Skull Lord

Skull Lord

Medium undead
Challenge

STR
2
DEX
3
CON
3
INT
3
WIS
2
CHA
5

150
20d8+60
20
Soak
3
Fort
+7
Ref
+4
Will
+8
Defense note plate
Damage resistances cold, necrotic
Damage immunities poison
Condition immunities blinded, charmed, diseased, deafened, exhausted, frightened, poisoned, stunned, unconscious

Speed 5 m.
Skills Athletics +6 (17), Brawn +6 (17), Occult (cha) +9 (20), Perception +6 (17), Stealth +7 (18)
Senses darkvision 10 m.
Languages all the languages it knew in life

Evasion. If the skull lord is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Reflex saving throw to take only half damage, the skull lord instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.

Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the skull lord fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Master of the Grave. While within 5 meters of the skull lord, any undead ally of the skull lord makes saving throws with advantage, and that ally regains 1d6 health whenever it starts its turn there.

Spellcasting. The skull lord uses Occult (cha) to cast spells (spell save Difficulty 18, +9 to hit with spell attacks). It has 14 mana, a mana limit of 3, regains all expended mana when it finishes a long rest, and regains half its total mana when it finishes a short rest. It knows the following spells:

Cantrips (at will, 19th-level spellcaster): cloud senses, control shadow, gloom, shadow blade

1 mana: cloak of shadows, darkness, fear, five shadows, mirror image, obscure, obscuring strike, pass without trace, shadow anchor, shadow jaunt, shadow tendrils, shadow veil, shadowy reprisal, silence, teleport, umbral weapon, unseen servant

2 mana: animate dead, animate shadow, cloudkill, darkvision, enervation, essence of night, finger of death, mantle of whispers, shadow form, shadowy creation

3 mana: black tentacles

Actions (3)

Bone Staff. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 14 (4d6) necrotic damage.

Legendary actions (3)

Only one legendary option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The skull lord regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Bone Staff (Costs 2 actions). The skull lord makes a bone staff attack.

Cantrip. The skull lord casts a cantrip.

Move. The skull lord moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Summon Undead (Costs 3 actions). Up to five skeletons or zombies appear in unoccupied spaces within 5 meters of the skull lord and remain until destroyed. Undead summoned in this way roll initiative and act in the next available turn. The skull lord can have up to five undead summoned by this ability at a time.

Desert, Shadowfell, Swamp, Underdarkmtof

Spells

As an action, you obscure the senses of a creature that you can touch or see within 5 meters. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 1d6 psychic damage and has disadvantage on the next attack it makes before the end of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

At higher levels

This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 9th level (2d6) and 17th level (3d6).

As an action, you can manipulate the shadow of a creature that you can touch or see within 20 meters. You can cause the shadow to act out simple actions independent of its owner, move it up to 5 meters away from its owner, or alter its shape to be one size larger or smaller than its own.

You can manipulate only one shadow at a time. If the source of the shadow moves, the shadow mirrors its movements, but remains under your control while within 20 meters of you.

When you cast this spell, or as an action on a later turn, you can cause the shadow to turn violent if the creature is within 10 meters of you. You instill the shadow with a maddening hunger for its owner’s life. Make a melee spell attack against the target.

On a hit, it takes 1d10 necrotic damage.

On a critical hit, it takes twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, it takes half as much damage.

After causing the shadow to turn violent the spell ends.

At higher levels

This spell’s damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 9th level (2d10) and 17th level (3d10).

1 minute

As an action, you can decrease the amount of light emitted in a 1-meter radius within 5 meters. You can decrease the light level by one step (from bright light to dim light, dim light to no light).

The change in illumination can be gradual (taking as long as 1 minute) or sudden (occurring immediately when you cast this spell). You can alter the level of illumination from its original level at any time during the spell’s duration as an action.

You can gloom up to three areas at a time and dismiss a gloom on your turn (no action required).

When you cast this spell, or as an action on a later turn, you can cause a gloomed area to engulf a creature within 1 meter of the gloom. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 1d6 necrotic damage and has disadvantage on the next attack it makes before the end of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

After the gloom engulfs, the gloomed area ends.

At higher levels

This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 9th level (2d6) and 17th level (3d6).

5 minutes

As an action, you weave together threads of shadow to create a blade of solidified gloom in your free hand which lasts for the duration. You create the blade as a magical dagger, katar, sai, sickle, greatsword, kama, kukri, longsword, scimitar, or shortsword.

