Veil Stalker

The Veil Stalker is a rogue who has truly embraced the shadows.  Able to wield the powers of the Shadowfell, Veil Stalkers use their connection to the Plane of Shadows to empower their abilities.  Playing with the Shadowfell comes at certain risks, and a Veil Stalker gambles with attracting the attention of shadow beings known as Veil Echoes who seek to expunge any from the Prime plain who stumble into their realms.

The main Veil Stalker mechanic is the use of "Veil Tethers".

When a feature requires the application of a Veil Tether, it increases the probability of a Veil Echo being pulled into the Prime Material Plane in an adjacent space to the summoner unless otherwise stated in a skill.  Each Tether adds a 10% probability of a Veil Echo appearing.  At 0 Tethers there is no chance; at 1 Tether, a roll of a 1 on a d10 will summon a Veil Echo; at 2 Tethers, a roll of a 1 or 2 on a d10 will summon a Veil Echo, up to 10 tethers where summoning a Veil Echo is guaranteed. Tethers build until a long rest is able to sever the Tethers, a Veil Echo is summoned, or Tethers are severed using an ability.  At the start of each turn, if the player has over 5 tethers and is in the Prime Material Plane, they must roll to see if a Veil Echo is summoned.  Outside of a combat situation, if the player character isn’t actively engaging any of their abilities, the DM may choose a time interval to have the character roll.  A recommendation is about once every in-game hour.  Tethers can be cleansed using Greater Restoration.

Veil Echo

Medium undead, Chaotic Evil

A Veil Echo is an embodiment of a creature’s shadow, empowered with the power of the Veil.  It’s sole desire is to snuff out life, and will attack the closest living creature when summoned to the Prime Material Plane.

Armor Class Summoner’s AC -2

HP Half the Summoner’s max HP or 45, whichever is lower

Speed 40ft

STR 6 (-2), DEX 14 (+2), CON 13 (+1), INT 6 (-2), WIS 10 (+0), CHA 8 (-1)

Skills Stealth +4

Damage Vulnerabilities Radiant

Damage Resistance Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Thunder; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Non-Magical Attacks

Damage Immunities Necrotic, Poison

Condition Immunities Exhaustion, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained

Senses Darkvision 60ft, Passive Perception 10

Language: ---

Amorphous The Veil Echo can move through any space as narrow as an inch wide without squeezing.

Veil Stealth While in Dim light, the Veil Echo can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Sunlight Weakness While in sunlight, the Veil Echo makes all attacks, ability checks, and saving throws at disadvantage.

Battle Thirst A Veil Echo’s desire to snuff out life brings them into battle quickly.  After a Veil Echo is summoned, they go on Initiative count 20.

Actions

Multiattack The Veil Echo makes two attacks, one Veil Touch and one Withering Strike.

Veil Touch Melee Weapon Attack +4 to hit, reach 5 ft, one creature.  Hit: 9 (2d6+2) necrotic damage.
Withering Strike Melee Weapon Attack +4 to hit, reach 5 ft, one creature. Hit: 9 (2d6+2) necrotic damage, and the target’s maximum HP is reduced by the damage of the attack.  The target’s max HP can be restored using Greater Restoration or after a long rest.

Shadow Passage

You can use a bonus action to transport yourself into the Shadowfell.  When used, your physical body disappears from the Material Plane and appears in the exact mirrored location within the Shadowfell.  You may stay in the Shadowfell until you have traveled a distance equal to your movement speed, or until you use a Bonus action to return to the Prime Material Plane.  As you move through the Shadowfell, the landscape appears exactly as it does in the Material Plane, so you may not pass through walls or other areas you wouldn’t be able to pass through naturally.  Opening doors or interacting with objects will affect the Shadowfell version of the object, but not the Material Plane version.  You may use a bonus action to reappear in the Material Plane in the exact mirrored location.  Upon exiting the Shadowfell, you must roll a d10 and based on your number of Tethers, you have a chance to drag a Veil Echo back into the Material Plane with you.  Exiting from the Shadowfell behind an enemy or out of the enemy’s sight grants you the Hide action with an advantage on the Dexterity (Stealth) check.   At the beginning of each of the player’s turn, if they are within the Shadowfell, two Tethers are applied.

Veil Strike

The Veil Stalker’s ability to manipulate the Shadowfell empowers their use of thrown weapons and ammunition.  Once per turn, as a free-action before an attack, the Veil Stalker may imbue a thrown weapon or ammunition with Shadowfell energy by severing one of their Tethers.   Thrown weapons or ammunition imbued in this manner take on a Shadow form and do not expend ammunition or require retrieval (the physical object is not thrown or used as ammunition, but rather it’s shadow form).  This empowers attacks with +2 to both attack rolls and damage bonuses.  Imbued ammunition or thrown weapons ignore skills allowing for projectiles to be caught or deflected. 

Veil Rend

The Veil Stalker learns how to manipulate their Tethers.  If the Veil Stalker has 5 or more Tethers, they may transfer their Tethers to another creature within 20 ft.  The creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw of DC 10 + the Veil Stalker’s Dex modifier or be banished into the Shadowfell.  When the creature is banished, the Veil Stalker must roll a d10.  On a roll of 1-5, a Veil Echo is summoned in the space the banished creature occupied.  Veil Rend counts as a concentration ability.  If the Veil Stalker maintains concentration for 1 minute, the banishment becomes permanent.  Enemies banished in this way to the Shadowfell remain in the location of their banishment and will immediately use an opportunity attack against the Veil Stalker if they Shadow Passage into the Veil. This ability may be used once per long rest.

Doppel

The Veil Stalker has studied the nature of Veil Echoes, and can now empower their own shadow with the power of the Shadowfell.  As a bonus action, they may apply a Tether and call their empowered shadow into form at any unoccupied space within 20 ft.  Their Doppel has the same initiative and speed of the Veil Stalker but must stay within 40 ft of the Veil Stalker, and only one Doppel may be active per Veil Stalker at a time.  Doppel’s cannot be targeted by enemies and are unaffected by area of effect attacks.  On the first successful attack of a Veil Stalker’s attack action, they may make the Doppel make an attack.  The attack shares the same attack roll and damage roll of the Veil Stalker, but does not benefit from Sneak Attack.   This attack may be ranged or melee, and does not need to be against the same creature as the Veil Stalker’s target.  As a reaction, if the Veil Stalker were to be hit by an attack, they may instead have the Doppel take the hit.   Once hit, the Doppel vanishes back into the Shadowfell.  At the beginning of each of the player’s turns when Doppel is active, two Veil Tethers are applied.  This ability may be used once per short rest. 

At 17th level, it may be used twice per short rest.  At 19th level, it may be used three times per short rest.

Shadowform

The Veil Stalker becomes one with the Tethers, empowering themselves with greater strength and increased defenses.  As a bonus action, the Veil Stalker may apply 6 tethers and turn to shadow for four turns or until ended as a bonus action.  While in Shadowform, the Veil Stalker gains advantage on all attacks and saving throws and all attacks made against them are taken at disadvantage.  If the applied tethers increase the Stalker’s total to over 10, a Veil Echo is immediately summoned.  Until Shadowform ends, the Veil Stalker gains direct control over all summoned Veil Echoes.  As soon as Shadowform ends, all Tethers are severed and any surviving Veil Echoes become aggressive towards the Veil Stalker.