I worked on converting Midna from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I tried my best to convert every ability she shows in game into a Subclass feature, a Racial Trait, or an ability of the Fused Shadow Magical Item. As I had to do wonky things with the subclass to make it work (in my head), I can't share the subclass the normal way. So, I would enjoy feedback here for the Race, Subclass, and Item I created for the build.
Flooded with the power of the Fused Shadow, created by the Interlopers, you have access to a shadowy cadre of powers.
Interloper Magic
1st-level Fused Shadow feature
You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Interloper Magic table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.
Whenever you gain a sorcerer level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level. The new spell must be an abjuration or a transmutation spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list.
You have learned how to tap into the magic of the Fused Shadow, opening a rip in the fabric of space to the Twilight Realm.
As an action, you hold your hands together then slide them apart, forming a small rip between your hands to the Twilight Realm. Shaping the magic emanating from the rip, you form a sphere of twilight around you as you stabilize the rip. The rip and sphere are centered on you. The sphere has a 30-foot radius and is filled with dim light, blocking out bright light. Both move with you, and you can hold it open for up to 1 minute or until you are incapacitated or die.
When you cast Hunter's Mark while in this sphere, you can spend 1 sorcery point to gain +2 to all of your attack rolls against your specified creature.
Whenever a creature (including you) ends its turn in the sphere, you can grant that creature these benefits:
If you have Hunter's Mark running while the sphere is active, you can spend 1 sorcery point per creature to share the spell's abilities and your target with each specified creature.
If you have upgraded Hunter's Mark, you can spend 1 more sorcery point per creature to share the added +2 to their attack rolls.
If any creature who you have shared Hunter's Mark with (either regular or ugpraded) is still in the sphere when they kill the target of the spell, they can use their reaction to move half their movement speed towards a creature of their choice.
You can use this feature up to your proficiency bonus number of times before a long rest.
Divine Beast of the Twilight
6th-level Fused Shadow feature
You have grown better at wielding the magic of the Twilight, forming it into a living form.
At the cost of 2 sorcery points, as an action, you conjure a golden fur dire wolf to a space of your choice within 10 feet of you. If you spend 2 more sorcery points, double the dire wolf's hp. This large beast is an ally to you and your companions and is friendly to you. In combat, the creature shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It obeys your verbal commands (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any, it takes the Dodge action and uses its move to avoid danger. The magic holding the beast together only lasts a day, but you can offer another sorcery point every 24 hours after the conjuring to have it maintain its form. If you do not, or the dire wolf's hp reaches 0, it dispels and disappears. If conjured again, the magic of the dire wolf remember previous events that happened to it.
At the cost of 3 sorcery points, as and action, you conjure 3 golden fur wolves into 3 separate spaces within 5 feet of you. If you spend 3 more sorcery points, double each wolves hp. These medium beasts are allies to you and your companions and are friendly to you. In combat, the creatures share your initiative count, but they take their turns immediately after yours. They obey your verbal commands (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any, they take the Dodge action and uses their move to avoid danger. The magic holding the beasts together only lasts a day, but you can offer another sorcery point every 24 hours after the conjuring to have them maintain their form. If you do not, all remaining wolves disappear. If one of the wolf's hp reaches 0, that particular wolf disappears. None of the wolves remember previous events if summoned again.
You can only have 1 instance of both of these activated at the same time, aka you can have 1 dire wolf and 3 wolves at a time.
Crystalized Twilight
10th-level Fused Shadow feature
You have come across methods to crystalize twilight magic and put it to use.
During either of the twilight hours (just before sunrise and just after sunset), you can more easily pull from the Twilight realm and its magics. Once per twilight, at the cost of 2 sorcery points, you can start casting a spell and, no matter how long the casting time takes, crystalize it within a shadow crystal. At the end of the casting time, the spell magic forms into a ball in front of your hands while twilight magic seeps from your hands to slowly crystalize around the spell magic. This entire process requires concentration and can not be interrupted, otherwise the crystalizing and spell magic mix in dangerous ways, exploding in your face for 2d6 force damage and 1d6 fire damage. You can create up to your proficiency bonus number of shadow crystals with spells in them.
These crystals are stable and can last indefinitely in this state unless crushed or are exposed to direct sunlight for a minute or more. Once crushed by a creature in any way that they retain contact with the crystal as a free action, grant said creature with one casting of the spell stored inside, to be used as a bonus action in the same turn the crystal was crushed. The effect(s) of the spell are instantaneous, since the casting time has already happened. The destroyer of the crystal can specify anything about the spell that specifically needs to be chosen, such as target, damage type, or a choice involved in the spell, and if they have metamagic, they can use a metamagic ability on the spell before it is cast.
If the crystal is exposed to direct sunlight for a minute or more, the crystal cracks, releasing the spell magic impotently.
In addition, you have a limited ability to embed a singular crystal into a creature and have said creature endure the effects of the spell, potentially for a longer period of time. As an action, if the spell stored in the crystal is an Abjuration, Illusion, or Transmutation spell, targets only a single creature (the target will be the creature who you are trying to embed the crystal into), and deals no direct damage, you and the creature you are trying to embed the crystal into roll opposing Charisma checks.
If you succeed, you embed the crystal magically into your target's body. They immediately fall under the effect(s) of the spell, and if any choices need to be made, you can choose them at this point. The crystal and spell last for the duration of the spell, unless a condition of the spell causes it to be dispelled early, at which point you can offer 1 sorcery point to recharge the spell and crystal for the duration of the spell again. Each time the duration runs out, you can make this offering again. If you do not make the offering again, the crystal dissolves harmlessly into the target's body, completely unnoticed. Any side effect of any spell (such as charmed person) will take effect when the crystal dissolves.
If you fail, the crystal shatters and explodes, throwing both you and your target 30 feet away from the explosion centerpoint and deal 2d6 force damage and 1d6 fire damage to both of you, the spell magic fizzling and doing nothing.
Spear of Sunset and Blade of Sunrise
14th-level Fused Shadow feature
You have gained a lot of control over the Fused Shadow, allowing you to use it's magic to create massively destructive attacks. Channelling the massive power is taxing on your body, though.
As an action, at the cost of 10 sorcery points, you summon a giant spear made of twilight magic and magically sling it towards a point. Every creature within a 50 foot sphere of the point must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a fail, their take 5d10 Cold damage and 5d10 Force damage, on a success, half that. Upon firing the spear, you gain 2 levels of exhaustion.
At the same cost of 10 sorcery points, You can choose to create 2 spears at once in that action and, making 2 separate attacks, fling them at different points, but channelling that much magic and concentration puts a heavier toll on your body. You gain 5 levels of exhaustion as soon as you have flung both spears.
Neither of these abilities can be used again until all levels of exhaustion are gone.
You gain the ability to cast blade of disaster and can cast it once per long rest.
Twilight Festival and The Mirror of Twilight
18th-level Fused Shadow feature
Twilight Festival
As an action, you spend 5 sorcery points and fling your hair forward, looking to piercing into your target's body. They must succeed on a DC 18 Dex check. On a miss, nothing happens. If you hit, you are concentrating for 3 turns as you inject twilight magic and your life force into their body. Their body bloats up until the start of your 3rd turn from the start of the attack.For the duration, the creature has disadvantage on Strength checks and Dexterity checks, takes 1d8 necrotic damage if it makes more than one attack during its turn, and any natural flying speed is negated due to the swelled body's new size and weight.
If the target is at half health or less, their body can not resist the twilight magic well due to weariness.At the start of each of their turns for the duration, they must make a death saving throw with disadvantage.On each failure, their body swells one size larger and they take 1d8 more necrotic damage if they try to attack more than once during their turn.If the target fails their 3rd death saving throw while under the effects of this ability, they immediately take their current hp + any temporary hp they have + half their total hp (record the number) in damage. Their body can no longer stand the swelling and explode with a pop, causing their death.No spell or ability can stop this damage, as this is not normal or critical damage, nor can this body be brought back to life in its original form due to being in too many pieces. In addition, every creature within 20 ft of the explosion must make a Dexterity save. On a fail, they take the recorded number in force and thunder damage, divided evenly between the two, rounded down. On a success, they take half as much damage, rounded down.
If their body swells to a size larger than the room can accommodate, then the room starts taking damage as their body forces walls, pillars, and other structural architecture away. They are restrained if this happens while surrounded by walls.
If the target was above half heath, they stay their normal size, but are bloated until the start of your 3rd turn after you started this ability.
If the target goes below half health while under the effects of this ability, they will roll the death saving throws and swell on a failed death save until the ability ends.
If the target succeeds in not exploding, but is swollen in size, each turn following the ability's end, the creature will deflate 1 size and gain 1 level of exhaustion until they return to their normal size.
No matter the outcome of your target, As long as you hit them, you fall prone with 1 hp and 5 levels of exhaustion.This ability can not be used again until all levels of exhaustion are gone.