The spell ends if you dismiss it on your turn (no action required), if you cast it again, or if you end your turn without the blade in your hand.

At higher levels

When you reach 9th level, you can make an attack with the blade as part of the same action to create it.

1 minute/mana

As an action, you wrap yourself in a mantle of shadow. For the duration, any creature has disadvantage on attacks made against you. An attacker is immune to this effect if it doesn’t rely on sight, as with blindsight, or can see through darkness.

Augment

You can expend 1 additional mana to cast the spell as a reaction, which you use when you are hit by an attack or missed by 4 or less. The attacker must make an additional roll and use the worst result and the duration changes to the end of your next turn.

concentration, 1 hour/mana

As an action, darkness spreads from a point within 20 meters to fill a sphere twice as big as normal for the duration. The darkness spreads around corners.

If the point is on an object you are holding or one that isn’t being worn or carried, the darkness emanates from the object and moves with it. Completely covering the source of the darkness with an opaque object, such as a bowl or a helm, blocks the darkness.

If any of this spell’s area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell using equal or less mana, the spell that created the light is dispelled. Non-magical light, as well as light created by concoctions or spells using equal or less catalysts or mana, can’t illuminate the area.

At the start of each of your turns if the darkness is within 20 meters of you, you can cause it to move up to 2 meters in a direction that you choose. If you spend an action, you can move it up to 10 meters.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can expend 1 additional mana so the darkness is magical. A creature with darkvision can’t see through this darkness.

  • Maddening Darkness. You can expend 1 additional mana and cast the spell as two actions so the darkness is a gateway to the dark between the stars, a region infested with unknown horrors. The sphere is now sized based on the mana expended and the duration changes to 5 minutes/mana, concentration. Shrieks, gibbering, and mad laughter can be heard within the sphere. Whenever a creature enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Will saving throw. On a failure, it is confused until the start of its next turn.

  • Hungering Darkness. You can expend 1 additional mana and cast the spell as two actions so the darkness is a gateway to the dark between the stars, a region infested with unknown horrors. The sphere is now sized based on the mana expended and the duration changes to 5 minutes/mana, concentration. This void is filled with a cacophony of soft whispers and slurping noises that can be heard up to 5 meters away. No light, magical or otherwise, can illuminate the darkness, and creatures fully within the area are blinded. Whenever a creature enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Reflex saving throw, taking 1d6 cold damage on a failed save as milky, otherworldly tentacles rub against it, or half as much damage on a successful one. You can increase the damage by 1d6 for every two additional mana expended.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As an action, you attempt to awaken the worst fears in a creature that is not a construct or an undead that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must succeed on a Will saving throw or become frightened of you for the duration.

While frightened by this spell, the creature must move as far as its speed allows away from you by the safest available route at the start of each of its turns, unless there is nowhere to move. If the creature ends its turn in a location where it doesn’t have line of sight to you, the creature can can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Augment

You can target two additional creatures for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As an action, you pierce a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters to the core with shadow for the duration. At the start of each of its turns for the duration, the creature must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 3d6 necrotic damage and rolls a d6.

On a roll of 1–2, the shadow spreads to the legs. It is immobilized until the start of its next turn.

On a roll of 3–4, the shadow spreads to the arms so the creature has disadvantage on attacks until the start of its next turn.

On a roll of 5–6, the shadow spreads to the head so the creature is blinded until the start of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage and and the effect ends.

On a critical success, it takes no damage and the effect ends.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 4d6 for each additional mana expended.

1 minute/mana

As an action, three illusory duplicates of yourself appear in your space. Until the spell ends, the duplicates move with you and mimic your actions, shifting position so it’s impossible to track which image is real. You can dismiss the illusory duplicates on your turn (no action required).

Each time a creature targets you with an attack during the spell’s duration, roll 2d10 to determine whether the attack instead targets one of your duplicates.

If you have three duplicates, you must roll a 9 or higher to change the attack’s target to a duplicate. With two duplicates, you must roll a 10 or higher. With one duplicate, you must roll an 11 or higher. A duplicate’s Defense equals 11 + half your Aptitude Bonus (min 1) + your Dexterity. If an attack hits a duplicate, the duplicate is destroyed.

A duplicate can be destroyed only by an attack that hits it. It ignores all other damage and effects. The spell ends when all three duplicates are destroyed.

