Linked Shadow

9th-level illusion

Casting Time:1 action

Range:60 feet

Components:V, S, M (a bit of clothing or hair from your target and a gemstone of 1,000 gp value or higher, which the spell consumes.)

Duration:10 minutes

Choose a creature you can see within range. This spell breathes artificial life into their shadow, even if they are not casting one. The shadow entity is an exact copy of the creature you targeted at the time it was created. They know every special move, have a shadow replica of all their equipment, and can use any of the target’s abilities. They cannot speak but can still cast spells up to 5th level. They weigh nothing, take no falling damage, have advantage on Acrobatics checks, advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and advantage on Stealth checks in dim light. It can pass through other creatures as if they were difficult terrain. It cannot pass through magical barriers or lead. Its initiative comes immediately after the creature it was created from.

The shadow has an insatiable desire to kill the creature it came from. It will use every ability to ruthlessly attack the target, not stopping until they are dead. If it is able to kill the target, it will rest until the spell ends, not even defending itself from other attacks. If attacked by other creatures, it will not engage unless they are keeping it from attacking their target. Even then, it will only focus on a creature long enough to get back to hunting their original target. If killed or if the spell ends, the shadow and everything they created or duplicated, fades into mist instantly and any lasting spells or effects they created end. The targeted creature will then not be able to cast a shadow for 1d6 weeks, during which time they are immune to this spell. The color of the shadow matches the color of the gemstone used in this spell.