Homebrew Deity of the Shadowfell Species Details
Beings of dark and enigmatic origin, these deities of the Shadowfell are characterized by their shadowy glow, ethereal wings made of darkness, and an aura of necrotic power. Originating from a realm of shadows and twilight, they serve as guardians and rulers of the Shadowfell, guided by principles of balance and the mysteries of life and death. Their society is governed by a council of high deities, each representing different aspects of shadow and darkness, such as night, death, fear, and illusion. Their language is a haunting one filled with ancient runes of power.
Deity of the Shadowfell Traits
Deities of the Shadowfell are shadowy beings with ethereal wings and necrotic powers, embodying the balance between life and death.Shadow Resilience
You have resistance to necrotic damage and immunity to poison and disease.
Darkvision
You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
Eyes of the Forgotten
Your gaze pierces veils of illusion and memory. You gain truesight out to 30 feet while in dim light or darkness.
Additionally, you may cast see invisibility once per long rest.
Ability Score Increase
Your Charisma score increases by 2.
Twilight Sovereignty
You radiate dominion over twilight and endings. While in dim light or darkness, you gain the following benefits:
- You cannot be surprised.
- You have advantage on initiative rolls.
- You may cast calm emotions once per long rest without a spell slot.
Shadowfell Magic
You know the chill touch cantrip.
Once per long rest, you can cast the spell inflict wounds and darkness at 2nd level, without using a spell slot.
Aura of Darkness
You can use your action to emit an aura of darkness in a 30-foot radius for 1 minute. The aura obscures the area, granting allies within the aura advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Necrotic Touch
As an action, you can touch a creature and heal it for 2d8 + your Wisdom modifier hit points. Alternatively, you can deal necrotic damage equal to 2d8 + your Charisma modifier to an undead or fiend creature you touch. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Ethereal Wings
You can manifest shadowy, ethereal wings as a bonus action. While your wings are manifested, you have a flying speed of 30 feet. You can dismiss the wings as a bonus action. You cannot manifest your wings while wearing heavy armour.
Veilstep
You learn to step partway into the Shadowfell and bring that shadowed refuge back with you. As a bonus action you can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is in dim light or darkness. Immediately after teleporting you gain the following benefits until the start of your next turn:
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Incorporeal Shift: You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
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Veiled Presence: You gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
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Shadowward: If an enemy ends its turn within 5 feet of you while you have this feature active, that creature has disadvantage on its first attack roll against you before the end of your next turn.
You can use Veilstep a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining uses on a long rest. If you spend a spell slot of 1st level or higher when you use Veilstep, you instead teleport up to 60 feet and the benefits last until the end of your next turn.
Umbral Weapon Mastery
Your weapon attacks are empowered by the Shadowfell. Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you deal an additional +1d8 necrotic damage.
When you score a critical hit with a weapon attack**, the bonus necrotic damage becomes +3d8 necrotic damage for that attack.
Shadow Execution
Once per turn, if you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a weapon attack, you may immediately make one weapon attack against another creature within reach.
Titanic Rage
When you enter a rage, they call upon the ancient and primal power coursing through your blood. As your fury overtakes them, your body begins to expand, muscles bulging and sinews crackling with raw, unyielding might.
Transformation: Upon entering a rage, you visibly grow two sizes, towering over your allies and enemies. Your height increases dramatically, and your presence becomes frightening. Your voice deepens into an earth-shaking roar. Every footstep resonates like thunder. Your weapons seem proportionally larger in your hands, delivering strikes that echo with the force of the titans themselves.
While raging, you gain the following benefits:
- You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
- When you make a melee weapon attack using Strength, you gain a bonus to the damage roll of +2.
- When you cast martial spells (if you can convince the DM) you gain a bonus to the damage roll of your x2 of your spell attack modifier plus your proficiency modifier.
- You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
If you are able to cast spells, you can cast them and concentrate on them while raging.
Your titanic rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven’t attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your rage on your turn as a bonus action.
Wraithforged Blows
Wraithforged Blows (Passive)
Your weapon attacks ignore the first 5 points of damage resistance a creature has to:
- bludgeoning
- piercing
- slashing
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necrotic
This applies even if the resistance comes from magic, rage, or innate traits.
Shadow Rupture
Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can deal an additional +1d8 necrotic damage
Rend the Veil
If the attack roll exceeds the target’s AC by 5 or more, the bonus necrotic damage becomes +2d8 necrotic damage instead.
Shadowfell Dominion
You may designate a 1-mile radius area as your Shadowfell Domain once per long rest. For 1 hour:
- You and allies ignore difficult terrain.
- Enemies have disadvantage on Wisdom and Charisma saving throws.
- Undead and fiends within the area must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute.
Umbral Reprisal
When a creature hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to unleash a burst of shadow energy. Choose one of the following effects:
Shadow Lash
The attacker takes 2d8 necrotic damage.
Shadow Step
You teleport up to 20 feet to a space in dim light or darkness.
Shadow Guard
You gain +2 AC until the start of your next turn.
Night's Lament
Once per long rest, you may invoke Night's Lament as an action. When activated, you transforms your immediate surroundings into a 60‑foot radius area steeped in sorrowful shadow for 1 minute (approximately 10 rounds). In this aura, the melancholic energies of the Shadowfell twist fate—mending the wounds of allies while tormenting foes with despair.
Healing Gloom for Allies
Every allied creature starting its turn within the aura regains 2d8 hit points as the ambient gloom paradoxically nurtures them with the bittersweet memories of loss and renewal.
