Bogeyman (5A)

Starfox's 5th Edition Fan Page

Shrouded in darkness, the monster approaches the lone boy being kicked and bullied by ruthless thugs. Revealing itself with a roar, the monster makes a mock charge, causing the villains to flee before picking up the limp body. Slowly nursing the child to health in the perfect darkness of its cave lair, dreading the day he will reach out to touch the monstrous face or realize the helping hand is a claw.

Monsters are people who have become the dark things that stalk in the night. Empowered by mystical rituals, unnatural science, or otherworldly forces, monsters are thought by most to be dangerous and are shunned and feared by society. Some seek this power out for themselves, but not all of these individuals are beholden to their base desires and some turn their frightful power into a force of good.

Monsters are the stuff of dark secrecy and fell power, things of legend and forbidden lore. Becoming one of these otherworldly creatures is sometimes the ultimate goal of a cultist, drinking the blood of an existing monster or engaging in strange rituals to fully realize their power. To others it is a curse bestowed by bloodline or destiny, a burden that strengthens itself through hardship.

While there is certainly a predilection for monsters to fall towards evil, not all of them give in to unnatural compulsions and darker desires—most are driven there by the angry and misunderstanding societies around them. Many of the fell adventurers that resist their inner natures are raised far from civilization or hidden away from the world in utter secrecy, tainted by otherworldly power inherited from their reclusive parents or bestowed upon them by fate and the workings of cults.

Creating an Monster

The first thing to decide when making an monster is the source of your character’s abilities: did you seek out your dark path or was it forced upon you by destiny? You might have discovered a dark object or accidentally happened into a nexus of otherworldly energies, stumbling into a ritual or coming upon the decaying essence of a dying monstrous entity looking for a new soul to tether to itself. Perhaps your character has always sought out power regardless of its source, seeking it out with others in a cult and only to be the one to unlock the secrets of the order. Perhaps your parents were monsters and you realized your unnatural inherited talents in a moment of panic. Did you try to hide from society and remain beneath its notice or choose instead to live far from civilized life, surviving in the wilderness? Who—if anyone—knows your truths or helped aid you keep them secret? Perhaps most importantly, does your character feel scorned by society’s treatment of them for their monstrous nature or driven to prove that they are more than their otherworldly appearance suggests?

Source: En5ider 83, heavily rewritten.

Class Features

As an monster, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d8 per monster level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per monster level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: None
• Weapons: Simple weapons
• Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
• Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Arcana, Intimidation, Perception, and Religion

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to any gear acquired through your background.

• a dagger or (b) a sickle
• a shortbow with 10 arrows or (b) a sling with 15 bullets
• a hooded robe
• an explorer’s pack or (b) scholar’s pack

Monster Table

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Dark Strike	Features
1st	+2	1d4	Dark Strike, Dark Ward, Monster Path feature, Supernatural Save
2nd	+2	1d4	Fear and Loathing
3rd	+2	1d4	Darkvision
4th	+2	1d4	Devotee of Darkness, Monster Path feature
5th	+3	1d6	Toughened Hide
6th	+3	1d6	Supernatural Save
7th	+3	1d6	Fear and Loathing , Monster Path feature
8th	+3	1d6	Extra Attack
9th	+4	1d8	Supernatural Movement
10th	+4	1d8	Dauntless
11th	+4	1d8	Monster Path feature
12th	+4	1d8	Darkvision, Fear and Loathing
13th	+5	1d10	Supernatural Movement
14th	+5	1d10	Toughened Hide
15th	+5	1d10	Monster Path feature
16th	+5	1d10	Otherworldly Shadow
17th	+6	1d12	Darkened Soul
18th	+6	1d12	Supernatural Save, Toughened Hide
19th	+6	1d12	Supernatural Movement
20th	+6	1d12	Monster Path feature

Class Abilities

Dark Strike

Beginning at 1st level, your strikes are imbued with a darkness that allows you to deal more damage with every blow. You gain the following benefits:

• You can roll 1d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike. This die changes as you gain monster levels, as shown in the Dark Strike column of the Monster table.
• You can add your Dexterity or Strength modifier to the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes.
• If you take the Attack action and have both hands free, you can make additional attack with Dark Strike as a bonus action.

Dark Ward

At 1st level darkness wards you against attacks. You gain an Armor Class of 10 + your highest ability bonus + your Proficiency bonus.

Monster Path

At 1st level, your supernatural abilities manifest in the pattern of a famous type of monster. Select a Monster Path matching the type of monster you want to be. Your monster path grants you features at 1st level and again at 4th, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 20th level.

Fear and Loathing

At 2nd level, as an action, you can try to scare all creatures of your choice in a 10 feet cone. Targets must attempt a Wisdom save or become Frightened of you. At the end of each target's turn they can attempt a Wisdom save to end the effect. At level 7, the size of the cone increases to 30 feet. At level 12 it increases to 50 feet.

