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View Full Version : Shadow Knight- Base Class *need balancing* [PEACH]



Spikes01k
2007-07-01, 06:19 PM
Shadow Knight


This class is bases off of the Shadow Smith PrC from the Tome of Magic Book. Here is a list of the alterations, You gain the ability at the level listed on the table and below the table is the listed alterations and additions.


HD: D8
Weapons and Armor: all Marial and Simple weapons. Light, Medium, and Heavy Armor. Light and heavy shields; No Tower Shield.
Skill points: (4+int)x4 first level, 4+int per level
Class Skills class skills (and the key ability for each skill): Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Shadow Knight
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Shadow Points|Special

1st|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+0|
1|Shadow Blade, Inner Shadow

2nd|
+2|
+0|
+3|
+0|
2|Battle fortitude +1, Touch of Shadow

3rd|
+3|
+1|
+3|
+1|
4|Shroud of Shadow

4th|
+4|
+1|
+4|
+1|
5|Shadow Craft (Basic)

5th|
+5|
+1|
+4|
+1|
6|Elemental Blade

6th|
+6|
+2|
+5|
+2|
8|Planer Meld

7th|
+7|
+2|
+5|
+2|
9|Shadow Sharp, Bonded Shadow Shell

8th|
+8|
+2|
+6|
+2|
10|Shadow Craft (Enhanced)

9th|
+9|
+3|
+6|
+3|
12|Planer Meld Increases

10th|
+10|
+3|
+7|
+3|
13|Elemental Blade (Enhancing)

11th|
+11|
+3|
+7|
+3|
14|Battle fortitude +2

12th|
+12|
+4|
+8|
+4|
16|Planer Meld Increases

13th|
+13|
+4|
+8|
+4|
17|Shadow Craft (Armor)

14th|
+14|
+4|
+9|
+4|
18|Bonded Shadow Shell (Greater)

15th|
+15|
+5|
+9|
+5|
20|Elemental Blade (Greater), Planer Meld Increases

16th|
+16|
+5|
+10|
+5|
21|Shadow Craft (Quickened)

17th|
+17|
+5|
+10|
+5|
22|Shadow Craft (Limbs: 2)

18th|
+18|
+6|
+11|
+6|
24|Shadow Craft (Shadow Striking), Planer Meld Increases

19th|
+19|
+6|
+11|
+6|
25|Chase of the Shadow Spire

20th|
+20|
+6|
+12|
+6|
27|Battle fortitude +3, Shadow Craft (Limbs: 4), Planer Meld Increases[/table]

Class Abilities:

Shadow Points: A shadow knight has a reservoir of pure shadow essence in which to power their class abilities. They gain 1 1/3 points per level in shadow knight till they reach level 19. For simplicity purposes the points are listed in the chart above. At level 18 and above they gain shadow points at a rate of 1 1/2 points per level. A shadow knight can regain their expended shadow points once per 24 hours during their sleep. They only need to have 2 hours of sleep (or rest if their race does not sleep) to regain their points for the next 24 hours.
Caster Level: Some of the abilities that a shadow knight has can be dispelled, or otherwise countered. Treat their caster level as their level in shadow knight, their caster stat is intelligence, enhancing limbs are treated as level 6 spells, additional limbs are level 7 spells with the exception of greater phantom wings is a level 8 spell and greater shadow embrace as a level 9 spell. Chase of the shadow spire is also considered a level 9 ability.

Inner Shadow: Upon completing the shadow knight ritual of initiation they are blessed with a secret about them selves, or their life, that they didn't know. This ritual also grants them a greater knowledge into their favorite weapon as a side effect. At 1st Level a shadow knight gains a bonus feat of Weapon Focus of any one slashing weapon of choice. They may chose to a weapon they are not proficient with yet and gain the proficiency later, but they gain no bonuses from this feat till they do.

Shadow Blade (Su): A shadow knight now fully comprehends the shadow knight secret of melding metal weapons with the essence of shadows. She may only have tow weapons in which she has melded to, but these four weapons are usually all she needs. A shadow knight may use of one of her feats to add an additional bonded weapon per each feat spent. The initiation ritual into the shadow knight fold involves the bonding to their first weapon; to bind to a different weapon it takes a five hour ritual and a full nights sleep (eight hours sleep for a total of 13 hour ritual) immediately after. A shadow knight may now change the size type of any of these two weapons by one size category. They may also change this bounded weapon's shape into any weapon in which they have the weapon focus feat. Changing the shape of the weapon in any fashion takes the use of one shadow point and is a swift action. A shadow knight may only change the shape of the weapon once per round, however if they spend two shadow points at the same time to change two the weapons at the same time or one weapons type and size in the same round.
Example: a shadow knight has come along a size small +5 goliath hammer which happens to also be a weapon of legacy, and they have weapon focus bastard sword, they could bind that weapon to them and make it into a size medium +5 bastard sword.
At level 8 a shadow knight may increase or decrease a bonded weapon by one size.
If a bonded weapon is lost, destroyed, just plane is undesirable any more, or an occasion where a dire need of connecting to a new weapon is need, they may give up their bond to a weapon in place of a new one at the cost of either 100 exp or a bonus feat from levels 1, 3, 6, 9, etc...

