Blackguard A human screams on the battlefield as he smashes a goblin's knee in, the one standing behind him quaking in fear, terrified of the warrior before him. Each one saw something different when they looked forward at him, but none of them were able to take a step forward. She closes her eyes and steels her mind as she counts out the heartbeats; One, two, and three right as she passes by the prince, dagger condensing from mist in her hand. "For the true king!" she shouts, stabbing it into his heart and and commanding it to begin spewing the darkness that will cover her escape. He hated them, he mused as he pushed his sword into the drows chest, holding his black blade there feeling it gnaw at the creature's departing soul. Thats probably why he enjoyed this next part so much, he thought with a chuckle, raising his hand and feeling that same bit of soul flow out of him, dripping onto his shadow, and causing it to rise attentive, kneeling in deference. There are many reasons one would make the sacrafices needed to become a blackguard. Revenge. Duty. Desperation. But often it rests on one answer. Power. To obtain the power that rests in the shadows beyond the mortal coil. Soul Sundered According to Evard's LeBendry of Phantoms and Shadows, "To tap into the powers of shadow, you must find that lightest part of your soul and use the following rites to kill it. fear not. It is only right. That piece simply goes ahead, in death, to that void of great mystery beyond all mortal cares. (May the rest of your soul never join it.) The power of shadow shall bleed into the hollow, making you anew. A darker you lives on, more potent than before." A blackguard sunders their very soul to give the obtain the powers that the shadows will grant them. Whether it is done by ritual, the tearing their soul between duty and desire, or simply a last dying act of defiance to not let the beyond claim all of them. However they acomplish it, they provide room in their being for shadows to inhabit, allowing them to cast magic, store other souls, or even hold a weapon in that void. Lost Humanity But the power doesn't come free. In return for sundering their soul a blackguard gives up parts of thier own humanity. Some loose touch with their emotions, becoming machines dedicated to the goal that drove them here. Others become monsters in the pursuit of power, terrifying to any who look on, somehow knowing the depths they would go to. A blackgaurd learns to fight without remorse, taking any advantage they can get. Some Blackguards learn to focus on the shadows, melding with them, using them to acomplish things no ordinary person could do. Others embrace the raw power they've been granted, becoming unstoppable on the field of battle. Many blackguards roam in search of even greater power still. Much of which can be found in the dark unexplored corners that adventurers make their domain. Class Features As a Blackguard, you gain the following class features Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d10 per Blackguard level

1d10 per Blackguard level Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier

10 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Blackguard level after 1st Proficiencies Armor: All Amor, Shields

All Amor, Shields Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons

Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons Tools: Thieves' tools Saving Throws: Dexterity, Strength

Dexterity, Strength Skills: Choose Three from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth. Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: (a) chain mail or (b) leather armor, crossbow, and 20 bolts

(a) martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons

(a) scholar’s pack or (b) dungeoneer's pack

Any simple weapon, and an arcane focus

The Blackguard Level Proficiency Bonus Features Cowering Blow 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 1st +2 Dark Blessing, Phantoms Weapon - - - - - - 2nd +2 Shadow Pact, Soul Harvest, Fighting style - 2 - - - - 3rd +2 Cowering Blow, Path of Shadow 1d6 3 - - - - 4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 1d6 3 - - - - 5th +3 Extra Attack 1d6 4 2 - - - 6th +3 Aura of Despair 1d6 4 2 - - - 7th +3 Path of Shadow 2d6 4 3 - - - 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 2d6 4 3 - - - 9th +4 --- 2d6 4 3 2 - - 10th +4 Shadow Minion 2d6 4 3 2 - - 11th +4 Improved Cowering Blow 3d6 4 3 3 - - 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 3d6 4 3 3 - - 13th +5 --- 3d6 4 3 3 1 - 14th +5 Shadows in Flight 3d6 4 3 3 1 - 15th +5 Path of Shadow 4d6 4 3 3 2 - 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 4d6 4 3 3 2 - 17th +6 --- 4d6 4 3 3 3 1 18th +6 Aura Improvement 4d6 4 3 3 3 1 19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 5d6 4 3 3 3 2 20th +6 Path of Shadow 5d6 4 3 3 3 2 . Dark Blessing At 1st level, you gain the blessing of the Shadows. You gain resistance to necrotic damage and your maximum life cannot be reduced. You can also speak to undead as if you can speak their languages and your proficiency bonus is doubled when interacting with undead. Phantom Weapon At 1st level, you learn a ritual that allows the shadows to share between you and your weapons. This ritual is performed over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, and to conclude the ritual you touch the weapon with your arcane focus. The weapon is stored in the shadowed part of your soul. At level 1 you may store 2, this increases to 3 at level 8, 4 at level 16 During this 1 hour ritual the weapon loses its original form taking the shape of a Dark version of what it once was, and when the arcane focus makes contact with the weapon, it is absorbed into the weapon. You can break the bond at any time but when you do, the weapon disintegrates into ashes with the arcane focus. If the weapon is magical then the weapon is undamaged and returns to its original form with the arcane focus next to it.

