"Anti-Dark" Template?

[SovelsAtaask]

I'm sure that title sounds as dumb to you as it does to me. At some point in the future, assuming this PbP campaign can stay together, I am planning on introducing some sort of BBEG from the Plane of Shadows and the PCs will end up "cursed" with the Dark template. However, I think it would make sense thematically if one of the characters, a Favored Soul of Pelor, rejected the "curse" instead of gaining the template. The problem is, I don't want to give all the other players a free template and not give the Favored Soul anything.

My first thought is turning that player into an Aasimar, but I don't want to take away their human bonus feat and I'm not sure how balanced it'd be to let them keep it. I also thought about making a god-blooded template for Pelor, but I'd need some advice on how to work that out. Also, if anyone has any homebrew templates that are +1 LA, I'd love it if you'd shared. They don't even have to be relevant to my needs, but it'd be appreciated.

[BowStreetRunner]

Too bad you aren't giving them the Shadow Creature template instead. As that is a +2 LA it would be equal to the +2 LA Saint template in BoED.

[DrMotives]

I don't know the issue number offhand, but Dragon magazine re-did the old Plane of Radiance from earlier editions as a new transitive plane, an opposite to the Plane of Shadow. The article included some rules, a race of humanoid-like outsiders, a weird little light bug creature, and the "Radiant Creature" template.

[BowStreetRunner]

I don't know the issue number offhand, but Dragon magazine re-did the old Plane of Radiance from earlier editions as a new transitive plane, an opposite to the Plane of Shadow. The article included some rules, a race of humanoid-like outsiders, a weird little light bug creature, and the "Radiant Creature" template.
DR321 p.74

[SangoProduction]

http://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/radiant.shtml

This is the radiant creature template, but it's a +3 to ECL.

http://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/sanctified.shtml
Sanctified creature also works, and it's a +2 to ECL. Refluff "evil" to "shadow" or "dark". I'd say it's not worth it even if you aren't considering caster levels, but if it's free, why not. Maybe if it was +1 it might be decent.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/crystal-creature-cr-1
Crystal creature, only a +1 to (actually, there's no ECL, but it's +1 to CR, so we can assume +1 or +2), and it doesn't take away the creature's spell like and supernatural abilities. It's got a quite a few light-based abilities. Sure you become a Crystal, but you've got light!

http://dnd-wiki.org/wiki/Infused_Creature_(3.5e_Template)
"Infused Creature" Homebrew. Use the Positive energy version. Boom, sheds light, and prevents his party from benefiting from hide in plain sight, woot! Unless he's wearing medium or heavier armor, which he probably is, but still, he's got light.

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Fiendish_Creature
In case you want to do that "Pelor Burning Hate" thing, lol.

[Andezzar]

Just have the others take the LA. A level in Favored Soul is at least on par with the template. It might be see as unfair though if the favored soul is the only one with the option to throw off the curse

[Zaydos]

Letting them become an Aasimar and retain human feat and skill points is probably fairly balanced. Any stealthy character in the party is still gaining the most by a clear margin.

[ksbsnowowl]

Too bad you aren't giving them the Shadow Creature template instead. As that is a +2 LA it would be equal to the +2 LA Saint template in BoED.

In my homebrew Viking gestalt setting, I statted the Vanir as Fey with the Saint template (Seelie) and Fey with the Shadow Creature template (Unseelie). It worked well. One of my PC's was even imbued with the Saint template for siding with the Seelie Vanir (the Vanir are barely described in Norse myth, so I based them off of Celtic faerie).

[SovelsAtaask]

I'll take a look at all of those links, although the Infused Creature seems to be a bit much. To make things easier, I'll probably give the rest of the party Shadow Creature instead.

The party consists of a human crusader, a half-elf ranger, a kobold rogue, and the human favored soul.

[Flickerdart]

Too bad you aren't giving them the Shadow Creature template instead. As that is a +2 LA it would be equal to the +2 LA Saint template in BoED.
Shadow is not remotely equivalent to the ridiculous power of Saint.

[Honest Tiefling]

Might be weird, but I'd give something sliiiiiightly less powerful then the Dark template. Just a scootch. Gives you some time to get a better handle on how the template affects the party, and the Favored Soul can get a side quest to truly benefit from rejecting the template. Also, other party members will be less pissed that they didn't get a chance to reject the darkness too.

[Kraken]

The fire-souled template from Dragon 314 came to mind for me, though it's problematic for giving leadership. Otherwise saint, half-celestial, celestial, and aasimar are all that come to mind for me.

[BowStreetRunner]

+2 LA options include Celestial Creature, Fiendish Creature, Saint, Sanctified Creature, or Shadow Creature.

[SovelsAtaask]

I'm not planning on attaching much negative to the gain of the template, the BBEG wouldn't be able be able to exert control over them or anything. It'd be more like the BBEG is going to try to pull a portion of the Plane of Shadows into the Material Plane, and the PCS get caught in the area at the wrong time and become infused with shadowstuff. Perhaps curse is the wrong word for it.
This idea is still in its infancy so absolutely everything about it is malleable, this event wouldn't happen for probably a few months due to the place of PbP.

[ksbsnowowl]

Shadow is not remotely equivalent to the ridiculous power of Saint.A RAW reading of Shadow Creature would disagree. Any light other than daylight = total concealment. Total concealment = auto Hide that can't be detected with Spot checks. Glitterdust doesn't even help. Nor does See Invisibility (because you aren't invisible).

Arcane sight will help someone pinpoint your square, but then you still benefit from the 50% miss chance.

I would much rather DM a PC with Saint than Shadow.

[HalfQuart]

Dark is a pretty strong template for +1 LA, and I think Celestial is pretty weak for +2 LA, so if you're giving templates free without actually doing level adjustments, you could probably just give Celestial to the Favored Soul.