Shadow Blade was one of the many spells included in 5th Edition in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything.
It’s a good spell to try particularly for those who have taken some of the classes in spellcasting.
Let’s take a deeper look at this and discover how you can use it to have fun, troubles or for anything else in between.
What is it that it does?
Shadow Blade School: Illusion
Level: 2
Duration of Casting: One Bonus Action
Area/Range: Self
Components: V, S
Timeline: One Minute (Concentration)
The spell allows you to form the shape of a shadow sword in your hand, and it is a weapon that you can use to create attacks. It’s a basic weapon for melee that anyone who has cast the spell can master.
It is a fine weapon, and it can be attacked with strength or dexterity.
You can use it as the handaxe if you’d prefer as it will do better damage than the greatsword with an attack (2d8 psychic, plus an attack skill modifier).
If you cast a 7th or higher level slot, this damage will increase to 5d8 in the higher-level slot.
If you fall on it or throw it as the purpose of attacking, it goes away when you’re done with your turn. You can bring it back using an extra action, as that you’re focusing upon the magic spell.
One of the advantages is the advantage you gain when you make attacks in darkness. When you target something that is dimly lit or darkness, you have an advantage in your attack.
Who is the winner of Shadow Blade?
Sorcerers, Warlocks and Wizards are granted the spell as part of their spell lists for classes.
Bards might be able to take it in the Magical Secrets, and Arcane Trickster Rogues and Eldritch Knight Fighters get it from the Wizard spell list.
Other classes can take advantage of it by multiclassing, and then putting at least three levels into Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard.
Uses for Shadow Blade
Shadow Blade is fairly simple.
Make a sword can be used for attacking.
It’s a great spell especially for people with darkvision. We can also investigate certain classes, too.
1. Warlocks
Shadow Blade Shadow blade is an… intriguing spell for warlocks. The Shadow Blade spell is focus spell, and it is able to compete with the hex and darkness when you have Devil’s Sight.
If you’re fortunate enough to have the Shadow Sorcerer in your party they can use their dark curse for you. Darkness will give you an advantages anyway, which renders the the shadow blade rather useless.
Additionally, Shadow blade cannot be used in conjunction with neither using the Pact of the Blade or the Hexblade’s Hex Warrior feature. Shadow Blade can be utilized in your off-hand, if you wish to use two hands, but it’s not possible to make any is a part of the Blade Pact invocations work with it.
It is an enjoyable melee choice for non-Pact Of The Blade warlocks. The combination of it and a cantrip-like the green flame will make it more useful.
If you’re able to access the eldritch blast as well as the Agonizing Blast invoker as well as Hex… You’ll typically have more damage-dealing options.
2. Eldritch Knight Fighters
Pros:
The spell is very nice especially for Eldritch Knights.
The spell won’t be available until level 8, as it’s illusionary, which is why you’ll need to use it at the level where you are able to select one in any class.
There is no requirement for an Intelligence score of high to be able to use the spell this is a major advantage for you.
If you are able to access the ability, you’ll be able to create a sword that can do more damage than the greatsword. Additionally, you can use it in conjunction with a shield to increase AC.
After you’ve reached 13th level, and you have three level slots for spells you’ll be able to make the Shadow Blade that inflicts damage of 3d8 when hit.
These extra damage dice can truly add up to a fighter, especially if you are using an Action Surge.
Cons:
Concentrate on the magic.
This means that you are at possibility of losing it if you inflict too excessive damage. It also has a tendency to compete with spells such as haste as well as any other spells you’d like to concentrate on.
If you locate an Flame Tongue or a different magic weapon that comes with a lot of dice for damage, you might choose to make use of this instead.
It frees your spell slots so you can spell haste to attack more times as well as another advantage to defend.
If your fantasy doesn’t contain any magic objects, shadow blade could be an effective alternative.
3. Arcane Trickster Rogues
Shadow Blade is perfectly acceptable for Arcane Tricksters. It can cause some damage however, you don’t receive any additional attacks.
This isn’t as impressive as the Eldritch Knight.
The damage you can do depends heavily upon the strength of your Sneak Attack. If you require advantage for Sneak Attack and are in dark or dim lighting, shadow blade will help.
You’re Versatile Trickster feature gives another method to gain advantage using mage hands however it’s a bit more difficult to install.
You must cast it as an action. It’s an extra action to move the hand, and is an additional bonus action to gain advantage from it.
The Shadow Blade is easier, and doesn’t require your bonus action each turn.
It can be combined with the green flame blade or thundering blade to add some heat or thunder-related damage the shadow blade’s psychic damage. This is on top of the Attack Sneak Attack.
4. Sorcerers
Sorcerers are generally quite soft. Also, a spell specifically made for melee isn’t typically their thing.
However, sorcerers can have intriguing interactions when using this spell. If you’re really looking to fight there are some effective options.
