Dreadbringer

In the deepening shadows of an alleyway, a young woman emerged, her presence tinged with an otherworldly aura. Her village, long haunted by a malevolent spirit, now faced her, a Dreadbringer born with an innate connection to the ethereal realm of fear. As the spirit materialized, it met her gaze, only to recoil in terror from the supernatural chill that enveloped her. With a swift movement, she drew forth a blade that shimmered with spectral energy, the spirit's terror intensifying at her advance.

In the crypt's eerie silence, the chants of an old man resonated, a lineage bearer of secrets and guardian against the dark forces from beyond. His innate affinity with the supernatural allowed him to confront an ancient wraith with a mere glance, his runic markings pulsating with otherworldly power. The wraith, sensing his dread-inspiring aura, faltered in its malevolence.

In the heart of an abandoned mansion, a masked figure, a Dreadbringer, stood motionless. Her targets, oblivious thieves, soon faced her terrifying visage. Born with a supernatural gift to harness fear, she emerged from the shadows, her presence alone unleashing panic and chaos, turning the mansion into a cacophony of screams.

Masters of Terror

Within the echelons of adventurers and heroes, few can claim the title of a true Dreadbringer. These unique individuals are bonded to the very essence of fear, a connection woven into their souls from birth or through fateful encounters with entities from the shadowy realms beyond. Whether arising from cursed bloodlines that whisper of ancient horrors, haunted pasts that echo with the screams of spectral entities, or direct confrontations with the enigmatic denizens of the Shadowfell, Dreadbringers are imbued with a potent, otherworldly power. This power allows them to shape the raw essense of dread from Ravenloft, a chilling energy of fear, often manifesting as a creeping mist or a pitch-black bile that seeps into the very fabric of reality. Their lives are not just a series of battles but a journey through the darkest tales of horror and dread. A Dreadbringer's mastery over the tangible substance of fear blurs the line between the hunter and the haunted.

The Arsenal of Fear

Beyond mere martial prowess, a Dreadbringer wields an arsenal born from the depths of the Shadowfell, a dominion where fear is as real as steel. This innate power over terror is a gift, or perhaps a curse, from realms that mortals dare not tread. Their mere presence can unravel the bravest souls, turning courage to ashes and resolve to dust. Each Dreadbringer channels this dark gift uniquely; some materialize it into tangible forms, crafting weapons from the shadowy essence of fear itself. These items, be they swords wreathed in nightmarish mist or black ichor clubs that crush hope, become living embodiments of terror. Others employ a more subtle, insidious approach, weaving an invisible web of dread that erodes the will of their foes, an unseen force that leaves enemies paralyzed with fear before the battle even begins. This spectral manipulation of fear makes the Dreadbringer a formidable foe, one whose power extends beyond the physical realm into the chilling depths of the psyche.

Creating your Dreadbringer

In crafting a Dreadbringer, consider the origin of your character's supernatural power over fear. Were you marked by the shadows from birth, or did a brush with the unknown leaving you forever changed, attuned to the whispers of fear? Perhaps your knowledge was imparted by a patron, or maybe you come from a Domain of Dread yourself.

Reflect on how your Dreadbringer wields this otherworldly power. Do you revel in confronting and breaking your foes with the sheer force of your presence? Are you the unseen terror, a specter that haunts before striking? Or do you prefer to be the unseen architect of fear, weaving a tapestry of dread that unnerves and paralyzes?

Multiclassing into a Dreadbringer

If your group uses the optional multiclassing rules, here are the requirements and proficiencies for multiclassing into or out of the Dreadbringer class:
   Ability Score Minimum To multiclass into the Dreadbringer class, or to take a level in another class if you are already a Dreadbringer, you must have a minimum Charisma score of 13. This requirement reflects the Dreadbringer's reliance on force of personality and mastery over fear.
   Proficiencies If Dreadbringer isn't your initial class, here are the proficiencies you gain when you take your first Dreadbringer level: Armor: Light armor, medium armor Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons Tools: Disguise kit These proficiencies allow you to adopt some of the essential skills of a Dreadbringer, preparing you for a path that intertwines martial prowess with the manipulation of terror.