The Mirror of Twilight
At the cost of 10 sorcerer points, as a reaction, you summon the Mirror of Twilight and can attempt to reflect 1 singular spell attack while granting full cover behind the summoned Mirror. If the Mirror is between you and an oncoming attack, roll as if you cast a 5th level Counterspell. On a fail, the Mirror cracks, but holds, granting you full cover from the attack. On a success, the Mirror absorbs the spell, then allows you to cast the same spell at the same level and with the same buffs and augmentations as the absorbed spell back in the direction it came from. You suffer 2 levels of exhaustion from performing a reflection.
If the Mirror is cracked and you attempt to use it again and fail, the Mirror shatters and you are not able to use this ability ever again.
You can repair the cracked Mirror with a 2 hour ritual, focusing on it's repair alone.
I'm still reading through all this, but I think this is really cool! I think you've got a solid build here, although with the deluge of features you created I feel like the wording is a bit clunky on some of them. For now I'm just going to critique the Twili race and I'll try and offer advice for the other creations later today.
I don't think the race is quite good enough to justify giving them both Sunlight Sensitivity and weakness to radiant Damage. I get it... Midna is weak to sunlight, but for example... other playable races with Sunlight Sensitivity also have improved Darkvision (which basically just doubles the range of your darkvision). I think the weakness to Radiant Damage does give a little more freedom to a bit unbalanced on the race's other features... but it's also a pretty uncommon damage type so it's not like it's the worst handicap in the world.
The Magical Storage feature feels a bit clunky. I think I would just give the race the ability to cast Wristpocket. I don't know exactly why it's a second level spell and has so many restrictions on how it works, but I'm going to assume some playtesting was involved and that ended up being what was the most balanced way to give players a magic portal hole to store stuff in.
I think for the "What is Walking" feature, I'd give level restrictions on the spells, and then go for the idea that you can cast each spell from this feature once and can cast the spell again only if you have the spell slots for it. I'd probably change it to be just "Twilight Magic", and fold Wristpocket into it... so at first level you can cast Wristpocket, at 3rd level you get Misty Step, and at 5th level you get Dimension Door (similar to the Infernal Legacy feature in Tieflings)
I think for Twilight Illusion I would change it to, "You can cast Disguise Self without consuming a spell slot when in Darkness. You automatically lose Concentration on this spell if you enter Bright Light". Basically it forces you to find complete darkness just to cast the spell, but it will persist as long as you remain at least in dim light.
Hidden in Shadows is probably the hardest feature to figure out. I think you absolutely need it, since it's easily one of Midna's most memorable powers, but it's really hard to make it useful enough to be worth using while also avoiding making it overpowered. I think that I would remove the ability to use this feature on an unwilling creature and focus on it just being a reconnaissance function. I think this is how I would word it:
"As an Action, you can enter a willing creature's shadow. You cannot use this feature if the target creature does not cast a shadow. While in a creature's shadow, you become Invisible and Blinded, and you occupy the same space as that creature. When the creature moves, you can use your reaction to move with them. You can exit the target creature's shadow as a bonus action, and you exit their shadow automatically if you start your turn in a different space than the target creature, or if you or the target creature take Radiant damage"
Okay, let me explain my logic... Limiting it to willing creature's gives a nice, predictable limitation to the feature that makes it easier to balance. Rather than come up with special rules for the shadow dimension or anything... you're just invisible and blinded. I also made keeping up with your partner cost a reaction, just to make it a little harder to take advantage of this feature for shenanigans... the ability to functionally turn invisible and tag along with, say...the Rogue sneaking into a building has a lot of potential. It also gives DMs some way to deal with a character who constantly ride in someone else's shadow... by forcing movement it's possible to basically knock the Twili out of their shadow. Having it just broken automatically by Radiant Damage also feeds into the Twili limitations a bit and makes it a bit more manageable. Although it's a little awkward, making it so the Twili character is still functionally in the same spot and just invisible/blinded still makes it possible to target them, just in case they really want to or if they have a creature that can see through invisibility. Making exiting the Shadow a bonus action also gives you a way to functionally just kind of pop out, peek around, then hop back in as an action.
I don't know how balanced this all is in the long run, but overall I still really like this concept and I think you built a really good base. Even without actually changing the functionality of what you came up with, I think another pass just to clean up the wording would be really helpful.
Okay, I read through the Fused Shadow, and I'm less happy with this than with the Twili race as a whole.
Eyes of Twilight feels overly complicated. I think that attuning to the Fused Shadow should just give any creature without it gain Darkvision, and I do think giving functionally Devil's Sight to see through Magical Darkness should also just be built into the Fused Shadow. Magical Darkness isn't really that common, and it's not that hard to gain the ability to see through magical Darkness, so it's not too unbalanced to just give that without making it cost Sorcery Points to activate.
Invisible and Incorporeal feels overly complicated again. I think just giving the option to make it invisible as an action and having it stay that way until you turn it back is more than enough. I think the fact that it remains physically on your head gives it enough of a balance... it's a clunky helmet, so being able to hide it is useful, but making it so you still have to avoid bumping into things or letting people touch you still makes it fairly balanced.
Forced Subclass is a bad idea. Anything that forces a player to change their class is a bad idea, and what happens if you break your attunement? Instead, just make it so that the Fused Shadow can only be attuned to by a Fused Shadow Magic Sorcerer.
Sentience and Personality is great, I think it's always fun to play with sentient magic items.
The 4 pieces again becomes clunky and weird. Instead, I'd just go for a flat +1 to attack and damage rolls for each piece gained after the first, and allowing the Fused Shadow to be used as a spellcasting focus. That way once you acquire all 4 pieces you, it becomes a +3 Spellcasting Focus. Something like a Wand of the War Mage is considered Very Rare, and all it does is give you a +3 to attack/damage rolls and the ability to ignore half-cover. So considering this is already an artifact, turning it into a +3 focus by itself already makes it extremely valuable.
I also think for the final transformation what you should do is actually create a unique creature stat block that you can transform into. I'd make it a bonus action to transform for one minute, make the other form very powerful, and you turn back into your default form if you end a turn without making an attack (sort of like a Barbarian's Rage). This could help represent the overwhelming power of the transformation... it makes you extra violent, and may lead to you attacking your own allies just to keep the transformation going.
I'm going to go tit for tat on your reply. I do not mind bouncing back and forth on this. This is really my first truly original full homebrew build, no plucking from outside homebrews or just copy pasting a lot from a premade build, so I enjoy the critique in trying to balance translation and mechanics.
As a start, nearly everything I put in the three parts are attempts at direct translations from the game. The only exceptions are the vision abilities on the Fused Shadow item and the Blade of Disaster ability in the subclass.
For the Radiant damage and Sunlight Sensitivity, I'm working from two parts of the game. When Midna first talks about her race, she mentions they don't like the light, as it is bright and hurts their eyes, so I translated that to Sunlight Sensitivity. And about halfway through the game, Zant removes the protection the twilight gives Midna, exposing her to bright light, which nearly kills her, thus the radiant vulnerability. Now, as for Improved Darkvision, I did think about it, but I gave ocular powers to the Fused Shadow item, giving her double distance darkvision or devil's sight at the cost of some sorcery points. While it does not show in the race, I tried to balance a lot of what I consider OP abilities with sorcery point costs and exhaustion.
Magical Storage, again, trying to balance 5e game and TP mechanics. While it is never confirmed or denied in game, my head cannon is that Midna actually stores all the things Link carries, which explains how he can 'store' a massive ball and chain and move around normally, but when he takes it out, he moves so slowly. To me, that means she can store multiple things in an extradimensional pocket. The only items I know off the top of my head that can do that are a Portable Hole and a Bag of Holding. Any idea how to reconcile that besides Wristpocket?
For What is Walking, after thinking about it, I agree. It should work that way. Only question then is the previous paragraph.
Twilight Illusion, I was debating between Disguise Self and Shapechanger, which is what I chose and wrote out with minor editions. My reasoning, when Midna changes into the children, her voice changed as well. As simple as that.
Hidden In Shadows worded that way works so much better! I love it! Just wish I didn't have to then deal with a new version.
Yeah, I am most happy about the Race and less so about the item and subclass, which is why I ask for assistance.
Eyes of Twilight: So, gain Darkvision if you don't have it, gain Improved Darkvision if you have darkvision, just by attuning. Gain Devil's Sight as a bonus action and can turn it off as another bonus action Sound good?
Sounds good. I tend to overthink things like this, so good to know. My only counterargument is how does she wear a hat or cloak as a disguise if its just invisible (Unless we change the shapechanger ability in the race to disguise self).
Forced Subclass was an experiment, but I'll gladly remove it.
Cool on the Sentience and Personality parts! =)
Yeah, I overthought the 4 Pieces. You make a lot of sense here.
I was considering that for the final form, but I wanted to get this out for review first, as I was too unsure about everything else. I will look into it.
Yeah, I've read through the subclass and I have some ideas, but I want to take some time to give good, actionable advice and not just rant. I do get the challenge you're running into, though, of trying to realize videogame features in D&D, where some stuff a character can do is fairly minor within the game they come from, but when combined with the rules of D&D they end up being wildly unbalanced and crazy.
