I have tested the Basics of it in a new Character and checked that it works (as far as i can tell it does)
I would like to know peoples opinions on the idea, anything that may be unbalanced, or could use a little tweaking. Currently i have it sitting at V 0.5 but I need to ask if members of this wonderful community could have a look through it and test it thoroughly for me then offer their criticisms and compliments, ideas and other suggestions.
Possibly even help me expand on the descriptions for the subclass too would be helpful
So I think the big issue here is that it is basically just a hodge podge of other people's homebrew at the later levels, and basically just the Way of Shadow's path at lower levels. It makes it hard to comment on something when it is a derivative work, and what it is derived from isn't from any of the source books itself. So it is hard to give an opinion.
Also, some of the lore drops in the beginning and the usage of other people's work isn't a good look without first having express permission. Like if you were inspired by Matt Mercer's Cobalt Soul monk tradition that is cool and all, but using someone else's intellectual property without permission isn't really a cool thing to do, even if the intent is to just pay homage.
Because of the above, it is really hard to rate your homebrew, because I can't in good conscious call it your homebrew class due to how derivative the whole thing is...like none of the spells or abilities are anything you created from what I saw, just other peoples work that you are using in a hodge-podge sort of fashion.
EDIT: when I searched the classes spells, rather than using the link, I found other peoples work first...I will go back and reread the ones you linked and resubmit an opinion once I read them.
Alright, went back through and now see that this is your own work, so sorry if my previous response came off combative as I was the one mistaken.
That said, your spells should be spells...most of them confer some additional thing for based on some very specific criterion, and as such do not read like spells but rather abilities. Since they are spells that can be taken by multiple classes, I'd strip out everything referring to the Souls Shadow within each spell since the spell should do what it does, and not be concerned with the class of the person casting it, since all of that info is useless to players that aren't playing your subclass. Then move all the information about ki points and special things into the subclass itself. Not only will it cut down on wordiness, but since most of the abilities are "You can spend ki points to cast this spell" not having to include that in any spell now or in the future will save you a lot of time.
Now, as far as the spells themselves go, some seem interesting for all classes to use, other's not so much.
Pass through Shadow: literally has tags saying that other classes can use it, but as written they can't unless they have ki points which is only a monk feature. As such, it shouldn't be a spell but an ability...if you want the subclass to really feel special, having the ability to spend ki points to confer advantage on stealth rolls is a cool mechanic, but writing it out so that anyone can use it diminishes the whole thing that should be unique.
Shadow Script: It's magic Thieves Cant...which is cool, but I see no reason to limit it to 7 words. Since it can't be conveyed immediately like message, only lasts a few hours, and can be seen using true sight, I'd at minimum let it use 25 words if not more.
Protection of Shadows: It steps on the toes of the Grave Cleric...like it's cool just like the Grave Cleric's ability...but yeah, even with it being a 5th level spell it seems too similar. If you want it to be similar but not the same, make it an action, and make it cloak the target in shadowy armor that prevents the next critical hit against the target. 1 ki point though is too low, should be 2 at minimum.
Shadow Hold: One should never make a spell that forces the kind of modifier to add...it should use the spellcasters ability modifier if you intend other classes to have access to it. Also, since it isn't a mental effect but a tangible and real thing, the damage type being psychic makes less sense than it dealing necrotic or force damage...thematically it would make a lot more sense dealing force damage though imo.
The Capstone: There is no such thing as a full action in 5e, so using that language means nothing to people that haven't played earlier editions. It is also kind of...meh? Like it seems very situational, and as written the strength is really up to how the DM rules some things...like your speed is 0, but by RAW teleporting isn't movement. So depending on the DM, you can Shadow Step while your speed is 0, or you can't. Also, why make it use your action and bonus action? The only thing that this monk could possibly do would be to use Shadow Step since you can't use Flurry of Blows unless you make an attack, you can use Step of the Wind but your movement is 0 so dashing to move 0 feet is a waste...basically the only other bonus action available is Patient Defense which is perfectly fine...in fact balance wise I'd say that being able to Shadow Step and leave a clone in your place while you hide in the shadows fits better thematically anyway, or to summon a clone behind the person coming in to attack you. That's the real issue though, I think the ability should be balanced around summoning the clone anywhere and just describe it as pulling the shadows to the location you chose within a set range. It also doesn't make sense that shadows would have their own ki, instead the shadows should have some unique thing like having an aura that casts shadows in a 5 foot radius while having blindsense (30). It gives the player more options without pushing it into situationally broken territory because it can't use your cool abilities, but it provides you ways to potentially use some of your class features by giving some synergy...like you now have walking shadows for mobility, extra damage, and something that can act for you...and instead of preventing your movement, I believe it should just use a bonus action to control.
