Sorcerous Origin: Shadowborn
You are a creature of shadow, for your innate magic comes from the Shadowfell itself. You might trace your lineage to an entity from that place, or perhaps you were exposed to its fell energy and transformed by it.
The power of shadow magic casts a strange pall over your physical presence. The spark of life that sustains you is muffled, as if it struggles to remain viable against the dark energy that imbues your soul. Roll on the Shadow Sorcerer Quirk table.
Shadowborn Sorcerer Quirks
| 1d6 | Quirks |
|---|---|
| 1 | You are always icy cold to the touch. |
| 2 | You don't appear to breathe no matter how hard you're breathing (though you must still breathe to survive) |
| 3 | You barely bleed, even when badly injured. |
| 4 | Your heart beats once per minute. This event sometimes surprises you. |
| 5 | You have trouble remembering that living creatures and corpses should be treated differently. |
| 6 | You blinked. Once. Last week. |
Shadowborn Origin Spells
| Sorcerer Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | Arms of Hadar, Toll the Dead |
| 3rd | Blur |
| 5th | Bestow Curse |
| 7th | Shadow of Moil |
| 9th | Enervation |
| 11th | Circle of Death |
Constitution of the Dark
The magic that you command is shadow magic that's infused into your being directly from the shadowfell, you can see through magical darkness. At 6th level, your hit point maximum can't be reduced.
Born of Shadows
Starting at 1st level, you can see normally in darkness or dim light out to 240 feet. You can detect if anything might be made of or use shadow magic and have advantage on ability checks, attack rolls, or saving throws against such things. And you can see ethereal creatures and objects.
Shadow Walk
At 6th level, You gain resistance to necrotic damage, and the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action, you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. You are considered hidden and have advantage on the first attack you make before the end of your next turn.
Strength of Death
At 6th level, your existence in a twilight state between life and death has made you difficult to defeat. When damage reduces you to 0 or lower hit points, you can make a Constitution saving throw (DC 5 + half the damage taken rounded down). On a success, you instead drop to 1 hit point. You can't use this feature if you are reduced to 0 hit points or lower by radiant damage or by holy items.
You can use this Feature a number of times equal to your Charisma Modifier. You regain 1 use of this feature when you finish a short rest, and all uses when you finish a long rest.
Hounds of Omen
At 14th level, you gain the ability to call forth the howling dogs of the darkness to hunt your foes. As a bonus action, you can spend 4 sorcery points to summon 4 Shadow Mastiffs to target a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier that you can see within 120 feet of you. The Shadow Mastiffs uses their normal statblock with the following changes:
- They appear with a number of temporary hit points equal to twice your sorcerer level.
- They can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. A mastiff takes 1d4 force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
- At the start of its turn, the mastiffs automatically knows its targets locations. If the targets were hidden, they're no longer hidden from you and the mastiffs.
The mastiffs appear in unoccupied spaces of your choice within 30 feet of its targets. The mastiffs all take their turns after yours. On ones turn, it can move towards only one of its targets on its turn by the most direct route, and it can only use its actions or reactions to attack or dodge its target. The mastiffs can make opportunity attacks, but only against its current target.
Additionally, while the mastiffs are within 5 feet of any of their targets, the targets have disadvantage on saving throws and attack rolls against you or any spells you cast. A mastiffs disappears if it's reduced to 0 hit points, if all of its targets are reduced to 0 hit points, or after 6 hours.
Umbral Form
At 18th level, you gain immunity to necrotic damage, and can take the hide action in any amount of shadows when you do this you are considered heavily obscured.
As a bonus action you can transform yourself into a shadowy form. In this form, you have immunity to all damage except force and radiant damage, and you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take 1d4 force damage if you end your turn inside an object. This form lasts for 5 minutes.
Alternatively, you can choose to remain in this form for 10 minutes, but you can't use the attack action, or cast a harmful spell. It ends early if you are incapacitated, if you die, or if you dismiss it as a bonus action.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest, unless you spend 5 sorcery points to use it again.
Sorcerous Origin: Shaded Soul
Your soul is shrouded by the shadows, warped by their overwhelming presence. Your power came from a fragment of magic imbued upon you by the griping plane of shadows, your mind should've been shattered like many others who encountered such powers. But your Will is stronger.
