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drengnikrafe
2009-11-26, 12:56 AM
I recently got my hands on the Tome of Magic, and when I saw the Shadowcaster, or something near that name (It's late, I'm lazy, I don't want to get it right now), I started wondering about it. In any case, what can people tell me about it. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it fun? What can you do with it? Etc.

Lycanthromancer
2009-11-26, 01:20 AM
From what I hear, the binder is the only really worthwhile thing out of the ToM. Play a shadowcaster at your peril.

Anonanimal
2009-11-26, 01:22 AM
Change the mysteries from per day to per encounter and you're pretty good, actually.

Sstoopidtallkid
2009-11-26, 01:39 AM
Shadowcaster is decent, a touch weak. Mysteries are slightly more powerful than spellcasting, though less broken. You just get them far fewer times per day. Are you starting at at least level 4?

Yukitsu
2009-11-26, 01:57 AM
The class has some issues. Limited uses makes it run out of gas far too fast at most levels. The slightly bumped abilities don't really ever make up for that because they don't get a lot of the arcane heavy hitters, and they don't get a lot of the synergy between spells that normal casters do.

peacenlove
2009-11-26, 03:31 AM
IMO Shadowcasters are a class that its first half is written in the ToM and the second half is on these boards (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74519) :smallbiggrin:
If you do not modify him he has few mysteries known and per day. However nocturmancer is a very powerful class and the master of shadow PrC is very fun too to play.
Relevant (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7158674#post7158674) threads (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6932638#post6932638) on this topic.
In short its a full caster with 9th level spells but doesn't make most DM's gape in awe about the broken stuff full casters usually do :smallwink:
Also he is more durable and focused on abilities that are close range and more easily bypass defenses. If your campaign focuses on 2-3 hard encounters / day and is 7th level or greater then he will do ok.

Zaq
2009-11-26, 03:39 AM
Shadowcasters have a lot of fun tricks, but get very few uses of those tricks per day (and I do mean VERY few, since unlike even a prepared caster, a Shadowcaster cannot devote different numbers of slots to the challenges of the day). If all casters were like them, I think that the game would be a lot better... but if you're in a party with a proper caster, you'll feel a little bit outdone.

That said, a Shadowcaster is still capable of a lot of things. Just not for very long. Oh, and I wouldn't play a Shadowcaster at low levels. You need to be within the 7-9 range at a minimum before you stop running out of steam way too early.