A world submerged in the deepest Darkness. The fragile lives within threatened by extinction from the hunger of the beasts created out of this morass lacking any light of its own...

The dungeons are an unnatural addition to the world. Representatives of the ever encroaching darkness.

System

Though Delving in Darkness setting uses most of the rules of dungeons and dragons 5th edition, there are some significant changes. A Pathfinder port is currently under development due to circumstances.

Backgrounds

Where is your character from? What did they do before? These still affect them, even as a delver, and they may be useful even outside of the dungeon.

Feats

Feats greatly alter or improve a character's abilities.

Skills and Tools

Though the skills are mostly the same as standard dungeons and dragons 5th edition, some have additional uses. This is here primarily as a quick reference.

Prowess

A variety of techniques usable by martial characters to greatly enhance their tactical opportunities. Limited only by weapon choice, there is plenty of overlap for customizing your warrior.

Spells

Delving in Darkness uses a custom magic system. It has five schools of magic; Biomancy, Invocation, Pyromancy, Necromancy, and Transmutation.

Equipment

Various mundane gear and special materials for delving.

Magic Items

Unique magical items and the rules for creating them.

Food and Hunger

An additional set of rules for rations, herbal potions, eating, and resting. Due to the length of long rests making them impossible to do during delves, some abilities that require a long rest might be used beyond the normal limit, should you be willing to brave the gnawing at your stomach.

The Sanctuary

The people of the Sanctuary were once entirely of the same species (now referred to as the precursors or "hornless"), but have changed in form thanks to pacts made with the powerful patrons that protect their world from falling completely. Known as the blood pact, the changes to their form provides them with abilities similar to that of their patron to protect them from the Dark's influence.

Once six, these five factions are divided in philosophy and culture, but united against the all-consuming Dark.

Abyss

Abyssiria is a primordial of the original world from which the Sanctuary was sundered. Powerful and feral, she is not unintelligent, though she is nonetheless difficult to deal with. The cold and violet abyssal moon commands the element of water and night. Those of her blood pact are known as Abyssals, though they are also sometimes called Vampires due to their strong bloodlust.

Abyssals – The traits they inherit from their primordial patron grants Abyssals the ability to survive in nearly any environment, though they greatly prefer the watery depths to dry land. Their fierce jaws and tough scales lend them well to the front line, though their strange alchemical concoctions and blood magic are not to be ignored.

Soul Pacts: Abyssiria's soul pacts reflect her nature as one in total command of her body, as well as her raw physical prowess. Though they use focus like other pacts, they more often draw directly from their own vitality.

Alchemist ? – Controller-Support; Borne of medicinal arts, they can balance the internal flow of their allies, concoct a variety of items, and even hamper enemy physiology.
Carniphage – Defender-Striker; MEAT! A berserker fueled by hunger, she increases in potential as she is fed.

Bastion

The land of the White Moon is the Bastion itself, an inevitable that still saw potential for these remnants; though it has no blood to give in pact, it has provided a way for the Aachians to accept a piece of it into their own bodies. The nature of the magic involved in the blood pact still altered their bodies, causing them to not have arms and legs of their own, and instead receiving ones from the Bastion upon reaching adulthood.

Aachians – Their minds affected more by their patron than their serpentine bodies, beyond the strange material from which their limbs are made, their mental resilience is known to be just as incredible as their strange machinery.

Soul Pacts: The Bastion's soul pacts follow its nature as a machine with both a will and a conscience; protect those who need it, heal those you can, and weather any assault until you can strike back.

Mechanist – (Variable); Modifying the limbs granted by the Bastion, the Mechanist may fill many roles.

Subclasses: The Mechanist's subclasses greatly alter its focus, despite using the same general chassis.

Bishop – Striker-Controller; The bishop uses ranged weapons and enchanted strikes to primarily deal damage with a nice selection of side effects.
Knight – Controller-Defender; The knight uses small, mechanically dolls known as pawns to control the battlefield.
Princess – Support-Controller; The princess enhances her allies through inspiration and auras, while handling front line combat.
Rook – Defender-Controller; The rook uses her improved bulk and defenses to guard her allies and make her presence difficult to ignore.

Flame

The Brass Star was in the sky before the Fall, and in it is bound a powerful Efreet. Saved from destruction by Lucuhael, she is repaying this debt by accepting the Blood Pact and protecting the sanctuary with her brilliant flame. Despite her nature as evil and greedy, she has come to care greatly for those with whom she has shared her blood.

Efwein – The Blood Pact came with a hefty price for the Efwein, forcing them to accept some of the burden of a life debt. Still, their mastery of fire and access to unique magical abilities proves worth it... most of the time.

Soul Pacts: The Brass Star's soul pacts grant great powers, such as controlling flame and poison. However, they offer little in the manner of defense, perhaps revealing a weakness of the patron herself.

Occultist – Controller; The warmth of flame soothes wounds and tempers metal, while its light pushes back the darkness.
Scourge – Striker-Support; Fury enhances your pyromancy, and burning your health greatly improves your power.

