5.5e / 2024 · 5e / 2014 · Pathfinder 1E · D&D 3.5e
Shadow Armour
Shadow armour blurs the wearer and suppresses telltale signs of movement. Pathfinder 1E and D&D 3.5e both use the property, but their skill systems differ: Pathfinder uses Stealth, while 3.5e uses Hide.
Explore: Magic Armour & Shields · Stealth · Invisibility
At a Glance
| Property | Shadow |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Improves concealment and stealth |
| 5e status | No direct core armour property under this name |
| Pathfinder 1E | +5 competence bonus on Stealth checks |
| D&D 3.5e | +5 competence bonus on Hide checks |
5.5e / 2024
No direct core SRD armour property under this name. A 2024 conversion should use the current Dexterity (Stealth), Hide and Invisible rules and state its actual benefit explicitly. Do not import a +5 competence bonus.
5e / 2014
No direct core SRD armour property under this name. A 2014 conversion should specify whether it grants advantage, modifies Dexterity (Stealth), reduces armour-related drawbacks or provides another defined effect.
Pathfinder 1E
Price: +3,750 gp · Aura: faint illusion · CL: 5th.
The armour grants a +5 competence bonus on Stealth checks. The armour’s armour check penalty still applies normally.
Construction: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, invisibility, silence.
D&D 3.5e
Price: +3,750 gp · Aura: faint illusion · CL: 5th.
The 3.5e property grants a +5 competence bonus on Hide checks. The armour’s armour check penalty still applies normally.
Construction: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, invisibility.
Why Shadow Armour Matters
Shadow Armour is a good example of why edition separation matters even when the name barely changes. Pathfinder 1E folded visual concealment and quiet movement into one Stealth skill; D&D 3.5e keeps Hide and Move Silently separate, so the same property covers different slices of stealth play.
Run It at the Table
- Pathfinder: apply the +5 competence bonus to Stealth, then apply the armour’s normal armour check penalty.
- 3.5e: apply the +5 competence bonus to Hide. Moving quietly is handled separately by Move Silently.
- 5e: a conversion should state whether it grants Advantage, affects Dexterity (Stealth), changes armour-related drawbacks or provides another defined benefit.
Shadow Armour Progression
Shadow · Improved Shadow · Greater Shadow · Silent Moves · Magic Armour & Shields
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