Battle fortitude: As per the scout ability (page 12 Complete Adventurer).

Touch of Shadow (Su): As per Shadow Smith (Tome of Magic)
Alterations: Lasts for 1 hour per use of shadow point. Activation is a standard action until level 9 in which it becomes a free action.

Shroud of Shadow (Su): As per Shadow Smith (Tome of Magic).
Alterations: The bonuses should read as such: A shadow knight gains +5 bonus +1/2 their levels in shadow knight class.

Shadow Craft As per Shadow Smith (Tome of Magic).
Alterations:
*You can perform shadow craft to the normal limits of uses as a shadow smith of an equal level, however you are required to spend 1 shadow craft point for each use; you may also spend triple the shadow points for each additional use after the normal limitations.
You are restricted on the bonuses you can give your weapons are the same as normal shadow smithing, however you can not give any weapon or armor more than a +4 bonus to hit and damage or armor class, till you hit epic levels. Your level restriction on weight and bonuses start from level 1 shadow knight.
*You may also enhance bonded weapons and armor this way so long as they have less of an enhancement on them already; example: you have a bonded weapon that is at a total a +2 weapon, you can make it equal to a +3 (total) weapon using shadow craft by making the normal rolls to craft a +3 weapon. Making the roll only adds a +1 enhancement to hit and damage and counts as using up a +1 bonus in this case. If your bonded weapon or armor does not have any magical enhancements then you can make the same rolls and it becomes a +3 magic weapon with +3 bonus to hit and damage. The total bonus to hit and damage or armor class can not exceed a +5. The equivalent weight of enhancing a bonded weapon is only 1 pound and the additional enhancement is treated in every way as a magically enhanced shadow crafted weapon or armor.
*A shadow knight can make their enhancements to bonded weapons and armor permanent, however they requirements for doing this is different than simply enhancing a weapon or shadow craft creation. First, they do not need to have the Craft Magic Arms And Armor [Item Creation] feat. Next they must pay the proper experience point cost. The time for the creation is the same as normal. As a bonus though a shadow knight does not need to pay any costs on materials or have the spells needed to make the enhancement. Thus to put a +1 on a bonded armor would require the ability to place a +2 enhancement on a shadow crafted item. They may only add bonuses to hit and damage, not other effects, and only to bonded weapons. Performing this enhancement uses the same craft rules as creating a magi weapon, including the experience point costs.
*At level 17 you may start creating construct like shadows, called shadow limbs, granting you temporary enhancements to your body, or even create all temporary new limbs for a short period of time. At this level you can only create two shadow limbs at a time, this increases to four limbs at a time at level 20. As a free action you can deactivate a shadow limb. Creating a shadow limb requires the use of 5 shadow points to enhance a normal limb or 8 points to create an entirely new limb. Each limb lasts only 1 round, plus 1 round per each three levels in shadow knight she posses. The power of these shadow limbs are astonishingly composed of such a high level of shadow elemental energy that they have an effect along the lines of divine, even though their proper listing should be called elemental. Most of the bonuses from shadow limbs are considered sacred, but character alinement is not an issue. The bonuses labeled sacred stack with all other bonuses a shadow knight obtains with the exception to other sacred or profane bonuses. Please note that bonuses from the shadow limbs do not stack; if you create two different, or same, shadow limbs that give a bonus to the same thing, they do not stack and the high bonus is counted. The bonuses you gain from these limbs are listed below with the proper craft armor or weapon DC check is needed. Shadow limbs do not count in any way toward you weapon and armor enhancements. Shadow limbs, unlike normal shadow craft items, can be dispelled.

Enhancements

Elemental Phase: [Sacred] (Armor, DC 48) +2 AC
You attune your physical body to the plane of shadows

Shadow Aura: (Armor, DC 47) Deflection +4, if they already posses a deflection bonus of +2 or greater they receive a additional Deflection +2 bonus instead.

Shadow Scales: (Armor, DC 43) Natural Armor +2
A shadow knight gains a, sometimes scaly looking, transparent layer on their skin.