Shaded Soul Sorcerer Quirks
| 1d6 | Quirks |
|---|---|
| 1 | You are skin is reflectively pale, and you don't seem to be able to tan. |
| 2 | You can't seem to properly express emotions, instead the shadows warp and dance around you. |
| 3 | You can't see peoples faces, only their skeletons. |
| 4 | Your heart beats once per minute. This event sometimes surprises you. |
| 5 | Your arms and legs are covered in unwavering, and unmoving shadows. |
| 6 | You blinked. Once. Last week. |
Shaded Soul Origin Spells
| Sorcerer Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | Dissonant Whispers, Mind Sliver |
| 3rd | Pass without Trace |
| 5th | Nondetection |
| 7th | Phantasmal Killer |
| 9th | Mislead |
| 11th | Mental Prison |
A Shadow Beyond Sight
Starting at 1st level, you can flicker from the vision of your foes as your magic ensnares them. When you hit a creature with a spell attack from a sorcerer spell, or it fails its saving throw against a sorcerer spell, you can mark it with dark magic. Until the end of your next turn, you become invisible to that creature as long as you aren't within 10 feet of it.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, you regain all uses after a rest.
Eyes of the Dark
At 1st level, you can see normally in the dark and dim conditions with a range of 120 feet, and you can see through all magical darkness. Additionally you can expend 2 sorcery points to see through others magical darkness for 1 hour.
When you reach 3rd level in this class, you learn the darkness spell, which doesn't count against your number of sorcerer spells known. Which you can cast by spending 2 sorcery points.
Cloak of Enveloping Shade
At 6th level, you gain resistance to psychic damage, and you can spend 2 sorcery points as a bonus action to dawn a protective cloak of dancing shadows for 5 minutes. The protective force of the shadows increases your movement speed and jumps by 15 feet, and your AC increases by 3.
you can spend 2 sorcery points to extend the duration to 1 + half your Charisma modifier (rounded down) of hours.
Shadow Walk
Also at 6th level, the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action, you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. You are considered hidden and have advantage on the first attack you make before the end of the turn.
Eclipse Dome
At 14th level, you gain the ability to weave the shadows around you like a shield or protective cover to support you and your allies. As an action you can spend 4 sorcery points to summon and weave the shadows around you into a dome of magical darkness, you can select creatures that you can see within 60 feet of you. You know the locations of all creatures within the dome, you also gain temporary hit points equal to twice your level while inside the dome. Any non-selected creature that is inside the dome or goes inside of it has the following effects applied to it until it leaves the dome:
- if the creature doesn't have darkvision it suffers the blinded condition, if they have darkvision it's reduced to 5 feet.
- All creatures have disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks that requires sight.
- Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
- The creatures perspective of time is warped to feel like 1 minute equals 1 hour.
You and any selected creatures can see perfectly fine in the dome and have advantage on all rolls against any non-selected creature within the dome. The dome lasts for 5 minutes, and the only way for a non-selected creature to avoid all of the listed effects is a source of magical light of 6th level or higher. Once you use this action, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest, or you spend 6 sorcery points to use it again.
Creatures with Blind Sight, Tremoresense, or True Sight, are unaffected by this dome.
Umbral Wave
At 18th level, you gain immunity to psychic damage and can take the hide action in any amount of shadows when you do this you are considered heavily obscured.
As an action you can spend 4 sorcery points to cause a wave of shadow magic to envelope creatures of your choice in shadows. creatures that are hit by this ability must make an Intelligence saving throw or be blinded by light warping shadows.
On a failed save they become beacons of darkness blinding them for 2 rounds that you can use 5 feet of movement on your turn to teleport to, you're also granted advantage on all attack rolls against these creatures. On a success they're only blinded until the end of the next creatures turn.
Variant Class Abilities
There's a pool of class abilities for the shadow sorcerer that you can switch with the bacse ones, but once you choose an ability you cannot change them.
Additionally if you'd like, you can use the Shadowborn sorcerer abilities like this for the Shadow Magic sorcerer as well. You only have to change damage types to psychic and saving throws to Intelligence and vice versa.
Heart of the Eclipse
At 6th level, whenever you start casting a spell that deal necrotic or psychic damage, shadow magic erupts from you. This eruption causes creatures of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of you to take necrotic or psychic damage (choose each time this ability activates) equal to half your sorcerer level.
Shade Form
At 6th level, when you are hit with an attack you may use your reaction to spend 3 sorcery points and momentarily turn into a shadow causing the attack, and any subsequent attacks, to miss you - passing through you as if you were not there. This shade form lasts until the start of your next turn.
Weapon of Shade
At 6th level, you gain the ability to copy weapons that you've seen before. As a bonus action, you can spend 3 sorcery points to summon a +2 weapon of your choice for 10 minutes, you have proficiency in this weapon and it's considered magical, and uses your Charisma modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity for the weapons attack bonus. The weapon is made of shadow magic and exclusively deals necrotic or psychic damage equal to the base weapon hit dice + half your sorcerer level. The weapon has infinite ammunition if it requires it. You also have extra attack with this weapon.
