Shadow Sovereign (5e Class)

Shadow Sovereign

(Updated 1/25/21)

There was once an Absolute Being that created two powerful races, the Rulers, and the Monarchs. The Rulers were creatures of creations, the Monarchs were creatures of destruction. Due to their natures, they waged war on each other for centuries. Eventually, the Rulers found out that the Absolute Being made the Rulers and Monarchs to fight each other for his own amusement. Angered and filled with grief from the gruesome war, the Rulers killed the Absolute Being. Only one out of the Rulers was still loyal to the Absolute Being and tried to protect the Absolute Being against the angered Rulers, but he was outnumbered and killed.

After 'dying', this Ruler realized that the Absolute Being planted a fragment inside of it's most faithful servant, for when everything went wrong. A powerful and terrifying power capable of ending everything. The power of Death. With this, the ruler became the first Shadow Sovereign, he went out to kill the Monarchs. After succeeding he passed his power to a mortal to do what they see fit. YOU are that Mortal.

The Power of Death

Shadow Sovereigns are beings that use the power of death gifted to them from previous sovereigns. The origin of the power was from the Absolute Being, a god from the dawn of time that was overthrown by the first sovereign. Your character may not know the reason why the first sovereign killed the Absolute Being, but they now have the power to take the souls from the deceased and use that energy to form soldiers that can be stored in your shadow.

Creating a Shadow Sovereign

When you are creating a Shadow Sovereign ask yourself why your character why do they want to use the power of the shadows? Is it to use the enemy forces against them for revenge? Do they want to see a loved one return? Why would the first sovereign give you this power? Were you walking on the edge of death all of your life for a good cause? Did he see you as worthy for your good deeds, maybe he gave it to you to try to fulfill your desires to conquer the world? When making a Shadow Sovereign you are not relying on your soldiers, you are the leader of your soldiers, and your strength and speed define such.

Quick Build

You can make a Sovereign quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Survivor background. Third, choose a reason why you want the power of death.

Class Features

As a Shadow Sovereign you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Shadow Sovereign level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Shadow Sovereign level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light
Weapons: Martial, Shortswords, Simple Weapons
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Charisma, Inteligence
Skills: Intimidation, Athletics, Stealth, two other of your choice

Equipment

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

• (a) Pair of short swords or (b) Long Sword or (c) Dagger
• (a) cloak or (b) amulet (non-magical)
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 20 Copper Coins, 10 Silver Coins in funds.

Table: The Shadow Sovereign

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Ruler's Reach
2nd	+2	Fighting Style, Shadow Soldiers
3rd	+2	Shadow Infiltrator
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Shadow Zone
6th	+3	Extra Attack
7th	+3	Ruler's Authority
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Black Heart, Evolution of the Hunter
10th	+4	Evolutions of the Shadows
11th	+4	'Full Recovery'
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement, Loyalty of the Shadows
13th	+5	Monarch's Hands
14th	+5	Commune with Shadows
15th	+5	Shadow Exchange
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Arm the Faithful
18th	+6	Stealth
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement, Sovereign Territory
20th	+6	Sovereign's Elites

Ruler's Reach

Using a bonus action, an invisible spectral floating hand appears at a point you choose within range. The hand lasts for 1 hour or until you dismiss it as an action. The hand vanishes if it is ever more than 30 feet away from you or if you cast this cantrip again.

You can use your action to control the hand. You can use the hand to manipulate an object, open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. You can move the hand up to 30 feet each time you use it. (Note: You can't attack with this ability)

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Archery You gain a +2 to attack rolls you make with a ranged weapon.

Dueling When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can re-roll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Two-Weapon Fighting When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. Also, this counts as dual-wielding. if the weapon is a finesse weapon, it deals an additional 1d8 damage or 1d12 if thrown. if the thrown attack is blocked, dodged, or misses the target you can teleport to it and do an opportunity attack if successful it will do an additional 1d4 damage and if behind the opponent it can sneak attack.

