The Nightshade

The Nightshade is a master of both the mystical and the wild, weaving shadowy magic and nature's secrets into a deadly harmony. These rangers are the witches of the deep woods, the unseen watchers in moonlit groves, and the hunters who strike with precision from the dark. Their bond with nature isn’t with the vibrant life of the forest, but with the quiet, creeping stillness of twilight, the soft hum of insects under the moon, and the chill of shadows pooling beneath ancient trees.

Using their crossbow as both weapon and magical conduit, Nightshades blend ranged precision, dark enchantments, and nature-infused rituals to dominate their prey and protect their shadowed sanctuaries.

Level 3: Secrets of the Veil

You learn the following spells at the specified ranger levels. These spells are considered ranger spells for you, and they do not count against your spells known:

• Level 3: Nature's Smite, Shadow Strike
• Level 7: Pass without Trace, Darkness
• Level 11: Counterspell, Wrathful Vines
• Level 15: Greater Invisibility, Phantasmal Killer

Additionally, you can use your crossbow as a spellcasting focus for your ranger spells.

Level 7: Cloak of Shadows and Thorns

You can meld seamlessly with darkness and nature. As a bonus action, you can become invisible until the end of your next turn, provided you are in dim light or darkness or standing amidst thick vegetation.

Additionally:

• You gain darkvision, or your existing darkvision improves by 60 feet.
• While in dim light, darkness, or natural terrain, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
• When you use this ability while in natural terrain (like forest, overgrowth, or foliage), spectral thorns briefly sprout around you. If a creature hits you with a melee attack while you're invisible from this feature, they take 1d8 piercing damage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses after a long rest.

Level 11: Shadowstep Ambush

You can step through shadows and tangled roots to position yourself for the perfect strike. As a bonus action, you can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see in dim light, darkness, or natural foliage.

If you make a ranged weapon attack on the same turn the attack deals an additional 2d6 necrotic damage.

Additionally, any creature hit by this attack is slowed until the end of its next turn, its speed reduced by 10 feet.

Level 15: Sovereign of Shadow and Thorn

At the height of your mastery, shadows and the stillness of twilight answer your every command, empowering your strikes and weaving nature's twilight into your form.

• Umbral Sanctuary: When you are in dim light, darkness, or natural terrain, you gain the following benefits:

  • Damage Resistance: You have resistance to necrotic damage.
  • Stealth Mastery: You cannot be detected by creatures relying on darkvision unless they can see through magical darkness.
  • Warden's Thorns: When a creature within 30 feet of you hits you with an attack, spectral thorns lash out. The creature takes 1d8 necrotic damage and must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC = your Spell Save DC) or be restrained until the end of its next turn.

• Empowered Shadowstep: When you use Shadowstep Ambush, you can now teleport up to 60 feet instead of 30, and your next attack deals an additional 3d6 necrotic damage instead of 2d6.

• Shadow Strike Mastery: When you hit a creature with Shadow Strike, the spectral roots also bloom around it, creating an area of difficult terrain in a 10-foot radius centered on the target until the end of your next turn. Creatures of your choice in this area have their speed halved.

• Twilight Embrace: As a bonus action, you can wrap yourself in a shroud of living shadows. Until the start of your next turn:

  • You gain temporary hit points equal to twice your ranger level.
  • You are considered heavily obscured to enemies.
  • Any ranged attacks you make during this time have advantage.

You can use Twilight Embrace a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1), regaining all expended uses after a long rest.