Maybe the Magical Storage would make sense to just drop. I was honestly trying to figure out why you included the power, and just assumed that I forgot about some important scenes where Midna stores stuff in a pocket dimension. I think it's a cool fan theory that she's the one storing Link's equipment... but Link can already find a decent amount of equipment prior to meeting Midna that he just kind of tucks away in Hammerspace, and he can carry similarly vast collections in the other games, so I don't think it makes sense to treat that as a unique Twili feature.
For the Fused Shadow... I think making it invisible just means she can't wear a different hat or cloak without revealing the invisible helmet. I think the fact that it creates this annoying challenge that risks exposing the hidden helmet is just part of gameplay.
Midna storing stuff is a verified power. She does so with the fused shadow pieces, as well as the sword and shield Link collects in wolf form near the beginning of the game, as well as with the two (Maybe 3) bridges she fixes. Its just never confirmed that she stores everything after he regains his human form.
Personally, I still think I would drop the item storage as a racial feature... there are spells that can be used to store items (like wristpocket for storing small items, or Demiplane for storing massive things), and I think it would be easier to just assume those features just come from that.
I think that, in general, you overload the subclass with flavor description. If you look at most subclasses, they have a lot of flavor at first, then at later levels it's usually kept fairly minimal and focuses more on the in-game mechanics. I think it can make it confusing if you include too many descriptors of how a subclass feature works, since players might feel that if they can't do all those specific things in that specific order then they can't use that feature.
Okay, moving onto specific features... I like how Twilight Sphere provides dim light, which pairs great with the Twili, since they want to avoid bright light in the first place. I think just make it cost 1 Sorcery Point to conjure as an action. I like the idea of being able to share your Hunter's Mark with a friendly ally, especially since Sorcerer's don't necessarily benefit too much from Hunter's Mark themselves. I think I would change how it works a bit, so here's how I would word it:
"If a friendly creature starts their turn within your Twilight Sphere, they gain the following benefits until the end of their turn:
*Their movement speed increases by 10 feet
* They have advantage on their first attack against another creature within the Twilight Sphere.
* If they deal damage to a creature enchanted by your Hunter's Mark spell with an attack, they deal an additional d6 of their attack's damage type".
That roughly approximates Midna's ability to guide Link for more powerful strikes within her small aura.
For Divine Beast of Twilight, I would look to Shadow Sorcerer, which has a similar feature to summon a modified Dire Wolf using sorcery points. That feature is a little clunky too, I think, since it has all kinds of rules about how the Wolf basically just targets a single creature and can only really just attack that creature and nothing else. I think just having a medium-sized Dire Wolf with extra Temp HP for 3 Sorcery Points is a decent enough class feature, and I think just giving the option to spend more points to summon more wolves (up to 3) is easier to focus on.
Crystalized Twilight is another really complicated class feature... I'd lean closer to the Arfificer's Spell-Storing Item feature, which goes live at level 11 (so very close to when this feature goes live). I think limiting it to something you can only perform when finishing a long rest provides a similar limit as the idea of having to do this at twilight, but makes it a lot easier to manage in a greater variety of games. Honestly, I'm just imagining this working exactly like Spell-Storing item, except instead of enchanting an existing item it creates a magic crystal.
Spear of Sunset and Blade of Sunrise... I think the fact that it costs 10 Sorcery Points to trigger is enough of a cost... tacking exhaustion on top of that is too much. I'd reduce the damage to make it more reasonable. Blade of Disaster is fairly underwhelming as a 9th level spell... but it's still pretty shocking to give players a 9th level spell at level 14, even if it has a reputation for being a "trap" spell. I'd move that up to a later level.
Speaking of Higher Level... Twilight Festival is way too complicated, and is simultaneously way too powerful and way too weak, which is kind of weird. I get the idea, but it's just... too much. Too many conditions, too many chances to escape, too unreliable, and it takes way too long to fully go off. I would swap this with Blade of Disaster... it doesn't achieve the same effect at all, but I would actually use this. Blade of Disaster isn't nearly good enough to take as one of your precious few 9th level spells, but when you gain it as a bonus from your subclass it's actually really cool.
Mirror of Twilight, meanwhile, I really like! It's a great idea that utilizes something really memorable from Twilight Princess. I think it needs a little bit of restructuring... here's what I would put:
"When you are targeted by a spell, you can expend 1 to 10 sorcery points to conjure the Mirror of Twilight, interposing it between yourself and the Caster. Make a Charisma Check +the number of Sorcery points you spent to activate this feature... if the total rolled is equal to or greater than 10+ the level of the spell cast, the spell fails and has no effect. If the total rolled is at least 5 higher than 10+the level of the spell cast, then the spell instead targets the creature who cast the spell."
Still needs a lot of work, but the basic idea is that it gives you a slightly less reliable Counterspell (since Counterspell auto-counters anything of 3rd level or lower, but this feature needs to roll no matter the level of the spell it's countering), but instead it just costs Sorcery Points. However, you can still juice this by pumping more sorcery points into it, increasing the odds of forcing a creature to target themselves with their own spell. It's limited to only 10 maximum points... enough to nearly guarantee a counterspell even against 9th level spells, but not enough to guarantee a reflect.
I'm glad I could help! I think this is a really cool idea, and I love that you took the extra effort to make a race, class, and artifact for this idea. I think you have a really solid core to tweak and adjust to find a fun concept that should be able to be balanced, capture the feel of the character, and still be fun to play. It's really hard to get all three sometimes.
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
Sunlight Sensitivity
You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Born In The Twilight
As your race has lived and evolved in the Twilight Realm for thousands of years, you are comfortable in that environment and bright light hurts you.You are vulnerable to Radiant damage.
Keeping the ocular features as is due to the abilities of the Fused Shadow item.
Magical Storage
You have an innate ability to access your own personal small pocket dimension. This pocket dimension has an interior space 4 feet by 4 feet. The pocket can hold up to 500 pounds, not exceeding a volume of 64 cubic feet. Retrieving an item from the bag requires an action, in which you snap, and the item appears in the space in front of you. To put an item in, you must be touching it and use an action to snap, making it disappear into the pocket dimension. If your pocket dimension reaches its capacity, you can not put anything more into the bag until you take things out.
Redone to put in the bag of holding wording.
What is Walking?
The Twili have magic infusing their being and as such have gotten away from the mundaneness of walking.You can teleport easily in limited distances.
You know the Misty Step spell and can cast it once per long rest without expending a spell slot. When you reach 4th level, you can cast the Dimension Door spell and can cast it once per long rest without expending a spell slot.
I took out Arcane Gate
Removed Twilight Illusion
Hidden in the Shadows
As an Action, you can enter a willing creature's shadow. You cannot use this feature if the target creature does not cast a shadow. While in a creature's shadow, you become Invisible and Blinded, and you occupy the same space as that creature. When the creature moves, you can use your reaction to move with them. You can exit the target creature's shadow as a bonus action, and you exit their shadow automatically if you start your turn in a different space than the target creature, or if you or the target creature take Radiant damage. While in a shadow, you can not take any actions other than to move with the creature or exit their shadow.
Changed to your recommendation and added a sentence about what you can do while in the shadow.
Eye of Twilight. The Fused Shadow covering your eye lets you see in magical ways.
If your race does not have Darkvision, you gain a 60 ft Darkvision in that one eye, allowing you to see in dim light within the radius as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light, while the Fused Shadow is attuned to you.
If your race has Darkvision, you gain Improved Darkvision, doubling the distance of your darkvision in that one eye while the Fused Shadow is attuned to you.
As a bonus action, you can say the command word and see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 ft in that one eye while the Fused Shadow is attuned to you. Saying the command word again deactivates it.
Reworked for referencing what the abilities do, not just give their name.
Invisible and Incorporeal. Fused Shadow knows it stands out and has a way to hide.As an action, you can say the command word and Fused Shadow becomes invisible. Saying the command word again deactivates the invisibility.
Better? Think I need to add anything about see invisible or detect magic being able to sense Fused Shadow while invisible?
Removed Forced Subclass
Sentience. Fused Shadow was a Chaotic Evil artifact with an Intelligence of 12, a Wisdom of 15, and a Charisma of 15, but the thousands of years since its last access to magic to fuel itself, and the thousands of years before that since it was created, has degraded its sentience to near nothing. Only extreme emotions can nudge it from its stupor, but it only truly reacts to negative emotions.
Should the attuned creature feel such extreme negative emotions, the Fused Shadow may choose to communicate telepathically with the wielder, mostly to egg them on to delve deeper into those emotions, or to pass along the hate and bloodlust its creators infused it with. It speaks in undercommon (Twili) in a deep, gravely voice, has hearing out to 60 feet, and can sense the presence of creatures in the same distance.
Personality. Fused Shadow holds a hatred for Hylians, as they were the enemy of its creators. On the rare occasion that Fused Shadow is pulled from its lethargy, it reacts negatively to the presence of any creatures that resemble Hylians (DMs discretion), to the point it floods your head with rage and bloodlust to destroy said creature(s). Should this happen, you must succeed a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be overtaken by the rage until you can be jolted out of it. You can reroll your check every 30 seconds.
Is 30 seconds (5 rounds) too long between checks?