Dooming Despair for Enemies
At the start of each enemy’s turn while in the aura, that creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw equal to your spell save DC.
- On a failed save: The creature takes 2d8 necrotic damage and suffers disadvantage on attack rolls until the start of its next turn.
- On a successful save: It takes half damage and no further penalty.
Additional Effect Table
Roll a d100 followed by a d20. The DM will let you know what the outcome is.
Shadowstrike Overdrive
Shadowstrike Overdrive (1/short rest)
When you hit a creature with an attack, you can activate this feature to unleash a burst of accelerated shadow power. For 1 round, you gain the following benefits:
Extra Attack Surge
Immediately after activating this feature, you may make one additional weapon attack as part of the same action.
Shadow Echo
Once before the end of your next turn, when you hit a creature with a melee or spell attack, you deal an extra 2d8 necrotic damage.
Momentum Through Darkness
If your bonus attack reduces a creature to 0 hit points, you can teleport up to 20 feet to a space in dim light or darkness.
Dominion of the Shadowfell
While you are conscious, you emit a 60‑foot aura of shadow‑forged battle instinct. Whenever an ally within your aura hits with a weapon attack, they deal extra +2d8 of the weapon’s normal damage type.
Shadowfell Brutality
Your weapon attacks become infused with destructive shadow force. Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you deal an additional +1d12 necrotic damage.
Brutal Momentum
If you roll a 10 or higher on the bonus 1d12 necrotic damage, you gain advantage on your next weapon attack before the end of your next turn.
Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can force it to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + Strength or Charisma modifier). On a failed save the creature’s AC is reduced by 2 until the start of your next turn.
Soul Eclipse
When you attack a creature within 60 feet of you, you may invoke the Soul Eclipse to siphon its essence.
- Activations: Thrice per long rest
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Target Restriction:
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If the creature’s current hit points are greater than 150, it cannot be killed by this effect. Instead, it takes 10d12 necrotic damage (Constitution saving throw, DC 22, or half on a save).
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If the creature’s current hit points are 150 or less, it is reduced to 0 hit points and its soul is bound.
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Healing Surge: You regain hit points equal to the creature’s maximum hit points, up to a maximum of 150 HP.
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Empowered State (1 minute):
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You gain advantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks.
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You gain resistance to radiant and necrotic damage.
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Your melee and spell attacks deal an additional 5d8 necrotic damage.
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Soul Binding: The creature’s soul is trapped in your divine domain and cannot be resurrected by mortal means. A deity of equal or greater power may attempt to reclaim the soul with a contested Charisma check (DC 26).
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Divine Repercussion: If the target is protected by divine magic or exceeds the HP threshold and resists the damage, the boon fails and you suffer 4d10 radiant damage and immediately lose concentration on any active spells.
Sovereignty of Steel and Shadow
While you are conscious, you emit a 60‑foot aura of overwhelming martial dominance. Allies within the aura gain the following benefits:
- +5 to attack rolls with weapon attacks.
- movement speed increases by 30 feet and cannot have their movement reduced by difficult terrain or magical slowing effects.
Shadowfell Weapon Transcendence
While you are conscious, allies within 120 feet gain the following benefits to all weapon attacks:
- Reach +5 feet
- Ignore resistance and 1/2 damage on immunity
- Always count as magical
- Allies score a critical hit on: 19 or 20 (also 18 for allies that already crit on a 19 or 20)
- Weapon attacks made by allies cannot have disadvantage (does not negate loss of advantage)
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gain +2 AC while wielding a weapon.
Shadowfell Fatebend
While you are conscious, all allies within 120 feet gain the following benefits:
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If an ally misses a weapon attack, their next weapon attack automatically hits.
No roll required. No limit per turn. No limit per ally.
This is not advantage — it is inevitability.
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When an ally hits a creature with a weapon attack, that creature becomes momentum‑locked until the end of its next turn.
A momentum‑locked creature:
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Cannot move more than 10 feet per turn
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Cannot take the Dash action
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Cannot teleport
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Cannot be moved by allies or enemies
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- gain +5 AC for one round after being hit by an attack.
- critical hits deal maximum damage, no roll required.
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Allies’ weapon attacks:
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cannot be countered
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cannot be negated
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cannot be forced to reroll
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cannot be turned into a miss by reactions or abilities
Once they choose to attack, the Shadowfell ensures the strike happens.
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Eclipseform Ascension
Your divine essence deepens, allowing you to partially dissolve into the Shadowfell itself. You gain the ability to assume an Eclipseform, a state where your body becomes a silhouette of living shadow threaded with dim silver runes.
Eclipseform (1/short rest)
As a bonus action, you transform for 1 minute, gaining the following benefits:
Shadowform Body
- You become partially incorporeal.
- You have resistance to all damage except force and radiant.
- You can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.
- If you end your turn inside an object, you take 1d10 force damage.
Eclipse Strikes
Your melee and spell attacks are infused with voidlight.
Once per turn, when you hit a creature, you deal an additional 2d8 necrotic or psychic damage (your choice).
Umbral Displacement
When a creature hits you with an attack, you may use your reaction to teleport up to 20 feet to a space in dim light or darkness. The attack still resolves, but you gain advantage on your next attack against that creature.
Eclipse Presence
Creatures of your choice within 10 feet have disadvantage on saving throws against:
- fear
- charm
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necrotic effects you create
End of Eclipse
When the form ends, you release a pulse of shadow. Each creature of your choice within 10 feet must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency + Charisma modifier) or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.