Shadow Magic and the Shadow Weave

There is often a lot of confusion about this among players. This page is intended to dispel the confusion. A Child of Night, for instance, uses Shadow Magic. The shadow themed spells available on our server are not Shadow Weave spells: spells like "Shadow Conjuration" or "Shadow Shield" are Illusion spells that have the (shadow) descriptor but still use the Weave. There is no such thing as specific Shadow Weave spells: either all your spells are Shadow Weave or none. In PnP, a character can either use the Weave or the Shadow Weave, but never both, but characters on our server are restricted to just the Weave.
 * 1) No player is allowed to RP using the Shadow Weave.  This goes with the rule "RP your sheet": using the Shadow Weave would require the Shadow Weave feat, which we don't have available on our server.  This would also go along with several advantages and disadvantages.
 * 2) (True) Shadow Magic is not the same as using the Shadow Weave.  You can use (true) Shadow Magic and either use the Weave or the Shadow Weave.  Also, (true) Shadow Magic is not the same as spells with the (shadow) descriptor or subschool.

Consider the following, from Wizards of the Coast:

Shadow Magic and the Shadow Weave
There is a fundamental difference between shadow magic and Shadow Weave magic. Shadow Weave magic users derive their power from a source of magic created by the goddess Shar that occupies the negative space between the Weave. Shadowcasters typically use the Weave to channel their magic directly from the plane of shadows. In this way, shadow magic has more in common with conjuration spells of the Weave than it does with spells cast via the Shadow Weave. Despite the differences in methodology and philosophy, many shadowcasters are naturally drawn to the Shadow Weave.

Shadow Subschool
A shadow spell creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. Such illusions can have real effects. Damage dealt by a shadow illusion is real.

The Shadow Plane
(True) Shadow Magic draws its power from the Shadow Plane (i.e. the Child of Nights powers, but not spells like Shadow Conjuration, who just barely scratch the surface). The FR Shadow Plane, unlike the general D&D Shadow Plane, is "mildly evil" aligned.