Now, all of that out of the way...I think thematically you could make this subclass work better as a Rogue. Half of the kit thematically would make more sense on a Rogue, while the other half seems like it is only sort of a Monk...like the way I see it, is if you were to remove the need to use ki points, would the class that the subclass belongs be recognizable? This was a problem that the Way of Shadow subclass had as well imo; if it didn't mention Ki points you wouldn't be able to tell what class the damn thing belonged to. Because that is a large part of your template for this subclass, I think it suffers the same problem, but you've added more features that actually make it seem like it'd belong to a Rogue moreso than a Monk.
Overall I think you have something cool here...it is just quite rough in the current incarnation. If you want it to continue to be a Monk Subclass, try giving features that will make people say "Oh yeah, that is a Monk" rather than left wondering what it is or confused and thinking "Oh, that's a magical Rogue," or "I think that is a Monk because they are making unarmed attacks/using a quarterstaff...but it could also be a Monk that multiclassed." Hopefully what I am getting at makes sense, because I think you could really make something great if you were to polish things a bit more.
Definitely has some fun mechanics, minor balancing could be needed but without a chance to thoroughly playtest I can't say what that would be.
The Shadowy Assistance (Shadow clone) could use a little more definition,.. Does it act on your initiative, does it have its own iniative, do you control it telepathically or give it orders, or is it simply an extension of yourself similar to 'Envoke Duplicity'. Can it attack (and does that attack use up one of your own attacks), does it have its own Ki pool or can you channel your own Ki abilities through it. It would be good to detail what actions it can take, and what its stats are. I had a play with the description below (just random thoughts, feel free to ignore or tweak as you see fit):...
At 17th level, you can separate your shadow from yourself, creating a shadow duplicate of yourself with Your stats and weapons but half half your HP, to assist you in combat. This shadow duplicate costs 3 Ki Points and 1 full action and reduces your movement to 0 for stuns youuntil the start of your next turn while you separate yourself and your shadow. Your shadow self is a duplicate of yourself and works as an individual entity acting on your initiative order. < It can use the Attack, dash, disengage, and help actions. And can use Ki to use Flurry of Blows (1 Ki point 1 Bonus action) or Shadow Hold (2 Ki Points 1 Action) Alternatively < Your duplicate can use all your abilites and attacks, dealing force damage instead of the regular damage type.> Though it only has 5 Ki points of it's own which if all spent the shadow assistant will disappear leaving you without a shadow to draw Ki from until you have a long rest.
This Ability has the ability to be very powerful or just another support ability, but for now it seems it is up to interpretation.
Agree with the comment by AtlaStar that using a "full action" is a redundant term, you could say it takes an action do it but that doesn't stop people using movement and bonus action first, alternatively it could still require your action but the effort could leave you stunned for until the next round or a similar effect.
Hi, thanks for the advice, and I will be looking into all that's been mentioned and making adjustments.
The shadowy assistance I was hoping to re-work, and thank you for your suggestions there, might take me a little time to get it updated.
The spells, I was wondering about, they are Natural abilities to the Monk through spending Ki points, as this is the first time I will look into editing the spells themselves. Remove the references, then add them to the monks descriptions and abilities properly.
There was a lot of other comments made, and I will look at addressing all those as appropriate.
@Atlastar, this is my first subclass I have tried to make, so appreciate your original post in all it says, I can understand why one might think it as a Hodge podge of others works...
I am looking to clean this up properly and sort this out. As this is a rough build based off of discussions had with our DM. So though we know what is what, getting clarity on what others see and read or understand is important to me as I want this to succeed.
