Shadow Magic

[Pauln6]

I'm dissatisfied that shadow magic has been nudged out of 5e. The shadow sorcerer is flavoursome but has no real shadow spells to pick. What recommendations would people make to form up a shadow mage's spell list?

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Kobold Press has .pdf for Illumination and Shadow magic if you want to give it a try. They also have elemental magic, dragon magic etc that I had to the specific sorcerous origin to give them a little distinction from wizards.

List of spells for Deep Magic: Shadow Magic from KP
CANTRIPClaws of Darkness, Douse Light
1ST LEVELBlack Ribbons, Cloak in Shadow, Cloying Darkness
2ND LEVELDark Path, Darkbolt, Negative Image, Shadow Puppets
3RD LEVELCall Shadow, MastiffLegion
4TH LEVELNight Terrors, Shadow Monsters
5TH LEVELDark Dementing, Shadow Realm Gateway
6TH LEVELBanshee Wail, Become Nightwing
7TH LEVELConjure Shadow Titan
8TH LEVELMalevolent Waves
9TH LEVELUmbral Storm

 

[Hawk Diesel]

Most spells can be reskinned to look like anything. For example, magic missile could be renamed shadow strike. The missiles are invisible, but can be seen as darts flying from the hands of your shadow along the floor to your target. Fireball can easily be skinned as a Darkness Bomb, not only creating a sudden but fleeting darkness within its area, but also substitute fire damage for cold or necrotic. Invisibility can be reskinned to allow you to become a shadow gliding along the wall. Then you have actual spells such as Shadow Blade from XGtE. I think there's plenty to work with if you look at it from that perspective.

Otherwise, you can always try to port over spells from previous editions that you'd like to see. But personally, I don't think it works all that well, since most spells in 3.X or 4e differed primarily in the numbers rather than presenting many unique, non-mechanical effect or implication.

 

[Pauln6]

I'll have to see if that is one I've bought yet. I'm not overly keen on custom spells since my DM would have to sign off. I stand more chance with tweaked feats. She's currently a hybrid fey-fiend Warlock with the fey escape tweaked to be a shadow jump as a bonus action and the fiendish ability to absorb temporary hp. I tweaked the Elemental Adept feat so that fire spells become necrotic fire (blackflame) but if the spell does no damage she suffers 1hp damage per level of the spell (minimum 1).

I am trying to think what existing spells are shadow appropriate. Green Flame blade tweaks nicely to Black flame blade. Creation looks good. Darkness and Evard's Black Tentacles seem obvious. Vicious Mockery can be reskinned as the person's own shadow hindering their attacks.

 

[gyor]

I'd mostly go with illusion, Enchantment, and Necromancy spells for Shadow Magic sorcerer.

 

[Mouseferatu]

This seems as good a place as any to mention that I might have something coming out soon on DMs Guild that might have something to do with the shadowcaster I originally created--but was never fully happy with--back in 3E's Tome of Magic.

Maybe. *cough*

 

[oreofox]

I use the one vincegetorix mentioned in the first reply. Only, any and all damage types from shadow-type magic (both official, though not sure if there are any, and 3rd party) is changed from necrotic or whatever to psychic. Psychic damage is severely lacking, and it just makes sense to me. There are people afraid of the dark, people who think up scary things that might happen when in the dark, and it overall messes with your mind (mostly because you can't really see anything, and then your mind wanders to worst possible territory).

So, a shadow dragon's breath weapon deal psychic damage, a damaging shadow spell deals psychic damage. Necrotic or cold never really made much sense to me.

 

[Bupp]

Hack & Slash blog had a nice write up for a wizard school of shadow that includes some spells and a spell list.

http://hackslashmaster.blogspot.com/2015/06/on-5th-edition-shadow-wizard.html

 

[Pauln6]

This seems as good a place as any to mention that I might have something coming out soon on DMs Guild that might have something to do with the shadowcaster I originally created--but was never fully happy with--back in 3E's Tome of Magic.

Maybe. *cough*

My character started out as a 2e dual class thief turned wizard (shadow mage), then I went multiclass Rogue / sorcerer / shadowcaster / noctumancer in 3e but I found the multclassing rules were a hard slog to get to where I wanted to be. In 4e she was a Warlock / Assassin hybrid and, while I never really got on with 4e, I did feel that the build felt shadow magey.

I've stuck with Rogue / Warlock in 5e as I felt the shadow sorcerer and shadow monk both missed the mark for what I wanted.

If there are any spells / mysteries that could go or a Warlock spell list, or any invocations that might add a shadow flavour I'm there. I think I have several of the other supplements but I have time to ponder until after my DMing stint is done.