If you have sorcery points you want to burn, you are able to cast the shadow blade after which you can use your ability to make the powerful blade twice using you Twinned Spell metamagic (Twinned Spell does not work on green flame blades Unfortunately).
In later turns on subsequent turns, you can begin your turn by accelerating another powerful blade to make three effective melee attacks.
Pros:
In dim lights or in darkness, especially when you’re an elf who has Elven accuracy, this may be an effective method.
Utilizing the Twinned Spell and Quickened Spell metamagics, you are able to make up to 3 blades of cantrips per turn that’s nothing to laugh at.
At 17th level you can use three attacks using the shadow blade and the booming blade provides 5d8 psychic and 3d8 thunder damages to the target. You can also deal an additional 4d8 thunder hit when they move.
The additional damage to thunder from the booming blade does not stack up on one person. However, it can be used to to snare multiple enemies by threatening them with thunder damage. Combine it with the Mobile technique and you’ll be able make them stop and continue moving with impunity.
However at 17th level it is possible to cast meteor Swarm to deal 20d6 damage, and 20d6 Bludgeoning damage.
9th level spells provide plenty of choices. Shadow Blade plus the booming blade might not be the best option for every situation however, if you’re in a hurry or need to engage in melee, it’s quite powerful.
Don’t be a victim to thunder or psychic.
Cons:
You’ll need a reliable attack modifier regardless of whether you easily get triple advantage by using Elven Accuracy.
That’s a lot of work to run an sorcerer that has good strength or dexterity, which will mean that there’s more people will require excellent statistics or ability score improvements.
This spell is intended to work against several adversaries. It is necessary to possess a different target in case you plan to utilize Twinned Spell, and if you don’t have another target within reach it’s not a good idea.
This method also burns away sorcery points.
If you’re looking to save your resources, you could limit yourself to twinning a with a booming blades because it’s less than just half the price of the Quickened Spell metamagic.
The number of attacks using a the roaring blade down to.
If you are able to find an Illusionist’s Bracers and you’re lucky enough to have them, you don’t need to use sorcery points to purchase Quickened Spell. It’s more effective than you thought, because the bracers are innately able to use a cantrip for an additional action.
This means that you can double your bonus blasting blade to get four attacks using the cantrip.
If you can find one of these bracers (from Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica) and come up with how to shield your sorcerer from the enemy attack, you’ll become a formidable opponent in the field… for as long you’re not combating more than just one adversary.
5. Wizards and Bards
Shadow Blade can be used here particularly to aid the Bladesinger wizard as well as Bard of the College of Swords Bard, and the College of Valor Bard.
Since the three subclasses receive extra attack, shadow blade can be a bit more beneficial to the three.
Other types of wizards and bards may still benefit from the spell, even if they’re in a melee situation however, it’s not as effective.
Pros:
It’s likely that all three subclasses will possess the ability to move with ease, so you don’t need to fret about boosting another score.
Swords bards are more likely to concentrate on melee attacks which allows them to use their impressive moves.
Since they are able to get those benefits and for no cost at the higher level, using shadow blade can be a great way to boost their damage substantially.
It’s not as effective as high-level spells however, it’s a method that allows them to take on some serious damage, and then make use of their bonus action to grant Bardic Inspiration or to cast other bonus action spells, such as healing words.
The Valor bard gains the ability to create an attack with a weapon when casting the spell.
You can choose to blowing up a the green flame blade to deal additional damage over shadow blade. You can then make an attack with the shadow blade to gain bonus actions.
You’ll need to pay the equivalent of 2 Magical Secrets to learn the shadow blade and the green flame blade that is quite costly.
Bladesinger’s Song of Victory feature lets players inflict damage that is equal the Intelligence multiplier whenever they use melee weapons attacks. This makes the shadow blade somewhat more appealing when they are at higher levels.
You’ll get two attacks. And those attacks must compete with the vast array of powerful spells that wizards have access to.
Cons:
Every bard that wants Shadow Blade must multiclass or utilize some of their Magical Secrets for it. This can be a huge request when the game is played with the fireball as well as the counterspell.
Beginning at the 11th level, the wizard has access the Tenser transformation. Bards also have access to it by using Magical Secrets.
Tenser’s transform is approximately the same damage (a added 2d12 force over the damage die of your weapon in comparison to. the flat 4d8 psychic while casting shadow blades at the six levels).
But like the shadow blade, Tenser’s transformation does not require the absence of light to gain advantage. It also grants the benefit of Extra Attack to wizards who do not already have it and a few save throwing abilities, and plenty of hit points temporary.
It’s a cost of not being able cast spells while focused upon The transformation process of the Tenser However, it’s an enjoyable spell for wizards that need to engage in melee.
Alongside a host of other fantastic high-level spells it’s difficult to get the shadow blade to keep up.