The big thing to remember is that if you want them to be spells, make them spells...just remove the stuff about the class or subclass casting the spell from inside the spell itself, and move that into the subclass. It makes everything look cleaner if you simply state that for x ki points, you can cast y spell without using a spell slot. It is more generic and clear that way, because as it currently stands you reference some spells as being usable by spending ki points outside of the spell, then again inside the spell, which can lead to confusion of how many ki points are actually required...plus as mentioned it just makes the spells cleaner to not have things that aren't necessary to know inside the spell; like a different class using the spell won't care about what a Souls Shadow Monk can do with the spell, nor should they know when reading the spell.
Either way, I was thinking of ways to keep the class very similar to what it is now, while making it distinctly feel like a Monk subclass which I will post here a little later.
Alright, I took some time to make the flavor of the shadow abilities fit the idea of a Ninja Assassin the best I could without changing what you had too much. As such I present what I would use as a template in tuning things from here.
Shade Script
In training to become a member of this tradition, you’ve learned a secret form of communication known only to other members of the Souls Shadow. These messages are inscribed into the very essence of shadow, and are only visible to members of the tradition. Due to the nature of the communication, the messages are symbols used to convey specific information, and are typically used to mark a target for assassination. When you take this tradition at 3rd level, you learn to imprint symbols that convey a message of no greater than 10 words into any shadow you can see. The shadow itself holds the symbol, which moves with the shadow. You may only have one such symbol in place at a time, and using this ability again will destroy any symbols previously made. Creatures with truesight can see these symbols, but not convey their meaning unless they know the secret language of the Souls Shadow.
One with Darkness
The martial arts involved in manipulating shadows to bend to one’s whim is taxing on most that try, but through dedication and practice you have begun to learn how to not only control the shadow around you, but how to also avoid the obstructive nature of darkness itself. Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you may spend a ki point to use a bonus action to hide while in dim light or darkness. The obstruction provided by the shadows are enough to hide in situations where you would normally be seen. In addition you can spend 2 ki points to duplicate the effects of the following spells.
Darkness(2nd)
Darkvision(2nd)
Penumbral Strikes
At 6th level, your dedication to the nature of shadow has allowed you to give them physical form. When you make a melee attack on your turn, your flurry of blows grants you 3 attacks, instead of two, as the coalesced shadows strike at your target in tandem with your attacks. If this attack is made while in darkness, it doesn't require you to spend ki points. In addition, when you use the stunning strike ability, you may choose to instead inflict the blindness condition until the end of your next turn as the nearby shadows infuse with your ki, forcing its way into the targets eyes.
Manipulate Shadows
Through this tradition you’ve learned to manifest shadows in such a way as to make them more corporeal, giving them form beyond the simple mirrored strikes that your own shadow casts.
Beginning at 11th level, as an action you can spend 2 ki points to cause any area of darkness that you can see to become difficult terrain until the end of your next turn. In addition choose any number of creatures that you can see and choose one of the following options:
Once per turn targets that begin or end their turn in darkness take 1d8 + your wisdom modifier force damage.
Targets you select ignore difficult terrain created by this ability, and once per turn targets that begin or end their turn in the darkness gain 1d4 + your wisdom modifier temporary hit points.
Umbral Praetor
At 17th level, you’ve mastered the essence of shadow to become it’s master. As an action you can spend 2 ki points to summon a shadow warrior to assist you in combat. This shadow warrior shares your ability scores, proficiency bonus, base movement speed, and has hit points equal to 3 monk hit die. Extending from it is a wispy darkness, forcing any light within in a 5 foot radius of the warrior to become dimmer. This turns bright light within range into dim light, and dim light into darkness. As a bonus action on your turn you can mentally command your shadow warrior. Its attacks use your Martial Art’s damage die, dealing deal force damage. The shadow warrior can use any ability that you possess that requires ki. Ki spent this way is depleted from your own ki points. You can summon this warrior a number of times per long rest equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1)
I think that it fits the theme of controlling shadows quite well, while giving it a few things that really remind you that you are basically a Ninja/Monk and I tried to make it to where everything had a synergy so that you will be using finding ways to use all of the skills. As written it might be a bit on the stronger side because Penumbral Strikes giving an extra attack is good by itself, and letting it cost no ki if in darkness (as in the light level, not dim light but darkness) is quite strong and pairs suuuuuuppppper well with the capstone, hence why it only has 3HD worth of health instead of half your current, and requires a bonus action to control. The core idea though is that you want to be hitting things while in darkness, and want to have the tools to not just create darkness but manipulate it even further, which I feel is where you were intending to go with the subclass to begin with which is why I said the idea is pretty sweet, just needs some polishing and a bit more cohesion.