Menacing Presence

At 20th level your mastery over terror is now complete. Upon inflicting Terror Factor on a creature you can choose to become the incarnation of terror itself, all creatures under the effect of your Terror Factor perceive the world around them as terrifying and hopeless, and you as the beating heart of that twisted dimension.

For 1 minute or until you decide to end this effect, affected creatures can’t make the saving throw to recover from Terror Factor, take 13 psychic damage at the start of their turn, and if they end their turn while they are within 15 feet of you they must make a Wisdom Saving Throw against your Terror Save DC (this counts as a save against frightened for immunities) or become paralyzed until the end of their next turn. You regain the ability to use this feature after completing a long rest.

Scare Tactics

Choose the Scare Tactic from the options below that best represents your approach at frightening and hunting: Bloodied Reaver, Spectral Stalker or Eldritch Harrower.

Bloodied Reavers infuse their martial prowess with the essence of terror and savagery. Unlike traditional warriors who rely solely on physical strength or skill, Bloodied Reavers harness the power of fear to augment their combat abilities. Their fighting style is brutal and relentless, often employing weapons and tactics that instill dread in their enemies. Bloodied Reavers can manipulate the battlefield by exploiting the terror they sow, turning their foes' fear into a weapon as lethal as any blade. Mechanically, this subclass specializes in dealing extra damage to frightened opponents, using fear effects to gain advantages in combat, and recovering from near-defeat through sheer force of terror. Their unique abilities allow them to turn the tide of battle, not just with their weapons, but with the palpable aura of dread they command.

Sweet Misery

At 3rd level gain unarmored defense equal to 10 + constitution modifier + charisma modifier when not wearing any armor or shield. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma Modifier.

Spooky Carnage

Starting from 7th level, as an action you can brutalize a Spooked creature within range of the weapon you are wielding (or within range of your unarmed attack), make a weapon attack with that weapon, on a hit deal 2d12 additional damage of the same type as
the weapon and remove the Spooked condition.
Furthermore when you successfully hit with Spooky
Carnage gain the temporary hit points from Sweet Misery, if Spooky Carnage reduces a creature to 0 hit points, gain double the temporary hit points.

Cleaver and Leave her

Starting from 11th level, when using your Terror Factor feature you can make a single weapon attack right before that as part of the same Action.

Why won’t It Die

From 13th level, when reduced to 0 hit points you become stable, at the start of your turn you can spend up to half your hit dice to regain hit points, you may also stand up without expending movement.

Kill Them

At 17th level, you gain an imprecise scent with a 60 feet range, allowing you to detect and know the general location that are not Constructs, Elementals or Oozes. You can use your Terror Factor on these creatures even if you only perceive them through this scent and even if they can’t see you.
When creatures fail the saving throw against Terror
Factor you now know their precise location and you
gain advantage on attack against them for the duration of
the Frightened Condition.

Spectral Stalkers embody the essence of ghostly terror, merging stealth and dread in a haunting dance. Unlike other warriors who confront their enemies head-on, Spectral Stalkers use their connection to the spectral realm to strike from the shadows and instill fear from a distance. Their abilities allow them to become ethereal, pass unnoticed, or use ghostly apparitions to disorient and terrify their opponents. On a mechanical level, this subclass excels in ambush tactics and battlefield control, using their ghostly powers to gain strategic advantages. Spectral Stalkers are ideal for players who enjoy a playstyle focused on subtlety, misdirection, and the psychological aspects of combat, leveraging the unseen and the uncanny to dominate the battlefield.

From 17th level, your Ghostly Implement now doesn’t fade away upon hitting a Spooked creature, you can also manifest it in your hands as an action but it still fades away if you let go of it. You can attack with your Ghostly Implement as if you were in the space of your Apparitions and you can use your Terror Factor as if you were in the Apparations’s Space.

Eldritch Harrower Spell List

• Enemies Abound
• Fear
• Fly
• Hunger of Hadar
• Hypnotic Pattern
• Intellect Fortress
• Major Image
• Nondetection
• Sending
• Slow
• Speak with Dead
• Tongues