NIGHTBLADE

Nightblades are spellcasters who use their magics to enhance mobility, concealment, and stealthy close combat. They have a sinister reputation, since many nightblades are thieves, enforcers, assassins, or covert agents.

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QUICK BUILD

You can make a nightblade quickly by following these suggestions. First, Personality should be your highest attribute score, followed by Endurance. Second, use the charlatan background. Third, choose the chill touch and eldritch blast cantrips, along with with 1st level spells charm person and witch bolt.

 

CLASS FEATURES

As a nightblade, you gain the following class features.

 

HIT POINTS

Hit Dice: 1d8 per nightblade level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Endurance modifier

Hit Points At higher levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Endurance modifier per nightblade level after 1st

 

PROFICIENCIES

Armor: Light armor

Weapons: Marksman, Short Blade, and Long Blade

Tools: Choose one from disguise kit, forgery kit, poisoner's kit or thieves' tools.

 

Saving Throws: Agility, Intelligence

Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Investigation, History, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth

 

EQUIPMENT

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

• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) a long blade

• (a) a burglar's pack, (b) a scholar's pack, or (c) an explorer's pack

• Leather armor, any bladed weapon, and two daggers

 

SPELLCASTING

Your arcane research grants you the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the nightblade spell list.

 

CANTRIPS

You know two cantrips of your choice from the nightblade spell list. You learn additional nightblade cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Nightblade table.

 

MAGICKA

The Nightblade table shows how much magicka you have to cast your nightblade spells of 1st level and higher. The table also shows what the level spells you can cast. To cast one of your nightblade spells of 1st level or higher, must expend magicka, as noted in the spell's description and the Magicka Cost table found in chapter 10. You regain all expended magicka when you finish a short or long rest.

    For example, if you know the 1st-level spell thunderwave and have a Spell Level of 2nd, you can cast thunderwave using magicka to cast it at either level. Refer to Spell Point Cost table on page 288 of the Dungeon Master's Guide or the Magicka Cost table in the Spellcasting chapter.

 

SPELLS KNOWN OF 1ST LEVEL AND HIGHER

At 1st level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the nightblade spell list.

    The Spells Known column of the Nightblade table shows when you learn more nightblade spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 6th level, for example, you learn a new nightblade spell, which can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level.

    Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the nightblade spells you know and replace it with another spell from the nightblade spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

 

SPELLCASTING ATTRIBUTE

Personality is your spellcasting attribute for your nightblade spells, so you use your Personality whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting attribute. In addition, you use your Personality modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a nightblade spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Personality modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +

your Personality modifier

 

PATH OF DARKNESS

At 1st level, choose a path of darkness, which describes your devotion as a nightblade. Choose either Betrayer, Deathless, Seeker, Shadowmage, or Trickster, which are detailed at the end of the class description. Your path grants you features at 1st level, and then again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

 

CUNNING ACTION

Starting at 2nd level, your quick thinking and agility allows 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.

 

SHADOWHAND

Starting at 2nd level, you learn the mage hand cantrip. If you already know this cantrip, you learn a different cantrip of your choice from the nightblade spell list. This cantrip doesn't count against your number of cantrips known.

    When you cast mage hand, you can make the spectral hand invisible, and you can 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 at range.

You can perform one of these tasks without being noticed by a creature if you succeed on an Agility (Sleight of Hand) check contested by the creature’s Willpower (Perception) check.

    In addition, you can use the bonus action granted by your Cunning Action to control the hand.

 

NIGHTEYE

At 3rd level, you have naturally adjusted to being in darkness. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

 

ATTRIBUTE SCORE IMPROVEMENT

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one attribute score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two attribute scores by one

 

SHADOW STEP

At 5th level, you gain the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. Additionally, you can teleport into a shadow cast by another creature within range when you are not in dim light or darkness. You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of your turn.

 

MAGICAL AMBUSH

At 9th level, if you are hidden from a creature when you cast a spell on it, the creature has disadvantage on any saving throw it makes against the spell this turn.

