This condition is adopted by powerful creatures who spend years of isolation in the Shadowfell. Creatures with shadow nature are acclimated to dark places, weakened by sunlight, and gifted a slough of deadly powers. The process can be accelerated by a ritual, similar to
Shadow Form, but it's used much less frequently.
This transformation never occurs in communities larger than a village, where the magic of the Shadowfell is spread thin. But when a creature takes residence in a remote part of the plane, building themselves a kingdom out of bodiless shades and detached memories, they will eventually receive the full power of the ambient shadows. This takes at least 10 years, and the creature must never leave the Shadowfell during this time.
It can also be granted by the Shadow Nature (Ritual) spell.
Shadow Nature (Ritual)
7-level
Necromancy
(ritual)
Casting Time 1 Hour
Range Touch
Duration Instantaneous
Components V, S, M
Materials a black opal worth at least 1,000 gp, which the spell consumes
You touch a willing creature that is not a shadow creature. That creature begins the arduous process of becoming a fully-fledged living shadow. The transformation takes 100 days, minus 10 times the creature's Wisdom modifier. During this time, the creature endures difficult training to keep their body whole, and suffers disadvantage on attack rolls and skill checks. The transformation can be cancelled through Greater Restoration, but once it's finished, only a Wish can reverse it.
The transformation is more severe than Shadow Form, and it includes the following changes:
Resistance to necrotic damage.
Skill Proficiency: Stealth. If the creature is already proficient, the proficiency bonus is doubled.
Living Shadow. While in dim light or darkness, the creature has resistance to damage that isn't force, psychic, or radiant.
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the creature can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the creature has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Necrotic Element. If the creature has an action which deals acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage, either naturally or through an attuned magic item, change that damage type to necrotic.
Subshadows. The creature's actions which inflict pure necrotic damage are able to create subshadows. A humanoid reduced to 0 hit points by this damage dies, and an undead shadow rises from its corpse and acts immediately after the creature in the initiative count. The shadow is under the creature's control.
Class(es): Wizard
Creatures with shadow nature turn almost entirely grayscale, an effect which even spreads partially to their clothing. They have an uncanny power to blend in with dark places. Any magic they wield, including spells and attuned magic items, has its color changed to a subtle and ghostly violet. They carry a penumbra, a blurriness around their edges, which is especially visible outside of the Shadowfell.
They're comfortable and intuitive in darkness, even total darkness. But the sunlight of the Material Plane makes them dizzy and disjointed, and some forms of light can do much worse. Because of this, shadow nature is rarely seen outside the Shadowfell, where they're at their best 24 hours a day. They might find it difficult to sleep all night and stay awake all day like their previous lives.
Shadow nature can effect the creature's personality, but not as much as most people think. Traits which were once suppressed may become impossible to hide, and traits which were carefully nurtured may vanish. People with shadow nature often say that this is the hardest part of the transformation: though they don't change significantly, they feel like they've become strangers, and sometimes they spend years overcoming an instinctive fear of themselves. On the other hand, shadow nature relieves them of their fear of
fell creatures.
A completed transformation cannot be reversed except with a Wish. Even then, losing a shadow nature is just as arduous as gaining one.
Creatures with shadow nature are protected from unwanted
Shadowfell Influence. However, unlike shadow form, shadow nature is mutable and can be trained further. Powerful shadow creatures have found various ways to adapt and apply their condition.
Shadow nature primarily effects those who are isolated, and is extremely rare in large communities. The most reliable form of prevention is to stay near someone with shadow nature, who can rein in the influence of shadows for miles around.
Most creatures don't want a shadow nature, and are apprehensive of those who do. However, many shadow creatures are revered, either because they made a brave sacrifice for the sake of heroism, or because they protect others from the Shadowfell's greater perils.
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