Variel Kaiser’s life has always been tough. Being the son of a brothel girl and an unknown sailor, he spent most of his young life fighting other kids and unsuccessfully picking pockets in his small dockside town. The one trait that defined him was his unyielding will to survive anything life threw at him. It wasn’t until he was forced into piracy by blacking out drunk in a bar and being miles from shore, that he found his purpose in life. He trained his body by dodging cannons firing from battery and his mind by intimidating ships into giving up their plunder with some of the best and brightest on the waterways. It wasn’t until their ship was devastated in a wicked storm by an elder blue dragon dracholich named Ves’Kas that his new purpose began. The mighty dragon plucked Variel from the wreckage of his ship and forged a pact with him in order to be “entertained” by the lone survivor’s antics. When Variel washed up on shore he awoke to a new fury coursing through his veins as his path towards the shadows truly began.
Variel Kaiser (Shadow-Walker)
Race: Variant Human +1 Cha, +1 Wis, Skill: Stealth, Feat: Tough
Stats (27- point buy)
Str 9 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 8 Wis 13 Cha 14 (base stats)
Str 9 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 8 Wis 14 Cha 16 (racial and feat adjustment)
The three things that I wanted to achieve with this build are:
- Danger to Civilization.
- Shadow Touched Walker.
- Life Drinker.
Race
For the Race of this build, I went with Variant Human. With Variant Human he gains +1 to Wis and Cha, Skill: Stealth, Feat: Tough.
Background
For Background, I chose Pirate. This gives him the skills of Perception and Intimidation, Tool Proficiencies of Navigator’s Tools, Vehicles (Water), and the Background Feature of Bad Reputation.
Class
For the Class makeup of this build, I went with a mix of Monk 4 (Way of the Long Death)/ Warlock 2 (The Undead). With this combination of classes, he gains a suite of shadow-based abilities, fears on demand, ravaging melee and ranged abilities, and multiple ways to gain temporary hit points.
Monk 1 begins this build with the skills of Athletics, Insight, Alchemist’s Supplies, Unarmored Defense, and Martial Arts.
Monk 2 is where Variel picks up the features of Ki and Unarmored Movement. The critical component is Ki since it gives him the ability to use Ki bonus action to Dash or Disengage, gain an extra attack, or Dodge while moving at 40 feet.
Monk 3 grants him the Monastic Tradition Way of the Long Death. With Way of the Long Death, he gains Touch of Death and Deflect Missiles. Now he can gain temporary hit points when he reduces a creature to 0 points while being able to reduce the damage from ranged weapon attacks.
Monk 4 is where he picks up the Feat: Shadow Touched (Charisma) and Slow Fall. This increases his Cha by +1, gives him the spell Invisibility and Inflict Wounds, while he gains the ability to reduce his damage from falling.
Warlock 1 is where Variel is gifted his powers from his dracholich patron. It is with this level he gains Pact Magic, Expanded Spell List, and Form of Dread.
Warlock 2 is the final level for this build with the feature of Eldritch Invocations: Agonizing Blast and Mask of Many Faces. This gives his eldritch blast cantrip more punch by adding his Cha bonus to the damage while Mask of Many Faces gives him disguise self as an at-will ability.
Spells
Shadow Touched (Cha)
Invisibility
Inflict Wounds
Warlock
Cantrip
Eldritch Blast
Lighting Lure
1st Level
Armor of Agathys
Hellish Rebuke
Protection from Evil and Good
Disguise Self (At-Will)
Equipment
Standard Monk equipment with Shortsword and Darts. Pick up an Alchemist’s Kit when you get the chance.
Character sheet from DND Beyond
https://ddb.ac/characters/82320884/j7GZCW
