ghost_warlock
2007-05-12, 11:07 PM
I've been working on this since the debut of 3rd edition. The idea was to convert the old shadowmage (Player's Option: Spells & Magic) variant specialist wizard, but the class seems to work better (in my mind) as a spontaneous caster. This class was heavily influenced by the warmage (Complete Arcane, Minature's Handbook), dread necromancer (Heroes of Horror), and beguiler (Player's Handbook II) and inherits its general structuer and a few features from those classes.
I envision this as what the shadowcaster (Tome of Magic) should have been.
Shadowmage (Sdm)
The master of dusk and gloom, the shadowmage uses darkness and shadow, misdirection, and fear to defeat his foes. Shadowmages are masters at manipulating, and maneuvering in, shadows and darkness. They also gain a number of other abilities from their growing connection with the Plane of Shadow.
Adventures: Shadowmages adventure primarily to amass personal power, to exercise their abilities, and for the thrill of witnessing the fear they inspire in others. Some shadowmages adventure for more noble causes, but they are rare.
Characteristics: Shadowmages draw much of their power from both mundane shadows and from the Plane of Shadow, harnessing these energy sources to fuel their spells and abilities. Most shadowmages encounter some form of shadow creature at a young age but instead of fearing and fleeing the agent of darkness the shadowmage crawled under the bed or into the closet to chat with the penumbral visitor. Through this rite of passage they are thereafter marked as a child of darkness.
Alignment: Shadowmages may be of any alignment. However, due to their affiliation with the somewhat menacing Plane of Shadow, shadowmages tend towards neutral or evil alignments. As their power grows and they gain access to more potent and pernicious spells, many good- and neutral-aligned shadowmages find themselves relying more and more on morally questionable magic. As such, most high-level shadowmages are neutral at best.
Religion: In general, shadowmages revere the Plane of Shadow itself rather than any particular deity. However, some shadowmages can be found among the followers of darkness-loving deities such as Shar in the Forgotten Realms, Vecna in Greyhawk, and (of course) the Shadow in Eberron.
Background: Shadowmages are typically born with some degree of their connection with the Plane of Shadow or acquire one at a young age. Rather than receiving formal training, shadowmages typically strengthen and develop this connection on their own as they mature in their abilities.
Races: Most shadowmages are either humans or half-elves, though a number of gnomes also venture down this dark path, perhaps unsurprising considering their affinity for illusions. Other standard races are just as capable of becoming shadowmages, but are less likely to pursue such dark ambitions and deeds. The way of the shadowmage is popular among monstrous and savage races that tend to hold fear in higher regard than ideals like love and camaraderie.
Other Classes: Shadowmages get along best with other classes that are at home in the dark, shadowy places, such as rogues and shadowdancers and sometimes rangers and monks. Although their personalities are often almost polar opposites, the abilities of bards complement those of shadowmages, bolstering their allies while the shadowmage undermines the abilities and confidence of their enemies. Some shadowmages study wizard magic to expand their repertoire while some also show an innate talent for sorcery.
Role: One of a shadowmage’s greatest strengths is his ability to weaken the morale of his enemies, making them less sure of their abilities and more likely to flee from combat. Shadowmages are also experts at stealth and use their abilities to maneuver themselves without being detected by the enemy. Shadowmages have the potential to become passable diplomats, although most are more concerned with fast-talking and sowing fear rather than mediating disputes.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Shadowmages have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma is the most important ability for a shadow mage because it determines how powerful a spell he can cast, how many spells he can cast per day, and how hard those spells are to resist. Dexterity is also important because shadow mages have a difficult time casting their spells while wearing armor and typically never gain proficiency in any type of armor. Like most other spellcasters, a high Constitution score can greatly improve a shadowmage’s survivability.
Alignment: Shadowmages may be of any alignment, although neutral- and evil-aligned shadowmages are the most common.
Hit Die: d6.
Starting Funds: As sorcerer.
Class Skills
The shadowmage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier (x4 at 1st level).
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the shadowmage.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shadowmages are proficient with all simple weapons. Shadowmages do not gain proficiency with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a shadowmage's movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Spells: A shadowmage casts arcane spells (the same type of spells available to sorcerers and wizards), which are drawn from the shadowmage spell list given below. When a shadowmage gains access to a new level of spells, he automatically knows all the spells for that level listed on the shadowmage's spell list. Essentially, his spell list is the same as his spells known list. Shadowmages also have the option of adding to their existing spell list through their advanced learning ability as they increase in level (see below).