The 4 Pieces (Optional). The Fused Shadow is broken into 4 parts.You have the first one attuned to you already.If, along your travels, you come across other pieces, they can be reintegrated back together, though in the minimal power state, the other pieces store in their own pocket dimension. Using an action, you can pull out and reintegrate or dismiss the additional pieces.
Each additional piece helps amplify your magics and, once you have collected the 2nd piece, you can use Fused Shadow as a spellcasting focus.
Each additional piece adds +1 to your spell attacks and damage. Once you have 3 pieces equipped, your spells ignore half cover.
If all 4 pieces are brought out, you are transformed into the Fused Shadow Monstrosity for 1 minute or until the Hunger for Pain ability takes effect. You do not have access to any of the Legendary Resistances or Legendary Actions. Once you revert in form, you are unconscious and gain a level of exhaustion.
Reworked this to be more simple and added information about the monster statblock.
I think for the Twili race, even with the Radiant Weakness and Sunlight Sensitivity handicaps as a balance, it's still pretty stacked with features. Something like Arcane Gate is a 6th level spell, and getting access to that for free is pretty wild. I don't think any existing races get any free spells higher than level 3.
I think what might work better is if we took inspiration from the Dragonmark races... they get a few free spells innately, but they also get additional spells added to their class spell list. They don't automatically gain those spells, but as long as they have spell slots from their class they can learn those spells, even if they're not normally on their class's spell list.
I also don't think the Twilight Illusion is really necessary... keep in mind that not all of Midna's Powers exist just because she's a Twili. It's a trick she does like... once in the game? Maybe twice? I think it makes sense to assume it's just an illusion spell, which would make it something from just being a sorcerer.
I think, also, that something to keep in mind is that it's very rare for races or magic items to directly reference things other than spells. So instead of Magical Storage just saying, "The same as a bag of holding", it would more likely just have the specific dimensions and limitations spelled out in a bag of holding (the pocket dimension is approximately 4 feet deep, can hold up to 500 lbs, or 64 cubic feet). Same with Eye of Twilight in the Fused Shadow... instead of directing to the Devil's Sight feature, just include language that it lets you see through magical darkness.
Legendary Resistance (3/Summon). If the Fused Shadow Monstrosity fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The Fused Shadow Monstrosity has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magical Being. All of the Fused Shadow Monstrosity attacks are magical.
Hunger for Pain. The Fused Shadow Monstrosity form can only be maintained if it deals damage. If it has not inflict any damage since its last turn or taken damage since then, the magic holding the form together breaks, separating the 4 pieces again.
Fighting Against Itself. Being in this form awakens the Fused Shadow's Sentience and Personality. The creature who wears the Fused Shadow must succeed a DC 15 Charisma check every turn, or that turn's actions are dictated by Fused Shadow.
Actions
Multiattack. Fused Shadow Monstrosity can use it's Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks with its arms.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Clap. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage. On a hit, the target is grappled by Fused Shadow Monstrosity.
Frightful Presence. Each creature within 120 feet of Fused Shadow Monstrosity who is aware of it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the Fused Shadow Monstrosity is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Fused Shadow Monstrosity's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Legendary Actions
The Fused Shadow Monstrosity can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Fused Shadow Monstrosity regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Attack. The Fused Shadow Monstrosity makes one claw attack or tail attack.
Move. The Fused Shadow Monstrosity moves up to half its speed.
Twilight Spear. (Cost 3 Actions) The Fused Shadow Monstrosity summons a giant spear made of twilight magic and flings it towards a point. Every creature within 20 feet of the point must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a fail, their take 5d6 Cold damage and 5d6 Force damage, on a success, half that.
Fair, but none of these spells have much combat utility without some very creative thinking. However, should I just cut it back to Misty Step and Dimension Door?
I have this on the Subclass list. Think I should swap out some spells there for some of these?
Fair, fair. It is a somewhat op ability on an already stacked race. I'll just cut it out.
Me and my overcomplicating/not simplifying things. I'll get on that.
I'm editing the previous posts instead of reposting everything with slight tweaks, so be sure to check there for the changes.
I think you should take Legendary Actions/Resistances out of the Fused Shadow... those aren't really meant to be features for players, and pretty much any player ability or skill that allows the player to transform into a creature that has Legendary Actions also has text that states the player cannot use those Legendary features.
As for the spells... Sticking with TIefling as our reference point, by default Tiefling gets Thaumaturgy at level 1, Hellish Rebuke at level 3 (which they cast as 2nd level spell), and finally Darkness at 5th level. So that's one cantrip, one upcast first level spell, and one 2nd level spell. Meanwhile, Misty Step is a 2nd level spell, and Dimension Door is 4th level. That's a spell two levels higher, so I think keeping it limited to just the two spells is fairly balanced... almost like trading the cantrip (and keeping in mind the weaknesses of the race) for a higher level spell.
I'm not going to take them out, as someone could use this for a BBEG. Can you show me an example of what you are talking about, so I can put it in to the build. Nvm. I just put in wording in the item that you can't use the Legendary actions or resistances.
Okay, so 1 use of misty step and dimension door free, then with an open spell slot. Should it be misty step at 1st and dimension door at 3rd? Or Misty Step at 3rd, dimension door at 5th?
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
Sunlight Sensitivity
You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Born In The Twilight
As your race has lived and evolved in the Twilight Realm for thousands of years, you are comfortable in that environment and bright light hurts you.You are vulnerable to Radiant damage.
Magical Storage
You have an innate ability to access your own personal small pocket dimension. This pocket dimension has an interior space 4 feet by 4 feet. The pocket can hold up to 500 pounds, not exceeding a volume of 64 cubic feet. Retrieving an item from the bag requires an action, in which you snap, and the item appears in the space in front of you. To put an item in, you must be touching it and use an action to snap, making it disappear into the pocket dimension. If your pocket dimension reaches its capacity, you can not put anything more into the bag until you take things out.
What is Walking?
The Twili have magic infusing their being and as such have gotten away from the mundaneness of walking.You can teleport easily in limited distances.
You know the Misty Step spell and can cast it once per long rest without expending a spell slot. When you reach 4th level, you can cast the Dimension Door spell and can cast it once per long rest without expending a spell slot.
Hidden in the Shadows
As an Action, you can enter a willing creature's shadow. You cannot use this feature if the target creature does not cast a shadow. While in a creature's shadow, you become Invisible and Blinded, and you occupy the same space as that creature. When the creature moves, you can use your reaction to move with them. You can exit the target creature's shadow as a bonus action, and you exit their shadow automatically if you start your turn in a different space than the target creature, or if you or the target creature take Radiant damage. While in a shadow, you can not take any actions other than to move with the creature or exit their shadow.
Eye of Twilight. The Fused Shadow covering your eye lets you see in magical ways.
If your race does not have Darkvision, you gain a 60 ft Darkvision in that one eye, allowing you to see in dim light within the radius as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light, while the Fused Shadow is attuned to you.
If your race has Darkvision, you gain Improved Darkvision, doubling the distance of your darkvision in that one eye while the Fused Shadow is attuned to you.
As a bonus action, you can say the command word and see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 ft in that one eye while the Fused Shadow is attuned to you. Saying the command word again deactivates it.
Notice Me Not Fused Shadow knows it stands out and has a way to hide.As an action, you can say the command word and Fused Shadow becomes invisible. Saying the command word again deactivates the invisibility.
Sentience. Fused Shadow was a Chaotic Evil artifact with an Intelligence of 12, a Wisdom of 15, and a Charisma of 15, but the thousands of years since its last access to magic to fuel itself, and the thousands of years before that since it was created, has degraded its sentience to near nothing. Only extreme emotions can nudge it from its stupor, but it only truly reacts to negative emotions.
Should the attuned creature feel such extreme negative emotions, the Fused Shadow may choose to communicate telepathically with the wielder, mostly to egg them on to delve deeper into those emotions, or to pass along the hate and bloodlust its creators infused it with. It speaks in undercommon (Twili) in a deep, gravely voice, has hearing out to 60 feet, and can sense the presence of creatures in the same distance.
Personality. Fused Shadow holds a hatred for Hylians, as they were the enemy of its creators. On the rare occasion that Fused Shadow is pulled from its lethargy, it reacts negatively to the presence of any creatures that resemble Hylians (DMs discretion), to the point it floods your head with rage and bloodlust to destroy said creature(s). Should this happen, you must succeed a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be overtaken by the rage until you can be jolted out of it. You can reroll your check every 30 seconds.
The 4 Pieces (Optional). The Fused Shadow is broken into 4 parts.You have the first one attuned to you already.If, along your travels, you come across other pieces, they can be reintegrated back together, though in the minimal power state, the other pieces store in their own pocket dimension. Using an action, you can pull out and reintegrate or dismiss the additional pieces.
Each additional piece helps amplify your magics and, once you have collected the 2nd piece, you can use Fused Shadow as a spellcasting focus.
Each additional piece adds +1 to your spell attacks and damage. Once you have 3 pieces equipped, your spells ignore half cover.
If all 4 pieces are brought out, you are transformed into the Fused Shadow Monstrosity for 1 minute or until the Hunger for Pain ability takes effect. You do not have access to any of the Legendary Resistances or Legendary Actions. Once you revert in form, you are unconscious and gain a level of exhaustion.
