I built Zareth because The Darkness has stuck with me for years, and I wanted to see how much of that mood I could keep inside official 2014 rules. The part I cared about most was not copying Jackie Estacado exactly, but building someone whose shadow power feels personal, protective, and a little unsettling.
Zareth is no longer just a concept. He is my active level 3 protagonist for a solo Tomb of Annihilation campaign, so this version needs to work at the table as written instead of depending on hand-waved extras.
Build at a glance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Character | Zareth Kael |
| Inspiration | The Darkness |
| System | Dungeons & Dragons 5E |
| Rules edition | 2014 |
| Level | 3 |
| Species | Tiefling |
| Class | Warlock |
| Subclass | Great Old One |
| Background | Haunted One |
| Campaign | Solo Tomb of Annihilation |
| Build status | Active character |
| Rules status | Official 2014 rules with reflavouring |
| Main sourcebooks | Player’s Handbook; Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything; Curse of Strahd; Tomb of Annihilation |
What I wanted from the build
I only needed a few things to feel right.
- A warlock whose magic feels like an innate bond with a shadow entity, not a late bargain with a patron.
- Defensive shadow magic that keeps Zareth alive when he is alone.
- A familiar that feels like a living piece of the Darkness without changing the underlying rules.
Mechanical build
Ability scores
Point buy before species increases:
| Ability | Score | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 10 | 2 |
| Dexterity | 14 | 7 |
| Constitution | 14 | 7 |
| Intelligence | 10 | 2 |
| Wisdom | 10 | 2 |
| Charisma | 14 | 7 |
Total cost: 27 points.
Using the Tiefling ability-score reassignment from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything:
| Ability | Score | Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 10 | +0 |
| Dexterity | 15 | +2 |
| Constitution | 14 | +2 |
| Intelligence | 10 | +0 |
| Wisdom | 10 | +0 |
| Charisma | 16 | +3 |
Core statistics at level 3
| Statistic | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Proficiency bonus | +2 | Level 3 |
| Hit points | 24 | 8 + 2, then 5 + 2 at levels 2 and 3 |
| Armour Class | 15 | Mage Armor from Armor of Shadows |
| Initiative | +2 | Dexterity |
| Speed | 30 feet | Tiefling |
| Passive Perception | 10 | No Perception proficiency |
| Spell save DC | 13 | 8 + PB 2 + Cha 3 |
| Spell attack bonus | +5 | PB 2 + Cha 3 |
| Pact Magic slots | 2 second-level | Warlock 3 |
Proficiencies and features
- Saving throws: Wisdom +2, Charisma +5
- Skills: Arcana +2, Deception +5, Investigation +2, Religion +2
- Languages: Common, Infernal, Deep Speech, Abyssal
- Species traits: Darkvision, Hellish Resistance, Thaumaturgy, Hellish Rebuke at level 3, Darkness at level 5
- Warlock features: Awakened Mind, Pact of the Chain
- Eldritch Invocations: Agonizing Blast, Armor of Shadows
Spells and familiar
Warlock cantrips:
- Eldritch Blast
- Mage Hand
Warlock spells known:
- Armor of Agathys
- Hex
- Invisibility
- Misty Step
Chain familiar baseline: imp stat block, visually reflavoured as a Darkling.
| Familiar detail | Official baseline |
|---|---|
| Type | Tiny fiend |
| Armour Class | 13 |
| Hit points | 10 |
| Speed | 20 feet, fly 40 feet |
| Key traits | Devil’s Sight, Magic Resistance, shapechanger, invisibility |
| Attack | Sting, if I choose to have it attack |
The familiar acts on its own initiative. I can forgo one of my own attacks to let it attack as a reaction, but at level 3 that matters less because Zareth normally fights with eldritch blast rather than weapon attacks.
Why I chose these options
This version keeps Zareth official first and thematic second. That meant removing the custom Tiefling package, the custom familiar rules, and the damage-type changes that had drifted into the earlier drafts.
Armor of Shadows is the key fix. If I want all-day Mage Armor, the legal way to do it is through that invocation, not by listing Mage Armor as a warlock spell known. Agonizing Blast stays because Zareth is in a solo campaign and needs dependable ranged damage.
How the character plays
Zareth fights like a cautious solo warlock. He is much stronger when he controls distance and chooses when to commit.
- Normal combat approach: open with Hex when the fight looks long, then rely on eldritch blast for steady damage.
- Defensive options: Armor of Agathys, AC 15 from Mage Armor, and Misty Step when positioning goes bad.
- Exploration and social utility: Invisibility, telepathy from Awakened Mind, and a scouting familiar matter more here than raw damage.
- Action-economy limit: the familiar does not attack on a bonus-action command by default, and it does not deliver Hellish Rebuke because that spell is not a touch spell.
- What the build cannot do: this official version does not grant necrotic resistance, custom shadow spells, free-form familiar powers, or comic-book-scale summoned darkness.
Official rules, reflavouring, and homebrew
Official mechanics
- Tiefling from the 2014 Player’s Handbook with Tasha’s ability-score reassignment
- Great Old One Warlock with Pact of the Chain
- Armor of Shadows and Agonizing Blast at level 3
- Imp familiar stat block from Pact of the Chain options
Reflavouring
- The Great Old One patron is described as the Darkness.
- Eldritch Blast appears as shadow tendrils.
- Mage Hand appears as a shadow limb.
- Armor of Agathys looks like living black armor.
- The imp familiar is described as a Darkling.
- The arcane focus is the Mirror of the Void.
- Awakened Mind is the entity speaking through Zareth.
Optional homebrew
If I ever want a more aggressive Darkness conversion, the safest place for it is here rather than in the main stat block.
- Changing Armor of Agathys from cold damage to necrotic damage is a mechanical change, not reflavouring.
- Replacing the imp with a custom familiar stat block would also be homebrew.
Progression
The next decisions are close enough to matter now.
- Level 4: increase Charisma to 18 or take a feat only if the campaign really needs it.
- Level 5: Zareth gains stronger pact slots and access to Darkness from his Tiefling lineage, which is where the concept starts to feel much closer to the source inspiration.
Current status
Zareth is the active version of the character I am using for solo Tomb of Annihilation. This article is the canonical record now, and the older build URL redirects here.