To cast a spell, a shadowmage must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell's level (Cha 10 for 0-level spells, Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a shadowmage's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the shadowmage's Charisma modifier. Like other spellcasters, a shadowmage can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given below. In addition, he receives bonus spells for a high Charisma score (see Table 1-1, page 8 of the Player's Handbook).
Unlike a cleric or wizard, a shadowmage need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level.
Shadow Armor (Su): With a standard action, a shadowmage can surround himself with semi-sentient shadow energy that diverts attacks aimed at him. This ability grants him a +2 deflection bonus to AC. This deflection bonus increases by 1 for every six class levels the shadowmage attains (+3 at 6th, +4 at 12th, and +5 at 18th). Shadow armor lasts for 1 minute per class level, and is useable a number of times per day equal to the shadowmage’s Charisma bonus (minimum 1).
At 11th level, the shadowmage quickens his shadow armor, activating it as a swift action.
Eschew Materials: At 2nd level, a shadowmage gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat. A shadowmage’s tie to the Plane of Shadow allows him to draw the energy needed for their spells from nearby shadows, replacing the need for most material components. Even the shallow shadows present in the folds of a shadowmage’s clothing are sufficient to use this ability.
Umbral Sight (Su): At 3rd level, a shadowmage’s vision extends slightly into the Plane of Shadow. He gains darkvision out to 30 feet. If he already has darkvision, or gains it from some other source, the effective distance of that vision is increased by 30 feet. At 11th level, he becomes able to see perfectly in complete darkness, even magical darkness, out to 60 feet.
Advanced Learning: At 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th level, a shadowmage can add a new spell to his list, representing the result of personal study and experimentation. The spell must be must be a wizard spell of the illusion school or a spell with the darkness descriptor, and of a level no higher than that of the highest-level spell the shadowmage already knows. Once a new spell is selected, it is forever added to that shadowmage's spell list and can be cast just like any other spell on the shadowmage's list.
Solid Shadows (Su): When a shadowmage reaches 10th level, the strength of the effects created by any Illusion (shadow) spell he casts that lists a percentage (or fractional) strength increase by 20% (e.g., shadow conjuration , shadow evocation, et cetera, but not dead end, claws of darkness, or other shadow spells that do not rely on a specific percentage or fraction of illusory effect). That is, these spells are an additional 20% likely to affect, and deal 20% more damage to, disbelieving creatures.
Hide in Plain Sight (Su): A shadowmage of 15th level can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a shadowmage can hide himself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. He cannot, however, hide in his own shadow.
Shadow Self: At 20th level, a shadowmage has infused his body with shadow stuff to the point that he becomes a magical creature. He is forever treated as an outsider (an extraplanar creature, native to the Plane of Shadow) rather than as a humanoid for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the shadowmage gains damage reduction 10/magic, which allows him to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a non-magical weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn't have similar damage reduction (the shadowmage's body is partially composed of incorporeal shadows). Unlike other outsiders, a shadowmage can still be brought back from the dead as if he were a member of his previous creature type.
the Shadowmage
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th| 9th
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Shadow Armor (+2)|5|3
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Eschew Materials|6|4
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Umbral Sight (darkvision 30 ft.)|6|5
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Advanced Learning|6|6|3
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|-|6|6|4
6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Shadow Armor (+3)|6|6|5|3
7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|-|6|6|6|4
8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Advanced Learning|6|6|6|5|3
9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|-|6|6|6|6|4
10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Soild Shadows|6|6|6|6|5|3
11th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Shadow Armor (swift action), Umbral Sight (see in darkness)|6|6|6|6|6|4
12th|
+6|
+4|
+4|
+8|Advanced Learning, Shadow Armor (+4)|6|6|6|6|6|5|3
13th|
+6|
+4|
+4|
+8|-|6|6|6|6|6|6|4
14th|
+7|
+4|
+4|
+9|-|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3
15th|
+7|
+5|
+5|
+9|Hide in Plain Sight|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4
16th|
+8|
+5|
+5|
+10|Advanced Learning|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3
17th|
+8|
+5|
+5|
+10|-|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4
18th|
+9|
+6|
+6|
+11|Shadow Armor (+5)|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3
19th|
+9|
+6|
+6|
+11|-|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4
20th|
+10|
+6|
+6|
+12|Shadow Self|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5
[/table]
I envision this as what the shadowcaster (Tome of Magic) should have been.