You gain the following benefits with this weapon. • The phantomised weapon can’t be disarmed unless you are incapacitated. As a bonus action you can dismiss the weapon into an extradimensional space or make it reappear in your hand • If you make a death pact with a magical weapon, it gains additional necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). • The weapon becomes an arcane focus for you. Shadow Pact You have given up part of your soul to allow shadows to seep into its place. At 2nd level you can draw upon this connection to cast magic. Spell slots The Blackguard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of your spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. Preparing spells You prepare the list of Blackguard spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Blackguard spell list. When you do so, choose a number of Blackguard spells equal to your Charisma modifier + half your Blackguard level (Minimum of one spell)

The spells must be for a level for which you have spell slots. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new spell list of Blackguard spells require time spent in concentration; at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list. Spellcasting ability Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Blackguard spells, so you use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Blackguard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell save DC= 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Spell attack modifier= your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Spellcasting Focus You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your Blackguard spells. Blackguard Spell list As a Blackguard, you can cast the spells listed under the Conjuration and Necromancy schools. Soul Harvest Beginning at 2nd level, you can tap into the shadow magic fuelling within you. This well within you is formed by the souls shards you have splintered over the years. You start with no soul shards, but can store up to 2 at 2nd level, and aach level of Blackguard allows to hold an additional soul. You can gain a soul shard by stabbing and holding your phantom weapon in a slain creature then the weapon will absorb for you as a action. You can only absorb the souls of other humanoids excluding; constructs, fiends, creatures that are 2 sizes or more than you, or from a body where the soul has already left. As an action, you can consume collected souls to restore hitpoints equal to the number of consumed souls x 5. 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. Defense While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. 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 reroll 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. Cowering Blow At the 3rd level, You learn how to exploit an enemies weaknesses and relentlessly strike both his body and his mind. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage on a creature you hit with an attack. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When You Hit an enemy with this ferocious attack, One creature of your choice within 15 feet makes a Wisdom saving throw of your spell DC or is overcome with fear, and is frightened until it succeeds a Wisdom saving throw. It makes saves at the end of its turn. Path of Shadow At 3rd level, you choose the path that you walk as a Blackguard. Choose Shadoweaver or DreadLord, all detailed at the end of the class description. The pathway you choose grant you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 18th level. Ability Score Increase When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of you 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. Aura of Despair Starting at 6th level, you begin to release an aura around you making those close to you feel despair. All non-friendly creatures within 5 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws when frightened and when frightened, the effect lasts twice as long.

