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Owrtho
2009-12-17, 02:25 AM
Well, I was recently thinking of making a character using the Shadowsworn class from the Book of Roguish Luck, which is a somewhat of a cross between a rogue and a spell caster with half casting (spells go to level 4 and are spontaneous), and mostly shadow themed spells. As such I was considering changing replacing the casting with shadowcasting from the Tome of Magic (in part due to setting reasons which cause arcane magic to not function normally but shadow magic to be fine). However, after looking at the shadowcaster, I realized that just halving the amount of mysteries learned and such would likely be much weaker then halving spell progression of a normal caster. As such I wondered if there might be a way to make an equivalent progression of shadow magic to half casting.

Thank you,
Owrtho

peacenlove
2009-12-17, 07:34 AM
A setting influenced by shadowcasting :smallsmile: I wish i was a player :smallsigh:
Shadowcasting is weaker than arcane magic as you said. An idea that comes to my mind is that you give him 12 mysteries over 20 levels (that is 6 apprentice and 6 initiate mysteries of up to 6th level) and when he gains his 7th mystery, transform the apprentice mysteries known into spell like abilities.
I say 6th because 4th level spells at level 20 are kinda weak and he gains very few uses per day from his mysteries (however i do not know anything about the shadowsworn class so i could be very wrong).
This class should not get bonus feats as a normal shadowcaster would (unless you customize the list of available feats).
A question (though the answer might be obvious), will he use his own spell list (if he has a set list and not something like "all spells with the shadow subschool") or the one granted by the shadowcaster?

Owrtho
2009-12-17, 06:26 PM
Well, the setting isn't influenced by shadowcasting too much (to my knowledge), but the source of all arcane magic (which was also the channel that allowed divine casters to communicate with their god) was destroyed making it only possible to use arcane or divine magic near fragments of it (most of which are to large to transport). Shadow magic still works just fine however (and I've always thought it awesome anyways).

For your question, the shadowsworn has his own spell list, but as he would be using shadow magic (which has no spell list but uses mysteries), he wouldn't use any spell list (just the mysteries). The shadowcaster also has no spell list.

As for the shadowsworn, it has spellcasting to level 4 (as I said), and also has the following:
*Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat at level 1
*Darkvision +30 feet at levels 2, 7, 13, and 19
*sneak attack +1d6 at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 20
*can turn his shadow into a familiar at level 4
*can turn normal shadows into the creature at level 8
*can blind opponents by stealing their sight at level 10
*can make a shadow copy of himself at level 14 which he controls and shares *all senses with
*can once per day make an attack that deals negative energy damage to *those that fail a reflex save in a 20 foot radius at level 16
*can use the spell shadow walk 3 times a day at level 19
*and can turn into a shadow at will at level 20

Anyways, how would you distribute the mysteries known? After all, i can't think of a particularly easy way to split 12 into 20.

Thank you,
Owrtho

peacenlove
2009-12-18, 01:30 AM
Hmm true. Here's an idea to split the mysteries based on the PHB 3,5 bard (something like gaining mysteries at levels 2,3, 4,5 7,8 (At this level transformation of apprentice level mysteries to spell like occurs), 10,11, 13,14, 16,17).
However you could rule that you need 3 mysteries of the same level (instead of he normal 2) to be able to select a mystery of the next level (so you limit the class to 4th level mysteries) And you could base it off the ranger (gaining mysteries at levels 4,5,6, 8,9,10, 11,12,13(At this level transformation of apprentice level mysteries to spell like occurs), 14,15,16).
However, while the original class gained bonus spells due to a high score, now he doesn't and you need to close that gap with the bonus feat system presented in the ToM (but maybe retooled a little since he is a combat class)

What i meant by the shadowcaster spell list is the mysteries presented in the tome of magic supplement. However consider my question answered.

lightningcat
2009-12-18, 03:19 PM
This is taken from my version of the ninja (which I will place here when I get it a little more complete) and might work as a base point for you.

Fundamentals of Shadow: At 1st level, Ninjas learn the basics of shadowmagic before proceeding to deeper secrets of shadow. These powers, known as fundamentals, function as supernatural abilities usable three times per day. You begin play with two fundamentals. At 14th level, you can use your fundamentals 6 times a day. You can, when gaining a new level choose a new fundamental in place of another mystery. When choosing a fundamental, you can “relearn” an already known fundamental, thus gaining another set of uses of that fundamental per day. The save DC of any fundamental is equal to 10 + your Charisma modifier.
Mysteries and Paths: At 3rd level, you learn to invoke mystical secrets called mysteries (see the Tome of Magic). You learn one mystery at 3rd level and gain one additional mystery every odd class level afterwards. Up to 10th level, you can learn only apprentice mysteries. At 11th level, you gain access to initiate mysteries. Unlike shadowcasters, you are never able to learn master mysteries. You can choose your new mystery from any category you have access to (including fundamentals). For example, at 15th level, you could select either a fundamental, an apprentice mystery, or an initiate mystery.
Shadow magic progresses in very specific stages. You may not “jump ahead” in a path, although you need not complete a path if you do not wish to. Within a category (apprentice or initiate), you can only learn mysteries of a new level if you have learned at least three mysteries of a previous level, and you must know all previous mysteries within a path to select a mystery from that path. For example, you cannot learn congress of shadows (the second mystery of the Ebon Whispers path) until you know at least two 1st level mysteries, one of which must be voice of shadow (the first mystery of that path). However you can always select the first mystery in a path of a category you have access to, even if you didn't complete the lower category paths. For example, you could learn the shadow vision mystery, the first one (4th level) in the Initiate Veil of Shadows path, even if you know no 3rd level mysteries (all of which are in the Apprentice category).
Mysteries represent thought patterns ans formula so alien that other spells seem simple in comparison. As you progress, however, you mysteries become more ingrained in your essence. When you are capable of casting only apprentice mysteries, you cast them as though they were arcane spells, each once per day. They all have somatic components, armor-based spell failure chance, and are subject to interruption (but they do not require material components, foci, or verbal components). Whenever you cast a mystery as an arcane spell, observers can make a DC 15 Spot check to note that your shadow is making different gestures from the ones you make when you cast the mystery.
At 11th level, when you become capable of casting initiate mysteries (whether or not you choose to learn any), your apprentice mysteries become so much a part of you that they now function as spell-like abilities, they no longer require somatic components and you may use them each twice a day. Your new initiate mysteries (when you learn them) function as arcane spells and follow the rules described above.
You can learn a mystery more than once. Each time you relearn a mystery, you gain another set of uses of that mystery per day.
Unlike spellcasters, you don't get bonus mysteries for a high ability score. Although you do not prepare spells, you must rest for 8 hours and meditate for 15 minutes each day to regain your mysteries just as a sorcerer or bard must rest and meditate to regain use of their spell slots.
In order to cast a mystery, you must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the mystery's level. The save DC for your mysteries equals 10 + mystery level + your Charisma modifer. Even though as a ninja you do not “cast spells” in the traditional sense, your levels in this class count for the purposes of determining your overall caster level.