Shadowmage (Sdm)
The master of dusk and gloom, the shadowmage uses darkness and shadow, misdirection, and fear to defeat his foes. Shadowmages are masters at manipulating, and maneuvering in, shadows and darkness. They also gain a number of other abilities from their growing connection with the Plane of Shadow.
Adventures: Shadowmages adventure primarily to amass personal power, to exercise their abilities, and for the thrill of witnessing the fear they inspire in others. Some shadowmages adventure for more noble causes, but they are rare.
Characteristics: Shadowmages draw much of their power from both mundane shadows and from the Plane of Shadow, harnessing these energy sources to fuel their spells and abilities. Most shadowmages encounter some form of shadow creature at a young age but instead of fearing and fleeing the agent of darkness the shadowmage crawled under the bed or into the closet to chat with the penumbral visitor. Through this rite of passage they are thereafter marked as a child of darkness.
Alignment: Shadowmages may be of any alignment. However, due to their affiliation with the somewhat menacing Plane of Shadow, shadowmages tend towards neutral or evil alignments. As their power grows and they gain access to more potent and pernicious spells, many good- and neutral-aligned shadowmages find themselves relying more and more on morally questionable magic. As such, most high-level shadowmages are neutral at best.
Religion: In general, shadowmages revere the Plane of Shadow itself rather than any particular deity. However, some shadowmages can be found among the followers of darkness-loving deities such as Shar in the Forgotten Realms, Vecna in Greyhawk, and (of course) the Shadow in Eberron.
Background: Shadowmages are typically born with some degree of their connection with the Plane of Shadow or acquire one at a young age. Rather than receiving formal training, shadowmages typically strengthen and develop this connection on their own as they mature in their abilities.
Races: Most shadowmages are either humans or half-elves, though a number of gnomes also venture down this dark path, perhaps unsurprising considering their affinity for illusions. Other standard races are just as capable of becoming shadowmages, but are less likely to pursue such dark ambitions and deeds. The way of the shadowmage is popular among monstrous and savage races that tend to hold fear in higher regard than ideals like love and camaraderie.
Other Classes: Shadowmages get along best with other classes that are at home in the dark, shadowy places, such as rogues and shadowdancers and sometimes rangers and monks. Although their personalities are often almost polar opposites, the abilities of bards complement those of shadowmages, bolstering their allies while the shadowmage undermines the abilities and confidence of their enemies. Some shadowmages study wizard magic to expand their repertoire while some also show an innate talent for sorcery.
Role: One of a shadowmage’s greatest strengths is his ability to weaken the morale of his enemies, making them less sure of their abilities and more likely to flee from combat. Shadowmages are also experts at stealth and use their abilities to maneuver themselves without being detected by the enemy. Shadowmages have the potential to become passable diplomats, although most are more concerned with fast-talking and sowing fear rather than mediating disputes.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Shadowmages have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma is the most important ability for a shadow mage because it determines how powerful a spell he can cast, how many spells he can cast per day, and how hard those spells are to resist. Dexterity is also important because shadow mages have a difficult time casting their spells while wearing armor and typically never gain proficiency in any type of armor. Like most other spellcasters, a high Constitution score can greatly improve a shadowmage’s survivability.
Alignment: Shadowmages may be of any alignment, although neutral- and evil-aligned shadowmages are the most common.
Hit Die: d6.
Starting Funds: As sorcerer.
Class Skills
The shadowmage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier (x4 at 1st level).
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the shadowmage.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shadowmages are proficient with all simple weapons. Shadowmages do not gain proficiency with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a shadowmage's movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Spells: A shadowmage casts arcane spells (the same type of spells available to sorcerers and wizards), which are drawn from the shadowmage spell list given below. When a shadowmage gains access to a new level of spells, he automatically knows all the spells for that level listed on the shadowmage's spell list. Essentially, his spell list is the same as his spells known list. Shadowmages also have the option of adding to their existing spell list through their advanced learning ability as they increase in level (see below).
