Shadow Monarch.

The power of death itself courses through your veins, a gift—or perhaps a curse—bestowed upon you by the Monarch of Shadows. You are not merely a warlock who dabbles in necromancy; you are the rightful heir to an ancient dominion, a force meant to command the endless legions of the fallen. Where others fear death, you embrace it, shaping the darkness into an extension of your will. The battlefield is your domain, littered with bodies that serve as mere stepping stones to an ever-growing army. With each fallen foe, you raise new warriors, shadowy echoes of their former selves bound to your command. And at your side stands your most loyal knight, Igris, an undying sentinel forged from the deepest abyss of shadow. As your power grows, so too does your influence over death, until the very fabric of existence trembles beneath your presence.

A city lay in ruin, its streets slick with blood, its walls shattered by the weight of an unrelenting force. The battle had ended, but for you, it had only just begun. You stepped forward, the echoes of your own boots swallowed by the silence that followed war. Corpses lined the ground, lifeless eyes staring into nothingness—until you spoke. A single word, laced with the authority of the Monarch, and the shadows stretched, slithering like hungry serpents toward the fallen. One by one, they rose—knights, beasts, warriors of all kinds, their forms now wreathed in darkness. They did not question. They did not resist. They simply obeyed. At the center of this silent army stood Igris, his blade still slick with the remnants of battle, awaiting your next command. The world would soon learn the truth: death was no longer the end—it was only the beginning.

Monarch’s Champion

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to summon Igris, the Shadow Knight, your first and most loyal warrior.

Summon Igris

• You can summon Igris as an Action within 10 feet of you.
• He remains until reduced to 0 HP, dismissed as a Bonus Action, or until you finish a long rest.
• If destroyed, Igris can be resummoned after a short or long rest.
• While Igris is within 100 feet, you can communicate telepathically.
• As a Bonus Action, you can command Igris to attack, move, or use his reaction.

Monarch’s Gift

You inherit two signature abilities of the Shadow Monarch:

Shadow Extraction

When a creature dies within 30 feet of you, you can attempt to raise its shadow as one of two types:

1. Regular Shadow Soldiers (Unlimited)

   • If the creature’s CR is 3 or lower, it becomes a basic shadow soldier (use the Shadow statblock from the Monster Manual).
   • These shadows have no limit on how many you can control.

2. Special Shadows (Limited)

   • If the creature’s CR is higher than 3, you must make an Arcana check (DC = 8 + the creature’s CR - (your Warlock level)).
   • On a success, the creature retains its abilities (but becomes undead and follows your orders).
   • You can control a number of Special Shadows equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).

If you attempt to raise more Special Shadows, you must release a previous one.

Shadow Storage

• You gain an extradimensional storage within your own shadow, allowing you to store and retrieve weapons, armor, and small objects as a Bonus Action.

Monarch’s Arsenal

You gain access to the powerful techniques of the Shadow Monarch. At 6th level, choose one of the following abilities. You can choose an additional ability at 10th level and 14th level.

• Dash – You increase your movement speed by 50% for 1 minute, allowing you to close gaps or retreat with ease.
• Mutilate – When you make a melee weapon attack, you can target a vital point of a creature, dealing critical damage on a hit. The attack deals additional necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier + your Warlock level.
• Bloodlust – You can magically intimidate a creature within 30 feet, inducing fear and lowering their Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores by 50% for 1 minute. You can use this effect on multiple creatures within range, but all must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + Prof. + Charisma) to resist.
• Dagger Rush – When you take the Attack action, you can make one additional melee weapon attack.
• Ruler’s Authority – As a Bonus Action, you can move a creature or object within 30 feet up to 15 feet in any direction. The creature must make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + Prof. + Charisma) or be moved.
• Dragon’s Fear – As an Action, you unleash an aura of terror. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + Prof. + Charisma) or be Frightened for 1 minute (save at end of turns).

Bloodlust

You gain the Bloodlust Skill

Dagger Rush

You gain the Dagger Rush Skill

Dash

You gain the Dash Skill

Dragon’s Fear

You gain the Dragon’s Fear skill

Mutilate

You gain the Mutilate skill.

Ruler’s Authority

You gain the Ruler’s Authority Skill

Army of the Monarch

Your army of shadows expands as your control strengthens.

• Regular Shadow Soldiers (CR 3 or lower) now have advantage on attack rolls if another shadow is within 5 feet of their target.
• The Arcana check for Special Shadows' Shadow Extraction is now DC = 8 + Creature’s CR - (Warlock Level + Charisma Modifier), making it progressively easier to raise stronger shadows as you grow in power.
• You can now control twice your Charisma modifier worth of Special Shadows.
• Your summoned shadows have advantage on saving throws against being turned or banished.
• Igris gains an extra attack when using his Shadow Greatsword.

Monarch’s Domain

At the peak of your power, you gain the ability to summon the true domain of the Shadow Monarch, covering a 60-foot radius centered on you for 1 minute.

• The area becomes magical darkness, but you and your summons can see normally.
• All enemy creatures inside are Frightened unless they succeed on a Wisdom saving throw.
• You can summon 2d6 additional Regular Shadow Soldiers instantly as part of this feature.
• Your movement speed is doubled, and attacks against you have disadvantage.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.