Royal Bodyguard (Variant Human Shadow Monk)

This is connected to the same story idea that led to the scholarly princess I did just a little bit ago. I considered fighter, bard, rogue, and barbarian, but eventually settled on monk. To be honest, there isn't much territory that hasn't been covered in the terms of a royal protector. There have been big, brutish warriors, clever rogues, bards, sorcerers, priests, and disciplined warriors all used as royal protectors. Since I'm basically making a ninja here, that's been done as well. But still, I like the idea that the princess's bodyguard has a touch of magic the way she does. I haven't decided on the bodyguard's full relationship to the princess, but leaning toward protector and ward only.

For background, I am going to place them as a Courtier from the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide and producing pretty much no other changes to it.

I may end up making the fighter or barbarian version of this character, because aside from some non-human characters, including the main-character that inspired the base story, I want there to be limited magic involved.

For this I am using my typical theoretical 30 pt array of 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10.

1st Level (Variant Human Monk)

Str: 11

Dex: 16

Con: 14

Int: 12

Wis: 14

Cha: 10

HP: 10

AC: 15
Save DC: 12
Speed: 30ft

Proficiency Bonus: +2

Bonus Feat
Bonus Skill

Armor Proficiencies: None

Weapons: Simple Weapons, Shortswords

Tools: Painter's Tools

Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Languages: Common, Orcish, Elvish, Gnomish

Proficient Skills
Acrobatics (Human) +5
Athletics (Monk) +2
Insight (Courtier) +4
Persuasion (Courtier) +2
Stealth (Monk) +5

Background: Courtier

Feats: Sentinel

Unarmored Defense
Martial Arts (1d4)

Reasoning: I choose the Feat Sentinel as it goes with the bodyguard background. I decided to focus the class and human skills on their physical capabilities. I'm not listing equipment because it's not all that important for a monk, but I'm assuming they'll be using a weapon most of the time.

2nd to 5th Level

2nd Level - Ki, Unarmored Movement, Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, Step of the Wind, +7 HP (17)

3rd Level - Monastic Tradition: Path of Shadow, Deflect Missiles, Shadow Arts, +7 HP (24)

4th Level - Ability Score Improvement: +2 Dex, Slow Fall, +7 HP (31)

5th Level - Proficiency Bonus: +3, Extra Attack, Stunning Strikes, +7 HP (39)

Reasoning: I usually get a lot of feats, but I think in this case I am going to focus on increasing basic stats instead. That said, I have a couple of feats in mind that I might be taking.

5th Level Statistics

5th Level (Variant Human Shadow Monk)

Str: 11

Dex: 18

Con: 14

Int: 12

Wis: 14

Cha: 10

HP: 39

AC: 16
Save DC: 13
Speed: 40ft
Ki: 5

Proficiency Bonus: +3

Bonus Feat
Bonus Skill

Armor Proficiencies: None

Weapons: Simple Weapons, Shortswords

Tools: Painter's Tools

Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Languages: Common, Orcish, Elvish, Gnomish

Proficient Skills
Acrobatics (Human) +7
Athletics (Monk) +3
Insight (Courtier) +5
Persuasion (Courtier) +3
Stealth (Monk) +7

Background: Courtier

Feats: Sentinel

Unarmored Defense
Martial Arts (1d6)
Ki
Flurry of Blow
Patient Defense
Step of the Wind
Unarmored Movement
Path of Shadow
Shadow Arts Cantrip: Minor Illusion
Shadow Arts 2 Ki: Darkness, Darkvision, Pass without Trace, Silence
Deflect Missiles
Slow Fall
Extra Attack
Stunning Strikes

6th to 10th Level

6th Level - Ki-Empowered Strike, Shadow Step, +7 HP (46)

7th Level - Evasion, Stillness of Mind, +7 HP (53)

8th Level - Ability Score Improvement: +2 Wis, +7 HP (60)

9th Level - Proficiency Bonus +4, Unarmored Movement improvement, +7 HP (67)

10th Level - Purity of Body, +7 HP (74)

Reasoning: I'm still focusing on increasing base stats over adding more action options.