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I worked on converting Midna from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I tried my best to convert every ability she shows in game into a Subclass feature, a Racial Trait, or an ability of the Fused Shadow Magical Item. As I had to do wonky things with the subclass to make it work (in my head), I can't share the subclass the normal way. So, I would enjoy feedback here for the Race, Subclass, and Item I created for the build.
Race: https://www.dndbeyond.com/races/1417578-twili
Item: https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/7013607-fused-shadow
Subclass: Fused Shadow Magic
Flooded with the power of the Fused Shadow, created by the Interlopers, you have access to a shadowy cadre of powers.
Interloper Magic
1st-level Fused Shadow feature
You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Interloper Magic table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.
Whenever you gain a sorcerer level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level. The new spell must be an abjuration or a transmutation spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list.
Interloper Magic Spells
Twilight Sphere
2nd-level Fused Shadow feature
You have learned how to tap into the magic of the Fused Shadow, opening a rip in the fabric of space to the Twilight Realm.
As an action, you hold your hands together then slide them apart, forming a small rip between your hands to the Twilight Realm. Shaping the magic emanating from the rip, you form a sphere of twilight around you as you stabilize the rip. The rip and sphere are centered on you. The sphere has a 30-foot radius and is filled with dim light, blocking out bright light. Both move with you, and you can hold it open for up to 1 minute or until you are incapacitated or die.
When you cast Hunter's Mark while in this sphere, you can spend 1 sorcery point to gain +2 to all of your attack rolls against your specified creature.
Whenever a creature (including you) ends its turn in the sphere, you can grant that creature these benefits:
You can use this feature up to your proficiency bonus number of times before a long rest.
Divine Beast of the Twilight
6th-level Fused Shadow feature
You have grown better at wielding the magic of the Twilight, forming it into a living form.
At the cost of 2 sorcery points, as an action, you conjure a golden fur dire wolf to a space of your choice within 10 feet of you. If you spend 2 more sorcery points, double the dire wolf's hp. This large beast is an ally to you and your companions and is friendly to you. In combat, the creature shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It obeys your verbal commands (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any, it takes the Dodge action and uses its move to avoid danger. The magic holding the beast together only lasts a day, but you can offer another sorcery point every 24 hours after the conjuring to have it maintain its form. If you do not, or the dire wolf's hp reaches 0, it dispels and disappears. If conjured again, the magic of the dire wolf remember previous events that happened to it.
At the cost of 3 sorcery points, as and action, you conjure 3 golden fur wolves into 3 separate spaces within 5 feet of you. If you spend 3 more sorcery points, double each wolves hp. These medium beasts are allies to you and your companions and are friendly to you. In combat, the creatures share your initiative count, but they take their turns immediately after yours. They obey your verbal commands (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any, they take the Dodge action and uses their move to avoid danger. The magic holding the beasts together only lasts a day, but you can offer another sorcery point every 24 hours after the conjuring to have them maintain their form. If you do not, all remaining wolves disappear. If one of the wolf's hp reaches 0, that particular wolf disappears. None of the wolves remember previous events if summoned again.
You can only have 1 instance of both of these activated at the same time, aka you can have 1 dire wolf and 3 wolves at a time.
Crystalized Twilight
10th-level Fused Shadow feature
You have come across methods to crystalize twilight magic and put it to use.
During either of the twilight hours (just before sunrise and just after sunset), you can more easily pull from the Twilight realm and its magics. Once per twilight, at the cost of 2 sorcery points, you can start casting a spell and, no matter how long the casting time takes, crystalize it within a shadow crystal. At the end of the casting time, the spell magic forms into a ball in front of your hands while twilight magic seeps from your hands to slowly crystalize around the spell magic. This entire process requires concentration and can not be interrupted, otherwise the crystalizing and spell magic mix in dangerous ways, exploding in your face for 2d6 force damage and 1d6 fire damage. You can create up to your proficiency bonus number of shadow crystals with spells in them.
These crystals are stable and can last indefinitely in this state unless crushed or are exposed to direct sunlight for a minute or more. Once crushed by a creature in any way that they retain contact with the crystal as a free action, grant said creature with one casting of the spell stored inside, to be used as a bonus action in the same turn the crystal was crushed. The effect(s) of the spell are instantaneous, since the casting time has already happened. The destroyer of the crystal can specify anything about the spell that specifically needs to be chosen, such as target, damage type, or a choice involved in the spell, and if they have metamagic, they can use a metamagic ability on the spell before it is cast.
If the crystal is exposed to direct sunlight for a minute or more, the crystal cracks, releasing the spell magic impotently.
In addition, you have a limited ability to embed a singular crystal into a creature and have said creature endure the effects of the spell, potentially for a longer period of time. As an action, if the spell stored in the crystal is an Abjuration, Illusion, or Transmutation spell, targets only a single creature (the target will be the creature who you are trying to embed the crystal into), and deals no direct damage, you and the creature you are trying to embed the crystal into roll opposing Charisma checks.
If you succeed, you embed the crystal magically into your target's body. They immediately fall under the effect(s) of the spell, and if any choices need to be made, you can choose them at this point. The crystal and spell last for the duration of the spell, unless a condition of the spell causes it to be dispelled early, at which point you can offer 1 sorcery point to recharge the spell and crystal for the duration of the spell again. Each time the duration runs out, you can make this offering again. If you do not make the offering again, the crystal dissolves harmlessly into the target's body, completely unnoticed. Any side effect of any spell (such as charmed person) will take effect when the crystal dissolves.
If you fail, the crystal shatters and explodes, throwing both you and your target 30 feet away from the explosion centerpoint and deal 2d6 force damage and 1d6 fire damage to both of you, the spell magic fizzling and doing nothing.
Spear of Sunset and Blade of Sunrise
14th-level Fused Shadow feature
You have gained a lot of control over the Fused Shadow, allowing you to use it's magic to create massively destructive attacks. Channelling the massive power is taxing on your body, though.
As an action, at the cost of 10 sorcery points, you summon a giant spear made of twilight magic and magically sling it towards a point. Every creature within a 50 foot sphere of the point must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a fail, their take 5d10 Cold damage and 5d10 Force damage, on a success, half that. Upon firing the spear, you gain 2 levels of exhaustion.
At the same cost of 10 sorcery points, You can choose to create 2 spears at once in that action and, making 2 separate attacks, fling them at different points, but channelling that much magic and concentration puts a heavier toll on your body. You gain 5 levels of exhaustion as soon as you have flung both spears.
Neither of these abilities can be used again until all levels of exhaustion are gone.
You gain the ability to cast blade of disaster and can cast it once per long rest.
Twilight Festival and The Mirror of Twilight
18th-level Fused Shadow feature
Twilight Festival
As an action, you spend 5 sorcery points and fling your hair forward, looking to piercing into your target's body. They must succeed on a DC 18 Dex check. On a miss, nothing happens. If you hit, you are concentrating for 3 turns as you inject twilight magic and your life force into their body. Their body bloats up until the start of your 3rd turn from the start of the attack. For the duration, the creature has disadvantage on Strength checks and Dexterity checks, takes 1d8 necrotic damage if it makes more than one attack during its turn, and any natural flying speed is negated due to the swelled body's new size and weight.
If the target is at half health or less, their body can not resist the twilight magic well due to weariness. At the start of each of their turns for the duration, they must make a death saving throw with disadvantage. On each failure, their body swells one size larger and they take 1d8 more necrotic damage if they try to attack more than once during their turn. If the target fails their 3rd death saving throw while under the effects of this ability, they immediately take their current hp + any temporary hp they have + half their total hp (record the number) in damage. Their body can no longer stand the swelling and explode with a pop, causing their death. No spell or ability can stop this damage, as this is not normal or critical damage, nor can this body be brought back to life in its original form due to being in too many pieces. In addition, every creature within 20 ft of the explosion must make a Dexterity save. On a fail, they take the recorded number in force and thunder damage, divided evenly between the two, rounded down. On a success, they take half as much damage, rounded down.
If their body swells to a size larger than the room can accommodate, then the room starts taking damage as their body forces walls, pillars, and other structural architecture away. They are restrained if this happens while surrounded by walls.
If the target was above half heath, they stay their normal size, but are bloated until the start of your 3rd turn after you started this ability.
If the target goes below half health while under the effects of this ability, they will roll the death saving throws and swell on a failed death save until the ability ends.
If the target succeeds in not exploding, but is swollen in size, each turn following the ability's end, the creature will deflate 1 size and gain 1 level of exhaustion until they return to their normal size.
No matter the outcome of your target, As long as you hit them, you fall prone with 1 hp and 5 levels of exhaustion. This ability can not be used again until all levels of exhaustion are gone.
The Mirror of Twilight
At the cost of 10 sorcerer points, as a reaction, you summon the Mirror of Twilight and can attempt to reflect 1 singular spell attack while granting full cover behind the summoned Mirror. If the Mirror is between you and an oncoming attack, roll as if you cast a 5th level Counterspell. On a fail, the Mirror cracks, but holds, granting you full cover from the attack. On a success, the Mirror absorbs the spell, then allows you to cast the same spell at the same level and with the same buffs and augmentations as the absorbed spell back in the direction it came from. You suffer 2 levels of exhaustion from performing a reflection.
