When you spend enough time lurking in the shadows, you begin to understand them better than others. You can tell the difference between the lighter or darker ones, not just by how much light they allow in, whether they are solid darkness or simply dim, but how they feel when you are inside them. Some are light as a summer breeze, while others wrap around you like a heavy cloak to keep you warm and safe. Perhaps you even talk to the blackness when the rest of the world is asleep.
The life of a rogue can be lonely at the best of times, after all, and what better companion for a thief than the shadows themselves. You aren’t even shocked when the shadows begin to talk back, whispering the secrets they keep and encouraging you to embrace the power they offer. Shadowdancers are a rarity, or more correctly they are rarely seen. And when they are, they look to be no more than any other nimble rogue, dancing and leaping across the dimly lit battlefield.
Those with keen eyes sometimes see more though. They might in fact see a darker, near impenetrable black mass of shadows cascade around the rogue like water and follow their every footstep. They will likely watch in wonder as the darkness pushes blades aside and absorbs attacks. They will be finally struck with horror when the same shadows lash out at them, to wrap their arms and hold them tight while the rogue’s dagger finds its mark.
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class features:
Shadow Dance
Learning how to carefully weave the partial substance of shadow into your very essence, you have truly become one with the dark. Starting when you choose this roguish archetype at 3rd level, while in dim light or darkness, you can take two actions with your Cunning Action feature as part of the same bonus action, though you can’t take the same action twice as part of the same bonus action.
You can use this feature once. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
When you reach certain levels in this class, you can use this feature more often between rests: twice at 5th level, three times at 11th level, and four times at 17th level.
Shadow Vision
Also starting at 3rd level, you gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet and you can discern color in darkness. If you already have darkvision from your
race, its range increases by 30 feet. In addition, you can’t be blinded while in dim light or darkness. If you are already blinded when entering an area
of dim light or darkness, the effect is suppressed while you’re there.
Umbral Blessings
Starting at 9th level, you gain the following abilities which you can use as a bonus action with your Cunning Action feature:
- Blessed by the Dark. While you are in dim light or darkness, you gain a +1 bonus to saving throws. The effect lasts until the start of your next turn. At 17th level, this bonus applies to Armor Class as well.
- Shadow Step. While you are in dim light or darkness, you can teleport up to 20 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. At 17th level, this range increases to 60 feet.
- Darkness Rising. When you leave an area of dim light or darkness, you can cause the dim light or darkness to stretch out as it follows you. The dim light or darkness spreads to any space that you move through until the start of your next turn. The effect ends if you move through a space that is illuminated by magical light. At 17th level, this includes magical darkness.
- Shadow's Embrace. When you are in an area of dark or dim light, you can take the Hide bonus action even if you are currently being observed.
Shadow Magic
You learn to shape the raw essence of shadow into powerful illusions and effects. At 13th level, you learn the following abilities, usable while in dim light or darkness, or within 10 feet of an area of dim light or darkness:
- Investiture of Shadow. Magical darkness envelops a 15-foot radius centered on your person and any light within 60 feet of you becomes dim light. While inside this area, you gain immunity to necrotic damage and resistance to radiant damage.
- Umbra's Lash. You can use your action to create a line of shadows 15 feet long and 5 feet wide. Each creature in the line must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 14 (4d6) necrotic damage and you gain temporary hit points equal to the highest damage inflicted to any one target. On a success, the creature takes half as much damage and you do not gain any temporary hit points from that creature. This does not affect undead creatures or constructs.
- False Shade. You can create up to three illusions, as described in the silent image spell. When you use this, controlling the illusions is a bonus action. If you attack a creature that has not seen through the illusion, the creature is considered flanked, you attack with advantage.
- Summon Shadow. You summon undead shades from the Shadowfell. These creature uses the same stats as those found in the Shadow monster of the Monster manual. You summon up to three of these creatures, and control their actions in combat. They take their turn in initiative immediately after your own.
Abilities from this feature last for 10 minutes, becoming Cunning Actions at 17th level. Illusions from this feature hit by bright light disappear in a puff of black smoke.
Once you use this feature to cast a spell, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Master of Shadows
At 17th level, your mastery of the darkness is complete, and you learn to merge with them temporarily. As an action, you meld into the shadows of an area covered in dim light or darkness for up to 10 rounds. During this time, you heal 1d10 hit points at the start of every turn, and can perceive through all shadows within 60 feet of you. If you leave a shadow to attack a creature during this time, you gain advantage. Finally, your sneak attacks deal additional damage equal to half of your rolled sneak attack damage as necrotic damage.
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