Monstrous

Either through your innate magical abilities or through careful study and experimentation, your experience with stalking your prey and learning their mannerisms in order to dispatch them more efficiently has imparted you with an innate understanding of monstrous behavior and combat techniques. You are able to incorporate these tactics into your attacks to achieve a variety of effects.

 

Learned Behavior

Choosing this archetype at level 3 allows you to choose two species of monsters to take after. You may double your proficiency bonus on attack rolls made against your chosen species, and you gain expertise in History checks made when attempting to recall information about them.Both choices enhance your sneak attack with an ability unique to the monster, both of which can be used once per long rest (increases to two times at level 6, then 3 times at level 9). The species you can choose from are listed below:

Monstrosity

• Phase Spider Venom: As a bonus action on your turn, you may teleport up to your current movement speed on your turn (i.e. you have 30 ft of movement, you move 15ft, you can teleport a maximum of 15 ft) to an unoccupied space within your line of sight within a 10 ft radius centered on the target's position. Any subsequent successful sneak attack roll made against the target will deal an additional 1d8 poison damage.

Fey

• Hag Illusions: As a bonus action before performing a sneak attack roll, you can grant yourself advantage by creating an illusory version of yourself within 5 ft of the target. Said enemy must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw equal to 10 + dexterity modifier or be unable to distinguish between you and the illusion. The illusion disappears immediately after your sneak attack, regardless of whether it hit or not.

Beast

• Crocodile Maw: After a successful sneak attack and damage is rolled, if one of the d6's rolled is a 2 or lower, you may reroll that die and use the higher number + dexterity modifier instead, dealing additional damage in the form of a biting attack. The wound left behind from your sharp teeth halve the movement speed of the target until the start of their next turn.

Humanoid

• Goblin Scramble: If you are within 5 ft of two or more enemies, you can take an additional bonus action to Disengage in a chaotic manner at the start of your turn on top of the one that Cunning Action gives you. Until the end of your next turn, you have advantage on sneak attacks against enemies that are within 5 ft of each other.

Fiend

• Hell Hound Might: As a bonus action, you can gain advantage on any attack roll made against an enemy within 10 ft of an ally. Any sneak attacks made using this advantage deal an additional 1d8 fire damage to the enemy, and cause them to become frightened of the ally they are engaged with until the end of their next turn, as the haunting visage of a hell hound invades their senses.

Undead

• Ghoul Claw: After a successful sneak attack against a targeted creature, the target must make a DC 8 + proficiency bonus + dexterity modifier Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed until the start of your next turn. This effect doesn't apply to creatures immune to payalysis.

 

Inhuman Expertise

 

At 9th level, your mastery over your monstrous abilities improves, allowing you to expand your repertoire by choosing a third monster species to embody from the above list and by specializing in one of your current monster abilities. For the latter, you can choose one of the following enhancements:

Monstrosity

• Phase Spider Venom: Your teleportation range is increased to double your current movement speed that turn, and the posion damage inflicted increases to 2d8.

Fey

• Hag Illusions: Your illusory clone remains present after your sneak attack roll, regardless of whether it hits or misses. If the target failed the Wisdom saving throw during your previous turn, it attacks the clone on its turn, causing it to disappear completely.

Beast

• Crocodile Maw: You can choose to reroll up to half of your sneak attack damage dice, rounded down, regardless of the number rolled. You add your dexterity modifier to each new number rolled.

Humanoid

• Goblin Scramble: Your additional Disengage bonus action allows you to move through the spaces of other hostile creatures, regardless of their size. In addition, you can make a melee weapon attack against each enemy you pass through.

Fiend

• Hell Hound Might: Your additional fire damage increases to 2d8, and the frightened condition persists until the end of your next turn, upon which the hellish flames give out one last burst, dealing an additional 1d6 fire damage to the target.

Undead

• Ghoul Claw: The effected creature remains paralyzed until the end of your next turn, and you gain temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt by your sneak attack. 

 

Monstrous Visage

 

At 13th level, you have learned to physically embody your chosen monsters to provide openings in battle. After performing a successful sneak attack using one of your monstrous abilities, you temporarily take on physical aspects of that specific monster. As a bonus action on your next turn, you can roll an intimidation check + your dexterity modifier against creatures of your choice up to your proficiency bonus within 20 ft of you. The outcome of the roll sets the DC for a Charisma saving throw that all targeted creatures must succeed on or become unnerved by your presence, giving them disadvantage on their next attack roll against any other creature except you. This ability can be used once per long rest.

In addition, you can choose a fourth monster ability and enhance another one of your current monstrous abilities. Refer to the lists under the 3rd level Learned Behavior and the 9th level Inhuman Expertise for your options.

 

Adaptive Chimera

 

At 17th level, your integration and mimicry of monstrous techniques into your fighting style has reached it's peak, allowing you even more freedom to sway the tides of battle in your favor.

As an action, you can choose to combine the effects of one of your enhanced monstrous abilities with the effects of one of your base monstrous abilities. For the next minute, any sneak attack made for the duration gains the benefits of both monstrous abilities. Additionally, you can use your Monstrous Visage twice per long rest.

Once you use Adaptive Chimera, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.