Shade Names:
Shade
Shades aren't born, they're made. There is an ancient ritual
where half the soul of supplicant is torn away and discarded.
Shadow fills the void left by the tattered soul. Thus, one
becomes a shade, caught in limbo between life and death.
Though their tie to the mortal existence is substantially
frayed, shades acquire some unique...boons. A shade’s
lifespan extends far beyond what it natural (though they are
in no way immortal) and their penumbral souls grant them an
affinity for the powers of shadow.
The ruthless, the ambitious and the desperate seek out this
unnatural ritual. To them, half their soul seems a small price
to pay for the power one can gain from walking the Trail of
Five Darknesses.
Shade Characteristics
Shades retain the physical appearance of who they were
before they became a shade, but their appearance will
become faded, their different hues becoming more subdued
as though the same individual were being seen from behind
tinted glass. These muted features mean that shades will
never stand out in crowds and are difficult to remember.
Occasionally, the physical characteristics of a shade will
change when in the aftermath of the ritual. The color of their
hair, skin, fur or scales may change, becoming anything from
light gray to satin black. Their eyes might also change to
become orbs of dull black, dark gray or even purple. Shades
move like darkness itself; quickly, deftly and beneath notice.
When a creature loses half of its soul and becomes a
shade, it loses much of past life, memory and emotions. A
shade still feels love, hate, pride and shame, but they are
muted and subdued, beneath a thick layer of darkness. As
such, most shades are driven by cold calculation,
ruthlessness and pure willpower, to a degree that most
mortals could never hope to achieve. However, as a result
shades are cursed with a pervading sense of ennui that only
grows as they deepen their bond to shadow.
Shade Culture
The process of becoming a shade is often individual and
unique. They are rare enough that communities of shades is
virtually unheard of, except in legends of an ancient city of
shades deep in the shadowfell. Shades that are discovered
are chased out of decent communities, if they aren’t slain
outright. Not only do folktales and myths prejudice villages
and towns against shades, but their near total lack of
conscience and loyalty is a real threat to those around them.
Decide how your character encountered the ritual and
became a shade. Were you cursed soon after you were born
because your parents failed to fulfill their oaths to a dark
power? Or were you forced by an unscrupulous wizard to
become a shade as part of an experiment? Or perhaps you
rose through the ranks of a cult of cutthroats and assassins,
undergoing the ritual when you were deemed worthy. Or
maybe you were a wealthy man who, greedy for more power,
scoured thousands of dark tomes in search of the ritual.
Shades usually keep the names they held before the ritual,
occasionally adopting aliases. For others the transformation
is such a significant event (or their personalities are
sufficiently altered) that they adopt a new name as part of the
change.
Shade Traits
Your shade character has a number of traits in common with
all other shades.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by
2.
Origin Race. Choose any other race. You use that race
when determining size, age, speed and language. You count
as that race for the purpose of prerequisites.
Age. A Shade ages 1 year for every 10 they live. See the
origin race age and multiply it by 10.
Alignment. As the soul is severed, all powerful emotions,
loyalties and moral quandries subdued. Shades as a whole
overwhelmingly tend towards neutral alignments
Size. See origin race
Speed. Add 5 feet to your origin race's base walking speed
Superior Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 120
feet of you as though it were bright light, and in darkness as
though it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness,
only shades of grey.
Just a Shadow. While in bright light your form wavers and
you have disadvantage on Attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on sight. However, you do not
suffer these disadvantages if you can somehow claim cover or
obscurement from all bright light sources.
Frayed Mortality. You use hit die that are one size category
smaller when rolling to recover hit points. For example, if you
would normally roll d10's you would instead roll d8's.
One with Shadow. You can attempt to hide when you are
only lightly obscured by any source, including creatures.
Practiced Sneak. You have proficiency in stealth
Languages. Common and one of your origin race's known
languages
Subrace. Shade's don't have subraces per say, but the
manner in which someone becomes a shade is very
significant. Did they participate in the Or did they pursue
nethermancy until they began to walk the Trail of Five
Darknesses of their own volition?
Bound by Shadow
To a certain extent, you are bound by the ritual that
transformed you into a shade. You didn't willingly split your
soul. Even if you did pursue the shadow ritual, you tried to
back out when it was already too late. Regardless, your
connection to shadow is an innate, and at times unconscious,
ability.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by
1
Molded by Darkness Your proficiency bonus is doubled
for any ability check you make using stealth. Additionally, you
can hide as a bonus action.
Seeker of Darkness
You were one of those who sought of the powers of darkness
of your own accord. Through study and mental facility you
managed to uncover the doorway to the Trail of Five
Darknesses and have begun to walk its path. Whether you
pursued it out of desperation or ambition, the choice was
your own. You have more control over your connection to
shadow and its magic.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases
by 1
Seeker of Darkness. You have proficiency in arcana.
Shadow Caster. You can emit dim light in a 5 foot radius
until the start of your next turn as a bonus action. Once you
reach 3rd level you can cast the armor of agathys spell once
per day as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can
also cast the darkness spell once per day.