Rogue

On Quartus, rogues, like everyone else, have a magical side to their skill set. In this case, rogues are all, to one degree or another, attuned to the Border Shadow, that liminal space between planes. Unconsciously (for most of them), they wrap themselves in the veil between the Material and Shadow. This is how they seemingly “dodge” a fireball and come out unscathed—the energy went into shadow around them. Some wield this power more consciously. But the Border Shadow isn’t only darkness and stealth. And rogues are much more than just dancers in shadow. Long (but irregular, for the most part) training teaches them skills and knacks others lack.

There are several Noefran organizations well-suited to a rogue’s talents, from rump of the Benevolent Association, the organized crime ring that ruled Asai’ka from the shadows until the Red Plague, to the Hollow Knives, assassins and secret law-keepers in service to the Hollow King. The Dimwit Syndicate, headquartered in Tarad’am, is another significant criminal organization. Other rogues wear a white hat, acting as investigators, spies, and agents (governmental or private) throughout the scattered nations.

Variant Features

The following feature is available to all rogues, with their GM’s permission.

Skill Tricks

Starting at 2nd level, you’ve learned additional ways to employ your abilities. You learn one basic skill trick of your choice, even if you don’t have proficiency in that skill. See Skill Tricks for more details and the rules governing skill tricks. This includes any gained normally alongside ability score increases.

You gain additional Skill Tricks at 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th levels. When you reach 7th level, you can learn advanced skill tricks; at 11th level expert skill tricks; and 17th level master skill tricks. When you learn advanced, expert, or master skill tricks in this way, you do not have to meet any prerequisites.

When you gain access to a new Skill Trick, you can also swap any Skill Trick you know for a new one you could otherwise learn at that point.

Mage Hunter

Magic is not always appreciated. Mortal spell-casters often believe themselves the lords of creation…and act that way. Mage hunters are trained to counter those. They employ the inversion of a family of techniques called formshaping: manipulating aether into the platonic shapes of “forms”. Or in this case, shaping their personal aether to disrupt patterns, especially those created by spell-casting.

Shaping Dice

You have four shaping dice, each of which is a d6. You use these to empower your archetype features. You regain expended dice when you complete a short or long rest. The size of each die increases with level as shown on the Mage Hunter.

Disruptive Strike

Starting at level 3 when a creature within your reach (if wielding a melee weapon) or normal range (if wielding a ranged weapon) begins casting a spell or using a magical ability, you can use your reaction and spend a shaping die to make an attack against them with a wielded weapon. If it hits, you add the result from your shaping die to the damage dealt and the target must make a concentration check at disadvantage. On a failed check, the spell or magical ability fails and the spell slot or charge is consumed.

Magical Awareness

Also starting at level 3, you can create the effect of detect magic or identify twice without requiring components or a spell slot or concentration. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Slippery Form

Starting at level 9, your awareness of the limits of spell-craft has increased. You can expend a shaping die when you make an ability check or saving throw against a spell or magical effect and add the result to your total. You can do so after you know whether you’ve succeeded or failed.

Greater Disruptive Strike

Starting at level 13, your ability to disrupt magical effects has increased. As an action you can spend a shaping die to make an attack against a magical effect you can perceive. On an attack roll of 10 or higher, treat the effect as if you had cast dispel magic at 3rd level. For effects from higher level spells, your attack roll result is the ability check result; if the attack roll is equal to or higher than 10 + the spell’s level, the spell effect ends. This can even disrupt magical effects that cannot be dispelled by dispel magic, such as force cage and wall of force, assuming the result is high enough.

Resurgent Shaping

Starting at level 17, you recover your ability to shape forms more quickly. When you expend your last shaping die, roll a d20. On a result of 10 or above, the shaping die is not expended.

Scout

Scouts are sneaks and marksmen, remaining unseen until they can strike a telling blow and then fading into the background again. In addition, they’re the specialists at exploring the world, natural or civilized. They learn minor primal magics, but mostly rely on their wits, weapons, and honed skills.

Called Shot

When you take this archetype at 3rd level, you have learned to hit specific parts of your enemies with greater effect. When you make a weapon attack on your turn, you can use your bonus action to make it a Called Shot. The basic Called Shot allows you to apply your Sneak Attack damage even if you normally wouldn’t qualify (such as because you have disadvantage or no ally is adjacent to the target). Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you have spent a bonus action on a future turn doing something else. You gain additional ways to use this ability as you gain levels.

