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[lair-master]

Way of the Living Shade

A monastic tradition for Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition by @lair-master​.

image by Mike Mayhew

You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to spar with your own shadow, as a form of training. What you did not know, as you learned the Way of the Living Shade, is that your shadow was learning too. This unwitting tutelage gave your shadow a life force. In turn, it shared a shady secret: the hypnotic power to cloud men’s minds so they cannot see you. Together, you dispense the wages of evil and chaos. The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay. The shadow knows!

Shady Knowledge At 3rd level, you gain three features. Cloud the Mind. You can spend 2 ki points to cast invisibility on yourself, requiring no components. Shadow. You can cast unseen servant at will, requiring no components. Two-Crossbow Fighting. You gain proficiency with hand crossbows, which are monk weapons for you. While your shadow persists, you ignore the loading property of crossbows and gain a free hand to load them. Furthermore, you can forgo any unarmed strike to attack with a hand crossbow.

Who Knows What Evil Lurks? At 6th level, You can spend 2 ki points to cast detect thoughts, requiring no components. When a creature fails a saving throw against the spell, you know its alignment.

Shady Whispers At 11th level, you can cast Rary’s telepathic bond at will, requiring no components.

Master of Minds At 17th level, attacking or casting a spell doesn’t end your invisibility.

[lair-master]

Way of Light

A way for monks who forsake shadow. Designed for Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition, by @lair-master​.

image by Robson Michel

Monks of the Way of Light observe a tradition that celebrates openness and learning. These monks might be called inspectors or lightkeepers, and they serve as sleuths and sentries. Sometimes a monastery of inspectors are officers, forming a constabulary sworn to protect whistleblowers and ensnare shady characters. Other monasteries are more like detective agencies, lending their brilliant deductive powers to rich eccentrics, femme fatales, and hard-luck cases. Their agendas notwithstanding, the leaders of these monasteries encourage the continual curiousness of their pupils.

Bend Light At 3rd level, you can spend 2 ki points to cast continual flame, spike growth, warding bond, or zone of truth, ignoring material components. Additionally, you gain the spare the dying cantrip.

Light Switch At 6th level, when you both are in bright light, as a bonus action you and a willing creature within 60 feet of you can teleport, swapping places. The next attack roll against that creature has disadvantage if the attack is made before your next turn.

Prism of Light At 11th level, in an area of bright light, as an action you can cast faerie fire at will. If you are no longer in bright light, the spell ends.

Exhibitionist At 17th level, whenever a creature within 5 feet of you hits a target other than you with an attack, you can make a melee attack against that creature as a reaction.

[lair-master]

Templar Knight

A fighter archetype in 160 words or less for Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition by @lair-master​.

image by ArchTemplar96

Your monastic order protects journeying pilgrims. You follow the religious tenets of poverty, chastity, obedience, and piety. 

Crusader At 3rd level, your Second Wind restores 1d10 extra hit points and heals friendly creatures within 10 feet of you. Also, once you use Action Surge, you can deal extra damage equal to 1d10 + your fighter level as a bonus action the next time you hit with a weapon on your turn.

Warrior Priest At 3rd level, you have proficiency in the Religion skill and you know Celestial.

Protect Ally At 7th level, friendly creatures within 5 feet of you have resistance to damage dealt by hostile creatures.

Aura of Piety At 10th level, whenever you or any friendly creature within 10 feet of you makes a saving throw, add half the creature’s proficiency bonus to the save. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Divine Defense At 15th level, you gain 5 temporary hit points at the start of each of your turns.

[lair-master]

Circle of the Flame Blade

A druid circle in 160 words or less for Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition by @lair-master​.

In one hand, you wield a scimitar, its handle fashioned from flameleaf sumac. In the other, nature’s power manifests in a fiery blade. With a roar, you enter a battle trance and whirl into the fray, a zealous conflagration of fire and steel. 

Wielder of the Flame At 2nd level, you can use a scimitar as a druidic focus, and you deal extra fire damage equal to your druid level to any target you hit with an opportunity attack. At 3rd level, you always have the flame blade spell prepared.

Fervent Fire  At 2nd level, while you are concentrating on an evocation spell of a level no higher than half your druid level (rounded up), add the spell’s level to your AC and Constitution saving throws (maximum +5).

Blazing Gyre At 6th level, when you attack with flame blade, you can attack with a scimitar as a bonus action.

