Melanie

Name: Melanie Virelle
Alias: The Shattered Star
Background:

Melanie Virelle was born in the peaceful village of Ostara, a place nestled deep within a vast forest. Her mother, a healer of great renown, and her father, a master blacksmith, gave her a childhood filled with love and tranquility. From an early age, Melanie developed an affinity for the natural world, learning from her mother the art of healing and from her father the craft of metalwork. The village’s peaceful surroundings, coupled with her nurturing upbringing, made her feel safe and content in her world. Melanie dreamed of one day becoming a protector of the land, using her skills to help others.

That peaceful life shattered when she was twelve. One fateful night, The Crimson Hand, a brutal faction of marauders, descended on Ostara, mercilessly slaying the villagers without a second thought. Her parents died trying to protect her, and Melanie barely managed to escape into the surrounding woods, the bloodshed and destruction echoing in her mind. She was alone in the world, lost in a haze of grief and confusion.

Just when hope seemed lost, a mysterious figure appeared—Solan, a member of a secretive and ruthless organization known as The Veiled Circle. He saw potential in Melanie, a young girl with nothing left to live for but vengeance. Taking her under his wing, Solan brought Melanie to the heart of the Veiled Circle, an order dedicated to training deadly assassins, spies, and mercenaries.

At the Veiled Circle, Melanie was broken and remade. Her natural talents for stealth and agility were honed through relentless training. Her mind was molded to view the world through a lens of cold efficiency, and her body was shaped into a weapon of calculated destruction. Solan took a particular interest in her, seeing her as someone who could be more than just an assassin—someone who could wield power to further their shadowy goals.

Over the years, Melanie became known for her extraordinary skills in combat and infiltration. But there was one particular weapon that changed the course of her life: a scythe, unlike any ordinary weapon. On a covert mission, she came across an ancient relic hidden deep within an abandoned temple—a scythe forged from blackened steel, with a blade that seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly energy. The moment her fingers touched the hilt, she felt a surge of power flow through her. The scythe seemed to call to her, resonating with a dark, yet familiar energy deep inside.

The scythe, which she came to name "Vesperis", became an extension of herself. It was a weapon both terrifying and beautiful, capable of slicing through even the toughest defenses with effortless precision. Yet, there was something unsettling about it—when wielded in battle, the scythe seemed to amplify her emotions, often pulling her into a bloodlust that was hard to control. It was a constant reminder that power, like the darkness within her, could easily consume her if she wasn't careful.

Under the Veiled Circle’s guidance, Melanie earned the title The Shattered Star, a name given to her for her unrivaled abilities and the broken pieces of her soul. Her training continued, and she became one of the Circle’s most feared operatives. Yet, with every mission, with every life she took, she felt herself slipping further from the girl she once was—the compassionate, innocent girl who had loved the forests and the simple life of Ostara.

But there came a breaking point. During a mission to eliminate a group of refugees—innocents fleeing from The Crimson Hand—Melanie hesitated. They reminded her too much of the villagers she had once known. The faces of the refugees were like the faces of her parents, and for the first time in years, she saw herself as the killer she had become, not the protector she had once dreamed of being. In that moment of hesitation, she realized that the life she was leading, the endless cycle of bloodshed, could never undo the tragedy of her past. Her scythe, which she had always wielded so effortlessly, felt heavier than ever, as though it too carried the weight of her sins.

Unable to reconcile the guilt of her actions, Melanie betrayed The Veiled Circle, fleeing into the night and leaving the only life she had ever known. Now, hunted by those she once served, Melanie is a fugitive—The Shattered Star, a name that strikes fear into the hearts of her enemies. Her scythe, still by her side, serves as both a weapon of destruction and a constant reminder of the girl she lost.

Her journey now is one of self-reflection, seeking redemption for the blood she has spilled and the person she has become. The scythe she wields—Vesperis—is no longer just a tool for killing; it is a symbol of her fractured soul. As she wanders the land, constantly on the move to avoid those hunting her, Melanie knows that the only way to find peace is to confront the darkness within herself. But with each battle, with each life she takes, she wonders if she can ever truly escape the shadow of The Shattered Star.

