Darkness Untold

There are many creatures that roam the shadows, searching for mortals to torment and enslave, to inhabit for safety, or to empower with unnatural strength. Devils are known by religious institutions as the puppet masters of many such monsters. The slithering, alien creatures found in the deepest oceans, or among the stars themselves, are also known for inhabiting the bodies of humanoid creatures. The difference between ordinary people and a monster, however, is their ability to, in an often profane, twisted way, coexist with such entities, finding a symbiotic middle ground that benefits both host and inner monster.

Monstrous Fury

Not all monsters walk the land with an otherworldly evil sealed within them. Some monsters are only that in name, having been chosen to be the vessel of a divine being of lawful conquest. Or perhaps within you dwells the seedling of some strange living tree, whose anger is vented upon those who disrespect the forests. Regardless of the origin or goals of your inner monster, all monstrous adventurers share one thing in common: their inner monster is a force of rage and destruction. Unleashed, the creature within you can wreak havoc upon the world, its boundless fury kept in check only by its host's strength of will.

Quick Build

You can make a monster quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength your highest ability score, followed by Constitution or Charisma. Second, take the Haunted One background.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d6 per monster level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per monster level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: None
• Weapons: Simple weapons
• Tools: None

• Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
• Skills: Choose any two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Perception, Stealth, Survival, or Intimidation

• You choose whether your
  equipment falls to the ground
  in your space, merges into your
  new form, or is worn by it when you
  unleash your monstrous form. Worn
  equipment functions as normal, but the
  DM decides whether it is practical for your monstrous form to wear a piece of equipment. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match your monstrous form, and any equipment that your monstrous form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with your monstrous form has no effect until you return to your human form.
• If you drop to 0 Monster Hit Points, you revert to your human form, taking any excess damage in that form, and are unconscious until the start of your next turn. If the excess damage you take reduces you to 0 hit points, then you instead remain unconscious.

Regaining Control

When a monster loses control, it often falls to their friends, family, and companions to help return them to humanity. The Help action can be used to grant advantage on a player character's next ability check. The calm emotions spell or similar magic can also be used to help a monster regain control, at your DM's discretion.

Withstanding the Monster

You have a limit to how much of your inner monster's sheer ferocity you can withstand. The amount of times you can unleash safely is equal to your Charisma modifier + 1 (minimum 2). This number resets after completing a long rest.

Each time you unleash your inner monster after this amount is harmful to your mind and body. After unleashing, you immediately gain one level of exhaustion and lose control of your monstrous form.

Begrudging Union

By 2nd level, you have learned to exercise a small amount of control over the beast within you. When you use your unleash ability, you can automatically succeed on the Charisma check required to revert back to human form. Once you have used this ability, you must complete a short or long rest before it can be used again.

At 10th level, you can use this ability twice before having to complete a short or long rest.

Haunted Resolve

By 2nd level, you have seen things no mortal should ever have to witness, forcing you to fortify your will against the horrors of your new life. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

When you reach 14th level in this class, you gain immunity to the frightened condition.

Monstrous Archetype

At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that describes your unique path of violence as a monster. Choose Menace, Stalker, or Pact Maker, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 13th, and 18th level.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, the monster within you has grown faster. You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn while in your monstrous form.

Quick Transformation

Also at 5th level, you have begun to embrace the power granted by your inner monster. You can use a bonus action instead of an action to unleash your monstrous form.

Magical Fury

Your prolonged union with your inner monster has awakened a sinister magic. At 6th level, your unarmed strikes while in monstrous form count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Enhanced Constitution

Also at 6th level, your body's prolonged exposure to a foreign entity has enhanced its resolve. You gain resistance to poison damage, as well as advantage on saving throws against the poisoned condition, and you are immune to disease.

At 15th level, these benefits improve, giving you immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

Heightened Control

Your control over your monster’s power grows stronger each day. At 9th level, you can remain in your monstrous form for 1 hour before you risk losing control and must attempt to revert to your human form.

Additionally, you no longer need to make a Charisma saving throw to prevent yourself from unleashing your monstrous form as a result of taking damage.

Relentless Wrath

By 11th level, your monster has grown more ferocious and destructive than ever.

When you use the unleash ability to transform into your monstrous form, you can choose to do so with more fury and power, gaining temporary Monster Hit Points equal to half your maximum Monster Hit Points.

Menace

The Menace archetype is followed by those monsters whose purpose is to destroy, to terrorize, and to horrify. A Menace is known for its ability to torment its prey, utilizing lightning reflexes and abominable strength to prevent weaker foes from escaping its horrible clutches.

Stalker Features

Haunting Gaze

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your very gaze is enough to instill fear in your victims. As a bonus action, you can look at a creature within 30 feet of you and force it to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is frightened of you for 1 minute, or until you stop concentrating (as if concentrating on a spell). A creature has disadvantage on their saving throw if you use your haunting gaze on the same turn that you unleash your monstrous form. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn. A creature that succeeds on their saving throw is immune to your haunting gaze for 24 hours.

You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), regaining all expended uses on a long rest. The DC for this ability is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.

Silent Stalker

Also at 3rd level, you gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made while in your monstrous form.

Paralyzed by Fear

At 7th level, your gaze is so powerful it now immobilizes your prey. Creatures affected by your haunting gaze become paralyzed, rather than frightened.

Call Shadows

By 13th level, you can call the very shadows to your side as you torment your prey. While in your monstrous form and in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use a bonus action to become invisible until the start of your next turn. While invisible in this way, your movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

Haunting Presence

At 18th level, you have become a creature of nightmare, no longer needing to lock eyes with your prey to paralyze it with fear. When you use your haunting gaze while in your monstrous form, you can attempt to instill fear in the hearts of any number of creatures you choose within 30 feet of you that you can see.

Pact Maker Features

Pact Magic

At 3rd level, your monster forges a magical pact with you, enhancing your monstrous strength with the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the warlock spell list.

Cantrips. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn an additional warlock cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots. The Pact Maker Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your warlock spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

For example, when you are 9th level, you have two 3rd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell cause fear, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 3rd-level spell.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. At 3rd level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the warlock spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Pact Maker Spellcasting table shows when you learn more warlock spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 11th level, for example, you learn a new warlock spell, which can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your warlock spells, so you use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

You gain truesight out to a range of 30 feet.

The formless monster within you has warped your body, gelatinizing and contorting your flesh and bone. You can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. Items you are wearing or carrying do not gain this benefit. You also ignore difficult terrain.