Gloves of Shadow
Wondrous Item (gloves), artifact (requires attunement by a Monk of the Way of Shadow)
The Gloves of Shadow are forged from a fabric that seems to be spun from pure darkness. They ripple and shift like living shadows, clinging to the wearer’s hands as if part of their body. Faint runes of Umbra, Silence, and Void pulse faintly across their surface when their abilities are used. At times, whispers in an ancient tongue can be heard emanating from the gloves when the light fades.
The Gloves of Shadow possess the following abilities:
Abilities
Shadowstrike (Passive): When you use Flurry of Blows, each of the additional unarmed strikes deals 1d8 necrotic damage. If the target is in dim light or darkness, the necrotic damage increases to 2d8.
Silent Step (3 Charges)
- You can spend 1 charge as a bonus action to cast Pass without Trace on yourself and up to six creatures of your choice within 30 feet. The spell lasts for 10 minutes without requiring concentration.
- The gloves regain all expended charges at dawn.
Shadow Guard (Passive) While in dim light or darkness, you gain the following benefits:
- Resistance to necrotic damage and psychic damage.
- Creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against you.
- You can use Deflect Missiles to reduce damage from any ranged spell attack targeting you, reducing the damage as though it were a projectile.
Touch of the Void (1/long rest) As an action, you unleash the void into your strikes for 1 minute:
- Your unarmed strikes deal force damage instead of bludgeoning damage.
- On a hit, the target must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or be blinded and frightened until the start of your next turn.
- If the target is in dim light or darkness, it has disadvantage on the saving throw.
- For the duration, your unarmed strikes score a critical hit on a roll of 19–20.
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Cloak of Shadows (Passive)
- If you are reduced to 0 hit points while in dim light or darkness, you can instead drop to 1 hit point and teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness.
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Sentience
The Gloves of Shadow are a sentient artifact inhabited by a shadow spirit named Nyxalith, the Whisper in the Dark.
- Alignment: Neutral Evil
- Intelligence: 18 | Wisdom: 20 | Charisma: 16
- Communication: Nyxalith communicates telepathically in a voice like a cold whisper.
- Personality: Nyxalith is cunning, patient, and manipulative. It urges the wearer to embrace the shadows and shun the light, whispering strategies and secrets of unseen enemies. It admires stealth and guile, disdaining those who act impulsively or waste their advantage.
- Conflict: Nyxalith becomes displeased if the wearer acts recklessly or spends too much time in bright light, threatening to withhold its powers until the wearer proves worthy once more.
Destroying the Gloves of Shadow
The Gloves of Shadow can only be destroyed by exposing them to the Eternal Sun, a mythical light source said to exist in the heart of Mount Aurion, a volcano blessed by a god of light. The gloves must remain in direct contact with the Eternal Sun’s light for one full hour, after which Nyxalith’s essence will be annihilated, and the gloves will disintegrate into ash.