Shadow Minion At 10th level, As an action you can expend souls to summon a Shadow, which appears in an unoccupied space that you can see within 30 feet of you. The summoned shadow's, who must be an undead creature, challenge rating must be equal to or less than half the amount of souls shards you have expended to use this feature. There can only be one shadow summoned at one time and the shadow disappears when it drops to 0 hit points. The shadow is obedient to you at all times. In combat it rolls its own initiative, but may only take one action or movement a turn. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue it. If you don’t issue any commands to the fiend, it defends itself from hostile creatures but otherwise takes no actions. If you use this feature again while another shadow is summoned, the first one unsummons itself. At 17th level you can have up to two shadows summoned at a time. Improved Cowering Blow By the 11th level, You have learned to never miss an opporotunity to strike fear into the heart of your foes. Once per turn you may choose between the causing the cowering blow Damage, or causing fear in one enemy as a bonus action. Shadows in Flight At 14th level, you grow a pair of shadow wings from your back, gaining a fly speed equal to your current movement speed. You can dismiss and create these wings as a bonus action on your turn, and they last until you dismiss them. You cannot manifest your wings while wearing armor unless the armor is made to accommodate them, and clothing that aren’t made to accommodate your wings might be destroyed when you manifest them. Aura Improvement Once you reach 18th level your aura of despair expands further, expanding to 15 feet. All non-friendly creatures have disadvtantage on saving throws. It also shakes the confidence of any creature trying to affect you. providing advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical abilities. Path of the Shadow Shadoweaver Additional spells that are added to your prepared spell list as you reach the levels. These spells don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. spells Level Spells 3rd level Charm Person, Expeditious Retreat 5th level Invisibility, Mirror Image 9th level Gaseous Form, Haste 13th level Confusion, Greater Invisibility 17th level Dominate Person, Passwall . Soul Weave By choosing to become a Shadow weaver, you have learned to use the souls you've harvested to sew chaos among your enemies. Consuming one soul allows you to use one of the following effects. You finish a short or long rest before you can weave another soul. Conjure Duplicate. As an action, you create a visual illusion of yourself that lasts for 1 minute, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The illusion appears in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you. The illusion looks exactly like you; it is silent; it is your size, is insubstantial, and doesn’t occupy its space; and it is unaffected by attacks and damage. As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the illusion up to 30 feet to a space you can see, but the illusion must remain within 120 feet of you. For the duration, you can cast spells as though you were in the illusion’s space, but you must use your own senses. Additionally, when both you and your illusion are within 5 feet of a creature that can see the illusion, you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature, given how uncanny the illusion is. Poison Strike. As a bonus action, you touch one weapon or piece of ammunition and conjure a special poison on it. The poison lasts for 1 minute. The next time you hit a target with an attack using that weapon or ammunition, the target takes poison damage immediately after the attack. The poison damage equals 2d10 + your Blackguard level, or 20 + your Blackguard level if you had advantage on the attack roll.



Aura of Treachery Starting at 7th level, you emanate an aura of discord, which gives you the following benefits. Cull the Herd. You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that has one or more of its allies within 5 feet of it. Treacherous Strike. If a creature within 5 feet of you misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force the attacker to reroll that attack against a creature of your choice that is also within 5 feet of the attacker. The ability fails and is wasted if the attacker is immune to being charmed. You can use this ability three times, and regain expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest. Shadow's escape At 15th level, you have the ability to slip away from your foes. Immediately after you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60 feet to a spot you can see. You remain invisible until the end of your next turn or until you attack, deal damage, or force a creature to make a saving throw. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Icon of Deceit At 20th level, you gain the ability to emanate feelings of treachery. As an action, you can magically become an avatar of deceit, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute: • You are invisible. • If a creature damages you on its turn, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to your spell save DC) or you control its next action, provided that you aren’t incapacitated when it takes the action. A creature automatically succeeds on the save if the creature is immune to being charmed. • If you have advantage on an attack roll, you gain a bonus to its damage roll equal to your Blackguard level. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. Dread Lord Additional spells that are added to your prepared spell list as you reach the levels. These spells don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. spells Level Spells 3rd level Arms of Hadar, Command 5th level Hold Person, Spiritual Weapon 9th level fear, hunger of hadar 13th level Dominate Beast, phantasmal killer 17th level Destructive Wave, dominate person Blood Thirst At 3rd level, when you kill a creature, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + your Blackguard level (minimum of 1). Aura of Conquest Starting at 7th level, you constantly emanate a menacing aura while you’re not incapacitated. The aura extends 10 feet from you in every direction, but not through total cover. If a creature is frightened of you, its speed is reduced to 0 while in the aura, and that creature takes psychic damage equal to half your paladin level if it starts its turn there. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet. Arcane Assault From the 15th level when you take your action to attack, you can cast a 1st or 2nd level spell as a bonus action. Invincible Conqueror At 20th level, you gain the ability to harness extraordinary martial prowess. As an action, you can magically become an avatar of conquest, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute: • You have resistance to all damage. • When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can make one additional attack as part of that action. • Your melee weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.