The changes definitely make them easier to understand, but there are just a few grammatical things that could be fixed still. Basically the spells just need polish at this point, and maybe descriptive fluff.
Overall I like the idea behind the spells, but as noted by what I suggested I don't think that most of those spells should belong to your subclass, rather than your subclass just having similar effects that are more unique to it. The on thing I did forget though, is that at 3rd level I think your monk should get pass without trace as one of the spell casting options, especially given that they no longer have Shadow Step to teleport between shadows and now need to be stealthy. For clarity as well, the ability that allows the class to use a bonus action to hide while in shadows can be used even if being looked at and seen when entering the shadow...it just makes sense for a Ninja-esque to be able to disappear into the shadows even when they were just seen, without needing to teleport to get that effect...which is basically why the subclass this is based on had that ability in the first place; it was just a weird way to prevent the monk from stepping on the toes of the Rogue which is canonically the stealthy class. Not exactly a design choice I agreed with.
Shadow step When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action you can move unseen up to 30 ft to an unoccupied space you can see which is also in dim light or darkness, you cannot cross a lighted area
You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn.
Shadow step When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action you can move unseen up to 30 ft to an unoccupied space you can see which is also in dim light or darkness, you cannot cross a lighted area
You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn.
Shadow step: 1 Bonus Action
This could work, but I think that'd be better as a static ability that applies to all movement in addition to some effect. This would confer all the same effects for the most part, while reading in a more natural language and less in a game mechanics language.
Shadow Step
When you are in dim light or darkness, you can use a bonus action to hide. When you attempt to hide in an area obscured by dim light or darkness, you may do so even if a creature is able to see you. While hidden, leaving an area obscured in this way doesn't reveal your position until the end of your turn.
Basically the above does everything you want it to do; you can hide even when seen as long as you are in the shadows, you are harder to find while in the shadows, and leaving the shadows doesn't make you seen until you either attack or the end of your turn. Also because you are hidden, your first attack gets advantage naturally because of how being hidden works. It also does all of that while letting you move your full speed or using Step of the Wind to dash, the latter just can't be done on the same turn. So to me it fits the sneaky Ninja vibe more than the Rogue, who can and will hide behind objects, in shadows, in fog, basically in whatever grants them the opportunity to do so by becoming unseen.
So I have been through and used what you have put here, and added / edited some elements overall i agree with what you are syaing in the majority of cases here. and now the only thing in the "spells" is the Astral Projection which is part of the monk class by default.
I have decidedly gone with the suggestions here, and thank you for your assistance comments and criticisms.
Please note there is a Note in their with credit to your names.
From a design standpoint I still don't know if I like the crit negation with the fact that Grave Cleric's have a similar feature, but it fits the theme of manipulating shadows well enough. If you are intent on adding it I'd replace the second option in the other 11th level ability so that targets that start or end their turn in the shadows get a negation of the next critical hit as long as they remain in the shadows and get rid of the temp hp stuff I suggested...probably should have just made it that in the first place instead of using temp hp to keep the class closer to what you had it as in the beginning.
EDIT: Finally, many thanks for the credit., and feel good about what was made since most of the ideas were yours to begin with, just polished a bit, or based heavily on your original idea.
I have created a new Subclass for Monks, which can be found here https://www.dndbeyond.com/subclasses/162625-the-path-of-the-souls-shadow
I have tested the Basics of it in a new Character and checked that it works (as far as i can tell it does)
I would like to know peoples opinions on the idea, anything that may be unbalanced, or could use a little tweaking.
Currently i have it sitting at V 0.5 but I need to ask if members of this wonderful community could have a look through it and test it thoroughly for me then offer their criticisms and compliments, ideas and other suggestions.
Possibly even help me expand on the descriptions for the subclass too would be helpful
It would be greatly appreciated.
EDIT - UPDATED TO V 1.3
https://www.dndbeyond.com/subclasses/162625-the-path-of-the-souls-shadow
Spelling Corrections,
Description additions and subtractions,
Ability Balance.
