Jigokuro
2013-04-11, 12:03 PM
The Shadowsmith PrC from Tome of Magic has always seemed really cool to me in theory and flavor, but has also seemed really weak in execution.
I suppose the 'free' +5 weapon you'd have basically as the (only) capstone is what could be cited as good about the class, and that is, but my main qualm is how back loaded AND weak all the other features are.
The first to level's features are basically nothing at all when you get them, since their effect scales by level. Later the first one stays irrelevant because you'll have magical flight, while the second eventually helps but only if you are the party sneak, but this class doesn't seem like a rogue extension (no sneak attack, search/disable dev/open lock/etc not on skill list, full BAB) as much as for a fighter type (though the know(arc/planes) skill reqs hurt there, is this the worst gish class ever?). The shadow casting is next to nothing, not even granting fundamentals; the cloak of shadows path seems like the 'best' choice.
The armor bonus is nice, but taking a standard action to activate before 10th makes it situation. (again, backloaded)
5th level is a dead level, period.:smallmad:
The actual crafting ability, the main draw and feature I really like, advances way to slowly at first then jumps quickly up; granting a +1 weapon no earlier than ecl 11, but then up to an effective +8 (counting Shadowstriking) weapon as soon as ecl 16! (though shadowstriking is overpriced imo)
My point is, I love the class's flavor, the pull-anything-you-need-from-a-shadow feel is just cool, but the class sucks pretty bad. Perhaps not at full --a lvl20 with 10 levels of this in his build could be happy-- but this is just awful to actually level through from 1st. So, how can this class be fixed to be less backloaded and generally more balanced, or (if I'm missing something) used more effectively as is?
I suppose the 'free' +5 weapon you'd have basically as the (only) capstone is what could be cited as good about the class, and that is, but my main qualm is how back loaded AND weak all the other features are.
The first to level's features are basically nothing at all when you get them, since their effect scales by level. Later the first one stays irrelevant because you'll have magical flight, while the second eventually helps but only if you are the party sneak, but this class doesn't seem like a rogue extension (no sneak attack, search/disable dev/open lock/etc not on skill list, full BAB) as much as for a fighter type (though the know(arc/planes) skill reqs hurt there, is this the worst gish class ever?). The shadow casting is next to nothing, not even granting fundamentals; the cloak of shadows path seems like the 'best' choice.
The armor bonus is nice, but taking a standard action to activate before 10th makes it situation. (again, backloaded)
5th level is a dead level, period.:smallmad:
The actual crafting ability, the main draw and feature I really like, advances way to slowly at first then jumps quickly up; granting a +1 weapon no earlier than ecl 11, but then up to an effective +8 (counting Shadowstriking) weapon as soon as ecl 16! (though shadowstriking is overpriced imo)
My point is, I love the class's flavor, the pull-anything-you-need-from-a-shadow feel is just cool, but the class sucks pretty bad. Perhaps not at full --a lvl20 with 10 levels of this in his build could be happy-- but this is just awful to actually level through from 1st. So, how can this class be fixed to be less backloaded and generally more balanced, or (if I'm missing something) used more effectively as is?