Human Warrior of Shadow Monk Build Guide
Playing a Human Warrior of Shadow Monk lets you blend versatile bonus feats with supernatural stealth to strike from the darkness unseen.
Free — no signup needed for the free tier.
Why Warrior of Shadow?
The Warrior of Shadow is a fast-paced, stealthy martial artist who acts as your party's Striker—a specialist in darting in to deliver heavy damage and escaping unharmed. As a Human, your Versatile trait is an incredible asset starting at level 1. By choosing a helpful Origin feat like Alert or Mobile, you can boost your initiative or movement speed, making you an immediate threat before you even unlock your shadow magic.
Once you gain Shadow Arts at level 3, you can manipulate darkness to blind enemies or hide your movement. Having a high Dexterity of 15 and Wisdom of 14 ensures your attacks land and your stealth remains unmatched. When you eventually unlock Shadow Step at level 6, allowing you to teleport between shadows, your Human Resourceful trait shines. The free Heroic Inspiration ensures that if a crucial teleport-attack rolls poorly, you have a reliable reroll ready to keep your momentum going.
Your Human Skillful trait adds extra utility, letting you pick up proficiency in Stealth or Perception. This ensures you are not just a deadly combatant in the dark, but also the ultimate scout for your adventuring party.
Warrior of Shadow Features
Shadow Arts
Level 3When you finish a Short or Long Rest, you can pick one leveled spell from the Wizard spell list that has a casting time of an action and is of a rank you can cast (see the Monk Spellcasting table for the ranks of spells you can cast). You can cast this spell without expending Focus Points. You can cast this spell in this way until you finish a Short or Long Rest, at which point you choose a different spell. When you cast this spell, you can use Wisdom as your spellcasting ability instead of Intelligence. You can spend 1 Focus Point when you cast a spell in this way to increase the spell's rank by one rank (if the spell scales).
Shadow Step
Level 6When you take the Hide action in dim light or darkness, you can use a Bonus Action to take the Dash action as well. When you move at least 30 feet in one turn while in dim light or darkness, you gain the benefits of the Hide action for that turn.
Improved Shadow Step
Level 11You can move through nonmagical dim light and darkness without provoking opportunity attacks. When you end your turn in dim light or darkness, you can use a Bonus Action and spend 1 Focus Point to become Invisible until the start of your next turn.
Cloak of Shadows
Level 17When you are in dim light or darkness, you can use an action and spend 2 Focus Points to become Invisible. You remain Invisible until you make an attack, cast a spell, or until you are in bright light.
Recommended Ability Scores
Human Traits That Benefit Warrior of Shadow Monk
Versatile
A free Origin feat provides a meaningful boost to any Monk build right from level 1.
Resourceful
Free Heroic Inspiration each long rest gives a reliable reroll for critical moments.
Skillful
An extra skill proficiency expands the Monk's out-of-combat versatility.
Combat Effectiveness
| Level | HP | Melee DPR | Ranged DPR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 5 | 33 | 7.8 | 7.8 |
| Level 11 | 69 | 7.15 | 7.15 |
| Level 17 | 105 | 7.15 | 7.15 |
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Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- ♦ Warrior of Shadow grants Shadow Arts at level 3
- ♦ Good armor class and initiative
- ♦ Flexible build with room for customization
Weaknesses
- ♦ Low Charisma limits social interactions
- ♦ Limited ranged and magical options without multiclassing
- ♦ No Darkvision — may need light sources in dungeons
Pro Tips
Use your Human Resourceful Heroic Inspiration to reroll missed attacks right after using Shadow Step to teleport, securing your tactical advantage.
Combine your high 15 Dexterity with Shadow Arts darkness to blind ranged enemies while safely striking them from the unseen shadows.
Use your extra Skillful proficiency on Stealth to make the most of your Cloak of Shadows invisibility at later levels.
Leverage your Human Versatile Origin feat to grab mobility boosts, keeping you safe after teleporting into dangerous enemy lines.
Other Monk Subclasses for Human
Other Races for Warrior of Shadow Monk
Frequently Asked Questions
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What makes Warrior of Shadow different from other Monk subclasses?
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