Dark Melee

Dark Melee is a Primary Power Set for Brutes, Scrappers, and Stalkers, and a Secondary Power Set for Tankers.

You focus the powers of the netherworld to defeat your foes. The draining effect of most of these powers can reduce the target's accuracy.

Dark Melee Features

Shadow Punch

Starting at 1st level, you can wrap your arms and feet in a writhing sheathe of necrotic power. You can activate this feature on your turn without costing an Action, and maintain your Shadow Punch for as long as you choose. If you become incapacitated or unconscious, the effect ends. Your punching damage becomes bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 plus your Strength or Dexterity Modifier (your choice upon activation), plus necrotic damage equal to 1d4 plus any Endurance Dice you add. If your Shadow Punch attack roll is a critical hit, or you add at least one Endurance Die to the damage, your target suffers disadvantage on all melee attack rolls until the end of its next turn. You must have at least one hand free to use this feature.

You can use Smite and Shadow Maul at 1st level. You can use Touch of Fear at 2nd level if you are a Brute or a Scrapper, at 8th level if you are a Tanker, and at 10th level if you are a Stalker. You can use Siphon Life at 3rd level if you are a Brute or a Scrapper, at 6th level if you are a Tanker, and at 7th level if you are a Stalker. You can use Midnight Grasp at 12th level if you're a Brute, Scrapper, or Stalker, and at 15th level if you're a Tanker.

• Smite (1st): When Shadow Punch is active, you can make a special two-fisted attack against a single creature. Using Smite will also consume your Bonus Action. If your Smite attack roll is successful, you deal an additional 2d4 necrotic damage, and your target suffers disadvantage on all melee attack rolls until the end of its next turn, You must roll at least one Endurance Die toward the damage. The additional Smite damage increases to 4d4 at 6th level, to 6d4 at 12th level, and to 8d4 at 18th level.
• Shadow Maul (1st): When Shadow Punch is active, you can hold out both hands in front of you. A set of shadowy, spectral fists emerge from each of your own arms and deal a series of rapid blows in a cone 7 feet long and 5 feet wide. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity Saving Throw or suffer 4d8 necrotic damage. Each affected creature also suffers disadvantage on all attack rolls made against you until the end of its next turn, as if you had struck it directly with Shadow Punch. If a creature's Saving Throw succeeds, it takes half damage but no other penalties. You can use this feature as a kick, but you only need to hold one foot out in a kick pose.
• Touch of Fear (2nd/8th/10th): While your Shadow Punch is active, you can instill fear in a creature that you can see within melee range. Use your Action to make a melee attack roll, but you do not roll for damage. You must touch your target. If the attack roll is successful, the creature becomes afraid of you until the end of its next turn.
• Siphon Life (3rd/6th/7th): While your Shadow Punch is active, you can absorb life energy from a creature that you can see within melee range. Use your Action to make a melee attack roll, but you do not roll for damage. You must touch your target. If your attack roll is successful, you can restore one spent Endurance Die of your own, but before you do, you can roll that die and recover a number of hit points equal to the result.
• Midnight Grasp (12th/15th): While Shadow Punch is active, you can lash out with a vaguely ethereal dark tentacle. Select a Large or smaller creature you can see with 7 feet of you. That creature must make a Dexterity Saving Throw or be restrained by your tentacle and suffer 6d8 necrotic damage. You must apply at least one Endurance Die toward the Saving Throw's DC. If the creature's Saving Throw is successful, it shrugs off your tentacle but still takes half damage. If you've restrained your target, you can keep it held until the beginning of your next turn but you must maintain concentration. If you wish to reapply your Grasp on your next turn to a target already held, your target is allowed to make another Saving Throw but has disadvantage on the roll, and you do not need to add more Endurance Dice. This uses both arms or one leg, and you are unable to use Shadow Punch while the creature is held.

Build Up

Starting at 3rd level if you are a Stalker, you can take a moment to focus your senses. Roll at least one Endurance Die. You can add the result to every Dark Melee attack and damage roll you make until the end of your next turn. Using this feature does not cost an Action but you can only do it on your turn. This feature is not available to Brutes, Scrappers, or Tankers.

Dark Consumption

At 7th level if you are a Brute or a Scrapper, or at 14th level if you are a Tanker, you can use your Action to emit a burst of smoky, murky energy. Each creature within 8 feet of you must make a Charisma Saving Throw. If it fails, the creature takes 1d8 necrotic damage, and you can force one of its unused Endurance Dice to be spent. For every Endurance Die you affect, you can restore a spent one of your own, if available. If the Saving Throw is successful, the creature takes half damage. This feature is not available to Stalkers.

Soul Drain

At 10th level if you are a Brute or Scrapper, or at 11th level if you are a Tanker, you can use your Action to emit a burst of smoky, murky energy. Each creature within 10 feet of you must make a Charisma Saving Throw. If it fails, the creature takes 1d8 necrotic damage, and you can increase the damage of all of your Shadow Punch features by the amount dealt until the end of your next turn. If the Saving Throw is successful, the creature takes half damage. This feature is not available to Stalkers.