Exploration Adept

Starting at 3rd level, you remain alert even when performing other exploration tasks and gain proficiency with Perception. If you already were proficient in Perception, you gain expertise instead.

Additionally, you gain the jump skill trick even if you do not qualify, as you’ve learned to move in all sorts of environments.

Investigation Adept

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Investigation. If you already had proficiency, you gain expertise instead. You also learn the Sense Baleful Magic skill trick even if you don’t otherwise qualify.

Exposing Shot

At 9th level you’ve gained an additional option when you make a Called Shot and hit with the attack. Instead of its normal effect, you can choose to create a breach in the target’s defenses, making it more vulnerable to your allies’ damage. Until the end of your next turn, attacks against the creature have advantage and deal extra damage equal to your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. If you otherwise qualify for Sneak Attack (without the normal effect of Called Shot), you may apply that feature as well—you simply cannot use the Called Shot to qualify for Sneak Attack when you otherwise could not.

Break Contact

At 9th level, you’ve learned to duck into the shadows to evade scrutiny more easily than most. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to become or remain hidden. In addition, you can attempt to hide even when only lightly obscured.

In addition, if you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check and do not like the result, you can reroll the check, taking the second result. Once you use this reroll, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Disrupting Shot

At 9th level you’ve gained an additional option when you make a Called Shot and hit with the attack. Instead of its normal effect, you can choose to disrupt the target’s concentration in addition to any normal damage (possibly including Sneak Attack). If the target was concentrating on a spell or effect, that concentration ends immediately. If they were casting a spell or incantation with a cast time longer than a single action, that incantation or spell fizzles with no effect, consuming any resources.

Primal Awakening

At 13th level, you learn the Primal Initiate skill trick, even if you don’t qualify for it normally.

Enhanced Senses

At 13th level, you have become attuned to the stirrings of aether around you. You are constantly under both effects of the sense aura incantation.

Lethal Shot

At 17th level, you have developed the ability to strike at the cords that bind a creature to life. You can make a special Called Shot. If you hit with this attack, you score a critical hit and can apply Sneak Attack even if you normally would not qualify. Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

In addition, if the target is below half its maximum hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, it takes damage equal to the maximum damage roll (including any bonus damage such as Sneak Attack) instead of normal damage from this hit. Creatures reduced to zero hit points by this are instantly slain even if they had a feature that would prevent their death (such as Relentless Endurance or death ward).

Shadowdancer

Shadowdancers are infiltration and covert work specialists. They’ve trained their souls to the degree that they can truly become one with the shadows, wrapping the substance of the Shadow plane around themselves and slipping between the cracks just as that liminal plane slips between the cracks of the other planes. This lends them both extraordinary grace in combat as well as enhanced stealth abilities.

Shadow Strike

Starting at 3rd level when you take this archetype, your strikes while in dimmed lighting are harder to stop. You have advantage on any attack made while you or your target are in any lighting condition other than bright light.

Additionally, when you hit with a weapon attack and have advantage on the attack, you can add your proficiency bonus to the damage dealt. If you do so, you can choose to have the entire attack deal necrotic damage.

Stalk the Shadows

Starting at 3rd level when you take this archetype, you can magically transport yourself between the shadows. You use your bonus action to teleport to an area of shadow large enough to fit your body that you can see within 60 ft. You must be in an area of shadow large enough to fit your body already. For this ability, “shadow” includes any dimly-lit or unlit area as well as the shadows cast by objects and other obstructions. The vertical dimension of the shadow doesn’t matter. Once you use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once), you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Improved Uncanny Dodge

Starting at 9th level, you can shunt incoming attacks partially into Shadow more effectively. When you use your Uncanny Dodge, the effect lasts until the end of the current turn instead of only for that attack.