Shadow Might: [Sacred], (Weapon, DC 43) +2 Strength

Shadow Agility: [Sacred], (Weapon, DC 44) +2 Dexterity

Shadow Fortification: [Sacred], (Armor, DC 45) +2 Constitution, with temporary hit points.

Shadow Sight: (Armor, DC 45) +15ft to the range of darkvision and blind sense.

Shadow Claws: (Weapon, DC 44) This grants a set of natural weapon claws on each hand and feet, even hands of additional limbs created by shadow craft, that deal 1D6 slashing damage for a medium size humanoid. You do not need to have your hands or feet capable of scratching to use this attack. If you have the ability to wield larger size weapons increase the damage by one size category but you are still restricted to the same rules of using a larger size weapon. Alternately this can be used to do the same damage bludgeoning, this is done by enhancing their fists, feet, knees, legs, or other body parts.

Shadow Fangs: (Weapon, DC 46)
This grants a set of natural weapon fangs on each head that deal 1D8 damage for a medium size humanoid. You do not need to have your mouth capable to bite to use this attack as it appears over any clothing, or armor you have on your head, it replaces the natural bit attack they might have. If you have the ability to wield larger size weapons increase the damage by one size category but you are still restricted to the same rules of using a larger size weapon. If you have the feat improved natural weapon this is also applied to this ability.

Shadow Spikes: (Weapon, DC 43)
A shadow knight focuses her power to gain a number of body spikes that sprout from their skin. These spikes do no damage to her or any of her equipment. They function in ever way as armor spikes, except they do increase the weapon damage of their tail or a phantom tail by one size category and damage is piercing and bludgeoning.

Shadow Propulsion: (Armor or Weapon, DC 45) [Sacred]
A shadow knight enhances her bodies ability to run and jump. She gains a bonus of +10ft to all movement, and a bonus of +4 to all jumps and tumble checks. This increases by +1 for every 3 levels past level 17.


Additional Limbs

Third Ear of the Lazy Guardian: (Weapon, DC 50)
You can create a third ear that grants you effectively a night watch man. After spending the shadow points to create the third ear it is always active so long as it still has uses left and has all the hearing capabilities as you normally would while you were awake. The actual duration is 12 hours but treat the rounds active as the number of uses instead. The ear even has the same comprehension capabilities as you would if you were a wake, so if you were to hear a normal cat or dog in the background you could chose if the eye would wake you up or not, or if you did not make your proper roll to listen you can also chose to save the remaining rounds left for a latter noises.

Third Eye of the Lazy Guardian: (Weapon, DC 48)
Works the same way as Third Ear of the Lazy Guardian but with a spot checks.

Third Eye of the Attentive Guardian: [Sacred] (Weapon, DC 50)
A shadow knight can create this phantom eye that grants them a bonus to their spot checks equal to 1/2 their class level. This ability can work in conjunction with the Third Eye of the Lazy Guardian; if the Lazy Guardian is activated first you can chose to simply tie this power to only work with the Lazy Guardian.

Phantom Tail: (Armor, DC 50)
You may create a maximum of two of these at a time. These can be two extra limbs under the arms, as a single tail, or any combination in between. You gain a secondary attack at -5 to hit from max base attack bonus, ½ strength to damage, and 1D6 bludgeoning damage. Normal multiple limb rules apply.

Phantom Arm: (Weapon, DC 54)
A shadow knight may sprout up to an additional pair of complete arms. These grant the ability to hold one additional weapon in each hand. They are treated as if they have the Multiweapon Fighting and Multiattack feat. If they have natural weapons normally on their hands, such as claws, these are duplicated. If they have the shadow claw ability activated then this is also applied to these arms as well. These new arm are identical in in all physical stats as athir real arms. If a shadow knight has lost an arm or two they can create additional arms, past the normal limit of two, to replace them.

Shadows Beneath your Wings: (Armor, DC 56; counts as 2 limbs with shadow craft)
A shadow knight sprouts a pair of gargantuan sized wings granting average mobility. This shadow craft limb enhances their normal phantom wings. Your speed is the twice your total speed of your running speed, including speed reductions (such as armor) with an additional +20ft. If you have wings already, such as from the normal phantom wings, your maneuverability increases back up to perfect maneuverability. Unlike normal or real wings the use of these wings along are not restricted by physical structure is present that would other wise disable your ability to fly. The nature of these wings are semi incomporial. Things of force or shadow elemental structures can interfere with flight.