Grasp of the Eclipse
At 14th level, you gain the ability to weave shadows and increase their deathly nature. As a bonus action, you can spend 6 sorcery points to cover one of your arms in shadow for 6 minutes. Anything that you touch with this arm suffers one of the following effects depending on it's living status:
- Nonmagical items turn into dust within a circle of 4 feet.
- A living creature suffers 6d8 necrotic/psychic damage they can't heal until they take a long rest.
- An undead creature suffers 4d10 necrotic/psychic damage and can't regenerate, and is paralyzed for 2 rounds.
To touch a creature with this ability you must make a melee spell attack.
Nevermores Wings
At 14th level, you can use a bonus action to weave shadows into raven like wings of light warping darkness onto your back. While the wings are present, you have a flying speed of 60 feet. The wings last for 1 hour, until if you are incapacitated, if you die, or if you dismiss it as a bonus action. If a creature makes contact with the wings they take 2d8 necrotic or psychic damage.
While in this form you deal additional psychic/necrotic damage equal to your sorcerer level to to creatures that you attack.
Umbral Mist
At 18th level, you become immune to necrotic/psychic damage and can take the hide action in any amount of shadows when you do this you are considered heavily obscured.
You can spend 8 sorcery points as a bonus action to cause weaving silent shadows to explode from you and cover the ground with a misty darkness of weaving shadows within 100 feet of you, the duration of the mist is 2 rounds or until dispelled. Any creature considered an ally is unaffected by this strange mist.
Any creature considered an enemy must make an Constitution/Intelligence saving throw at the beginning of its turn or suffer 4d10 psychic damage (immunity and resistance are ignored), and have their movement speed reduced by 2 feet if they fail. If a creatures movement is reduced to 0 by this ability they die, any creature that dies in the mist extends the abilities duration by 1 round.
You can teleport through the darkness as if it were movement, and you have advantage on all attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws while in the mist.
Shadow Magic Spells
The same rules apply to the variant abilities depending on the shadow sorcerer you play. Shadow Magic: Psychic damage and Intelligence saving throws. Shadowborn: Necrotic Damage and Constitution saving throws.
Grasp of Shadows
Necromancy Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
Dancing shadows spring from your hand to deliver cold necrotic energy to a creature you try to touch. Make a melee spell attack against the target. You have advantage on the attack roll if the target if the target is considered living or wearing clothes that produce extra shadows on its body. On a hit, the target take 1d8 necrotic damage, and it can't heal for 1d4 rounds.
This spells damage increase by a d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Shade Bolt
Necromancy Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 120 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You flick a mote of dancing shadows at a creature or an object within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target take 1d10 necrotic damage. Small nonmagical like buttons or rags hit by the this spell turn into dust if it isn't being worn or carried.
This spells damage increase by a d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (410).
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Shadow Burst
Necromancy Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 5 feet
- Components: S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You create a momentary circle of dancing shadows that dance and weave around you. Each creature within range, other than you, must succeed on Constitution saving throw or take 1d6 necrotic damage, and can't heal for 1d4 rounds.
This spells damage increase by a d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (46).
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Ray of Shade
Necromancy Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
A jet black beam of light warping shadow streaks towards a creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, it takes 1d8 necrotic damage, and its maximum health is reduced by 5 until the start of your next turn.
This spells damage increase by a d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Darts of Shade
1st-Level Necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 120 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You create three shadowy darts of shadow magic. Each dart hits a creature of your choice that you can see within range. A dart deals 1d4 necrotic damage and prevents healing for 1d4 round to its target. The darts all strike simultaneously, and you can direct them to hit one creature or multiple.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the spell creates one more dart for each slot level above 1st.
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Grasping Shadow Bolt
1st-Level Necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a twig that has been decorated with raven feathers)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 2 minutes
A beam of silent, dark energy lances out towards a creature within range, forming a sustained arc of shadow between you can the target. Make a ranged spell attack against that creature. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 necrotic damage, and on each of your turns for the duration, you can use your action to deal 2d12 damage to the target automatically. The spell ends if you use your action to do anything else. The spell also ends if the target is ever outside the spell's range or if it has a total cover from you.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the initial damage increases by 1d12 for each slot level above 1st.
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Pillar of Ill Omen
2nd-Level Necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 120 feet
- Components: V, S, M (several raven feathers and a piece of shadow magic infused feldspar)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
A jet black beam of light absorbing darkness shoots down in a 5-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range, Until the spell ends, darkness fills the cylinder with the dim condition within 5 feet of the cylinder.
When a creature enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it is engulfed in magical light absorbing darkness that causes tearing pain, and it must make a Constitution saving throw. It takes 2d10 necrotic damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much damage on a successful one.