A creature is unaffected by this spell if it can’t see, if it relies on senses other than sight, such as blindsight, or if it can perceive illusions as false, as with truesight.

Augment

Illusory Self. You can expend 1 additional mana to cast the spell as a reaction, which you use when you are hit by an attack or missed by 4 or less.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As an action, the eyes or ears of a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters are engulfed in shadow. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 2d6 necrotic damage and is blinded or deafened (your choice) for the duration.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 4d6 for each additional mana expended.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As an action, make a weapon attack.

On a hit, add 1d6 + your spellcasting ability necrotic damage to the attack’s damage roll and the creature must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw or its eyes or ears are engulfed in shadow as it is either blinded or deafened (your choice) for the duration.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 3d6 for each additional mana expended.

1 hour/mana

As an action, a veil of shadows and silence covers you, masking you from detection. For the duration, you have advantage on Stealth checks and can’t be tracked except by magical means. A creature that receives this bonus leaves behind no tracks or other traces of its passage.

Augment

You can expend 1 additional mana so each creature you choose within 5 meters of you (including you) has advantage on Stealth checks and can’t be tracked except by magical means.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As an action, you anchor the shadow of a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters to its current location. The creature must make a Reflex saving throw.

On a failure, it moves at half speed and takes 2d4 slashing damage for every meter it travels as it tears itself free of its shadow.

A creature anchored by its shadow can use an action to make a Brawn or Nimbleness check (its choice) against your spell save Difficulty.

On a success, the creature is freed.

When you cast the spell—and once on on each of your turns thereafter as an action—you can cause the shadow to pull an anchored creature, tearing its flesh. The creature must make a Reflex saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 1d6 slashing damage and if it is Medium or smaller it is pulled up to 2 meters toward the shadow.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can increase the damage from moving by 1d4, the damage from being pulled by 4d6, and affect a creature of a larger size for each additional mana expended.

  • You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

As an action, when you are in dim light or darkness, you can step from one shadow into another. You teleport up to 20 meters to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness.

You can bring along objects you are touching that aren’t worn or carried by another creature as long as their weight doesn’t exceed what you can carry.

If you teleport 5 meters or less, you can use Stealth without using an action or make a weapon attack.

On a hit, add 1d8 + your spellcasting ability to the attack’s damage roll.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can teleport an additional 100 meters for each additional mana expended.

  • You can increase the damage by 3d8 for each additional mana expended.

  • There and Back Again. You can expend 1 additional mana at the end of your turn to teleport back to the spot you occupied before teleporting, unless it is now occupied or on a different plane of existence.

  • Continuous Shadow Jaunt. You can expend 2 additional mana to change the duration to 1 minute/mana and on each of your turns before the spell ends, you can use an action to teleport in this way again.

As an action, shadowy tendrils erupt from you, battering creatures. Each creature other than you in a sphere centered on you must make a Reflex saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 4d4 necrotic damage, moves at half speed, and can’t take reactions until the end of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

Additionally, until the end of your next turn, any bright light in the area is reduced to dim light.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can increase the damage by 3d4 for each additional mana expended.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana so the shadowy tendrils continuously batter creatures around you. The duration changes to 1 minute/mana, concentration and the tendrils erupt around you in an aura shaped as a sphere. Until the spell ends, the aura moves with you, centered on you.

    Whenever a creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make the Reflex saving throw. The damage is reduced to 1d4 and additional augments to the damage increase the damage by 1d4 for each additional mana expended, instead of the normal increase.

  • Shrouding Shadow. You can expend 1 additional mana if the tendrils continuously batter creatures around you so you and your allies in the aura are draped in deeper shadow. Creatures that rely on sight have disadvantage on attacks made against creatures draped in this shadow.

As a reaction, which you use when a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters of you attacks you or another creature, you can cause shadows to mask the attacked figure. You impose disadvantage on the roll. An attacker that can’t be blinded is immune to this feature.

Augment

You can expend 1 additional mana so attacks rolls against the target creature have disadvantage until the start of its next turn.

As a reaction, which you use when you are hit by an attack or missed by 4 or less or taking necrotic damage, you absorb some of the incoming energy as shadowy tendrils erupt from your body. Until the start of your next turn you have resistance to necrotic damage and the shadows turn dim light within 2 meters of you into darkness, and bright light in the same area to dim light. If the creature who damaged you is within 10 meters, it must make a Reflex saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 2d10 necrotic damage and is pushed or pulled 2 meters away from you or toward you if it is Medium or smaller.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage and is pushed or pulled 4 meters away from you or toward you if it is Medium or smaller.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 2d10 and affect a creature of a larger size for each additional mana expended.

