Shadow Summoner

A young man in white robes throws forward an arm, a phantom in a robes firing magic from its staff. A woman in leather armor orders a great dragon with green eyes in shackles to defend her. These are Shadow Summoners, people who have unearthed ancient arts to create and summon powerful Monsters to fight at their side. Using decks of cards, they can channel their magical power to bring forth mighty creatures called Shadow Monsters using energy from the Shadowfell that serve their whims and fight alongside them in battle.

Quick Build

You can make a shadow summoner quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Intelligence your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Charlatan or Noble background.

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, Shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, scimitars, whips (SCoC)
Tools: Playing Cards
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Charisma
Skills: Any three of your choice.

Equipment

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

• (a) any two Simple Weapons of your choice or (b) A Whip (SCoC) or (c) a Scimitar
• a suit of leather armor
• a shield
• (a) a Scholar's pack or (b) an Explorer's pack

Alternatively, you may start with 5d4 × 10 gp to buy your own equipment.

SCoC = Smug's Compendium of Changes

Cantrips (0-level spells)

You know two cantrips of your choice from the Shadow Summoner spell list on page 13 of this document. You learn additional Shadow Summoner cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Shadow Summoner table.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Shadow Summoner table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your Shadow Summoner spells. To cast one of your Shadow Summoner spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a 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 Shadow Summoner spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Shadow Summoner spell list. When you do so, choose a number of Shadow Summoner spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your Shadow Summoner level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 5th-level Shadow Summoner, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Hellish Rebuke, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of Shadow Summoner spells requires time spent focusing on your Millennium Deck and summoning power from it: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Shadow Summoner spells. Despite drawing from the Shadowfell’s power, you must use strategy and a keen intellect to hone and focus that power. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Shadow Summoner spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

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

Ritual Casting

You can cast a shadow summoner spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a deck of Playing Cards as a spellcasting focus for your shadow summoner spells.

Shadow Monsters

At 1st level, one card from your Shadow Deck is imbued with a Shadow Monster. You gain additional Shadow Monsters at certain levels as shown on the Shadow Monsters column of the shadow summoner class table. You may only have one Shadow Monster summoned at a time, and summoning a new shadow monster replaces the currently summoned shadow monster.

On your turn, you can use your Action to summon a Shadow Monster. A Shadow Monster you summon is friendly to you and your companions, and obeys your commands. See this creature's game statistics in the shadow monster stat block on page 15 of this document, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You determine the creature's appearance and whether it has two legs or four; your choice has no effect on its game statistics.

In combat, a shadow monster shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, a shadow monster can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.

When a shadow monster is reduced to 0 hit points or you replace it with another shadow monster, it perishes, and you cannot summon that shadow monster again until you finish a long rest.

Shadow Infusions

All Shadow Monsters you have in your Shadow Deck can have a number of Shadow Infusions equal to your Proficiency Bonus from the list on page 16 of this document.

When you gain a level in this class, you can change what Shadow Infusions your Shadow Monsters have. Changing a Shadow Infusion takes 1 hour per infusion changed focusing on your Shadow Deck.

Style Spells

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Style Spells table. These spells count as shadow summoner spells for you, but they don't count against the number of shadow summoner spells you prepare.

Commander's Orders

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to issue orders to others. You can take the Help action as a Bonus Action, and it gains a range of 15 feet for you.

Additionally, once per turn, when a shadow monster you control makes an attack, it can gain a bonus to its attack roll equal to your Intelligence Modifier.

Commander's Aura

At 5th level, creatures of your choice other than your Shadow Monster within 15 feet of you may add half of your Intelligence modifier (rounded down, minimum 1) to any saving throw they make with which they are not proficient.

At 15th level, the radius of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Commander's Ferocity

At 9th level, you gain the ability to instill fear in others. As an Action, you may choose creatures equal to your proficiency bonus within 30 feet of you that can see and understand you. Those creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against any creatures other than you and your shadow monsters for one minute.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses at the end of a Long Rest.

Commander's Bravado

At 15th level, when you fail a skill check or saving throw, you may choose to succeed instead.

You must finish a long rest to use this feature again.

Style Spells

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Style Spells table. These spells count as shadow summoner spells for you, but they don't count against the number of shadow summoner spells you prepare.

Holy Magic

At 3rd level, you learn one Cantrip from the Cleric Spell List. This Cantrip counts as a shadow summoner spell for you and does not count against your total number of Cantrips Known. You learn an additional cleric Cantrip at 9th Level. You can change which Cantrips you know from this feature using your cantrip versatility feature.

Holy Light

At 5th level, whenever you use a spell of 1st level or higher to restore hit points to a creature, the creature regains additional hit points equal to your proficiency bonus + the spell's level.

Additionally, your shadow monsters emit bright light in a 30-foot radius around them while summoned. Fiends and undead within 5 feet of your shadow monster have disadvantage on saving throws made against spells you cast.

Holy Defender

At 9th level, when a creature within 5 feet of your shadow monster is the target of an attack or spell, you can use your reaction shift the target of that attack or spell to your shadow monster.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Holy Blaze

At 15th level, when you or your shadow monster deal damage with a cantrip or weapon attack, you deal an additional 2d8 radiant damage.

Style Spells

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Style Spells table. These spells count as shadow summoner spells for you, but they don't count against the number of shadow summoner spells you prepare.

Shadow Mage

At 3rd level, you learn one Cantrip from the Wizard Spell List. This Cantrip counts as a shadow summoner spell for you and does not count against your total number of Cantrips Known. You learn an additional Wizard Cantrip at 9th Level. You can change which Cantrips you know from this feature using your cantrip versatility feature.

