3.X Ancillary Contest I - The Darkness Consumes

[Zaydos]

Darkness Overwhelms

Welcome one and all to the Ancillary Contest I. What is this you are wondering? Well having class isn't everything, and sometimes it's cool to make the smaller pieces of brew that can really expand a character. So that's what this is for: Feats, spells, invocations, vestiges, soulmelds, maneuvers and more.

This contests theme is Darkness, whether physical or spiritual. Feats for fighting in darkness, spells with the darkness descriptor, a martial discipline built around fighting without sight.


Rules


You will be creating a piece of homebrew intended for PC use which is not a Base Class or a Prestige Class. This could be one of many things, feats, spells, invocations, vestiges, soulmelds, maneuvers, or something else.
Your entry must be complete. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
You are allowed one entry per contest. An entry can include multiple feats, spells, invocations, etc, or even a combination of spells, feats, and so forth but must be connected in some way and one cohesive unit. This could just be a bunch of feats about the contest's theme (mechanically cohesive), or a selection of spells, feats, and vestiges representing the secret arts of a certain sect (fluff cohesion), or so forth.
Your entry must be new and not posted anywhere previously. All entries must be posted in this thread and no where else until after the contest is finished.
Plagiarism is a no no. The point is to stretch your creativity, and the only prize is knowing people like your stuff, so really it'd be rather pointless to do.
Format templates for various things will be posted below. These will be included primarily for your ease and to help ensure you remember to include relevant parts of the spell entry, etc.


This contest will run through March 12th 23:59 Eastern Standard Time at which point a Voting Thread will be posted and voting will run for a time to still be determined.

Chat thread. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?399650-3-X-Ancillary-Contest-Chat-Thread)

[Zaydos]

Templates

Feats:

Name
Description of feat.
Prerequisites:
Benefit: What the feat actually does mechanically.
Special: Any additional information about the feat, for example whether it can be taken more than once.

Name
Description of feat.
Prerequisites:
Benefit: What the feat actually does mechanically.
Special: Any additional information about the feat, for example whether it can be taken more than once.


Spells:
Name
School (subschool) [Descriptors]
Level: Where it goes on spell lists.
Components:
Casting Time:
Range: Usually Personal, Touch, Close (25-ft +5-ft/2 caster levels), Medium (100-ft + 10-ft/caster level), or Long (400-ft + 40-ft/caster levels), although other ranges are happen largely on Area effects which originate from the caster.
Target: Only one
Effect: of these
Area: three
Duration:
Saving Throw: Excluded from personal spells.
Spell Resistance: Excluded from personal spells.
Descriptive text
Game mechanic effect.

Spells:
Name
School (subschool) [Descriptors]
Level: Where it goes on spell lists.
Components:
Casting Time:
Range: Usually Personal, Touch, Close (25-ft +5-ft/2 caster levels), Medium (100-ft + 10-ft/caster level), or Long (400-ft + 40-ft/caster levels), although other ranges are happen largely on Area effects which originate from the caster.
Target: Only one
Effect: of these
Area: three
Duration:
Saving Throw: Excluded from personal spells.
Spell Resistance: Excluded from personal spells.
Descriptive text
Game mechanic effect.


Invocations:
While I prefer a variation of the spell format with Grade thrown in the official format is

Name
Grade; Level Equivalent; If it is an Eldritch Essence or Invocation.
Game mechanic effect (don’t forget range and duration).

Name
Grade; Level Equivalent; If it is an Eldritch Essence or Invocation.
Game mechanic effect (don’t forget range and duration).

Vestige:
Name
Vestige Level:
Binding DC:
Special Requirement: Y/N
Who/what your vestige is.
Legend: Legend behind the vestige.
Special Requirement: If it has a special requirement list it here.
Manifestation: What the vestige looks like when it manifests.
Sign: The physical manifestation of the pact on your body.
Influence: The mental influence the vestige applies to you, and what actions it objects to.
Granted Abilities: A brief description of the general abilities.
Ability name: Ability effect. Repeat a few times.
Ability name: Ability effect. Repeat a few times.
Ability name: Ability effect. Repeat a few times.

Name
Vestige Level:
Binding DC:
Special Requirement: Y/N
Who/what your vestige is.
Legend: Legend behind the vestige.
Special Requirement: If it has a special requirement list it here.
Manifestation: What the vestige looks like when it manifests.
Sign: The physical manifestation of the pact on your body.
Influence: The mental influence the vestige applies to you, and what actions it objects to.
Granted Abilities: A brief description of the general abilities.
Ability name: Ability effect. Repeat a few times.
Ability name: Ability effect. Repeat a few times.
Ability name: Ability effect. Repeat a few times.


Mysteries:

Name
Path Category, Path Name
Level/School:
Range:
Target: Only one
Effect: of these
Area: three
Duration:
Saving Throw: Excluded from personal spells.
Spell Resistance: Excluded from personal spells.
Fluff description
Game mechanics

Name
Path Category, Path Name
Level/School:
Range:
Target: Only one
Effect: of these
Area: three
Duration:
Saving Throw: Excluded from personal spells.
Spell Resistance: Excluded from personal spells.
Fluff description
Game mechanics

Utterances:

Name
Lexicon: Whether it’s Evolved Mind/Crafted Tool/Perfected Map
Level:
Range:
Target: Crafted Tool only.
Duration:

If Evolved Mind:
Normal: Fluff description
Mechanic description.
Reversed: Fluff description
Mechanic description.

If not:
Fluff description
Mechanic description.

Name
Lexicon: Whether it’s Evolved Mind/Crafted Tool/Perfected Map
Level:
Range:
Target: Crafted Tool only.
Duration:

If Evolved Mind:
Normal: Fluff description
Mechanic description.
Reversed: Fluff description
Mechanic description.

If not:
Fluff description
Mechanic description.

Maneuvers:
Name
Discipline (Maneuver type: Strike/Boost/Counter/Stance) [Descriptors]
Level:
Prerequisites: If any
Initiation Action: Typically standard (strike), swift (boost or stance), or immediate (counter).
Range: Commonly melee attack or personal.
Target: Normally 1 creature or You.
Duration: Exempted from strikes with instantaneous effects. Stances have Stance.
Saving Throw: If a save is allowed.
Fluff description
Mechanics.

Name
Discipline (Maneuver type: Strike/Boost/Counter/Stance) [Descriptors]
Level:
Prerequisites: If any
Initiation Action: Typically standard (strike), swift (boost or stance), or immediate (counter).
Range: Commonly melee attack or personal.
Target: Normally 1 creature or You.
Duration: Exempted from strikes with instantaneous effects. Stances have Stance.
Saving Throw: If a save is allowed.
Fluff description
Mechanics.

Psionic Powers
Name
Discipline [Descriptors]
Level: Where it goes on power lists.
Display:
Manifesting Time:
Range: Usually Personal, Touch, Close (25-ft +5-ft/2 manifester levels), Medium (100-ft + 10-ft/ manifester level), or Long (400-ft + 40-ft/ manifester levels), although other ranges are happen largely on Area effects which originate from the manifester.
Target: Only one
Effect: of these
Area: three
Duration:
Saving Throw: Excluded from personal spells.
Power Resistance: Excluded from personal spells.
Power Points: PP cost and if it costs XP.
Descriptive text
Game mechanic effect.
Augmentation: Augmentation effects.

Name
Discipline [Descriptors]
Level: Where it goes on power lists.
Display:
Manifesting Time:
Range: Usually Personal, Touch, Close (25-ft +5-ft/2 manifester levels), Medium (100-ft + 10-ft/ manifester level), or Long (400-ft + 40-ft/ manifester levels), although other ranges are happen largely on Area effects which originate from the manifester.
Target: Only one
Effect: of these
Area: three
Duration:
Saving Throw: Excluded from personal spells.
Power Resistance: Excluded from personal spells.
Power Points: PP cost and if it costs XP.
Descriptive text
Game mechanic effect.
Augmentation: Augmentation effects.

Soulmelds
Name
Descriptors: None is an option.
Classes: What classes get this meld.
Chakra: What chakras it can occupy. (Totem) is included for Totemist melds.
Saving Throw: None is an option.
Fluff description
Mechanics.
Essentia: Bonus from investment.

Chakra Bind (Chakra)
Fluff description
Mechanics.

Name
Descriptors: None is an option.
Classes: What classes get this meld.
Chakra: What chakras it can occupy. (Totem) is included for Totemist melds.
Saving Throw: None is an option.
Fluff description
Mechanics.
Essentia: Bonus from investment.

Chakra Bind (Chakra)
Fluff description
Mechanics.

[Beelzebub1111]

Hollow
Each living creature has a soul that burns like a candle in the darkness. A near infinismal few, however, are not. They are cold hollow shells, devoid of the faintest glimmer of life. The Ensouled can sense this darkness, and it fills them with fear and disgust. These Hollow beings are treated as invisible at best, pariah at worst. Few survive past childhood, being beaten and abandoned, outcast from society. A few, however, can learn to harness their soullessness and wield it.