If the Mirror is cracked and you attempt to use it again and fail, the Mirror shatters and you are not able to use this ability ever again.
You can repair the cracked Mirror with a 2 hour ritual, focusing on it's repair alone.
I'm still reading through all this, but I think this is really cool! I think you've got a solid build here, although with the deluge of features you created I feel like the wording is a bit clunky on some of them. For now I'm just going to critique the Twili race and I'll try and offer advice for the other creations later today.
I don't think the race is quite good enough to justify giving them both Sunlight Sensitivity and weakness to radiant Damage. I get it... Midna is weak to sunlight, but for example... other playable races with Sunlight Sensitivity also have improved Darkvision (which basically just doubles the range of your darkvision). I think the weakness to Radiant Damage does give a little more freedom to a bit unbalanced on the race's other features... but it's also a pretty uncommon damage type so it's not like it's the worst handicap in the world.
The Magical Storage feature feels a bit clunky. I think I would just give the race the ability to cast Wristpocket. I don't know exactly why it's a second level spell and has so many restrictions on how it works, but I'm going to assume some playtesting was involved and that ended up being what was the most balanced way to give players a magic portal hole to store stuff in.
I think for the "What is Walking" feature, I'd give level restrictions on the spells, and then go for the idea that you can cast each spell from this feature once and can cast the spell again only if you have the spell slots for it. I'd probably change it to be just "Twilight Magic", and fold Wristpocket into it... so at first level you can cast Wristpocket, at 3rd level you get Misty Step, and at 5th level you get Dimension Door (similar to the Infernal Legacy feature in Tieflings)
I think for Twilight Illusion I would change it to, "You can cast Disguise Self without consuming a spell slot when in Darkness. You automatically lose Concentration on this spell if you enter Bright Light". Basically it forces you to find complete darkness just to cast the spell, but it will persist as long as you remain at least in dim light.
Hidden in Shadows is probably the hardest feature to figure out. I think you absolutely need it, since it's easily one of Midna's most memorable powers, but it's really hard to make it useful enough to be worth using while also avoiding making it overpowered. I think that I would remove the ability to use this feature on an unwilling creature and focus on it just being a reconnaissance function. I think this is how I would word it:
Okay, let me explain my logic... Limiting it to willing creature's gives a nice, predictable limitation to the feature that makes it easier to balance. Rather than come up with special rules for the shadow dimension or anything... you're just invisible and blinded. I also made keeping up with your partner cost a reaction, just to make it a little harder to take advantage of this feature for shenanigans... the ability to functionally turn invisible and tag along with, say...the Rogue sneaking into a building has a lot of potential. It also gives DMs some way to deal with a character who constantly ride in someone else's shadow... by forcing movement it's possible to basically knock the Twili out of their shadow. Having it just broken automatically by Radiant Damage also feeds into the Twili limitations a bit and makes it a bit more manageable. Although it's a little awkward, making it so the Twili character is still functionally in the same spot and just invisible/blinded still makes it possible to target them, just in case they really want to or if they have a creature that can see through invisibility. Making exiting the Shadow a bonus action also gives you a way to functionally just kind of pop out, peek around, then hop back in as an action.
I don't know how balanced this all is in the long run, but overall I still really like this concept and I think you built a really good base. Even without actually changing the functionality of what you came up with, I think another pass just to clean up the wording would be really helpful.
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Okay, I read through the Fused Shadow, and I'm less happy with this than with the Twili race as a whole.
Eyes of Twilight feels overly complicated. I think that attuning to the Fused Shadow should just give any creature without it gain Darkvision, and I do think giving functionally Devil's Sight to see through Magical Darkness should also just be built into the Fused Shadow. Magical Darkness isn't really that common, and it's not that hard to gain the ability to see through magical Darkness, so it's not too unbalanced to just give that without making it cost Sorcery Points to activate.
Invisible and Incorporeal feels overly complicated again. I think just giving the option to make it invisible as an action and having it stay that way until you turn it back is more than enough. I think the fact that it remains physically on your head gives it enough of a balance... it's a clunky helmet, so being able to hide it is useful, but making it so you still have to avoid bumping into things or letting people touch you still makes it fairly balanced.
Forced Subclass is a bad idea. Anything that forces a player to change their class is a bad idea, and what happens if you break your attunement? Instead, just make it so that the Fused Shadow can only be attuned to by a Fused Shadow Magic Sorcerer.
Sentience and Personality is great, I think it's always fun to play with sentient magic items.
The 4 pieces again becomes clunky and weird. Instead, I'd just go for a flat +1 to attack and damage rolls for each piece gained after the first, and allowing the Fused Shadow to be used as a spellcasting focus. That way once you acquire all 4 pieces you, it becomes a +3 Spellcasting Focus. Something like a Wand of the War Mage is considered Very Rare, and all it does is give you a +3 to attack/damage rolls and the ability to ignore half-cover. So considering this is already an artifact, turning it into a +3 focus by itself already makes it extremely valuable.
I also think for the final transformation what you should do is actually create a unique creature stat block that you can transform into. I'd make it a bonus action to transform for one minute, make the other form very powerful, and you turn back into your default form if you end a turn without making an attack (sort of like a Barbarian's Rage). This could help represent the overwhelming power of the transformation... it makes you extra violent, and may lead to you attacking your own allies just to keep the transformation going.
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I'm going to go tit for tat on your reply. I do not mind bouncing back and forth on this. This is really my first truly original full homebrew build, no plucking from outside homebrews or just copy pasting a lot from a premade build, so I enjoy the critique in trying to balance translation and mechanics.
As a start, nearly everything I put in the three parts are attempts at direct translations from the game. The only exceptions are the vision abilities on the Fused Shadow item and the Blade of Disaster ability in the subclass.
For the Radiant damage and Sunlight Sensitivity, I'm working from two parts of the game. When Midna first talks about her race, she mentions they don't like the light, as it is bright and hurts their eyes, so I translated that to Sunlight Sensitivity. And about halfway through the game, Zant removes the protection the twilight gives Midna, exposing her to bright light, which nearly kills her, thus the radiant vulnerability. Now, as for Improved Darkvision, I did think about it, but I gave ocular powers to the Fused Shadow item, giving her double distance darkvision or devil's sight at the cost of some sorcery points. While it does not show in the race, I tried to balance a lot of what I consider OP abilities with sorcery point costs and exhaustion.
Magical Storage, again, trying to balance 5e game and TP mechanics. While it is never confirmed or denied in game, my head cannon is that Midna actually stores all the things Link carries, which explains how he can 'store' a massive ball and chain and move around normally, but when he takes it out, he moves so slowly. To me, that means she can store multiple things in an extradimensional pocket. The only items I know off the top of my head that can do that are a Portable Hole and a Bag of Holding. Any idea how to reconcile that besides Wristpocket?
For What is Walking, after thinking about it, I agree. It should work that way. Only question then is the previous paragraph.
Twilight Illusion, I was debating between Disguise Self and Shapechanger, which is what I chose and wrote out with minor editions. My reasoning, when Midna changes into the children, her voice changed as well. As simple as that.
Hidden In Shadows worded that way works so much better! I love it! Just wish I didn't have to then deal with a new version.
Yeah, I am most happy about the Race and less so about the item and subclass, which is why I ask for assistance.
Eyes of Twilight: So, gain Darkvision if you don't have it, gain Improved Darkvision if you have darkvision, just by attuning. Gain Devil's Sight as a bonus action and can turn it off as another bonus action Sound good?
Sounds good. I tend to overthink things like this, so good to know. My only counterargument is how does she wear a hat or cloak as a disguise if its just invisible (Unless we change the shapechanger ability in the race to disguise self).
Forced Subclass was an experiment, but I'll gladly remove it.
Cool on the Sentience and Personality parts! =)
Yeah, I overthought the 4 Pieces. You make a lot of sense here.
I was considering that for the final form, but I wanted to get this out for review first, as I was too unsure about everything else. I will look into it.
But Oh Boy. If you think the Race and Item features are overly complex, prepare yourself for the Subclass =P
Yeah, I've read through the subclass and I have some ideas, but I want to take some time to give good, actionable advice and not just rant. I do get the challenge you're running into, though, of trying to realize videogame features in D&D, where some stuff a character can do is fairly minor within the game they come from, but when combined with the rules of D&D they end up being wildly unbalanced and crazy.
Maybe the Magical Storage would make sense to just drop. I was honestly trying to figure out why you included the power, and just assumed that I forgot about some important scenes where Midna stores stuff in a pocket dimension. I think it's a cool fan theory that she's the one storing Link's equipment... but Link can already find a decent amount of equipment prior to meeting Midna that he just kind of tucks away in Hammerspace, and he can carry similarly vast collections in the other games, so I don't think it makes sense to treat that as a unique Twili feature.
For the Fused Shadow... I think making it invisible just means she can't wear a different hat or cloak without revealing the invisible helmet. I think the fact that it creates this annoying challenge that risks exposing the hidden helmet is just part of gameplay.