To cast a spell, a shadowmage must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell's level (Cha 10 for 0-level spells, Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a shadowmage's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the shadowmage's Charisma modifier. Like other spellcasters, a shadowmage can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given below. In addition, he receives bonus spells for a high Charisma score (see Table 1-1, page 8 of the Player's Handbook).
Unlike a cleric or wizard, a shadowmage need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level.
Shadow Armor (Su): With a standard action, a shadowmage can surround himself with semi-sentient shadow energy that diverts attacks aimed at him. This ability grants him a +2 deflection bonus to AC. This deflection bonus increases by 1 for every six class levels the shadowmage attains (+3 at 6th, +4 at 12th, and +5 at 18th). Shadow armor lasts for 1 minute per class level, and is useable a number of times per day equal to the shadowmage’s Charisma bonus (minimum 1).
At 11th level, the shadowmage quickens his shadow armor, activating it as a swift action.
Eschew Materials: At 2nd level, a shadowmage gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat. A shadowmage’s tie to the Plane of Shadow allows him to draw the energy needed for their spells from nearby shadows, replacing the need for most material components. Even the shallow shadows present in the folds of a shadowmage’s clothing are sufficient to use this ability.
Umbral Sight (Su): At 3rd level, a shadowmage’s vision extends slightly into the Plane of Shadow. He gains darkvision out to 30 feet. If he already has darkvision, or gains it from some other source, the effective distance of that vision is increased by 30 feet. At 11th level, he becomes able to see perfectly in complete darkness, even magical darkness, out to 60 feet.
Advanced Learning: At 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th level, a shadowmage can add a new spell to his list, representing the result of personal study and experimentation. The spell must be must be a wizard spell of the illusion school or a spell with the darkness descriptor, and of a level no higher than that of the highest-level spell the shadowmage already knows. Once a new spell is selected, it is forever added to that shadowmage's spell list and can be cast just like any other spell on the shadowmage's list.
Solid Shadows (Su): When a shadowmage reaches 10th level, the strength of the effects created by any Illusion (shadow) spell he casts that lists a percentage (or fractional) strength increase by 20% (e.g., shadow conjuration , shadow evocation, et cetera, but not dead end, claws of darkness, or other shadow spells that do not rely on a specific percentage or fraction of illusory effect). That is, these spells are an additional 20% likely to affect, and deal 20% more damage to, disbelieving creatures.
Hide in Plain Sight (Su): A shadowmage of 15th level can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a shadowmage can hide himself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. He cannot, however, hide in his own shadow.
Shadow Self: At 20th level, a shadowmage has infused his body with shadow stuff to the point that he becomes a magical creature. He is forever treated as an outsider (an extraplanar creature, native to the Plane of Shadow) rather than as a humanoid for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the shadowmage gains damage reduction 10/magic, which allows him to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a non-magical weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn't have similar damage reduction (the shadowmage's body is partially composed of incorporeal shadows). Unlike other outsiders, a shadowmage can still be brought back from the dead as if he were a member of his previous creature type.
the Shadowmage
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th| 9th
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Shadow Armor (+2)|5|3
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Eschew Materials|6|4
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Umbral Sight (darkvision 30 ft.)|6|5
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Advanced Learning|6|6|3
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|-|6|6|4
6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Shadow Armor (+3)|6|6|5|3
7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|-|6|6|6|4
8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Advanced Learning|6|6|6|5|3
9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|-|6|6|6|6|4
10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Soild Shadows|6|6|6|6|5|3
11th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Shadow Armor (swift action), Umbral Sight (see in darkness)|6|6|6|6|6|4
12th|
+6|
+4|
+4|
+8|Advanced Learning, Shadow Armor (+4)|6|6|6|6|6|5|3
13th|
+6|
+4|
+4|
+8|-|6|6|6|6|6|6|4
14th|
+7|
+4|
+4|
+9|-|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3
15th|
+7|
+5|
+5|
+9|Hide in Plain Sight|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4
16th|
+8|
+5|
+5|
+10|Advanced Learning|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3
17th|
+8|
+5|
+5|
+10|-|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4
18th|
+9|
+6|
+6|
+11|Shadow Armor (+5)|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3
19th|
+9|
+6|
+6|
+11|-|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4
20th|
+10|
+6|
+6|
+12|Shadow Self|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5
[/table]