School of Symbiotic Shadows

Wizards of the School of Symbiotic Shadows blur the line between caster and companion. They cultivate a bond with their own living shadow, an extension of self that hungers for power as much as it shields its host. To these wizards, shadow is not emptiness but a sentient force—protective, deceptive, and unyielding. In battle, their familiar twists through foes, weakening them while empowering its master, until wizard and shadow are indistinguishable as one.

Shadow Familiar

Your shadow is no mere silhouette, but a living entity bound to your soul.

• You learn the Find Familiar spell, and it is always prepared for you. It doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare. You can cast it without expending a spell slot or material components, and when you do, the casting time is 1 Action.

• Your familiar always takes the form of a shadowy version of the creature you choose when you cast the spell.

While your familiar is present, you gain the following benefits:

• Darkvision. You have Darkvision to a range of 120 feet. This vision penetrates magical darkness.

• Shadow Resilience. You have Resistance to Necrotic damage.

Your familiar, no matter its form, may share your space as your shadow. While in this form it provides all passive boons, but cannot be targeted or affected by Area of Effect spells. When in this merged state, the familiar's passive combat abilities (if any) are suppressed.

Shadow Hijack

Your shadow familiar can lash onto your enemies and weaken them.

When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that targets a single creature within 60 feet of you, your shadow familiar can attach itself to that creature. While attached, the familiar grants you the following benefits against the target:

• Distracting Shade. The target has Disadvantage on attack rolls it makes against you.

• Psychic Erosion. Once on each of your turns when you deal damage to the target with a Cantrip, it takes an extra 2d6 Psychic damage.

The familiar remains attached until you use a Free Action to call it back, the target dies, or the target moves more than 60 feet from you.

Shadow Warrior

Your bond with darkness deepens, empowering your shadowy servant.

• You learn the Summon Shadowspawn spell, and it is always prepared for you. It doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare.

• Once per Long Rest, you can cast Summon Shadowspawn without expending a spell slot or material components. When you cast it this way, you don’t need to maintain Concentration on it. The shadowspawn lasts until it is reduced to 0 hit points or you dismiss it (no action required). Any attacks it makes may do your choice of Cold, Necrotic or Psychic Damage.

• When you summon a shadowspawn using this feature, it replaces your Shadow Familiar for the purposes of your class features. The shadowspawn still possesses the abilities, including the communication ability, of a familiar.

• The spell level for this free casting increases as you gain levels in this class:

  • 3rd level spell at the time you gain this feature.

  • 5th-level spell at 10th level.

  • 7th-level spell at 14th level.

Shadow Siphon

You can twist shadows to sap your foe’s defenses or bolster your own.

• Hijacked Foe. While your Shadow Familiar is attached to a creature through your Shadow Hijack feature, that creature has a –2 penalty to its Armor Class and to all saving throws.

• Guarding Shade. While your Shadow Familiar is not attached to a creature and is occupying your space, you gain a +2 bonus to your Armor Class and to all saving throws.

Shadow Lord

The shadows that dwell within you will not allow you to fall.

• Last Shadow. While your Shadow Familiar is occupying your space, if you would be reduced to 0 hit points, you instead drop to 1 hit point and your Shadow Familiar is destroyed. Once this prevents damage, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest or expend a 5th level or higher spell slot to restore it as a free action.

• Eternal Darkness. While your Shadow Familiar is summoned, you are immune to necrotic damage, and you gain Darkvision with no maximum range. This vision functions even in magical darkness.