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Agreed. It is tough.
Midna storing stuff is a verified power. She does so with the fused shadow pieces, as well as the sword and shield Link collects in wolf form near the beginning of the game, as well as with the two (Maybe 3) bridges she fixes. Its just never confirmed that she stores everything after he regains his human form.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mNU69OzH9M (12:46 if you are curious)
Fair. Yeah, I will change the hat to be just invisible.
Personally, I still think I would drop the item storage as a racial feature... there are spells that can be used to store items (like wristpocket for storing small items, or Demiplane for storing massive things), and I think it would be easier to just assume those features just come from that.
I think that, in general, you overload the subclass with flavor description. If you look at most subclasses, they have a lot of flavor at first, then at later levels it's usually kept fairly minimal and focuses more on the in-game mechanics. I think it can make it confusing if you include too many descriptors of how a subclass feature works, since players might feel that if they can't do all those specific things in that specific order then they can't use that feature.
Okay, moving onto specific features... I like how Twilight Sphere provides dim light, which pairs great with the Twili, since they want to avoid bright light in the first place. I think just make it cost 1 Sorcery Point to conjure as an action. I like the idea of being able to share your Hunter's Mark with a friendly ally, especially since Sorcerer's don't necessarily benefit too much from Hunter's Mark themselves. I think I would change how it works a bit, so here's how I would word it:
"If a friendly creature starts their turn within your Twilight Sphere, they gain the following benefits until the end of their turn:
*Their movement speed increases by 10 feet
* They have advantage on their first attack against another creature within the Twilight Sphere.
* If they deal damage to a creature enchanted by your Hunter's Mark spell with an attack, they deal an additional d6 of their attack's damage type".
That roughly approximates Midna's ability to guide Link for more powerful strikes within her small aura.
For Divine Beast of Twilight, I would look to Shadow Sorcerer, which has a similar feature to summon a modified Dire Wolf using sorcery points. That feature is a little clunky too, I think, since it has all kinds of rules about how the Wolf basically just targets a single creature and can only really just attack that creature and nothing else. I think just having a medium-sized Dire Wolf with extra Temp HP for 3 Sorcery Points is a decent enough class feature, and I think just giving the option to spend more points to summon more wolves (up to 3) is easier to focus on.
Crystalized Twilight is another really complicated class feature... I'd lean closer to the Arfificer's Spell-Storing Item feature, which goes live at level 11 (so very close to when this feature goes live). I think limiting it to something you can only perform when finishing a long rest provides a similar limit as the idea of having to do this at twilight, but makes it a lot easier to manage in a greater variety of games. Honestly, I'm just imagining this working exactly like Spell-Storing item, except instead of enchanting an existing item it creates a magic crystal.
Spear of Sunset and Blade of Sunrise... I think the fact that it costs 10 Sorcery Points to trigger is enough of a cost... tacking exhaustion on top of that is too much. I'd reduce the damage to make it more reasonable. Blade of Disaster is fairly underwhelming as a 9th level spell... but it's still pretty shocking to give players a 9th level spell at level 14, even if it has a reputation for being a "trap" spell. I'd move that up to a later level.
Speaking of Higher Level... Twilight Festival is way too complicated, and is simultaneously way too powerful and way too weak, which is kind of weird. I get the idea, but it's just... too much. Too many conditions, too many chances to escape, too unreliable, and it takes way too long to fully go off. I would swap this with Blade of Disaster... it doesn't achieve the same effect at all, but I would actually use this. Blade of Disaster isn't nearly good enough to take as one of your precious few 9th level spells, but when you gain it as a bonus from your subclass it's actually really cool.
Mirror of Twilight, meanwhile, I really like! It's a great idea that utilizes something really memorable from Twilight Princess. I think it needs a little bit of restructuring... here's what I would put:
"When you are targeted by a spell, you can expend 1 to 10 sorcery points to conjure the Mirror of Twilight, interposing it between yourself and the Caster. Make a Charisma Check +the number of Sorcery points you spent to activate this feature... if the total rolled is equal to or greater than 10+ the level of the spell cast, the spell fails and has no effect. If the total rolled is at least 5 higher than 10+the level of the spell cast, then the spell instead targets the creature who cast the spell."
Still needs a lot of work, but the basic idea is that it gives you a slightly less reliable Counterspell (since Counterspell auto-counters anything of 3rd level or lower, but this feature needs to roll no matter the level of the spell it's countering), but instead it just costs Sorcery Points. However, you can still juice this by pumping more sorcery points into it, increasing the odds of forcing a creature to target themselves with their own spell. It's limited to only 10 maximum points... enough to nearly guarantee a counterspell even against 9th level spells, but not enough to guarantee a reflect.
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These are all very valid points and I knew I overworded and overcomplicated the subclass.
I have to go for a while, but when I get back, I will post each piece up in a post with the edited bits, just to keep track of everything.
I look forward to discussing this further! =)
I'm glad I could help! I think this is a really cool idea, and I love that you took the extra effort to make a race, class, and artifact for this idea. I think you have a really solid core to tweak and adjust to find a fun concept that should be able to be balanced, capture the feel of the character, and still be fun to play. It's really hard to get all three sometimes.
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Twilight Vision
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
Sunlight Sensitivity
You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Born In The Twilight
As your race has lived and evolved in the Twilight Realm for thousands of years, you are comfortable in that environment and bright light hurts you. You are vulnerable to Radiant damage.
Keeping the ocular features as is due to the abilities of the Fused Shadow item.
Magical Storage
You have an innate ability to access your own personal small pocket dimension. This pocket dimension has an interior space 4 feet by 4 feet. The pocket can hold up to 500 pounds, not exceeding a volume of 64 cubic feet. Retrieving an item from the bag requires an action, in which you snap, and the item appears in the space in front of you. To put an item in, you must be touching it and use an action to snap, making it disappear into the pocket dimension. If your pocket dimension reaches its capacity, you can not put anything more into the bag until you take things out.
Redone to put in the bag of holding wording.
What is Walking?
The Twili have magic infusing their being and as such have gotten away from the mundaneness of walking. You can teleport easily in limited distances.
You know the Misty Step spell and can cast it once per long rest without expending a spell slot. When you reach 4th level, you can cast the Dimension Door spell and can cast it once per long rest without expending a spell slot.
I took out Arcane Gate
Removed Twilight Illusion
Hidden in the Shadows
As an Action, you can enter a willing creature's shadow. You cannot use this feature if the target creature does not cast a shadow. While in a creature's shadow, you become Invisible and Blinded, and you occupy the same space as that creature. When the creature moves, you can use your reaction to move with them. You can exit the target creature's shadow as a bonus action, and you exit their shadow automatically if you start your turn in a different space than the target creature, or if you or the target creature take Radiant damage. While in a shadow, you can not take any actions other than to move with the creature or exit their shadow.
Changed to your recommendation and added a sentence about what you can do while in the shadow.
Eye of Twilight. The Fused Shadow covering your eye lets you see in magical ways.
If your race does not have Darkvision, you gain a 60 ft Darkvision in that one eye, allowing you to see in dim light within the radius as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light, while the Fused Shadow is attuned to you.
If your race has Darkvision, you gain Improved Darkvision, doubling the distance of your darkvision in that one eye while the Fused Shadow is attuned to you.
As a bonus action, you can say the command word and see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 ft in that one eye while the Fused Shadow is attuned to you. Saying the command word again deactivates it.
Reworked for referencing what the abilities do, not just give their name.
Invisible and Incorporeal. Fused Shadow knows it stands out and has a way to hide. As an action, you can say the command word and Fused Shadow becomes invisible. Saying the command word again deactivates the invisibility.
Better? Think I need to add anything about see invisible or detect magic being able to sense Fused Shadow while invisible?
Removed Forced Subclass
Sentience. Fused Shadow was a Chaotic Evil artifact with an Intelligence of 12, a Wisdom of 15, and a Charisma of 15, but the thousands of years since its last access to magic to fuel itself, and the thousands of years before that since it was created, has degraded its sentience to near nothing. Only extreme emotions can nudge it from its stupor, but it only truly reacts to negative emotions.
Should the attuned creature feel such extreme negative emotions, the Fused Shadow may choose to communicate telepathically with the wielder, mostly to egg them on to delve deeper into those emotions, or to pass along the hate and bloodlust its creators infused it with. It speaks in undercommon (Twili) in a deep, gravely voice, has hearing out to 60 feet, and can sense the presence of creatures in the same distance.
Personality. Fused Shadow holds a hatred for Hylians, as they were the enemy of its creators. On the rare occasion that Fused Shadow is pulled from its lethargy, it reacts negatively to the presence of any creatures that resemble Hylians (DMs discretion), to the point it floods your head with rage and bloodlust to destroy said creature(s). Should this happen, you must succeed a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be overtaken by the rage until you can be jolted out of it. You can reroll your check every 30 seconds.
Is 30 seconds (5 rounds) too long between checks?
The 4 Pieces (Optional). The Fused Shadow is broken into 4 parts. You have the first one attuned to you already. If, along your travels, you come across other pieces, they can be reintegrated back together, though in the minimal power state, the other pieces store in their own pocket dimension. Using an action, you can pull out and reintegrate or dismiss the additional pieces.
