Kemet Ka, The Blackland Soul

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Overview & Creation

Flying across the moonlit sky, a mighty winged form with a scorpion's tail eclipses the moonlight. The black smoking creature lands with a terrifying roar. It's rider dismounts, the female elf playfully run's her hand through the lion's shadowy mane, and in an instant the creature dissolves into a smoking cloth like substance that she dawns as a cloak.   A hooded figure walks through the cloistered halls of the sacred church, a smile on his lips, and song on his breath. As he turns a corner one of the clergy looks at him, and see's the illusion for what it is, and begins to cast a spell. As the priest begins to cant and weave their magic, they feel an awful stabbing pain in the back of their neck. As they turn to face their aggressor they see nothing, their heart racing they turning back to the hooded figure and realize, they are alone. The smiling figure gone, his song quieted.   A hooded gnome running across a meadow in the deep of night, her cloak smoking off of her shoulders and wafting into nothingness. She takes notice of the guard on patrol outside the outpost. Waiting patiently she observes her target, when the moment is right she takes her weapon and stabs her shadow pushing her dagger into the Shadowfell. Across the distance the guard buckles and falls to a heap on the ground, and the gnome fades into the shadows.   Standing vigil against the pallid night. A pair of elves clad in suit of armor of pure darkness stand guard against the city gates. A Gith slaver ship hovering over them, the captain delivering a threatening message to the small outpost. Before she can conclude her statement, one of the guards brandishes a war pick, and slices through the shadows. The hooked blade capturing the Gith captain in her back and pulls her into the darkness. Disappearing from the deck, only to reappear near the pair of guards and quickly dispatched.   Kemet Ka, or the Blackland Soul, are a unique order of highly trained and disciplined warriors who serve Khastuul, the eternal city of shadows, and have a unique connection to the Shadowfell, and its energies which they channel through themselves. Whether that energy is used to make devastating attacks, or create shadow constructs this energy infuses all that those that study the way of the Kemet Ka do.

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Class Features

Shade Weapon Training

The Kemet Ka is specially trained in certain weapons and forms. They treat War Picks as having the Finesse and Versatile (d10) property, and Whips as having the Light property.  

Shade Strike

When you take the Attack Action, once per turn you can use one of your attacks to make a Shade Strike. When you perform a Shade Strike you send your weapon through the Shadowfell to strike at your opponent in an attempt to bypass their armor. Make a Sleight of hand Check to transfer your weapon through the darkness of the Shadowfell and strike out at any creature within 50 feet. If your Sleight of Hand check exceeds the target's opposed Wisdom (Perception) check the attack hits and you deal an extra 1d8 damage.   Shade Strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Shade Strike column of the Kemet Ka table. Additionally the range of your Shade Strike increases as you become more attuned to the Shadowfell, increasing to 75 feet at 5th, 100 feet at 10th, 150 feet at 15th, and 200 feet at 20th level.  

Theives Cant

Part of your training involves dealing with criminals and other unsavory beings. During this time you gain an understanding of thieves' cant, a secret mix of dialect, jargon, and code that allows you to hide messages in seemingly normal conversation. Only another creature that knows thieves' cant understands such messages. lt takes four times longer to convey such a message than it does to speak the same idea plainly.   In addition, you understand a set of secret signs and symbols used to convey short, simple messages, such as whether an area is dangerous or the territory of a thieves' guild, whether loot is nearby, or whether the people in an area are easy marks or will provide a safe house for thieves on the run.  

Shadowfell Devotee

Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to manipulate shadows, and draw power from the Shadowfell. Your ability to do this is represented by a number of Shadow points. Your Kemet Ka level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Share Points column of the Kemet Ka table.   You can spend shadow points to fuel various shade features. You start knowing three such features: Deep Vision, Disorienting Strike, Shade Shield, and learn more shade features as you gain levels in this class.   When you spend a shadow point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you re-attune to the tides of the Shadowfell. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest focusing on the depths of your own shadow to regain your shadow points.   Some of your shade features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Additionally you gain the minor illusion cantrip if you don't already know it.  

Deep Vision

You can spend 1 shadow point as a bonus action to cast Darkvision, and gain immunity to the Darkness spell. If you already have Darkvision, the range increases by 60 feet.  