Trait
Hollow
You were born without a soul. This offers certain benefits, but people and animals feel uneasy around you, and without a soul your body is difficult to resurrect.
Benefit: You are immune to spells and abilities that affect or damages your soul (Trap the Soul, Black Magic), and you are also immune to energy drain.
Drawback: -4 penalty to all charisma checks and charisma related skill checks (except intimidate). You cannot be raised or resurrected. Even a Wish spell or True Resurrection has a 50% chance to fail.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait tend to be quiet and reserved, almost completely stoic. Others are usually uncomfortable around this character and animals are never friendly to them.

Feats
Psionic Null
Your soul is a psychic void. Psionic powers have more difficulty affecting you than most others
Prerequisites:Hollow trait, Knowledge (Psionics) 4 ranks
Benefit: You gain Psionic Resistance equal to 10+Your character level+your charisma modifier, and magic resistance equal to half that amount.
Special: If you ever gain psionic powers or a power point reserve, you lose the benefit of this feat

Psionic Disruption
You have learned to extend the void to interfere with the psychic powers of those around you.
Prerequisites:Hollow Trait, Psionic Null, Knowlege Psionics 7 ranks
Benefit: If a psionic power is manifested within 30ft of you, it has a 5% chance to fail for every 2 character levels you possess.
Special: If you ever gain psionic powers or a power point reserve, you lose the benefit of this feat

Ignore Pain
Pain does not affect you the way it would affect the ensouled.
Prerequisites:Hollow Trait
Benefit: You take no penalties from effects that would cause you pain (Symbol of Pain, Inflict Pain psionic power), as well as damage caused by pain (Recall Agony psionic power). Additionally, If you are wounded by stepping on a caltrop, your speed is not reduced. The wound doesn’t go away, it is just ignored.

Face in the Crowd
Your deadpan mannerisms leave no lasting impression on people, and your appearance quickly fades from peoples memories.
Prerequisites:Hollow Trait, Hide 5 ranks, Disguise 5 ranks
Benefit: People attempting to see through your disguise can never gain the familiarity bonus on opposing spot checks for "Recognizes on sight". You gain a +4 bonus when using hide checks to blend in with a crowd.

Empty Vessel
Vestiges can appreciate not having to share space when riding along with a mortal
Prerequisites:Hollow Trait, Soul Binding
Benefit: You do not take your Hollow charisma check penalty when attempting to bind a vestige. Additionally, if you pass your binding check, you are treated as having the favored vestige feat with that vestige.

[Beelzebub1111]

Black Magic
Some spells that have been researched, are far too dangerous for the caster to consider. Black magic was developed by those that dared walk that line. The original creators of those spells have mostly met their end, but a few Hollow have found that they may cast these spells to no disadvantage. Black Magic spells may be learned by any arcane caster that knows of them.

The Soulless component: If an ensouled creature attempts to cast a spell with the Soulless component, they suffer the side effect listed in the spell description under "Ensouled". An "Ensouled" creature is any creature with a soul (Typically non-plant, non-construct creature with an intelligence, wisdom, and charisma score. with certain exceptions)

Wraith Blade
Conjuration (Summoning) [Evil]
Level: Black 6
Components: V, S, Soulless
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: 5 rounds minimum (See Text)
A black whispy blade that seems to be formed of smoke and shadow forms around your arm. You can feel a hunger and rage eminating from the blade
You call out to the realm of the dead for the spirit of a hungry wraith. The spirit latches to your arm and forms a black longsword that you are treated as proficient in. Attacks with this weapon use your caster level as your base attack bonus (including multiple attacks), you add your primary casting stat to damage instead of strength, and ignore damage reduction. When attacking a creature with a soul, the weapon deals an additional 1d8 points of damage per 4 caster levels. If you kill a creature with this blade, you gain 5 temporary hit points for the remainder of the spell's duration, add 5 more rounds to the duration of the spell, and the creature's soul is consumed by the blade, unable to be raised or resurrected by anything short of a Wish or Miracle.

ENSOULED: at the end of the spell's duration, the blades hunger overtakes it and it attacks you, attempting to eat your soul. After losing any temporary hitpoints, the blade automatically hits you dealing maximum damage. If this kills you, your soul is consumed by the blade as it returns from whence it came.

Shred Soul
Necromancy [Death]
Level: Black 9
Components: Verbal, Soulless
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100-ft + 10-ft/caster level)
Target: One ensouled creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will Partial
Spell Resistance: Yes
An invisible wind washes over the target, blowing through them, tearing at their very being
The caster projects its will forward through a target creature. It grabs at the core of their being and rips it out the other side scattering the essence to the void. On a failed saving throw, the target falls comatose, still alive but in an permanent vegetative state. A Wish or Miracle only has a 50% chance to restore their soul. Even if the target makes their saving throw they take 1d12 intelligence, wisdom, and charisma drain and take 1d4 negative levels. These negative levels and ability drain can even affect undead as long as they are ensouled.

Ensouled: The spell also affects the caster.

[MrNobody]

Vantax, the Grudging Shadow
Vestige Level: 5th.
Binding DC: 25
Special Requirement: Yes

Vantax was once a powerful elemental that struggled to make shadow the fifth main element in the universe. Beaten and vanquished before reaching his goal, he now grants control over shadows to those who bind him.

Legend: Forgotten legends tell that in the beginning of time, when the world was newly created and the first mortals where savage and uncivilized, all the elemental plane were cohexistent with the Material Plane just like the Astral Plane. Pale reflection of that reality, the elemental planes were inhabited by creature that struggled to find an autonomous place in the universe and free their home from what they defined “the slavery of the Prime”. Little by little, helping the mortals and proving their strenght as part of nature, the elemental forces gained their indipendence: first came the Elemental plane of Water (since water, prerequisite for mortal life, is indeed the most powerful element) and the other followed. The creator gods dragged the elemental planes away from the Prime making them the Inner Planes.
Among them only one plane was left behind: the Elemental plane of Shadow (today know only as Plane of Shadows). Its inhabitants, that at the time weren't evil, failed to prove their usefulness to the mortals and the universe and they were still struck in their unwanted position. While most of them were already giving up, sadly accepting their fate as mere reflections of the events of the Material Plane, one of them stood tall, continuing the battle to free the elemental shadow. He was Vantax, a shadow monolith old as the time itself.
At first his attempts were peaceful and honest, but failure after failure he became more deceiving. At first he tried to emulate the power of the other elementals: “if it worked with the others it will work for me”, he thought. But he was wrong: the shadowstuff that composed his black fire, the shadow water, the dark earth was unreliable and produced mostly uneffective illusions that could only enrage both mortals and Gods.
Willing to prove the power of shadow, Vantax then sent some envoys to interfere with the reproduction of a mortal race (the drows, that seemed more suitable for the purpose) and give them an inherited power over darkness. The obscure elvenkind was happy to see this new power rise but Lolth, their goddess and mother, did not appreciated the intereference in their affairs. Enraged, she hunted Vantax where he was hidden, made him prisoner and tortured him for years before destroying him in an moment of boredom.
The torture made Vantax mad: his mind collapsed on itself and all he could think about was his failed crusade to free the plane of Shadows and make it become the fifth Inner Plane. The grudge toward the other elemental and their success was his companion until destruction when his tortured spirit, unable to rest, became a vestige.
Nevertheless, the gift of Vantax remained and in centuries it has also spread among other races.

Special Requirement: The seal must be drawn at night or in area of darkness..
Manifestation: As you invoke Vantax, the shadow around you deepens, casting you in the total darkness. After a few moments of total silence, two yellow spheres of dim light (his eyes) appear floating several feets above the ground while a line of a similar glare highlights a 50ft tall vaguely humanoid shape made of pure darkness. Vantax stays there quietly, staring deep in your eyes while he grumbles curses towards unknown enemies..
Sign: A small portion of the binder’s body (tipically and hand or a foot) fades into darkness, almost vanishing from existence. That portion looks like an incorporeal, umbral version of the original, though remaining completely corporeal..
Influence: The binder that falls under the influence of Vantax shares the grudge that he feels toward the four elements. The Grudiging Shadow asks you to never associate with elemental creature and to stay as far as possible from the manifestation of their elements: this may include continuously cleaning the dirt off your boots, refusing to hold a lit torch or to stand too close to a bonfire, drinking anything but pure water.

Granted Abilities: Vantax empowers you when you’re surrounded by darkness, he gives you the ability to create false duplicates of the four elements and to command a small squad of shadow elementals..
Shadow Mastery (Ex): The binder gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and damage if both him and his foe are in an area of darkness or shadowy illumination. While in area of bright light (such as sunlight or that caused by a daylight spell), the binder takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls and damage rolls.

Shadow Envoys: You can call a small group of shadow elemental to act at your commands. This ability works like a summon nature ally spell, except that allows you to summon 1d3 Medium Shadow Elementals. At 13th level and every three level thereafter you can summon an extra Medium Shadow Elemental, up to 1d3+3 at 19th level. You can use this ability once every 5 round but you cannot use it again if the elementals conjured by the first use are still present.