A living creature makes it's saving throw with disadvantage. If it fails, its maximum hit points are reduced by 2d6 and can't heal until it leaves the spells darkness, it's maximum hit points are returned after 1 round after leaving the darkness.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 2nd.
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Shadow Binds
2nd-Level Conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 300 feet
- Components: S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Choose one creature you can see within range of a 300-foot-sphere. Dark strips of magical shadows loop around the creature. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw, or its movement speed of any kind is reduced to 0 feet for the spell's duration. An airborne creature affected by this spell takes no fall damage when it's pulled to the ground.
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Umbral Step
3rd-Level Conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 90 feet
- Components: S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You teleport yourself to an unoccupied space you can see within range. Immediatly after you disappear, a deathly silence follows and a patch of darkness is left, and each creature within 10 feet of the space you left must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 3d10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The silence spreads up to 300 feet away.
You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn’t exceed what you can carry. You can also teleport one willing creature of your size or smaller who is carrying gear up to its carrying capacity. The creature must be within 5 feet of you when you cast this spell, and there must be an unoccupied space within 5 feet of your destination space for the creature to appear in; otherwise, the creature is left behind.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 3rd.
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Umbral Orb
3rd-Level Evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 150 feet
- Components: V, S, M (10 large raven feathers and 10 petals of deadly nightshade)
- Duration: Instantaneous
A dark streak of shadows fly from your pointing fingers to a point you choose within range and then blossoms with a silent explosion of dancing shadows. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point, must make a Constitution saving throw. A target take 8d6 necrotic on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
The deathly energy spreads around corners. It put out flames disintegrates any objects that aren't being worn or carried.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the necrotic damage increases by 1d6 for each spell slot levels above 3rd.
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Blade of the Raven Queen's Servant
4th-Level Conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S, M (5 raven feathers which are consumed by the spell)
- Duration: Duration 10 minutes.
You conjure the symbol of death in your free hand. The scythe is weightless and has a reach of 10 feet it also counts as magical and uses your spell attack bonus with a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with the scythe, and it lasts for the duration. If you let go or drop the scythe it stands straight up from the ground, you can call the blade back to your hand as a bonus action.
Any creature that touches it that is not you takes 1d12 necrotic damage and cannot move it from its place no matter what they do. You can use your action to make a melee spell attack with the deathly blade. On a hit, the target takes 4d10 necrotic damage.
As an action the scythe can shed the dark condition in a 10 foot radius and the dim condition for an additional 10 feet, you can dispel the darkness with a bonus action.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the attack damage increases by 2d8 and the grabbed damage increases by 1d12 for every spell slot levels above 4th. The spells duration is also extended by 2 minutes for every spell slot level above 4th level.
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Aura of Shade
5th-level necromancy
- Casting time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S, M (A diamond worth 150gp infused with shadow magic)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 5 rounds
You envelop yourself in a dark aura of shadow magic. Living creatures that step inside the aura or start their turn there take 10d6 necrotic damage, and take one level of exhaustion as well as they can't be healed until they take a long rest. Undead creatures that step into the aura must make a Constitution saving throw or have their maximum hit points reduced by 6d6.
At Higher Levels. When this spell is cast using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, increase the damage by 2d6 per spell slot and increase the duration by six seconds per spell slot.
- Classes: Bard Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Investiture of Darkness
6th-Level Necromancy
- Casting time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S,
- Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Weaving Shadows race across you body, shedding darkness in a 30-foot radius and the dim conditions for an additional 30 feet for the spell's duration. The shadows don't harm you. Until the spell ends, you gain the following benefits:
• You are immune to necrotic damage and have resistance to radiant damage.
• At the start of each of your turns you have advantage on attack rolls, and enemies have disadvantage on attack rolls against you.
• Any creature that moves within 5 feet of you for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there takes 1d8 of necrotic damage.
• You can use your action to create a line of weaving shadows 15 feet long and 5 feet wide extending from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 4d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard,
Decay
7th-Level Necromancy
- Casting time: 1 minute
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S, M (A prayer wheel and water from the Shadowfell)
- Duration: 1 hour
Shadows wreathe around your hand wanting to grip to the living. You touch a creature and the shadows that were on your hand begin to wreathe around a creature coving them in wreathing shadows. The target takes 14d8 + 15 necrotic damage. For the Duration of the spell, the target takes 20 damage necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns (100 damage necrotic damage each minute)
A targets limb (finger, leg, tail, and so on) that is touched by this spell, falls off and turns to dust.
- Classes: Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
More Spells Later
I plan to make at least 2 more spells but I have other things on my plate right now. In the mean time you could check out the complete Shadowborn page and look at all the other variant abilities I made.