Gloamstriders are skirmishing combatants who shape darkness into sudden attacks, evasive paths, and obedient shadow creatures. They dart between cover and enemies, strike where defenses are weakest, and use their summons to harry, distract, or protect. Their magic is not spellcasting: it is a practiced bond with the living dark.
Strike from the dark. Leave only shadows behind.
Skirmisher and shadow-summoner
At a glance
Shadow Charges
Hit die d10
Dexterity
ConstitutionYou gain proficiency with martial weapons, light armor, and thieves’ tools. You gain Shadow Charges equal to your proficiency bonus, regain all expended charges when you finish a Long Rest, and regain 1 charge when you roll Initiative with none remaining (once per Long Rest). Once on each of your turns when you hit with a weapon attack, you can spend 1 charge to deal an extra 1d6 Necrotic damage and teleport up to 10 feet to an unoccupied space you can see in dim light or darkness.
As a Bonus Action, spend 1 Shadow Charge to summon a shade in an unoccupied space within 30 feet. It lasts for 1 hour, until it is reduced to 0 Hit Points, or until you summon another. The shade acts immediately after your turn, obeys your commands without requiring an action, and uses your proficiency bonus (PB): AC 13 + PB, Hit Points 5 + five times your Gloamstrider level, Speed 30 feet, and a melee attack using your spell attack modifier (1d8 + PB Necrotic damage). It vanishes if it ends its turn more than 60 feet from you.
Choose a subclass. Your choice grants features at levels 3, 6, 10, and 14.
Ability Score Improvement
You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
When you use Gloamstrike, its extra damage becomes 2d6. Your teleport distance from Gloamstrike increases to 15 feet.
When you take the Hide action while in dim light or darkness, you can move up to half your Speed immediately before or after that action without revealing yourself, provided you end in dim light, darkness, or cover.
Ability Score Improvement
Your Bound Shade’s attack deals 2d8 + PB Necrotic damage. When you take the Attack action, you can forgo one attack to let your shade make one attack.
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack while you are hidden from it or in dim light or darkness, you can impose disadvantage on its next attack roll before the start of your next turn.
Your Gloamstrike damage becomes 3d6. Once on each of your turns, when you teleport using Gloamstrike, you can become Invisible until the start of your next turn or until you make an attack, deal damage, or force a saving throw.
Ability Score Improvement
Your Bound Shade gains a Fly Speed equal to its Speed and can move through creatures and objects as difficult terrain. It takes 1d10 Force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
You gain your subclass feature.
Your Gloamstrike damage becomes 4d6. When you roll Initiative and have no Shadow Charges, you now regain 2 charges instead of 1.
Ability Score Improvement
When you use Gloamstrike, you can teleport up to 30 feet instead of 15 feet. You can bring one willing creature within 5 feet of your starting space to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of your destination.
Your Bound Shade’s attack deals 3d8 + PB Necrotic damage. When you spend a Shadow Charge to summon it, you can summon it without using a Bonus Action.
You gain an Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat for which you qualify, and you gain an Epic Boon feat or another feat for which you qualify.
Once on each of your turns when you hit with a weapon attack, you can use Gloamstrike without expending a Shadow Charge. In addition, when you roll Initiative, you regain all expended Shadow Charges.
DexterityConstitutionDexterity
WisdomHit points per Gloamstrider level; Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier; Hit Points at Higher Levels: (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Gloamstrider level after 1st.
DefensesArmor Class: light armor; positioning and concealment are your chief defenses.
ArmorLight armor.
WeaponsSimple and martial weapons.
ToolsThieves’ tools. Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, and Survival.
Skill choicesAcrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival
ResourceShadow Charges: proficiency bonus per Long Rest, with a limited Initiative recovery described in Gloamstrike. Charges fuel Gloamstrike and Bound Shade.
MulticlassingPrerequisite: Dexterity 13. When you multiclass into Gloamstrider, you gain proficiency with light armor, one martial weapon of your choice, and thieves’ tools. Shadow Charges are based on your Gloamstrider level only; Bound Shade hit points and damage also use your Gloamstrider level.
You are not a spellcaster and gain no spell slots.
Your supernatural abilities are class features, not spells; Gloamstrike uses Dexterity for its attack and damage, and your Bound Shade uses your Dexterity modifier for its attack roll.
Make the first blow—and the last—before anyone sees you.
Turn the dark into a shield for those who cannot fight it.
Every patch of darkness is another soldier under your command.
Gloamstriders are skirmishing combatants who shape darkness into sudden attacks, evasive paths, and obedient shadow creatures.
They dart between cover and enemies, strike where defenses are weakest, and use their summons to harry, distract, or protect. Their magic is not spellcasting: it is a practiced bond with the living dark.
Play like a mobile striker: use cover and dim light to approach, spend Gloamstrike to hit hard and reposition, and send your shade to pressure a second enemy or interfere with a threat.
You are durable enough to enter danger, but your best defense is making opponents waste movement and attacks trying to pin you down.
Most Gloamstriders learn through a mentor who teaches them to notice the shapes darkness makes before attempting to shape it themselves.
Initiation usually requires confronting a personal fear alone in a lightless place and returning with a shadow willing to answer their call.
People often mistake Gloamstriders for assassins or practitioners of dangerous magic.
Those who have seen one defend a village may instead regard them as unnerving guardians; their summoned shades rarely reassure anyone.
No images yet.
A high-res, share-ready sheet you can post or print.
