- For the creature origin from D&D 4th edition, see Creature type#Shadow.
A shadow is a humanoid creature made from darkness.
Description[]
Appearance[]
| This section is incomplete. Please complete this section and remove this {{secstub}} notice. |
Personality and alignment[]
Shadows are always chaotic evil.
Abilities and traits[]
| This section is incomplete. Please complete this section and remove this {{secstub}} notice. |
Ecology[]
| This section is incomplete. Please complete this section and remove this {{secstub}} notice. |
Environment[]
Lair[]
Life cycle[]
Diet[]
Society and culture[]
| This section is incomplete. Please complete this section and remove this {{secstub}} notice. |
Relationships and family[]
Organization[]
Enemies[]
Allies and minions[]
Religion[]
Language[]
Shadows cannot speak in any understandable way.
Treasure[]
Harvesting[]
| This section is incomplete. Please complete this section and remove this {{secstub}} notice. |
History[]
| This section is incomplete. Please complete this section and remove this {{secstub}} notice. |
Notable shadows[]
For a full list of shadows, see Category:Shadows.
Related creatures[]
| This section is incomplete. Please complete this section and remove this {{secstub}} notice. |
Publication history[]
Original D&D[]
The shadow first appeared in Supplement I: Greyhawk (1975). In Original Dungeons & Dragons, they were not technically undead, and were not affected by items that targeted undead.
Basic D&D[]
The shadow was included in the Basic Set (Holmes) (1977), where they were lawful evil and immune to the cleric ability to turn undead.
In the Basic Set (B/X) (1981) and the Basic Rules (BECMI) (1983), they had the chaotic alignment, but were still not technically undead. This version was updated and included in the Rules Cyclopedia (1991). The AC9 Creature Catalogue (1986) and Rules Cyclopedia both assigned the shadow to the monster creature type.
AD&D 1st edition[]
The shadow was introduced for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition in the Monster Manual (1e) (1977), where they were chaotic evil undead.
AD&D 2nd edition[]
The 1st edition shadow was updated for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition for the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989). It was also included in the Monstrous Manual (1993).
D&D 3rd edition[]
The 2nd edition shadow was included in both the Monster Manual (3.0) (2000) and Monster Manual (3.5) (2003). It was made available as a character race in Savage Species (2003).
D&D 4th edition[]
The shadow appeared in the Monster Manual 3 (4e) (2010), which detailed the shadow stalker, shadow strangler, and shadow puppeteer. In Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition, shadows were not undead, but instead humanoids with the shadow origin and the evil alignment.
D&D 5th edition[]
The shadow appeared in Monster Manual (5e) (2014), where they were once again chaotic evil undead.
Creative origins[]
| This section is incomplete. Please complete this section and remove this {{secstub}} notice. |
Reception and influence[]
In his review of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition's Monster Manual in White Dwarf, Don Turnbull was disappointed that the shadow was changed into an undead creature: "I used to enjoy seeing clerics vainly trying to turn what wouldn't turn, when Shadows were first met."[1]
Like most D&D 3.5 monsters, the shadow was imported into Paizo's Pathfinder role-playing game. Additional details on shadows in Pathfinder's continuity were provided in the sourcebook Undead Revisited (2011).
References[]
- ↑ Open Box, White Dwarf #8 (August/September 1978), p.16-17.