Each additional piece helps amplify your magics and, once you have collected the 2nd piece, you can use Fused Shadow as a spellcasting focus.
Each additional piece adds +1 to your spell attacks and damage. Once you have 3 pieces equipped, your spells ignore half cover.
If all 4 pieces are brought out, you are transformed into the Fused Shadow Monstrosity for 1 minute or until the Hunger for Pain ability takes effect. You do not have access to any of the Legendary Resistances or Legendary Actions. Once you revert in form, you are unconscious and gain a level of exhaustion.
Reworked this to be more simple and added information about the monster statblock.
I think for the Twili race, even with the Radiant Weakness and Sunlight Sensitivity handicaps as a balance, it's still pretty stacked with features. Something like Arcane Gate is a 6th level spell, and getting access to that for free is pretty wild. I don't think any existing races get any free spells higher than level 3.
I think what might work better is if we took inspiration from the Dragonmark races... they get a few free spells innately, but they also get additional spells added to their class spell list. They don't automatically gain those spells, but as long as they have spell slots from their class they can learn those spells, even if they're not normally on their class's spell list.
I also don't think the Twilight Illusion is really necessary... keep in mind that not all of Midna's Powers exist just because she's a Twili. It's a trick she does like... once in the game? Maybe twice? I think it makes sense to assume it's just an illusion spell, which would make it something from just being a sorcerer.
I think, also, that something to keep in mind is that it's very rare for races or magic items to directly reference things other than spells. So instead of Magical Storage just saying, "The same as a bag of holding", it would more likely just have the specific dimensions and limitations spelled out in a bag of holding (the pocket dimension is approximately 4 feet deep, can hold up to 500 lbs, or 64 cubic feet). Same with Eye of Twilight in the Fused Shadow... instead of directing to the Devil's Sight feature, just include language that it lets you see through magical darkness.
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Legendary Resistance (3/Summon). If the Fused Shadow Monstrosity fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The Fused Shadow Monstrosity has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magical Being. All of the Fused Shadow Monstrosity attacks are magical.
Hunger for Pain. The Fused Shadow Monstrosity form can only be maintained if it deals damage. If it has not inflict any damage since its last turn or taken damage since then, the magic holding the form together breaks, separating the 4 pieces again.
Fighting Against Itself. Being in this form awakens the Fused Shadow's Sentience and Personality. The creature who wears the Fused Shadow must succeed a DC 15 Charisma check every turn, or that turn's actions are dictated by Fused Shadow.
Multiattack. Fused Shadow Monstrosity can use it's Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks with its arms.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Clap. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage. On a hit, the target is grappled by Fused Shadow Monstrosity.
Frightful Presence. Each creature within 120 feet of Fused Shadow Monstrosity who is aware of it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the Fused Shadow Monstrosity is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Fused Shadow Monstrosity's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
The Fused Shadow Monstrosity can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Fused Shadow Monstrosity regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Attack. The Fused Shadow Monstrosity makes one claw attack or tail attack.
Move. The Fused Shadow Monstrosity moves up to half its speed.
Twilight Spear. (Cost 3 Actions) The Fused Shadow Monstrosity summons a giant spear made of twilight magic and flings it towards a point. Every creature within 20 feet of the point must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a fail, their take 5d6 Cold damage and 5d6 Force damage, on a success, half that.
Fair, but none of these spells have much combat utility without some very creative thinking. However, should I just cut it back to Misty Step and Dimension Door?
I have this on the Subclass list. Think I should swap out some spells there for some of these?
Fair, fair. It is a somewhat op ability on an already stacked race. I'll just cut it out.
Me and my overcomplicating/not simplifying things. I'll get on that.
I'm editing the previous posts instead of reposting everything with slight tweaks, so be sure to check there for the changes.
I think you should take Legendary Actions/Resistances out of the Fused Shadow... those aren't really meant to be features for players, and pretty much any player ability or skill that allows the player to transform into a creature that has Legendary Actions also has text that states the player cannot use those Legendary features.
As for the spells... Sticking with TIefling as our reference point, by default Tiefling gets Thaumaturgy at level 1, Hellish Rebuke at level 3 (which they cast as 2nd level spell), and finally Darkness at 5th level. So that's one cantrip, one upcast first level spell, and one 2nd level spell. Meanwhile, Misty Step is a 2nd level spell, and Dimension Door is 4th level. That's a spell two levels higher, so I think keeping it limited to just the two spells is fairly balanced... almost like trading the cantrip (and keeping in mind the weaknesses of the race) for a higher level spell.
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I'm not going to take them out, as someone could use this for a BBEG. Can you show me an example of what you are talking about, so I can put it in to the build. Nvm. I just put in wording in the item that you can't use the Legendary actions or resistances.
Okay, so 1 use of misty step and dimension door free, then with an open spell slot. Should it be misty step at 1st and dimension door at 3rd? Or Misty Step at 3rd, dimension door at 5th?
Revamped Twili Race
Twilight Vision
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
Sunlight Sensitivity
You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Born In The Twilight
As your race has lived and evolved in the Twilight Realm for thousands of years, you are comfortable in that environment and bright light hurts you. You are vulnerable to Radiant damage.
Magical Storage
You have an innate ability to access your own personal small pocket dimension. This pocket dimension has an interior space 4 feet by 4 feet. The pocket can hold up to 500 pounds, not exceeding a volume of 64 cubic feet. Retrieving an item from the bag requires an action, in which you snap, and the item appears in the space in front of you. To put an item in, you must be touching it and use an action to snap, making it disappear into the pocket dimension. If your pocket dimension reaches its capacity, you can not put anything more into the bag until you take things out.
What is Walking?
The Twili have magic infusing their being and as such have gotten away from the mundaneness of walking. You can teleport easily in limited distances.
You know the Misty Step spell and can cast it once per long rest without expending a spell slot. When you reach 4th level, you can cast the Dimension Door spell and can cast it once per long rest without expending a spell slot.
Hidden in the Shadows
As an Action, you can enter a willing creature's shadow. You cannot use this feature if the target creature does not cast a shadow. While in a creature's shadow, you become Invisible and Blinded, and you occupy the same space as that creature. When the creature moves, you can use your reaction to move with them. You can exit the target creature's shadow as a bonus action, and you exit their shadow automatically if you start your turn in a different space than the target creature, or if you or the target creature take Radiant damage. While in a shadow, you can not take any actions other than to move with the creature or exit their shadow.
Revamped Fused Shadow
Eye of Twilight. The Fused Shadow covering your eye lets you see in magical ways.
If your race does not have Darkvision, you gain a 60 ft Darkvision in that one eye, allowing you to see in dim light within the radius as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light, while the Fused Shadow is attuned to you.
If your race has Darkvision, you gain Improved Darkvision, doubling the distance of your darkvision in that one eye while the Fused Shadow is attuned to you.
As a bonus action, you can say the command word and see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 ft in that one eye while the Fused Shadow is attuned to you. Saying the command word again deactivates it.
Notice Me Not Fused Shadow knows it stands out and has a way to hide. As an action, you can say the command word and Fused Shadow becomes invisible. Saying the command word again deactivates the invisibility.
Sentience. Fused Shadow was a Chaotic Evil artifact with an Intelligence of 12, a Wisdom of 15, and a Charisma of 15, but the thousands of years since its last access to magic to fuel itself, and the thousands of years before that since it was created, has degraded its sentience to near nothing. Only extreme emotions can nudge it from its stupor, but it only truly reacts to negative emotions.
Should the attuned creature feel such extreme negative emotions, the Fused Shadow may choose to communicate telepathically with the wielder, mostly to egg them on to delve deeper into those emotions, or to pass along the hate and bloodlust its creators infused it with. It speaks in undercommon (Twili) in a deep, gravely voice, has hearing out to 60 feet, and can sense the presence of creatures in the same distance.
Personality. Fused Shadow holds a hatred for Hylians, as they were the enemy of its creators. On the rare occasion that Fused Shadow is pulled from its lethargy, it reacts negatively to the presence of any creatures that resemble Hylians (DMs discretion), to the point it floods your head with rage and bloodlust to destroy said creature(s). Should this happen, you must succeed a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be overtaken by the rage until you can be jolted out of it. You can reroll your check every 30 seconds.
The 4 Pieces (Optional). The Fused Shadow is broken into 4 parts. You have the first one attuned to you already. If, along your travels, you come across other pieces, they can be reintegrated back together, though in the minimal power state, the other pieces store in their own pocket dimension. Using an action, you can pull out and reintegrate or dismiss the additional pieces.
Each additional piece helps amplify your magics and, once you have collected the 2nd piece, you can use Fused Shadow as a spellcasting focus.
Each additional piece adds +1 to your spell attacks and damage. Once you have 3 pieces equipped, your spells ignore half cover.
If all 4 pieces are brought out, you are transformed into the Fused Shadow Monstrosity for 1 minute or until the Hunger for Pain ability takes effect. You do not have access to any of the Legendary Resistances or Legendary Actions. Once you revert in form, you are unconscious and gain a level of exhaustion.