Attributes

Wisdom 20 +5

Dexterity 20 +5

Constitution 18 +4

Strength 14 +2

Intelligence 10 +0

Charisma 10 +0

AC: 20

HP total: 34 Current: 34

Perception: +7 / 17 passive

Initiative: +5

Scythe Stats: Points 10

End Stats: +8 to attack 1d8+8 Range 80 ft

When you first create your scythe, it is a simple weapon you are proficient with, deals 1 point of slashing damage, has the two-handed property, and has an additional +1 to attack and damage rolls. However, you gain a couple of points to enhance your scythe capabilities, buying new properties and abilities. You start out with 6 points, and have additional 2 for each proficiency bonus point you have.

Finesse (2 points)

You can use your Dexterity, instead of your Strength, for attacks and damage rolls with your scythe.

Damage Die d4 (2 points)

Your scythe now deals 1d4 slashing damage.

Damage Die d6 (2 points)

Prerequisite: Damage Die d4

Your scythe now deals 1d6 slashing damage.

Damage Die d8 (2 points)

Prerequisite: Damage Die d6

Your scythe now deals 1d8 slashing damage

Slashing Wind (varies) 2

You can make ranged attacks with your scythe when wielding it in two hands, up to a range of 30 feet (1 points), 80 feet (2 points) or 120 feet (2,5 points). You can make only one attack per turn with the slashing wind, regardless of how many attacks you can make in each turn.

Race Bonuses: Umbral Human

Ability Score Increase. You may choose one score to increase by 2 and a different score to increase by

Age. Your natural aging process slows and becomes similar to that of an elf or shadow fey.

Alignment. Umbral humans have often walked a troubling path to become what they are. This tends to push umbral humans toward neutral or chaotic alignments, but all variations exist.

Size. As with humans from the Material Plane, umbral humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet as though it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Dark Infusion. You have resistance to cold damage.

Fade Away. While standing perfectly still, you can use an action to become invisible. You become visible again if you move or take an action. You can use this feature a number of times per day equal to your proficiency bonus.

Subtypes. The generational infusion of shadow manifests itself in different ways, but two especially noteworthy categories of umbral humans exist: changelings and the gifted. Choose one of the two subraces presented below.

Gifted Umbral Folk Traits You are of the gifted, granted potent fey abilities.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Cursed Infusion. You have resistance to necrotic damage.

Shadow Gift. You struck a bargain with a shadow fey to receive a gift, but it came at a terrible price. Choose one of the options below to determine the benefit and penalty you possess (or discuss other options with your GM): Increase one of your ability scores by 6 (up to 20) Decrease 2 other ability scores by 2.

Class bonuses

Battle Robes

Scythe masters training were harsh and challenging but that wasn't enough to break their will. Facing many enemies and dodging attacks was already hard and heavy armor didn't make it easier. They developed a special way of moves and stances that is based on your quickness and reaction time. When you wear Battle Robes you gain an armor class equal to 10 + Strength or Dexterity modifier (whichever is higher) + your Wisdom modifier.

Scythe Battle Style

Starting at 1st level, you choose a battle style. Your battle style grant you features at 1st level, and again at 3rd, 7th, 10th, 15th and 20th levels.

Chosen:

Dancing Scythe

Not always the awakening even define the Scythe Master. Sometimes, they can just be the starting point for a deeper understanding of this mysterious force. For the Dancing Scythes, the weave is like a silent melody, and they dance with this song, swinging their scythes trough enemies while careful and graciously stepping on the battlefield, harvesting lives and souls in the process.

Flying Blade

At 1st level, you can forgo one attack you make as part of your attack action to hurl your scythe onto an opponent within 30 feet. Make a ranged weapon attack against the chosen target, causing slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Wisdom modifier to the target. In addition, you can choose one creature within 5 feet of it to take slashing damage equal to your Wisdom modifier. The damage is slashing. The scythe comes back to your hand after each throw.

Dance of Death

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your bonus action to enter a dance of death. While dancing, you can move without taking opportunity attacks. In addition, you can use your bonus action to perform long jumps, granting you flight speed equal to your movement speed for the rest of your turn.

In addition, you can mark one creature within 30 feet of you as a target while dancing. If you do so, if that creature moves at least 5 feet in any direction while marked, you can hurl your flying blade at it, as a reaction.

If you take any damage, your dance ends, you need to use another bonus action to initiate your dance once more.

