Shadow Elves from the Shadowfell, learn how to optimise your Shadar-Kai character
What are the Shadar-Kai?
Much like the Eladrin and the Astral Elves, the Shadar-Kai are also descended from Elves, taking on many of their basic traits. Ages ago however, the Shadar-Kai were transported to the Shadowfell, a grim mirror plane of the mortal plane. Their lives in the Shadowfell has transformed them, taking of their emotions and warping their bodies.
It’s in the Shadowfell that most Shadar-Kai live, worshipping their minor deity, the powerful Raven Queen. Most Shadar-Kai perform the Raven Queen’s bidding, gathering memories, souls and information though some do leave the Shadowfell and forsake the Raven Queen.
The Shadar-Kai are a playable race in D&D 5e, introduced in Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes and republished in Monsters of the Multiverse (the guy just can’t leave them alone). Below we’ve detailed everything you need to know about the Shadar-Kai and how to play as one.
At a glance
Dungeons and Dragons lets you take a flexible approach to building a character, but if you’re going to stick to typical culture and the best-optimised build for a Shadar-Kai you might consider the following:
Choose a Shadar-Kai if you like…
- Being an Elf
- Serving a powerful deity
- Short ranged teleportation
A Shadar-Kai might not be for you if…
- You don’t want to teleport into danger
- You don’t like Elves
- You like a good tan
If you think a Shadar-Kai isn’t for you, not to worry, there are dozens of playable races for you to pick from, just check out our races guide to find out about all of them. For a different elven subrace, you could consider an Eladrin or an Astral Elf.
Shadar-kai racial traits
| Ability Scores | +2 to one ability score and +1 to another or +1 to 3 different ability scores |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Size | Medium |
| Speed | 30ft |
| Languages | Common and 1 other language |
| Traits | Blessing of the Raven Queen, Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Keen Senses, Necrotic Resistance, Trance |
| Proficiencies | Perception and 2 weapon or tool proficiencies of your choice that can change each long rest |
| Resistances | Charmed, sleep and necrotic |
| Darkvision | Yes |
| Innate Spellcasting | No |
| Book found in | Monsters of the Multiverse, Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes |
Tactics
Shadar-Kai traits have fairly broad application from an enhanced form of misty step to things like dark vision, perception proficiency and necrotic and charmed resistance. This makes them broadly useful, but there definitely a few ways you can get the most out of them:
Party scout: Between perception proficiency and dark vision, Shadar-Kai make pretty adept scouts. You can lean into this a bit further by boosting your wisdom and investing skills like stealth. Even without this, they’re capable of no other party member is able to fulfill this role.
Teleport into danger: The blessing of the Raven Queen not only gives Shadar-Kai a form of misty step (which is hugely useful) but also grants resistance to all damage following its use. This makes it a better way to get into the fray quickly rather than getting out of danger (though it’s great for that too). You can also use it to teleport into the parts of the battlefield where you’re needed most. If you’re going to maximise your use of a Shadar-Kai in this way, you may want to make sure you’ve got the resilience to backup your front line forays. On that note…
Top tier damage resistance: Necrotic damage is one of the more common damage types (according to our research, it’s the 2nd most common damage type after poison). Add to that advantage against the charmed condition and immunity to magical sleep and you’ve got some solid levels of durability. You can use this while placing yourself on the front lines of combat.
Which classes work well for Shadar-Kai?
All classes stand to benefit from a Shadar-Kai’s traits which are pretty universally useful. In particular though, any class the works well as a scout, could do with extra movement and/or extra durability is going to work well here.
Below I’ve put together a score for how well each class works with a Shadar-Kai based on how well the racial traits work with each class:
Artificer⭐⭐⭐⭐
Barbarian ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bard ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cleric ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Druid ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fighter ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Monk ⭐⭐⭐
Paladin ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ranger ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rogue ⭐⭐⭐
Sorcerer ⭐⭐⭐
Warlock ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wizard ⭐⭐⭐
*Star ratings scored out of 5
Best classes for a Shadar-Kai
The obvious choices are classes like barbarians, fighters and paladins who want to get on the front lines fast and take a bit more of a punching It’s also having a tanky character as a scout as scouts can be a bit more exposed. Depending on your build though, you may sacrifice some of the stealth elements important for scouts.
Druids and clerics also make great options as characters that often fulfill a tanky role and like to get near the action. Battlesmith and armorer artificers might also benefit a lot here, though will often need their bonus action available for other things.
Worst classes for a Shadar-kai
Shadar-Kai are great all rounders so there’s not really a bad option here. You might argue that monks and rogues stand to gain less as can more easily slip out of combat than most classes making misty step less useful (though still great for escaping a grapple and taking less damage).
Wizards and sorcerers gain less too as they’ll usually be trying to stay away from combat as much as possible. But again, extra durability perception and an escape ability are all still handy for these classes.
About the Shadar-Kai
Appearance
The Shadar-Kai are Elves and have many attributes in common, though these attributes have been warped by their time in the Shadowfell. They have lighter skin than their elven cousins, a hardier constitution and have had much of their emotions sucked from them.
History
The Shadar-Kai were first born back when the Raven Queen sought to ascend to godhood. She intended to use the souls of her followers to make this ascension however, she was stopped by a cabal of wizards who intended to use these souls to do the same for themselves. This caused the spell to go awry, banishing the Raven Queen to the Shadowfell along with her followers who were transformed and became the Shadar-Kai.
The Shadar-Kai now live a strange existence part way between life and death. This is the opposite of their Feywild cousins, the Eladrin, who are lively and vivacious. In fact, the Shadar-Kai despise all Fey creatures, including the Eladrin, perhaps out of jealousy.
For most Shadar-Kai, they are cursed to always serve the Raven Queen, developing old, withered appearances. Death for them is but a temporary inconvenience as the power of the Raven Queen forever brings them back to life. While immortality may feel like a blessing to some, to others, it means that they are never proffered the escape they desire.
Other elven subraces
Roleplaying as a Shadar-Kai
Just like with any of the playable races in D&D 5e, there’s a huge amount of variety in the personalities and capabilities of the Shadar-Kai. This means that although most Shadar-Kai lean towards evil alignment and tend to be servants of the Raven Queen, that many others demonstrate very different personalities and points of view.
While you can choose to be any kind of Shadar-Kai you wish, your race will still impact aspects of your personality and abilities. When playing a Shadar-Kai, you should consider the following:
- The Raven Queen: Most Shadar-Kai serve the Raven Queen. Do you serve her too and do you do so willingly? If not, why not and are there consequences to you not adhering to her?
- Denizen of the Shadowfell: The Shadowfell is a grim place that has sucked the positivity and joy out of the Shadar-Kai over the centuries. How has your heritage affected how you display emotions? Do you react differently to things other creatures would find upsetting or joyful?
- Hatred of fey: As a Shadar-Kai, you will have grown with a distinct hatred of all fey creatures, especially other elves. Do you share the hatred of your people? If not, why not? If you do, how do you display this anger towards those others and how will you find a way of working amicably with elves in your party (if there are any)?