Shadow Soldiers

Each Soul you extract will become a soldier that you can control. The shape of the summoned creature is the same as when they were alive, but the color is ink black with smoke rising from its body. Their base HP and armor class will be represented in the chart below. The attack of your summon is based on the summons unrestricted attack from when it lived.

In battle, as an action, you can summon one soldier- unless you've learned skills that say otherwise- and as a bonus action, you can give a single order to a single soldier within hearing distance. If they are out of range for an order they will continue with the order given, if they complete their order they will return to defend the sovereign. Upon death, your soldier will return to the sovereigns shadow and cannot be re-summoned till a long rest is taken

They regain HP the same way players do, the DM will roll for how much is recovered.

Shadow Extraction

Starting at level 2, With the power of Death at your side, you are able to extract the souls of the dead to become a loyal soldier. Using your action, you can extract the soul of the creature, you can only extract one soul per round. The way to extract a soul is by rolling based on the creature's CR rating relative to your level, Add your charisma modifier + Proficiency Bonus when you roll to extract.

You can't extract the souls of

- The Undead

- Non-organic Creatures

- Creatures that the DM says you can't

Once extracted the soul will immediately be stored in your shadow, if there is no room you must choose to release a stored soldier into smoke or forfeit the new soul.

Attempts

In order to attempt to extract the soul of a creature, you have to roll a check. For a creature 1/4th your level or below, you simply need to beat a 5, if it is 1/4th of your level to 1/2 of your level you must beat a 10, if it is 1/2 your level to even with your level you must beat a 20. For a creature 1 to 10 levels higher you must beat a 27. You have three chances to extract a soul. The DC increases in 1 for every failure. If you fail 3 times. The soul is lost forever and cannot be attempted to be extracted ever again.

Army General

You can choose a Shadow to be the most loyal soldier and the general of your army, The choosen shadow gains the passive ability that whenever it could be killed by an attack (must choose to do so before the damage roll) you can use a reaction to return it to your shadow unharmed, with its health fully restored.(you may only use this abbility once per long rest). This does not provoke an opportunity attack. Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your shadow’s abilities also improve. Your shadow can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1.This shadow can no longer be permanently destroyed unless freed. If you choose a new shadow. The old one lost all the improves. As the new general receives insted.

Shadow Storage

Starting at level 2 you can store a number of soldiers equal to your Proficiency Bonus + Charisma Modifier in your shadow, at levels 4 and 10 you can add an additional soldier into your shadow.

Soldier Enhancements

2nd level, Your servants now gain one of three passive abilities:

Option a: you can deploy three using your action where you could cast one previously

Option b: they gain experience along with you and can class up (chart below)

Option c: when a soldier would be destroyed, you have a chance to pay hp equal to its challenge rating plus its level times 3 to heal it back to full health (This skill can be used once per shadows long rest)

You choose another option at level 6 and 10

Shadow Infiltrator

At level 3 you get the ability to infiltrate and store your soldiers in the shadow of other people. As a action you can choose a creature within 30 feets of you and infiltrate a single soldier in his shadow. The soldier is imperceptible tô normal senses and in total cover unless you choose his to leave the shadow of the creature or return to you.

As a action you can see what your soldiers see in the perspective of inside other people's shadow, during this time, you are deafened and blinded of your own senses. While in the shadow of another creature, he still counts in your number of your stored shadows. If the shadow is over 5 miles away from you, stay in the another creature for over 2 days or is destroyed, the connection is lost and the Shadow return to your storage.

At lv 15. The soldier no longer lost the connection after being 5 miles away. And can stay in a creature for atleast 30 days.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th Level, you can Attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on Your Turn.

Shadow Zone

Beginning at 6th Level, the darkness now makes way for you and provides a safe space for you, whenever you are NOT in combat you can slip into your shadow and enter a pocket dimension that has an area of 15ft x 15ft, height limit of 20 feet. You can place any item in there that you are holding/touching. You can't bring someone with you until level 10, at which point the room expands to 30ft x 30ft, height limit of 20 feet, and you can bring in one person. While in this room, nobody can cast spells, and only you may rest here. At level 12 you can enter this safe space during combat, you can also bring in 3 people and they can rest inside there.