Greenmother

The Green Moon resembles an eye more than a mere star, as it is the Greenmother's physical presence. She watches from beyond the Dark, her reasons for accepting the Blood Pact inscrutable and known only to her.

Shabbali – Sturdy and stocky, the Shabbali are the shortest but not the smallest of the horned folk, with their third eye being their most striking feature (moreso than their armored backs). The ability to look into the minds of others is a curious one, and the telepathy granted by such makes them particularly odd even with everything else about the Shabbali.

Soul Pacts: The Greenmother's soul pacts invoke her curious arts involving flesh and affinity for beasts of all kinds. Despite the variety in capabilities, they do lack in offensive power.

Biomancer – Support-Controller; A specialist in the art of biomancy, she unlocks the secrets of the flesh to heal and to harm.
Broodmother – Defender-Support; Using her own body as an incubator, she produces living puppets for her various needs.

Light

The Lamp is the resting place of Lucuhael, a powerful solar, who burned much of her power to create the Sanctuary and tie together the fates of each patron to it. Her heart still beats, and each pulse brings a new dawn.

Gossamer – The blood pact blessed the Gossamer with an inner light that shines through their bodies and burns away at the Dark. The crystalline horns upon their heads are quite similar to the crystals that grow upon the soil touched by Lucuhael's tears.

Soul Pacts: Lucuhael's soul pacts bestow the power of holy light, and purifying power to restore wounds and fatigue alike.

Barrier – Defender; She protects her allies with her own body as much as the barriers she creates out of light.
Monk – Striker-Defender; Pursuing self perfection, these warriors master their inner life force over magical power.

The Lost Moon

Broken and lightless due to war and the beasts of the Dark growing strong on the bloodshed, this remnant of the Sixth is a grim reminder to not raise arms against fellow mortals. Perhaps if the Dark is pushed out of the former lands of the Sixth, its glow might return... At least there is much treasure and power to be found within the dungeons of this once shining land, but at considerable risk.

Tetlians Twinned souls sharing a single vessel, they mirror their patrons.
Once a mighty dragon bearing two heads, one black the other iron, representing balance, Tetlimaliscial and Tetlimericseal blessed those of their blood pact with a dual nature. They could switch between two separate forms, sometimes with their personality as well so that each was two separate individuals with a bound fate. Alas, this proved to be a weakness in their souls, and the surging of the Dark during the Only War seemed to wash them all away. The world works in mysterious ways, however; even if one soul fell, the other remained and was protected. They may perhaps be revived, then, should their land be cleansed and the powerful souls of the Twins be rescued from deep within the Dark.

Jester - Controller-Striker; Tricking enemies to set them up for a fall or to allow their allies to freely move across the battlefield, these performers can be quite the terrors.
Reaper - Striker; Holding power over spiritual forces, these warriors strike their enemies' bodies and souls in equal measure.

Non-Soul Pact Classes

Not linked to any singular Patron, these classes have a much broader theme

Dancer – Controller-Striker; These warriors turn the battlefield into a dance floor, controlling the tempo when they can, and working with it when they can't.
Gladiator – Striker-Controller; Skilled warriors that push themselves further and further, their drive being what grants them their power.
Lantern – Support; A guide through the Dark, she is well equipped to keep her companions alive more readily than herself.
Seeker – Controller-Support; Tempted by knowledge, she seeks to tame the dark for other purposes, pray she not risk her soul.

Downtime Rules

Downtime is an important aspect of Delving in Darkness. Characters do need a place to return to to recover from injuries and stress, sell their loot, purchase more supplies, and various other things.

Village Building

The base of operations from which all expeditions into the dungeons occur. As such, building a village is important, and many funds will be poured into it more than a character's own coffers.

Bestiary

The various sorts of critters unique to the dungeons.

Cut content; This is being archived for reusing the ideas elsewhere, but it is not valid content on its own.

Doll – A fallen adventurer, who's soul has been preserved in an artificial body. Uses the memories of armaments and magic in brief flashes of insight. Replaces blood pact.
Changeling – (Variable); Your body is all you need, and you can change it to suit your purposes.
Firekeeper – Support-Defender; Souls and flames are quite similar; those specialized in stoking fires may also enhance their companions. Fold Into Lantern
Gambler ? – Unpredictable and risky, but the house always wins. Just make sure you save a little luck when it turns poorly for you.
Hemomancer – Support-Striker; Blood is life, and the manipulation of blood is her specialty. <- Turn this into Occultist stuff!
Karmaphage – Vanguard (Supporter); These songstresses change the flow of battle through the abyss's hold on fate itself.
Runeworker ? – Variable (Striker); Geomancers that rely on stored magic to grant minor, temporary effects that are expended for explosive results.
Warden – Defender-Striker; A powerful spirit manifested into physical form takes the brunt of enemy attacks, while the one who manifests it supports from behind with firepower. Fold Into Lantern