attacks. ### Constricting Assault At 10th level, if your Shade successfully hits with 2 or more attacks within 1 turn, the target must succeed on a strength saving throw against your Shade save DC or be knocked prone and restrained for 1 minute. It can retake the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. \columnbreak ### Ensnaring Gaze At 14th level, as an action you can cause all creatures that you can see within 60 feet of you of your choice to make a strength saving throw against your Shade save DC. On a failure, they are restrained, and are able to retake the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success. You can use this ability once per long rest. ### Primeval Snaring At 18th level, your Shade becomes even better at ensnaring its victims. Your Restraining Shadows feature no longer requires you Shade to be in an area of dim light or darkness, and each time your Shade hits a creature with a melee attack its movement speed is reduced by 5 feet per hit for one round. ## Details Details are what gives Shades true power. They are few in number, but when successfully Detailed a Shade is a formidable foe. (Details are currently not organized alphabetically. This will change at a later date, but for now please put up with the mess.) ### Eyes Your Shade's eyes become more defined. The range of its darkvision extends to 360 feet. ### Mouth Your Shade's mouth becomes more detailed. It gains the benefits of the "Actor" feat. ### Hands Your Shade's hands become more detailed. Your Shade gains proficiency in the *Sleight of Hand* skill and martial weapons. If it already had proficiency in *Sleight of Hand*, its proficiency bonus is doubled when making checks using that skill. If your Shade already had proficiency in martial weapons, it instead adds a bonus to its attack rolls equal to half of your proficiency bonus (rounded down). ### Surface Prerequisites: 10th level Your Shade's surface becomes more detailed. Your Shade gains a +1 bonus to its AC, and it gains resistance to a damage type of your choice besides psychic. ### Teeth Prerequisites: 7th level, Mouth Detail Your Shade gains defined teeth. It gains an additional attack, which it can use for any number of its attacks on each of its turns. It deals 1d6 necrotic damage and 1d6 piercing damage on a hit, and your Shade regains hitpoints equal to half of the damage dealt (rounded down). This attack uses strength for bonuses. \pagebreakNum ### Tongue Prerequisites: 10th level, Mouth Detail Your Shade gains a more clearly defined tongue. Your Shade gains proficiency 2 skills of your choice between *Deception*, *Persuasion*, and *Intimidation*. If your Shade already had proficiency in a chosen skill, now adds double its proficiency bonus to checks made with that skill. In addition, your Shade learns an additional language of your choice. ### Barbs Prerequisites: 16th level, Surface Detail Your Shade gains a barbed outer surface as it becomes more detailed. When your Shade is hit by a melee attack, the attacker takes piercing damage equal to your proficiency bonus. While your Shade is in an area of dim light or darkness, the creature also takes additional necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus. ### Wings Prerequisites: 10th level Your Shade gains wings, attached to its back, which grant it a flying speed of 60 feet. ### Glyphs Prerequisites: Surface Detail, 19th level Your Shade gains a series of runes and glyphs along its outer surface. Your Shade gains immunity to one damage type of your choice besides necrotic and psychic damage, and when your Shade is hit by an attack or hits with a melee attack, the target or attacker (as appropriate) takes 1d8 damage of that type. ### Adapted Mouth Prerequisites: Mouth and Tongue Details, 19th level Your Shade becomes able to cast spells. You can choose up to 2 cantrips from the warlock spell list for your Shade to learn, which it can cast, using your Shade's charisma modifier to determine spell attack bonuses and save DC. It also learns up to 3 spells of your choice from the Warlock spell list that are 1st or 2nd level. Your Shade can cast each of these spells twice per long rest at their base level, using your Shade's charisma modifier for the attack bonus and save DC. ### Piercing Gaze Prerequisites: 7th level, Eyes Detail Your Shade becomes better able to see. Your Shade has advantage on wisdom(perception), wisdom(insight), and intelligence(investigation) checks while it can see. ### Shrewd Discernment Prerequisites: 10th level, Eyes Detail Your Shade becomes better at finding things. Your Shade is considered permanently under the effects of