Custom Abilities and "spells" for the monk can be found at these links
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/160745-shadow-script
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/161819-protection-of-shadows
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/161665-pass-through-shadow
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/161993-shadow-hold
So I have had a good look through it now and I believe that this is V 1.0 suitable for public consumption...
https://www.dndbeyond.com/subclasses/159224-the-path-of-the-souls-shadow
Please do come back with any criticisms or Ideas for the development of this I would appreciate the feedback.
Anyone able to offer comments or suggestions?
So I think the big issue here is that it is basically just a hodge podge of other people's homebrew at the later levels, and basically just the Way of Shadow's path at lower levels. It makes it hard to comment on something when it is a derivative work, and what it is derived from isn't from any of the source books itself. So it is hard to give an opinion.
Also, some of the lore drops in the beginning and the usage of other people's work isn't a good look without first having express permission. Like if you were inspired by Matt Mercer's Cobalt Soul monk tradition that is cool and all, but using someone else's intellectual property without permission isn't really a cool thing to do, even if the intent is to just pay homage.
Because of the above, it is really hard to rate your homebrew, because I can't in good conscious call it your homebrew class due to how derivative the whole thing is...like none of the spells or abilities are anything you created from what I saw, just other peoples work that you are using in a hodge-podge sort of fashion.
EDIT: when I searched the classes spells, rather than using the link, I found other peoples work first...I will go back and reread the ones you linked and resubmit an opinion once I read them.
Alright, went back through and now see that this is your own work, so sorry if my previous response came off combative as I was the one mistaken.
That said, your spells should be spells...most of them confer some additional thing for based on some very specific criterion, and as such do not read like spells but rather abilities. Since they are spells that can be taken by multiple classes, I'd strip out everything referring to the Souls Shadow within each spell since the spell should do what it does, and not be concerned with the class of the person casting it, since all of that info is useless to players that aren't playing your subclass. Then move all the information about ki points and special things into the subclass itself. Not only will it cut down on wordiness, but since most of the abilities are "You can spend ki points to cast this spell" not having to include that in any spell now or in the future will save you a lot of time.
Now, as far as the spells themselves go, some seem interesting for all classes to use, other's not so much.
Pass through Shadow: literally has tags saying that other classes can use it, but as written they can't unless they have ki points which is only a monk feature. As such, it shouldn't be a spell but an ability...if you want the subclass to really feel special, having the ability to spend ki points to confer advantage on stealth rolls is a cool mechanic, but writing it out so that anyone can use it diminishes the whole thing that should be unique.
Shadow Script: It's magic Thieves Cant...which is cool, but I see no reason to limit it to 7 words. Since it can't be conveyed immediately like message, only lasts a few hours, and can be seen using true sight, I'd at minimum let it use 25 words if not more.
Protection of Shadows: It steps on the toes of the Grave Cleric...like it's cool just like the Grave Cleric's ability...but yeah, even with it being a 5th level spell it seems too similar. If you want it to be similar but not the same, make it an action, and make it cloak the target in shadowy armor that prevents the next critical hit against the target. 1 ki point though is too low, should be 2 at minimum.
Shadow Hold: One should never make a spell that forces the kind of modifier to add...it should use the spellcasters ability modifier if you intend other classes to have access to it. Also, since it isn't a mental effect but a tangible and real thing, the damage type being psychic makes less sense than it dealing necrotic or force damage...thematically it would make a lot more sense dealing force damage though imo.
The Capstone: There is no such thing as a full action in 5e, so using that language means nothing to people that haven't played earlier editions. It is also kind of...meh? Like it seems very situational, and as written the strength is really up to how the DM rules some things...like your speed is 0, but by RAW teleporting isn't movement. So depending on the DM, you can Shadow Step while your speed is 0, or you can't. Also, why make it use your action and bonus action? The only thing that this monk could possibly do would be to use Shadow Step since you can't use Flurry of Blows unless you make an attack, you can use Step of the Wind but your movement is 0 so dashing to move 0 feet is a waste...basically the only other bonus action available is Patient Defense which is perfectly fine...in fact balance wise I'd say that being able to Shadow Step and leave a clone in your place while you hide in the shadows fits better thematically anyway, or to summon a clone behind the person coming in to attack you. That's the real issue though, I think the ability should be balanced around summoning the clone anywhere and just describe it as pulling the shadows to the location you chose within a set range. It also doesn't make sense that shadows would have their own ki, instead the shadows should have some unique thing like having an aura that casts shadows in a 5 foot radius while having blindsense (30). It gives the player more options without pushing it into situationally broken territory because it can't use your cool abilities, but it provides you ways to potentially use some of your class features by giving some synergy...like you now have walking shadows for mobility, extra damage, and something that can act for you...and instead of preventing your movement, I believe it should just use a bonus action to control.