Ruler's Authority

Beginning at 7th Level, you can create an invisible, circular, horizontal plane of force, 3 feet in diameter and 1 inch thick, that floats 3 feet above the ground in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within range, and that you can move along the ground to any space within 20 feet of you. The disk remains for the duration and can hold up to 500 pounds. If more weight is placed on it, the spell ends, and everything on the disk falls to the ground.

If you move more than 20 feet away from it, the disk follows you so that it remains within 20 feet of you. It can move across uneven terrain, up or down stairs, slopes and the like, but it can't cross an elevation change of 10 feet or more. For example, the disk can't move across a 10-foot-deep pit, nor could it leave such a pit if it was created at the bottom.

If you move more than 100 feet from the disk (typically because it can't move around an obstacle to follow you), the disk disappears and everything on the disk falls to the ground.

Black Heart

At level 9 you have resistance to necrotic and poison damage, and your hit point maximum can't be reduced. You have spent so much time dealing with shadows / undead and the forces that animate them that you have become immune to their effects.

Evolution of the Hunter

At 9th level you get more powerful the more you and your shadow soldiers kill. You get the following bonuses below per kill (Only for player, not soldiers.). You must be the one to get the kill, assisting in it will not count. You now have Life or Death Training and access to Titles, Evolved Skills, and Looks that Kill.

You will choose your weapons of destruction. Depending on your chosen weapon, you will get what is shown below. You can choose your second weapon at level 12 but what you can do with it, is up to your DM.

A Walk with Death

Killing living creatures grants 1 AC per kill temporarily for 7 days. Killing 5 creatures within this time grants 1 permanent AC per every 5 killed.

Your strikes are deadly. killing living creatures gives +1 damage to your attacks for 48 hours per kill. killing 3 creatures gives +1 permanent damage per every 3 killed.

Weapons of Destruction

Choose your weapon of death. You can get another at level 11 and 15.

Short Swords

Give additional 1d12 damage on each attack. The short sword damage is x2 to x10+ depending on the opponent's level being above yours if you are by yourself. The damage stacks if vs multiple opponents. It does x2 to x10 max if you have an ally with you (not counting shadow soldiers). There is no bonus other than the 1d12 if you have 2 or more allies with you. Dual wielding counts as its own attack so it would be 1d12 times whatever for each one. Short swords damage is halved until you reach level 15. Gives you proficiency in athletics, if you have already had proficiency, it becomes expertise.

Daggers

Give additional 1d8 damage. The dagger damage is x2 to x10+ depending on the opponent's level above yours (you being 10 them being 11 gives you x2, 10-12=x3, etc...). The damage amount won't decrease with up to 3 allies but more than that and the bonus rolls cannot be applied. Daggers do an additional 1d12 if thrown. They cannot be taken out of it hits the target until the target dies, unless the dagger hits a weak spot. If the dagger hits a weak spot Dual wielding counts as its own attack so it would be 1d8 per dagger. Daggers have a bonus. depending on what the dagger is made out of it can have a chance to do an additional effect to the opponent. Gives you proficiency in stealth, if you have already had proficiency, it becomes expertise. Increases movement by 20 feet

Long Swords

Gives additional 1d20 damage but there is no bonus depending on the opponent's level. This goes to 1d12 if you have 2 allies with you, 1d8 for 3 allies, and 1d4 for anything above. Can be dual wielded but its damage is per turn, not attack. Dual wielding lowers the additional damage by 5, if the damage is above that, but gives an extra attack afterward. Not dual wielding and using 2 hands allows you to do an additional 1d20, however, ALL opponents now get to act first if they plan to attack you. Gives you proficiency in intimidation, if you have already had proficiency, it becomes expertise. Increases movement by 10 feet

Ranged weapons

Allow you to attack twice in one turn deal and deal an additional 1d4 per successful hit and give a choice on each turn. you can either not attack and study 1 opponent to find the spot that would induce the most damage / pain if hit or attack once and hide or escape combat if the area allows it. When hidding / escaping the opponents closest to your attack will have to roll perception to see where you went, if the opponent however if one or more has very good sight and see you, you will be hidden from everyone but them. Gives you proficiency in Acrobatics, if you have already had proficiency, it becomes expertise. Increases movement by 30 feet and you can Dash

Great Swords and Clubs

They do not give bonus damage but successful attacks that deal over 5 damage will knock the opponent back 10 feet, if they hit a wall they are stunned for their turn. If they fall after being hit they are stunned for 2 turns. If it does over 10 damage it will also deal damage to other enemies in the range of your swing dealing -2 stacking to each opponent the further they are from the initial target. Great swords do not follow that limitation but lower your movement by 10 feet, clubs to not. gives advantage on initiative.

Staffs and Spears

They do not give bonus damage but they can disarm any opponent as long as the weapon is not an extension of their body as a bonus action. The opponent would have to roll against it but they have disadvantage. If their roll is successful they can grab your weapon and take it or pull you towards them. Gives +5 to initiative. Allows you to Dash.

Axes and Hammers

They do not deal bonus damage but can cause opponents to stagger. If the opponent staggers, they lose their turn. If you deal the killing blow to the enemy with an axe you take their total health as damage and get a free attack on the next opponent. If that kills their health gets added so if the first opponent had 50 health and the second had 30 you are now dealing 80 damage to the next person for free. If the opponent is a higher level than you they can roll a save with disadvantage, if successful they take no damage. When killing with the hammer the first attack against any different opponent will stun and they will lose a turn. The more you kill with it, the more turns the opponent you hit gets skipped. If you hit the ground with 20+ damage using the hammer, all opponents in 30 feet are stunned and lose their turn. they have to roll with disadvantage to not be stunned. . Lowers movement by 10 feet, gives additional 10 feet of attack radius.

Life and Death Training

your body has adapted and strengthened. you can gain one of the following attributes:

Longevity, All diseases, poisons, and status effects heal slowly, and sleeping will explosively increase regeneration ability. This is different from Full Recovery.

Eagle Eye, can spot the weak point of 1 target enemy in a fight and hit it with pinpoint accuracy. if successful no one can roll a save against the attack. can only use on another opponent if the first target has been killed or downed.

Dragon's Fear, any opponent weaker than you will feel true fear if they look at you or are around you. This does not affect those that see you with affectionate eyes, those that are kind are not scared of you but are wary and will be reserved. If you are hidden or disguised they won't know where the source of their fear came from unless they have heightened senses or detection.

You gain another at level 15 and 17.

Looks that Kill

Your looks cannot be ignored, you are one of the most handsome / beautiful people anyone has ever seen. People are more willing to talk to you and open up to you. People will admire you up close and at a distance. You become the center of attention and the person of their dreams. Those weaker than you will believe anything you say, and you have an advantage on persuasion, performance, deception, and intimidation against anyone stronger than you. Those that are immune to such effects must make rolls with disadvantage and if successful they cannot be affected for 48 hours. Your voice whether talking or singing serenades the ears of those that hear it, and you have an easier time learning 2 other forms of entertainment. This does not work when walking using stealth or disguised as they can no longer see your face or body. Your voice remains the same unless you try to disguise it.

Titles

Titles are accomplishments, that give bonus's. They are to be created by the DM and given when the player accomplishes it. An example from the source is: " Wolf Slayer," A title given to a hunter experienced in slaying wolves. (40% increased stats against beast-type monsters.) Or: " The One Who Overcame Adversity," A title given to those who overcame adversity heroically. (Your stats increase proportionally to your missing health. 1% stat increase every 1% HP missing.)