(ritual); concentration, 1 minute/mana

As an action, no sound can pass through a sphere that surrounds you. Until the spell ends, the sphere moves with you, centered on you.

Any creature or object entirely inside the sphere is immune to concussion damage that originates outside the sphere.

Casting this spell on the same spot every day for a year makes this effect permanent on that spot.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can expend 1 additional mana so no sound can be created within the sphere. Any creature or object entirely inside the sphere is immune to concussion damage, creatures are deafened while entirely inside the sphere, and casting a spell that requires words to be spoken is impossible inside the sphere.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana to cast the spell centered on a point within 20 meters.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana to change the duration to 5 minutes/mana.

As an action, you teleport up to 20 meters to an unoccupied space that you can see.

You can bring along objects you are touching that aren’t worn or carried by another creature as long as their weight doesn’t exceed what you can carry.

If you teleport 5 meters or less, make a weapon attack.

On a hit, add 1d8 + your spellcasting ability to the attack’s damage roll.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can teleport an additional 100 meters for each additional mana expended.

  • You can increase the damage by 3d8 for each additional mana expended.

  • Joint Teleport. You can bring two additional willing creatures you touch with you for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within one size category of you, must not be encumbered, and must be within 1 meter of you when you cast this spell.

  • There and Back Again. You can expend 1 additional mana at the end of your turn to teleport back to the spot you occupied before teleporting, unless it is now occupied or on a different plane of existence.

  • Dimension Door. You can expend 1 additional mana to teleport up to 100 meters to a place you can see, a place you can visualize, or a place you can describe by stating distance and direction, such as “20 meters straight downward” or “upward to the northwest at a 45° angle, 100 meters.” If you would arrive in a place already occupied by an object or a creature, you and any creature traveling with you each take 4d6 force damage, and the spell fails to teleport you.

  • Continuous Teleport. You can expend 2 additional mana to change the duration to 1 minute/mana and on each of your turns before the spell ends, you can use an action to teleport in this way again.

concentration, 5 minutes/mana

As an action, a weapon you touch becomes sheathed in shadow. For the duration, the weapon turns bright light within 4 meters of you into dim light and dim light into darkness and deals an extra 1d4 necrotic damage.

Alternatively, you can touch a quiver containing arrows or bolts, granting the ammunition pulled from it the same effect. The spell’s magic ends on a piece of ammunition when it hits or misses.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can increase the damage by 1d4 for each additional mana expended.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana to cause an additional weapon you touch to become sheathed in shadow.

(ritual); 1 hour/mana

As an action, you create a mindless, shapeless, Medium shadow that performs simple tasks at your command until the spell ends. The servant springs into existence in an unoccupied space on the ground within 10 meters. It has 10 Defense, 1 health, and a Strength of −4, and it can’t attack. If it drops to 0 health, the spell ends.

Once on each of your turns as an action, you can mentally command the servant to move up to 3 meters and interact with an object. The servant can perform simple tasks that a human servant could do, such as fetching things, cleaning, mending, folding clothes, lighting fires, serving food, and pouring wine. Once you give the command, the servant performs the task to the best of its ability until it completes the task, then waits for your next command.

If you command the servant to perform a task that would move it more than 10 meters away from you, the spell ends.

24 hours

As two actions, threads of dark power leap from your fingers to pierce a pile of bones or a corpse of two Medium or Small creatures you can see within 10 meters. Your spell imbues the targets with a foul mimicry of life, raising them as undead creatures. Choose one or more of the following options:

Skeleton. A pile of bones can become a skeleton.

Zombie. A corpse can become a zombie. It gains +1 damage on its slam attack.

Gnoll Witherling. A corpse of a gnoll can become a gnoll witherling.

Ghoul. If you cast this spell at night, a corpse becomes a ghoul.

Ghast. If you cast this spell at night, you can only target one corpse which becomes a ghast.

The creature has no mana or stamina dice, but you can infuse it with mana, ki, or stamina dice by expending mana up to your mana limit or ki up to double your mana limit. For each mana or 2 ki you expend, the elemental gains 1 mana or 2 stamina dice.

When you cast the spell—and once on on each of your turns thereafter as an action—you can mentally command any creature you raised with this spell if the creature is within 50 meters meters of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what actions the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.