the *Detect Magic* spell, although it only applies to objects that your Shade can see. ### Awful Eye Prerequisites: 16th level, Eyes Detail Your Shade's eyes become terrible to behold when it so chooses. Your Shade can cast *Eyebite*, requiring no components, once per long rest, using its charisma modifier for the save DC. ### Grasping Grip Prerequisites: Hands Detail Your Shade becomes proficient in the *Athletics* skill, and it gains a bonus when attempting to grapple equal to your proficiency bonus. ### Strong Hands Prerequisites: 10th level, Hands Detail When your Shade attempts to grapple or makes an attack using its strength score, it gains a bonus to the check or damage roll equal to half of your proficiency bonus, rounded down. ### Smiting Strikes Prerequisites: 19th level, Hands Detail When your Shade makes a melee attack, it deals an extra 1d10 necrotic damage on a hit. ### Enhanced Wings Prerequisites: 19th level, Wings Detail Your Shade's flying speed increases by 30 feet, and while flying its movement does not trigger opportunity attacks. ### Bomb Belt Prerequisites: 7th level Your Shade gains a Bomb Belt, which contains a number of Bombs equal to your proficiency bonus. These bombs are considered light simple melee weapons with the Thrown and Finesse properties (range 20/60). When thrown, these Bombs explode on a hit, forcing all creatures within 10 feet of where it hit to make a dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 necrotic damage, suffering half damage on a failed save. Your Shade regains all Bombs it has lost or used after a long rest. ### Improved Bomb Belt Prerequisites: 10th level, Bomb Belt Detail Your Shade's Bombs become more detailed. The radius increases to 15 feet, and the damage increases to 3d10. \pagebreakNum ### Dark Eruption Prerequisites: 13th level, Bomb Belt Detail When a Bomb your Shade has thrown explodes, your Shade can choose to teleport to the nearest unoccupied space near where the Bomb exploded in, forcing all creatures within 10 feet to make a dexterity saving throw or take 1d10 necrotic damage, suffering half as mcuh damage on a success. ### Shrapnel Bombs Prerequisites: 13th level, Bomb Belt Detail Your Shade gains access to other bombs, which are more conventional. Your Shade has a number of these Shrapnel Bombs equal to your proficiency bonus, and regains any that were used or lost at the end of a long rest. These Bombs are identical to your Shade's other Bombs, except that they have a radius of 30 feet and deal 3d8 piercing damage. ### Tar Bombs Prerequisites: 13th level, Bomb Belt Detail Your Shade gains access to other bombs, which are more concentrated. Your Shade has a number of these Tar Bombs equal to your Proficiency bonus, and regains any that were used or lost at the end of a long rest. These Bombs are identical to your Shades other Bombs, except that they have a radius of 5 feet and deal 4d12 fire damage on a hit. ### Four Arms Prerequisites: 16th level Your Shade gains an additional pair of arms, which convey the following benefits: - Your Shade gains advantage on the first strength(atheletics) check they make each round - Your Shade can use a bonus action to make four melee attacks. Once your Shade uses this feature, it cannot use it again until after it finishes a long rest. ### Horns Your Shade gains a pair of horns, which it can use to devastating effect. These horns are natural weapons, which use strength for bonuses and deal 1d8 bludgeoning damage on a hit. If your Shade has moved at least 20 feet before making an attack with their horns, the target takes an additional 1d8 bludgeoning damage. Your Shade can only gain this bonus to damage once per round. ### Sharpened Horns Prerequisites: 7th level, Horns Detail Your Shade's horns now deal your choice of slashing or bludgeoning damage on a hit, and when your Shade attacks with their Horns, their first horn attack each turn deals additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus. ### Ramming Power Prerequisites: 16th level, Horns Detail Your Shade's Horns enable them to charge in full speed. Each time your Shade makes a horn attack, their movement speed temporarily increases by 5 feet, and the extra damage from the Horns Detail requires only 10 feet of movement to activate and can be activated an unlimited number of times per turn, so long as it is triggered. ### Brute Force Prerequisites: 19th level, Horns Detail When your Shade hits a creature with a Horn attack, they can choose to expend and roll hit dice, inflicting force damage to the target equal to the number rolled and taking force damage equal to half of the amount rolled.