Base Class: Rogue
While others cower in fear and huddle around fires when darkness encroaches, you have found a home inside of it. For those who dare to delve into this archetype, the shadows assist and even follow the commands of the shadowdancer.
Hide in Plain Sight
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you develop a talent for disappearing from watchful eyes. A shadowdancer can use the Stealth skill even while being observed as long as they are within 10 feet of an area of dim light. You can hide yourself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. You can not, however, hide in your own shadow. You can use this ability once per day at 3rd level and one additional time at 13th level. You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest.
Furthermore, while you are hidden in an area of dim light or darkness, enemies have disadvantage on perception rolls that rely on sight to locate you.
Eyes of Darkness
Starting at 3rd level, you can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.
Shadow Jump
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action you can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. This range is increased to 60 feet at 6th level, 90 feet at 9th level, and 120 feet at 12th level.
Shadow Clone
Starting at 9th level, you can summon a shadow. Unlike a normal shadow, this shadow’s alignment matches that of the shadowdancer, and the creature cannot create spawn. The shadow cannot be turned or commanded. This shadow serves as a companion to the shadowdancer and can communicate intelligibly with the shadowdancer. This shadow has a number of hit points equal to half the shadowdancer’s total. The shadow uses the shadowdancer’s base attack bonus, base save bonuses and ability scores.
The Shadow acts independently from the shadowdancer and has its own initiative. If the Shadow dies, you can obtain a new companion by spending 8 hours communing with the Shadowfell.
Substitute
Beginning at 13th level, whenever you would suffer damage from any source, you may use your reaction to switch places with your shadow clone causing them to take the damage in your place. The shadow clone must be within 120 feet for this ability to work and can not be targeted by the same damage source such as the area of effect of fireball. You can use this ability once per day and it recharges on a short or long rest.
Shadow Stitching
At 17th level, you learn create piercing tendrils out of shadows. As an action you can force all creatures of your choice in a 20-foot-radius sphere that are within 5 feet of an area of dim light to make a Dexterity save throw. On a failed save they take 2d6 piercing damage and are grappled for 1d4+1 turns. (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier). On a successful save, enemies take half damage and are not grappled. If you use this ability while hidden in an area of darkness, enemies make their save at disadvantage.
On consecutive turns you can use your action to inflict another 2d6 damage to those who failed their Dexterity save throw and force them prone.
Enemies who are grappled or prone can attempt a Strength save throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) on their turn to attempt to break free from the piercing tendrils.