Now, all of that out of the way...I think thematically you could make this subclass work better as a Rogue. Half of the kit thematically would make more sense on a Rogue, while the other half seems like it is only sort of a Monk...like the way I see it, is if you were to remove the need to use ki points, would the class that the subclass belongs be recognizable? This was a problem that the Way of Shadow subclass had as well imo; if it didn't mention Ki points you wouldn't be able to tell what class the damn thing belonged to. Because that is a large part of your template for this subclass, I think it suffers the same problem, but you've added more features that actually make it seem like it'd belong to a Rogue moreso than a Monk.
Overall I think you have something cool here...it is just quite rough in the current incarnation. If you want it to continue to be a Monk Subclass, try giving features that will make people say "Oh yeah, that is a Monk" rather than left wondering what it is or confused and thinking "Oh, that's a magical Rogue," or "I think that is a Monk because they are making unarmed attacks/using a quarterstaff...but it could also be a Monk that multiclassed." Hopefully what I am getting at makes sense, because I think you could really make something great if you were to polish things a bit more.
Definitely has some fun mechanics, minor balancing could be needed but without a chance to thoroughly playtest I can't say what that would be.
The Shadowy Assistance (Shadow clone) could use a little more definition,.. Does it act on your initiative, does it have its own iniative, do you control it telepathically or give it orders, or is it simply an extension of yourself similar to 'Envoke Duplicity'. Can it attack (and does that attack use up one of your own attacks), does it have its own Ki pool or can you channel your own Ki abilities through it. It would be good to detail what actions it can take, and what its stats are. I had a play with the description below (just random thoughts, feel free to ignore or tweak as you see fit):...
This Ability has the ability to be very powerful or just another support ability, but for now it seems it is up to interpretation.
Agree with the comment by AtlaStar that using a "full action" is a redundant term, you could say it takes an action do it but that doesn't stop people using movement and bonus action first, alternatively it could still require your action but the effort could leave you stunned for until the next round or a similar effect.
Hi, thanks for the advice, and I will be looking into all that's been mentioned and making adjustments.
The shadowy assistance I was hoping to re-work, and thank you for your suggestions there, might take me a little time to get it updated.
The spells, I was wondering about, they are Natural abilities to the Monk through spending Ki points, as this is the first time I will look into editing the spells themselves. Remove the references, then add them to the monks descriptions and abilities properly.
There was a lot of other comments made, and I will look at addressing all those as appropriate.
@Atlastar, this is my first subclass I have tried to make, so appreciate your original post in all it says, I can understand why one might think it as a Hodge podge of others works...
I am looking to clean this up properly and sort this out. As this is a rough build based off of discussions had with our DM. So though we know what is what, getting clarity on what others see and read or understand is important to me as I want this to succeed.
The big thing to remember is that if you want them to be spells, make them spells...just remove the stuff about the class or subclass casting the spell from inside the spell itself, and move that into the subclass. It makes everything look cleaner if you simply state that for x ki points, you can cast y spell without using a spell slot. It is more generic and clear that way, because as it currently stands you reference some spells as being usable by spending ki points outside of the spell, then again inside the spell, which can lead to confusion of how many ki points are actually required...plus as mentioned it just makes the spells cleaner to not have things that aren't necessary to know inside the spell; like a different class using the spell won't care about what a Souls Shadow Monk can do with the spell, nor should they know when reading the spell.
Either way, I was thinking of ways to keep the class very similar to what it is now, while making it distinctly feel like a Monk subclass which I will post here a little later.
That would be grand of you to do.
