Shadow Monarch

An empty throne, a warrior long pledge to protect it and you who fights to conquer. After winning the fight, you are granted a title, The Monarch of Shadows. You step towards the fighter, staring at his lifeless body and utter a simple word: Arise. The shadow of the fighter animates and pledges his servitude to you.   

Arise

Starting at the 3rd level, the shadows sing to you, awaiting your command. You gain a pool of Shadow Points equal to 2 x your Intelligence modifier x your proficiency modifier, which can be used to command a fallen enemies shadow to Arise and fight for you.

When you bring a foe to 0 hit points you can expend your reaction to capture their essence into a shadow minion.  The creature gets a Charisma saving throw against you to resist being captured. The DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your intelligence modifier.  If the creature resists the DC increases by 2 for each subsequent attempt. After a third failed attempt the creature’s shadow becomes immune to being captured. Each attempt consumes the shadow points used whether it succeeds or fails.

The cost to capture the creature’s shadow is based on its CR and your rogue level in accordance with the following table:

Creatures CR/ Rogue level	Shadow Point Cost
CR lower than Rogue level	1 Shadow point
CR equal to Rogue level	2 points
CR higher than Rogue Level by 1	4 points
CR higher than Rogue level by 2 or more	6 Points

 

You cannot capture creatures with a CR higher than your Rogue level plus 2.

You regain all expended Shadow points when you finish a long rest.

Summoning Shadows

• As an action, you can spend Shadow Points to summon a captured shadow to fight for you.
• The cost to summon the shadows is equal to half the cost to capture them. 

Shadow Minion Rules

1. Shadows last for 10 minutes or until they are reduced to 0 hit points.
2. Shadows act on your initiative and follow your verbal commands (no action required). If no commands are given, they defend themselves.
3. Shadows have half the hit points of the original creature but retain their AC, abilities, and attacks.
4. You can only have a number of active shadows equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).

Shadow Step

Also starting at 3rd level, you are one with your shadow. As a bonus action, you can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see, provided both your starting and ending points are in dim light or darkness. After teleporting, you gain advantage on your next melee weapon attack.

Hand of the Shadow Monarch

At 9th level, your mastery over shadows allows you to telekinetically manipulate your daggers, giving you unparalleled control over them in combat.

Shadowbound Daggers

• You can use telekinetic force to manipulate your daggers in the following ways:
  1. Return to Hand: When you throw a dagger, it automatically returns to your hand after the attack, allowing you to make ranged dagger attacks without expending extra daggers.
  2. Redirect Attack: If you miss with a thrown dagger, you can use your reaction to redirect it to another target within 20 feet of the original target. Roll a new attack roll against the second target. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier. 
  3. Shadow Dash: When you throw a dagger, you can spend 1 Shadow Point to teleport to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the dagger’s target.

Additionally, your connection to shadows enhances your daggers’ lethality. When you make an attack with a dagger, its damage die increases as you gain levels in this class:

Rogue Level	Dagger Damage Die
9th	1d8
13th	1d10
17th	1d12

• Shadow Strike: You can expend 1 Shadow Point when you hit a creature with a dagger to deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage.

Presence of The Shadow Monarch

At 13th level, your dominion over shadows progresses marking you as a threat and allowing you to summon even more formidable allies to your side and enhance their combat effectiveness.

Monarch's Gaze 

You can project your terrifying presence. As an action, you can activate your Monarch's Gaze. All creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier) or become Frightened of you for 1 minute.

• A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. Once a creature succeeds on a save, it becomes immune to it's effect for the next 24 hours. 

Additionally, your mastery over the Shadow Army strengthens, and your shadows are now even more effective in battle. When you summon a shadow, it gains the following enhancements:

• Pact Tactics: When a creature summoned by your Shadow Army is within 5 feet of you and can see you, it gains advantage on its attack rolls against creatures within 5 feet of you.
• Shared Resolve: You and your summoned shadows can coordinate in battle. When a creature summoned by your Shadow Army hits a creature with an attack, you can spend 1 Shadow Point to grant yourself advantage on your next attack roll against the same target.

Absolute Monarch

You have fully embraced your power as the Shadow Monarch, commanding vast armies of shadows, and can now manipulate them with supreme mastery.

At 17th level, your control over the shadows you summon reaches its peak. You gain the following enhancements to your Shadow Army:

• Shadow shield: When you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to swap places with one of your summoned shadows within 30 feet of you. The shadow must be within line of sight, and the attack is redirected toward the shadow instead of you. The shadow takes any damage that would have been dealt to you.  You can use this feature a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier.

• Monarch’s Vengeance: When a shadow summoned by you attacks a creature while 15ft from you, it's attack deals necrotic damage equal to half your Sneak Attack damage once per turn. This damage treats immunity to necrotic damage as resistance and bypasses resistance to necrotic damage.

• Unyielding Shadows: Once per day, when a shadow is reduced to 0 hit points it can use it's reaction to regain half of its hit points (rounded up) instead of being destroyed. 

You can summon one shadow in addition to the ones you have already summoned, free of charge and they stay until destroyed or dismissed. The summoned shadows act on your turn, and you can command them without expending an action otherwise they will only defend themselves.

Additionally at this point, your Monarch's Gaze becomes even more potent. While your Monarch's Gaze is active:

• Any creature frightened by you has disadvantage on saving throws to resist your Arise feature's effects.
• Improved Fear: You can now choose to restrain creatures affected by your aura instead of just frightening them. A restrained creature can attempt to break free by making a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (their choice) at the end of each of its turns, using your Intelligence modifier for the save DC. On a successful save they become immune to the effect for the next 24 hours.