Quirken
2010-02-28, 04:03 PM
My DM recently started up a Monster/Scoundrel campaign set in Faerun. It wasn't long before I began to feel like the level adjustment (+4 !) of the Shade template just was NOT worth it. It gave you some cool abilities, but it absolutely did almost no good in combat.
As a result, I've attempted to transform the Shade Template from Races of Faerun into a viable prestige class.
Changes to template / Sources
I removed the spell resistance bonus
I added +2 to a few skills, and overall +2 to attack
You can attempt to hide after a Shadow Step
Added Shadow Pounce.
Abilities are now supernatural, rather than spell-like, with the exception of invisibility.
I borrowed a few ideas from here: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Shadowdancer,_Tome_%283.5e_Prestige_Class%29 , namely I added a slightly weaker Shadow Strike, which is no longer a touch attack
I have two purposes for posting this here:
1) I want to share this new Prestige class.
2) I'd like feedback. I want this to be "balanced" such that my DM is likely to accept it. Please be as brutal as necessary. If something feels OP, tell me. If something seems like I could make it stronger and it would be fair, please tell me!
I have also made a high quality version you can find here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/27625098
Without further ado...
Eclipse Shade
d6 HD
Requirements
To qualify to become an Eclipse Shade, you must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any nongood
Skills: Hide 8 ranks, Move Silently 8 ranks
Special: Sneak Attack +2d6
Special: Must be given the blessing of the Princes of Shade.
Class Skills: As Rogue.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
{table=head]Level|Base[br]Attack[br]Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Creature of Shadow Bonus
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+0|Creature of Shadow, Shadow Strike, Shadesight, Control Light|+2 balance, jump, tumble, +4 spot/listen, +8 hide/move silently
2nd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+1|Shadow Slide (Standard Action), Shade's Step|Fast Healing 2
3rd|
+2|
+2|
+2|
+2|Shadow Slide (Move Action), Sneak Attack +1d6|+1 dex, +1 AC, Speed +5ft
4th|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3|Invisibility, Shadow Pounce|+1 cha, +1 AC, speed +5ft
5th|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3|Improved Shadow Strike, Shadow Image|+1 dex, +1 AC, speed +5ft
6th|
+4|
+4|
+4|
+4|Shadow Travel, Sneak Attack +2d6|+1 cha, +1 AC, speed +5ft
[/table]
Class Features
All Eclipse Shade have the following when within shadows or darkness.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
You gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Creature of Shadow
By trading some portion of your soul for the stuff of shadow, become a creature of the Plane of Shadow. In well-lit surroundings (daylight or the radius of a daylight spell) none of these powers function.
Shades are considered to be of the outsider type. Additionally, Eclipse Shades gain the following benefits:
Shadow Ability: At 2nd and 4th level, a shade gains +1 dexterity.
At 3rd and 5th level, a shade gains +1 charisma.
Speed of Shadow: At every level except for 1st and 6th, a shade gains an additional +5 movement speed as long as he remains in shadows. This bonus is reduced to +3 in medium or heavy armor. Additionally, the shade gains an effective +1 deflection bonus to AC for each additional movement bonus.
Shadow Life: At 6th level, a shade gains Fast Healing 2.
Shadow Strike (Su)
Shadows engulf your weapon of choice (melee or ranged), guiding it with deadly force towards your foe. Before you make an attack roll, announce you are making a Shadow Strike. Pick a number of dice less than your sneak attack dice. When you roll your attack, add this many d6 to your attack roll. If you hit, you automatically succeed at a sneak attack, and deal your remaining sneak attack dice as cold damage (in addition to normal weapon damage). You may only make one such strike every other round.
At 5th level, a shade’s Shadow Strike can, at your option, deal negative energy damage instead of cold damage, as the target creature's own shadow turns to attack him. For this attack, your sneak attack damage increases one die size (from d6 to d8).
Shadesight (Su)
The shade has 60-foot darkvision. He can see normally through any darkness effects but not through fog, invisibility, obscurement, and so on.
Control Light (Su)
The shade can decrease the levels of light within a 100-foot radius by a factor of 10% per character (not class) level. For characters and creatures dependent on light to see, this decreases the effective range of vision for them by the same percentage. For each 25% decrease in light, anyone within the area gains a +1 circumstance bonus on Hide checks.
Shadow Stride (Su)
As a standard action as often as once every 2 rounds, a shade of 2nd level or higher can shrink into his own shadow and reappear in any shadowy area within 300 feet.
At third level, this becomes a move action. Upon arrival, you may attempt ot hide as a standard action.
Sneak Attack
This is exactly like the Rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage increases by +1d6 every three levels (3rd, 6th). This damage stacks with any sneak attack bonus from other sources.
Invisibility (Sp)
The shade can use this ability once per round as a sorcerer of his character (not class) level.
Shadow Pounce (Ex)
At 4th level, the shade can make a full attack action after using Shadow Slide. If he uses this ability, it immediately ends his turn. Additionally, once per encounter per enemy, this foe is considered flat footed for the purpose of this attack.
Shadow Image (Su)
Three times per day, the shade can use this spell-like ability (similar to the mirror image spell) as a sorcerer of his character (not class) level. This creates 1d4 figments of the shade, +1 per three levels.