Feign Elements: Once every 5 rounds you can replicate elemental effects that are partly real and partly made of pure shadow. This ability works like the spell shadow evocation except for what follows. With this ability you can mimic any spell of 4th level or lower (regardless of its school and of the list it comes from) as long as that spell has at least one of these descriptors: fire, water, earth and air. If you want to mimic a spell that belongs to more than a list you must look at its higher spell level to determinate if you can cast it or not. Stone shape is a trasmutation [earth] spell that appears in the 3rd level cleric’s and druid’s list while being a 4th level spell for wizard and sorcerers. In this case the binder could mimic it, but since the spell also appears as a 5th level spell in the Wu jen’s list it is considered a 5th level spell and therefore it’s not imitable.

Eyes of the Darkness: Just like a Shadow Elemental you can extend your perception all around you and use darkness (even your own shadow) as and extra eye. You gain blindsight out to 30 ft.


FEATS

Vantaxian Heritage. [Heritage]
You descend from the mortals that were blessed by Vantax with the power of shadow. Darkness is your home and shades embrace you like a brother.
Prerequisites: Any neutral.
Benefit: You gain a +2 on Hide checks. In addition, if you don’t have any mean to see in darkness you gain low-light vision, if you already have low-light vision you also gain darkvision out to 60ft.. If you already have darkvision its range improves by 10 ft.
Special: Since this gift was primarly designed for drows they gain more from the feat. A drow that selects this feat gains a +3 bonus to Hide checks and his darkvision improves by 15ft.

Vantaxian Shroud. [Heritage]
Tapping into your heritage you learn how to manipulate darkness at your advantage.
Prerequisites: Any neutral, Vantaxian Heritage, character level 6th.
Benefit: You gain the following mysteries, usable once per day as spell-like abilities: Sight Obscured, Sight Eclipsed and Dancing Shadows. You caster level equals your character level.
Special: Since this gift was primarly designed for drows they gain more from the feat. A drow that selects this feat has its caster level for the spell-like abilities gained from this feat equals its character level +1.

Vantaxian Legacy. [Heritage]
You reach the peak of the power over shadows, sinking even more in their mysteries.
Prerequisites: Any neutral, Vantaxian Heritage, character level 9th.
Benefit: You gain the following mysteries, usable once per day as spell-like abilities: Aura of Shade, Curtain of Shadows and Shadow Evocation. You caster level equals your character level.
Special: Since this gift was primarly designed for drows they gain more from the feat. A drow that selects this feathas its caster level for the spell-like abilities gained from this feat equals its character level +1.

Vantaxian Body. [Heritage]
Shadowstuff now compose part of your body, making you able to achieve an umbral state for a brief period.
Prerequisites: Any neutral, Vantaxian Heritage.
Benefit: Once per day, as a spell-like ability that requires a swift action to activate, you can call forth your inner shadow to become more similar to a shadow elemental. When you do this you become incorporeal for 1 round +1 round for every other “Vantaxian” heritage feat you possess (up to 5 rounds if you have all of them).
Special: Since this gift was primarly designed for drows they gain more from the feat. A drow that selects this feat can remain incorporeal for a number of rounds equal to 1+1 and ½ the number of other “Vantaxian” heritage feats he possesses (up to 7 rounds if he has all of them).

Improved Vantaxian Body. [Heritage]
You master the art to substitute your flesh with the ephemeral material from the Plane of Shadows.
Prerequisites: Any neutral, Vantaxian Heritage, Vantaxian Body
Benefit: You can divide the time of incorporeality given by Vantaxian body between different uses. You can divide your total allotment in as many uses as you want, provided that each one must last at least 1 round. You must spend a swift action to activate every use but not to continue an use activated in a previous round. For example, a creature with this feat and other 3 Vantaxian feats will have 4 round of incorporeality. He could become incorporeal once for 4 rounds, twice for 2 rounds each time (or 1 round the first time and 3 rounds the second) or even four times lasting each one only one round.
Special: Since this gift was primarly designed for drows they gain more from the feat. A drow that selects this feat adds its Charisma modifier to the number of rounds it can remain incorporeal.

Vantaxian Resistance. [Heritage]
Your bloodline insures your from cold damage.
Prerequisites: Any neutral, Vantaxian Heritage.
Benefit: You gain resistance to cold damage equal to three times the number of “Vantaxian” heritage feats you possess (counting this feat, up to cold resistance 15 if you have all of them).
Special: Since this gift was primarly designed for drows they gain more from the feat. A drow that selects this feat gains cold resistance equal to four times the number of “Vantaxian” heritage feats he possesses (counting this feat, up to cold resistance 20 if he has all of them).


----------------------------------------------------------

Faer’Eenaliir (Drow shadowcaster substitution levels).
Though Vantax’s true heritors died long ago, some drows called Faer’Eenaliir (“Champions of the Ancient Darkness”) can today obtain the same, unique power that was granted to thier race by the Lord of Shades millenia ago.
Hit die: d6.

Requirements.
To take a Drow shadowcaster substitution level, a character must be a drow about to take its 1st, 2nd or 4th level of shadowcaster.

Class skills.
Drow shadowcaster substitution levels grant the same class skill as standard shadowcaster.
Skill points at each level: 2+Int modifier (or four that times at first level).



Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special


1st

+0

+2

+0

+2
Enhanced Shadowcasting, Apprentice Mysteries


2nd

+1

+3

+0

+3
Blood of the Master


4th

+2

+4

+1

+4
Soothing Darkness



Class features.
All the following are features of the Drow shadowcaster substitution levels.

Enhanced Shadowcasting: The ancient power that flows into your veins gives you a better understanding of shadows and thus access to long forgotten mysteries. At first level, you only learn two Fundamentals of shadows. In addition to those fundamentals, you also learn Dusk and Dawn 1st level mystery as a Fundamental and add it at your Fundamental’s list.
In addition, you gain access to the following paths: Vantaxian Gifts, Regalia of Darkness and Primal shadow.
This features substitutes “Fundamentals of shadow” class feature.

Blood of the Master: This ability works like the standard Bonus feat shadowcaster’s class feature, with the following exception: when you first gain a bonus feat from this ability you must choose Vantaxian Heritage as your bonus feat. In addition you add Vantaxian heritage feats to the list of feats you can choose every time you gain a bonus feat from this ability.
This ability substitutes “Bonus feat” class feature.

Soothing Darkness (Ex): Shadows help your body to overcome fatigue and injuries. As long as your entire full night rest is made in total darkness (shadowy illumination is not enough) you recover 2 hit points per charachter level. If you undergo a complete bed rest for an entire day and night surrounded by darkness you recover 4 hit points per charachter level. This ability replaces the Bonus Fundamental gained at 4th level.


VANTAXIAN GIFTS

HANDS OF THE ELEMENTAL
Apprentice, Vantaxian Gifts 1.
Level/School: 1st / Transmutation
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: 1 round / level (D).
Saving throw: Fortitute Halves, see text.
Spell Resistance: Yes, see text.

Starting from the tip of your fingers, both your hands turn pitch black up to your elbow. As you feel the power of darkness flow through them, streams of cold air start to form all around.

Casting this spell you attain a peculiar touch attack similar to the one possessed by Shadow Elementals. As a standard action you can make a melee touch attack with one of your hands, or with both taking a -2 penalty on both attack rolls.
If you succede you deal 1d4 bludgeoing damage and 1d4 cold damage. The target of the attacks is allowed a Fortitude save to resist the damage of each touch. If it succede the damage is halved. at 3rd level and every 3 caster level thereafter both bludgeoing and cold damage are raised by 1d4 (up to 5d4 at 12th level).
Spell resistance applies against this mystery: when you make your first attack against a creature with SR and fail to overcome it, the creature is from then on immune to that particular casting of Hands of the Elemental.


VANTABLACK BODY
Apprentice, Vantaxian Gifts 2.
Level/School: 2nd / Transmutation
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: 1 minute / level (D).
Saving throw: None
Spell Resistance: No.

Coated in darkness, your skin turns so black in color that every detail of your body vanishes. Your physical features lose definition and because also your equipment is covered in blackness you end up appairing like a vague and bidimensional dark figure.

Your body and gear are coated in a black so deep that it absorbs almost all the light touching it. Since all your physical details are now obscured, you gain immunity to critical hits and all forms of precision damage (such as sneak attacks). You gain as well a bonus to Hide checks equal to your caster level (max +5)


WINGED SHADE
Apprentice, Vantaxian Gifts 3
Level/School: 3rd / Transmutation
Range: Touch.
Target: Touched creature.
Duration: 1 minute / level (D).
Saving throw: Will negates (harmless).
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless).

You touch your target and nothing seems to change. At a closer look, an observer would note that your target’s shadow has grown a pair of big wings of shade that grow bigger as the light surround him diminishes.

The touched creature gains fly speed 40 ft (clumsy) in bright light condition. If illumination is shadowy or darker its flying speed raises to 80 ft (perfect).
Should the spell duration expire while the subject is still aloft, the magic fails slowly. The subject floats downward 60 feet per round for 1d6 rounds. If it reaches the ground in that amount of time, it lands safely. If not, it falls the rest of the distance, taking 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of fall. Since dispelling a spell effectively ends it, the subject also descends in this way if the fly spell is dispelled, but not if it is negated by an antimagic field.


