Shadow Patron

Your patron is an enigmatic entity, shrouded in mystery and veiled in shadow. Whether this being hails from the Shadowfell, the Negative Energy Plane, or some other forgotten dark realm, its power over death, shadow, and fear is immense. Unlike more traditional patrons, the Shadowed One’s motives are obscure, often communicating only in whispers or cryptic visions. This warlock subclass focuses on manipulating shadows, stealth, necrotic energy, and illusions to further his patrons unknowable goals.

Shadow Spells

3rd-Level Shadow Spells

• Darkness: Create an area of magical darkness that obscures vision.
• Shadow Blade: Create a blade of shadow that deals psychic damage.
• Shadow Step: When in an area of dim light or darkness, you can teleport to another area of dim light or darkness that you can see within 30 feet. (Misty Step).
• Shadowy Illusion: Create a sound or an image of an object made of shadows within range, useful for deception and distraction. (Minor Illusion).
• False Life: Gain temporary hit points, drawing on the energies of shadow to enhance your survivability.

5th-Level Shadow Spells

• Animate Dead: Reanimate a skeleton or zombie to serve you.
• Vampiric Touch: Touch a creature to deal necrotic damage and regain hit points equal to the damage dealt, drawing strength from their life force.

 7th-Level Shadow Spells

• Summon Shadows: Call forth a shadowy undead creature to fight alongside you. (Summon Undead (ghost version only), or Summon Shadowspawn)
• Phantasmal Killer: Create an illusion that taps into a target's deepest fears, dealing psychic damage as they are haunted by shadowy visions.

9th-Level Shadow Spells

• Shadow Creation: Create objects made of shadowy material, perfect for crafting tools or weapons in a pinch, or to obscure an area with dark constructs. (Creation).

Spellcasting Features

• Spell Slots: You can cast these spells using your warlock spell slots, and they follow your normal spellcasting rules.
• Charisma Modifier: Your spellcasting ability modifier for these spells is based on your Charisma.

Necrotic Spells

Whenever you cast a spell that deals damage, you can choose to change the damage type to necrotic.

Shadow Step

Your patron grants you the ability use the shadows to move between the boundaries of the planes. You can Shadow Step Misty Step from shadow to shadow without expending a spell slot a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

In addition, whenever you Shadow Step you can gain 1d10 Temporary Hit Points. 

 

Shadowbound

You gain the following abilities:

• One with Shadows: When you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use your action to become invisible until you move or take an action or a reaction. You can use this ability an unlimited number of times.

• Armor of Shadows: You can cast Mage Armor on yourself at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.

Additionally, as a reaction when you take damage, you can turn into a shadowy mist, reducing the damage by an amount equal to 1d10 + your Charisma modifier. Once you use this damage reduction ability, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

Shadowform

As a bonus action, you can assume a Shadowform, transforming into an incorporeal shadow for 1 minute.

While in Shadowform, you gain the following benefits:

• Incorporeal Movement: You can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. If you end your turn inside an object, you take 1d10 force damage.
• Shadow Resistance: You gain resistance to all damage except force, psychic, and radiant damage.
• Evasive Shadows: While in dim light or darkness, you can take the Hide action as a bonus action, even if creatures are aware of your presence.
• Shadowy Strikes: Your attacks and spells ignore resistance to necrotic damage, and your attacks deal an additional 1d6 necrotic damage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Shadow Soul

Creating the Shadow Stone

Through a 1-hour ritual performed during a long rest, you bind your soul to a gemstone worth at least 100 gp, transforming it into your Shadow Stone. You can carry this gemstone yourself or have your familiar carry it.

When your soul is stored in the Shadow Stone, your physical body falls into a catatonic state and becomes unconscious, hidden from view (potentially through spells like Greater Invisibility or other means). If the gemstone is destroyed, your soul is immediately forced back into your body, which becomes exposed and vulnerable. You can create a new Shadow Stone by performing the same ritual during a long rest.

Shadow Soul Projection

As an action, you can project your soul from the Shadow Stone into a creature within 100 feet that you can see. The target must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, your soul enters the target’s body, and the target’s soul is trapped within the Shadow Stone. On a successful save, the target resists your efforts to possess it, and you can’t attempt to possess it again for 24 hours.

While possessing a creature, you gain control over it. Your Hit Points, Hit Point Dice, Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Speed, and senses are replaced by those of the possessed creature. You retain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, as well as your class features.

The creature whose soul is trapped in the Shadow Stone can perceive its surroundings using your senses, but it cannot take actions and is considered incapacitated.

While possessing a body, you can take an action to return your soul to the Shadow Stone, returning the host creature's soul to its body if it is within 100 feet of you. If the host creature dies while you are possessing it, you must make a Charisma saving throw against your own spellcasting DC. On a success, you return to the Shadow Stone if it is within 100 feet of you; otherwise, you die.

If the Shadow Stone is destroyed or the Shadow Soul feature ends, your soul returns to your body. If your body is more than 100 feet away from you or if it is dead, you die. If another creature’s soul is in the Shadow Stone when it is destroyed, that creature’s soul returns to its body if it is alive and within 100 feet; otherwise, that creature dies.

You can use the Shadow Soul feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all expended uses after a long rest.