Backdraft At 10th level, a creature that hits you with a melee attack while you are concentrating on a druid spell takes fire damage equal to the spell’s level.

Unquenchable Blade At 14th level, you can cast flame blade as a 2nd-level spell at will.  

[lair-master]

College of Dwarvenkind

A bard college in 160 words or less for Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition by @lair-master​.

Bards of the College of Dwarvenkind embody the ideals held dear by those squat disciples of the forge, and in so doing imbue their companions with the abiding courage and toughness of the dwarves. These bards gather in rock-hewn halls and impenetrable strongholds deep beneath the mountains. They test their mettle in games of war and drinking contests, unearth riddles hidden in age-old stonework, and venerate the epic dwarven poetry and operas they know by heart. They also quest for ancestral weapons, holy relics of the dwarf gods, and long-lost underground cities. One needn’t be a dwarf to be counted among their number, but all the college’s members share a fiery passion for exceptional artistry, never-ending toil, and glorious combat, always striving to become peerless paragons of dwarfishness.

Bonus Proficiencies At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with shields, the History skill, and one tool of your choice.

Dwarven Inspiration Also at 3rd level, when a creature adds a Bardic Inspiration die from you to a saving throw made to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage on a success. Alternatively, when the creature takes damage, it can roll that die as a reaction, reducing the damage by the number rolled + your Constitution modifier + your bard level.

Dwarven Counterattack At 6th level, when you use Countercharm, and as a reaction when an enemy within 30 feet of you attacks during the performance, you can attack with an axe or hammer.

Dwarven Warrior Poet At 14th level, when you use Bardic Inspiration, you can attack with an axe or hammer as part of the same bonus action.

[lair-master]

College of Disco

A bard college in 160 words or less for Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition by @lair-master​.

Bards of the College of Disco embrace a much-maligned music genre, banished from the surface world eons ago and driven near to extinction by the dreaded boogie fever. But disco never died. For the most resilient of these bards retreated underground. There, they devoted their magic to the art of staying alive. Disco came to be celebrated among dark elves and dwarves, and recently the college’s members have begun to emerge from hiding. While still widely reviled, they’ve earned the grudging respect of many adventurers for their unmatched will to survive.

Bonus Proficiencies At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the herbalism kit and the Medicine and Survival skills.

Stayin’ Alive Also at 3rd level, when a creature gains a Bardic Inspiration die from you, it can spend and roll one Hit Die, add its Constitution modifier, and regain hit points equal to the total. In addition, if the creature is prone, it can use its reaction to stand up.

I Will Survive At 6th level, you gain proficiency in death saving throws. Additionally, when you expend one use of Bardic Inspiration, you can also spend and roll one Hit Die, add your Constitution modifier, and regain hit points equal to the total.

Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now At 14th level, creatures regain the maximum number of extra hit points possible from your Song of Rest, Stayin’ Alive, and I Will Survive features.

[lair-master]

College of Help

A bard college in 160 words or less for Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition by @lair-master​.

Bards of the College of Help lend a hand to heroes. They can’t help but be helpful.

Bonus Proficiencies At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with all armor and shields.

Helpful Inspiration Also at 3rd level, when you use the Help action to aid an ally that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you in attacking a creature, it can use its reaction to make one weapon attack against the target, roll that die and add the number rolled to the attack’s damage roll.

Helper’s Attack At 6th level, when you use your action to Help and aid an ally in attacking a creature, you can make one weapon attack against the target.

Extra Helping At 14th level, when you use the Help action to aid an ally in attacking a creature and your ally attacks the target before your next turn, you can use your reaction to make one weapon attack against the target.

[lair-master]

Path of the Mancatcher

A primal path in 160 words or less for Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition by @lair-master​.

You hunt the most dangerous game. No man escapes the mancatcher.

Net Fighting At 3rd level, while raging, you can use Strength instead of Dexterity when you attack with a net, and you can throw a weapon as a bonus action on your turn.

Manhunter At 6th level, you have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to track humanoids and Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to surprise or sneak by them.

No Escape At 10th level, when you hit a creature with a net and it is restrained, or you bind it with manacles, add half your barbarian level to the object’s ability check DCs until the creature is freed. Also, you add twice your proficiency bonus to any Dexterity check you make to securely tie up a prisoner.  

Get Over Here At 14th level, while raging, you can pull a creature up to 10 feet closer to you when you hit it with a net and it is restrained.

(See the “Man Catcher” sidebar for a weapon many favor on this path.)