D&D 5E Different Paths: The Shadow Hand

[doctorbadwolf]

In a similar vein to my recent Shadow Dancer thread, and inspired by that discussion, I’ve got some ideas for a second shadowy archetype for the rogue, with a possible fighter variant!

So, the basic idea is that at level 3, you gain the ability to animate your own shadow, or the shadow of an enemy, to help you, and hinder and attack your enemies. At later levels, you might improve its efficacy, learn to trade places with it within a certain range, animate multiple shadows, or explode it in a big AoE, who knows!?

So let’s start with the basics.

The Arcane Trickster Rogue and Eldritch Knight Fighter are my main comparison points, here. They each gains spellcasting, and some little fun abilities. So, a Shadow Double could have relatively equal power to [2 cantrips, 2 lvl1 slots, 3 spells known, with scaling of spellcasting with levels] and either Weapon Bond or Mage Hand Legerdemain.

Or, it can be less powerful, and only be part of the what the archetype does.

Since it is its own movement, and reactions. The question is, should it be modeled after the Artificer pets, and use the bonus action to attack with it, or should it be more like the Chain Pact familiar, with its own full turn?

I think Chain Pact is the answer, here. And since it takes up more of the subclass than a Pact boon is equivalent to, it can be a little easier to bring back when it’s destroyed. Maybe it can be summoned without a ritual 1/day, or with a ritual and 10gp however often you want, or some other method.

It should have your speed and AC, climb speed, and either right away or later on be able to slip through tiny spaces.

It should add damage to the round equivalent to a Chain Pact familiar, or to having a multi-round damage buff cast on you.

It should be as much a utility tool as a weapon.

It should have optional personality traits and flaws. Like Peter Pan’s shadow.

So, thoughts?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Okay, so I'll focus on the Rogue subclass version for now.

Level 3: Shadow Double. At level 3 you gain the ability to animate your own shadow to fight beside you. You learn the Find Familiar spell as a ritual. When you use this ability you animate your own Shadow instead of the normal source of a familiar, and this origin gives your familiar certain advantages over the standard familiar.

While in Shadow Double form, your familiar shares your Ability Modifiers and proficiency, and wields the shadows of your own weapons, except for any enchantments. In addition to the actions it can take as your Familiar, your familiar can attack using your Bonus Action, or can make Opportunity Attacks using your Reaction. In the form of an animal, it uses that animals statistics for it's attack. In Shadow Double form, it uses the statistics for your weapons, with your ability modifiers and proficiency.

While the Shadow or it's target is in dim light or darkness, or while it's attack would normally qualify for Sneak Attack, you can apply your Sneak Attack damage to it's attack. You can still only apply Sneak Attack once per turn.

Your Shadow has an AC equal to 10+Dex modifier+Proficiency Bonus, and it's HP at level 3 is 18, and it gains 3+Con Modifier every time you gain a rogue level. It has d4 Hit Dice equal to your rogue level, and can spend them like any other creature.

This would be your entire level 3 benefit. I think it is similar to the Arcane Trickster in utility, but honestly weaker in combat power.

Level 9 would be a efficacy bump, while 13 would be something fun and small, and then the endcap would do something like let it attack with it's own action and get it's own Reaction.

It should probably treat it's attacks as magical during any round in which you do so? Sharing your specific enchantments would be too much.

But this is basically like the chain pact warlock. Slightly more reliable sneak attack, since it decreases the number of times where you don't qualify, and gives non dual-wielders a way to get a bonus action attack. I'm tempted to get rid of the using your bonus action part, but I think it's a good tradeoff since letting it attack on it's turn would either mean an extra opportunity for SA on top of a second attack from dual wielding, or just not letting the shadow get SA at all, which feels like a missed opportunity in design.