Greater Shadow Embrace: (Armor and Weapon, DC 66; counts as 4 limbs with shadow craft and can not be purchased by the planer meld ability; costs 16 shadow points to be activated) [Sacred]
This wondrous ability is prized by many shadow knights. A shadow elemental is summoned and pulls the knight into its body enhancing them to epic levels. First their body is counted as large in all positive aspects but non of the negatives. They also gain a divine bonus of +2 strength, +4 dexterity, and +2 constitution with the proper temporary hit points. All weapons and natural attacks are also increased by one size.


Elemental Blade (Su): A shadow knight can tap into the same primal magic outsider's can on the plane of shadows usually tap into and create a blade of any slashing melee (non ranged) weapon type but the damage is limited to only 1D6 Damage. They may not created any weapon with moving parts joints, or links, and the weapon is also considered magical for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. This power is similar to the eldrich blast of warlocks in nature but not as powerful; however it is also a bit easier to manipulate. This ability in no way works in conjunction with any eldrich ability or feat. A shadow knight also gains the ability to enhance the damage of any bonded slashing melee weapon they hold by 1D6 damage, treat this damage separate when dealing with damage reduction, immunities, or critical hits. You may only enhance bonded weapons, and calling on the power of this effect is a free action; the weapon must be held when striking to have effect. A Elemental Blade weapon enhanced can-not be thrown and still be granted the extra damage from the Elemental Blade ability.
10th level this effect allows you to use more of your natural shadow energy to allow more damage to be dealt while enhancing a bonded weapon. This increases the damage from 1D6 to 1D8 at the cost of 1 shadow point per every 5 rounds. Enhancing a blade in this fashion is a free action.
15th level this effect is increases to 2D4 damage normally, or 2D6 while using the enhanced function that was gained at level 10, and the enhancing function now lasts for 10 rounds.

Planer Meld (Su): At level 6 a shadow night starts to gain a deep connection to to plane of shadows. At this level you gain darkvision out to 30ft as well as low light vision if they didn't already posses it. If they already have darkvision naturally this increases their current darkvision by 15ft. They have an increased to all modes of movement of +5ft. However if they are under the direct effect of a targeted light spell (such as continual light) these bonuses are nullified till the spell is removed or the spells duration ends.
At level 9 a shadow knight's connection to the plane of shadow deepens. Their bonus to speed increases to +10ft total. Their darkvision increases to 60ft; if they already possessed darkvision naturally, it increases by 30ft. They now obtain superior lowlight vision if they did not already posses it. She also now has Resistance to cold of 5.
At level 12 a shadow knight takes on the full effect of the Dark Creature Template (Page 191 Tome of Magic) with the exception of when it would be weaker than what they already posses. Their abilities are no longer nullified by targeted light spells or even anti magic fields.
At level 15 a shadow knight gains blind sense out to 15ft.
At level 18 she gains her first enhancing shadow limb of choice to be permanent with no duration and activate-able at will as a swift action. Bonuses are still considered sacred. The effects can still be dispell-able but are regained when they normally regain their shadow points. A shadow knight gains a second enhancing limb in epic levels at level 25 only.
At level 20 a shadow knight gains their Phantom Wings. A shadow knight may now sprout a pair of average sized wings granting perfect maneuverability. Your speed is the total speed of your running speed, including speed reductions (such as armor) with an additional +10ft. Unlike normal or real wings the use of these wings along are not restricted by physical structure is present that would other wise disable your ability to fly. The nature of these wings are semi incomporial. These wings may not be dispelled like normal shadow craft effects. Once per turn they may summon or dismiss, not both, these wings as a free action.
At level 30 she gains a shadow limb of choice to be permanent, but this one can be any of the shadow limbs, enhancing or additional limb, but they gain no other shadow limbs at any higher levels.

Note: If the character already has the dark creature template, they gain a bonus feat instead of gaining the template, all other bonuses still apply.

Bonded Shadow Shell (Su): Meld shadow with armor to reduce armor check penalties and increase the max dexterity limit of armor. A shadow knight has two sets of armors and one shield in which they can bind them selves to. Alternatively they may use one, and only one, of their bonded weapons as a bonded shield instead. To bind them selves to that armor they must follow the same requirements as bonding to a weapon. Binding to an armor reduces the armor check penalty by two and increases the maximum dexterity bonus to armor by one.
At level 14 this ability increases; the armor check penalty and the max dexterity bonus is now ignored with bonded armor and shields. Armor type, and other special functions such as the minuses to hit caused by using a bucklers or tower shields are still in effect.