REGALIA OF DARKNESS

GLOBE OF DARKNESS
Initiate, Regalia of Darkness 4
Level/School: 4th / Conjuration (Creation) [Darkness, cold]
Range: Personal.
Effect: A globe of pure darkness.
Duration: 1 round / level
Saving throw: Reflex halves, see text.
Spell Resistance: Yes, see text.

As you declare your birthright to rule over the Plane of Darkness, shadows themselves put in your hand the lowest of the symbols of your kingdom: a globe of obsidian-like material made of pure condensed shade.

When you cast this mystery, a globe of perfect darkness is created in one of your hand. As long as you hold it, the caster level and the DC of every other mystery you cast (as well as those of any spell with the [darkness] descriptor or the [shadow] subschool) are raised by one.
Once during the duration of this mystery you can choose to unleash all at once the tremeondous power of this globe. As a standard action select a point in the space within Close range: the globe is hurled to that point and explodes. Every creature within 20 ft suffer 1d6 damage per level (max 10d6, Reflex halves, SR applies). Half the damage dealt is cold damage (rounded up) while the remaining damage derives from the pure force of shadows. After the explosion this mystery ends.
Should eved the globe leave your hand (you leave it, you are disarmed) the mystery ends immediately.


SCEPTRE OF DARKNESS
Initiate, Regalia of Darkness 5
Level/School: 5th / Conjuration (Creation) [Darkness]
Range: Personal.
Effect: A regal sceptre made of condensed shadows.
Duration: 1 round / level
Saving throw: Will negates, see text.
Spell Resistance: Yes, see text.

Acknowledging your power upon them, shadows gathers in your hand forming a scepter black as the void between the stars. While you hold it you can fully express your dominion upon shades and other creatures of darkness.

When you cast this mystery, an ink-black sceptre is created in one of your hand. As long as you hold it you can dominate creatures that draw their power from shadows. Once per round, as a standard action, you can make a special turning attempt (as per the cleric’s ability). You receive a competence bonus on the turning check equal to ¼ your caster level (max +5), and a synergy bonus on the same check if you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (the planes) skill.
Creatures that are subject to this turning ability include any creature able of casting mysteries, any creature that has “Plane of Shadow” as its own environment and other creature with a particular link to darkness (like undead shadows).
This mystery does not gives you turning attempt that you can spend on feats or other abilities.
Once during the duration of this mystery you can choose to unleash all at once the tremeondous power of this sceptre.
As a standard action, select a creature within Close range that can be affected by one of your turning attempt: that creature must make a Will save or being dominated for one hour. This is a mind-affecting ability that overcomes every immunity given by type, subtype and race but that is blocked by immunity to mind-affecting abilities coming from other sources (such as spells, magic objects, class features). Using this effect ends the spell.
Should eved the sceptre leave your hand (you leave it, you are disarmed) the mystery ends immediately.


CROWN OF DARKNESS
Initiate, Regalia of Darkness 6
Level/School: 6th / Conjuration (Creation) [Darkness]
Range: Personal.
Effect: A pointed crown made of living darkness.
Duration: 1 minute / level
Saving throw: None.
Spell Resistance: No.

Shadows cheer as you declare your will to sit of Vantax’ throne as Lord of Darkness. Your shade animates, stands up and puts a black, pointy crown on your head: from now on, no shade will dare hurting you.

When you cast this mystery a crown made of trembling shadows forms on your head. As long as the mystery lasts you are immune to mysteries and spells and spell-like abilities with the [darkness] descriptor or the [shadow] subschool of 4th level or lower. Immunity does not apply to your own mysteries/effects.
Once during the duration of this mystery as an immediate action you can choose to unleash all at once the tremeondous power of this crown. For one round not only you retain the immunity but you also absorb the energy of every mystery or spell negated by the crown. Every time a mystery or spell is negated by the crown you heal an amount of HPs equal to twice the level of the spell/mystery negated.
After one round from the activation of this special effect the spell ends.


PRIMAL SHADOW

ECLIPSE
Master, Primal Shadow 7.
Level/School: 7th/ Evocation [Darkness]
Range: Long (400 ft + 40 ft /level).
Effect: An emanation of unnatural darkness with a radius of 10 miles.
Duration: 1 hour / level
Saving throw: None.
Spell Resistance: No.

Calling for the power of the Plane of Shadow you obscure the sun and cast a small region in the deepest darkness that not even enhanced senses and the magic of light can overcome.

As you cast this mystery, shades surround you and expand, obscuring a vast piece of land. The first 5 mile radius (the closest to the centre of the emanation) is enveloped in total darkness, while shadowy illumination is present in the outer 5 miles radius. Darkness created by this mystery blocks darkvision and low-light vision as well as any other kind of ability that allows to see in darkness. Abilities that allow to see in magical darkness still work.
In addition, every spell or spell-like ability of 5th level or lower with the [light] descriptor that is cast in the area affected by this mystery is automatically dispelled.


NOCTURNAL DESIRE.
Master, Primal Shadow 8.
Level/School: 8th/ Universal
Range: see text.
Target: see text.
Duration: see text
Saving throw: see text.
Spell Resistance: Yes.

You lose yourself looking at the deep darkness that reing supreme in the space beween the stars. To that sovereign blackness you confess you secret desires to have them granted... even for a night.

This mystery works exactly like wish spell, with the folloing exception: the mystery can duplicate any mystery of 7th level or lower, or any spell from any list of 6th level or lower.
It can create a nonmagical item, or a group of them which total value is not higher than 25.000 gp.
Deads restored to life by this mystery do not lose a level upon being resurrected.
This mystery can be cast without impediment only after dusk or in a place where lights never comes (like the Plane of Shadows or the Underdark): if a shadowcaster wants to use this mystery in other conditions it must make a DC 28 Concentration check of losing the mystery.
Despite their huge power, the effects of this mystery are not (and cannot be made,) permanent. The effects of the mystery last only until the next dawn occurs in the plane where it was cast (or 24 hours if cast in a plane with no dawn), unless they have a shorter duration that makes them end earlier.
At dawn, created objects and summoned creature fade into nothingness as well as any other still ongoing effect with a duration different from “instantaneous”. Instantaeous effects (such as death, damage or healing) are unchanged but effects that gave life to something or someone fade too: for example creatures resurrected or animated as undeads are sent back to the underworld.



CALL THE UMBRAL LORD
Master, Primal Shadow 9.
Level/School: 9th/Conjuration (Summoning) [Darkness]
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level).
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round / level (D).
Saving throw: None.
Spell Resistance: No

You yell at the world the true name of the once alive Lord of Shadow who gave you its supreme power. Shadows answer your call by weeping and crying as they vomit a huge umbral figure, one of Vantax’s few remaining brothers.

This spell allows you to call at your service one of the most powerful creatures of shadows: a shadow monolith.
The monolith appears in the spot you designate and acts immediately on your turn, attacking your enemies at the best of its abilities.
If you speak the monolith language you can communicate with it and direct its actions.
The umbral monolith has the following stats:

Size and Type (Subtype):Gargantuan Elemental (Incorporeal, Extraplanar) Hit Dice: 36d8+216 (378 hp) Initiative: +15 Speed: Fly 60 ft. (perfect) (20 squares) Armor Class: 31 (–4 size, +11 Dex, +14 deflection), touch 31, flat-footed 20 Base Attack/Grapple: +27/+50 Attack: Incorporeal touch +35 melee (4d6 / 19–20 +4d6 cold damage) Full Attack: 2 incorporeal touches +35 melee (4d6 /19–20 +4d6 cold damage) Space/Reach: 20 ft./20 ft. Special Attacks: Shadow mastery Special Qualities: Dusk and dawn3/day (CL 18), Damage reduction 12/—, Blindsight 60 ft., elemental traits, incorporeal traits Saves: Fort +18, Ref +33, Will +16 Abilities: Str-, Dex 33, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 17 Skills: Balance +13, Diplomacy +5, Intimidate +16, Jump +41, Listen +43, Sense Motive +15, Spot +43, Tumble +24 Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Critical (incorporeal touch), Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack, Iron Will, Mobility, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon focus (incorporeal touch), Improved Flyby Attack*, Great Flyby Attack*, Thick Skinned*. Environment: Plane of Shadows Challenge Rating: 17 Alignment: Usually Neutral Evil

*These feats come from “Savage Species” handbook.

[Salasay]

Malumbra



NOTE: This has been published elsewhere, I'm just including it here for reference in lore and location and stuff.

http://www.dandwiki.com/w/images/thumb/1/1c/Paramyth_Map.JPG/800px-Paramyth_Map.JPG

Vonaisu

Vonaisu is has the smallest population of any of the countries on Paramýth, smaller even than the Badlands. 80% of the population lives on the border of Vonaisu and Sevatim, and 60% on the northern portion of that border. Vonaisu is the weakest country, with little to no military and very few exports. The only real contribution of Vonaisu to the other countries of Paramýth is that it is the only location on Paramýth where Ais forms (the name "Vonaisu" means "Of Ais"). Ais is the main form of refrigeration in Paramýth, staying at -10º C and not melting or heating up in warmer places. The only thing that can melt it is molten iron. There is a tribe in southern Vonaisu who know the secret to harvesting it, and they sell it to the bigger cities in northern Vonaisu for Sevatin fur and tools. The cities then sell the Ais to Sevatim for even more fur and tools, along with food. That is the main form of income for the whole of Vonaisu.

