Darkness is always around us, no matter where we are. The shadows as you walk down that alley, the movement you seem to glimpse from the corner of your eye before it’s gone, the feeling of uncertainty that comes just after dusk. For most these are threats and signals of danger, but for Shadow Priests they are the tools of the faith.
TABLE: SHADOW PRIEST SPELLS
| CLERIC LEVEL | SPELLS |
|---|---|
| 1 | illusory script, phantasmal talons |
| 3 | darkness, invisibility |
| 5 | invisible object, nondetection |
| 7 | greater invisibility, phantasmal killer |
| 9 | creation, mislead |
Starting at 1st level when you choose this archetype, you gain proficiency with Stealth. If you already had proficiency, you instead gain an expertise die. Additionally, you gain darkvision to a range of 30 feet. If you already have darkvision from another source, its range increases by 30 feet. At 8th level, your darkvision allows you to see in magical darkness as if it were dim light, as long as the spell or effect is of a level you can cast.
Shadow Spell Also at 1st level, you learn to briefly cloud your enemy’s vision. You can use an action to touch hostile creature within your reach and wreathe it in shifting shadows. Until the start of your next turn, the creature makes its attacks with disadvantage. Creatures that have truesight, cannot see, have blindsight, or rely on other nonvisual senses are unaffected by this feature.
At 8th level, you can instead cloud an enemy’s mind. Creatures that were unaffected by this feature are now valid targets, though they make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC, negating the effect on a success.
Starting at 2nd level, you can use Channel Divinity to summon the power of the night to protect you and your allies. You and any allies withing 15 feet gain an expertise die on all Stealth checks for the next hour, though you can all see other affected creatures as though they were not hidden. For the duration, if you or an affected creature you can see fails a Stealth check, you can use your reaction to allow it to reroll the check, adding your Wisdom modifier to the roll. This ends the effect on the creature, and it can’t benefit from this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Starting at 6th level, you can attempt to Hide as a bonus action while you are in an area of dim light or darkness. Additionally, when you deal damage with a cleric cantrip or a weapon, add necrotic damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
At 8th level, you can spend a use of Channel Divinity to cast dimension door without components or spending a spell slot as long as both the point of entry and the point of exit are dimly lit or in darkness. This doesn’t allow you to otherwise cast the spell unless you learn it from another source. Additionally, you and any creature you bring with you can use a reaction to Hide when you exit.
Shadow Spell
At 17th level, you can use the power of shadows to create a twisted mockery of an existing spell. When a creature you can see within 60 feet casts a spell with a casting time of 1 action or 1 bonus action and of a spell slot level that you can cast, you can use your reaction to memorize the creature’s movements and techniques in order to create a shadowy duplicate of their spell. Until you take a long rest or memorize a different Shadow Spell, you can use your action or bonus action (as the spell) to expend the appropriate spell-slot and cast the memorized spell. You can’t cast a Shadow Spell spell at a higher level than the triggering spell was cast at (though you can choose to cast it at a lower level if possible). A Shadow Spell functions as the original spell, with the following differences: