The Yeomen of the Shadow Express
They were not always guards. In the reign of the Second Engine-Queen, when the first rail was laid through the Umbral Fen and trains began crossing between the living world and the quiet places beneath it, the Crown needed more than soldiers. It needed witnesses. Men and women who would watch the damed board at midnight and ensure they arrived by dawn — and who would, if necessary, carry out the final sentence on anything that tried to ride without leave.
So the Queen took her Beefeaters, the Yeomen Warders who had guarded the Tower and the block for centuries, and gave them a new charge: the Shadow Express.
A Yeoman is part headsman, part priest, part ticket-taker. Each carries a Blade conjured from their own blood, crystallized into ruby and bound by oath — weightless in loyal hands, crushing to anything it falls upon. They walk the cars while passengers sleep, checking tickets, checking pulses, checking that the things in the luggage racks are luggage. When the train screams through a severed crossing and something claws up from the cinders, it is the Yeoman who steps into the corridor, blade humming, and asks for its fare.
The order is divided into three Oaths, and every Yeoman kneels to one:
The Oath of the Block keeps the old executioner’s tradition. They are the sentence made flesh — the ones called when a passenger has died mid-journey and refuses to lie down, or when a war-criminal tries to flee into death itself. Their blades fall once, and cleanly.
The Oath of the Carriage are the protectors. They do not hunt; they stand. When the Express is boarded by raiders from the Fen, it is the Carriage Yeomen who lock shields in the dining car and do not move, taking wounds meant for the sleeping innocent behind them.
The Oath of the Cinder are the order’s secret. Assassins in Beefeater red, they ride ahead of the train in disguise, smoke-stepping through stations to cut tickets — and throats — before trouble ever boards. If the Block is the axe, the Cinder is the wire.
To become a Yeoman is to swear three things: the train arrives, the passengers are counted, and the damed stay in their seats. Break one, and your blade will remember — for it is made of the blood you swore it on.
The Yeoman
Guardians of the Shadow Express — Renaissance executioner, divine assassin, Beefeater of the rails.
Class Features
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Yeoman level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per level
Proficiencies
Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Religion, Stealth
Equipment: chain mail or (leather armor, longbow, 20 arrows); martial weapon + shield or two martial weapons; dungeoneer’s pack or explorer’s pack; Beefeater’s signet and black cord.
Spellcasting
— Oathbound Magic
Charisma-based divine half-caster. Learn 2 cantrips. Prepare Cha mod + half Yeoman level spells. Yeoman Blade is your focus. Regain slots on long rest.
Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1-2 2 – – – –
3-4 3 – – – –
5-6 4 2 – – –
7-8 4 3 – – –
9-10 4 3 2 – –
11-12 4 3 3 1 –
13-14 4 3 3 2 –
15-16 4 3 3 2 1
17-20 4 3 3 3 2
Perfect — here’s a full spell list for the base class plus expanded domains for each Oath. Built as a divine half-caster list with that Hexblade-style martial utility.
Base Yeoman Spell List
Cantrips: blade ward, booming blade, chill touch, guidance, light, mending, resistance, sacred flame, spare the dying, thaumaturgy, toll the dead, true strike
1st Level: bane, bless, compelled duel, cure wounds, detect evil and good, divine favor, heroism, protection from evil and good, sanctuary, searing smite, shield of faith, wrathful smite
2nd Level: aid, blindness/deafness, branding smite, find steed (Shadow Express mastiff), hold person, lesser restoration, magic weapon, spiritual weapon, warding bond, zone of truth
3rd Level: beacon of hope, bestow curse, blinding smite, dispel magic, fear, magic circle, protection from energy, remove curse, revivify, spirit guardians
4th Level: banishment, death ward, dimension door, guardian of faith, staggering smite
5th Level: banishing smite, circle of power, dispel evil and good, geas, hold monster
Level Progression
1 — Yeoman Blade & Oathbound Magic. Bonus action: summon blood-ruby crystal two-handed weapon. 2d6 slashing, +1 attack/damage, weightless to you, invulnerable. Vanishes if left >1 min, dismissed, or you die. Blade Empowerment: expend a slot as bonus action to empower 1 hour: 3rd=+2, 4th=+3, 5th=+4.
2 — Rending Fury & Blood Brand. Once per turn on Yeoman Blade hit: +1d4 slashing (2d4 at 6, 3d4 at 10, 4d4 at 14, 5d4 at 18). Choose 1 Blood Brand: Execution (bonus action mark 30 ft, 1 min, crit 19-20, 1/short rest), Overwatch (reaction: ally within 10 ft +2 AC), or Blood Ward (+1 AC while blade summoned).
3 — Yeoman Oath. Choose Oath of the Block, Carriage, or Cinder. Gain oath spells and features at 3, 7, 11, 15, 19.
4 — ASI.
5 — Extra Attack & Warding Blood. Attack twice. Gain Con save proficiency (or double prof vs poison/disease if already proficient).
6 — Brand Improvement. Executioner’s Keen (crit 18-20), Vigilant Overwatch (20 ft + adv on next save), or Iron Ward (+2 AC).
7 — Oath feature.
8 — ASI.
9 — Visceral Impact. Rending Fury applies to 2 targets/turn. Learn 3rd Blood Brand.
10 — Grand Handle Magic (Evocation). Cast evocation cantrip/spell with melee spell attack through blade as part of Attack action.