Hide in Plain Sight

Starting at 9th level, you can wrap the stuff of Shadow around yourself. You can attempt to hide even when directly observed and/or in bright light. If you succeed at the attempt but could be seen by one or more enemies at the beginning of your next turn, you immediately become unhidden. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Shrouded Nature

Starting at 13th level, you have learned to shroud yourself in shadow even in bright light. As an action, you can create an aura of shadow around yourself for one hour. This magical aura leaves you lightly obscured and upgrades other sources of light obscurement to heavy obscurement. In addition, you always count as being in shadow for the purpose of Stalk the Shadows; neither your starting or ending point need to be shadowed by any external source. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Ethereal Body

Starting at 17th level, you have learned to transition to the Border Shadow more easily than most. As a bonus action while you are affected by Shrouded Nature, you can go fully ethereal. While you are ethereal you cannot be seen by any creature on the Mortal plane that does not have truesight, but you can see the Mortal plane. You can pass through walls and most barriers other than ones that explicitly affect the Border Shadow. You cannot affect the Mortal while ethereal. You can exit the Border Shadow as a bonus action.

When you go ethereal, you can bring your gear, the objects you are carrying, and any unconscious creatures. You cannot bring a conscious creature with you, willing or not.

Trickster

Tricksters hone their skills with less of a supernatural flair, but are no less effective for that. They gain better uses of mundane and magical objects and specialize in imposing conditions on their foes in combat.

Reliable Sneak Attack

Starting at 3rd level when you take this archetype, when you hit and apply Sneak Attack, you can treat any damage die that was less than half the maximum value as half the maximum value instead. Once you use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once), you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest. Critical hits do not consume a use of this feature.

Fast Hands

Starting at 3rd level when you take this archetype, you can do any one of the following as part of your Cunning Action in addition to the normal effect:

• Administer a potion to someone else.
• Draw or stow any number of weapons or other items on your person.
• Apply poison to a weapon.
• Set a trap, scatter caltrops, pour out oil, or similarly use any mundane piece of equipment that does not require an attack roll.
• Make a Wisdom (Medicine) check to stabilize someone.
• Flip any number of switches, pull any number of levers, or otherwise interact with the environment in ways that do not require ability checks.

Confident Disguise

Starting at 6th level, you can pull off disguises and impersonations more effectively. You have advantage on any attempt to persuade or deceive someone into believing you are someone else.

Additionally, you can magically convince people against whom you succeeded that whatever documents you present (including blank paper) confirm your story in all details. If the documents are examined outside of your presence, the ruse will be revealed. Once you use this portion of the feature once, anyone affected by it is immune to its effects for 24 hours.

Distraction

Starting at 6th level, you’ve become even better at providing distractions for others. As an action, you can attempt a distraction that affects a number of creatures of your choice that can see or hear you equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum one). Each target must make a Wisdom (Perception) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check. On a failure, they are considered blinded and deafened to everything but you until the end of your next turn. To maintain the deception, you must take the action again on your next turn(s), redoing the opposed check each time.

Trick Attack

At 9th level, you learn to impose conditions on those that you hit with your Sneak Attacks by forgoing some of the damage. Each condition has a cost in sneak attack dice forgone, a saving throw necessary to apply the condition (or — for those that are applied automatically by spending the resource), and a duration. The DC for all of these saving throws is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier. If you have expertise in Sleight of Hand, the DC increases by half your proficiency bonus. You can only apply one condition each time you apply Sneak Attack.

Magical Impersonation

Starting at 13th level, you’ve learned to mold your aether to mimic that of other creatures. You gain the following benefits:

• You can attune to and use any magic item, regardless of the normal requirements, and your attunement limit increases by 1.
• Spells and other effects that are triggered by perceptible conditions, creature type, or other similar criteria are only triggered if you choose them to be, whether or not you would normally qualify.
• You can impersonate the master of golems, automated defenses, and other constructs unless that is tied to a particular item rather than a person. For each minute spent doing this, you must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, gaining a level of exhaustion on a failure. You cannot use this while you have any levels of exhaustion, but failure does not end the effect.
• You can activate magic items keyed to another person by choosing to take a level of exhaustion.

Deceive the Universe

Starting at 17th level, you can attempt to cast any spell of 7th level or lower or use any incantation. Make a Charisma (Deception) check against the DC listed in the table below. This attempt takes the same time as the regular casting time and any material components. On a success, the spell or incantation takes effect, using Charisma as the requisite spellcasting modifier where appropriate. Once you use this feature once, you incur 2 levels of exhaustion every time you use it again until you finish a long rest. You cannot apply your Stroke of Luck or Reliable Talent features to this roll.