The creature is under your control for 24 hours, after which it stops obeying any command you’ve given it. To maintain control of the creature for another 24 hours, you must cast this spell on the creature before the current 24-hour period ends. This use of the spell reasserts your control on the creature you have animated with this spell, rather than animating new ones.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You animate or reassert control over an additional skeleton or zombie for each additional mana expended. You animate or reassert control over one additional gnoll witherling, ghoul, or ghast for every two additional mana expended.

  • Minotaur Skeleton. You can expend 1 additional mana to animate or reassert control over a minotaur skeleton from a pile of bones of a minotaur or existing minotaur skeleton. You animate or reassert control over one additional minotaur skeleton for every two additional mana expended.

  • Ogre Zombie. You can expend 1 additional mana to animate or reassert control over an ogre zombie from a corpse of an ogre or existing ogre zombie. You animate or reassert control over one additional ogre zombie for every two additional mana expended.

  • Wight or Deathlock Wight. You can cast this spell at night and expend 2 additional mana to animate or reassert control over a wight or deathlock wight from a corpse or existing wight or deathlock wight. You animate or reassert control over one additional wight or deathlock wight for every two additional mana expended.

  • Deathlock. You can cast this spell at night and expend 2 additional mana to animate or reassert control over a deathlock from a corpse or existing deathlock. You animate or reassert control over one additional deathlock for every two additional mana expended.

  • Mummy. You can cast this spell at night and expend 2 additional mana to animate or reassert control over a mummy from a corpse or existing mummy. You animate or reassert control over one additional wight for every two additional mana expended.

  • Flameskull. You can expend 2 additional mana to animate or reassert control over a flameskull from a humanoid skull or existing flameskull. You animate or reassert control over one additional flameskull for every two additional mana expended.

  • Bone Naga. You can expend 3 additional mana to animate or reassert control over a bone naga from a pile of bones of a naga or existing bone naga. You animate or reassert control over one additional bone naga for every two additional mana expended.

concentration, 5 minutes/mana

As two actions, you call forth a Shadow, Shadow Mastiff, or Specter to appear in an unoccupied space of dim light or darkness you can see within 20 meters. The creature has no mana or stamina dice, but you can infuse it with mana, ki, or stamina dice by expending mana up to your mana limit or ki up to double your mana limit. For each mana or 2 ki you expend, the creature gains 1 mana or 2 stamina dice. The creature is friendly to you and your companions and disappears when it drops to 0 health or when the spell ends.

When it attacks, make a melee spell attack in place of its attack, but retain the damage and other effects.

If you call forth a Shadow it does not reduce a target’s Strength.

Any creature you animated with this spell acts after your turn. You can mentally command the creature if it is within 20 meters of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). The creature(s) will generally follow any specific verbal commands that you issue to them if the likely outcome is in accordance with its desires (no action required by you). For example you may command it to guard a particular chamber or corridor, explore the room ahead, or to attack a specific creature. If you don't issue any commands, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can expend one additional mana to call forth another Shadow or Shadow Mastiff.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana to call a Shadow Mastiff Alpha or Wraith. If you call forth a Wraith it does not reduce a target’s maximum health. You can call one additional creature for every two additional mana expended.

concentration, 5 minutes/mana

As two actions, you create a cloud of poisonous, yellow-green fog in a sphere centered on a point within 20 meters. The cloud spreads around corners and is heavily obscured. It lasts for the duration or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 15 kilometers per hour) disperses it.

A creature that enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must make a Fortitude saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 3d4 poison damage and is poisoned until the end of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

Creatures are affected even if they hold their breath or don’t need to breathe.

At the start of each of your turns if the cloud is within 20 meters of you, you can cause it to move up to 2 meters in a direction that you choose. If you spend an action, you can move it up to 10 meters.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can increase the damage by 1d4 for each additional mana expended.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana so duration changes to 1 hour/mana.

3 hours/mana

As two actions, you touch a willing creature to grant it the ability to see in the dark. For the duration, that creature has darkvision out to a range of 10 meters. If it already has darkvision, its range increases by 10 meters.

Augment

You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

1 minute/mana

As two actions, a tendril of inky darkness reaches out from you. When you cast the spell—and once on on each of your turns thereafter as an action—the tendril can touch a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters to drain life from it. The creature must make a Reflex saving throw. If the creature is a construct or an undead, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 2d10 necrotic damage.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

You regain health equal to half the amount of necrotic damage dealt.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 1d10 for each additional mana expended.

