Duskwalker Archetype

Source: Hexbound

Many witches go through lengthy rituals to call forth specific spirits through the veil and into our world, but Duskwalkers have no time for such frippery. Their covens focus on speed and versatility, learning to adapt to situations as quickly as possible. Their practice allows them to summon the help of spirits almost instantly, without the use of lengthy and carefully cast spells, but this comes at a cost: a Duskwalker’s abilities depend entirely on whether they are bathed in light or in darkness. When standing in a brightly lit room, they can channel spirits that give them formidable defensive abilities and draw truth from lies and fabrication; when standing in darkness, they can meld with it, becoming one with the shadows as they wait to strike at the perfect time.

This dichotomy inherent in their specific practice of witchcraft defines them. Not only their arcane abilities but their entire beings are influenced by light and dark. As different spirits are called to their aid, by the whims of the light and the dark rather than their own choices, many of them experience subtle changes in their demeanor. Some witches of this practice even report feeling as if their body is occupied by two completely different people, who each take control depending on the light.

Duskwalker witches constantly walk the crepuscular line between darkness and light. Some become defenders, advisors, and seekers of truth, but just as many become infiltrators, spies, and assassins. One must wonder if the choice of where they stand is really theirs to make, or if their agency in this is just a trick of the light.

Witchmark

Witchmarks for Duskwalkers tend to change depending on whether they favor light or darkness in their practice. Some have dark sclerae in one of their eyes to symbolize their existence between the two realms. Some have white smoke snaking up one of their arms and dark smoke up the other. The commonality between all Duskwalkers’ marks is that they all symbolize the duality in their witchcraft.

Master of Light and Dark

At level 17, you have mastered the shifts in the veils when you cross the boundary between light and dark, and can bend them to your will. As a bonus action, choose light or dark. When you do so, you emanate an aura of darkness or bright light with a radius of 5 feet. If it’s an aura of bright light, it creates an additional 5 feet of dim light beyond your aura of bright light. As a bonus action, you can switch from light to darkness or end the effect. In addition to affecting your surroundings, this also affects your abilities that are determined by light conditions, letting you take control over when you wish to use your light or dark abilities. You can only use this ability three times, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.