Shadow Travel (Su)
If the shade has 12 or more class levels, then he can use teleport without error to reach a shadowy locale on the same world or plane shift to access the Plane of Shadows. A shade can shadow travel once per day.
As a result, I've attempted to transform the Shade Template from Races of Faerun into a viable prestige class.
Changes to template / Sources
I removed the spell resistance bonus
I added +2 to a few skills, and overall +2 to attack
You can attempt to hide after a Shadow Step
Added Shadow Pounce.
Abilities are now supernatural, rather than spell-like, with the exception of invisibility.
I borrowed a few ideas from here: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Shadowdancer,_Tome_%283.5e_Prestige_Class%29 , namely I added a slightly weaker Shadow Strike, which is no longer a touch attack
I have two purposes for posting this here:
1) I want to share this new Prestige class.
2) I'd like feedback. I want this to be "balanced" such that my DM is likely to accept it. Please be as brutal as necessary. If something feels OP, tell me. If something seems like I could make it stronger and it would be fair, please tell me!
I have also made a high quality version you can find here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/27625098
Without further ado...
Eclipse Shade
d6 HD
Requirements
To qualify to become an Eclipse Shade, you must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any nongood
Skills: Hide 8 ranks, Move Silently 8 ranks
Special: Sneak Attack +2d6
Special: Must be given the blessing of the Princes of Shade.
Class Skills: As Rogue.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
{table=head]Level|Base[br]Attack[br]Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Creature of Shadow Bonus
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+0|Creature of Shadow, Shadow Strike, Shadesight, Control Light|+2 balance, jump, tumble, +4 spot/listen, +8 hide/move silently
2nd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+1|Shadow Slide (Standard Action), Shade's Step|Fast Healing 2
3rd|
+2|
+2|
+2|
+2|Shadow Slide (Move Action), Sneak Attack +1d6|+1 dex, +1 AC, Speed +5ft
4th|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3|Invisibility, Shadow Pounce|+1 cha, +1 AC, speed +5ft
5th|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3|Improved Shadow Strike, Shadow Image|+1 dex, +1 AC, speed +5ft
6th|
+4|
+4|
+4|
+4|Shadow Travel, Sneak Attack +2d6|+1 cha, +1 AC, speed +5ft
[/table]
Class Features
All Eclipse Shade have the following when within shadows or darkness.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
You gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Creature of Shadow
By trading some portion of your soul for the stuff of shadow, become a creature of the Plane of Shadow. In well-lit surroundings (daylight or the radius of a daylight spell) none of these powers function.
Shades are considered to be of the outsider type. Additionally, Eclipse Shades gain the following benefits:
Shadow Ability: At 2nd and 4th level, a shade gains +1 dexterity.
At 3rd and 5th level, a shade gains +1 charisma.
Speed of Shadow: At every level except for 1st and 6th, a shade gains an additional +5 movement speed as long as he remains in shadows. This bonus is reduced to +3 in medium or heavy armor. Additionally, the shade gains an effective +1 deflection bonus to AC for each additional movement bonus.
Shadow Life: At 6th level, a shade gains Fast Healing 2.
Shadow Strike (Su)
Shadows engulf your weapon of choice (melee or ranged), guiding it with deadly force towards your foe. Before you make an attack roll, announce you are making a Shadow Strike. Pick a number of dice less than your sneak attack dice. When you roll your attack, add this many d6 to your attack roll. If you hit, you automatically succeed at a sneak attack, and deal your remaining sneak attack dice as cold damage (in addition to normal weapon damage). You may only make one such strike every other round.
At 5th level, a shade’s Shadow Strike can, at your option, deal negative energy damage instead of cold damage, as the target creature's own shadow turns to attack him. For this attack, your sneak attack damage increases one die size (from d6 to d8).
Shadesight (Su)
The shade has 60-foot darkvision. He can see normally through any darkness effects but not through fog, invisibility, obscurement, and so on.
Control Light (Su)
The shade can decrease the levels of light within a 100-foot radius by a factor of 10% per character (not class) level. For characters and creatures dependent on light to see, this decreases the effective range of vision for them by the same percentage. For each 25% decrease in light, anyone within the area gains a +1 circumstance bonus on Hide checks.
Shadow Stride (Su)
As a standard action as often as once every 2 rounds, a shade of 2nd level or higher can shrink into his own shadow and reappear in any shadowy area within 300 feet.
At third level, this becomes a move action. Upon arrival, you may attempt ot hide as a standard action.
Sneak Attack
This is exactly like the Rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage increases by +1d6 every three levels (3rd, 6th). This damage stacks with any sneak attack bonus from other sources.
Invisibility (Sp)
The shade can use this ability once per round as a sorcerer of his character (not class) level.
Shadow Pounce (Ex)
At 4th level, the shade can make a full attack action after using Shadow Slide. If he uses this ability, it immediately ends his turn. Additionally, once per encounter per enemy, this foe is considered flat footed for the purpose of this attack.
Shadow Image (Su)
Three times per day, the shade can use this spell-like ability (similar to the mirror image spell) as a sorcerer of his character (not class) level. This creates 1d4 figments of the shade, +1 per three levels.
Shadow Travel (Su)
If the shade has 12 or more class levels, then he can use teleport without error to reach a shadowy locale on the same world or plane shift to access the Plane of Shadows. A shade can shadow travel once per day.