Außenseiter Wars

First recorded events to take place on Paramýth. The naming of places and events was not done by the planetouched, and so nothing has a name yet during this phase of history. Thus, places are referred to by where they would be as of the Second Mortein War.


~230 BV - 1AL

Paramýth is located above a major rift in the material plane, which was cause unknown ages ago when the gods of the world were still mere mortals. As such, the continent draws Outsiders to it, especially Native Outsiders, such as the Planetouched. The first settlers of the continent of Paramýth were those planetouched. At first the urge was just a slight feeling of needing to be elsewhere, like when you want to go back home, but can't. As the generations passed, a few planetouched set out to find the place they were being called to, but all of those tat tried failed. Eventually, the tiefling nation of Dæmons Reach was driven into the sea, an entire nation living on boats. The navigators unconsciously steered towards Paramýth, and eventually (aproximately 230 years Before Vake) landed in northwestern Paramýth, near where Ravnira and Tatsua would later be. They colonized west until they reached another body of water, now named the Strait of Fotia-Pagos. Once they reached the strait, they began settling southwards, through what would later be Morteim, the Badlands, and the western part of the current Tiefling Lands. By this time the nation was spread thin, and the settling of the rest of Paramýth halted as they began to rebuild their strength. As they did this, the aasimar arrived in approximately 185 BV. Neither group knew of the other, as the aasimar had landed in the northeast, later known as Kallaten. The aasimar scholars had noticed the tugging, and had figured out what was causing it. They figured out where the Planar Rift was, and consulted sea charts to plan the best course to take. Because of this, the aasimar lost significantly less people on the voyage, landing at full force. The aasimar settled all of northern Paramýth, stopping at the Strait of Fotia-Pagos as well. They then followed the east coast southeast to what would later be Vonaisu. Once they reached the southeastern tip of Paramýth, the aasimar turned westward, and in about 165 BV ran into the tieflings for the first time. Immediately the two races innate hatred for each other flared up, and they began to fight. The tieflings, who were more used to the cold climate of southern Paramýth, prevailed at the initial contact point, driving the aasimar out of southeastern Paramýth. However, the aasimar prevailed farther north, driving the tieflings southwest away from the Strait of Fotia-Pagos. After 20 years of fighting, the two nations developed their areas, tieflings in the south and east, aasimar in the north and west. The fighting raged on for another 145 years with no more major changes occurring in the battle-lines. Both nations were severely weakened, but the only thing that stopped the fighting was the arrival of the Vake.


The Vackel Empire

First humans to appear on Paramýth. The current countries are descended from the Vackel Empire's princedoms.


00AL - 141 AL

The Vake people used to be a powerful nation on the continent of Caurdya. Hailing from the Jangaphar peninsula, the Vackel Empire used to control most of the land surrounding the Antardesiya Sea. They were overthrown, however, and the remnants of the empire left in a flotilla to find a new home. They found an arpeggio, and built a small nation there, regaining their strength. After resting for a few decades, the flotilla left again to find new land to conquer. They intended to land on Surodya, a continent north of Paramýth and immediately east of Caurdya. Instead, they drifted off course and went too far south, landing in western Paramýth, in what would later be Tatsua. Emperor Aiantos, said, upon seeing Paramýth for the first time "It is as if I have sailed in to a mother's story." The name stuck, and the continent was named for the Vake word Paramýthi, or story. The Vake quickly learned that they were not alone on Paramýth when they ran into a Tiefling raiding party. The party was weak and understrengthed, and the skilled Vake Strelecs made short work of the tieflings. A group of aasimar, having seen the battle, approached the Strelecs to thank them, and they were slain as well. The Vake conquered the waring and weakened planetouched over 23 years, enslaving all of the planetouched that they did not kill in the process of taking the continent, forcing them to build up the Vackel Empire. Emperor Aiantos split the empire into seven imperial principalities: Tatsua (which also contained Lèchardè), Ravnira (which contained Aasimar Westland), Morteim, Sevatim (which contained Vonaisu), Kallaten (which contained the Aasimar Mainland and the Horn), Pekolasi (Middle Tiefling Lands and eastern Badlands), and Helenia (Badlands and Western Tiefling Lands). The Empire lasted for a little over a century, with each princedom developing its own culture and dialects.




Malumbra are a race of humanoid fey in the far south of Vonaisu. They are tall, standing approximately 6'3" on average, with fully black skin and large, thin, long fingered hands with thick and short claws. Their hair is a dark red, almost black. Like most fey they have pointed ears and unearthly beauty, but their graceful beauty is tempered by the malice they exude towards observers. They are graceful and tough, smart and strong. They are, by nature, antagonistic towards humans and other mortals, reveling in the fear they inflict upon their prey, seeking the thrill of the hunt and the kill. Malumbrum Blood is not uncommon in the Unseelie Court of Færie, and humans who breed with Fey of Winter will occasionally have offspring with a Malumbrum ancestor. These humans of fey blood can learn to tap into the shadowy heritage of the Malumbra through training. Able to turn into shadow at will, throw areas into complete darkness, and traverse through shadowy areas at rapid speeds, a Malumbrum is a very dangerous and elusive foe, and have prevented the extensive colonization of the far southern parts of Vonaisu.


The Fey in Paramýth, usually stylized "Fæ", are not precisely the same as in regular DnD. The small fairies with wings, like pixies, exist, but do not provide the primary force of Fæ. Their are two "Courts" of Fæ, the Summer or Seelie, and the Winter or Unseelie. Summer tends to be more emotional and empathic, and Winter is more, dare I say it, Cold and logical. Malumbra are some of the most dangerous Winter Fæ, and are the Elite enforcers of Mabd herself (Unseelie Queen). Being Fæ or not is also not as specific a distinction in Paramýth as it is in the normal DnD 'verse. Ogres, Hags, and Trolls are considered Winter Færies, while Nymphs, Satyrs , and Dryads belong to Summer. There are also Wyldfæ, belonging to n/either. Some Wyldfæries are Goblins, Centaurs, Naga, Kobolds, Elves, and Pixies. Summer Fæ tend to be more benevolent and Winter malevolent, but they are not hard and fast laws. However, all Fæ are mischievous and delight in messing with mortals.

Fæ are incapable of lying, but are experts at using indirect wording, euphemisms, and connotative misleading to do the next best thing. For example, if you ask a færie if your harvest will be good, she might answer "All of your crops will ripen quickly and in great numbers." You think she means that yes, your harvest will be good, but what she really means is that your crops will rot, or ripen, before they can be harvested.


The Aasimar inhabitants of Paramýth discovered the Malumbra after the first eight towns they attempted to establish in southern Vonaisu were obliterated by lone Malumbra. They did not pursue colonization, and were eventually driven northwards by the Tieflings. 15 years after driving the Aasimar out, the Tieflings too attempted to colonize south into Vonaisu, but were also obliterated. After 50 years of avoiding the Malumbran territory, a single one was slain by an 100-man expedition led by Qe Firoza, a Tiefling soulknife. Only Firoza and two other members survived the conflict, but Firoza never returned from the engagement, and was presumed dead as well. This show of strength earned the respect of the Malumbra, and tieflings are the only mortal race allowed into the far south of Vonaisu. Eventually the humans of the Vackel empire attempted to colonize the area, but were driven out by the Malumbra with the same brutality, efficiency, and ease as when the tieflings attempted to do so 150 years prior. In later years, the Zamorjen tribe is the only mortal population in Malumbran territory. These tribesman, while mostly human, are descendants of the original tiefling inhabitants. The native Malumbra treat them as tiefling, only killing the tribesmen if approached (as opposed to hunting down every last one). The rare half-Malumbra are tolerant of other mortals, and are often elite assassins. They are functionally identical to Malumbra, with all of the powers and strengths, but less antagonistic. All PC "Malumbra" are in fact Half-Malumbrum, as otherwise adventuring with other mortals would be impossible. NPC True Malumbrum are given the same stats.

Malumbrum

+4 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +6 Charisma, +4 Strength
Fey
Medium
Speed: 30ft. While in a Darkness effect, movement speed is doubled.
Darkvision 60ft. This Darkvision can see through magical Darkness
+1 natural armor bonus.
+2 Hide, Move Silently, Intimidate
May cast Darkness as a spell-like ability at will. Once per day the Malumbrum may cast a Darkness spell with a one mile radius. This effect can only be applied to a location, and lasts for 10 minutes.
May, as a swift action, turn ethereal for one round, while in a Darkness effect, thrice per day. Every third class level they gain an additional use per day.
At ECL 10, the Malumbrum gains Blind-Sight 5ft.
Damage Reduction 10/mithral.
While in a Darkness effect, a Malumbrum is treated as having total concealment. If an enemy can see him, the Malumbrum is still treated as having concealment unless the foe can damage ethereal targets, such as with ghost-touch.
Languages: Sylvan, Common
Bonus Languages: Elven, Gnome, Halfling.
L.A. +6

Malumbra Heritage
You are descended from a Malumbra, and have learned to tap into the dark potential of your blood.
Prerequisites: Nongood and nonlawful alignment, non-Malumbrum
Benefit: You gain Darkvision out to 10ft and an additional +5ft for every Malumbra feat you have.