 

NIGHT MAGIC

At 11th level, your continued research in the esoteric studies of shadow magic has unlocked an arcane secret known as night magic. Choose one 6th-level spell from the nightblade spell list. You can cast this unique spell once without expending any magicka. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

    At higher levels, you gain more nightblade spells of your choice that can be cast in this way: one 7th-level spell at 13th level, one 8th-level spell at 15th level, and one 9th-level spell at 17th level. You regain all uses of your Night Magic spells when you finish a long rest.

 

VERSATILE TRICKSTER

At 13th level, you gain the ability to distract targets with your mage hand. As a bonus action on your turn, you can designate a creature within 5 feet of the spectral hand created by the spell. Doing so gives you advantage on attack rolls against that creature until the end of the turn.

 

SPELL THIEF

At 18th level, you gain the ability to magically steal the knowledge of how to cast a spell from another spell caster.

    Immediately after a creature casts a spell on you, or if you are within it's area of affect, you can use your reaction to force the creature to make a saving throw with it's spellcasting attribute. The DC equals your spell save DC. On a failed save, you negate the spell effect against you, and you steal the knowledge of the spell if it is at least 1st level and of a level that you can cast (it doesn't need to be a nightblade spell). For the next 8 hours, you know the spell and can cast it, using magicka as normal. The creature can't cast that spell until 8 hours have passed.

    Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

 

SHADE

When you reach 20th level, you have mastered the dark arts of shadow magic, allowing you to call into the shadow realms to summon another version of yourself. As a bonus action on your turn, you can summon a shadowy version of yourself which appears from your shadow. This creature shares all of your statistics, including your current hit points, and is wearing the same equipment as you. The shade can communicate with you telepathically, knows everything that you know, and shares your alignment, background, and motivations. The shade disappears when it drops to 0 hit points, or you use a bonus action to dismiss it back to the shadow realm.

    As a part of your turn, you can direct the shade to move a distance equal to your speed. You can also direct the shade to make one weapon attack.

    Additionally, as a bonus action on your turn, you can swap places with your shade, as long as you are within 60 feet of each other.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

 

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PATH OF DARKNESS

Nightblades devote themselves to ancient and obscure magic which blurs the lines of morality. The path they choose determines how much of the darkness is embraced.

 

DEATHLESS                                                                   

Those that are considered Deathless have uncovered mystical secrets to weave shadow magic into their illusions, blurring the lines between life and death.

    With goals of reaching immortality, the Deathless attempt to fend off death, both for themselves and others. Those that master the shadow see generations pass in a single lifetime.

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EXPANDED SPELL LIST

The Deathless path lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a nightblade spell. The following spells are added to the nightblade spell list for you.

 

DEATHLESS EXPANDED SPELLS

Spell Level      Spells

1st                     false life, ray of sickness                                                            

2nd                   blindness/deafness, silence

3rd                    feign death, speak with dead                                                     

4th                    aura of life, death ward

5th                    contagion, legend lore                                                                

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AMONG THE DEAD

Starting at 1st level, you learn the spare the dying cantrip, which counts as a nightblade cantrip for you. You also have advantage on saving throws against disease.

    Additionally, undead have difficulty harming you. If an undead targets you directly with an attack or a harmful spell, that creature must make a Willpower saving throw against your spell save DC (an undead needn't make the save when it includes you in an area effect, such as the explosion of fireball). On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or forfeit targeting someone instead of you, potentially wasting the attack or spell. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. An undead is also immune to this effect for 24 hours if you target it with an attack or a harmful spell.

 

DEFY DEATH

Starting at 6th level, you can give yourself vitality when you cheat death or when you help someone else cheat it. You regain hit points equal to 1d8 + your Endurance modifier (minimum of 1 hit point) when you succeed on a death saving throw or when you stabilize a creature with spare the dying.

    Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

 

UNDYING NATURE

Beginning at 10th level, you can hold your breath indefinitely, and you don't require food, water, or sleep, although you still require rest to reduce exhaustion and still benefit from finishing short and long rests.

In addition, you age at a slower rate. For every 10 years that pass, you body only ages 1 year, and you are immune to being magically aged.

 

INDESTRUCTIBE LIFE

When you reach 14th level, you partake of some of the true secrets of the deathless. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d8 + your nightblade level. Additionally, if you put a severed body part of yours back in place when you use this feature, the part reattaches.

    Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

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SHADOWMAGE                                                            

With skill and patience, Shadowmages can read the shadows, manipulating them and the object or force that cast it. Students of the shadow have learned how to “peer sidewise” to perceive the shadows cast by each entity and object in the Aurbis. Of course, these are not literal shadows, but the emanation of the limen each object possesses.

    Through their learning and focus on the hyperagonal sense, the shadowmage becomes skilled at instant translocation. They can step through the shdaows, almost as a matter of reflex.

    Another use for the shadowmage' s prowess in magical translocation is ability to create a trasliminal flow of essence from their adversaries. This malicious shadow draining allows the mage to absorb the life essence of others.

 

EXPANDED SPELL LIST

The Shadowmage path lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a nightblade spell. The following spells are added to the nightblade spell list for you.

 

SHADOWMAGE EXPANDED SPELLS

Spell Level      Spells

1st                     burning hands, sleep                                                                  

2nd                   calm emotions, phantasmal force

3rd                    blink, stinking cloud                                                                  

4th                    dominate beast, greater invisibility

5th                    dominate person, seeming                                                        

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DRAIN ESSENCE

Starting at 1st level, your study of the dark arts allows you to extract vitality from another creature as it nears its demise. When you reduce a creature within 5 feet of you to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Personality modifier + your nightblade level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point).

 

CHILD OF DARKNESS

Also at 1st level, you find yourself being the most comfortable while surrounded in darkness. While you are in dim light, darkness, or magical darkness, you gain the following benefits:

• You ignore difficult terrain.

• You have advantage on initiative rolls.

• On your first turn during combat, you have advantage on attack rolls against creatures that have not yet acted.

 

SHADOWY ESCAPE

Starting at 6th level, you can vanish in a puff of smoke in response to harm. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You remain invisible until the start of your next turn or until you attack or cast a spell.

    Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

CLOAK OF SHADOWS

By 10th level, you have learned to become one with the shadows. When you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use your action to become invisible. You remain invisible until you make an attack, cast a spell, or are in an area of bright light.

 

DELERIUM

Starting at 14th level, you can plunge a creature into an illusory shadow realm. As an action, choose a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. It must make a Willpower saving throw against your nightblade spell save DC. On a failed save, it is charmed or frightened by you (your choice) for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). This effect ends early if the creature takes any damage.

    Until this illusion ends, the creature thinks it is lost in a shadow realm, the appearance of which you choose. The creature can see and hear only itself, you, and the illusion.

    You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

 

 

TRICKSTER                                                                    

Tricksters use illusion to magically entrance and beguile other creatures. Whether they use their skills to become peacemakers who bewitch the violent to lay down their arms, or become tyrants who magically bind the unwilling into their service, Tricksters rely on manipulating the minds of others.

 

EXPANDED SPELL LIST

The Trickster path lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a nightblade spell. The following spells are added to the nightblade spell list for you.

 

TRICKSTER EXPANDED SPELLS

Spell Level      Spells

1st                     dissonant whispers, tasha's hideous laughter                        

2nd                   detect thoughts, phantasmal force

3rd                    clairvoyance, sending                                                                

4th                    dominate beast, evard's black tentacles

5th                    dominate person, telekinesis                                                    

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DARK PRESENCE

Starting at 1st level, you have the ability to project the beguiling and fearsome presence of the darkness. As an action, you can cause each creature in a 10-foot cube originating from you to make a Willpower saving throw against your nightblade spell save DC. The creatures that fail their saving throws are all charmed or frightened by you (your choice) until the end of your next turn.

    Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

ENTROPIC WARD

At 6th level, you learn to magically ward yourself against attack and to turn an enemy’s failed strike into good luck for yourself. When a creature makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that roll. If the attack misses you, your next attack roll against the creature has advantage if you make it before the end of your next turn.

    Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

SHADOWY DEFENSES

Beginning at 10th level, your learn how to turn the mind-affecting magic of your enemies against them. You are immune to being charmed, and when another creature attempts to charm you, you can use your reaction to attempt to turn the charm back on that creature. The creature must succeed on a Willpower saving throw against your nightblade spell save DC or be charmed by you for 1 minute or until the creature takes any damage.

 

MIND TAKING

At 14th level, you gain the ability to make a creature unaware of your magical influence on it. When you cast a spell or use an ability to charm one or more creatures, you can alter one creature's understanding so that it remains unaware that it is being charmed.

    Additionally, once before the spell or effect expires, you can use your action to try to modify the chosen creature's memory of some of the time it spent while charmed. The creature must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw against your nightblade spell save DC. On a failed save, you can modify a number of hours of its memories equal to 1 + your Personality modifier (minimum 1). You can choose to modify less time if desired, and the amount of time can't exceed the duration of your illusion spell.

    A modified memory doesn’t necessarily affect how a creature behaves, particularly if the memory contradicts the creature’s natural inclinations, alignment, or beliefs. An illogical modified memory, such as implanting a memory of how much the creature enjoyed dousing itself in acid, is dismissed, perhaps as a bad dream. The DM might deem a modified memory too nonsensical to affect a creature in a significant manner.

 

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SEEKER                                                                           

Seekers search for knowledge, traveling through the world, collecting lore, and unlocking ancient magic lost to the ages. They use enshrouding darkness and gain access to shadowy pocket realms to protect themselves and their allies from the harms of the Mundas.

    While most seekers uncover the secrets of the gloam through study and discovery of the arcane, these powers can be fast-tracked with the aid of more powerful beings. Seekers may be worshipers of the Daedra Princes whose spheres are of knowledge and shadow. Hermaeus Mora and Nocturnal are sometimes willing to sponsor acolytes and students who can prove their potential.

 

EXPANDED SPELL LIST

The Seeker path lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a nightblade spell. The following spells are added to the nightblade spell list for you.

 

SEEKER EXPANDED SPELLS

Spell Level      Spells

1st                     feather fall, jump                                                                        

2nd                   levitate, locate object

3rd                    clairvoyance, sending                                                                

4th                    arcane eye, locate creature

5th                    legend lore, passwall                                                                  

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SHIELDING AURA

Starting at 1st level, you can invoke shadow magic to protect you from harm. As a bonus action, you create a whirling aura of dark energy that swirls around you. Until the end of your next turn, you gain resistance to all damage, and if a hostile creature ends its turn within 10 feet of you, it takes necrotic damage equal to your nightblade level + your Personality modifier.

    Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

SHADOW REFUGE

At 6th level, you gain the ability to step into a shadow refuge. As an action, you disappear from the world for a brief moment and enter the Shadow Realm, taking advantage of its timeless nature. While in your shadow refuge, you can take two actions to cast spells that target only you. After using those two actions, you return to the space you occupied and your turn ends.

    Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

 

FAR WANDERER

At 10th level, you no longer need to breathe, and you gain resistance to fire damage and cold damage.

 

UMBRAL SEQUESTRATION

Starting at 14th level, you gain the ability to sequester yourself and your allies in the Shadow Realm

    By performing a special ritual over the course of 5 minutes, you shift yourself and up to ten willing creatures you can see to the Shadow Realm. You and those creatures gain the benefits of a short rest while sequestered on the Shadow Realm. You then return to the spaces you all occupied when you used this ability, with no time having passed in the world.

