Shroud

---

---

Overview & Creation

Those who take the path of shroud very rarely do so out of passion or interest. For many a shroud, it is the path of necessity that lead them into this line of work. Shrouds channel their practice and magic into skill mastery and broad expertise that few can match. Many of them are stealthy and deceptive, a survival adaptability to help them survive the rougher environments they tend to endure. In combat, the shroud make one precise strike over relying on brute strength. You have a unique strength for avoiding danger, channeling much of your magic practice into such feats.    

Way of the Shadows

The Shroud are normally part of the underbelly of society. They’ve found the darker road in the sewers of big cities or in some cases in complete undercities through the use of secret passageways and other crevices of society. The shroud doe not like to be at the forefront of view of others unless they are cloaked or hidden and prefer the company of other likeminded individuals. Many shrouds make their living and survive through darker means, including stealing, killing, and conning others. They are very rarely on the positive side of society and it’s even rarer to have a positive regard from anyone in society. In honesty though, due to their low status, shrouds can sometimes be naturally overlooked, so taking further advantage of their societal invisibility seems all the more natural. Shrouds have been part of society for as long as society has existed, and have evolved to match the new world they are in.  

Creating a Shroud

When creating a shroud, you should always consider your relationship with the law. Do you have a criminal past-or present? Are you on the run from the law or from an angry rival? Is it greed that drives you in your adventures or some other desire or ideal? What was the trigger that led you away from your previous life? Die a great con or heist gone terribly wrong cause you to reevaluate your career? Maybe you were lucky and a successful robbery gave you the money you needed to escape the squalor of your life. Did wanderlust finally call you away from your home? Perhaps you suddenly found yourself cut off from your family or your mentor, and you had to find a new means of support. Or maybe, you made a new friend-another member of your adventuring party-who showed you new possibilities for earning a living and employing your talents. You also need to think of how you found the use of shroud type magic. Did you live in a life of poverty and start channeling your magic in ways to help you survive and focus more attention to non-magical skills? Did a traumatic experience lead you into this way of life? All of these things are important to consider.

---

Class Features

Expertise

At 1st level, choose two of your skill proficiencies or one of your skill proficiencies and your proficiency with thieves’ tools. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies. At 6th level, you can choose two or more of your proficiencies (in skills or with thieves’ tools) to gain this benefit.  

Sneak Attack

Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or ranged weapon. You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.   The amount of extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the sneak attack column of the Shroud table.  

Shroud Speak

Through your time in the underbelly of society, you’ve learned shroud speak, a secret mix of dialect, jargon, and code that allows you to hide messages in seemingly normal conversation. Only another creature that knows Shroud Speak can understand such messages. It 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 guild, whether loot is nearby, or whether the people in the area are easy marks or will provide a safe house for thieves on the run.  

Cunning Action

Starting at 2nd level, your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide Action.  

Shroud Archetype

At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you emulate in the exercise of your Shroud abilities: Your archetype choice grants you abilities at the 3rd level and then again at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.  

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, 19th level. You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability score scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.  

Uncanny Dodge

Starting at 5th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the damage against you.  

Evasion

Beginning at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead stake no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage on a fail.  

Reliable Talent

Starting at 14th level, you have refined your chosen skills until they approach perfection. Whenever you make an ability check that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.  

Blindsense

Starting at 14th level, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you.  

Second Chance

Starting 15th level, your mastery of melee combat lets you turn failure into success in combat. If you miss on a melee attack roll, you can spend 2 EP points to roll it again with advantage. If you hit, you deal an amount of extra damage equal to your Dexterity modifier.  

Elusive

Beginning a 18th level, you are so elusive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren’t incapacitated.  

Stroke of Luck

At 20th level, you have an uncanny knack for succeeding when you need to. If your attack misses a target within range, you can turn the miss into a hit. Alternatively, if you fail an ability check, you can treat the d20 roll as a 20.   Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

---

Starting Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background.   • (a) a rapier or (b) a short sword   • (a)a short bow and quiver of 20 arrows or (b) a short sword   • (a) a burglar’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack or (c) an explorer’s pack.   • Leather armor, two daggers, and thieves tools.

---

Subclass Options

Shroud Archetype

Each shroud expresses their treachery in different ways. Some of these reflect the people they surround themselves with and sometimes this just has to do with their own ideals and interests. Either way, their archetypes will provide additional benefits and features.  

Shadow Walker

A life of Shadow has led to the Shadow Walker adopting more darker forms of magic. This is not to be confused with the use of Noxea as the Shadow walker still uses their Aurea for their abilities. Nevertheless, the Shadow Walker learns to master the shadows around them, use them to their advantage, even become a part of the shadows. They make terrifying assassins and wonderful spies because of their abilities.  

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose Shadow Walker at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in disguise kit and poisoner’s kit.