Chase of the Shadow Spire (Su): A shadow knight may open a dimensional doorway tided to a flow of pure elemental shadow energy in the plane of shadows one time per every 6 levels in the shadow knight class they posses. A spire of shadow energy bursts from the portal. The doorway is one way only, and only the spire may come from the portal. The spire can be pointed in any direction but on its own it only continues in that direction. The spire is 10 feet wide and tall, and will continue to moving in a direct line for 120 feet each round for the next 3 rounds. If in its travel in comes in contact with anything but ether a mass of light elemental energy, force energy, or anti magic field the shadow will pass though the matter as if the spire was incomporial. However any shadow knight may ride this spire at will, so long as they are touching the spire in some way. While in contact with the shadow spire they may treat it as anything from incomporial to them and allow it to pass through them like the air; they also may will them selves into it and ride along, or ride out side it as if the down direction of gravity was toward the inside of the spire, or even run along it like a bridge again treating the inside as the down direction of gravity. If while travailing along the spire the path comes along anything that you normally could not pass though, you still can not pass through even while in the spire it's self; your path is blocked but you may still leave the spire and re-enter it in a different location.
If the spire were to come in contact with something from/tied to the plane of light, the spire does 1D6 damage plus another 1D6 damage per ever three levels in shadow night she has. If it hits a light spell effect, threat the light effect as if a dispell was cast on it from a caster level equal to that of the shadow knight's level. If an anti magic field is blocking the way the spire disappears as it tries to enter into the field. If a force effect, such as a wall of force is blocking the way the spire actually stops. A shadow knight may will the spire to move in the fashion and direction they want it to for three rounds, but this takes the use of 4 shadow points. A shadow knight may power the spire themselves giving them an additional round of the spire's normal movement by expending 7 shadow points per additional round of spire movement; this is a free action.

Multi Classing with Shadow Knight: A shadow knight can not multi class into any other class or prestige class till they have reached level 12 in shadow knight. Due to the nature of the their power a shadow knight must constantly continue to advance till they reach level 12 in which point they have obtained a strong enough connection to the plane of shadow to retain their powers even though they multi class. If they do multi class they lose all their supernatural abilities, including shadow crafting, and even Inner Shadow is lost, but excluding the battle fortitude ability. They only retain their armor, shield, and weapon feats (excluding Shadow Token Knowledge), their skill points, base attack bonus, and saving through bonuses. If a shadow knight ever gains a direct connection to the plane of light, such as the subtype of light or gain access to the domain of light spells, they lose all their special class abilities excluding the battle fortitude ability.

Spikes01k
2007-07-03, 08:48 AM
OK, does this suck, or are people just not interested.

Khantalas
2007-07-03, 08:59 AM
Hmm... I am not good at balancing stuff. Except when it's blindingly obvious that it is broken.

I do have one thing to say, though. It is properly called a Base Class, not a Core Class, which would be anything from PHB and DMG. So, there are even Core PrC's, but anything homebrew can never be core by definition.

Spikes01k
2007-07-03, 09:28 AM
Ah ****. I am just not thinking am I.

Well any way, what do you think?

Akennedy
2007-07-03, 02:37 PM
Okies, Well, I LOVE the idea, however right now I'm making my own version of your creation. If theres one thing i don't like, it's the whole "limbs" thing. However, the rest is pure genius. So, I'll get back to you! Possibly in a PM?

Spikes01k
2007-07-03, 03:21 PM
Okies, Well, I LOVE the idea, however right now I'm making my own version of your creation. If theres one thing i don't like, it's the whole "limbs" thing. However, the rest is pure genius. So, I'll get back to you! Possibly in a PM?

Well could you tell me what about the limbs you don't like? Maybe I can fix it.

Dairun Cates
2007-07-03, 03:38 PM
I apologize, but I've never been able to get a good search on what PEACH is? Would you be kind enough to link me?

Interesting looking class though. Too bad I can't get the bloody image of Oswald from Odin Sphere out of my head when you say Shadow Knight.

LordofArcana
2007-07-03, 03:44 PM
PEACH means Please Evaluate And Critique Honestly, or something like that. I don't know exactly, but its something like that.

Dairun Cates
2007-07-03, 03:53 PM
PEACH means Please Evaluate And Critique Honestly, or something like that. I don't know exactly, but its something like that.

Ah. Thank you. That's been driving me mad forever.

Akennedy
2007-07-03, 03:58 PM
And Yes, it is batently over powered. :P

jindra34
2007-07-03, 04:17 PM
Its a PrC with 20 levels and no entry requirements... honestly this probably should be broken into four classes...

Spikes01k
2007-07-03, 06:34 PM
Its a PrC with 20 levels and no entry requirements... honestly this probably should be broken into four classes...

OK I get the clue, going to do some triming.

Thanks everyone for the responses.