Malumbra Shadow
You have learned draw forth the dark shadows of your blood.
Prerequisites: Nongood and nonlawful alignment, Cha 14, character level 5th
Benefit: You may cast Darkness as a spell-like ability which lasts for 5 rounds + a number of rounds equal to twice the number of Malumbra feats you have, not including this one. This effect may be dispelled and called back with a swift action each, allowing the time to be used non-consecutively. This Darkness effect can be seen through with Darkvision if the creature has a HD greater than or equal to your character level - 2.
Special: In dim light conditions the Darkness effect lasts for twice as long (uses time half as fast).

Malumbra Sight
Your Malumbra blood allows you to detect enemies even in the darkest places.
Prerequisites: Malumbra Heritage, nongood and nonlawful alignment, Cha 15, Wis 15, Blind-Fight, base attack bonus +4
Benefit: You gain +5ft of Darkvision and Blind-Sight +5ft

Malumbra Body
The Darkness protects you.
Prerequisites: Malumbra Heritage, one other Malumbra feat, nongood and nonlawful alignment
Benefit: While in a Darkness effect, you gain damage reduction (overcome by mithral) equal to the number of Malumbra feats you have, including this one. In dim light conditions this bonus is stilled gained, but is halved.
Special: This value stacks with any similar damage reduction you might have from your type, subtype, race, or class, but not from other sources, such as spells or magic items.

Malumbra Shadow Meld (Lesser)
You learn a minor form of the Malumbra technique for turning incorporeal.
Prerequisites: Malumbra Heritage, two other Malumbra feats, nongood and nonlawful alignment, Cha 15, character level 9th
Benefit: While in a Darkness effect you are treated as having total concealment instead of concealment
Special: Against a foe with Darkvision, Blind-Sight, or some other method of negating concealment in a Darkness effect, they still have a 10% miss chance, unless they can strike ethereal creatures as well.

Malumbra Shadow Meld (Greater)
You learn a major form of the Malumbra technique for turning incorporeal.
Prerequisites: Malumbra Heritage, Malumbra Shadow Meld (Lesser), Malumbra Stride, three other Malumbra feats, nongood and nonlawful alignment, Cha 17, character level 13th
Benefit: You may turn ethereal for three rounds per day while in a Darkness effect. These rounds need not be consecutive.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each additional time allows you to turn ethereal for two additional rounds, to a maximum of eight rounds per day.

Malumbra Stride
You learn the Malumbra method of flowing through the dark, moving easier in the dark that in the light.
Prerequisites: Malumbra Heritage, Malumbra Shadow Meld (Lesser), two other Malumbra feats, nongood and nonlawful alignment, Cha 15, character level 9th
Benefit: You may move at half again your base movement speed while in a Darkness effect, to a maximum of 25ft further than your base movement speed would normally allow.

Malumbra Rend
You learn to use the Darkness to attack.
Prerequisites: Malumbra Heritage, two other Malumbra feats, nongood and nonlawful alignment, Cha 15, character level 11th
Benefit: While in a Darkness effect you mark foes that you successfully hit with attacks. Each successful hit applies a mark that lasts for 4 rounds and deals 1d4 damage to the foe every round that they are in a Darkness effect.

Umbral Assault
You have learned draw forth the dark shadows of your blood to coat a large area in darkness. This technique stems from the Malumbra strategy used ravage entire cities by casting the whole city into darkness.
Prerequisites: Nongood and nonlawful alignment, Cha 14, character level 8th
Benefit: Once per day you may, in dim light conditions, cast Darkness as a spell-like ability which lasts for 15 minutes. This time must be used continuously, and must be cast on an area, not an object. The radius of the effect is increased to 1 mile, and can be seen through with Darkvision if the creature has a HD greater than or equal to your character level - 2.
Special: In full light conditions this effect may still be cast, but causes dim light conditions instead of darkness.

As a mortal realizes his heritage by taking feats, he slowly gains an aspect of the Malumbra. His fingers slowly elongate and thin, his skin darkens, and his hair turns more and more red. By the time he has exhausted his growth of heritage, he looks very much like a full blooded Malumbrum.

[Jurai]

Cosmic Darkness
Descriptors: Darkness
Classes: Incarnate
Chakra: Brow, Crown, Soul
Saving Throw: None
The souls of those who brave the dark to map the outer void are shaped into lenses for seeing the truth in darkness.
When bound, the user gains Low Light Vision
Essentia: +2 circumstance bonus to Hide, Move Silently, and Spot checks in darkness of any kind per point of essentia invested.

Chakra Bind (Brow)
The soulstuff that forms the lenses darkens.
When bound, the user gains Greater Low Light Vision, with a multiplier equal to the number of essentia invested in the soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Crown)
Midnight blue tendrils of soulstuff wend their way into your skull.
When bound, the user gains Darkvision 10 ft. per point of essentia invested in the soulmeld. If the user already has Darkvision, add the increase as a bonus.

Chakra Bind (Soul)
The dark soulstuff melds into your soul.
When bound, the user gains the ability to see in darkness of all kinds, including magic.

[caledscratcher]

The Darkness Between The Gear Teeth

As the gears turn and the cogs churn, the Order of the Gear trains clockwork cenobites. As these metal monks move fluidly and strike down all who oppose them, there is a darkness between the teeth... not one of good or evil, but one of radicals.

(These materials are designed to supplement sirpercival's Clockwork Cenobite (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?260445-GitP-PrC-Contest-XXXVI-Traditionally-Speaking!&p=14174154#post14174154) prestige class. I have permission from him to do so.)

(I will also be citing a variety of sources. A superscript DR### indicates a Dragon Magazine issue, where ### is the number of that issue.)

Babbling Scholar of the Shadowed Spine
Despite its preference towards steel, some members of the Order of the Gear spend months on end studying in the Library of Babble, where all that could be written, is. In this process, many find matters of a dark nature, matters which mere wisdom cannot make sense of.
Prerequisites: Infinite Gyre, Knowledge (any two) 12 ranks, Kung Fu GeniusDR319
Benefit: You can use your Intelligence in place of your Wisdom modifier for all clockwork cenobite class features. Additionally, the darkness creeps into your mind, causing you to gain a +5 competence bonus to all Knowledge skill checks when in areas of shadowy or dark illumination. Further, when in an area of magical darkness, your infinite gyre class feature causes those it affects to take a further -1 to attack rolls.

Pound on the Chimes with Glory
The Chiming Halls have brought you in, a herald of life and death, the churning of gears everpresent. And yet, Bellchord seems so far away, despite being just behind the night.
Prerequisites: Power Attack, Flying KickComplete Warrior, Stunning Fist, Inevitable Strike
Benefit: You can apply your inevitable strike class feature to any unarmed strike you make at the end of a charge, without expending a use of stunning fist. The benefits of inevitable strike apply to the bonus damage provided by Flying Kick. Additionally, if you expend a use of Stunning Fist while using this feat, you cause the target to become deafened and blinded, as the infinite darkness of the chimes seeps to their senses.

[Jormengand]

Dharamekhr the Corrupter, Lord of Shadows
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Domains granted: Chaos, Darkness, Destruction, Fire, Madness, Trickery
Favoured Weapon: Greatsword.
Special: No-one worships Dharamekhr voluntarily. Instead, they come to worship Dharamekr when their alignment comes to fail their original deity through the use of the Dark Mastery feat. Even though Dharamekr is Chaotic Evil, it is possible for a cleric who is true neutral to end up worshiping Dharamekhr; this is entirely acceptable and simply acts as though the restriction on alignment were void.

Dark Mastery
You are capable of wielding the most obscene and hideous powers ever to come to be. Your very soul becomes corrupted when you use these powers, but some of those who are of pure heart think the risk is worth it. Further, the darkness is not always interested in those already corrupt beyond redemption...
Prerequisites: Must be capable of casting spells. Cannot be chaotic neutral, neutral evil or chaotic evil.
Benefit: You can choose spells from the dark mastery list:
Spellbook caster (Wizard) - You can write Dark Mastery spells into your spellbook whenever you could write a normal spell into your book.
Prayer-based caster (Cleric) - You can pray for Dark Mastery spells. It may seem odd that a good god should give them, but they generally trust you to use them. Even in the event that a deity does refuse you the ability to cast some or all of your chosen Dark Mastery spells, you may immediately choose new spells in their place.
Other Prepared Caster (Druid) - You can prepare Dark Mastery spells normally.
Spontaneous Caster (Sorcerer) - You can learn Dark Mastery spells or powers normally.
Special: Using your Dark Mastery abilities allows the Lord of Shadows to corrupt you. This may or may not be considered a bad thing. To avoid corruption, you must take a will save whenever you cast a Dark Mastery spell (DC 15 + (Spell level*2)).

Failing this will save causes the creature to slip inexorably towards corruption, causing the caster to move in alignment as follows:
From LG to LN
From LN to TN
From LE to NE
From NG to TN
From TN to NE
From NE to CE.
From CG to CN
From CN to CE
From CE to Madness!