Dancer's Step

At 3rd level, you can make a variety of spins, twirls and jumps to make your battle performance even more beautiful and deadly. On your turn, you can spend 1 reflex point to make one extra attack when you take the Attack action.

Enthralling Performance

Starting at 7th level, whenever you make a Charisma (Performance) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check and roll under a 9, you can choose a 9 instead. Also, you can use your Dexterity, instead of Strength, for Athletics checks.

Defensive Footwork

At 10th level, your enemy's attacks are just too slow for you. When an attack hits you or any creature of your choice within your movement's range while you are using your Dance of Death feature, you can use your reaction and spend 2 reflex points to deflect that attack, reducing the damage by a half, ending your dance and moving half your movement speed in any direction.

Violent Rebuke

Starting at 15th level, interrupting the dance of a Scythe Master can be lethal. Whenever your dance is interrupted due to an attack from a hostile creature, you can spend 1 reflex point cause damage to that creature and any other hostile creature in a 5 foot radius equal to 2d6 + your Dexterity modifier slashing damage.

Shadow Dancer

At 20th level, your soul have too much energy than your body and your scythe after intense fights and training, so you look for a way to spend this extra energy somehow. You can create energy shadow-like clones of you, for 1 minute. This shadow clones make hitting you harder than usual, and attacks against you are made at disadvantage, as they hit the shadows engulfing you.

Also, any hostile creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your reflex save DC when you activate the shadow dance, or they are attacked by your clones, taking your Flying Blades damage.

Finally, you can use your bonus action on your turn to cause your clones to attack up to four creatures within 30 feet of you. You can make four attacks against a single creature or against distinct targets. On a hit, the targets take damage equal to your Dexterity modifier. The damage is slashing.

After activating the Shadow Dance, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Scythe Mastery

Years of your training made your body synchronize with your Scythe. You have a supernatural bond with this scythe, and can never lose it or have it unwillingly removed from your grasp. As a bonus action, you can choose to summon it or remove it from your grasp, shunning it into a dimensional space. You can always summon your scythe, even trough planes.

You gain a number of scythe points, that you can use to create your own scythe by choosing different properties to it. These are described in the "Create Your Scythe" section at the end of the article.

Vorpal Strike

Starting at 2nd level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend reflex points to deal magical slashing damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for the first point spent, plus 1d8 for each point higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. Reducing a creature to 0 hit points with this attack is decapitated.

Reflex Points Current Max:6 Current amount:6

At 3rd level your reaction time becomes so quick that you gain Reflex Points. You can spend those points to make special actions. You gain your points back after a long rest.

When a feature requires a Reflex save DC to avoid the effects, you calculate as follows: Reflex save DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier. You start knowing 1 reflex feature:

Spinning Strike

You can spend 1 Point to make an spin attack with your scythe. You move 5 feet in the direction you choose and everyone in a 10 foot range of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your Reflex save DC or take damage equal to 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier. The damage is slashing.

Shadow Core

Unlike other creatures, you have a shadow core in your soul. At level 1, all creatures you have killed, or that have died in your presence, have their shadows absorbed into your shadow core whenever you defeat an enemy: weak roll 1d10, a rare enemy rolls 1d20, a legendary enemy rolls 1d100 and an immeasurable enemy rolls 1d1000

Master of the shadow domain

At 3th level, You can manifest a tiny fragment of the shadow god's domain, a circular area of ​​30 feet and covered by magical darkness, while in this area all your attacks have advantage, and your critical range is 18. This ability lasts 1 minute and can be used once per long rest.

At 9th level, Now the shadow domain is twice the size, while you are inside the shadow domain you add your wisdom to AC. Additionally, enemies within the domain can glimpse a glimpse of the true shadow domain, witnessing the endless number of shadows that inhabit its shadow core. Enemies must make a test with disadvantage to avoid being frightened Cd (10+your wisdom more your proficiency)

• Even enemies immune to fear must roll the test, but with advantage.

At 17th level you now have greater mastery over the domain of shadows, which gives you a fraction of the true power of the shadow god.

The leftovers domain can now expand an area up to 30 feet*(your wisdom modifier + your proficiency).

Within the domain of shadows you can summon the remains stored in your shadow core and command them in battle. These shadows have the same physical attributes as when they were alive, but do not retain their items or magical abilities.

When destroyed, the shadow is permanently lost.

Traits