Way of Shadow Kin

The original Shadows were selected as an ancient realm's protectors, enlisted as guards of the people, wielded as the King's Knife. The guild was composed of heroes and outlaws alike. Pious monks, brash assassins, and devious mages worked disparately in far corners, but their divergent paths followed a single purpose. As the Shadows moved through history, the lines between their skills blurred. The kingdom fell, but their order remained, focused on training members to move silent as night and swift as dark, to master body and mind. The mages of old diffused their knowledge throughout the clan, drawing on their bound relationship to an ancient power. With their abilities, Shadows aim not only to disappear into darkness, but to become it. 

Note: Shadow Kin are encouraged, but not required, to multiclass in Warlock and/or Rogue. 

Phantom Kunai

At 3rd level, you adopt the Phantom Kunai as your weapon of choice. Drawing on your tribe’s connection to the shadows, you weave together threads of darkness to create umbral daggers, wisps of shade curling from the edges. The rings along the blades’ pommels allow up to three to be held in one hand. These kunai count as monk weapons and daggers with which you are proficient. They deal psychic damage using your Martial Arts die and have the finesse, light, and thrown properties (20/60).

Phantom Kunai can be drawn from the air once per turn, appearing in the Shadow’'s hand as if drawing a weapon to attack. If thrown, they unravel at the end of the wielder’s turn. At 3rd level, 1 blade may be formed at a time. This increases to 2 at 6th level, and 3 at 10th level (no more than 3 kunai may be created at one time). When holding multiple kunai, they can be used for two-weapon fighting. When making a ranged attack, you may throw one kunai for each attack and as a bonus action. When you use the Flurry of Blows feature, you may choose to throw all held kunai instead of making two unarmed strikes.  Once adopting the Way of Shadow Kin, Phantom Kunai are the only weapons you may use in combat.

Cloud Step

The same technique used to weave Phantom Kunai from shadow can be used by the Shadow Kin to seemingly traverse the air itself. Beginning at 3rd level, you may spend a bonus action to coalesce shadow into a small cloud under hand or foot. From this platform you may immediately jump, vault, or otherwise redirect your movement mid-air as if you were bounding from a solid surface. Initially, you must return to a solid surface before using this ability again. Beginning at 15th level, you gain a second Cloud Step before returning to a solid surface.

Command of Shadow

Your command of shadow grants you the ability to bend nearby light, discouraging the gaze of others from falling on you. Gain Expertise in Stealth. Once per short rest, by touching a creature, you may extend this effect to the light surrounding it for up to one hour. During this time, this creature's Stealth checks are replaced by your own. At 11th level, you may use this feature twice per short rest.

Shadow's Dance

Your fighting style channels the fleeting grace of darkness, a dance that draws shadow to cling to your motions. Your unarmed strikes deal an additional 1d4 Psychic damage in dim or dark light.

Command of Shadow Improvement

Your command of darkness sharpens, allowing you to use your ki to duplicate the effects of certain spells. You may spend 2 ki points to cast the following spells: Darkness, Pass without Trace, Invisibility, Alter Self.

Vanish

By 11th level, you learn to vanish in shadow. As a bonus action, you may envelope yourself in a folding shadow, vanishing into the air with no trace. You immediately reappear within a 15 foot sphere of your last location, though you may not pass through solid objects.

You may also choose to violently collapse the space you previously occupied, forcing all creatures within a 5 foot sphere to make a saving throw against your Monk save DC. Deal 2d8 force damage to all creatures that fail this save, and half that on a success. You may choose to increase this damage by 1d8 for each ki point spent up to 3 ki points (maximum of 5d8). 

Umbral Radiance

At 17th level, you gain the ability to burn shadow into light. At the beginning of your turn, touch any shadow to draw it into your body. For the rest of this turn, you channel this shadow into your unarmed strikes. On hits, the shadow adheres to your target,  igniting at the end of your turn. Spend a ki point to deal radiant damage equal to your Wisdom modifier for each successful unarmed strike.