First, it should be noted that the creature is always unrepentant of this alignment and that an atonement spell will be neither sought, nor effective. This may cause Clerics to become unable to continue gaining power from their original deities, at which point they will "See the truth" and worship Dharamekhr.

Next, those who fall to the point of madness become nigh-irrevocably evil, beyond the normal limits thereof, and the same is the case for chaos. They will become immune to the negative effects of using Dark Mastery, but at the same time regard it as the solution to all of their problems.

It is possible, technically, to reverse their alignment changes - for example, a creature who has dropped from Lawful Good to Neutral Good may continue to feel compelled by their goodness to keep doing their best to keep the law. They may fall back into Lawful Good habits, as might a True Neutral character who keeps fighting against chaos and evil on the basis that law and good are generally preferable. Even a neutral evil character who was never any better than lawful evil may realise that they still generally prefer the law, and that they end up doing a surprising amount of good by keeping the law. Of course, this is no more true for a Dark Master than anyone else, and is in fact almost certainly less common, but it is there.

Dark Mastery Spells:
-

Arrows of Stolen Souls
Necromancy [Dark Mastery]
Level: Dark Mastery 1
Components: S, DM
Casting Time: One full-round action.
Range: Medium (100-ft + 10-ft/caster level)
Target: 1 creature, + 1 creature/3 levels.
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 hour/level (See text)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You raise your hand and wordlessly launch arrows of death to devour the souls of those they touch.

You fire a single medium longbow shot - ignoring your strength value - at each target creature, requiring an attack roll as normal and dealing 1d8 points of damage to those struck. If the Arrows of Stolen Souls deal any damage, you gain that many hit points as though you had been healed. Further hit points are wasted.

Corrupt
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Dark Mastery, mind-affecting]
Level: Dark Mastery 2
Components: V, S, DM
Casting Time:1 standard action
Range: Close (25-ft +5-ft/2 caster levels),
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous.
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes.
You impart the curse of Dharamekhr onto the target.

The creature's alignment shifts one step towards evil, just as if they had failed a save against their own Dark Mastery spell. Those who are Chaotic Evil already instead seek to learn to serve Dharamekhr. Those who are not gain the idea that they should learn Dark Mastery, but they're not compelled to do so in the same way.

Corrupt, Mass
Level: Dark Mastery 7
Target: Up to 1 creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft apart.

Mass corrupt works just as corrupt except where noted here.

Hellish Visions
Divination [Dark Mastery]
Level: Dark Mastery 4
Components: V, S, DM
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Concentration, maximum 1 round/level
You recieve dark, distorted visions of the events that plan to befall you that day. Every moment you concentrate, you understand more of what will come for you this day.

Hellish Visions grants you the ability to see one hour into the future per round you concentrate. Obviously, due not only to your own actions but those of any who witness you using the spell or even so much as suspecting you might after the fact, as well as the inherent unreliability of future-predicting, these visions are not always entirely accurate. In fact, you need to take a caster level check, DC 15, plus 1 for each hour ahead you're viewing, to get anything useful at all. For each 5 points you beat the DC, you gain a further understanding of the likely events that will occur in that hour.

If you beat the DC, you recieve a vague description of the most pertinent, likely event in that time.

If you beat the DC by 5 or more, you recieve a more precise description of one or two pertinent, likely events in that time, and a vague description of just how likely they are (likely, very likely, almost certain, etc.)

If you beat the DC by 10 or more, you get an accurate description with a probability to the nearest 10% of numerous possible events in that time.

If you beat the DC by 15 or more, you get a specific description with a probability to the nearest 1% of many possible events in that time.

At DM discretion, you may get even more accurate results for beating a higher DC.

In any case, your own actions may make this less accurate than it otherwise might be, especially with later-on information.

Murder Blade
Necromancy [Dark Mastery]
Level: Dark Mastery 3
Components: V, S, DM
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 minutes/level
You gain the ability to pull blades out of nowhere, and use them to destroy your foes.

You gain the ability to produce a murder blade out of nothing as a free action. A murder blade is a +5 longsword with a range increment of 20 feet as a thrown weapon. Even if you're not proficient in longswords, you're proficient with murder blades.

Murder blades are obviously corrupted by dark magic and can't be sold; in any case they disappear when the spell ends.

Pall of Night
Evocation [Darkness, Dark Mastery]
Level: Dark Mastery 6
Components: V, S, DM
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 1 mile
Area: 1 mile radius, centred on your initial location when you cast the spell.
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Night falls, and refuses to rise again without your permission.

Pall of Night bathes the entire area in darkness, to the effect that no light source save for a magical one of a higher level can penetrate it. Worse, even darkvision, blindsight and blindsense are affected - only auditary, olifactory, tactile and gustatory senses function.

You, on the other hand, are completely unaffected and see in this darkness just as well as any kind of light.

[Jurai]

Cosmic Darkness
Descriptors: Darkness
Classes: Incarnate
Chakra: Brow, Crown, Soul
Saving Throw: None
The souls of those who brave the dark to map the outer void are shaped into lenses for seeing the truth in darkness.
When bound, the user gains Low Light Vision
Essentia: +2 circumstance bonus to Hide, Move Silently, and Spot checks in darkness of any kind per point of essentia invested.

Chakra Bind (Brow)
The soulstuff that forms the lenses darkens.
When bound, the user gains Greater Low Light Vision, with a multiplier equal to the number of essentia invested in the soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Crown)
Midnight blue tendrils of soulstuff wend their way into your skull.
When bound, the user gains Darkvision 10 ft. per point of essentia invested in the soulmeld. If the user already has Darkvision, add the increase as a bonus.

Chakra Bind (Soul)
The dark soulstuff melds into your soul.
When bound, the user gains the ability to see in darkness of all kinds, including magic.

[Just to Browse]

The Shadow Twins
Where there is light, there must be shadow. Where there is shadow, there is Opportunity.

The Shadow Twins are two beings which personify darkness and inhabit the space between planes. The theories of their origin are widely varied -- some believe them to be two brothers who pushed the bounds of theurgy to far, others think the twins are a force of nature come alive. The Shadow Twins never speak so questions as to their identity and history are more or less impossible to answer, but one thing is for certain: The influence of the Twins has spread into almost every avenue of magic, and their presence continues to grow.

The Shadow Twins are a power source for many aspects of magic. They have the strongest influence over shadow magic, but meldshapers, invokers, and binders have seen the power of the Twins made manifest. Though they are collectively referred to as twins because of their identical aesthetic, each encompasses a different theme.

The First Twin, Opportunity
Where the Twins' influence is weaker, some magic-users (such as incarnates and warlocks) channel them collectively. However, other mages feel a stronger effect from the Twins and gain the powers of one at a time. The first Shadow Twin that will appear to any user is Opportunity -- named so because it tends to grant powers that make space or allow for defense. Opportunity was also the first Shadow Twin to be revealed to shadowcasters experimenting at the bleeding edge of shadowcraft.

The Second Twin, Malice
The second twin that appears is known of Malice, for it brings the more dangerous aspect of the Twins' power. Malice focuses on hurting, incapacitating, or rending the minds of victims. Scholars postulate that the Shadow Twins are not actually two separate entities, but a single being whose power metamorphoses as it gains a greater foothold in the world through its user.


Thanks to:

Sobolev's Binder Handbook (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2942.0)
Piggy Knowles's Shadowcaster Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?268661-3-5-Pulvis-Et-Umbra-Sumus-The-Shadowcaster-Handbook)
Sinfire Titan's Incarnate handbook (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=580.0)



Mysteries and Paths
Three Paths are available to a shadowcaster exploring the power of the Shadow Twins. These paths are linked -- to obtain the initiate path, one must know all the apprentice path. To obtain the master path, one must know the initiate path. In this way, the Twins build their influence on the world, using the shadowcaster as a vessel.

Shadow of Opportunity
1. Rippling Form - Force an attacker to re-roll with a penalty.
2. Walk the Shadow Path - Avoid attacks of opportunity for movement
3. Shadow Anchor - Leave your shadow in one place. At any point in the duration, switch back.

Shadow of Malice
4. Grasping Shade - A shadow follows a target, flanking and attacking them.
5. Dark Terror - Force a target to save or die as the darkness consumes them.
6. Presence of Shadow - Targets you threaten or attack take cold damage.

The Twins' Wrath
7. Black Reaver - Ignore obstructions and drain HP for targets you pass by.
8. Dance Through the Void - Travel within line of effect, and stun enemies in your path.
9. Hollow Essence - If you die, you return to life.


Black Reaver
Master / The Twins' Wrath [Death]
Level / School: 8th / Necromancy
Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 round / level (D)
Saving Throw: Yes (see text)
Spell Resistance No

You are surrounded by a cloud of shadow (radius 20 feet) that claws at those around you. For the duration of the spell, you hover above the ground and increase the speed of all movement modes by 30 feet.

In addition, any target within the area of your shadow cloud loses 5 HP per shadowcaster level and heals you for 1 HP per shadowcaster level. A successful Fortitude save ignores this effect and gives the creature immunity for 1 round, and constructs must still make the save. You can only deal damage to a creature once per round, but you may be healed any number of times.