    During this short rest, you and the creatures you sequester can make use of any options available during a rest that affect only you and the creatures you sequester.

    Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

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BETRAYER                                                                     

Betrayers use their knowledge and magic to uncover secrets and turn them against others through extortion and threats. Nightblades are often looked upon with suspicion and distrust, usually with ample justification. This, of course, isn't true of all Nightblades.

    Nightblades who follow the path of the Betrayer, however, often hide their true nature. They typically claim to have developed their magic through more palatable means, as shadow magic is generally seen as nefarious, especially when it involves bending ones will. They might also keep their actual calling secret in order to infiltrate and exploit royal courts and other settings of power.

 

EXPANDED SPELL LIST

The Betrayer path lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a nightblade spell. The following spells are added to the nightblade spell list for you.

 

BETRAYER EXPANDED SPELLS

Spell Level      Spells

1st                     disguise self, ice knife                                                                 

2nd                   detect thoughts, knock

3rd                    clairvoyance, nondetection                                                       

4th                    greater invisibility, vitriolic sphere

5th                    cloud kill, dominate person                                                      

 

VENOMOUS BLADES

Starting at 1st level when you choose this path, you gain the ability to magically make your weapon attacks toxic for a moment.

    Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can deal an extra 1d6 poison damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll.

    You don't need advantage on an 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 additional damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 10th level, and 4d6 at 15th level.

 

VENOMOUS WORDS

At 6th level, you learn to infuse innocent seeming words with an insidious magic. A creature that hears you speak can become plunged into fear and paranoia.

    If you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 10 minutes, you can attempt to seed paranoia and fear into its mind. At the end of the conversation, the target must succeed on a Willpower saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened for the next hour, until it is attacked or damaged, or until it witnesses its allies being attacked or damaged. While frightened in this way, the target is paranoid and tries to avoid the company of others, including its allies. The target seeks out what it considers the safest, most secret place available to it and hides there.

    If the target succeeds on its save, the target has no hint that you tried to frighten it.

    Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short rest or long rest.

 

MANTLE OF WHISPERS

At 10th level, you gain the ability to adopt a creature’s persona. When you slay a creature with an attack or a spell or a creature dies within 5 feet of you, you can magically capture its shadow using your reaction. You can capture only the shadow of a creature that is your creature type, such as humanoid, and your size (you can capture a Small or Medium shadow if you’re Small), and you can have only one shadow captured at a time.

    After you capture a creature’s shadow, you can use your magic to weave it into a disguise that allows you to take on its appearance and gain access to its surface memories. As an action, you take on the creature’s appearance for 1 hour or until you end this effect as a bonus action.

    During that hour, you gain access to all information that the creature would freely share with a casual acquaintance. Information includes general details on its background and personal life, but does not include secrets. The information is enough that you can pass yourself off as the creature by drawing on its memories.

    Another creature can see through this disguise by making a Willpower (Insight) check opposed by your Personality (Deception) check, though you gain a +5 bonus to your check.

    The disguise and the knowledge it grants disappears when this ability’s duration ends.

 

SHADOW LORE

At 14th level, you gain the ability to weave dark magic into your words and tap into a creature’s deepest fears.

    As an action, you magically whisper a phrase that only one creature of your choice within 30 feet of you can hear. The target must make a Willpower saving throw against your spell save DC. It automatically succeeds if it doesn’t share a language with you or if it can’t hear you.   On a successful saving throw, your whisper sounds like unintelligible mumbling and has no effect.

    If the target fails its saving throw, it is charmed by you for the next 8 hours or until you or your allies attack or damage it. It interprets the whispers as a description of its most mortifying secret. While you gain no knowledge of this secret, the target is convinced you know it.

    While charmed in this way, the creature obeys your commands for fear that you will reveal its secret. It won’t risk its life for you or fight for you, unless it was already inclined to do so. It grants you favors and gifts it would offer to a close friend.

    When the effect ends, the creature has no understanding of why it held you in such fear. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

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