Shadowmancer Class

Overview

A wielder of forbidden life-essence techniques, shaping shadow, blood, and negative energy into potent Rites. A Shadowmancer consumes their own vitality or an enemy’s to unleash devastating magic.

Shadowmancers are feared not because they raise the dead, but because they manipulate the raw tissue of life and death. They drain strength, harden themselves with living bone, weaken enemies through shadow binds, and empower allies through controlled sacrificial force.

They excel at: Damage-over-time effects, Health manipulation (drain or sacrifice), Debuffs and battlefield control, Survivability through self-healing, Dark elemental magic

⭐ Main Stat

Intelligence (INT)
Their Rites stem from anatomical knowledge, bloodcraft, and shadow geometry.

🛡️ Armor & Weapons

🎯 Saving Throws

• Armor: Light armor

• Weapons: Simple weapons (blades, wands, hand sickles)

• Shields: Not proficient

• Intelligence

• Constitution

❤️ Hit Points

• Starting HP: 10

• Level 1 HP: 1d8 + CON modifier

• Level Up HP: 1d6 + CON modifier

🧮 Proficiency Bonus

🪓 Starting Armor Class

• Levels 1–4: +1

• Levels 5–8: +2

• Levels 9–10: +3

• Base AC: 10 + DEX modifier

• Wears light armor

🧭 Common Activities

A Shadowmancer might:

• Examine wounds to understand weakness

• Harden or reshape their own bone structures

• Tear shadows from surroundings to bind foes

• Perform blood sigils in mid-combat

• Devour magical force for healing

• Inflict curses or rot-like debuffs

• Sense the flow of life energy like a sixth sense

🔥 Level-Up Gains (General)

💥 Level 1 Starting Feature

Each level gives:

• More HP

• +1 new Rite

• Ability Score Increases at Levels 4 & 8

• Proficiency increases at Levels 5 and 9

Bonecraft

Instantly reshape bone (your own or environmental debris) into temporary weapons, shields, spikes, or armor.

Effects:

• You may conjure a Bone Shard ranged attack (1d6 piercing, 30 ft)

• Once per turn, you may gain +1 AC until next turn as bone flows beneath your skin

• Other

This counts as a Bonecraft action each turn and is separate from all other actions

🔮 Shadowmancer Rites

🔱 Shadowmancer Rite List (Choose 1 at each level)

Shadow Rites involve blood sigils, bone shaping, shadow binding, and life-draining techniques.

Rite Test:

d20 + INT modifier + Proficiency Bonus vs DC 12

Level 1 Rites

Blood Spike - Launch a spike of condensed blood energy for 1d8 necrotic damage.
On success → heal 2 extra HP from Life Siphon.

Shadow Bind - Ensnare a target within 30 ft. They have –2 to attack rolls for 1 round.

Crimson Ward - Passive - When you drop below half HP, immediately gain +2 AC for 1 round.

Bone Armor - Harden your body, granting +2 AC until the end of combat.

Siphon Burst - Drain life in a 10 ft radius. Everyone takes 1d6 necrotic damage, and you heal 2HP for each target hit.

Shadow Veil - Surround yourself in dim shadows; gain advantage on STR and DEX saving throws for 1 round.

Level 3 Rites

Grave Pulse - Bones appear from the ground and deal 3d6 necrotic damage to a target within 25 ft.

Black Veins - You gain resistance to all damage for 2 rounds.

9. Consume Creature - Consume target dead non-player character (d20 + INT) - Target's DC. If successful choose: Gain +4d4 damage to next attack or rite, Choose yourself and any number of allies; split 20HP evenly between all selected, Gain 6 AC for 3 turns.

10. Soul Rend - Strike a target with lethal shadow force for 2d6 + INT modifier necrotic damage, and heal for half the damage dealt.

⚔️ Unique Class Mechanic

Life Siphon

Whenever you deal damage with a Rite or a weapon attack, you heal 1 HP. Each level increases HP restored by 1.