Dance Through the Void
Master / The Twins' Wrath
Level / School: 7th / Conjuration (Teleportation)
Range: Long range
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Yes (see text)
Spell Resistance Yes

Choose a single point within range that you have line of effect to. You weave into the shadow plane and appear at that spot. Enemies within or adjacent to a line between those two spots must make a Reflex save or be stunned for 1 round.

Dark Terror
Initiate / Shadow of Malice [Death, Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Level / School: 5th / Enchantment
Action: Standard action
Target: One creature within short range
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Yes (see text)
Spell Resistance No

The target must make a Will save or Fortitude save. If the creature would be immune to this mystery if it made one save, it instead uses the other. Otherwise choose the lowest save bonus. On a failed save, the creature dies, overcome by darkness. On a successful save, the creatures takes 5d6 damage.

Grasping Shade
Initiate / Shadow of Malice [Cold]
Level / School: 4th / Illusion (Shadow)
Action: Standard action
Target: One creature in short range
Duration: 1 round / level (D)
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance Yes

A shadowy form appears in the square (or one of the square) of the target. At the beginning of each of your turns, the shadow attacks the target with an attack bonus of your shadowcaster level + your intelligence modifier. This is a touch attack, and deals 4d6 cold damage if it is successful. In addition, the form follows the target regardless of where they go and provides a flanking bonus to itself and anything else attacking the target.

Hollow Essence
Master / The Twins' Wrath
Level / School: 9th / Conjuration (Healing)
Action: Standard action
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 round / level (D)
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance No

You cast another shadow, regardless of the current light source. It moves almost independently of your own actions. If you die before the duration ends, you are immediately subject to a raise dead (PHB 268) effect, except that you receive no level loss, no Constitution loss, and no loss of spells or mysteries. You have 10% of your maximum hit points. Once this occurs once, this mystery ends.

Presence of Shadow
Initiate / Shadow of Malice [Cold]
Level / School: 6th / Evocation
Action: Standard action
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 hour / level (D)
Saving Throw: Yes
Spell Resistance Yes

At the start of your turn, any target that you threaten takes 1d6 cold damage per 2 shadowcaster levels. If you attack a target that hasn't been affected by this since the start of your turn (such as if you moved, or made a ranged attack), you also deal this damage. A target can make a Fortitude save for half damage.

Rippling Form
Apprentice / Shadow of Opportunity
Level / School: 1st / Transmutation
Action: Immediate action
Range: Personal
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance No

If an attack successfully hits you, you can use this ability to force the attacker to re-roll with a -2 penalty. If the attack was a critical hit, the attacker must still re-roll but does not take the penalty.

Shadow Anchor
Apprentice / Shadow of Opportunity
Level / School: 3rd / Conjuration (Teleportation)
Action: Standard action
Range: Anywhere within a plane
Duration: 1 hour / level (D)
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance No

You place a shadow, which wavers faintly. At any point before the end of the duration, you can spend a 1 round action to teleport back to the shadow. If you must make a Concentration check to use this, it instead fails and the effect ends.

Walk the Shadow Path
Apprentice / Shadow of Opportunity
Level / School: 2nd / Transmutation
Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance No

You move along the space between the planes. You do not provoke any attacks of opportunity for movement for the duration.


Soulmeld: Twin Shadows
Descriptors: None
Classes: Incarnate, Soulborn
School: Illusion
Chakras: Feet, Shoulders, or Heart
Saving Throw: Will or Fortitude (see text)

The power of the Twin Shadows allows you to take advantages where others might not even see them.

As a swift action, you can select a single target. You are considered flanking that target until the start of your next turn.
Essentia: For every point of essentia you invest in twin shadows, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to armor class.

Chakra Bind (Feet)
The power of Opportunity lets you move through the space between planes, making you harder to catch.

When twin shadows is bound to your feet, you can ignore the first attack of opportunity you would provoke each round. This uses up the opponents attack of opportunity, but they do not make an attack roll and they are not treated as having attacked you.

Chakra Bind (Shoulders)
Shadows flicker on your shoulders, creating shape where there is none and distorting your form.

When twin shadows is bound to your shoulders, the first attack against you each round suffers a 50% miss chance. You cannot choose to forgo this benefit in order to gain it against a later attack.

Chakra Bind (Heart)
Malice is channeled the strongest through your heart. Each attack is a brush with death.

When you use a swift action to flank, the target must make a Will save or become marked by Malice for 1 round per meldshaper level. If you use your swift action to flank a target marked by Malice, the mark ends and they must make a Fortitude save or die. This is a [Mind-Affecting, Fear] effect.


Twin Shadow Vestiges
Next to shadowcasters, binders are one of the most connected to the power of the Twin Shadows, likely because the Twins live in a similar part of universe as many vestiges.

The First Shadow
Level: 2nd
Binding DC: 17
Special Requirement: None

Manifestation: The first shadow appears as a thin, semi-translucent, waving black mist. It resembles a humanoid, though its limbs are far too long for its body, which takes a height equivalent to the user. It emits no noise, but as the binder speaks to it he may hear an echo as though he were in a great canyon.

Sign: The first shadow makes the binder's shadow always a single shadow solidly outlined regardless of lightning conditions. In addition, this shadow does not reflect the binder's body shape completely accurately -- it may be wider or thinner, or with different limb length. It is hard to notice in bright daylight or crowded areas.

Influence: A binder under the influence of the first shadow is attracted to darkness, and prefers to spend time in shadowy illumination or beneath a hood. In addition, the first shadow drives binders to stand uncomfortably close to others and avert their eyes from light.

Granted Abilities:

Opportunity's Shield: Flitting shadows surround the binder, granting them a 20% miss chance against attacks when they're not flanked.
Second Strike: When the binder successfully attacks a target, he sees them as though they were illuminated by faerie fire (this reveals targets through invisibility, but only for the binder). In addition, subsequent attacks against the target deals 2d6 bonus cold damage. Both of these benefits last 5 rounds.
Shadow Scout: As a 1 round action, the binder can leave their shadow somewhere to watch. At any point, the binder can concentrate to watch the surroundings. This acts as a clairaudience/clairvoyance effect around the shadow, but only lasts 1 hour and only one shadow can be in effect at a time. The shadow is invisible, but has an AC of 5 and if it takes any damage it dissipates.
Speed of Dark: The binder gains a +4 bonus to Tumble checks.


The Second Shadow
Level: 5th
Binding DC: 25
Special Requirement: The binder must have the first shadow bound. If he loses the first shadow, he also loses this vestige.

Manifestation: The second shadow fuses with the sign of the binder's first shadow. The two mirror each other in appearance and behavior, quietly listening to the binder. Occasionally they appear to look at each other or converse, but no sound is made.

Sign: This replaces the sign of the first shadow. The binder casts two solid shadows, symmetrical in appearance and position. Both possess alterations as described in the first shadow's sign.

Influence: This replaces the influence of the first shadow. The binder likes to do everything symmetrically, including moving their limbs or making facial expressions. They also reflexively refer to themselves as "we".

Granted Abilities:

Shadow Form: The binder can enter the squares of other targets without provoking attacks of opportunity. The target provides cover for the binder, but not vice versa.
Shifting Shadows: All targets in the binder's threatened area are considered flanked for all attacks made against them.
Greater Second Strike: The cold damage from second strike improves to 1d6 damage per 3 effective binder levels.
Phasing Ceremony: The binder can join hands with any number of creatures to grant them the ability to pass through solid surface as per the spell passwall. Only willing targets can be affected by this, and they suffer 3 negative levels under its effects. These levels cannot be removed except by leaving or ending the ceremony, and targets killed by the ceremony do not rise as undead.


Twin Shadow Invocations

Dance of Darkness
Lesser; 3rd
When you use this, your outline becomes somewhat obscured and enemies find it harder to attack you. For 24 hours, any opponents making an attack of opportunity against you must expend 2 attacks of opportunity or one attack of opportunity and an immediate action.

Tangling Shadows
Least; 2nd; Eldritch Essence
You infuse your attacks with a darkness that claws at anything it touches. A target hit by your eldritch blast must make a Reflex save or become entangled for 1 round.

Sign of the Twins
Dark; 8th
As a swift action, you can call upon the Shadow Twins to protect you under any onslaught. For 1 round, attacks against you suffer a 50% miss chance due to concealment, and a successful attack against you allows you to deal your eldritch blast damage to the attacker. This only functions once per target each round.

Weaving Shadows
Greater; 6th
Embracing the Twins allows you to circumvent some of the the necessities of reality. For 24 hours, you can ignore somatic components while using invocations.

[spikeof2010]

Path of the Shadow
You have discovered the way of the path of the shadow, and with it, you see the world as it truly is.
Benefit: You cast Illusion Spells at one CL higher than usual. You also gain a +2 to Perception and tend to notice the little cracks and bits in the system.
Special: If you cast any spells that are inherently light-based (like Daylight), they occupy a spell slot 1 level higher than usual, as you start having to think harder about the concept of "light".

[Zaydos]

This contest is now closed. The voting thread will be added soon.

Edit: Voting Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?403365-3-X-Ancillary-Contest-I-Voting-Thread&p=18951391#post18951391) is up. Note: All entrants must vote to qualify.