3 hours/mana

As two actions, you touch a willing creature to grant it the ability to see in bright areas and suppress the effects of any Sunlight Sensitivity species trait for the duration.

Augment

You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

As two actions, you send negative energy coursing through a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw. If the creature is a construct or an undead, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 6d10 necrotic damage.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

A creature killed by this spell rises as a zombie at the start of your next turn as it would via the animate dead spell.

If you target an undead creature with this spell, it doesn’t make a saving throw. Instead, roll 6d10. The creature regains health equal to the total.

Augment

You can increase the damage or the healing by 3d10 for each additional mana expended.

concentration, 1 hour/mana

As a reaction, which you use when a creature dies within 5 meters of you, you can magically capture its shadow. You retain this shadow until you use it or you finish a long rest.

You can use the shadow as an action to adopt the creature’s persona. When you do so, the shadow vanishes, magically transforming into a disguise that appears on you. You now look like the dead person, but healthy and alive. This disguise lasts for the duration or until you end it on your turn.

While you’re in the disguise, you gain access to all information that the creature would freely share with a casual acquaintance. Such information includes general details on its background and personal life, but doesn’t include secrets. The information is enough that you can pass yourself off as the person by drawing on its memories.

Another creature can see through this disguise by succeeding on a Insight check contested by your passive Deception.

concentration, 1 hour/mana

As two actions, you, along with everything you’re wearing and carrying, are subsumed by shadow for the duration. The spell ends if you drop to 0 health.

While in this form, the following rules apply:

  • your shape generally conforms to your normal shape
  • your speed is halved
  • you can enter and occupy the space of another creature
  • you have resistance to nonmagical damage
  • you have advantage on Reflex and Fortitude saving throws
  • you can move through a space as narrow as 2 centimeters wide without squeezing, though you treat liquids as though they were solid surfaces.
  • you can’t talk, manipulate objects, attack, use maneuvers, or cast spells. Any objects you were carrying or holding can’t be dropped, used, or otherwise interacted with.
Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can target two additional creatures for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana to gain the following benefits while in shadow form:

    • you can move at your normal speed, on any surface, including walls and ceilings.
    • you have darkvision out to 10 meters.
    • you have advantage on any Stealth check to remain unnoticed
    • once on your turn while in dim light or darkness, you can use Stealth without using an action.
  • Shadow Walk. You can expend 1 additional mana to cast this spell without concentration and to move on the edge between the Material Plane and the Shadowfell. You gain a flying speed of 100 meters.

    If you are in shadow form and flying when the effect ends, you descends 10 meters per round for 1 minute until you land, which you do safely. If you can’t land after 1 minute, you fall the remaining distance.

    Because of the blurring of reality between the Shadowfell and the Material Plane, you can’t make out details of the terrain or areas you pass over during transit, nor can you predict perfectly where your travel will end. It’s impossible to judge distances accurately.

    You can target five additional creatures for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

As you spend 1 minute to cast this spell, you pull wisps of shadow material from the Shadowfell to create a nonliving object of vegetable matter within 5 meters: soft goods, rope, wood, or something similar. You can also use this spell to create mineral objects such as stone, crystal, or metal. The object created must be no larger than a 1-meter cube, and the object must be of a form and material that you have seen before.

The duration depends on the object’s material. If the object is composed of multiple materials, use the shortest duration.

MaterialDuration
Vegetable matter1 day
Stone or crystal12 hours
Precious metals1 hour
Gems10 minutes
Adamantine or mithral1 minute

Using any material created by this spell as another spell’s component causes that spell to fail.

Augment

You can increase the cube by 1 meter for each additional mana expended.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As two actions, squirming, ebony tentacles fill a sphere on the ground that you can see within 20 meters. For the duration, these tentacles turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain.

A creature that enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must make a Reflex saving throw. A creature that starts its turn in the area and is already restrained by the tentacles takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage.

On a failure, it takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage and is restrained for the duration.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

At the start of each of your turns if the tentacles are within 20 meters of you, you can cause them to move up to 2 meters in a direction that you choose. If you spend an action, you can move them up to 10 meters.

A creature restrained by the tentacles, or one that can touch the creature, can use an action to make a Brawn or Nimbleness check (its choice) against your spell save Difficulty.

On a success, the target is freed.

When the spell ends, the tentacles wither away.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 1d6 for each additional mana expended.