You also gain advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks against creatures of the Humanoid type.

Darkvision

At 3rd level, you gain darkvision out to 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, the range of that darkvision increases by 30 feet. At 12th level, you gain the ability to see through magical darkness to this range.

Toughened Hide

At 5th level, your AC increases by 1 and you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. Magical attacks and silvered weapons ignore this resistance.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 8th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Supernatural Save

At 6th level, you gain proficiency in a saving throw of your choice.

Supernatural Movement

Starting at 9th level, your movement improves. Choose one of these options:

• Your land speed increases by 10 feet. You can take this option multiple times.
• You gain a burrowing speed equal to half your land speed, You can move through dirt, soil, and clay, but not brick, stone, or mortar.
• You gain a climb speed equal to your land speed.
• You gain a swim speed equal to your land speed and the ability to breathe water.
• You gain a fly speed equal to your land speed.
• You gain hover (prerequisite: Fly speed).

You can choose again at level 13 and 19. You can choose a speed increase several times, but each of the other options can only be picked once.

Dauntless

At 10th level, you gain immunity to the frightened condition and resistance to psychic damage.

Otherworldly Shadow

At 16th level, you gain resistance to necrotic damage.

Darkened Soul

At 17th level, you gain the ability to cast Darkness as a bonus action, requiring no components.

Monster Paths

Monsters follow the path of a classical monster selected at level 1.

Abomination

Powered by unnatural chemicals, the once-living flesh of an abomination stands unyielding against the hail of arrows pelting her form and she charges forward unheeded, slamming into and through a barred door to shatter it into pieces.

You are a creature of occult science or mystery, a construct made out of inanimate materials or even a terrifying homunculus of stitched together bodies, driven to monstrous form by forbidden alchemical secrets.

Source: En5ider 83, heavily rewritten.

Abominable Appearance

You have a monstrous appearance and need to conceal your appearance among humanoids. A simple cloak gives you a degree of anonymity. When interacting with humanoids, you suffer disadvantage on all Charisma checks except Intimidation checks, where you have advantage.

Abominable Nature

Starting at 1st level, you gain immunity to disease, poison damage, and the poisoned condition. You do not need to breathe, eat, or drink, though you still require periods of rest similar to sleep.

Unnatural Threshold

Beginning at 4th level, you gain immunity to the blinded, deafened, and exhaustion conditions.

Rampaging Monster

At 7th level, you gain advantage on attack rolls made against objects and deal double damage when using Dark Strike to damage an object.

Strange Resistance

Starting at 11th level, choose one type of damage that is not bludgeoning, piercing, poison, or slashing. You gain resistance to this type of damage.

Unbreakable Senses

Beginning at 15th, you gain immunity to the paralyzed, petrified, and stunned conditions.

Unstoppable Abomination

When you reach 20th level, you gain resistance to all types of damage.

Lycanthrope

Howling at the high moon and reveling in her bestial form, the werewolf leaps out of the darkness and snatches one of her former pursuers, dragging the screaming man into the shadows and depriving him of his innards with her sharp fangs and claws.

You are filled with animalistic fury and cursed with the curse of lycanthropy that changes you into a beast when the full moon hangs high in the sky.

Source: En5ider 83, heavily rewritten.

Inner Animal

Starting at 1st level, you gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. You cannot yet change shape. Until you become a true shapeshifter at level 4, you can use all abilities of the Monster class in your original form. Your Dark Strike is claws doing slashing damage.

Moon Change

Beginning at 4th level, you gain the shapechanger tag. You can assume the form of a humanoid, beast, or a hybrid form combining elements of beast and humanoid. Select a beast from this list when you gain this ability: bear, boar, tiger, rat, or wolf. This choice cannot be changed. You learn to change into the form of this beast and to assume a humanoid-beast hybrid form having elements of both. Mundane equipment you are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed, making most gear very impractical. However, magical gear is an exception, magic items can merge with your form or not as you choose.

Humanoid Form

Humanoid form is your true, original form. Your humanoid form is mundane, you can only use proficencies and skills from the Monster class, all other abilities from the class are lost. As a bonus action you can Polymorph into your chosen Beast Form. As a bonus action or as a reaction to being attacked you can assume Hybrid Form. At night when the moon is full, you cannot assume humanoid form.

Beast Form

Your beast form is a natural beast of the form selected above, per the Polymorph spell. In beast form you retain any damage resistance or immunity you have and can change into Humanoid or Hybrid Form as a bonus action, but you retain no other abilities. If killed in this form, you immediately change into your Hybrid Form without having to take an action to do so, and you cannot resume Beast Form for the next hour.