Disorienting Strike

When you hit another creature with an attack, you can spend 1 shadow point to attempt a disorienting strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or make their next attack, saving throw, or skill check at disadvantage.  

Shade Shield

When you are hit by an attack, as a reaction you can spend 1 shadow point to grant yourself half-cover until the start of your next turn. If you already have half cover, you gain three-quarters cover, if you have three-quarters cover you gain total cover.  

Cloaked in Shadows

At 2nd level as an action you can tap into your connection to the Shadowfell, and create a small aura of billowing shadows that muffles both light and sound. This aura grants you expertise in Dexterity skill checks that you are proficient in, and allies adjacent to you gain proficiency in Dexterity (Stealth) checks.  

Shadow Training

At 3rd level, you choose a school of training to hone your abilities, and serve the Citadel of Shadows, and the Black Spire. There are four disciplines, the Scorpicore Raiders, the Shadebenders the Shade Runners, and the Shadow Guard. Your school of shadow training grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.  

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th leveI. you can increase one ability score of your 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 its maximum using this feature.  

Shadowed Sight

Beginning at 4th level you can transfer your senses to any shadow within 100 feet of you. During this time you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses. At 10th level the range increases to 200 feet, and 1 mile at 16th level.  

Shadow Maw

At 5th level you gain a bonus on Shade Strike damage equal to your proficiency bonus. At 17th level you treat any roll of 1 or 2 on your Shade Strike damage dice as a 3.  

Ambient Darkness

At 6th level you can use your travel up to your speed between shadows as a move action. Additionally as a bonus action you can target any shadow within 100 feet and cause it to move 60 feet in any direction. If you move the shadow into a creature's space you can spend 1 shadow point to force the creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. If they fail, they are blind until the start of their next turn. At 12th level this range increases up to 200 feet.  

Deep Shadow

At 8th level your Cloaked in Shadows aura grows stronger, the shadows you emit almost tangible. You and friendly creatures adjacent to you gain half-cover. Additionally you can spend 2 shadow points to make Stealth checks even while being observed.  

Extra Attack

Beginning at 9th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.  

Meld To Shadow

At 10th level you can spend 2 shadow points and condense yourself into a single shadow along a floor or wall. While in this form you do not need to eat, drink, or breathe. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage, vulnerability to radiant damage, and advantage on Dexterity saving throws.   While you are melded into shadow your speed is 60 feet, and the only action you can take is to leave the shadow form or perform a Shade Strike. You must concentrate to remain within the shadow and can maintain this form for up to 1 hour. Once you have used this ability you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.  

Shadow Jaunt

Beginning at 10th level when you successfully perform a Shade Strike, you can pull yourself through shadows and appear adjacent to your target.  

Animate Shadow

At 13th level, as an action you can target a shadow within 60 feet and animate it, and create a Shadow. If you spend 3 shadow points you create a Wraith instead. The creature is loyal to you, you have a telepathic bond with it as long as both of you are on the same plane, and the creature acts on its own initiative in combat. You cannot have more than 1 Animated Shadow at a time.  

Cull the Blind

At 14th level as an action you can spend 4 shadow points and perform a Shade Strike against a number of creatures equal to your Dexterity modifier, minimum 1.  

Fell Stroke

At 17th level when you make a Shade Strike as part of the attack action, you can spend 4 shadow points. If you do, on a successful strike, you add additional damage dice equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum 1), and the target gains disadvantage on saving throws or ability checks against the special strikes of your shadow training.  

Mirage

At 20th level, you are adept at weaving shadows across the planes and through your body, when you would be struck by an attack or fail a saving throw, the attack misses, or the saving throw succeeds. You become invisible until the end of your next turn, and leave behind a shadow copy of yourself which acts as the silent image spell. Once you have used this ability you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

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Starting Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a war pick or (b) a whip
• (a) a hand crossbow and a quiver of 20 bolts or (b) 5 darts
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• Studded leather and a sickle

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Subclass Options

Shadow Training

Only four Kemet Ka disciplines have survived the untold millennia that Khastuul, the eternal city of shadows has existed. The last of the schools to teach these secrets, the Citadel of Shadow. All four of disciplines rely on the same basic techniques, diverging as the student grows more adept. Thus, at 3rd level the Kemet Ka must choose a discipline.

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