Shadow Casting

At 5th level, you can cast your spells through your shadow monster. When you cast a shadow summoner spell on your turn, the spell can be cast from your space or your shadow monster's space.

Shadow Reserves

At 9th level, you can use one of your support cards to regain a spell slot of the same level as the spell stored in the support card.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses at the end of a Long Rest.

Shadow Sage

At 15th level, when you deal damage with a spell, you can change the damage type you deal to any damage type other than bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, or force.

Style Spells

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Style Spells table. These spells count as shadow summoner spells for you, but they don't count against the number of shadow summoner spells you prepare.

Warrior's Soul

At 3rd level, your gain proficiency with Martial Weapons and Medium Armor and may use Intelligence instead of Strength or Dexterity for Attack and Damage rolls with any weapon with which you are proficient that lacks the heavy or special properties.

Additionally, you can spend 1 hour focusing on your shadow deck to fuse it to a shield. While it is fused to your shield, you may use that shield as an focus for your shadow summoner spells.

Finally, your hit point maximum increases by 3 when you gain this feature and increases again by 1 whenever you gain a level in this class.

Extra Attack

At 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, you can cast one of your cantrips in place of one of those attacks.

Warrior's Body

At 9th level, you gain 10 feet of Movement Speed as long as you aren't wearing heavy armor.

Additionally, as long as you are wearing Medium Armor and a shield, you and your Ace may reduce any Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing damage you take by half of your proficiency bonus (rounded down, minimum 1).

Warrior's Resolve

At 15th level, you treat any roll on a d20 of 9 or less for any ability check or saving throw you make that uses strength as a 10.

Additionally, if you or your Ace would be reduced to 0 hit points, you can choose to be reduced to 1 hit points instead. You must finish a Long Rest to do so again.

Shadow Monster

Medium Humanoid, Unaligned

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• Armor Class 13 + your proficiency bonus
• Hit Points 2 + your intelligence modifier + five times your shadow summoner level (the shadow monster has a number of Hit Dice [d8s] equal to your shadow summoner level)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	4 (-3)	10 (0)	6 (-2)

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• Saving Throws Strength +1 plus PB, Constitution, 2 plus PB
• Skills Athletics +2 plus PB, Perception +0 plus PB x 2
• Damage Vulnerabilities N/A
• Damage Resistances N/A
• Damage Immunities N/A
• Condition Immunities exhaustion
• Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive perception 10 + (PB x 2)
• Languages understands the languages you speak
• Challenge -
• Proficiency Bonus equals your bonus

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Vigilant. The shadow monster can't be surprised.

Actions

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d6 + PB bludgeoning damage.

Breath Weapon

Prerequisite(s): 9th level, Elemental, Magical Strikes
Your shadow monster can replace one of its attacks with a breath weapon. This breath weapon's area of effect is a 60-foot cone, deals damage equal to 6d8 of the same type as its Elemental Damage type, and the saving throw is your Spell Save DC.

Claws

Prerequisite(s): N/A
Your shadow monster's unarmed strike deals slashing damage instead of bludgeoning.

Climbing

Prerequisite(s): N/A
Your shadow monster gains a climbing speed equal to its walking speed.

Condition Immunity

Prerequisite(s): 15th level
Your shadow monster gains immunity to one condition of your choice.

Creature Type Change

Prerequisite(s): N/A
Your shadow monster's creature type is one of the following instead of Humanoid: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. Your shadow monster can only be one creature type at a time.

Elemental

Prerequisite(s): 5th level, Magical Strikes
Your shadow monster's attack's damage type is now one of the following: Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison, or Thunder.

Immune

Prerequisite(s): 15th level, Resistant
Your shadow monster gains immunity to one damage type other than bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, psychic, or force. Your shadow monster must have the Resistant infusion of the same damage type as this immunity.

Magical Strikes

Prerequisite(s): 5th level
Your shadow monster's attacks count as magical for piercing resistance and immunity.

Multiattack

Prerequisite(s): 5th level
Your shadow monster gains the Multiattack feature, meaning it can make two attacks, instead of one, when it takes the Attack action. At 11th level, your shadow monster can now make three attacks when it takes the Attack action.

Quick

Prerequisite(s): 3rd level
Your shadow monster gains 10 feet of movement speed. This increases by an additional 5 feet at 5th, 9th, and 15th level.

Reach

Prerequisite(s): 3rd level
Your shadow monster's attack gains 5 feet of reach.

Resistant

Prerequisite(s): 5th level
Your shadow monster gains resistance to one damage type other than bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, psychic, or force. You may select this infusion multiple times on the same shadow monster, choosing an additional damage type each time, to a maximum equal to your PB.

Saving Throw Proficiency

Prerequisite(s): 9th level
Your shadow monster gains proficiency in a saving throw of your choice that it lacks proficiency in. It uses your PB to calculate the bonus it receives to this saving throw.

Size Up

Prerequisite(s): 5th Level
Your shadow monster can now be Large. At 9th level, it can be Huge. At 15th level, it can be Gargantuan.

Swimming

Prerequisite(s): N/A
Your shadow monster gains a swimming speed equal to its walking speed.

Weapon

Prerequisite(s): 3rd level
Your shadow monster's Unarmed Strike is replaced with a weapon with which you are proficient. This weapon adds your PB to the damage it deals and adds your spell attack modifier to its attack rolls.

Wings

Prerequisite(s): 5th level
Your shadow monster gains a flying speed equal to its walking speed.

Art (In Order)

• SDR
• luomo
• aoki
• pey
• maruchi (Dead Source)
• sugi

1.01

• Fixed errors in language and on the class table.

1.02

• Updated formatting.

1.03

• You now choose any three skills instead of two from a list.