The Shadowdark Patron (Not Playtested - Hexblade Reimagined)
Below is the reimagining of the hexblade class in order for it to be inserted easier into 2024 rules. Additionally, I removed accursed specter in order to have the shadow theme be better represented throughout the whole subclass. Oh, and I haven't playtested this yet...so yeah.
The Shadowdark Patron
Some warlocks find power not in the light, but in the spaces between—where the living world frays at the edges and the chill of the Shadowfell seeps in. These warlocks strike a pact with a denizen of that gloomy plane, a creature of ancient shadow and bound malice. In exchange for their service, they are granted a sliver of living darkness—a shadow that moves with a will of its own, wraps them in supernatural protection, and hungers for the souls of the dying. This living shadow is not merely a servant, but a part of the warlock—watching, whispering, and growing ever stronger as it feeds on fear and death.
The Shadowdark Spells
The magic of your patron ensures you always have certain spells ready; when you reach a Warlock level specified in the Shadowfallen Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.
| Warlock Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3 | Arms of Hadar, Misty Step, Pass Without Trace, Wrathful Smite |
| 5 | Bestow Curse, Nondetection |
| 7 | Evard’s Black Tentacles, Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound |
| 9 | Banishing Smite, Passwall |
Knowledge of the Shadowdark (3rd Level)
Your living shadow understands the flow of combat as deeply as it does secrets. As a bonus action, you may replace the weapon mastery of a weapon with which you are currently proficient with a weapon mastery of your choosing. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Touch of the Shadowdark (3rd Level)
Your living shadow merges with your weapon, allowing it to manifest a cursed force. When you deal damage with a weapon attack, you may choose to have the damage become force instead. If the attack hits, the target is cursed for 1 minute or until the target dies, you die, or you become incapacitated.
While cursed, you score a critical success against the target on a roll of 19 or 20. You also deal bonus force damage equal to your spellcasting ability modifier. Additionally, while cursed by this feature, the creature has disadvantage on all attack rolls against you and a creature of your choosing.
You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Embrace of the Shadowdark (6th Level)
Your living shadow rises to protect you when danger strikes. When a creature makes an attack against you, you may use your reaction to cause your living shadow to envelop you. Until the end of the turn, your Armor Class increases by an amount equal to your spellcasting ability modifier. If the attack still hits you, your shadow lashes out in pain, dealing force damage to the attacker equal to your spellcasting ability modifier and cursing the target with the Touch of the Shadowdark.
The benefits of the curse are the same as from your Touch of the Shadowdark feature. You may use this feature once per long rest, or you may expend a Pact Magic spell slot (no action required) to use it again.
Feast of the Shadowdark (10th Level)
When a creature affected by Touch of the Shadowdark dies, its soul is devoured by your living shadow and held within it until the end of your next long rest or until you expend it.
While your shadow holds a soul in this way, your spells take on a deeper, more dreadful power. You gain the following benefits:
- You have advantage on Constitution saving throws made to maintain concentration on spells from the Conjuration school.
- When you cast a Conjuration spell that requires a creature to make a saving throw, that creature makes the save with disadvantage. If the spell deals damage, you may choose replace the damage with force damage instead.
Additionally, while holding a soul, you may expend it (no action required) to immediately regain a use of your Magical Cunning feature. Your shadow can hold only one soul at a time.
Devotion of the Shadowdark (14th Level)
At 14th level, your shadow is utterly devoted to preserving your existence. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you instead drop to 1 hit point and are pulled by your shadow into a hidden plane of twilight until the start of your next turn.
While on this plane, you are incapacitated and cannot interact with the world, nor can the world interact with you. You are immune to all damage, and no creature can perceive or affect you in any way.
At the start of your next turn, you return to the space you last occupied (or the nearest unoccupied space). If your shadow is holding a soul consumed via Feast of the Shadowdark, you return with hit points equal to half your maximum instead.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before using it again.