11 — Improved Rending. Rending Fury dice become d6 vs constructs, fiends, aberrations.
12 — ASI.
13 — Blood Bolstering. Advantage vs poison/disease; double prof to Str/Con saves vs prone/grapple/restrain.
14 — Rending Fury (4d4) & Visceral Reach. 3 targets/turn, +5 ft reach on Rending Fury.
15 — Grand Handle (Necromancy) & 3rd Brand Improvement. Deliver necromancy spells through blade.
16 — ASI.
17 — Blade Sage I. On crit with blade, cast touch cantrip as reaction through blade.
18 — Rending Fury (5d4) & Blade Sage II. Use Blade Sage on any hit, 1/short rest.
19 — Oath feature.
20 — Blade Sage III & Epic Boon. Cast touch cantrip on opportunity attacks. Choose Epic Boon or Boon of the Eternal Guard (+2 base blade, no need to eat/drink/sleep while summoned).
Oaths
Oath of the Block (Executioner)
Spells: compelled duel, wrathful smite / blindness/deafness, zone of truth / bestow curse, fear / banishment, staggering smite
3: Headsman’s Eye — adv Intimidation; extra attack on kill
7: Dread Procession — 10 ft aura, disadv vs frightened, 1/LR
11: Sever — crit with Brand: Con save or disadv on attacks until healed
15: Final Sentence — vs half-HP: Con save or double Rending dice as necrotic, 1/LR
19: Master of the Block — crits x3 damage
Oath of the Carriage (Protector)
Spells: heroism, shield of faith / aid, warding bond / beacon of hope, protection from energy / death ward, freedom of movement
3: Iron Escort — reaction take half ally’s damage within 5 ft
7: Rolling Bulwark — you + adjacent ally +1 AC
11: Overwatch Mastery — Overwatch uses = Cha mod/short rest
15: Unbroken Line — 15 ft ward 1 min, allies resist B/P/S, 1/LR
19: Eternal Guard — drop to 1 HP instead of 0, cast 1st-level abjuration free, 1/LR
Oath of the Cinder (Assassin)
Spells: disguise self, silent image / pass without trace, invisibility / nondetection, gaseous form / greater invisibility, dimension door
3: Ashstep — Stealth prof; Hide as bonus in heavy obscurement; move through smoke freely
7: Cinder Strike — surprise: first Rending Fury max damage
11: Blood Poisoning — 1/LR: Con save or 3d6 poison + poisoned 1 min
15: Smoke and Iron — Hide teleport 30 ft between obscured areas
19: Ghost of the Express — dim/darkness: attacks vs you at disadv, adv Stealth
Oath Domains Oath of the Block —
Domain of Judgment ,Execution, finality, dread. Your magic ensures the sentence is carried out.
• 3rd: compelled duel, wrathful smite
• 7th: blindness/deafness, zone of truth
• 11th: bestow curse, fear
• 13th: phantasmal killer, stoneskin
• 15th: banishment, staggering smite •
Domain Feature Spells (always prepared bonus): hex (as divine brand)
Flavor: Block Yeomen use divination to verify guilt (zone of truth), then necromancy to make it stick.
Oath of the Carriage — Domain of Sanctuary
Protection, warding, endurance. Your magic turns a train car into a fortress.
• 3rd: heroism, shield of faith
• 7th: aid, warding bond
• 11th: beacon of hope, protection from energy
• 13th: guardian of faith, freedom of movement
• 15th: death ward, wall of force (as shimmering carriage barrier)
• Domain Feature Spells: sanctuary (as ward-token)
Flavor: Almost all abjuration. You’re the reason the Express has never lost a sleeping passenger.
Oath of the Cinder — Domain of Smoke
Trickery, passage, quiet kills. Your magic is the steam that hides the knife.
• 3rd: disguise self, silent image
• 7th: pass without trace, invisibility
• 11th: nondetection, gaseous form (as living smoke)
• 13th: greater invisibility, dimension door
• 15th: mislead, seeming • Domain Feature Spells: minor illusion (as cinder-wisp)
Flavor: The only Oath with heavy illusion. Cinder Yeomen don’t win fights — they end them before they start.
******
Sergeant Marta Hale
Medium humanoid, Lawful Neutral —
Yeoman 5 (Oath of the Carriage)
Armor Class 18 (chain mail + Blood Ward +
shield)
Hit Points 47 (5d10 + 15)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 16 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 16 (+3) | 10 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 14 (+2) |
Saves Con +6, Cha +5
Skills Athletics +6, Intimidation +5, Perception +4
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Celestial
CR 4 (1,100 XP)
Yeoman Blade. Marta summons a blood-ruby greatsword: +7 to hit, 2d6+4 slashing. Once per turn +1d4 Rending Fury.
Blood Brands (1/short rest each). Brand of Overwatch: reaction, ally within 10 ft. gains +2 AC. Blood Ward: +1 AC while blade summoned.
Spellcasting (Cha, DC 13). Slots: 4x 1st, 2x 2nd. Prepared: bless, cure wounds, shield of faith, heroism, aid, warding bond, spiritual weapon
Iron Escort (Reaction). When ally within 5 ft. takes damage, Marta takes half.
Actions — Multiattack. Two Yeoman Blade attacks: +7 to hit, 2d6+4 slashing each.
Roleplay hook: Checks tickets with a smile, checks pulses without one. “Seats, souls, and silence — I count all three.”
Want to refine her further?