Evolutions of the Shadows

Beginning at 10th Level, you can change the species of all beast type soldiers to a larger, similarly shaped species at your DM's discretion. This also adds a passive ability to these shadows where they can change between their original and upgraded species. (ex: wolf shifts form to become a dire wolf)

'Full Recovery'

Starting at 11th level, you regain your health to full, as well as your conditions being set back to normal, after a long rest, no matter what. Along with this you may recover one limb per long rest.

Loyalty of the Shadows

At level 12, Your Soldiers have devoted themselves to you and they wish to be beside you at all times. You storage capacity is doubled. And you learn how summon all your army at once. Doing so, however, gives you 2 levels of exhaustion. After use this skill you can't use this feature again until a long rest is taken, however 1 level of exhaustion is added if used within 48 hours of its first use. 3 exhaustion total if used the day after, 4 total for the day after that, and so on until 48 hours go by without use.

Monarch's Hands

Beginning at 13th Level, when you cast the cantrip, and your hand is suffused with black flames. You point your finger at the target across the room, and it slowly rises in the air.

Using the Monarch's Hands can lift an object and move it at will from a distance. Using your movement, you can propel the target up to 20 feet in any direction, although the spell ends if the distance between you and the subject ever exceeds the spell's range of 40ft. The max weight is based off of your carry capacity multiplied by your charisma modifier. Throw an object at a creature, deal damage based on 1d4 damage for every 25pounds

Commune with Shadows

At level 14, you can communicate with your servants to discuss plans and you can now allow them to use magic items.

Shadow Exchange

At level 15 you may swap places with a shadow soldier, no matter how far away. You may not do this if there is an area where magic is negated, or if by some circumstance, the shadow is impossible by any means to locate - ex: If you're in the realms of such places as limbo or hell, or any astral plane for that matter, you may not switch place with your shadow.

Arm the Faithful

At level 17, Your soldier's devotion to you has reached a point where your shadows form into magical items. Each soldier gets one magic item of the DM's discretion that will power up the abilities that are used best for them.

Stealth

At the 18th level you may take an action to go into complete invisibility, with your movements being concealed and unheard. You may use this twice per long rest. You may conceal yourself for 1 minute each, and you may consume both stealth charges to change the concealment to last for 2 minutes.

Sovereign Territory

At level 19 you may take an action to activate the Sovereign's territory. This causes the floor within a 100ft radius in a point you choose within 60 feets become dyed black, and your soldiers will get your proficiency bonus added to their attack rolls and damage while they stay in the cone extending infinity upward from the dyed floor, this stacks with their original proficiency. The territory will dissipate after one hour. This ability can only be used once per long rest.

Sovereign's Elites

At 20th level you can take a bonus action that makes it so that your soldiers are cloaked in reflective shadow armor, making them seem to slip in and out of vision. This gives all enemies disadvantage on perception checks targeting them, as well as disadvantage on attack rolls while they are not constrained. The armor also augments their abilities, giving them advantage on strength and dexterity based checks, including attack rolls. This lasts for 3 hours, and after which the Soldiers retreat to your shadow until the next short rest. This ability can only be used once every 48 hours.

Soldier Levels

The soldiers are all considered their own party, so they will gain as much experience as the party does, as long as they are involved in the combat. The level chart shows what they get at each level. As a general rule, if you level the party, you should level the soldiers. Along with the hp boost, non-humanoid soldiers get larger as they get stronger, this is again able to be shifted between.)

Grades	HP	Armor Class
1st-Normal	25% of original	10
2nd-Infantry	35% of original	11
3rd-Elite	50% of original	12
4th-Knight	60% of original	13
5th-Elite Knight	75% of original	14
6th-Commander	85% of original	15
7th-Colonel	100% of original	16
8th-General	110% of original	17
9th-Major General	125% of original	18
10th-Marshal	135% of original	19
11th-Grand Marshal	150% of original	20

Multiclassing

You really shouldn't, but if you do, make sure to tell your DM that your character will be way better than they should. You need 15 charisma and 15 strength.

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