Hybrid Form

In hybrid form your statistics are the same as in Humanoid form, but you have access to all class features of the Monster class. Your Dark Strike takes the form of bite and claw attacks that do slashing damage. If you hit with a claw attack, you can make a bite attack as a bonus action. When interacting with Humanoids in hybrid form, you suffer disadvantage on all Charisma checks except Intimidation checks. As a bonus action you can assume Humanoid Form or Beast Form. You revert to your Humanoid Form if you go unconscious or die in hybrid form.

Powerful Leaps

Starting at 7th level, while in hybrid or beast form you quadruple the distance of any jumps you make.

Corrupting Fangs

At 11th level, your curse of lycanthropy becomes as potent as the darkest of legends, and you can immediately turn a bitten enemy into a werewolf under your control. After you deal damage to an enemy with a bite attack, you may force the enemy to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma bonus). Creatures of types other than fey, giants, and humanoids automatically succeed this saving throw. On a success, the target suffers an additional 3d10 piercing damage. On a failure, the target is Polymophed into a werewolf of the same type as you under your control. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make a new Constitution saving throw to revert to its natural form. When it reverts, because it was defeated or for another reason, you lose control over the creature. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and only once per turn. You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

At 20th level, you can use this ability at will, but still only once per turn

Lycanthropic Resistance

Beginning at 15th level, while in hybrid or beast form you gain resistance to all damage except bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing attack from silver or magical weapons.

Master Lycanthrope

When you reach 20th level, your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 4. Your maximum for those scores is now 24. Additionally, your Keen Senses and Lycanthropic Hide features can all be used in human form.

Vampire

Backing out of the tavern with the merchant lord’s gaze locked onto his, the vampire slips into an alleyway nearby, baring his fangs to better slake his thirst on the blood of the foolish human trundling toward him.

Infused with unholy energies and driven by a thirst for blood, you are becoming a master of the night, one of the most powerful types of undead.

Source: En5ider 83, heavily rewritten.

Immortality in Death

You are no longer a Humanoid, instead gaining the Undead type. This involves little physical change, your skin grows paler and colder but not blatantly so, and all your powers are only visible when in use. You do not age, and if you are reduced to 0 hip points, you automatically stabilize. You can be destroyed only by burning or direct sunlight.

You gain vulnerability to radiant damage and you take an amount of necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus if you start your turn in direct sunlight. Covering clothes and a wide-brimmed hat or a parasol is sufficient to negate this damage. You take an amount of acid damage equal to your proficiency bonus if you start your turn touching running water.

You gain no sustenance from food or drink, instead you must nourish yourself using the Bloodsucker ability, below.

You can’t enter a private residence without an invitation from one of the occupants. You can enter inns, stores, and other public places without an invitation.

Bloodsucker

You grow two sharp extendible fangs. You can attack with these fangs against a creature that is willing or surprised, or as a bonus action in a grapple. When you use your fangs to deliver a Dark Strike, you regain hit points equal to the result of the damage roll, not including any bonuses. This also satisfies your need for food and water for the day. If you are dead but not destroyed, you can be revived simply by feeding you fresh blood.

Cursed Charm

Starting at 4th level, you can spend an action to target one humanoid you can see within 30 feet. If the target can see you, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma bonus) or be charmed by you. The charmed target regards you as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn’t under your control, it interprets your requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for your Dark Strike attack. Each time you or your companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. The effect can also be ended as if it was a curse. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or take a bonus action to end the effect. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Darkness Form

Beginning at 7th level, if you aren’t in sunlight or running water, you can use a bonus action or reaction (at any time) to Polymorph into a Bat or assume Gaseous Form. Any object you are wearing transforms with you. You can stay in bat or mist form for a number of hours equal to your monster level, after which you revert to your normal form. You also revert if you fall unconscious, die, or spend a bonus action to end your transformation early. While in either of these forms you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all uses when you end a long rest.

Children of the Night

Beginning at 11th level, you can spend an action to magically call 2d6 Swarms of Bats, Swarms of Rats, or Wolves, as appropriate to the locale. The called creatures arrive at the end of your turn, acting as your allies and obeying your spoken commands, but if touched by sunlight your control of them ends and they run away. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until you die, or until you dismiss them as a bonus action. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all uses when you end a long rest. When you reach 15th level, you can call 4d6 swarms or wolves.

Escaping Mist

Starting at 15th level you establish a resting place and imbue a coffin with unholy power. When you drop to 0 hit points outside your resting place, you disappear in a cloud of mist (as in the Darkness Forms feature) and teleport to your coffin, provided that you aren’t in sunlight or running water. If you can’t transform or is prevented from teleporting, you go unconscious normally. After spending 1 hour in your resting place with 0 hit points, you regain 1 hit point.

Master of the Night

When you reach 20th level, you regain 20 hit points at the start of your turn if you have at least 1 hit point and aren’t in sunlight or running water. If you take radiant damage or damage from holy water, this feature doesn’t function at the start of your next turn.