I am working on this now. cleaning those bits and pieces up as mentioned.
updated spells
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/164880-pass-through-shadow
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/164882-protection-of-shadows
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/164893-shadow-hold
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/164892-shadow-script
Alright, I took some time to make the flavor of the shadow abilities fit the idea of a Ninja Assassin the best I could without changing what you had too much. As such I present what I would use as a template in tuning things from here.
I think that it fits the theme of controlling shadows quite well, while giving it a few things that really remind you that you are basically a Ninja/Monk and I tried to make it to where everything had a synergy so that you will be using finding ways to use all of the skills. As written it might be a bit on the stronger side because Penumbral Strikes giving an extra attack is good by itself, and letting it cost no ki if in darkness (as in the light level, not dim light but darkness) is quite strong and pairs suuuuuuppppper well with the capstone, hence why it only has 3HD worth of health instead of half your current, and requires a bonus action to control. The core idea though is that you want to be hitting things while in darkness, and want to have the tools to not just create darkness but manipulate it even further, which I feel is where you were intending to go with the subclass to begin with which is why I said the idea is pretty sweet, just needs some polishing and a bit more cohesion.
Thank you, I will look at this and edit accordingly... It's getting late for me now (4:20 am) but I had been working on several changes already.
The changes definitely make them easier to understand, but there are just a few grammatical things that could be fixed still. Basically the spells just need polish at this point, and maybe descriptive fluff.
Overall I like the idea behind the spells, but as noted by what I suggested I don't think that most of those spells should belong to your subclass, rather than your subclass just having similar effects that are more unique to it. The on thing I did forget though, is that at 3rd level I think your monk should get pass without trace as one of the spell casting options, especially given that they no longer have Shadow Step to teleport between shadows and now need to be stealthy. For clarity as well, the ability that allows the class to use a bonus action to hide while in shadows can be used even if being looked at and seen when entering the shadow...it just makes sense for a Ninja-esque to be able to disappear into the shadows even when they were just seen, without needing to teleport to get that effect...which is basically why the subclass this is based on had that ability in the first place; it was just a weird way to prevent the monk from stepping on the toes of the Rogue which is canonically the stealthy class. Not exactly a design choice I agreed with.
Shadow step
When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action you can move unseen up to 30 ft to an unoccupied space you can see which is also in dim light or darkness, you cannot cross a lighted area
You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn.
Shadow step: 1 Bonus Action
This could work, but I think that'd be better as a static ability that applies to all movement in addition to some effect. This would confer all the same effects for the most part, while reading in a more natural language and less in a game mechanics language.
Basically the above does everything you want it to do; you can hide even when seen as long as you are in the shadows, you are harder to find while in the shadows, and leaving the shadows doesn't make you seen until you either attack or the end of your turn. Also because you are hidden, your first attack gets advantage naturally because of how being hidden works. It also does all of that while letting you move your full speed or using Step of the Wind to dash, the latter just can't be done on the same turn. So to me it fits the sneaky Ninja vibe more than the Rogue, who can and will hide behind objects, in shadows, in fog, basically in whatever grants them the opportunity to do so by becoming unseen.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/subclasses/162380-the-path-of-the-souls-shadow
So I have been through and used what you have put here, and added / edited some elements overall i agree with what you are syaing in the majority of cases here. and now the only thing in the "spells" is the Astral Projection which is part of the monk class by default.
I have decidedly gone with the suggestions here, and thank you for your assistance comments and criticisms.
Please note there is a Note in their with credit to your names.
From a design standpoint I still don't know if I like the crit negation with the fact that Grave Cleric's have a similar feature, but it fits the theme of manipulating shadows well enough. If you are intent on adding it I'd replace the second option in the other 11th level ability so that targets that start or end their turn in the shadows get a negation of the next critical hit as long as they remain in the shadows and get rid of the temp hp stuff I suggested...probably should have just made it that in the first place instead of using temp hp to keep the class closer to what you had it as in the beginning.
EDIT: Finally, many thanks for the credit., and feel good about what was made since most of the ideas were yours to begin with, just polished a bit, or based heavily on your original idea.
Hi Thanks will remove the Temp hp from the build as I agree it didn't feel right.
and your welcome - you polished it all up for me what can I say, you deserve it...