[PF]Shadowcasting for dummies.

[Doorhandle]

Alright, I have an idea playing around in my head of making a shadowcaster wizard in order to abuse the various shadow metamagics (tenebrous and umbral spell, shadow grasp) for all their worth. Advice for pathfinder society is preferred but not nessiary.

I'm planning on getting spell focus, magic tattoo (illusion), and all the relevant metamagics above,

1.What race? While I eventually get darkvison and am pretty feat-starved, I would rather not wait until level 5 until being able to shoot into my own darkness, so human is not ideal.
2. What other feats? Shadowcaster replaces two of them so I only have a few to spare.
3. What are some good tricks to use? Umbral spell on my mage armour is a good start...
4. Best spells? Color spray/mirror image/invisiblity chain/darkness chain is a must, dazzling blade is also neat, but what else?
5. Is there much benefit to using shadow conjuration/evocation over the normal spells of that type? Sure I can use my metamagic with them, but that gets expensive fast.

[Psyren]

A Wayang (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/uncommon-races/arg-wayang) is probably going to be your best bet for a race - Int and Dex bonus, penalty to a dump stat, small size, darkvision, and best of all, a bonus to the save DC of any Shadow spells they cast. They may not be available for PFS though.

They're nasty little buggers:
http://paizo.com/image/content/PathfinderRPG/PZO1121-Wayang.jpg

Alternatively, you could go with a Fetchling and be a Sorcerer instead, perhaps with the Shadow bloodline. Alterna-alternatively, for surefire PFS legality, you can be a Gnome Sorcerer.

[Mjollnir075]

Fletchling (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/fetchling)

Comes with some built in shadowalking, albeit a little on the weak side at 9th level. Thematically appropriate.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

If you want Darkness as an SLA, use a tiefling. With their Fiendish Darkness feat, you get to use it 3/day. And, I'm pretty sure you can still make Tiefling characters in PFS without a boon.

[Doorhandle]

If you want Darkness as an SLA, use a tiefling. With their Fiendish Darkness feat, you get to use it 3/day. And, I'm pretty sure you can still make Tiefling characters in PFS without a boon.

Good point. Probably won't need the free slots too much, but it would be nice to have early/as a bonus.

Wayang would be awesome, but certainly not PFS material.

Also, another thing: is there a way to grant allies darkvison besides spamming a wand of darkvison at them?

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Wayangs and Fetchlings ARE legal, if you have a boon.

[Doorhandle]

Wayangs and Fetchlings ARE legal, if you have a boon.

:D

...Now which adventure path grants such a boon?

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Going to a convention and being lucky. Or convincing someone with an unused boon to give it to you, somehow. If its Wayang only, it will be easier, as nobody want to play them.

[Raven777]

Power wise, Shadow Conjuration and Shadow Evocation are nice because you can Tenebrous them for free. They also have a higher DC than the spell you emulate, since they are a 4th and 5th level spell, respectively, and benefit from the DC increases of Spell Focus (Illusion) and the like. Finally, they always are a standard action to cast and require no material components. That's a big deal. If you get to 9th level spells and use Shades, it means you can whip up a Demiplane on a standard action.

They are also versatile. Each prepared slot of Shadow Conjuration or Shadow Evocation means you can spontaneously access dozens of different spells to match any situation. Need Blasting? Tenebrous Shadow Dragon Breath. Need Battlefield Control? Tenebrous Shadow Create Pit. Need transportation? Tenebrous Shadow Phantom Steed. Need a Big Stupig Fighter proof shield you can cast through because you know it's fake? Tenebrous Shadow Resilient Sphere, which also protects your personal space against an AMF should somebody cast one. Need debuffing? Tenebrous Shadow Glitterdust. Need a version of Darkness your allies can see through? Tenebrous Shadow Darkness on the fighter's armor. Your allies know it is fake because you told them before the battle, auto succeed their saves, they can see right through the darkness, your enemies cannot. Need to blow the DM's mind? Tenebrous Umbral Grasping Shadow Daylight.

These two guides might be relevant to your interests :
Shadow Conjuration - Guide and Reference Manual (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5kvBvq2DEHjR1dOeEVkRUU4WlU/edit?pli=1)
Shadow Evocation: More Than Just Blasts (A Guide) (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5kvBvq2DEHjTVF4NEY4SXpSTUU/edit?pli=1)

EDIT : Upon verification Shadow Darkness and Shadow Daylight cannot work because they target objects, which then radiate the darkness / light. If the objects auto succeed their save, they won't glow. Kind of a shame.

[Doorhandle]

Power wise, Shadow Conjuration and Shadow Evocation are nice because you can Tenebrous them for free. They also have a higher DC than the spell you emulate, since they are a 4th and 5th level spell, respectively, and benefit from the DC increases of Spell Focus (Illusion) and the like. Finally, they always are a standard action to cast and require no material components. That's a big deal. If you get to 9th level spells and use Shades, it means you can whip up a Demiplane on a standard action.

They are also versatile. Each prepared slot of Shadow Conjuration or Shadow Evocation means you can spontaneously access dozens of different spells to match any situation. Need Blasting? Tenebrous Shadow Dragon Breath. Need Battlefield Control? Tenebrous Shadow Create Pit. Need transportation? Tenebrous Shadow Phantom Steed. Need a Big Stupig Fighter proof shield you can cast through because you know it's fake? Tenebrous Shadow Resilient Sphere, which also protects your personal space against an AMF should somebody cast one. Need debuffing? Tenebrous Shadow Glitterdust. Need a version of Darkness your allies can see through? Tenebrous Shadow Darkness on the fighter's armor. Your allies know it is fake because you told them before the battle, auto succeed their saves, they can see right through the darkness, your enemies cannot. Need to blow the DM's mind? Tenebrous Umbral Grasping Shadow Daylight.

These two guides might be relevant to your interests :
Shadow Conjuration - Guide and Reference Manual (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5kvBvq2DEHjR1dOeEVkRUU4WlU/edit?pli=1)
Shadow Evocation: More Than Just Blasts (A Guide) (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5kvBvq2DEHjTVF4NEY4SXpSTUU/edit?pli=1)

... Looks like level 10 is going to be FUUUUUUN. :smallbiggrin:

On a related note, I think i'm going to be the scariest gnome ever.

Also: Going to take the shadow subschool. Even without the chance of blinding, entangling people is shadow is nice, and shadow step is likewise fun.

[Raven777]

Level 8 is going to be fun. Just Shadow Conjuration is already pretty amazing. Shadow Projection (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shadow-projection) might also be relevant to your interests. Not sure if [Evil] spells are PFS-Ok, but it allows you to lurk around as a Shadow while your body is safe somewhere else. It has an insane duration of 1 hour/level.

Incorporeality and all the immunities that come from being undead is great for scouting if you ever feel like it.

In a home game, I would also mention that nothing in RAW prohibits you from (Silent) casting while Shadow Projecting. It lists a bunch of things you gain, but never what you might lose. But I know PFS follows forum developer posts on the Paizo boards like some kind of gospel and James Jacobs says otherwise (http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2l7ns&page=420?Ask-James-Jacobs-ALL-your-Questions-Here#20982).

Still, you can hang out as a Shadow if you ever feel like it, which is always a nice trick to show off at parties.