Gloomblades are warriors who draw upon the Shadowfell’s essence to create weapons of pure darkness. Their conjured blades can take many forms, shifting between swords, spears, or axes as needed. Over time, they learn to imbue their weapons with strange powers—extended reach, elemental fury, and the ability to pierce through even magical defenses. Masters of deception and stealth, gloomblades slip in and out of combat like phantoms, their strikes leaving foes grasping at shadows.

Level 3: Shadow Weapon

At 3rd level, you can create a weapon of living shadow as a bonus action. The weapon can take the form of any melee weapon with which you are proficient. You can only maintain one shadow weapon at a time—creating a new one causes the previous to vanish.

Your shadow weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks. At 3rd level, it has a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. This bonus increases by +1 at 7th level (to +2), 11th level (to +3), 15th level (to +4), and 18th level (to +5).

Level 3: Student of Darkness

Beginning at 3rd level, your training in the ways of shadow sharpens your senses.

• You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill.

• If you already have proficiency in Stealth, you instead gain proficiency in one of the following skills: Acrobatics, Arcana, or Perception (your choice).

Acrobatics Proficiency

Choose this only if you already have proficiency in Stealth.

Arcana Proficiency

Choose this only if you already have proficiency in Stealth.

Perception Proficiency

Choose this only if you already have proficiency in Stealth.

Stealth Proficiency

Beginning at 3rd level, your training in the ways of shadow sharpens your senses.

• You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill.

Level 7: Shadow Infusion

When you summon your shadow weapon, you can imbue it with one of the following effects (choose when summoning):

Extended Reach. The weapon’s reach increases by 5 feet.

Piercing Darkness. The weapon ignores resistance to nonmagical damage and deals full damage to objects.

Reposition. Once per turn when you hit a creature, you can move it 5 feet to an unoccupied space.

Extended Reach

When you summon your shadow weapon, you can extend its reach by 5 feet until it vanishes. This allows you to strike foes further away than normal.

Piercing Darkness

When you summon your shadow weapon, you can infuse it with shadow power that cuts through defenses. Attacks with the weapon ignore resistance to nonmagical damage and deal full damage to objects.

Reposition

When you summon your shadow weapon, you can imbue it with shadow force. Once per turn when you hit a creature with the weapon, you can move it up to 5 feet into an unoccupied space. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Level 10: Improved Shadow Strike

Once per turn, when you hit with your shadow weapon, you can deal an extra 1d8 necrotic or psychic damage (your choice). This increases to 2d8 at level 18.

Necrotic Damage

Once per turn, when you hit with your shadow weapon, you can deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage. This increases to 2d8 at level 18.

Psychic Damage

Once per turn, when you hit with your shadow weapon, you can deal an extra 1d8 psychic damage. This increases to 2d8 at level 18.

Level 15: Greater Shadow Infusion

You can apply two Shadow Infusion effects at once when summoning your weapon. Additionally, once per short rest when you summon a weapon, you may give it one of the following temporary properties until the end of combat: flame tongue, frost, shocking, keen (crit 19–20), or vicious.

Flame Tongue

Your shadow weapon bursts into flame, shedding light and dealing +2d6 fire damage on each hit until combat ends.

Frost

Your shadow weapon radiates chilling energy, dealing +2d6 cold damage on each hit until combat ends.

Keen

Your shadow weapon becomes preternaturally sharp, expanding its critical hit range to 19–20 until combat ends.

Shocking

Your shadow weapon crackles with electricity, dealing +1d6 lightning damage on each hit until combat ends.

Vicious

Your shadow weapon lashes out with vicious force, dealing an additional 2d6 damage when you score a critical hit.

Level 18: Master of Shadows

At 18th level, your mastery over shadow-forged weaponry reaches its peak.

You can summon or dismiss your shadow weapon as part of any attack or opportunity attack (no action required).

You can now apply up to three Shadow Infusion effects at once when creating your shadow weapon.

In addition, every attack you make with your shadow weapon deals +1d8 necrotic damage.