The Shadow That Was and Shadowcasters: incompatible?

[Xuldarinar]

Looking through the tome of magic, I noticed two interesting things.


1: Tome of Magic pg.64


TENEBROUS AS A GOD
Although Tenebrous exists only as a vestige, clerics who worship him receive spells from somewhere. Perhaps the remnants of his divinity are sufficient that he can still grant spells, or perhaps the spells come from some other source (much as the spells "granted" by demon lords do). His clerics have access to the Chaos, Death, Evil, and Trickery domains. As a deity, consider Tenebrous to be neutral evil.


2: Tome of Magic pg.117


SHADOWCASTERS AND PRESTIGE CLASSES
…
Levels in shadowcaster do not qualify a character for prestige classes with the following entry requirements:

A caster level requirement where the type (arcane or divine) is specified. Exception: Shadowcasters can qualify for the mystic theurge prestige class (DMG 192). In order to do so, they are allowed to substitute the ability to cast 2nd level mysteries for the ability to cast 2nd-level spells. They must meet all other requirements for the prestige class normally. In addition, if a shadowcaster takes cleric levels to meet the divine spellcasting requirement, he must be devoted to a god that grants access to one of the following domains: Knowledge, Magic, Darkness*, or Illusion*.

*Domain described in Spell Compendium.
…



Does anyone else find it strange, the vestige that grants mysteries to binders isn't permitted as a deity for shadowcaster/cleric mystic theurges?

[Psyren]

Yeah it's weird (though there are other bits of weirdness like Shar not getting Shadow.) I'd have no problem giving Tenebrous Shadow and Darkness.

[The Viscount]

Huh. Isn't that interesting. Likely due to lack of communication between the teams for that one.

[Xuldarinar]

Yeah it's weird (though there are other bits of weirdness like Shar not getting Shadow.) I'd have no problem giving Tenebrous Shadow and Darkness.

Thats a reasonable change. Though, it occurs to me.. Binder/Cleric/Shadowcaster/Tenebrous Apostate/Mystic Theurge, would suffer from a bit of MAD.



Huh. Isn't that interesting. Likely due to lack of communication between the teams for that one.

That seems likely to be the case.

[T.G. Oskar]

Note that Tenebrous' four domains are all Core/PHB domains, whereas the allowed domains for Shadowcasters include two that aren't part of core (namely, Darkness and Illusion). Basically, to explain how Tenebrous works as a deity, the developers working with the Pact Magic section gave it a short reference, and allow the DM to expand.

Adding either the Darkness or the Illusion domain to Tenebrous would imply houseruling them, though measuring the power Tenebrous has (or rather, had) as a deity. If it's something like demigod, then having too many domains won't make sense; a lesser god *might* wing either of the two, and an intermediate god could probably add both. This would be like the expansions given to Core deities in books like Complete Warrior and Complete Divine; Heironeous, for example (the one that comes to my mind, actually), has the Good, Law and War domains as its base domains, but it also gains the Glory and Nobility domains, and if you use CWar, the book allows giving the Courage domain to him.

In a related note: Heironeous is the god of lightning, and he doesn't have access to the Air or Storm domains, in order to grant his clerics electricity powers. He's an intermediate deity with about 7-8 domains total, of which only 3 are from Core, and the rest are from splatbooks. Make of that what you will.