Shadow Master

Starting at 3rd level, you can use EP to access certain abilities. At a cost of 1EP each, you can activate the following abilities:   Shadow Walk. As a bonus action to teleport to an unoccupied space, that you can see, within 60 feet. Both your current location and the destination must be in dim light, darkness, or are at least lightly obscured. You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn.   Shadow Draw. As a bonus action, you can summon the weapon from the shadows or dismiss it into them.   Shadow Weapon. You summon a weapon made of shadows. It deals 1d6 psychic damage to a target on a hit. This weapon will last for one minute. Damage with this weapon increases to 1d8 at 6th level, 1d10th at 9th level, and 1d12 at 13th level.  

Dark Sense

At 9th level you gain dark vision out to 120 feet in both non-magical and magical darkness. If you already possess dark vision, your current dark vision range doubles and you gain the ability to also see in magical darkness in the range of your dark vision.  

Shadow Ghost

At 13th level you gain the ability to turn into a shadow for 1 minute, during this time you can use a bonus action to enter/leave your shadow form, You can only go into areas of darkness or dim light whilst using this figure, You gain a movement speed of 50 feet. You take no damage of any kind unless it is radiant damage, to which you are vulnerable. You cannot attack or cast spells while in shadow form. You can force your way through an opening as small 1 inch. You must finish a short or long rest before using this feature again.  

Dark Phantom

At 17th level, you gain the ability to become invisible as a bonus action whilst in shadow form until you make an attack and it now lasts 2 minutes. You do not need to rest before using this ability again, however you must wait 1 minute if not in combat, before using this ability again. Your speed also increases to 60 feet and you can now climb up vertical surfaces and stay on ceilings/horizontal surfaces.  

Pick Pocket

The Pick Pocket's life is normally riddled with poverty and strife. Many orphans find their niche in this category. Due to this, pick pockets are normally gaining their power at younger ages than other groups, even among other rogues. They are often master thieves and tend to small enough to squeeze into tight spaces, sometimes merely due to being malnourished. They have channeled their magic to help them survive and out pace starvation. Your magic is mostly focused on enchanting ordinary items to help you achieve your feats.   Despite trying to get items free, pick pockets rarely like pity or charity. It is seen as condescending and a reason for offense.  

Tools of the Trade

You have learned to channel your magic in order to enhance items around you in order to assist you in your escapades. You may receive one item needed to complete these that you do not already have, and all others you must possess or locate to use. In order to enchant an item for your service, you must expend 1EP and the enchantment will only last for 1 hour.   Enchantment Item Needed Effect Vanishing Act Pocket or Bag Invisibility Cloak Blanket or Cloak capable of covering you Bag of Holding Bag Beyond Walls Monocle, Telescope, glasses, or any lenses Light Crystal Any crystal or stone Disappearing Note Blank Piece of paper or parchment Magical Hand Gloves

Enchantment	Item Needed	Effect
Vanishing Act	Pocket or Bag	After placing an item that can fit within the provided space, you may enchant this item causing it to hide the item for the duration. The pocket or bag will look empty to any other observer.
Invisibility Cloak	Blanket or Cloak Capable of Covering You	For the duration, anything covered by the blanket or cloak is invisible. Using this, you may hide yourself, another person, or item. Those seeking it out have disadvantage and those using it have advantage on their hide checks.
Bag of Holding	Bag	For the duration, you may fit anything that can fit within the mouth of the bag beyond its normal capacity. If the contents are still in the bag at the end of the duration, the bag will tear open.
Beyond Walls	Monocle, Telescope, Glasses, or Any Lenses	For the duration, you can use this device to see through walls, the linings of pockets, and bags.
Light Crystal	Any Crystal or Stone	For the duration, the item will seem like a crystal, emitting a light for a fifteen-foot radius.
Disappearing Note	Blank Piece of Paper or Parchment	For the duration, a message of your choosing will appear on the piece of paper. If words are already on it, your message will overwrite the previous one until the duration is complete.
Magical Hand	Gloves	These gloves give you the ability to cast Magical Hand for the duration. Additionally, you may make the spectral hand produced invisible. You can also perform the following additional tasks with it:   • You can stow one object the hand is holding in a container worn or carried by another creature.   • You can retrieve an object in a container worn or carried by another creature.   • You can use thieves’ tools to pick locks and disarm traps in range.

You can perform one of these tasks without being noticed by a creature if you succeed on a Dexterity (sleight of hand) check contested by the creature’s Wisdom (perception) check. In addition, you can use the bonus action granted by your cunning action to control the hand. In addition, you can use the bonus action granted by Cunning Action to Control the Hand.  

Fast Hands

Starting at 3rd level, you can use the bonus action granted by your cunning action by your cunning action to make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, use your thieves’ tools to disarm a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an Object Action.  

Supreme Sneak

Starting at 9th level, you have advantage on a Dexterity (Stealth) check if you move no more than half your speed on the same turn.  

