Pathfinder 1e Archetype Rogue

Shadow Walker

Shadow walkers are comfortable in light, darkness, and the shadows in between.

Class
Rogue
Kind
Archetype
Granted Spells
Replaces
4 features

Shadow walkers are comfortable in light, darkness, and the shadows in between. Fetchling rogues naturally gravitate toward becoming shadow walkers, but shadow walkers exist among other creatures both above and below the surface.

Replaces

TrapfindingTrap SenseUncanny DodgeImproved Uncanny Dodge

Archetype Features

Expanded Sight Level 1

↪ builds on Trapfinding (Rogue)

At 1st level, a shadow walker gains darkvision with a range of 30 feet. If she already has darkvision, the range of her darkvision increases by 10 feet.

When the shadow walker reaches 3rd level, and every 2 rogue levels thereafter, the range of her darkvision increases by 10 feet. Also at 3rd level, the shadow walker loses the light sensitivity weakness, if she has it. If she has light blindness, she instead treats it as light sensitivity.

This ability replaces trapfinding.

Illumination Control Level 3

↪ builds on Trap Sense (Rogue)

At 3rd level, a shadow walker can manipulate nearby illumination. At the start of each day, a shadow walker gains a number of illumination points equal to half her rogue level and can spend illumination points to use certain spell-like abilities. As long as she has at least 1 illumination point, she can cast light at will.

She can spend 2 illumination points to cast darkness, and 3 illumination points to cast daylight, deeper darkness, or motes of dusk and dawn. These spell-like abilities have a caster level equal to the shadow walker's rogue level. Using these spell-like abilities does not hamper the shadow walker's vision; for example, she can see through the deeper darkness she creates, and does not take penalties for light sensitivity in the area of her own daylight.

This ability replaces the rogue talent gained at 2nd level and trap sense.

Favored Illumination Level 4

At 4th level, a shadow walker chooses one illumination level: bright light, normal light, dim light, or darkness (including supernatural darkness). While she is within her chosen illumination level, she gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Acrobatics, Perception, and Sleight of Hand skill checks, and can take 10 on any Stealth check attempted within that illumination level.

When the shadow walker confirms a critical hit with a melee attack that deals sneak attack damage while in her chosen illumination level, she regains 1 illumination point (to a maximum of half her rogue level).

Confirming a critical hit on a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the shadow walker's character level doesn't restore illumination points. When the shadow walker reaches 6th level, and every 3 rogue levels thereafter, the bonuses she gains within her chosen illumination level increase by 1.

This ability replaces the rogue's uncanny dodge and improved uncanny dodge.

Rogue Talents: The following rogue talents complement the shadow walker archetype: deft palm, gloom magic, greater gloom magic, obscuring blow, surprise attack, umbral gear.

Advanced Talents: The following advanced rogue talents complement the shadow walker archetype: hide in plain sight, see in darkness, slippery mind, unwitting ally, and weapon snatcher.

Rogue Talents

The following rogue talents complement the shadow walker archetype: deft palm, gloom magic, greater gloom magic, obscuring blow, surprise attack, umbral gear. Advanced Talents: The following advanced rogue talents complement the shadow walker archetype: hide in plain sight, see in darkness, slippery mind, unwitting ally, and weapon snatcher.

Advanced Talents

The following advanced rogue talents complement the shadow walker archetype: hide in plain sight, see in darkness, slippery mind, unwitting ally, and weapon snatcher.

Grants

Favored Illumination (Initiative)+2 at level 4, +3 at level 6, +4 at level 9, +5 at level 12, +6 at level 15, +7 at level 18 (within her chosen illumination level)
Attribution

Rules content from Paizo Inc., reproduced by TheCrazyGM under the Open Game License v1.0a. Licensing for reproduced SRD content is covered by the site's Section 15 register.

Blood of Shadows · OGL-1.0a

Added to the library by eco_the_exploiter on Sept. 15, 2026.

Open Game Content reproduced from Blood of Shadows by TheCrazyGM under the OGL-1.0a. Copyright in the reproduced material is held by its original publisher, named in this site's Section 15 notice. The core designation is TheCrazyGM's assertion that the material faithfully matches its cited source; that attestation was recorded by Blood of Shadows on 2026-09-15.

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  • Based on class: Rogue (Class) — core content under OGL 1.0a

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