The Bow of Shadows is an artifact of Nocturnal, the Daedric Prince of shadows, and it first appeared in Morrowind. The Bow of Shadows Creation brings it to Skyrim with a murder mystery set in Whiterun.
How to get it
The quest In the Shadows starts with the Steward’s Note in Whiterun. Track the assassin through Arcadia’s Cauldron, the Hall of the Dead, the stables and Silent Moons Camp, then defeat them in Dragonsreach to claim the bow.
Enchantment
Casts invisibility on you for 30 seconds and lets you draw the bow 20% faster. Shoot, vanish, reposition, shoot again.
Stats and handling
19 base damage at a weight of 18 – identical to a Daedric Bow. It uses the Archery skill.
Smithing
Improve it with an 
Ebony Ingot and the Arcane Blacksmith perk. No material perk boosts it, because it has no material keyword.
Known issues
- Its faster draw stacks additively with the Archery perk.
- It has no material keywords.
- Invisibility can stop working. The Unofficial Creation Club patch fixes the first two issues.
Strengths and weaknesses
- Strength: Daedric-bow damage with built-in invisibility.
- Weakness: a few bugs and no Smithing perk bonus.
Tips
- A dream weapon for stealth archers and Sneak builds.
- Pair it with the Nightingale gear for a full shadow look.
Added by the Bow of Shadows Creation, part of the Skyrim Anniversary Edition. Details checked against UESP and summarised in our own words.