Greater Magic Tools

At 13th level, you gained greater mastery of your magical tools. You can now expend an additional EP to extend the duration of your magical tools by one hour per EP expended. Additionally, you gain additionally abilities that you can expend EP on.  

Enchantment (EP)	Item Needed	Description
Greater Magical Hand (2EP)	Gloves	In addition to Magic Hand abilities, you can also designate a creature within five feet of the spectral hand created by the spell to distract with the Magic Hand. Doing so give you advantage on attack rolls against that creature until the end of the turn. This action is done as a bonus action.
Greater Disappearing Act (5EP)	Room, Closet, Cupboard, or other large space	After hiding in a space by yourself or with companions, you may enchant this room. When other creatures look into or enter this space, it will look as though empty of people. All individuals in this space gain advantage on hide checks and those seeking gain disadvantage to find them.
Imposter's Wardrobe (3EP)	Disguise Kit or Clothes of an Individual	For the duration, the wearer of the enchanted wardrobe are believed to be another person. They’ll be able to mimic another person’s speech, writing, and behavior during that time, either that of the character they wish to portray with the disguise kit or the specific person if using their clothing. The ruse is indiscernible to the casual observer. If a wary creature suspects something is amiss, the wearer has advantage on any Charisma (Deception) check made to avoid detection.

 

Thieves Reflexes

When you reach 17th level, you have become adept at laying ambushes and quickly escaping danger. You can take two turns during the first round of any combat. You take your first turn at your normal initiative and your second turn at your initiative minus 10. You can’t use this feature when you are surprised.  

Card Master

The Card Master found their calling to be the game. They have been drawn to the cards and found them to be a trustworthy companion, likely even learning card games from a young age. They love they art of the game and know how to play a good hand. They are experts at deception, but also of knowing when they are being deceived. With this connection to the cards, they have chosen to channel their magic to give their cards even more use in their lives. They've learned new tricks to help them in defense or offense purposes should the need arise.  

Holding All the Cards

If you choose this Archetype, starting at 3rd level, then you receive. A belt case with one full deck of 54 standard playing cards that can be thrown at a range of 20ft/50ft. They deal 1d4 slashing damage. You are both proficient with these cards as a weapon and gain proficiency in card games.  

Gambling

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to infuse your cards with magic and give them special effects. New levels grant access to new abilities.   Lv.3 Root (1 EP) -As an action, you may throw a special card at a creature that deals no damage. On hit, the target must make a DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Wisdom saving throw to avoid having their movement speed reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn. Lv.4 Elemental Strike (1 EP) - Upon hitting a creature with a weapon attack, your attack can deal an addition 1d6 cold, lightning, or fire damage of your choice. Lv.6 Card Shatter (2 EP) - As an action, you may throw a special card at a creature that deals normal damage. If the card hits a creature, it then explodes, dealing the same amount of damage to every creature within 5ft. Sneak Attack damage applies to the original target, but not the surrounding. Lv.8 Spell Store (4 EP) - When you successfully make a saving throw against a 3rd level or lower spell, you may store that spell in a card for 1 hour as a reaction. If the card containing the spell hits a creature, the spell is released centered on them. Lv.10 Double Throw (2 EP) - You throw 2 cards instead of one at the same target, dealing normal damage. Lv.12 Healing Draw (2 EP) - As an action, you may throw a card at the target, healing them for an amount equal to your Card Damage plus your Charisma modifier(minimum 1). Lv.14 Doubling Down (3 EP) - You may gain advantage on a roll, you use this effect after you have rolled but before the result of the roll has been announced. Lv.16 Greater Spell Store (7 EP) - When you successfully make a saving throw against a 6th level or lower spell, you may store that spell in a card for 1 hour as a reaction. If the card containing the spell hits a creature, the spell is released centered on them. Lv.18 Elemental Protection (4 EP) - As an action, you may cast the protection from energy spell with no material components. Lv.20 All In (12 EP) - As an action, you throw a card at the target with all your power making a normal attack roll against the creature. If it hits, it deals 8d10 magical slashing damage and cannot deal critical damage.  

Eye for the Cards

Beginning at 9th level, as an action, you can throw a card up to 50 feet without disadvantage, and gain the ability to see and hear, through the card. You can perceive through the card for 1 minute before the magic wears off and you need to use a new card for this feature.  

Absorbing Card

At 11th level, when a spell targets you or requires a saving throw, you may use a reaction to block it using an enchanted card. Roll a d4, on a 4 you absorb the spell and heal equal to the spell level and block its effect. On a fail, you take normal damage. You may use this ability equal to your proficiency bonus before taking a long rest.  

Poker Face

By 17th level, you have completely mastered the art of deceit, add your proficiency bonus to your Deception skill checks even if you are already proficient, and creatures have disadvantage on Insight checks against you.
 

---