 

10th Level Statistics

10th Level (Variant Human Shadow Monk)

Str: 11

Dex: 18

Con: 14

Int: 12

Wis: 16

Cha: 10

HP: 74

AC: 17
Save DC: 15
Speed: 50ft
Ki: 10

Proficiency Bonus: +4

Bonus Feat
Bonus Skill

Armor Proficiencies: None

Weapons: Simple Weapons, Shortswords

Tools: Painter's Tools

Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Languages: Common, Orcish, Elvish, Gnomish

Proficient Skills
Acrobatics (Human) +8
Athletics (Monk) +4
Insight (Courtier) +7
Persuasion (Courtier) +4
Stealth (Monk) +8

Background: Courtier

Feats: Sentinel

Unarmored Defense
Martial Arts (1d6)
Ki
Flurry of Blow
Patient Defense
Step of the Wind
Unarmored Movement
Path of Shadow
Shadow Arts Cantrip: Minor Illusion
Shadow Arts 2 Ki: Darkness, Darkvision, Pass without Trace, Silence
Deflect Missiles
Slow Fall
Extra Attack
Stunning Strikes

Ki-Empowered Strikes

Shadow Step

Evasion

Stillness of Mind

Unarmored Movement Improvement

Purity of Body

11th to 15th Level

11th Level - Cloak of Shadows, +7 HP (81)

12th Level - Ability Score Improvement: Tough, +31 HP (112)

13th Level - Proficiency Bonus +5, Tongue of Sun and Moon, +9 HP (121)

14th Level - Diamond Soul, +9 HP (130)

15th Level - Timeless Body, +9 HP (139)

Reasoning: I decided to go ahead and go with getting some increased hit points here. The other feat I was considering was Defensive Duelist which presents a parry style of ability.

15th Level Statistics

15th Level (Variant Human Shadow Monk)

Str: 11

Dex: 18

Con: 14

Int: 12

Wis: 16

Cha: 10

HP: 139

AC: 17
Save DC: 16
Speed: 55ft
Ki: 15

Proficiency Bonus: +5

Bonus Feat
Bonus Skill

Armor Proficiencies: None

Weapons: Simple Weapons, Shortswords

Tools: Painter's Tools

Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Languages: Common, Orcish, Elvish, Gnomish

Proficient Skills
Acrobatics (Human) +9
Athletics (Monk) +5
Insight (Courtier) +8
Persuasion (Courtier) +5
Stealth (Monk) +9

Background: Courtier

Feats: Sentinel, Tough

Unarmored Defense
Martial Arts (1d8)
Ki
Flurry of Blow
Patient Defense
Step of the Wind
Unarmored Movement
Path of Shadow
Shadow Arts Cantrip: Minor Illusion
Shadow Arts 2 Ki: Darkness, Darkvision, Pass without Trace, Silence
Deflect Missiles
Slow Fall
Extra Attack
Stunning Strikes

Ki-Empowered Strikes

Shadow Step

Evasion

Stillness of Mind

Unarmored Movement Improvement

Purity of Body 

Cloak of Shadows
Tongue of Sun and Moon
Diamond Soul
Timeless Body

16th to 20th Level

16th Level - Ability Score Improvement +2 Wis, +9 HP (148)

17th Level - Proficiency Bonus +6, Opportunist, +9 HP (157)

18th Level - Empty Body, +9 HP (166)

19th Level - Ability Score Improvement: +2 Dex, +9 HP (175)

20th Level - Perfect Self, +9 HP (184)

Reasoning: I had considered not doing the Tough feat and just maxing out both Dexterity and Wisdom, but eventually decided I still liked the idea of the character having a high amount of health. This puts the character on the level of a fighter with about 18 Constitution. As a side note, the Opportunist capstone to the Shadow Monk has always struck me as a little odd as the first three powers are all very much mystical and then the last is something out of third edition Rogues and is rather more grounded and not especially shadowy.

20th Level Statistics

15th Level (Variant Human Shadow Monk)

Str: 11

Dex: 20

Con: 14

Int: 12

Wis: 18

Cha: 10

HP: 184

AC: 19
Save DC: 18
Speed: 60ft
Ki: 20

Proficiency Bonus: +6

Bonus Feat
Bonus Skill

Armor Proficiencies: None

Weapons: Simple Weapons, Shortswords

Tools: Painter's Tools

Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Languages: Common, Orcish, Elvish, Gnomish

Proficient Skills
Acrobatics (Human) +11
Athletics (Monk) +6
Insight (Courtier) +10
Persuasion (Courtier) +6
Stealth (Monk) +11

Background: Courtier

Feats: Sentinel, Tough

Unarmored Defense
Martial Arts (1d10)
Ki
Flurry of Blow
Patient Defense
Step of the Wind
Unarmored Movement
Path of Shadow
Shadow Arts Cantrip: Minor Illusion
Shadow Arts 2 Ki: Darkness, Darkvision, Pass without Trace, Silence
Deflect Missiles
Slow Fall
Extra Attack
Stunning Strikes

Ki-Empowered Strikes

Shadow Step

Evasion

Stillness of Mind

Unarmored Movement Improvement

Purity of Body Cloak of Shadows
Tongue of Sun and Moon
Diamond Soul
Timeless Body 

Opportunist

Empty Body

Perfect Self

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